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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-03-06, Page 1• 4. Board could play vital role in industry training • BY DAVE SYKES The Huron County Board of Education could provide a vital link with area industry through continuing education programs and ap- prenticeship programs in the manner of community colleges in the future. • Don Longwell, director of training and development at Chanapionvitoad Machinery Ltd., and chairmen -of the Huron CoUnty Industrial Training Committee told board members .Monday that industry takes a great interest in the secondary school level and the training prograrns offered. He added that specific training or apprenticeship programs could be implemented for the benefit of both the iIidMduVaxid industry. Longwell was instrumental in initiating the Huron County Industrial Training Committee earlier this year, a group representing •industry in Huron County, and presently examining the iiiLT and skill requirements offfiose in- dustries. The group is conducting an extensive survey of the county's industry to deterpine. the needs and possibly involve the education 'system in meeting those needs. "We will find out what the training needs of industry are and ask the board to help meet those needs," he said. "The government ,provides funds for training but there could also be a co-operative education porogram between industries and schools both at the college and high school levels." While Longwell is advocating continuing education programs geared to industrial needs and sponsored by the board, the needs are diverse and sometimes, exacting. "There is a need for programs geared to management and executive development as well as switchboard skills, reading and general literacy," Longwell said. "Industry would support such programs and people wouldn't have to go outside the county for training and developrfient." Longwell also asked the board to consider a high school apprenticeship program that has been i trip lernented by other boards, High school technieal programs could provide specific training as well as co-operative on the lob training with industry, and the student would earn credit onlie apprenticeship. There' is a diverse group of interests among industries in Mixon County and a need to im- prove efficiency of training in trades. Industry if often required to. peek skilled labour from outside the area and many of those people often leave after a short period. "If you bring in people from outside the area they often don't stay," he said. "But people here could be trained for a specific job and they are a knownquantity." Robert Allan, the board's representative on --the-industrial committee-said-that-conrimuni y colleges have a closer liason with industry in regards to technical training programs but was optimistic that, about more involvement at the high school level. He pointed out that many " local IftiUntieS hir gh Sliiirents Board member Herb TUrkheim -asked if technical training should not be left with the community colleges. Longwell told him there was a need for communication between high schools and colleges and a need for co- ordination of programs. Dorothy Wallace claimed that high school technical programs should only give a student a taste of many different jobs and not training for a specific job. Allan said there was.a movement away from that philosophy adding that high school training was attempting to accomodate both. Longwell's committee is presently con- ducting a needs survey of ,the county's in- dustries and he is confident it will answer many questions. He hopes it will identify shortages of workers and related occupations', explore methods of meeting those shortages and designing training programs to meet those needs. The committee is conducting the survey of 120 industries in the county. • ' • ' , , • • • Two-year-old Sengseck Phannavong (left) Friday evening in honor seemed a' little bewildered by all the attentiot? brother, Sing To, 9, just he was receiving at a special pot luck supper the goodies for dessert. held _at Knox Presbyterian Church hall last of his family. But big relaxed and enjoyed The Phannavongs are • • -I-32-Y-E-AR 9.4 t.t refugees 'from Thailand who are being spon- sored by the congregation of Knox. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Second refugee family arrives BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Goderich's second refugee family has arrived. Linah Racksasouk, his wife Hom and their five children, are being sponsored by the Goderich Inter -Church Refugee Committee consisting of members of the congregations of Victoria Street United Church, North Street United Church, Benmiller United Church, St. George's Anglican Church, the First Baptist Church, the Free Methodist Church, Berea-by- -the--Wter- -Lutheran Church, the Salvation ZURSDA-Vi-M-A-Reff-6-,-.1-940- 35 CENTS -PER -COPY— --Arrrry-ancl-t-lie--Bethal-Pentecostal-T-ertrernacie7-- - At present, the family is using the home of the - Council -must cut 1.3.30„000. 'frombudget BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER cordingly," said Reeve Palmer. appeals and possible loss of assessment," The finance ,committee also pointed out that Reeve Palmer said. "The 'exact amount f Town councillors and members of council's due to a "major reassessment" in 1980, any reduction in assessment caused by this is not committees will have a busy weekend. Their increase in the mill rate should be kept a§ low known at this time. However, there is budgeted job is to cut by Monday a total amount of as possible. under expenditures $30,000 •for assessment "The Town of Goderich is experiencing, due $330,000 from their proposed budgets for write-offs." to the implementation of Section 86, numerous Deputy -reeve Bob Allen pointed out "there is municipal expenditures in 1980. Finance chairman Reeve Eileen Paltn'er asked- each committee chairman to "trim the fat" out of the initial budgets presented to council. She said to leave budgets as presented would result in a 24.7 percent increase 'in taxation for commercial and residential Huron County Board of Education trustee, "They won't learn to speak any French in properties in Goderich this year. Bert Morin took exception to a Quebec field trip Goderich," he said. "And they aren't going "A 50 increase for municipal purposes s request from Goderich and Distirct Collegiate there to learn the language but to practice what i downright ridiculous,' said Reeve Palmer. "So claiming the students wouldn't learn any they've been taught." we are recommending that all budgets be French. The board voted in -favor of the field trip returned to committees for trimming.' You GDCI instructor, Paul Howe applied for request. know where the fat is." At the same time, the finance committee will meet and also develop a list of items which' -an be deleted from the various budgets. "We know it can be done," said the reeve. "We've been through the budgets." Reeve Palmer explained that this system was a little different approach than in previous years -when--eauneil-w e nt-th-rou-gh--the---budgeta--p orttinity_to_ob,s erve and participate in French culture and to learn additional French. Morin didn't the length of the stay was suf- ficient for the students to benefit. "In two days they won't learn much French. i spent three weeks with French people and could barely make myself 'uOerstood,1" he said. "There's not much learning. It's a nice trip and -the people are nice but they won't learn much French." Director of Education, John Cochrane, defended the trip claiming it would augment their French studies at school. They can't learn French in town approval to•the Jolliette field trip proposal that would take Grades 9 through 13 students on a six-day stay. He estimated that as many as 30 students would leave Goderich March 26 and return April 1. Each student would be billetted with the family of a Jolliette student. Howe ex- plained it would give the students an op - one by one making cuts. ---"We do not want to have to nickel and dime the budgets to death," said Palmer. She asked that committees make priority lists from those items cut from the budget, so that in the event there was extra money to spend on certain projects, council could make a decision on the most important municipal work fror.n the priority lists. Itwas noted that council was only concerned at this point with municipal elcpenditures. It is still not known what increases, if any, will be requested by Huron .County Board of Education, Huron -Perth Separate School Board and Huron County Council. While cutting $330,000 from the proposed budget would result in the same general municipal mill rate as in 1979, the finance committee is recommending that the municipality should consider increasing the general municipal mill rate to establish , a reserVe for building and equipment. is felt that this is necessary since the surplus (from 1979) in the amount of $211,300 will not likely exist at December 31,1980 and the municipality should prepare itself ac - No cuts for seniors BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER Though it is highly unlikely that senior citizens in Goderich will get any special property tax relief from the municipality this year, members Of town council did vote five to three Monday evening that a motion for an elderly residents tax assistance program in town be tabled for further study. The motion was brought in by Councillor Elsa Haydon and Councillor Jim Magee. It called for Turn to pawe 20 • Bedford sold; deal possible with theatre BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER The Signal -Star learned Wednesday morning that J.E.Sylvester of Sylvester and Associates, London, is the new owner of the Bedford Hotel on The Square in Goderich. In a telephone interview, Sylvester said he was in town Tuesday to close the deal on the property. Sylvester also said he had "lengthy discussions" with The Goderich Performing Arts Foundation committee while In town on Tuesday, and is "very optimistic we can put something together With them" for the Livery Theatre an South Street just behind the Bed- ford No further details were available from the new Bedford owner on the project. He said it would be the end of April before any major release abOut plans for the undertaking could be announced. a light at the end of the tunnel". He said once the county's equalization factors are applied, the Town of Goderich stands to gain sub- stantially, "We're not happy to say the least," said Reeve Palmer. "Restraints are preached by all levels ofgovernment and 1980 is the year to practise restraints." Few members of council quarrelled with this premise. But there was some argument about the finance committee's request to have the budgets reworked by Monday, March 10. "I feel we're being pressured," complained Deputy -reeve Bob Allen. "What's the rush?" Allen said he was too busy with other scheduled municipal business this week to Turn to page -20 Reverend and Mrs. Marvin Barz as their home base with several different people bringing them meals and taking them on tours of the - town. The Refugee Committee hopes to- move the family into a house on Blake Street by Friday. The committee was not expecting a family quite so soon since it just applied for one in the middle of January. The Racksasouk family was to be sent to British Columbia. However, since Mrs. Racksasouk is the sister of Sourisack Phannavong, a member of Goderich's first ' reftigee family, immigration officials decided to send them here instead. ' Besides the mother and father, the family consists of two girls, Laddaphon, 15 and Lan, 11 and three boys, Bounmay, 13, Bounhieng, 9 and Lai, 7. They left Thailand on Monday, February • 25 after spending two years in a refugee camp. They had originally escaped from Laos to Thailand by crossing the Mekong River in a small boat in the middle of the night. , They were picked up at Toronto International . Airport last Friday and brought to Goderich. Drugs seized in police raids BY JOANNE BUCHANAN A four-month undercover police investigation by members of the Goderich Police Force and the Ontario Provincial Police, number six district, crime squad ended Monday Morning with the arrest of 10 males and two females, ranging in age from 17 to 29. Marijuana, hashish and cocaine estimated to „ be valued at $2,500 was seized in raids on several Goderich and area residences by 15 officers from both forces. A total of nine charges for trafficking in a narcotic, four Charges of possession of a nar- cotic for the purpose of trafficking and "eight charges of possession of a narcotic have been laid. An eleventh male had been arrested on Sunday and held in custody until after the raids on Monday. ; All persons arrested have now been released by a Justice of the Peace and will appear in provincial court in Goderich on March 14: All were residents of Goderich except for one male who was living near Listowel at the time of his arrest. Goderich Police Chief, Pat King, says police have not broken the back of' the drug ring in Goderich but at least they've given it "a good kick in the ribs " Aktoildliku Constable Bill Hassall, of the Goderich OPP detachtnent,begIns the taskof sorting out the $2800 worth of marijuana, hashish, cocaine and drug paraphernalia seized during Monday morning raids • •4•4q- " n evernL Goderich area alleged drug offenders. (photo by Cath Wooden)