Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-12-07, Page 21John Elliott reelected Huron Board. Chairman Trustees told BY JEFF SEDDON The Huron County Board of Education held its inaugural session Monday afternoon and learned that 1979 may be a year the board has to co-operate to "do more for more", The board members were sworn in by provincial court judge William Cochrane at the Monday afternoon meeting and were told by chairman John Elliott, who was acclaimed to the post, that 1978 had been a difficult year but that most of the challenges to the board were met and resolved. He said the board was at the point where it must ""proceed in a co-operative manner to provide sound management and direction for the school community in Huron county". Elliott said the board must establish ob- jectives for 1979 and future years and work towards those objectives annually reviewing itssuccesses and failures. The chairman warned the board that declining enrolment in county schools com- M1 GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, I ECEMBER 7 ,1978' -PAGE 21 COoperation key to success in 1979 bined with reduced provincial grants would nominated. A tie vote in the first round was create a tough job for the board. He said broken in the second and McDonald got the not trustees must work closely with teachers, by a narrow margin. administration, parents and students to solve Elliott was cited by the board for his work hi financial problems. 1978, a difficult year for the board. Past "I hope we're capable of looking past the chairman Herb Turkheirn presented -Elliott immediate effect of decisions and ignoring our with a gavel honoring his work and said 1978 particular interests to consider the future of was one of the "most difficult years this board education and the role the next generation will has ever faced". Turkheim said the teachers play here because of the example we set," said strike, the closing of McKillop school and the Elliott. "great, book debate" had forced Elliott to "put He said the board, the community and the up with a lot". nation can't continue to do "less for more" but Elliott responded telling the board he had must strive to do "more for more", learned a great deal in the -year as chairman The Blyth trustee was acclaimed to another and had been "blessed with an ulcer". year as board chairman. Trustees either felt he The Blyth trustee reminded board members was the best man for the job or others had no interest in the position and Elliott was un- challenged for the job. Two votes were required to name a, vice-chairman for the board when Goderich trustee Dorothy Wallace and Brussels representative Donald ' McDonald were January decision on harbor front restaurant "Do not operate individually but collectively, he said. "Decisions of the board are collective not individual". Elliott said he wanted the board to take a look at a revamped committee system that he hoped would enable trustees to work closer handling board problems. He said he felt the present committee system was not functioning and he wanted to propose changes. The board now hqs five committees each with three members. The committees handle finances, school curriculum, personnel, property and student policies. Elliott proposed an amalgamation of some committee responsibility reducing the number of com- mittees to three, each with five members. He they were "here as elected individuals to said the three would be education, which would represent the community". He said they were a be responsible for curriculum and student "board of directors and must establish policies policy, management, which would be and programs that should enable each student responsible for spending, and a personnel to achieve the lot in life that we desire for committee which would be' responsible for them". personnel and salary, negotiations. The chairman said he also -wanted the vice- chairman of the board to take a more active part, in board business and would start by making the vice-chairman the chairman of the management committee, involving the vice- chairman in dollars spentby the board. Elliott said he also wanted the board to consider reverting to one open meeting a month instead of the two it now has. He said ad- ministration was spending a great deal of time preparing agendas for two meetings and he felt that time could be better utilized in other areas. He said the board wouldhave one open session and reserve one night for committee meetings. He said the committee system would still prompt debate at board meetings since no majority would be evident if a committee was all in agreement on a matter. He added that any proposals a committee had for the board would still have to be sold in a board sessiqn. Board to decide if industry and people can co -exist BY JEFF SEDDON The Goderich Area Planning Board will decide in January if it feels industry and people can co -exist in the same environment. Planning board heard arguments Tuesday night for and against a proposed harbor front restaurant near the Goderich harbor and will -decide at its January meeting if the restaurant should be allowed to establish next to heavy industry at the waterfront. Two professional planners addressed the board Tuesday night and took completely opposite views on the possibility of mixing a commercial, enterprise that will attract people to an area dominated by heavy industry. One- planner, Nick Hill of Hill and Borgal, argued that the Goderich harbor is one of the "superme natural beauties" of Goderich and that the restaurant would enrich that beauty to the benefit of residents and visitors here. The other, Dave Barber of Municipal Planning Consultants, argued that people and heavy industry don't mix and that if the town per- mitted the restaurant to establish in its in- dustrial area it would jeopardize that industry. The presentations were made in a public meeting called to hear if anyone in Goderich objected to a land designation change needed to permit the construction of the restaurant. The land is now designated industrial and that has to be changed to commercial before a zoning change can be made to allow the restaurant to be developed. THREE OBJECTORS Three objections were lodged against the restaurant. Barber, who represented Goderich Elevator and Transit Company and Domtar Chemicals, presented a brief on behalf of his clients objecting to the proposal, and James Earl Kirk of North Street in Goderich said as a taxpayer in town he objected to the proposal. He so refused to elaborate on his objection but earlier in the meeting seemed concerned that a small park the town maintains near the restaurant site would have to be upgraded at the town's expense. He was told that the park's upgrading would be a decision by the town and is notsomething that must be done if the restaurant is allowed to be built. The bulk of the complaints by Goderich Elevator and Domtar centre around truck traffic and grain dust created by the grain handling firm. Barber touched on a number of subjects ranging from extra costs the town would face for garbage pickup and snow plowing to the dangers the town was creating for the Elevator by allowing a food ,establish- ment to operate on its doorstep. Barber, a planner for MPC, ironically the firm that prepared the town's official plan that now must be changed to permit the restaurant, told the board that the official plan, which was prepared in the late "60's", defined the harbor area as industrial and discourages anything that would jeopardize that industry. He said the restaurant was not listed as something per- mitted at the waterfront. The planner said that the grain elevator generates a very heavy truck traffic that "does not mix with cars and people". He said about 200 to 250 trucks could ease the elevator in a day and that the problems created by cars around the restaurant would create a hazard for the people in the area. Goderich Elevator plans to use a chunk of property that borders the restaurant site as a site for a country elevator according to Barber. LIA.ESIATE LISA ek*i All Points 56 East St., Goderich 524-6656 Realty Services inc. STARTING OUT? Then start here, This comfortable family home invites you from the minute you set foot through the door. Downstairs you find a double living room, or use the back half for a dining room if you wish. Also an at- tractive farm kitchen, and boot room at the back. this Upstairs, ull basement, lote52' x 104' and arooms and tsuper�Iocattito ion just west of The Square. Won't last long at $36,900. LAKEBANK What's your pleasure? Lakeview with access? Sunken family room with Franklin stove? Large kitchen? Three bedrooms upstairs? Additional den or sewing room? We offer all these plus many more features at a list price that will surprise you. Shown strictly by appointment so call now to be pleasantly surprised. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Unique commercial property with apartment just off the Square. 800 square feet of remodelled store area with new carpet. The building has recently had new wiring and plumbing, and has been insulated throughout. Large apartment up will be finished to buyer's taste. Separate meters. DON'T FORGET OUR SELECTION OF HOMES, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, RURAL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND FARMS MN! HURON MAL LITATI WARD FORTTTAL REALTY SERVICE CAL Ken Thompson Agnes MacKinnon Jim McCaul 324-7314 524.6334 324.4173', Charlie Tyndall Gayle McCaul 324.7433 524-4175 Anna Midas! 324.1768 ;llnljilnmm�unlulwlununwmlufnnlHnaunntlllrinnnij •' illi iinunnnuulgniliai 53 West St. 524-8951 HILST R Ai ESTATE HURON REAL ESTATE .p..._ BOARD MEMBER _= 12 REDUCED TO $52,000 - 3 bedroom brick bungalow on Oak St. Super kitchen with new cupboards, patio door from dining area. Finished rec. room with Franklin fireplace. Heated pool for the summer. No. 78-840 HOME OCCUPATION AND FAMILY Both would be F. perfectly suited in this centrally located 3 `bedroom ▪ brick home. Reduced to 545,500. No. 78-899 ▪ LONDON INVESTMENT - Older brick near Talbot • Square. Gracious rooms. Great apartment or office _potential. No. 78-384. Call London 681-0178 or Goderich 524-8191 • THREE BEDROOM BUNGALOW close to schools and downtown- Boasts separate dining room with china cabinet. Finished rec. room and cold room in basement. Asking 547,000. No. 78-1004 ▪ HANDY MAN SPECIAL - 5 minutes from Goderich. 3 bedroom bungalow on nearly 2 acres. Real potential F. for right person. Full basement. Asking 522,000 FE LESS THAN 5200 a year to heat this beautiful 2 bedroom mobile on its own lot in Dungannon. Com- _ bination of wood and propane heat. Extras must be seen. Asking 523,500. CALL 524-8951 OR 524-8191 EVENINGS 5,mmm1nfDunluaMumm11ullunumulnmm11mumlalununmmllamm11unmmu11111R MORTGAGE the SAFEWAY! LOW INTEREST RATES ON 1STS, 2NDS, 3RDS -residential, commercial, apartments farms, industrial -purchases, refinancing -home additions or improvements =debt consolidation, interim financing on new construction or land development SAFEWAY INVESTMENTS & CONSULTANTS LTD. HANOVER 504 10th St. (519) 364-3121 Evenings Call Gerd Page (519) 881.0101 Kitchener Office. (519) 579-4600 Port Elgin office (519) 83212044 WE BUY EXISTING MORTGAGES FOR INSTANT'CASH MEW Holmesville news by Blanche Deeves The annual White Gift Service was held in the Holmesville United. Church on Sunday December 3rd with the Sunday School in charge. The service took the form of the Nativity Scene. The nursery, pre-schoo and kindergarten classes took the parts of the angels and shepherds while the girls in the primary, junior and intermediate classes formed the choir. Jim Crawford and Nancy Thompson portrayed Joseph and Mary. The offering and White Gifts were taken 'up by the Wise Men who were played by Kevin Talbot, Tim Mayhew, Steven Preszcator, Dennis Thompson, Robin Lobb and Travis Bell. Readers for the service were Brenda Harris, Hanine Mayhew, Jackie Norman, Heather Harris, Shelley Crawford and Tracy Norman. At the conclusion of the service, Rev. Oestreicher related between the gifts of the wise men and the White Gift Service. The service ended with the lighting of the first candle on the. Advent Wreath. Women's Institute news The Goderich Township Women's Institute will meet Monday, December 11 at the Holmesville School at 8 p.m. Roll call to be answered by an old fashioned Christmas gift. Members, don't forget' your baby pictures 'to be put in an envelope with your name on it and given to Hazel Mctreath. We have the Bikes in Stock and Santa has the Christmas Lists.- 16" ists....16" x 20" Convertibles 20" Standardsi 20" Motocross Ladles 3. 3 & 10 Speeds Men's 10 & 12 Speeds DOW'S BICYCLE REPAIRS 303 ONTARIO St. CLINTON 482-9941 The planner said the firm wants the land to build a country elevator that will handle grains directly from farm fields. He said the elevator new ships grain already processed by country elevators, and with the expansion would be preparing grain for shipping: He' pointed out that if the plans went through the elevators to be built would all but remove the view of the lake that -the restaurant wants to take ad- vantage of. A TRAGEDY Nick Hill told the board that Barber's arguments represented a "sad day in the planning history of this town". He said Barber had taken a "50's approach to planning" which permitted an industry at the harbor to tie up the land in the area for its own exclusive use. He said that singular approach to land use was not contemporary planning adding that the waterfront was "too valuable" to the town to permit a singular use. "I think it's a disgrace that an industry can attempt to take over an area exclusively for its own use and make it quite unattractive and unaccessible to the townspeople," said Hill. • He said he had failed to find the precise in- compatability Barber felt should prevent the restaurant from being built pointing out that the whole approach to planning today was multiple land use. He said the MPC planner had not demonstrated why the two businesses cannot co -exist. "The gist of his argument is that people should be excluded from this area and that is a tragedy," claimed Hill. He said many major cities in Canada and the United States were now suffering the effects of that type of thinking. He said core areas in many large cities had been taken over by large corporations for business offices and the result was that at five o'clock at night the downtown becomes "devoid of people". He added that the city of Toronto had recognized that problem and had developed land use plans that married people, industry and commerce and had kept the downtown Toronto area an active place. "If you are going to reject this proposal the Goderich harbor could become a people -less area," said Hill. The newly elected board of directors for Town and Country Homemakers are, left to right: Betty Cardno, Seaforth; John MacKinnon, Goderich; Gwyn Whilsmlth, RR3 Zurich; Helen Tench Clinton; Evelyn McCue, Goderich and Catherine Walsh, Goderich and Beverley Brown, Bluevale. Absent was Jean Adams, Goderich and Lois lllodgert, Seaforth. (photo by Wilma Oke) Taxloss on land too great Goderich Area Planning board members hedged Tuesday night on a decision to rezone a parcel of land on Highway 21 to permit con- struction of a church in an area prime for commercial development. The board received an application from the Bethel Pentecostal Tabernacle to rezone a 2.47 acre parcel of land immediately south of Conklin Lumber to permit a church to be constructed. The land ' is currently zoned commercial and was approved for establish- ment of a motel that never got past the planning stage. The church purchased the land from the developers of the motel and asked the board to change the -zoning for the church which is to go under construction March 1, 1979. Board members expressed a concern that the establishment of the church would be making poor use of prime commerical property. Paul Zurbrigg pointed out that commercial land of this type is at a premium in Goderich and asked if any information were available that would indicate the impact the zoning change would have on the availability of highway commercial land in town. Eileen Palmer said she was concerned about. the potential tax revenue that would be lost if the land were used for a church. She said the land was one of the last prime commercial Staff increases. • from page 1 to AIB, union staff was given a healthy increase (about 35 percent) and before negotiations with administration could be handled the AIB took over. Similar increases for administration were impossible and for three years those in- creases had been withheld. He said it was now time to catch up. The ten department heads with their salary reviewed were put on a five level salary grid designed to put them at the top of their level some time in the next three years. Increases varied widely according to what the committee felt it would cost the county to replace the person doing that job if that person left. Clerk treasurer and administrator Bill Hanly is now making $27,222 and on January 1 will receive an 8.6 percent raise taking him to $29,588. Deputy cleric treasurer Bill Alcock now makes $23,712 and with his 5.3 percent hike will be paid 824,986. Bob Dempsey, the county engineer will be given a 7.1 percent increase taking him from $26,500 to 828,392. Dr. Brian Lynch, medical officer of health, will get a 3.3 percent hike taking him from $36,000 to $37,222. Bill Partridge, the county librarian, received a • s areas of its type in town and that as an elected representative she would have to give a "great deal of thought" to the decision. She said once the land was used for an institution like the church the town would derive no tax dollars from it. Byron Winsor, who represented the church, told the board that the land was also one of few parcels that would permit construction of a church. He said the church had checked over two other lots and found both undesirable. He said the Bayfield Road site was what the church wanted. John Schaefer said the lot seemed more than large enough for a church and asked if any consideration had been given to using the back portion of the parcel for the church leaving the front for commercial use. He said the proposed Suncoast Drive extension would make the church easily accessible and would still leave the prime commercial land intact. Winser said the congregation planned to use the rear of the lot for recreational purposes and wanted the church building to be visible from the highway. He said the church felt it had a "nice little building" and wanted it to be seen from the highway. He conceded that no thought had been given to Schaefer's idea adding that he was not in position to answer the question. 9.4 percent increase and will be making $20,150 as compared to the $18,408 he makes now. Planning director Gary Davidson now makes $24,414 and will be awarded an eight perdent increase bringing his wage to $26,390., Social services administrator John MacKinnon will be making $19,578 with his 9.7 percent increase. The administrator of Huronview got a 15.2 percent hike taking his wage from $20,644 to • $23,790. Development officer Sr nee Cummings is now paid $17,238 and with a 5 percent in- crease will be making $17,498. Mi, um curator Ray Scotchmer got a 13.2 percent , rease and will now be making $16,848. Along with the raises given supervisory staff county council increased its own wage by two dollars a session. For a full day of county work councillors will now be paid $50 and for half a day they will get $32. The warden's honorarium was also increased. The warden was being paid 82,750 a year and is n getting $3,000 annually. Mileage allowances for councillors was not increased. Ginn told council the committee felt the present allowance was acceptable adding that it was one place the committee felt it could "hold the line".