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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1980-05-07, Page 11'. • I'OMR WI,NTEI VACATION N 1 SIM11OOS fur Pi al re >t. '.k iia#11+19tklz�By alt ll ay 7, 1980 Single Cony 4. ounc There will her no 'senior;, citizens' housing built Cruickshank part Wingham Town Council bowed" to public' pressure Monday night;,, and formally rescinded . its bylaws. rezoning a,,:section,(;;of the park for the subsidized ;housing project ' At the ealrlie +time it ac- cepted an, offer ' bar .the" protesters 2to,. help Ina', suitable alternative site ;for the apartments - But although the meeting was quiet, opponents -of the project, made their -:position clear: That whether ,or not an= alternative can be found, they do not want the Apart- ments built-in the park. A delegation' of nearly 100 people led by James A. Currie attended the council meeting and, as in the past, the overwhelming majority were opposed 'to; the park proposal. • - Mr. Currie read a prepared, submission to Council `qutltning the o position , and asking that councillors reverse •their decision. He told ,councillors •a that, "after a • marathon telephone blitz this .last. weekend' 'we can claim ov,,erwhelnn ing. support.for our: cause," and :chall`enged them 0,000 referendum if they doubted, the claim. Ike questioned council's handling .of the matter leading up • to the Con- frontati'on, Ont.proposed that both sides back off a couple of steps and really. work for alternatives. • "It is no crime to be a little hard. of hearing, but it :is treacherous for acouncil to be deaf," he declared. "The point we're trying to impress on you is: We don't want that building in Cruick- shank Park. We're willing to work with you to find alternatives, if you want our help." Employees get inte'rlm pay raise All employees of the town of Wingham, with the :ex- ception exception of the police, were. awarded an interim pay increase of 10 per cent Mon- day night, pending . final negotiation . of their con tracts. The interim raise was recommended by Councillor avid Cameron. meron of ter °council, for �� the second m ` eeting in a row, was7una�ible to agree on atsettlemeint ft' its works department. A propOsaf fronrthe works. employees was rejected at the .previous council meeting, and Mr. Cameron reported the men are "not at all happy" with council's counteroffer. He also noted that the 10 per cent raise won't bring Wingham up to what other towns are paying their works employees. The wages in other towns average $6.30 an hour, he reported, while the works department had asked for $6.05 an hour. The 10 per cent raise .. will .bring -.. the., basic, wage here to about $5.75 an hour. Councillor Gordon Baxter suggested other town em- ployees in recreation and day care should also be awarded the interim raise until the committees are able to meet and,negotiate with them. Earlier in the year council signed a new, ' two-year agreement with members of the police department, giving . them an increase of eight per cent January 1, an additional five per cent September 1 and nine per cent at the start of 1981. This works out to an verage raise of 9.75'per cent for 1980 and will bring the alary of a first class con - table to an average of $19,755 for the years, Baxter said. In other business at the meeting council awarded the. gravel contract for 1980;; tq., Joe Kerr Ltd. Tenders '!,had• - been received from Kerrtand John Cox and Mr. Cameron reported the Kerr tender was lower, councillor Tom'Deyelltold' t► trach 'he`-hopt to hold. a -c41, meeting• within the nee 16:443% • to, go ;over last *ear's financial report and , •set the 1960 mill rate. However when. MYlayhr William Walden- asked whether; if alternatives don't work out; it •would be ac- ceptable to go back to the park, the answer from the crowd was an overiiu'helming `No.'. "We're here to help you find alternatives," Mr, `Currie said.. `I€ we ,have to . • lose it we have to lose: it, but., • not in Cruickshank Park!" Conned then adjourned to Os Chambers to ,consider its decision before Voting 6-2 to rescind the bylaws placing the apartments in the park. Councillor's Ray Walker, John Bateson, Tom Deyell, Gord Baxter and David Cameron and Deputy Reeve Harold Wild voted for the. motion, with the mayor and Reeve Joe Kerr opposed., Councillor Allan Harrison was absent ' from the meeting. During the discussion Mr. Cameron reiterated his position that his main wish is to do what the people want. He said previously he wasn't convinced council was hearing from all the people, but noted no one at all was coming out to support the project. Mr. Deyell said . he didn't know that many people were opposed and added he hasn't heard one person speak in favor of it, Mr. Baxter said he per- sonally doesn't care where the apartments go, but doesn't want the town to lose. them and also . doesn't want to see any . tax -dollars sunk int 1 � It t� doe sn twt e her • y Y , I'M for, itor'� ` �� t . Bateson repeated "I can't go against the wishes of • the people." "I thinlrthey'reall wet and. 1think; we're ve y aptto lose tt,"MrWild comPOte0, although he "still vd In` favor of the nimotion Mr. Kerr said helhiniks; park would.be better wjth building there, noting :� .pool has , been 0*er4.TOf With weeds ane} even.w e> • was functi`oning . aufferet from vandalis rat ; He also objected ;4.tO the suggestion "`;that an alter- noative site Could be thee property at the west: ,end Alfred Street, wherfrthe ol• flux barn had stood. "I'ln•. figuring on going intotone of°' aµ these houses pretty soon and: I don't want. to go- that''far away, he commented He suggested ' thetown should get the Ontario Housing Corporation to 'at'i design a buildingto, fit the Pentecostal church lot, which was offered said sale, but Mr. Walden said that lot direr.: is too small for the number of chane units being proposed. , •- los;l "You know how'1 .stand, in mrd is asbest ' By Wilma Oke DUBLIN - The Hutt on- Perth County Roman sa; Catholic Separate School a `a Board is continuing to look leasable into the question Whether or repair not asbestos is a serious • m',0 problem in its schools. V illi lav ti fee `. superintend J sw k ,r, - k'. .i oP't'C><1'' S �#�ial' � sis nY�e s l� ku Deanery • has a oil prop 'front- ii4,' 7Vlini'stiry of p Education -`for'Sealing'.,-or'` Family s;curricul replacing asbestos used:, in Junior students, .Grad school con§truction. Bette 6; the next step is to . old for the teacher tyoucan n minds," uncil. "I sure you t if 150 or wn up at ight have his mind. i„r as taken 'that so far griped the e. "This the work, :going to ore to' do end of the eeting he ve changed g he would e following where we go". quit on explained. a"ntneeting he • Davidson, planning were the Oct would be n said that "f the project ar were not built this year there would be a 60 per cent` chance. it would never be built. "Somebody's going to' have to make another one happen it won't just happen by itself," he added. Ontario Housing won't look for another site and Council will have to come up with one, since Ontario Housing will deal only with council. Following the vote Mr. Davidson said bis--peesonai'- opinion, based on past dealings with the OHC, is that the project will be cancelled. "I hope I'm wrong." He noted the Wingham apartments are to be the last ones built by OHC under a program which ended last year. Under the new program private .developers will be responsible for putting up apartments, with the OHC limiting its par- ticipation to providing rental subsidies,; Ontario fi, ation mint ter, recently assistance will be table to -those boards t the costs of Th bo d `' t. ness at the ,r McCauley, £of.e ucation the for ;.4to PAPER DRIVE—Some boys deliver papers, but these were picking them up last Saturday during the spring paper drive of the 1st Wingham Cubs, Scouts and Venturers. This' group_included Brad Hayden, Robert Leedham and Andrew Kaufman, with J. R. Kaufman providing additional muscle -power as well as chauffeuring the boys. Trustees take pay cut e workshops The official opening f Education Week for th Huron -Perth system `wiil4 take place May 4 at St. Patrick's School, Dublin. Bof.Mto open in new plaza The Bank of Montreal has announced plans to open its first branch ir the town of Wingham,., Construction- of the new branch is underway and completior is scheduled for. late summer. • ' Located in be new shop- ping plaza of Josephine Street, the new branch will form part of the Bank of Montreal's Agri North District. John Burrow, district manager for the Bank of Montreal, said, "The branch's convenient location near the intersection of Highways 4 ani 66, will pro- vide easy access for Wing - ham and area residents. "The new branch will be designed to offer a wide range of services to the Town of Wingham, the commercial , and education focal point of the area and to the thriving agricultural and farming community.” Each school has prepared special :.Open houses and programsto mark the week. The,.board approved in. principle • participation by the schools in the community service 'orders program of the tni'nistry of correctional services. The policy; i yla*i~otnmitte& 1I: study and recommend ways in which the work can be used in and around the 19 schools in the system. Maintenance, painting and yardwork are among the jobs at whichthe troubled, • young volunteers can work. David O'Reilly of Stratford noted the program gives offenders a chance to pay back society for some of the damage they have done, which would not be possible if they were -incarcerated. William Eckert, education director, assured Ted Geoffrey of Zurich that the workers, 'Will be supervised by' staff or someone who works for us". The board approved a request from 'St: Joseph's Community School, Kings- bridge, 'to build a tennis court a o cost to the board. When co pleted it will become the property of the board; Principal Dave:Zyluk said the court will be cunstructed' by volunteer labor, and he hopes to get some govern- ment grants for it. The board also supported a resolution from the York Region I separate school board opposing proposals for changes to the Planning Act, which it said would increase the cost,. of sites to school board in the future. "We should support it. It doesn't affect us now, but in the future we could get burned," Trustee John O'Drowsky declared. 95TH BIRTHDAY—Mrs. Elsie Haney, forniei iy of Wingham, celebrated her 95th birthday Sunday at'Pinecrest Manor Nursing Home, Lucknow, with family mem- bers and friends, including her daughter and son-in-law,.: Mr. and Mrs. Jack McGee of Blyth. Still very alert, Mrs. Haney remembers great deal about the days when Wingham was a much younger town. Canadian unity P eti#ion A.....'People... to .....People Petition for Canadian Unity' is being circulated across Canada in an attempt, by an overwhelming show of friendship and support, to encourage the people of Quebec to vote no' in the upcoming referendum. The petition is printed on computer -size cards being supplied by IBM and cir- culated through major Canadian retailers. Here in Wingham the cards are available at the Canadian Tire store. Anyone wishing to sign the petition, or to gather signatures from others, is invited to pick up Some cards at the store. • They must be returned by May 12 for forwarding to the petition Education taxes rise 14.34percentT despite controversia It will cost ratepayers in Huron County more corresponding decrease in provincial grants is up by 8.5 mills to 79.2. Largest among the fixed costs is more than money than ever this year to educate fewer mean thatthe share of costs shouldered by Changes in the equalization factors wmci, i.,,_9.. million in instruction expenses, including students, especially in the secondary schools. Huron ratepayers is up by more than 14 per determine how costs are shared among munici-t r.a million in salaries and benefits for However a majority of the' trustees on the cent: 8.84 per cent for elementary schools and a palities in the county mean that the percentage teachers. Other major expenses include $2,2 for county board of education have served notice whopping 21.07 per cent for the secondary of increase will not be the same for each. transportation and an equivalent amount for that they intend to put the brakes on runaway schools. MOST COSTS 'FIXED' . operation and maintenance of the school costs. For Wingham this translates into an increase " buildings. In the 1980 budget adopted last Thursday, the of more than eight Mills in the education levy In his address td the board Budget Com- The committee's attempt to pare costs in board held the line on spending in -the relatively this year, 1.33 mills for elementary schools and mittee,�Chairman John Henderson commented, other areas drew fire from several trustees few areas of the budget it. was able to Cut, in- seven mills for secondary schools, for a total "Wo not happy with this increase, nor, I am ',rho felt it was going too far eluding trimming $600 each from the honoraria combined rate of 102,74 mills. sure, will most taxpayers in Huron County be "I realize the board is in dire straits to save paid to board members. Among the surrounding townships, Turn -happy...." But he went on appoint out that more money, but does the budget committee feel that The budget, which squeaked through on a berry faces an increased levy of 10.2 mills fora than 93 per cent of the budget 'is made up of with the 10 per cent inflation rate it can reduce close 9-7 vote, sets aside $25,45.2,768 for total of 80.87; Morris will have to raise an • spending which for all practical purposes is the cost of supplies and services 10 to 15 per education spending in the county this year, up additional 7.6 mills, 71.76 in totaj; the rate .for. fixed over the short run, leaving only about cent and still provide quality education?" nearly $2niillionor7.9perCentfrom 1979, bast Wawanosh is up 9.4 mills to 85.32; West seven per cent with which the'�'titnmittee can former chairman John Ealiot,tdemanded. ' Unfortunately, declining enrolment and the Wawanosh is up 7.57 mills to 65.62; and 11oWick work. "You've gone down through and nickeled and committee, which intends to publish the results in Quebec newspapers prior to the referendum. The petition reads, in part: "We the undersigned are Canadians of good will from many faiths, many ethnic and language backgrounds and every part of the country. "Our Petition comes from hearts and heads that care about Canada. It began among ordinary citizens in Charlottetown, PEI, where Confederation itself was conceived. For we are con, vinced that the voices of ordinary Canadians must reach to each other across the often diverse claims of political parties and the often angry postures of many voices in TV, radioand the press. ' "Decisions . about the of Canada which will vitally affect not only our- selves, but the well-being of our children and the generations which follow should not be made without weighing the massive good will and faith which ,,,we believe lies unexpressed among the vast majority of Canadians .. . .. We then, the under- signed, reach across to Quebecois members of our family to ask with full hearts and clear heads that you choose overwhelmingly to remain with us and continue to build together a more magnificent Canada. To all Canadians, this is a call for rededication to Canada's future..." no -fat budget dimed," he accused later, noting the com- mittee even went so far as to cut off the coffee in the board office, for an estimated saving of about $1,700, and the sandwiches at board meetings. The latter proposals drew applause from one member of an audience of municipal coun- cillors and clerks, who noted his township doesn't serve coffee in its office. Mr, Henderson and Roy Dunlop, board business .administrator, defended the budget for supplies and services, noting it proposes spending the same amount per pupil as last year and the reason it is down is because there are fewer pupils • Please turn to Page 2 'A, °P.A.