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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1987-05-19, Page 01A WAGON TRAIN left lastFriday from the Frank Murray farm near numerous riders took part in the weekend trek in the style and spirit of Kinlough for points north. Approximately 20 covered wagons and the pioneers. Public relations is theme for `PD' day at Wingham Teachers, bus drivers, secretar- ies, custodians, administration, ed- ucation trustees — close to 1,000 people in total — met in Wingh4m recently for a Professional Develop- ment Day. Huron County Board of Education director Bob Allan called the giant meeting a memorial occasion in the history of public education in this county. F. E. Madill Secondary School was the site for this unique event which saw employees and others associated with the Huron board taking part in a day -long session centred on public relations and communications. "Excellence in communication is necessary to proclaim the ex- cellence of your school system," keynote speaker Dick Dodds of the East York Board of Education told those assembled. Council accepts Snell firm's bid on.subdivision East Wawanosh Council has sold the Humphrey subdivision at Belgrave to Snell Investors Ltd., a firm with which township Reeve Ernie Snell is closely associated. The reeve declared a conflict of interest at the May 5 regular meeting of council and vacated the chair. Councillor Fred Meier chaired discussion on the sale. Snell Investors Inc. agreed to cover all expenses incurred by the township at the 25 -acre site, in- cluding the $48,000 purchase price and another $3,000 in legal fees and various expenses. Mr. Snell has said he intends to go ahead and develop the property according to a written subdivision agreement,, which includes items such as hydro, water and roadways. The township bought the 38 -lot subdivision late last year. Efforts earlier this year to sell the lots, even listing them with a Kitchener realtor, were not successful and so Mr. Snell suggested his company rai■ n■ aI■ ■n Sor ia' buy the property and free up Wa,gon township funds for other important projects, such as the Tenth Line - Bridge. a.ionpeer rens n scento ..,.�Rys.,-ospital .honors students "You have to have a good product," he advised. "Don't try to sell a poor school." Services should be "tuned up" before trying to sell them, the audience was told. "Make your first impression an impressive one ... if you can't communicate in a quality way, don't communicate at all." Mr. Dodds said public relations in the school system serves several purposes, including to help gain and maintain as many students as possible and to gain public trust. He said a certain segment of the population feels public education is not doing its job. Parents are shopping for education today by examining private schools, separate schools and other learning alter- natives for tiieir children. Mr. Dodds gave examples of the marketing techniques and newspaper advertisements used by private schools and other learning centres. "I don't knock the private and separate schools for getting out and communicating as much as they can," he said. "We can learn from them. He stressed that a marketing program does not have to be a costly venture, but it should be high on the list of priorities within the school system. The first rule in marketing is to do a good job, he said, followed by the second rule, telling everyone that a good job is being done. The day concluded with the naming of the winners of the slogan contest for the Huron County Board of Education. Entries were received from more than 300 elementary and secondary school students. Pat Martin of Goderich District Collegiate Institute was the senior winner with her slogan: "Blue Jeans to Life's Dreams". At the in- termediate level, Heather Jackson of Huron Centennial Public School was the winner with "Enlighten Your Child's Future". Tyler Papple, also from Huron Centennial, was the junior level winner with "Teaching Tomorrow's Skills Today" and Margaret Ann Stewart of Blyth Public School won at the primary level with "Aiming for Perfection". Fines to be 'imposed for unvaccinated animals Huron County Council recently ap- educator, who will be eligible for „ proved that a minimum fine of $50 be four weeks off after only one year of established for animal owners who employment instead of the usual five do not get their pets or livestock years. The other concerned the vaccinated for rabies. purchase of a radio for the Goderich The fine was introduced to enforce Board of Health office. Huron County's compulsory rabies While the social services com- vaccination program which went mittee had no discussion over its into effect on March 2. motions presented, a representative Although the motion was passed, it of the .committee stated his concern was not without some debate from over the county having no day care the reeves and deputy reeves con- policy. cerning the areas of enforcement and promotion of the progryam. N o damage Several said they thought owners would not purchase tags fror1,_, the townships to avoid the $50 ' n grassfire paving fine if their animals were ioundi'ot` to be vaccinated. These concerns The Wingham and Area Fire De - are to be discussed in detail at they rtment was called out to a grass next board of, health meeting. re in Turnberry Township last Goderich Reeve H. E. Worsell ex- Saturday. pressed concern over two of the Fire Chief Harley Gaunt said the motions presented by the board of call came at 7:50 p.m. to the farm of health. One was about the vacations John Norman, Lot 23; Con. B. of for the nutritionist and health Turnberry. There was no damage. Their wagons are not constructed of wood alone and their tarpaulins are plastic instead of canvas, but the pioneer spirit was alive in a group of covered wagon enthusiasts which left Kinlough last Friday on a weekend trek. It was a sight reminiscent of 100 years ago: a wagon train travelling slowly down a gravel. road ac- companied by numerous horses and riders. For Leo Murray of Holyrood, a former Kinloss Township reeve and his brother Frank, horsepower is the only way to go. Long-time horse and wagon lovers, this is the first time they have rounded up a group of thefrfriends for more than an overnight excursion. Approximately 15 homemade wagons left the Frank Murray farm at Kinlough last Friday at noon for points north. The group planned to travel to Chepstow the first night, to Port Elgin on Saturday night, to Kincardine Sunday night and back home on Monday: 175 kilometres, in all. The wagons can travel up to 10 miles per hour, but Frank Murray said they, would not push their horses, commercial teams as well as heavy Belgians and Clydesdales, because it- was the first long- distance run they have had this year. While they would not experience all the hardships of pioneer life, the wagoners were prepared to eat and sleep in their wagons. There even were a few good-natured jokes about pulling,them into a circle at night. The wagoners certainly covered at RNAgraduation Freida all the bases. In addition to packing enough supplies for the four-day trek, they even had 'a Mennonite blacksmith on call in case any of the horses needed a shoe. Anyone who happened upon the group in their weekend travels really wasn't dreaming or in a time machine: it was just a few friends who love horses and have a sense of old-fashioned adventure. Fire board municipalities may ask for in-depth survey Member municipalities of the Wingham and Area Fire Board may petition the Ontario fire marshal to conduct a survey determining the long-term personnel needs of the department. As Wingham Fire Chief Harley Gaunt explained at last Wednesday evening's fire board meeting, the full councils of all five member municipalities of the fire board must pass motions requesting the:before urvey, not just the board itself. It could be at least one yea the board would get the results of the in-depth survey, Mr. Gaunt said. Conducting such a survey is a monumental task, he added and will require the fire marshal to spend at least one week on-site to conduct exclusive interviews with municipal officials, including building in- spectors and road superintendents. However, it is conducted at no charge to the fire board. In addition to determining the personnel needs of the department, the survey also would involve other areas, such as long-term equipment needs, said the chief. "Would we (the board) be obligated to carry out these requests?" asked Norman Fairles of Howick Township. "They are only recommenda- tions," said Mr. Gaunt, adding, a similar survey conducted in the late 1960s suggested the local depart- ment consider hiring a full-time fire chief and purchasing a new pumper. But the board at that time acted only on one recommendation and pur- chased the 1970 pumper. Luncheon wily support new library Among the many special fund- raising projects for the new Wingham library project is a Poor Boy Luncheon sponsored by the Saugeen chapter of the Life Underwriters' Association. All proceeds from the Friday, June 12 luncheon at the Witham Armouries will go to the new Wingham and Area Library. The luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to2p.m. Vince Judge steps down as authority chairman At a May 13 executive committee meeting of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, chairman Vince Judge of Listowel asked the executive to appoint vice-chairman Bruce McCall of Brussels to the MVCA chairman's position for the remainder of Mr. Judge's term. Citing personal responsibilities and an increased wonldoad, Mr. Judge said he has found it difficult to make the time commitment necessary. The MVCA executive accepted Mr. Judge's resignation with regret and wished him well in his future endeavors. Mr. Judge served on the Authority from 1972 to 1977 as a representative of the town of Listowel. He was re- appointed as a provincial representative in 101 and elected chairman ih 120. Mr. Fairles asked if the board could not accomplish the same end by asking Fire Marshal Jerry Sun-` strom to address a meeting rather than going through the entire survey Process. While Mr. Gaunt said he felt Mr. Sunstrom would come and talk to the board, he said he did not know if he would address just "the problem at hand" or insist a survey be con- ducted. While some members said they felt it would not hurt to ask the fire marshal to speak to the board, others seemed to indicate the survey route is the best. Nelson Underwood of Turnberry Township said if the board is going to make a major personnel decision in the next year, it would be better to have some "fire power" to back up that decision to the 9,200 ratepayers served by the Wingham and Area Fire Department. A survey could provide that sort of proof. ''But if we find out too much, it might mean more of a problem than we have now," said Howie Morton of Morris Township. "On the other side of the coin," replied Mr. Underwood, "we might find out some things we should know... After some further discussion it was decided to leave the matter until the next meeting of the board. Earlier in the evening the board met with three representatives of the Wingham Public Utilities Commission in an hour-long in - camera session to discuss a per- sonnel matter. Manager Ken Saxton and commission members Rod Wraith and Wingham Mayor Jack Kopas attended the meeting. Mr. Gaunt is employed by the Wingham PUC'. Later in the evening the board went into committee -of -the -whole to discuss a personn9l matter. "We have had many new experi- ences which will be remembered by all," Linda Snider, class valedic- torian told her fellow graduates, members of their families and their friends attending the Wingham and District Hospital Nursing Assistants graduation ceremonies Friday. A total of 16 students emerged from the Nurses' Training Centre, J where the ceremony was held, as Registered Nurse's Assistants, but not before hearing some words of wisdom from Jack Kopas, head of the guidance department at F. E. Madill Secondary School and mayor of Wingham. He quoted several philosophical passages in his address to the class on the validity of a career and success, not in terms of money, but happiness. "Success is the culmination of a career in a desirable position — an achievement, but not only in a monetary or business sense," Mr. Kopas said. Graduating from the class were Julaine Adams, Wingham; Frances Burton, Bayfield; Nancy Cole, Listowel; Mary Louise Deneau, Walkerton; Jennifer Dobie, Godericp; Charlene Franken, Blyth; Lisa Harris, Goderich; Catherine Henderson, Wingham; Irene Heykoop, RR 3, Clinton; Geraldine Liesemer, Mildmay; Ula Richmond, Blyth; Linda Snider, RR 2, Atwood; Ray Versteeg, St. Thomas; Patricia Williams, RR 3, Goderich; Deborah Wilton, Kit- chener and Kimberly Zimmer, Wingham. Mary Lou Thompson, chairman of the hospital's board of governors, and Norman Hayes, executive director; presented the graduates with their diplomas. Members of the class were presented with their pins by director of the nursing assistant program, Marilyn Irwin, and assistant director, Lind -i Kieffer. Presentations included the Pro- ficiency in Bedside Nursing Award, v donated by -Mr. Hayes, to Mrs. Burton. The Scholastic Achievement Award, donated by the Auxiliary to the Wingham and District Hospital, and the valedictorian's gift were presented to Miss Snider. In her address Miss Snider told the audience the graduation marks the end of the class as students learning assistance and their beginning as graduates learning assistance. "There are many aspects of the nurse's life which make it all worth- while," she said. "We all grew to love many of the patients we cared for." We can all be proud of what we have learned this year and I hope we can look at this graduation as only the beginning of our learning and the beginning of our careers." In his closing remarks to the class, Mr. Kopas said, "I want to wish you all success in your careers, and may you have many more pluses on your scoreboard than minuses." RNA GRADUATION— Emerp*V ori t>esy from the Wingham and District win, Instructor, Ula Richmond, Irene Heykoop, Frances Burton, Geral - Hospital's Nurses' Train Centre wetth Registered Nursing Assistant dine LiesemAr, Nancy Cole and Linda Kieffer, instructor; back, dplbmas were from NR, front: LAW& Snider, Cathy Henderson, Mary Charlene Franken, Deborah WNton, Ray Versteeg, Lisa Harris, Kkn Zim- Louise Deneau, Jennifer Dhble anal Pi Haft Wftrna; centre, Maritya Ir- trier and Julaine Adams. 0