The Times Advocate, 2005-11-02, Page 3636
Exeter Times–Advocate
Wednesday,November 2, 2005
Kids take off withYoung Eagles
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
HENSALL — A local
pilot is volunteering
his services to intro-
duce children to the
aviation world as part
of the Experimental
Aircraft Association
(EAA) Young Eagles
program.
John Beimers of
Hensall has been fly-
ing since 1974 and has
logged around 2,000
hours in the air, many
of them in his Piper
Warrior.
The EAA Young
Eagles program was
launched in 1992 to
give interested young
people, ages eight to -
17, an opportunity to
fly in a general avia-
tion airplane.
The flights are
offered free and are
made possible through
the generosity of EAA
member volunteers.
Since 1992, more
than 1.1 million Young
Eagles have enjoyed a
flight through the pro-
gram.
Young Eagles have
been registered in
more than 90 different
countries and have
been flown by nearly
40,000 volunteer
pilots.
Biemers first flight
for the Young Eagles
was in 1998 and he
has now flown over
200 kids out of
Goderich, Stratford
and Manitolin Island.
The aim of the pro-
gram is to make chil-
dren aware of the
importance of aviation
according to Beimers
Some of the passen-
gers have gone on to
become pilots them-
selves.
He said before their
flight, kids are given a
briefing on the air-
plane and the theory
of flight before taking
off for their ride which
usually lasts 15 to 20
minutes.
After the flight, pas-
sengers are registered
as Young Eagles and
their name is listed in
the world's largest
logbook on display at
the EA Air Adventure
Museum in Oshkosh,
Wisconsin.
Pilots donate their
planes and time and
Beimers said it
requires a lot of volun-
teer time to make sure
everything goes safely.
Weather conditions
also have to be right
for the planes to fly.
A Young Eagles day
can involve several
planes and up to 300
kids
The last one Beimers
took part in was at
Manitolin Island.
While none have
been flown out of the
Exeter area, Beimers
said it is something he
would like to do.
"It's quite something
for kids," said
Beimers. "You should
see their faces."
Jarrett and Brent Johns of
Exeter with father Larry
are two of the more than
200 kids local pilot John
Beimers (right) has taken
for plane rides as part of
the Young Eagles program
which introduces children
to aviation. (photo above
submitted/right Pat Bolen)
Avon Maitland trustees vote down increase
By Stew Slater
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE
SEAFORTH — In a 5-4 vote Oct. 25,
trustees of the Avon Maitland
District School Board narrowly
defeated a recommendation to boost
the amount paid per kilometre to
employees and trustees who must
drive as part of their work.
Veteran North Huron representa-
tive Colleen Schenk certainly put
forward the perception of casting
the deciding vote, by admitting to
colleagues just moments before the
question was called that she still
wasn't sure how she would vote. The
former board chairperson claimed to
still be mulling over a well-prepared
argument against the "kilometrage
rate" increase, made moments earli-
er by Stratford trustee Doug Pratley.
In the end, Schenk voted against
the recommendation, along with
Pratley, Huron County trustees
Shelley Kaastra and Emily Milley,
and board chairperson Meg Westley
of Stratford.
The recommendation, to increase
the kilometrage rate from 37 cents
to 40 cents, was brought forward
following a request for review.
Groups requesting a review by the
Finance Committee included repre-
sentatives from one of the board's
labour unions, the
facilities department,
student trustees and
members of the
Special Education
team — who, accord-
ing to education
superintendent Marie
Parsons, "all ... drive
every day."
A report delivered by
staff as background to
the recommendation
cited "the rapid esca-
lation of fuel prices since the begin-
ning of the current school year,"
and suggested amending the kilome-
trage rate effective Nov. 1. Current
board policy dictates the kilome-
trage rate is normally reviewed once
per year, in June, and is only
brought forward for a trustee vote if
a change is recommended.
Pratley noted gasoline prices have
dropped off from their September
highs of well over $1 per litre; on
the day of the meeting, he had filled
his vehicle for about 87 cents per
litre in Stratford. He had
surveyed a number of
business and government
organizations around the
city and found their kilo-
metrage rates to be as
low as 33.5 cents. And he
also observed an increase
in the rate would do
nothing for employees
who, through no fault of
their own, had been
transferred to schools far
from their homes, and for
whom kilometrage rates don't apply
because their commutes are not cov-
ered.
It was contravention of the existing
kilometrage rate policy, however,
which formed a significant portion of
Pratley's argument against the
"Basically ... we're
delaying our decision
(on reacting to
current fuel prices)
for two months.That,
to me, seems
reasonable."
DOUG PRATLEY
STRATFORD TRUSTEE
change. He suggested trustees
should be wary of setting a prece-
dent by going against board policy.
"I also have a concern with regard
to the perception: We are spending
dollars that have not been allocated
to us by the government for this
purpose," the Stratford trustee said.
All is not lost, however, for
employees and school board officials
hoping for relief from high fuel costs
prior to the scheduled June 2006,
kilometrage rate review. A sec-
ondary recommendation, calling for
an annual January "reconciliation .
.. to adjust for fuel escalation or de-
escalation," received unanimous
support from trustees. Now, in
effect, it's possible the rate will be
set twice per year: in January and
June.
"Basically . . . we're delaying our
decision (on reacting to current fuel
prices) for two months," said
Pratley, explaining why he support-
ed the secondary recommendation.
"That, to me, seems reasonable."
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