HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1985-11-27, Page 1INDEX
Births /A10
Brussels /A5
Classifieds /A14, 15
Dublin /A4
Entertainment /A17
Farm /A8, 9
Family /A10, 11
Graduations /A10
Hensall I A7
Legion /A17
Obituaries /A10
Sports /Al2, 13
Walton /A6
Weddings /A11
High school tired of chocolate bar sales. See page 43.
Arena booster club to fold: See page 418
Serving the communities
and areas of Seaforth,
Brussels, Dublin, Hensall
and Walton
Hur
xposito:
SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985 — 18 PAGES
50c a copy 1
FiRST SNOW — Most Seaforth residents might have been less than
thrilled when winter announced its presence with the first snowfall
in the area last Friday, but a few were glad to see it. Becky Jane
Lowdy (left) and Darren Sullivan were found enjoying the white
stuff and found it had the perfect consistency for making snowballs,
(Raft's photo)
Wellington students living with grandma
The rum 12 week-old stnke by Wellington
Count } leachers has forced at least four of its
students into an early acceptance of the
dormitory life usually not encountered until
university
Lindi Wahl, Cindy ('hung, Cindy Neu -
stead and Jill Bryant were Grade 13 students
at Guelph's Centennial Collegiate Vocational
Institute who opted to transfer out of
Wellington County rather than wail out the
atnke They're glad they did
"A lot of friends of ours are sitting at home
doing nothing." said .Jill. "and they'll
probably (rise their year We lost five weeks
hut at least novi we're getting credits "
The girls are living aeth ,ill's grandmother
Mary McLeod at RH 1. Seaforth and attend
Seaforth Dist nit High School They share one
bedroom and one bathroom, something they
said caused problems in the beginning but
they have since grown accustomed to
"The worst pad was in the mornmg when
everyone wanted to use the washroom
We've solved that problem now through
stnel scheduling." the girls agreed
PERS()\ %IKTY IfIF FSIWN('E.S
"At first there were real personality
differences but now we re like sisters not just
friends." added Cindy Neustead
We're 18 and we know how to get alone.''
said Cindy ('hung. "it's too had the teachers
in Wellington County didn't "
The four girls came to Seaforth when Jill's
grandmother offered to accommodate Jill and
i friend The offer was eventually extended to
four since Mrs Mic•Leod had two sets of hunk
hells in her home
"Jill extended her grandmother's invita•
lain to us and we took her up on it," said
LIndi
And sn far the girls said they haven't
regretted the decision to leave home although
it has been difficult at times
"We don't really feel homesick or
miserable all the time, we miss our families of
course, but it's just that it is more of a pain,
packing and unpacking all the time." said
Undi
"Yeah. and when it's time to head back
after a weekend there's a yucky feeling,"
added Jill
More than anything the girls said they
were disappointed they had to leave Guelph
in order to finish high school
"It was very disappointing We were all
looking forward to a great final year with our
friends in Guelph." said Cindy ('hung
"It wouldn' ye been our last year at home
and we were really looking forward to it "
instead the girls only get home to Guelph
every two weeks
And there have been other sacrifices as
well Not only have the girls marks suffered
hut in some cases they've had to give up the
things that interested them most
"For Instance Cindy 'Chungand myself
were heavily involved in music and singing
and stuff." said Lindi
"We were supposed to sing in a mass
•'Huth concert in Roy Thompson Hall in
Toronto on November 11 and we had to give it
up That was so disappointing because it was
a once in a lifetime chance. hut they were
rehearsing it would've been so fantastic."
she said
Since the McLeod home has no piano the
girls said it has been exceptionally difficult
hut added the school has been very
sympathetic and has offered them the use of
a piano after school, while they await the
schonlhus that will take them home
iOT OF ADVANTAGES
"There are a lot of advantages to going to
school in a small town and one of them is
JUST LIKE SiSTERS — Lindi Wahl, Jill Bryant, Cindy Neustead and Cindy Chung are four
Wellington County students who are attending school in Seaforth while their teachers are on
si,rke The girls, close friends before, say they are now more like sisters. (Mcttwraith photo)
f•
people," said Cindy Neustead
"We've found you're not dealing with
computers here. you're dealing with
people."
' Yeah, in Guelph if you needed to talk to a
guidance councillor you had to make an
appointment and were lucky if they had ten
minutes to spare for you Here they have
time." said Undi.
"Here it's all people relations. it's people
to people." said Cindy Chung
Up until recently the girls said they haven't
had the opportunity to do much but try to
catch up on the work they missed initially
because of the strike But they said the
teachers at the Seaforth school have made the
transition a lot easier
"The teachers have been really good and
understanding of the work we've missed."
said Cindy Neustead
"Yeah, they didn't make us write tests we
weren't ready for and stuff like that." added
Jill
When they entered Grade 13 in Guelph the
girls admit they were full of high hopes for
their futures, now they said they're not at all
sure what they'li he doing next year. because
they're not exactly sure just how much the
strike has affected their chances of getting
into the university course of their choice
"If we have to stay the year here we might
not get the same credits we would have in
Guelph. just because it's a bigger school."
said Undi
"Right now because of the strike and the
amount of school we missed before coming
here we've had to take some different
subjects than we were taking in Guelph "
"i'm not sure what will happen. said
Cindy Neustead
" was hoping to go to Waterloo University
and take their engineering course. Now I'm
not really sure Some of my subject marks
have dropped and some have gone up "
"I was planning to go to Waterloo for the
Ads Co-op program.' said Jill, "but my
marks have dropped in everything "
"i was planning to take rehabilitation
medicine but my marks aren't as good as I'd
expect them to he because I missed five
weeks I don't know now if FII get into the
course ft's a hard field to get into and i need
very, very gond marks." said Cindy Chung
"i was told the universities would
sympathize, but maybe they'll just throw my
application in the garbage "
"I don't know what I'm •doing to do," said
Undi
"i've never known what I'm doing Some
of my marks are up and some are down but i
don't imagine they'll affect getting into
university too much for me
And despite not being able to go to school
in Guelph the girls said they have enjoyed
their time in Seaforth. and said they would
never have been treated so well as strangers
to a city school
"it's not as rhnnev here In Guelph there
are so many ii+ •+d (-own grade you if, n i even
know, Here iaer aservbody
else." said Jill : ontin'ted on earn. A16)
Fire forces family
from their home
Fire forced a family of six from their home
temporarily, on Friday, November 22.
However, no one was hurt in the blaze and the
main portion of their Hibbert Township home
was undamaged, reports the Seaforth Fire
Department.
Deputy Fire Ch'i'ef Tom Phillips said Wayne
Ward, his wife and four children, had gone to
bed about an hour before the blaze started in
their home at Lot 28, Concession 4, Hibbert
Township. Although no cause has been
determined, the fire began in a seldom -used
wood -frame bock porch, attached to the main
brick building.
"We were in bed when it started. We
smelled smoke. We got up, got the four kids
dressed and out of the house. The back part of
the house, where the Freezer was, seemed to
be blazing first," said Mr. Ward.
Mr. Phillips said the Wards called the fire
department from a neighbor's home at 11:25
and When firemen arrived quite a blaze had
developed in the back porch. Even though the
fire was contained in the porch, the main
part of the house was "heavy with smoke,"
when the family passed through, said Mr.
Phillips
Mr. Ward had opened the door leading
from the main part of the house to the porch
and saw the fire burning.
"It was fortunate he was able to close the
door again," said Mr. Phillips, explaining the
closed door probably helped to contain the
fire. It was also fortunate the porch' was
isolated from the rest of the house, and
separated by a brick wall, he said. The room
in back was unheated and seldom used in the
winter.
No damage estimate is available, but Mr.
Phillips said a room in the porch, approxi.
mately 12 feet by 12 feet, was "gutted, and
a freezer, a couch and some chairs in the
porch were damaged.
Although firefigthers extinguished the
blaze fairly quickly, the Ward family stayed
in Seaforth with relatives fora few days. Mr
Ward returned to the scene later that night to
watch for any reoccurrence of fire, said Mr
Phillips.
Seaforth Fire Chief Harry Hak said no
exact cause of the fire is yet known, but
Ontario Hydro is investigating
The property is owned by Frank Williams,
of Dublin.
Teachers end strike
in Perth high schools
A lot of water has gone under the bridge
since hast spring when salary talks between
the Perth County board of education and its
secondary school teachers broke off.
At a press conference last week, used to
announce the collective agreement reached,
both sides commented on how negotiations
would go in the future
"Negotiations have been difficult this past
year." conceded the chairman of the board's
salary negotiating committee Howard
Shantz "The final result is a better
understanding of each other's position In
future we'll start negotiations at that point "
Ken Robins. negotiator for District 22 of
the Ontario Secondary School Teachers'
Federation (OSSTFi said the difficulties
between the two sides earlier this past spring
were set aside
Mr Shantz made no apologies though For
the board's action earlier this year when it
went public with the teachers in it i4eproposal,
which according to board figures Was about
40 per cent.
"The board was upset." said Mr. Shantz
However. Mr Robins commented a
collective agreement had been reached
without fact finding. a point which he says is
significant The secondary school teachers'
negotiator. the board's negotiator Stan
Bowman of Toronto and provincially appoint-
ed mediator Graeme McKechnie spent the
past nine days in mediation sessions
"The threat of a strike never even carne up
and f don't see the threat of one now or in the
foreseeable future." said Mr Robins
DENTAL PIAS
The mmjnr change in the one year collective
agreement is the addition of a dental plan
Elementary teachers in Perth are also
requesting a dental plan in their agreement
but hoard officials gave "no comment" when
asked how the secondary teachers' agree-
ment would affect the elementary teachers'
negotiations
The dental plan won't go into effect until
May of next year with the board paying the
larger portion of the cost The board will pay
$7 60 per month single rate and $16 39 a
month family rate The teachers will pay
$5 07 per month single and S10 39 per month
family
Mr Shantz said the dental plan is a very
basic one. covering checkups, fillings and
extractions only
The teachers will receive a 4 25 per cent
salary increase over the life of the agreement
This year the teachers have a split grid which
gives the teachers a 3 per cent increase
retroactive to September 1 and 4 5 per cent
effective February 1. 1986 •
Roth sides pointed out the percentage
increase is
Facing a 98 per cent insurance premium
increase, the Huron -Perth Roman Catholic
separate school hoard is taking the problem
of increased liability insurance premiums to
the provincial government
At its November 18 meeting. the Catholic
school hoard unanimously passed a resolu-
tion which will he forwarded to provincial
Attorney -General ian Scott
The main thrust of the resolution calls for
the provincial government to take action to
reduce "excessive lawsuits and court
awards ..
The school board's superintendent of
business and finance. Jack Lane, said the
awards are "scar'." because of their high
dollar value
He blames the recently changed Family
Law Reform Act Since that enactment.
family members such as aunts. uncles and
cousins. have been named as beneficiaries
increases have to be added together and
divided by two to get the average annual
increase.
The accompanying salary grid shows the
teachers salary ranges which will be in effect
February I
Other significant changes include the
addition of one secondary school teaching
position across the county This, said
superintendent of personnel. Adam Stecher.
answers the teachers request to not include
department heads, principals and librarians
when calculating the number of teachers to
he in each of the county's five high schools
The teachers make this request because
these positions involve administrative time
on top of teaching time
Other gains for the teachers are also in the
staffing area. The board has a letter of
understanding with its teachers to have a
separate pupil -teacher ratio for basic level
classes and another ratio for general and
advanced classes. This recognizes that basic
level (formerly occupations) classes have a
lower number of students.
Not in the agreement, but in a letter of
intent is the provision of maximum class
sizes The two sides will work out this ideal
size
"The changes that occur in staffing
procedures are better for the students, based
on the students needs." said Mr Robins
"Our goal is not more staff, but a better
system for students •'ost
The overall cost of the agreement. from
September 1 to August 31. 1986 is $12 9
million, up from $12 2 million This repro
cents a 5 62 per cent increase
Other changes in the agreement involve
wording changes and clarifications
IN FAVOR
The teachers voted 90 per cent in favor of
the tentative agreement
"i have never seen a tentative settlement
approved by such a large majority in the past
!see that as a foundation for much improved
relations between the parties in the future.
said Mr. Robins
The school board voted 10 to 3 in favor of
the agreement Those in favor were David
Hammond. Ron Richards, Barbara Herman.
Earl Oppenh auser. Howard Shan' -' T` h v i;i
Reed. Don Cmwtey, Paul Pat- . ass,
Ward. and Barbara Osborne
Those against were Rodney n••u i•erer
Black and Bert Johnson
Trustees absent from the vote + en t .inn;,
Michael Griffin. Ted Loughrey and Gerald
Foster Both Mr Foster and Canon Griffin
would have had to declare a conflict of
interest because they have relations teaching
in the Perth system
challenged
The school board paid $8.768 for its annual
insurance premium. That coveraged ended
October 31 and the renewal premium is
$17,322 This, said Mr Lane. represents a 98
per cent increase
And that's not all School bus operators aro
facing insurance premium increase oft on per
cent and more. This. said the superintendent
results in costly contracts with school hu -
operators
Mr Lane said down the mad. if court'
continue to , award high costs. hahiht�
insurance carriers will cancel policies That
he said, could result in school hoards and
municipalities becoming their own insurers
However, one astronomical Grim could put
a public institution into bankruptcy
The resolution is seeking support from
school boards across the province and
municipalities in Huron and Perth Counties