HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1988-10-19, Page 3AN APPRECIATION NIGHT was held Friday for longtime
Tuckersmith politician and Huron County Warden Robert Bell and
his wife Marlene. Over 400 people attended the vent, and Mr. and
Mrs. Bell were each presented with an inscribed golden
timepiece. The apreciation night comes with the announcement
that Mr. Bell is retiring from politics after 14 years. Wth Mr. Bell in
this photograph are his son Allan Bell and wife Denise, son-in-law
Dan Crerar and`'Mr. Bell's daughter Linda, wife Marlene and Mr,
Bell's mother Ruby Bell. Corbett photo.
Appreciation night honors Warden Belt
Robert Bell, Reeve of Tuckersmith
Township and Huron County Warden,
recently announced his retirement from
politics, and on Friday he and his wife
Marlene were honored at an appreciation
night held at the Hensall Community Cen-
tre. Over 400 friends from Tuckersmith
Township and across Huron County attend-
ed the event.
"I've got 14 years under my belt, and it's
time to pack it in," said Mr. Bell, who added
he has spent two years as a councillor, four
as deputy reeve and eight as reeve of
Tuckersmith Township, and was last year
Warden of Huron County.
"I feel good about the situation the
township is in as I'm retiring," he said,
noting in his 14 years he has seen growth in
Vanastra in industry and in services such as
the Lady Diana Nursery and the only indoor
pool in Huron County. Many changes have
occured in the township roads system which
include a new township shed, a new Cham-
pion grader, a Mac truck which is in its third
year of ,service, and five new bridges the
biggest of which was the Striker bridge
costing $350,000.
With county council Mr. Bell was involved
in the market value assessment for the
county and school boards, and the approval
of the project to provide a new home for the
aged, which is still in its infancy.
In the future Mr. Bell would like to see
light industry developed in the township. He
said there are lands and buildings in
Tuckersmith which are available for in-
dustry, and that could be a real benefit to
the municipality.
At the appreciation night in Hensall Mr.
Bell was presented with a gold wristwatch,
and his wife was given a gold necklace pen-
dant watch.
It was noted that in the 14 years Mr. Bell
has been involved in municipal politics he
has missed only two council meetings -one
due to illness and the other because of a
meeting with another organization.
"I've certainly enjoyed my experience in
politics and I wouldn't have passed it up for
anything. I think too many people do pass it
up "
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, OCTOBER 19, 1988 — 3A
PUC benefits from reassessment
The county -wide reassessment, which
was done this year to equalize property
values across the county, worked out to the
benefit of the Seaforth F iblic Utilities Com-
mission. The grant an lieu asses:,.nent notice
the commission received from the town ask-
ed for $5,243, which was down 7.5 per cent
over last year's assessment.
The PUC business also discussed the pro-
posed watering restrictions by-law once
agahy The by-law was proposed during the
summer drought when increased daily
water consumption caused concern at the
utility. But the commissioners decided the
public had responded so well to the PUC's
request to cut back on consumption during
the summer that there was no need to fur-
ther pursue the by-law at this time.
"The fewer by-laws the better," were
Mayor Alf Ross' words. However, a draft of
the proposed by-law has been retained and
can be enacted in the future as cir-
cumstances dictate.
A certificate of approval has been receiv-
ed from the Ministry of the Environment for
the construction of watermains on Coleman
and Crombie streets. There is about 800 feet
of watermain to be constructed on: these
streets.
$708 purchased the utility a comprehen-
sive liability policy for 1989 for hydro (the
waterworks aspect of the utility is not in-
cluded in this coverage). The insurance was
purchased from a Reciprocal Insurance Ex-
change provided by the Municipal Elec-
trical Association at what the commis-
sioners rioted to be a very competitive price.
This was the second year the utility pur-
chased insurance from the exchange, and
the premium increase this year was $66
more than the previous year.,
The Workplace Hazardous Materials In-
formation System will be implemented at
the PUC on October 31, 1988. The WHMIS
system will soon be legally binding, and it
calls for the labelling and proper storage of
" potentially hazardous materials, and the
education of employees in the safe handling
of such materials. Two PUC employees will
be attending a WHMIS "Right to Know"
seminar in I ondon. The system will be en-
forced in hospitals and other municipal ser-
vices, and it was noted the fines for non-
compliance range from $25,000 to $250,000.
A proposed hydro budget for 1989 will also
be drafted and reviewed for approval or
disapproval by the existing commission,
and will stand for review by a newly elected
commission.
The budget may contain a proposed rate
increase effective January 1. Ontario Hydro
will review the budget and any proposed
increases.
Chris Reeves, a student of Central Huron
Secondary School and a Seaforth native, has
been involved with the PUC on a co-op pro-
gram since SepLetnber 28. This is the first
time the utility has worked with the co-op
program, and the student works half days
under supervision with the utility to gain ex-
perience in the electrical field.
Two new housing starts were noted on
George and Victoria streets, and on West
William Street.
The snow storm of last week caused no
problems in Seaforth for the utility, but out-
side workers were in Brussels to assist in
repairing damage from trees and limbs.
And a dialectic test of ,the utility's vehicles
and equipment will take place in Clinton.
The cost is $80 per vehicle and $4 each for .
tools.
HPRCSSB fact finder submits his report
Mt. Eric Runacres, the fact finder ap-
pointed by the Education Relations Com-
mission in the negotiations between the
elementary and secondary teachers and the
trustees of the Huron -Perth County Roman
Catholic School Board has submitted a
report to the Commission.
As required under Section 26 (1) of the
School Boards and Teachers Collective
Negotiations Act, Revised Statutes. of On-
tario, 1980, the teachers and trustees now
have a period of 15 days for further negotia-
tions on the basis of 'this report. There is a
provision for an additional five days under
Section 26 (3) of the Act if both the trustees
and the teachers agree and the Commission
approves.
If at the end of this time the parties have
not made or renewed an agreement, then
the Education Relations Commission will
make the fact finder's report public. Copies
of the report will be sent to you if you will
supply your name to the Manager of Ad-
ministration and Support Services.
Christian prayers denied prominence in Ontario schools
While school boards in other counties are
loudly dealing with the issue of whether or
not the Lord's Prayer will still be heard in
classrooms, the Huron County Board of
Education is waiting for word from the
Ministry of Education before action is
taken. •
On September 23 the Ontario Court of Ap-
peal struck down Section 28, an Ontario
regulation dealing with religious exercises.
The stricken section read:
"A public school shall be opened or closed
each day with religious exercises consisting
of the reading of the scriptures or other
suitable readings and the repeating of the
Lord's Prayer or other suitable prayers."
Opening exercises, which traditionally
have involved the singing of "0 Canada",
the recitation the "Lord's Prayer", and
re, '• ' - ,m the scriptures, will be chang-
"irt of \ppe,,''s decision. But ex-
. !hese Changes will entail is not
, nf' the ,Ministry of Education is
ideri nit what legal and policy
tt, deal with regarding this
issue.
The HCBE was advised .. may continue
with opening , "Tcises, but only provided
readings a prayers reflect the
multic il' i '01., and traditions of On-
tario societ. , „n n ided no one religion is
given .1 p'wition of primacy.
Both public school principals and ad-
ministrators at the Board office have been
hearing from parents who are concerned
about the decision by the Court of Appeal,
and at the October meeting of the HCBE
Dorothy Schneider of Auburn told the Board
her views.
"The Lord's Prayer is in my opinion one
of the very best non-sectarian prayers
available. Let's not deprive a child the
benefit of this learning. Let's set aside the
fact that we belong to Catholic, Jewish,
Moslem, United, Anglican or any other
religious denomination and act as responsi-
ble caring parents. Let's give all children an
opportunity to learn a very basic prayer,"
she said.
Mrs. Schneider also reminded the board
of the adage "if it ain't broke don't mend it."
In a later interview Bob Allan, Director of
Education for the HCBE, noted the Court of
Appeal's decision has no effect on the
religious education which public school
students get in their regular curriculum.
For two 30 minute periods each week
students take part in exercises in religion
which are non -denominational, age ap-
propriate, and generally concerned more
with morals and values than religious
doctrine.
Many individuals would dispute the court
decision on the basis that the majority of the
Canadian population is Christian, and
therefore a Christian prayer is appropriate
for opening exercises. But Mr. Allan says
this is not an issue of majority or politics, it
is a legal issue concerning the rights of in-
dividuals, rights that are safeguarded in
society. In this case the courts have decided
the individual's right to freedom of religion
should be safeguarded in public schools.
"The correspondence we've received so
far is telling us we can't promote a single
point of view. We should not be biased
toward one faith," explains HCBE chair-
man John Jewitt. But Mr. Jewitt adds, he
THE LORD'S PRAYER is still being recited and 0 Canada sung before classes start at
Seaforth Public School. Recent Appeal Court rulings overturned legislation which
made these opening exercises mandatory in public schools, and the courts have advis-
ed school boards that one religion may not be given a position of primacy. The Huron
County Board of Education has changed little in its opening exercises as a result of the
ruling so far, but is awaiting guidance from the Ministry of Education on this matter.
Corbett photo.
believes schools should provide more than
very general exercises of a "morals and
values" type nature.
"It's important that some of our young
people who have no spiritual guidance
receive a small amount of it (in school)," he
says.
To people who say the religion of the ma-
jority of the population should be used in
Tuckersmith council let off easy at meeting
Either the Tuckersmith Township council
has done its job in the past three years, or
Tuckersmith ratepayers let them off easy at
a ratepayers/all candidates meeting held
Monday night at Huron Centennial school in
Brucefield.
The meeting was poorly attended by the
ratepayers, and a good portion of the au-
dience of approximately 50 people was
made up of township officials and their
spouses.
Each member of the present township
council -reeve Robert Bell, deputy -reeve
Robert Broadfoot, and councillors George
Cantelon, Bill Carnochan, and Rowena
Wallace- gave an account of their doings
and achievements with the council and
various committees. Upgrading to sewage,
roads systems, fire protection, and in-
dustrial and commercial developments
were all noted.
One of the key issues the ratepayers atten-
ding the meeting asked the councillors for
information on was the landfill issue. Coun-
cillors explained the township had done a
study which showed it would cost $1.5
million to establish a landfill site in
Tuckersmith. Faced with this cost the
township elected to apply for use of the
Holmesville site which is expected to have a
life of 20 years with expansion.
It was also noted that recycling in the
township will be inevitable in the future, and
the only question is to what degree and how.
well the public accepts a recycling system.
Also discussed was a county controlled land-
fill system which Mr. Bell said may be on
the horizon.
A public meeting about landfill will be
held in the township before the end of next
year.
A ratepayer who is responsible for cutting
grass along township roads noted the pro-
blem of people who dump stones on the road-
sides. Council responded that it can only re-
ly on the cooperation of the public to sotve
this nuisance.
A ratepayer asked council the advantage
of building a new township shed over buying
an existing garage building in Vanastra.
Councillors responded that the purchasing
and renovation (to a ommodate graders)
CRIME
STOPPE
Phone 1-800-265-1777
SOLVE A CRIME ANONYMOUSLY
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of the building would be impractical com-
pared to the cost of building the new shed
supplemented by government grants. The
ratepayer said no renovations would be
necessary and a tractor trailer would fit in
the building. Council responded by saying
the shed is now in a location that allows it to
serve all of the township faster.
Don't make your
home a target
Crime Stoppers and the Police Forces in
Huron County are seeking your assistance
in helping reduce crime in the county.
One way to begin is to crimeproof your
home. A secure home could help prevent
you or your family from becoming a victim
of a crime.
People can crimeproof their homes by:
leaving doors locked whenever possible;
locking windows when going out; using a
safety deposit box for seldom used
valuables; keeping tools, ladders and gar-
bage pails locked away; having adequate
exterior lighting; removing obstructions
that could hide a thief; not leaving spare
keys hidden outside; not leaving notes on
doors; and installing deadbolt locks on all
exterior doors.
For more information on crimeproofing
contact your local police force. Remember a
criminal will spend very little time attemp-
ting to break into a home that has been
crimeproofed.
If you can help a victim of a crime by solv-
ing it, call Crime Stoppers toll free at
1-800-265-1777, or locally at 482-3821. You will
never be asked to identify yourself or testify
in court. If an arrest is made you will earn a
cash reward between $50 and $1,000. Call
Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Itemee nberMCrime Stoppers pays cash for
c�1ieS.
school exercises lqi .. ewitt says: 1 think
we are a Christian nation, but at the same
time I hope we can respect the rights of
other faiths as well." But the HCBE chair-
man also notes he has heard teachers of
younger grades remark that when they ask
their students which song they want to sing,
"Jesus Loves Me" is still at the top of their
lists.
In dealing with this issue the Perth county
board turned down a motion to have a silent
moment of reflection instead of the Lord's
prayer. The Bruce county board noted "The
Lord's Prayer" and other prayers have
always been used in the past. "The majority
of parents want 'The Lord's Prayer'. I think
Christianity is the main religion in Bruce
County, though as a public board, we have to
recognize not all people practice Christian
faith," said a spokesman for the Bruce
board.
Both of these boards are also awaiting a
ministry decision.
"I would expect to hear from them (the
Ministry of Education) by Christmas. It
takes some time for their legal and policy
staff to go over the material. They really
have quite a problem to deal with, not the
least of which is public opinion," stated Mr.
Allan.
While the board is waiting, it has written
to the Toronto Board of -19tiucation for a
package of opening exercises which are
more in keeping with the spirit of the ruling
by the Court of Appeal. While this resource
has not yet been seen, it is anticipated it will
be listing of major prayers from a variety of
religions.
Both Mr. Allan and Mr. Jewitt say the
board has always taken a sensitive ap-
proach to people of faiths other than Chris-
tian, adding they are not forced to be involv-
ed in religious exercises to which they
object.
Mr. Allan says he does not anticipate
there will be huge changes as a result of the
ruling.
"But, it's simply an issue which we should
not respond to too dramatically or too
quickly."
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
If you're organizing a non-profit event of interest to other Seaforth area residents, phone
the recreation office 527-0882 or the Expositor at 527-0240, or mail the information to Com-
munity Calendar, The Huron Expositor, Box 69, Seaforth, Ontario, NOK 1 WO well in advance
of the scheduled date. Space for the Community Calendar is donated by The Huron Expositor.
Wed., Oct. 19
1-3 pm — Parents & Tots skating
1-4 pm — Senior Shuffleboard at Arena
4:30-5:30 pm — Ringette, Tureen
5:30-6:30 pm — Bantam - Practice
6:30-8 pm — Minor Broomball
8-10 pm — Volleyball at High School
8-9 pm — Fitness is Fun at Arena
8-10:30 pm — Ladies' Broomball
10:30 p.m. — Centenaire practice
Thurs., Oct. 20
4:30-5:30 pm — Novice
5:30-6:45 pm — Atom
6:45-8:30 pm — PeeWee
8:30-10:30 pm — Beavers
10-11:30 pm — Queens
8:30-9:30 am — Fitness Is Fun at Arena
5:30-6:30 pm — Novice - Practice
6:30-7:30 pm — Broomball
7:30-9 pm — Mixed basketball at High
School
7:30-12 midnight — Men's Broomball
Fri., Oct. 21
4-5 pm — Jr./Belle - Ringette
5-6 pm — Jr. House - Practice
6-7 pm — Sr. House - Practice
7-8 pm — Ringette - Petite
8 pm — Seahawks - Practice
Sun., Oct. 23
12-1 pm — Ringette - Jr.
1:30 — Centenalre vs, Tavistock
4-5 pm — Novice - Practice
5-6 pm — Petite Practice - Ringette
6-7 pm — Jr. Practice - Ringette
7-8 pm — Belle Practice — Ringette
8 pm — Hawks vs. Bruins
9:30 pm — Penguins vs. Rangers
Mon., Oct. 24
4:30-8:30 pm — Figure Skating
7:30-9:30 pm — Wood Refinishing at High
School
8:30-10 pm — Beavers
10-11 pm — Midget Practice
Sat., Oct. 22
7:30-9 am — Figure Skating
9 am — Kings - North Stars
10 am — Canadians - Oilers
11 am — Leafs - Penguins
12 noon — Whalers - Flames
1-2 pm — Mites
1:30 pm — Story Hour at the Library
2-3 pm — Ringette - Bunnies/Novice
2-4 pm — Autumn Bazaar at Northside
Church
3-4:30 pm — Public Skating
Tues., Oct. 25
8:30-9:30 am — Fitness is Fun at Arena
5:30-6:30 pm — PeeWee Practice
6:30-8 pm — Bantam Practice
8-10 pm — Midget Practice
Wed., Oct. 26
1-3 pm — Parents & Tots Skating
1-4 pm — Senior Shuffleboard
4:30-5:30 pm — 1Ween Ringette
5:30-6:30 pm — Bantam Practice
6:30-8 pm — Minor Broomball
8-9 pm — Fitness is Fun at Arena
8-10 pm — Volleyball at High School
8-10:30 pm — Ladles' Broomball
10:30-12 midnight — Centenaire Practice
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