Loading...
The Citizen, 2012-04-05, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012. PAGE 9. Blyth Lions Club member John Stewart has been appointed as the secretary for Lions Multiple District ‘A’. Stewart, one of six candidates interviewed for the position, was recommended by the Administration Committee and approved by the Governor’s Council. Stewart’s official duties will commence on July 1 for a five- year term. “I am really looking forward to the challenge, but I have to admit that I was totally shocked when I received the phone call and was offered the position,” Stewart said. As secretary, Stewart will hold the most senior administrative office in Multiple District ‘A’ and report directly to the Governor’s Council. Duties will include preparation of meeting agendas, recording and distribution of meeting minutes, negotiating contracts, establishing convention protocol, communication with all levels of government and community organizations, drafting policies and reports, and addressing concerns raised by various Lions Clubs. “Much of the work can be done from home, however, there will be some travelling usually to Toronto for meetings and attending the annual MDA Convention,” Stewart said. “My training and experience in public administration will certainly be an asset as well as my 38 years as a member of the Blyth Lions Club.” “I guess my schooling and past employment was actually my training to hold the position of Lions Secretary.” The appointment is a volunteer position, however, a small honorarium is paid to help cover expenses. Multiple District ‘A’ has a membership of 13,958 Lions in 558 Lions Clubs situated in 10 districts covering the Province of Ontario and a small portion of the Province of Quebec. Stewart appointed secretary Blyth Lions Club member John Stewart is the new secretary for Lions Multiple District ‘A’. His new position will begin on July 1 and last for five years. (Photo submitted) Stewart named multiple district secretary PUBLIC NOTICE RE: 2012 Municipality of Central Huron Budget The 2012 Municipality of Central Huron Budget will be presented for consideration and adoption at the Regular Meeting of Council, Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, REACH 169 Beech Street, Clinton, Ontario. Brenda MacIsaac, Clerk Municipality of Central Huron Province’s budget calls for small boards to be mergedSome Ontario school boards will be facing their own accommodation reviews under the Liberals’ proposed budget. The province intends to combine school boards “operating in areas of declining enrolment and low population growth”. Public and Catholic school boards will not be merged, but the province still expects to save $27 million by combining smaller school boards. Janet Baird-Jackson, superintendent of business and treasurer for the Avon MaitlandDistrict School Board (AMDSB)said it’s still uncertain what that willmean for the AMDSB. “We need to see what ‘small’ looks like,” said Baird-Jackson at the board’s March 27 meeting, adding that the AMDSB is typically one per cent of provincial funding.“We’ll see,” she said. The AMDSB was created out of the merger of the Perth and Huron school boards in 1998. Baird-Jackson said that besides the uncertainty, there were few surprises in the provincial budget. She added that many of the initiatives in the budget are strategiesthat the Ministry of Education hasbeen promoting for some time, suchas merging schools with declining enrolment and few students. Ontario finance minister Dwight Duncan announced that the province will change funding formulas for school boards who continue to operate these under-used schools. “In terms of changing the school board funding, basically to force boards to consolidate, we’ve been doing it all along,” Baird-Jackson said, pointing out that the board has been moving Grades 7 and 8 students to secondary schools and merging Grades 1 to 6 student populations for almost 10 years. The board is also currently nearing the end of two accommodation reviews, including one where staff is recommending the closure ofColborne Central and HolmesvillePublic Schools.Duncan’s announcement that high school credits would be capped at 34, four more than required for a diploma, was also anticipated by the AMDSB, said Baird-Jackson. The move is meant to discourage high school students from taking a “victory lap” or fifth year, and is predicted to save the province $22 million a year. Baird-Jackson said she found the government’s stated commitment to Full-Day Kindergarten and capped class sizes interesting for what it didn’t say. While Full-Day Kindergarten will go ahead, and primary classes will remain capped, “in the conversation, we didn’t hear anything else,” she said. Capital projects the province hasalready committed to are safe, saidBaird-Jackson, such as the plannedJK – 8 school in North Perth and Maitland River Elementary School (MRES) in Huron County. Rumours that the MRES “superschool” would be axed by the province had been swirling in Huron County in the hours following the budget. A Huron County delegate before the board on March 27 mentioned the rumour, which was quashed by director of education Ted Doherty later in the meeting when the board approved a tender for construction on the new Wingham school. “The ministry will not allow us to go to tender if the money is not there,” he said. Effective speaking Courtney Bachert, left, a Grade 7 student at Blyth Public School, will represent the Blyth Lions Club at the Lions District A9 Effective Speaking Competition on April 10 in Neustadt. Bachert recently spoke at a Blyth Lions Meeting and was thanked by President Ken Stewart, right. (Photo submitted) By Rita MarshallSpecial to The Citizen Sunshine list needs updating A salary of $100,000 doesn’t go as far as it used to, says a Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board (HPDSB) trustee. At the board’s March 26 meeting, trustees received a copy of the HPCDSB “Sunshine List”, the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act document which lists all employees who made $100,000 or more in the previous year. Based on 2011 salaries and benefits, 31 HPCDSB employees were on the list. Trustee Ron Marcy referred to a Toronto Star column on the Sunshine List, saying that the $100,000 figure has never been adjusted for inflation in the 16 years it has been in effect. He argued that $100,000 now would only have been $71,000 in 1996, and that $100,000 in 1996 would be $139,000 now. “If you geared it to inflation this list would be minimized greatly,” he said. Of the 31 employees, Director of Education Martha Dutrizac made the most at $181,110.41. Learning coordinator Dan Bodkin earned the least at $101,900.14. The principals and vice-principals of both St. Michael Catholic Secondary School and St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School made the list, as did the majority of elementary school principals in the HPCDSB. *** The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) met quorum at its March meeting, but trustee Jim McDade said the board might have to intervene to make sure the committee can meet it more often. At the board’s February meeting, trustees and board staff discussed the problems the SEAC was having in getting enough members to attend meetings. The committee, mandated by the province, can only allow members who belong to a recognized association for special needs and are also parents of a child in the HPCDSB. Furthermore, each association can only be represented on the SEAC by one member maximum. At the March 26 board meeting, trustee Jim Miller said the SEAC had met quorum at its March meeting, but McDade said once isn’t enough. “Clearly, that’s not happening at the levels we would like,” he said. McDade said that the board has the power to appoint ad hoc members to SEAC if necessary. “It’s just something to think about,” he said. By Rita Marshall Special to The Citizen REPRINTS OF PHOTOS taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase. ALL ARE IN COLOUR 4x6 - $4.00 5x7 - $5.00 8x10 - $8.00 Phone to order ~ 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 #3 And We Try Harder! Recent circulation figures for the 8 paid circulation newspapers serving Huron County show The Citizen has the 3rd highest circulation. The Citizen Proudly Community- Owned Since 1985