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I HE UIHZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26,1997 PAGE 17.
Blyth student earns spot for provincial debate
Open to debate
Students of the Snowbelt Region competed in a debate at Central Huron Secondary School,
Clinton, last week. Their topic debated both sides of the hospital closure issue presently
facing Huron and Perth Counties. Local winner was Shawn Clark of Blyth, back row, right,
who placed fifth. Other winners were, back row, from left: Vance McPherson, Goderich
District Collegiate Institute, tied for first; Jane Powell, Seaforth District Hgh School, fourth.
Front: Rachel Bokhout, CHSS, tied for first and Cam Hume, Mitchell District Secondary
School, third.
By Trish Wilkinson
Clinton News-Record
Central Huron Secondary School
(CHSS) will be sending two
students to debate against the best
in the province after the school tied
first and won fifth in the Snowbelt
Regional Debating Finals,
Thursday at Clinton.
CHSS student Rachel Bokhout
said she was "incredibly excited"
about sharing top spot with
Goderich's Vance McPherson.
"Vance is the person I'm most
competitive with, so it's really nice
that we tied," said Bokhout.
The 16 high school students
debated both sides of whether small
rural Ontario hospitals should be
closed and services be consolidated
into larger regional health care
facilities.
Bokhout said that although she
thought it was "really insightful to
choose this as a topic", her father
being a doctor brought the issue
close to home.
"It was really hard to look at it
objectively; I'm surrounded by
people who are so close to the
issue. But you have to be able to be
passionate about both sides."
CHSS student Shawn Clark, who
placed fifth, said he was happy
with his score, but was nervous
about debating in London.
"I think it's a pretty good
accomplishment to achieve
something in debating," he said,
"(But) I haven't reached (the
provincial) level of competition
before."
Out of the students representing
the region, three were from CHSS,
three from Goderich, five from
Grey-Highlands, three from
Mitchell and one from Seaforth.
Along with Bokhout, McPherson
and Clark, Cam Hume from
Mitchell and Jane Powell from
Seaforth advanced to the
provincials in April to debate
against 60 other Ontario students
over the privatization of municipal
services.
The students went through three
debating rounds, each facing nine
different judges. First was a
parliamentary round, secondly
cross-examination, and finally an
impromptu on the issue 'style is
everything'.
Judges, who represented every
angle of the community including
Goderich council, the board of
education and the Huron-Perth
District Health Council Task Force,
based their scores on content,
reasoning, organization and
delivery.
"I was really pleased with the
debate. Our numbers were down,
but the calibre of debate was really
good," CHSS organizer Jim Barnes
Interim taxes due, March 26
Continued from page 3
April.♦♦♦
With the resolution regarding
education finance reform now in
the hands of the Rural Ontario
Municipalities Association, Blyth
council agreed to pay the interim
municipal requirement for the
Huron County Board of Education.
The total was $86,251.♦♦♦
Responding to a request from
West Wawanosh council, Blyth
councillors said they were not in
favour of participating in a joint
study for North Huron, to deter
mine efficiencies and inefficiencies
in the municipalities. However,
they would send a representative to
a meeting, if one was called.***
Approval was received from the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and
housing regarding an amendment to
the decorative lighting project.
Clerk-Treasurer John Stewart
said it is hoped the installation
would begin in April and be com
stated.
Barnes said he was "thrilled" that
out of the three CHSS students who
participated, two will be advancing.
He added that CHSS "has been a
strong debating school for about 10
years."
Bokhout was al the provincials
last year, but failed to make the top
25. She said this is something she
hopes to rectify this time around.
"Most coaches say you have to
go a couple of times before you get
up there," she said.
Both Clinton students have a
chance to go onto the nationals in
Halifax this May if they score high
enough in the provincials. Barnes
said although nobody from CHSS
has ever done this before, they have
their fingers crossed for Bokhout
and Clark.
pleted by June.♦»»
Council received notification
from the Regional Assessment
Office to write-off $322.79 from
the over-assessed property belong
ing to Conn and Lois Van Vliet.
Seventy per cent of that sum can
be recovered from the board of
education and county council, said
Councillor Doug Scrimgeour.♦»»
Interim tax notices will be issued
with payment due March 26.♦♦♦
Responding to a letter regarding
snow removal from sidewalks,
council reiterated their policy of
not removing snow from residential
areas of the village.»»♦
A contribution of $150 was
granted to the Belgrave, Blyth,
Brussels School Fair Board.
♦»»
Union Gas returned to the village
to repair a drain which had been cut
during the installation of gas lines.
The break had caused a severe
water problem on North Street.
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