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The Citizen, 2003-08-27, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2003. PAGE 23. HPCDSB approves plans for new school By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen A property in Listowel has yet to be secured for the relocation of St. Mary’s elementary school in Hesson, but the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board is moving ahead with construction plans nonetheless. Preliminary designs were approved by trustees at a regular meeting. Monday, Aug. 25, for both the new St. Mary’s school and a replacement for the existing St. Joseph’s elementary school in Clinton. Both schools qualify for funding stretched over 25 years through the provincial government’s “prohibitive to repair” program, meaning the construction of a new scnooi will cost less than bringing the existing facility up to contemporary standards. St. Joseph’s will move from its present Beech Street location, adjacent to the Clinton Racetrack and Slots facility, to board-owned property immediately north of St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School. “The board has sufficient property to allow for the establishment of an elementary school in an area that provides reasonable separation from the secondary school, but at the same time provides for the ability to share common resources, ie: track and field facilities,” stated a staff report about the St. Joseph’s relocation. Also at the meeting, trustees offered support for various other actions related to the relocation plans. These included an application for Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments regarding the St. Anne’s property, for which a public meeting was to be held last night (Tuesday, Aug. 26) in Clinton’s council chambers. In order to build the new elementary school, the board requires a change in zoning designation from “agricultural” to “institutional” for 29.6 acres of land behind the high school, which previously was part of the former Hullett Twp. A further 41.5 acres, to the extreme north of the board-owned property and partially containing a wetland area zoned as “natural environment,” will be left under its current designation. “Nobody, in our discussions, has had any difficulty with us moving the school from its present location,” explained management superintendent Gerry Thuss. The only concerns he had heard were about managing the traffic flow into the new site, and he offered a commitment to address those concerns. There was significant opposition, by contrast, to the relocation of St. Mary’s school. Throughout last year, various Hesson-area residents expressed displeasure with the idea of moving the school to Listowel. Trustees eventually approved a move to the larger centre, but now the board continues to struggle in its search for a site. In an interview, Thuss said he hopes to have news regarding the purchase of property by the board’s next meeting at the end of September. But he also admitted the process is taking longer than expected. He also told trustees the present lack of a property makes it tough to provide entirely accurate cost estimates for the new school, because a new site may or may not have associated pre-construction costs. Preliminary cost estimates for the two schools are just over $2.4 million in Clinton and about $2.9 million in Listowel. Trustees approved a plan to borrow $5.5 million through the Ontario School Boards Financing Corporation to pay for the construction of the two schools by next September. That money would be repaid as the “prohibitive to repair” funds become available. In past meetings, Thuss has explained that planning and construction of the two schools would be conducted simultaneously, in order to potentially spread the costs of services and materials over two facilities instead of one at a time. The preliminary construction plans show the Clinton school having five classrooms plus a kindergarten classroom, while the Listowel facility would have one additional classroom. Otherwise, the two schools would be similar in many ways, with the main entranceways located between the Kindergarten and the library, a gymnasium in the back of the building, and a curved outer library wall to provide a more visually appealing front view for the passerby. “The libraries are pretty much the same. A lot of the features are (similar),” Thuss explained. “But you’ve got two new schools and you don’t want them exactly the same. So there are some differences.” Catholic board ratifies non-teaching agreements By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen Two-year collective agreements have been ratified between the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board and two of its non­ teaching employee groups. At a regular meeting Monday, Aug. 25, trustees provided unanimous support for agreements with a total of about 150 employees: about 30 non-unionized custodial workers and a group of educational assistants and secretaries who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Personnel committee chair Vince Mclnnes, in speaking to the motions to approve the deals, informed his trustee counterparts that “the custodians’ agreement was basically in line with the unionized workers.” According to director of education Larry Langan, the deals represent “an enhancement in salary of three per cent in each of the two years, plus a slight enhancement in vacation time.” With the ratification, the deals became effective Aug. 25 and will run through 2005. HEART-HEALTHY TOP 10 (NC)-While there’s no such thing as a “miracle food,” there are certain foods that everyone should try to eat more of - fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Terrific for heart health, they provide nutrients such as vitamins, beta carotene, lycopene, plant sterols, folic acid, and fibre. 1. Broccoli. For vitamin C, beta carotene, folic acid. 2. Cantaloupe. For vitamins A and C and beta carotene. 3. Beans or legumes. For protein, iron, plant sterols, folic acid, and fibre. 4. Sweet Potatoes. For vitamins A and C, beta carotene, potassium, and fibre. 5. Salmon, tuna, rainbow trout. For omega-3 fatty acids. 6. Spinach, kale, swiss chard. For vitamins A and C, beta carotene, calcium, folic acid, and fibre. 7. Oranges. For vitamin C, folic acid, and fibre. 8. Tomatoes. For lycopene. 9. Wholegrain breads and cereals. For vitamin B and fibre. 10. Soybeans and soy products. For B vitamins, isoflavones, and plant sterols. We've got a deal for you... 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