Huron Expositor, 2002-02-20, Page 9News
Gym repairs intertwined
in closure policy vote
By Stow Slater
Special to The Huron Expositor
Intertwined with the issue
of repairs to Seaforth District
High School's gym floor
came comments from Avon
Maitland District School
Board Director of Education
Lorne Rachlis that no
renewed effort has been put in
place to close the high school.
The mould -contaminated
condition of the gymnasium
floor at Seaforth District High
School (SDHS) continued to
spark discussion of much
wider issues within the Avon
Maitland District School
Board, despite the fact there
have been no results from
recent tests on the mould.
At a regular Feb. 13 board
meeting, trustees discussed a
request to establish an ad hoc
committee that would not
only seek alternatives for
repairing the floor, but also
explore "the feasibility of
other options to retain and
enhance the enrollment at
Seaforth District High
School."
The motion was initially
brought forward at the
conclusion of the board's
previous meeting, Jan. 23, by
Seaforth trustee Charles
Smith.
It was accompanied by
another 12 -part notice of
motion regarding changes to
the board's school closure
policy, and a 148 -page
information package.
Following minimal
discussion Feb. 13, trustees
voted unanimously to refer
the 12 -part notice of motion
to the policy committee.
Newly -elected South
Huron representative Randy
Wagler, who compiled
considerable experience with
the board's closure policy as
the top spokesperson for last
year's Exeter -area community
accommodation study
committee prior to the closure
of McCurdy Public School,
offered support for the move,
suggesting several of Smith's
proposed amendments
deserve consideration.
But Wagler, along with
others, weren't nearly as
supportive of the two-part
motion based on the school
floor issue.
"I think it would be a
dangerous precedent to set if
we have an ad hoc committee
established every time we
need to increase enrollment in
A school," he said.
His opposition was based
on the background to Smith's
motion, which goes far
beyond the deteriorating floor
(which was temporarily
patched and has not suffered
considerable wear and tear
due to the near absence of
extra -curricular activities this
year in Avon Maitland
secondary schools).
It makes reference to
judgments last year from two
levels of the Ontario judicial
System, striking down the
board's earlier decision to
close SDHS.
It also points to statements
by the provincial
government's arms -length
advisory body, the Education
Improvement Commission
(EIC), including the assertion
that the Avon Maitland board
"needs to be careful not to
overreact and put overly
restrictive limitation on public
input."
Both are clear suggestions
the board must allow for a
higher level of public input,
or risk becoming what Smith
called "a repeat offender" next
time the school closure issue
arises.
"If we don't allow the
people of this community to
be proactive and we don't
allow them a committee
which includes board staff .. .
then I think we have failed to
meet the requirements of the
court's decision," Smith
argued.
Rachlis spoke prior to the
vote on Smith's motion,
noting that no renewed effort
has been put in place to close
SDHS.
He also suggested that the
establishment of an ad hoc
committee to look into issues
beyond the gym floor might
place the board in
contravention of the court's-
ruling
ourt'sruling about treating each
school equally, unless similar
committees were established
simultaneously at all other
Avon Maitland high schools.
Mayor was ready to seek
`kill and chill' hog plant
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
Huron East Mayor Lin
Steffler was ready to extend
an invitation to Oxford
Packers if West Perth
council turned down the
proposed "kill and chill" hog
plant for the Mitchell area.
The controversial
proposal, which packed the
Mitchell community centre
twice for public meetings,
was approved Monday
night at West Perth council,
which voted 9-2 to proceed
with negotiations including
an agreement with input
from engineers and lawyers.
Steffler; who attended one
of the two public meetings,
said she's made Miram
Terpstra, part-owner of
Brussels' Acre T Farms and
Oxford Packers, aware of
Huron East's interest in
talking about this or any
other development she might
be contemplating.
"Anything I heard in
Mitchell would give me no
cause for concern it it were
to move to Huron East,"
says Steffler.
The $6 million, 30,000 -
square -foot plant would
slaughter as many as 1,000
hogs each day and then
forward them to a finishing
plant in St. Williams. It
would employ as many as 50
people.
While some Mitchell -area..
residents are in favour of the
added jobs the plant would
provide, others have
concerns about odours, truck
traffic, water usage and the
impact on the town's sewage
treatment plant.
"These plants have to be
so closely regulated that I'd
have no fear at all of
bringing it in to Huron East.
Occasionally there's a smell
issue but if these kinds of
plants can operate
successfully for 50 years in
downtown Toronto, I can't
see it being a problem here,"
she said.
Steffler said Toronto
killing plants slaughter
1,000 pigs an hour, opposed
to the 1,000 pigs a day
expected to be killed by
Oxford Packers.
"We've got to get our
ducks in a row (in Huron
East) before we can actively
solicit new development but
whatever comes our way,
we're open to it," she said.
Association trying to improve
efficiencies in its operation
From Page 1
efforts to protect the province's farmers
from inequitable tax increases, if that's
where the higher assessments lead.
We, at OFA, also acknowledge the
constant need to improve efficiencies of
operation within our organization. Efforts
will continue to realign OFA operations
over the coming year to ensure members get
the most value for their membership dollar.
It's something we don't talk about often,
certainly not enough, but the money paid by
Ontario farmers to the OFA, ends up
supporting the farm lobby at the national
level through the Canadian Federation of
Agriculture, and at the international level
through the International Federation of
Agricultural Producers. OFA is a major
contributor to. the budgets of these
organizations.
We also provide funding to other
provincial organizations such as AgCARE,
the Ontario Farm Animal Council, the
Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program,
Ontario Agri -Food Education, and the
Union des cultivateurs franco Ontarien. As
well, OFA staff support goes to groups like
the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition
and joint agricultural promotional projects
like Ontario Agriculture Week.
OFA is a complex body with a complex
agenda before it at all times: We expect
continued joint initiatives with our family of
farm organizations in Ontario and Canada
will be successful in representing the needs
and concerns of our farming industry.
THE HURON SXPOSITOR, February 21, 2001-i
OHURON EAST RECREATION DEPARTMENT
presents
Youth and Highschool
Houseleague Basketball
for Boys & Girls
[I. PLAY ON THURS.
004:00 PM AT SDHS
R.112001
This program will include skills, drills and scrimmages. A schedule will be made up and
handed out. Instructors will be Ron Vercruyssen, Paul Menary and Brian Dillon. Ron has
played professional basketball in Europe, Paul has coached basketball and Brian has
assisted with the game for many years.
Come out and enjoy this recreation basketball league for youth and highschool stu-
dents. Registration fee will be $40.00 for this 9 week program.
PLEASE C ; �,_.;=� ;� -TH ARENA AT
FOR M• ' ` g - ATION
REGISTRATIONS MAY ' i `' p b DROPPED OFF AT S.D.H.S.,
SEAFORTH PUBLIC & ST. JAMES
March 1 Departure
More Departure Dates & Destinations Available!
68 Courthouse Sq.
GODERICH
524-7335
Announcement
Cathie Schalk
Charlene Foxton
Seaforth Manor announces the appointment of Cathie Schalk as Administrator
and Charlene Foxton as Retirement Home Director.
Cathie lives in Listowel with her husband Wayne and three year old daughter
Jill. She has worked in Long Term Care for 15 years and prior to coming to
Seaforth was at Queensway in Hensall as the Administrator there.
Charlene is originally from Tuckersmith Township from the Dayman family of
17. Charlene now lives in Hensall with her husband Mike and three sons.
Mitchell, Jacob and Lucas. She went to Nursing Assistant School in Wingham
and has been working at Seaforth Manor as an RPN since 1991.
Come and meet both Cathie and Charlene at an open house tea on Monday,
February 26, 2001 from 2 - 4 p.m.
OPEN HOUSE TEA
Monday, February 26th 2 - 4 p.m.
SEAFORTH MANOR
NURSING & RETIREMENT HOME
100 James St., Seaforth 527-0030
Protecting your health.
Barbara Beattie works with her detector dog Rookie and her colleagues at the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency. They help stop forbidden items from entering Canada that could damage
our plants and animals or contaminate our food supply. This is just one of many services aimed
at protecting the health of all Canadians.
To learn more about the hundreds of services
available from the Government of Canada:
• Visit the Service Canada Access Centre nearest you
• Visit www canada.gc.ca
• Call 1800 0 -Canada (1800 822-8232),
TTY/TDD: 1 800 465-7735
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