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Huron Expositor, 2003-11-05, Page 22 -THE HURON WOSIT011, NovmIMSA 5, soon TEAT MOTOR PRODUCT THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION �.:�. h N ''w , it 7 Oro 5 t+tr x Together We 4. E� r ��',.. `•4`, :t e t •Z-, = kr i Remember — -- ANNUAL CHURCH PARADE will proceed to the St. Thomas Anglican Church SUNDAY,ryNOVEMm. BER 9th POPPY DAY CANVAS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 at 12 NOON IN SEAFORTH & DISTRICT We encourage and appreciate the support of Legion members in carrying on the canvas TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 h, PARADE and SERVICE 10:30 AM - Parade to Cenotaph from Legion 11:00 AIi • Service at Cenotaph Following the service, the parade will return to the Legion Hall The Support of the Public For These Annual Events Will Be Appreciated SEAFORTH BRANCH 6 156 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION RISK FORTUNE ANN WOOD Poppy Chairman President News Candidatesp respond to concerns about decreasing use of Seaforth arena maintenance and replacement costs at Huron East's three recreation facilities. "There was no reserve for Seaforth when their chiller went down," he said. MacLellan said it is difficult to raise the wages at the arena since all wages within the municipality are now on a pay equity grid. "If you pay the arena staff more, you're creating an increase throughout the whole system," he said. From Pogo 1 Candidates were asked what they are going to do to get the Seaforth and District Community Centres "back on its feet." Agar responded that as a minor hockey volunteer, she used to be frustrated by a lack of ice time but is now dismayed to see the parking lot at the arena sitting empty. "These facilities aren't being utilized so they aren't bringing money in. They're going to be white elephants if we don't increase the usage," she said. Seili said he wants to see a reserve fund created for upkeep, Daycare, water and Seaforth trust among concerns of the acclaimed From Pogo 1 see Huron East provide rebates to the Huron East parents who use each of the three daycare centres in the municipality. Tuckersmith Coun. Larry McGrath says he agrees that council should support the parents of all three daycares and adds he'd like to see Tuckersmith turned into a cooperative daycare centre. "I don't think that government should be into daycare, period," he says. Tuckersmith Coun. Bill deJong says he would like to see a meeting set up between Huron East and the municipalities of Bluewater and Central Huron about a way to share daycare costs according to the number of children using daycare from each municipality. Acclaimed Brussels Coun. David Blaney says he wonders if it's possible to fund individual children instead of the daycare centres. "I hope they can keep the daycare centre (in Vanastra) but they have to determine how they'll keep it," he says. Brussels Coun. Frank Stretton says the daycare issue is going to involve a "really tough decision." "From a Brussels • oint of, Early Bird Sale FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, OPEN IAM Anna's Dress Shoppe SEAFORTH 527-0488 view, it's hard to justify subsidizing Vanastra," he says. Blaney, McClure, McGrath and deJong agree that water quality is a big issue with a $1.7 million upgrade expected for the Seaforth water system. "I can't get over how much it'll cost," says McClure. Kelly says he'd like to look into undertaking a study that would see how much it would cost to provide sewers to Egmondville. "People have approached me about that over the years," he says. But, McGrath says the cost, which he once heard could be as high as $15,000 per household for sewers in Egmondville, might decrease the popularity of the idea. "If people in Egmondville knew the price, they mightn't think it was so important," he says. All four incumbent councillors want to see more openness from the Seaforth trust. "We have to revisit the whole agreement and change it. We're not getting enough information," says Kelly. "I don't know how it all got past us," adds McClure. "We should have investigated .,it earlier because I didn't realize we were so liable. It took the auditor to make me realize that." DeJong says he'd like to see a mote itemized reporting of the trust's financial information and more often than once a year. McGrath says he wants to see Huron East council take control of the Seaforth trust and be given final approval over whatever projects the trust wants to undertake. "It makes me very nervous when I find out that an $800,000 building is going up with no tender and an open cheque on the table," he OFF v OFF WINTER FASHIONS WINTER FASHIONS The Early Bird Gets The Savings! .• g iN suiting, accssson•s & rugs d• says, referring to the building the trust is erecting for Community Care Access Centre behind Seaforth's medical clinic. McGrath says the tender process could have reduced the overall cost of the building. He says he'd like to see the trust with the same structure, including Seaforth councillors sitting on the trust, but with a monthly financial breakdown and council as the "ultimate decision -maker." Blaney says he'd like to see Huron East create a written policy about transparency in municipal government so that "everybody knows the rules." "The real problem is that if you don't tell people what you're doing, they suspect the worst. Anything we can do to improve public confidence is a good idea," he says. Several of the acclaimed councillors say they're in favour of economic development and the economic development officer hired by the municipality. "Economic development was a huge stumbling block because at the start we weren't all that keen on it," says McClure, adding that now she's supportive of it. "It's very important that everyone accepts that economic development in one area benefits all of Huron East," says Blaney. Blaney adds that will land assessments rising, more industry is the only way to keep taxes down. "The new guy's going to do a good job," says McGrath of economic development officer Ralph Laviolette. "I hope he sticks around." But, deJong says that he's yet to be convinced that the money Huron East is spending on economic development is worth it. "It's costing us quite a chunk of money every year and I'm not sure I've seen any results yet. We've got to see some industry coming in, some revenue coming in to compensate for the cost," he says. Stretton says his number one issue is helping council "see the whole picture" as a single municipality. "Council has begun that process but seeing a new identity, instead of separate wards, is the big thing," he says. Blaney agrees he'd like to see a "strenghtening of cooperative attitudes" on council. McClure says Huron East has come a long way from its beginnings three years ago. "We still need finetuning for everyone to agree on things," she says. Kelly says he'd like to see two environmental projects begun across Huron East. He'd like to see the bluebox program happening in every ward of Huron East and he'd like to see more young trees planted to replace the mature ones, especially in the urban areas. Roads are also a priority for McClure, DeJong and McGrath. • McClure says she's getting some complaints that the. rural roads aren't being graded enough and deJong says he's like to see more road reconstruction and paving. "Tuckersmith still has quite a sum of money in reserve and I'd like to see it spent on , paving roads over the next three years," he says. McGrath agrees, saying the municipality is coming up short with its grading and dust control on rural roads. "I don't think services are always what they could be," he says. Trust donation of $50,000 boosts SCCC's fundraising A donation of $50,000 by the Seaforth community development trust to the Seaforth Cooperative Children's Centre has taken a "great big weight off our shoulders," says SCCC president Lauren Rooyakkers. Rooyakkers and the daycare's accommodation review chair Kevin Wilkinson made another presentation to the trust on Oct. 9, asking for its help with the new daycare centre being built just north of Seaforth Public School. While the trust had offered to build SCCC a new building after a series of meetings in the spring with the daycare board, the board could not afford the rent the trust would have charged and had to turn down the trust's first offer. This time, the $50,000 donation, which will be offered in monthly donations of $10,000 for five months, has no other strings attached, says Rooyakkers. "It's a straight donation," she says. "This is a major boost to our fundraising efforts. The board of directors of the Seaforth Cooperative Children's Centre is very appreciative of the generosity of the Seaforth development trust." While the new daycare building is now estimated to cost about $185,000, Rooyakkers says that figure will ultimately be smaller because it does not take into account the labour and materials that are expected to be donated by local contractors and businesses: Earlier estimates have ranged from $60,000 to $100,000. "It could be shaved down but we don't know by how much yet," she says. With the trust's $50,000 donation, the daycare's building fund has raised over $90,000, says fundraising chair Joanne Wilkinson. Wilkinson says the truss campaign, which is asking local citizens and businesses to contribute $155 for each of the 53 trusses needed for the daycare's roof, is getting off to a good start with 10 trusses spoken for so far. "People have been great," she says. Rooyakkers says pledge sheets are also being distributed to local contractors and businesses asking how much of their services and materials they would like to donate. Cement was poured for the building's foundation over the weekend and framing is expected to begin on the new daycare this week. 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