Times Advocate, 1997-05-07, Page 2' Page 2 Times -Advocate, May 7, 1997
Public questions savings
Continued from front page •
Tunnock mentioned the report indicates a conservative amount of sav-
ings 'due to amalgamation. Until restrucwring happens, he explained, the
amount of actual savings is unknown. He said there are likely greater op-
portuniifies for revenue that are not explored in the committee's report -
such as a roads study
"That comprehensive level of detail• hasn't been undertaken...Certainly
we weren't counting paper clips," he said.
"We didn't know what the ,cost savings 'would be until we did • the
study." said committee member and Tuckersmith Township Rteve Bill
Carnochan, adding the committee's restructuring report uses high and low
end figures. •
• "Why don't we cost accurately?" enquired one man.' .
Another suggested the committee examine middle figures and forget the
high and low end numbers.
"There's been a los of effort that has beer, put in' (to the report) so far
'and l think it's reasonable given the circumstances," urged Tunnock.
"If it costs us more than' what we're doing now," pointed out one meet-
ing participant, "I don't know why we're looking at it:"
A few meeting members expressed the view that perhaps the answer lies
in a single -tier system run at a county. level.
"It would be better going to a strong two-tier system rather than a -one
tier," responded Carnochan, adding "Down the road, I don't know if that's
the answer." ' •
He pointed out the importance of keeping government close to members
of the.public, a benefit he believes a two-tier system would offer.
"Is restructuring worthwhile for the six municipalities?" Tunnock asked
the group.
. Although he stressed the committee has not yet decided. on one of three
options including remaining status quo, sharing services or amalgamation,
he admitted "the committee does feels strongly" in favorof its amalgama-
tion model.
"An amalgamation with associated cost savings would prove to be the
best...option." he said, adding "You won't have the same level of ser-
viee...Wecan appreciate there's some apprehension."
He continued. stating one benefit of amalgamation would•he a consistent
or -higher level of services that are better coordinated and more efficient..
Other questions raised at the meeting included how the .Ontario Pro-
vincial Police factor into a potential amalgamation.
"The OPP are doing some cost crunching," replied Carnochan. "To this-
point, they have not given us any of those numbers...We're kind of afraid
of what that cost is going to be." .
Also mentioned was the potential for increased workloads for municipal
staff.
Committe member and Bayfield Councillor Doug Grant. admitting
workloads would increase somewhat, pointed out amalgamation would
mean less duplication at council meetings. - •
The issues of grant losses and feeling forced into amalgamation were
also discussed. According to Carnochan, it's better to have an alternative
in place, in case a commission is called.
"There's a chancc'that what we're doing now could be a waste," said
one man who admitted he's not against restructuring.
"I don't think it's a wasted effort," replied Grant. -
"What we have here," said Carnochan, "is at least some numbers that we`
feel better about than we did nine months ago...This is not written in
slime."
"It has taken us so far, seven months. We have two months left to go.
You .know what -can be accomplished -in nine months," said Grant, who
claimed the committee's efforts are not "an example of undue haste," but
may instead be criticized for "dragging (its) feet."
The committee's next public meeting will be held on May 10 at the Bay-
field Arca, beginning at 1 p.m.
..
CIVIC CORNER
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
Does Exeter need
a •Neighborhood
Watch Program?
For most of us,
our community feels
sate. Those who have been
victimized by abreak-in, a stolen
car or a stolen bicycle . feel
vulnerable. On occasion, our
Town has been a target of
"professional" thieves or fraud
artists.
The security of our families,
homes and businesses is
obviously a priority of the highest
order. Exeter Council and the
Police Services Board maintain
an excellent police' service
through a contract with the O.P.P.
The Police -say that a safe Town is
attained through good • social.
policy and through enforcement
of our laws. Another important
ingredient might be called
"community partnerships."
In order to do" a better job of
maintaining a high level of
safety/security, the Town Council
and Police Services Board feel
that a closer working relationship
between the Police and the
community is • needed.
Neighborhood Watch may fit the
bill. -
This program requires a lot of
volunteers. However, for the
majority of participants, the work
is not- onerous at all. "Watch
members" will simply do what
Exeter residents have- always
done - watch out for their
neighborhood's security. The
difference is that through
Neighborhood Watch, the effort
will be more effective and more
thorough.
Council has -asked area service
clubs to consider becoming
involved. Through this article, we
also ask the community at large
for your . support. Interested
parties are invited to phone -the
Town Office at 235-0310 (Ext.
21)- and to consider attending a
meeting to discuss the proposal in
spore detail. . s;
1
Grand Central Hotel demolished
The 141 year-old building in Lucan has been torn down and
some residents feel a part of their heritage has gone with it
By Chris Skalkos
T -A Reporter
LUCAN - The Grand Central Ho-
tel in Lucan was known as one of
the oldest watering holes in the
province and it's said the infamous
Donnellys used to frequent the es-
tablishment. But the stories circling
the hotel have outlived the building
itself as. demolition crews began
tearing down what remained of the
structure last week.
After two fires ripped through the
building in recent years, the charred
remains Stood along Lucan's *Main
street unchanged while village
council tried to get the building's
owner- to re -develop the site. or
clean it up.
• The Lucan Heritage Committee
tried to save the building two years
ago by acquiring the hotel from its
owner in hopes of turning it into a
museum -library complex with -a
community theatre. But the num-
bered company that owns it wanted
to be forgiven for the building's tax
arrears as a condition of sale.
Committee- Chairperson Mike
Anderson said a request for the vil- .
lage to issue a grant equal to the
amount of taxes owingwas denied
and the proposal failed.
"It was quite evident• no one at
the- proper - levels cared about the
building," he said.
Since then, the building has be-
- come unsalvagable because the last
fire, severely damaged the top floor
and left the structure exposed to the
elements.
Some residents/who gathered to
witness the building being turned
into rubble, mentioned the demoli-
tion was long overdue. -.
"Many merchants have spent a
lot of time and effort sprucing up
the downtown (store fronts) and it
has been a real eye -sore," said
Doug Cassa:, president . of the Lu -
can and Area Business Association.
Lucan resident Jean Deluce had
her own feelings about the historic
building coming down.
"It's really sad to see a part of
A piece of history turned to rubble. The burned out re-
mains of the. Grand Central -Hotel in Lucan is levelled by p
• wrecking crew last week. -
our history being taken away from
us," she said.
According to Anderson, the
building was a hotel from 1856 t6
the late 1980's and was visited by
all of the village's founding fam-
ilies. -
"That's a remarkable feat within
itself," said Anderson, who blames
the hotel's demise on political and
social ignorance 'which failed to
preserve the community's heritage. .
He said many Europeans, he has
spoken to boast about churches and
other buildings that are hundreds of
years old in their homeland. These
buildings survive because their his- '
torical significance is appreciated.
"Here in Canada, we have a bull-
dozer mentality...if it's old,, let's
tear itdown and build something
new," said Anderson. "If Lucan
carries on in the same manner there
will be nothing of our heritage left
to salvage."
Excellence in public education celebrated
Eight Exeter area students and educators honoured at 12th annual awards banquet
Recipients of the Excellence In Public Education Awards, clockwise
from top left - Mike Schwindt, Marj Green, Mary Beth Jantzi, Shari
Beierling, Charlene Cunningham of McDonald's Restaurant,- Toni Dejong,
Stephanie Pearson, Jayne Westlake.
EXETER - Eight Exeter ar a students and
educators were among the 53 people• .
honored at the twelfth annual Excellence in
Public Education Awards banquet held at
Holntesville on Thesday. April 29 The
banquet, cc, sl)rmsoied by .die Hrcront (orurt.t
Board of L•duc•ation and ilium: District 4.5 of
the Ontario Secondary Si /too! Teachers' .
Federation. recognizes. the bard work and
dedication of students, teachers, support
staff, and community members as they work
together to :take our schools a better place
to learn.
Nancy MacDonald Exel, Vice President of Finance
lorWcscast indust' its of Wingham spoke on the
importance of excellence and of working toward your
goals. Mrs. Exel a graduate of F.F Madill
congratulated all the recipients and said that Wescast s
success was in part due to the high quality of
graduates from Huron County.
Following the speech, the South Huron Triple Trio
under the direction of Ruth Clacssens performed,
receiving an enthusiastic response. The Triple Trio'
recently won a silver medal at the London Kiwanis .
Music Festival.
Five South Huron students were honored.for their
contributions to excellence in our school:
SHARI BEiERLiNG - Shari Bcierling is the type
01 .tiulcnt e v teacher enjoys working with - -
conscicimOus. polite, and dedicated to achieving her
Ixst. Het bald work has paid off. Shari has trade the
honor roll coy year. and was twice selected as top
student in hci.grade. Shari is also an enthusiastic •
participant in extracurricular activities; in music as a '
member of the Triple Trio and Concert Choir in
Drama as both a performer and crew member; as
Environment Minister on Student Council; and as a
visual artist and member of the Arts Club. Shari says
she appreciates the contributions of her teachers
beyond "the work", which have helped her to grow as
a person. She plans to ancnd university next year. Shari
is the daughter of Ra) and Sylvia Bcierling.
TONI De JONG= An outstanding athlete, Toni
Dejong was a co -captain of the South Huron Field
Hockey team this season. making her fourth
appearance at the OFSAA provincial championships
where she has won three gold medals and one bronze!
Toni has also participated in;volleyball and curling. and
is currently serving as Athletic Chairperson on Student
Council. Another facet of this talented young woman's -
education is involvement with the arts. Toni sings with
the Concert Choir, and performed in the school play
"Listen to the Wind". She edited the 1995-96 yearbook.
Reflecting back on her high school career Toni says she
has had many positive experiences which will stay with
her a lifetime. Pam and Tony DeJong of Exeter arc her
proud parents. '
STEPHANIE PEARSON - The highlight of
Stephanie Pearson's five years at South Huron has been
to serve as Co -Premier of Student Council. Stephanie
has enjoyed the opportunity to meet and work with
many other young people, including travelling to a
national conference of student leaders in Edmonton.
She is also a talented musician, playing trombone and
baritone in the Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble. She
takes great pride in her participation in Drama --
performing, and this year directing the chorus in thc,
school play. Stephanie is also 'active in sports, playing .
volleyball and basketball. She has been a member of
the Honour Roll every year. Stephanie's future plans
include studying history at Queens, and perhaps
travelling to Europe to study international Relations.;
Stephanie is the daughter of Doug and Teri Pearson,
MIKE SCHWINDT - Mike Schwindt has -
consistently maintained excellent marks while being_
actively involved in many aspects of the school. He is
currently serving as Co -Deputy Premier of the Student
Council, organising the Prefects, and assisting with
Council events. Mike is a talented actor - he has
performed at the Scars and Crossroads Drama
Festivals; played the evil Uncle Scar in the community
production of "Thc Lion King"; and was the male lead
in the school play "Listen to thc'Wind". Mike also
found time to play on the hockey team as well as to .
participate in the Concert Choir, Jazz Band, and Wind
Ensemble. Last year Mikc wrote a column on the
importance of extra -curricular activities for the London
Free Press "Under Twenty" feature. His future
ambitions include acting, and politics. Mike's'proud
parents are Wendi and John Schwindt of Exeter.
JAYNE WESTLAKE - Summarizing all of the .
achievements of Jayne Westlake is a difficult task, .
because she gives freely of her time and talents. and
has made a significant contribution to our school. Jayne
has maintained Honours Standing throughout her high
school career. She played basketball for five seasons,
winning the RAE (Responsibility, Attitude. Effort)
award for her contributions to the team. in addition she
has been an enthusiastic planner and participant in'
enrichment activities, involved with Peer Mentors, Peer
Tutors. and Ontario Students Against impaired Driving.
Jayne plays the French Horn in the Wind Ensemble. As
secretary of Student Council, she has helped organize
picture days, assemblies, and reads thc morning
announcements. Jayne says that involvement is the key
to enjoying school - and from her list of
accomplishments it is easy to understand why she says
she has loved high school. Jayne is the daughter of
Robert and Alma Westlake of Zurich.
MARY BETH JANTZI - The Teacher recipient
this year was Mary Beth Jantzi. Mary Beth has been
teaching English and Drama at South Huron since
1988. During that time she has earned the respect of
her colleagues and students by her dedication and
-professionalism. Mary Beth has devoted countless
hours after school, on holidays, and weekends to
rehearsals for drama productions at the Crossroads and
Scars Drama Festivals. She especially enjoys watching
the students' building excitement as a production
moves form its preliminary stages to the finished show.
Mary Beth has developed a special rapport with many
of herstudents, demonstrating her concern for their
welfare and lending thein an empathetic adult car to
discuss their problems with. in addition Mary Beth has
lent her support to the activities of the Ontario -
Secondary School Teachers' Federation. working
towards eliminating sexual harassment in our schools.
We were very pleased to recognize Mary Bath for her
outstanding contributions to our school.
MARJ GREEN - The recipient for the Support
Staff award was Marj Green' Marj has been an'
educational assistant working in the Challenging .
Learning Needs classroom at South Huron for nine
Years, having previously worked at McCurdy Public
. School for one year. Marj always performs her duties
with enthusiasm. She takes great pride in her. work -
she is proudof the work she docs, and she is proud of
the exceptional studcnts.shc works with. She believes
that every person can make a contribution to society,
and she enjoys helping her students to grow. Marj says
she derives her greatest satisfaction from seeing the
transfonnation of hcr students from the time they enter
the school until their graduation. watching shy, self-
conscious pupils develop positive attitudes and high
self esteem. For hcr hard work. exemplary attitude, and
dedication to her students, we were please to honor
Marj with this award. -
McDONALD'S RESTAURANT -• And finally, the
Community Recipient for the Excellence in Public
Education Awards was McDonald's Restaurant. Since
opening its Exeter restaurant, McDonald's has shown a
willingness to become part of thc community by giving
something back tocommunityorganizations. In the
case of SHDHS this has been demonstrated through
such projects as "Fun Nights" where 15 per cent of
sales accompanied bya "Fun Card" is returned to the
school. The money raised has been faithfully applied to
improving and maintaining our school environment.
McDonald's also sponsors the --"Athlete of the Month",
has supplied prizes for various competitions. and
assisted with fundraising for Sleeping Children Around
the World and the 30 Hour Famine. The restaurant staff
has also shared its expertise with students as a Special
Caop placement. McDonald's has earned a reputation
as a good corporate citizen, and their contributions to
education at South Huron are greatly appreciated.
Accepting the award on behalf of McDonald's was
Charlene Cunningham.