Clinton News-Record, 1983-10-26, Page 1BAY FIELD 1 UGLE
incorporating
THE BLYT STAND
Tu yiur c1Vii,. _ s ac
The season of dull mornings well be
coming to an end this weekend.
On Saturday, October 29 at 2 a.m. the dark
dawn hours of Daylight Saving Time will be
replaced with the annual switch to Standard
Time. By turning our clocks back one hour,
we'll say farewell to summer hours and
we'll get to sleep in an extra hour on Sunday
morning.
With Standard Time comes bright sunlit
mornings, but it also signals the end of
autumn and the start of short days and long
winter nights, when it's dark before the
supper hour.
It's time to prepare for a long winter's
nap.
I d
4 Ai
F-\
43 Wednesday, Oct
Clinton wants option to join
Roderic
A pilot project to have Goderich and area
fire calls answered through the Huron
Municipal Police Communications System
is being held in abeyance pending further
input from each of the county's four other
town councils by November 15. Meanwhile,
the technical aspects of the project are
being investigated fully.
At a special meeting of the Goderich
Police Commission held Wednesday,
October 19, representatives of each of the
five towns using the communications
system were present. Goderich Police
Commission Chairman Alvin McGee started
the meeting by explaining that while the
Goderich Police Commission technically
has the governing authority over the
communications system which is housed at
the Goderich police station, the other four
towns also have a voice in running the
system and their input is always considered.
After appointing Goderich Town Clerk,
Larry McCabe as a neutral chairman for the
meeting, Goderich Police Chief Pat King
gave a statistical presentation based on a 42 -
day survey of the number of calls handled
by the police communications system. He
noted that the average number of police
calls handled was just under 24 per hour and
that the handling of all fire calls for the five
towns would add slightly over three seconds
per hour to the workload of the dispatchers.
Chief King also noted that out of 87 police
calls in the busiest 16 hour period (Friday
and Saturday evening from 6 p.m. to 2
a.m.), there were only nine occassions when
more than one telephone ran , at once. He
said that the backing up of tel one§ would
not be new to the system if . ;484.-..o. � fire
calls because it was just inevitable
situation.
Chief King read a letter from. Mike
McInerney, Manager of the Ontario ?once
roposes
Commission, Technical Services Branch,
who said from information received, it was
his opinion that the present system would
have no problem facilitating all the fire calls
in the county. He said even if the fire calls
doubled their present numbers, they would
not present much of an added workload.
McInerney said the dispatchers of the
Huron system were not unduly overworked
and that the system was not being used to its
full capacity at present. While he admitted
that the backing -up of calls could occur, he
said good judgement by the dispatchers
would prevent any major problems:
"Coincidence of a serious crime and a fire
call coming in at the precise same moment
could happen but the odds are great.
Training can prevent any major problems."
Chief King said he had checked with
several other police departments with
similar communications systems and all
replies he had received indicated that fire
calls could be handled under the system
with no problem.
In his own opinion, he said he also felt
there was greater safety for the general
public if professionally trained dispatchers
handled the fire calls rather than the
members of the firemen's families who do it
now.
"In my opinion, we have a good system
and the handling of fire calls won't milk it
down," he concluded.
At this point, Chairman McCabe called for
comments from representatives of the
towns present at the meeting.
Wingham Police Chief Bob Wittig said it
was his opinion that the system is very -
capable of receiving and dispatching •not
only Goderich fire calls but all the fire calls
in the county. He said an ad-hoc committee
should be formed to see how this could best
be implemented. While Wingham would like
o; < A «Y
Glen Machan of Logic Aboard will be teaching a computer course
Huron County. The course was set up through Conestoga College
Industrial Training Committee. ( Rod Hilts photo)
to businessmen in
and the Huron County
Unique computer
course comes to area
By Rod Hilts
VANASTRA - An excellent response to a
computer training information session for
business and industry in Huron County will
result in courses being started in the
Wingham and Goderlch.
On Oct. 19, the Huron County Industrial
Training Committee sponsored the session
at the Conestoga College campus at
Vanastra, that saw over 40 business and
industry representatives in the county at-
tend.
Computer literacy courses will be offered
in Wingham on Monday and Tuesdays and in
Goderich on Thursday and Fridays
beginning around Nov. 1. The courses will be
taught by Glen Machan of Logic Aboard.
The computer training information
session was a joint venture with Conestoga
College and Logic Aboard and is aimed at
trying to promote computer literacy with
small businesses in Huron County.
ian Moreland, the chairman of the Huron
County Industrial Training Committee, said
he was very pleased with the response from
the county's businesses.
"People are more willing to sit down and
listen about training now that the economy
is on the upswing. There was a very positive
Turn to page 3
i3
ire phone
to maintain its present system of answering
fire calls, he said his council would like to
have the option of using the police com-
munications system available to them in the
future.
Seaforth Police Chief Hal Claus said he
would make the recommendation that if the
fire call system is implemented, then the
fire phone should have a separate line from
the police phones. He indicated that
Seaforth Town Council would like to see
proposals of cost sharing and said that the
fire department was quite satisfied with its
present arrangement of receiving calls and
would not be interested in joining the new
system at this time.
Police Chief Ted Day of Exeter said he
was in agreement with the Town of
Wingham's view but was concerned with
costs. Exeter Police Committee member
Dorothy Chapman questioned the accuracy
.of Chief King's Statistical report on the
system and said there were too many
unanswered questions to give a yes or no
answer to the Goderich proposal.
Clinton Mayor Ches Archibald said that
while the Town of Clinton was not opposed to
the proposal, it presently has an entirely
satisfactory fire call system. Mr. Archibald
said his town would like the option to join the
police communications system at a future
time and wanted a proposal of a cost break-
down.
Chairman McCabe said he did not an-
ticipate increased staffing for the system
once fire calls were added to it and that if
any increases did occurr, costs would be
shay' on a per capita formula. He pointed
out at many ongoing costs such as office
spa `, heat, electricity, administration, etc.
wereaoow absorbed by the Town of Goderich
to' the benefit of the other towns on the
system.
McCabe stated his view that the present
system had the capability to handle fire
calls and was designed for this in the first
place. He said the addition of fire calls
would mean a more efficient use of the
system and co-ordination of emergency
services.
At this point, the Goderich Police Com-
mission members left the meeting for five
minutes to discuss a proposal to present to
the other towns and came back with the
following motion: "That the Goderich and
area fire calls be answered through the
Police Communications System as a pilot
project and that the other participating
municipalities be credited proportionately
based on an annual payment of $2,000 by the
Fire Department to the Communications
Systems; and that the technical aspects be
investigated fully prior to implementation
and the pilot project be reviewed at the end
of one year as to costs, etc. and the desire of
other municipalities entering into the
system."
It was indicated that prior to any im-
plementation by the Town of Goderich, input
was again requested from representatives
of the various towns. The representatives
from Clinton, Seaforth and Wingham said
they could see no problems with the pilot
project but would like to have a copy of the
meeting's minutes to take to their respec-
tive councils for consideration. The Exeter
representative was more concerned with the
distribution of apportionment and requested
a copy of the minutes for council and in-
formation on the calculation of the payment
indicated in the motion.
Replies from each of the town councils
should be received on or before November
15 and in the interim, Chief King will in-
vestigate the technical aspects of im-
plementing the new fire phone system as
soon as possible following the November 15
deadline.
1
Last Saturday night, the Blyth Memorial Hall turned into a 16th century palace as the
Medieval Feast took place. Over 120 people attended the event. Pictured is Al Mullin of
Goderich, who is dressed as one of the king's musicians. (Rod Hilts photo)
Huron board utilizes TVO programming
By Rod Hilts
Nine years ago the Huron County Board of
Education began incorporating TV Ontario
(TVO) programs into their elementary
schools. Today learning through TVO has
expanded to the point where the board has
designated one teacher on each elementary
school staff to act as a television resource
teacher (TRT).
On Oct. 20 the board held a special tune-up
session in Clinton, where 28 TRTs took a
look at some new programming and ways of
developing existing material.
According to Dave Bieman, the media co-
ordinator for the board, educational televi-
sion is becoming a basic part of kids and
compares it to "what parents remember as
books." He said TVO resources have grown
and improved significantly in nine years.
"TVO resources keep getting better and
better. I used to know every program TVO
offered but now they must have over 1,300. I
obviously don't know them all," Mr. Bieman
said.
The board purchases the programs from
TVO but much of the costs are offset by a
Ministry of Education and a Ministry of
Culture grant. TVO is funded through grants
from the provincial ministries of Citizenship
and Culture, Education and Colleges and
Universities. Public memberships and cor-
porations also partially fund the network.
Presently more than 4,000 English and
French TRT's, in almost 100 Ontario school
boards, provide a personal link between the
province's educational television network
and more than 70,000 elementary and secon-
dary schools.
In most cases, the TRT is usually the
school librarian, but may also be a teacher,
or the principal. Most TVO programming is
produced in series form, and like a book, of-
fers a cumulative learning experience. The
programming is also tied to the Ministry of
later may cost more
By Wilma Oke
VANASTRA - The residents of Vanastra
will face new water rates in 1984 if
Tuckersmith Township Council votes for the
bylaw at its next meeting. On Oct. 18 coun-
cil gave it the first reading but the increase
will be open for discussion at the November
1 session when Reeve Robert Bell is back in
bis chair. Reeve Bell was attending a con-
vention of counties and regions in Sarnia
this week and Deputy Reeve Wiliam Brown
was in charge of the meeting.
The new rates will bring in an increase of
$10,000 for the Vanastra Water System if ap-
proved - and about $7,000 in consumption
charges and over $2,500 in service charges.
It costs $88,000 to operate the system.
The new rates proposed are (a' service
charge per four month billing period) : a
single family duplex and semi -residential
units $20, up from $15; multiple units con-
taining three to four residential units $30;
multiple units containing five to six residen-
tial units $45, multiple units containing
seven to eight residential units $60, multiple
units containing nine to 10 residential units
$75, multiple units containing more than 11
residential units $100; a small commercial
building $25, up from 15. In addition a con-
sumption charge of 50 cents per cubic metre
per four-month billing period, up from 40
cents. A 10 per cent penalty on all water ac-
counts levied that remains outstanding after
the due date which is unchanged. The new
rates are proposed to start January 1, 1984.
Councilor John Brownridge, a Vanastra
resident, would not suport the vote on the
first reading of the bylaw as he was not in
favor of the increase, "We increased the
taxes a few weeks ago and now we increase
the water rates. There is a tremendous
amount of bitterness (in Vanastra) because
the taxes are too high."
In other business council passed a borrow-
ing bylaw for $500,000 to help in meeting
township expenses until taxes are collected.
Council will present a resolution at a
meeting of boards and interested persons of
local day care centres in Wingham on Oc-
tober 25, to protest the proposed withdrawal
of financial support by federal and provin-
Turn to page 3
Education curriculum guidelines and are
classroom -tested to ensure student com-
prehension and is suitable to grade level.
Caroline Young, the utilization officer for
TVO, said Huron County was one of the first
in the province to use the TRT system of
filtering information systematically from
TVO to the teachers. She is quick to point out
that television isn't taking over the.
teacher's role.
`Don't get the idea television is replacing
the teacher. It's the doing not the viewing
that counts," said Mrs. Young.
Since many curriculum -related TVO
series require interaction while viewing, the
teacher must guide the viewing experience
rather than just sit back and let the class
watch.
For the past three years, the Huron Board
of Education has been using TVO services to
a larger extent. With the increased amount
of television children watch, TVO program-
ming produces educational guides to extend
critical viewing.
Some of the more popular TVO school pro-
gramming includes Read All About It,
Parlez-moi and MathMakers. Read All
About It is a series aimed at developing
comprehension and vocabulary. Surveys in-
dicated that junior students using this learn-
ing system gained significantly more in
vocabulary and comprehension than those
who had not used the material. Parlez-moi
is a series created for intermediate students
studying French as a second language.
MathMakers is a series of programs that
supports the junior math curriculum. The
series encourages enthusiasm for math and
relates math to the world. Teachers who us-
ed the series with their junior classes say
they intend to continue using it because of
their students' increased learning and
retention of mathematical skills and con-
cepts.
One of the key items on the Oct. 20 tune-up
session agenda was a new TVO production
entitled Artscape, an eight -part series
designed for the junior art curriculum.
Each part takes a theme and is a strong
component to help children develop their
own art so that they can better understand
their environment.
In summing up the impact TVO program-
ming has had on the students in Huron Coun-
ty, Mr. Bieman said that the schools are for-
tunate to have support from the board.
"TVO programs and support have helped
our teachers accept the reality of TV in our
society in a way that is meaningful to kid.s in
the classroom," said Mr. Bieman.
On Oct. 20 the Huron County Board of Education held a TV Ontario
teachers workshop for 28 elementary school teachers
Pictured is Dave Rieman (left) the media eo-ordinator
for the board. discussing some new TVO programs with rrnt
Jamieson, the board's audlo-visual technician.( Rod Hilts photo