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Separate school board elects pair to top posts Roman Catholic Separate School Board trustees filled the top two posts on the board with the same men during elections Monday at Burlington Robert J OBrien Burling ton was reelected chairman and Georgetowns I vicechairman All trustees attended OBrien In address said efforts must be made to correct the severe imbal ance in Ihe funding of separate schools by he province Students attending Assumption High School at the grades and 10 level are considered for grant pur poses be elementary students and as such only elementary grants are received for their education said OBrien The cost of educating a high school student is while the cost of schooling an elementary pupil is according to the separate board chairman A minor weighting factor was applied in grants this year said OBrien While Faulty wiring blamed Faulty basement wiring is blamed for the December fl blaze the R 1 home owned by Sprovcy The basement kitchen stairwell and upstairs bedroom were completely destroyed with smoke and heat damage to the remaining structure Damages were estimated at by Fire Chief Carl Meadows Chief Meadows judged thai the fire was underway for two hours before the 10 am alarm was turned in passing county road em ployee Ray Death No one was home at the time of the blaze Town wont shovel It looks like the Acton post office will have to continue responsibility of snow re moval around their letter boxes In a letter to Ken Richard son Clerk Administrator for Hills Acton post master Gord McKcown ex plained he had been re- by the post office to ask the own to take over snow clearance from letter boxes He explained In the letter It is considered that street letter boxes are a public facility since they are erected for the convenience of the public Therefore the responsibility for snow removal should rest with the local municipal authorities Town engineer Bob Austin in a report to the Hills general committee explained that at present the post office has hired a private contractor to clear the snow The report noted that the total cost per snowfall would be approx imately The towns first respons ibility is and must continue to be to plow streets during or after a snowfall We do not have the staff and equipment available lo provide the re quested service on a prompt regular basis over and above our normal winter maint enance responsibilities Ihc report continued Mr Austin pointed out the town does not remove snow at rural mail boxes or at fire hydrants As a result or his Mr Austin recom mended to the committee the own not provide the snow re moval service around the 40 letter boxes in Com mittee members passed his findings on to council this In no way compensates for the great disparity in the dollars available to the students in the two public systems it does indicate a sensitivity on the part of the Ministry to a situation which is somewhat less than just he said The Halton separate school boards main objective in the new year Is school construc tion according to OBrien A new building is slated for Assumption High School The old structure sits beside the board offices A new elemen tary school is alsoon the books for Upper Middle Road The board is also watching St Josephs School at Acton because it is growing said OBrien There was close to a per cent Increase in enrolment at the school which is into its second year This year the separate I school systems enrolment increased by 500 students to approximately said j OBrien OBrien and were the only nominees for the office of chairman was the only person nominated for vice chairman Sherk was vicechairman for the first time in On the resignation of Lino as chairman Sherk took the office or acting chairman for the ninemonth balance of the term Since then he has been returned as vicechairman Sherk 45 was again returned to the chairmanship of the salary negotiations committee a post he has held for five terms The Bishop of Hamilton Paul Reding acknow ledged the sacrifices of the Catholic community and especially the parents He also said he was aware of govern- ment support Shepherds watched while the angels sang at the Evangel George Kerr and the Tabernacle Chrlst- new chairman of Halton Jack Concert on Sunday attended the meeting evening BIA members at provincial meeting The Acton Free Press Wednosday Dec 13 1978 Five representatives from the Business Improvement Area BIA and council attended the recent Down town Forum 78 at Torontos Inn on the Park BIA chairman Henry Stachyra said he Alma Paul Nielsen and new councillors Ed Wood and Ross Knetchel were among Ihe 830 people from across the nation and North America at the meeting Before Issuing any statements on the ac complishments of the con ference Mr said there should be a BIA meeting None Is slated prior to Chris I mas However the student program of summer work will continue next year he said Last year the hired a pair of students to keep the sidewalks clean Ontario Housing Minister Claude Bennett hosted the conference Ontario Premier Bill Davis was one of the speakers FOR Ml OF CANADAS BUILDING lliim NEEDS Acton Community Services Centre will be CLOSED Christmas Week December 23 to January 3 No MealsoiiWheels will be delivered for the same period Reding Hamilton attended the Inaugural meeting or the Roma Catholic Separate School Board Monday at Burlington when Robert OBrien elected chairman and Georgetowns Hartley vicechairman The two men held the You II save a pocket- full at the CLEARANCE ACTON MEWS DOWNTOWN ACTON Open Monday to Saturday This Week our regular specials on food and household items PLUS INEXPENSIVE GIFT SUGGESTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS Reliable Toys Building Log Do 111 1 Army Trucks Army Tanks Big Jim Doll Blow Gun Targat Tool Sat Targat Gams Gyro Car Zoom A Full me of Dairy Product Compolftrrt ISNT IT TIME YOU PAID ACTON A WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS RETAIL Acton Citizens Band Annual Christmas Concert SUNDAY DECEMBER 17 pm MIDDLE SCHOOL Quasar Microwave great dishes come naturally A Great Christmas Gift ThatsrrghlfVrdtoralimitGdtime one of our three Quasar ovens andgetasetofthroebeourulCorningcirQ dishes- at no extra cost Itsagreat offer But Tore important ilsagreat line of ovens With features hat deliver all cooking convenience you demand no matter which Quasar you buy Check the features below and come in soon help you pek a groat oven and then we II help you win the dishes a forlorn town imo Cooling irSwiot J 111 rob Mmuw Duct MomoiyCeok UKicmmt Cooking iOKttll Cool boot Quasar Makes looking special again Priced Right For Christmas From Only First Line Television SALES and SERVICE 5 Mill St Eoit Acton THE STATE OF THE HALTON TEACHERS BOARD CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS Negotiations between the Board of Education and the elementary and secondary teachers are at an impasse Talks concerning the Boards contracts with each teacher group began over ten months ago A Fact Finder appointed by the Education Relations Commission recently released his report detailing the items in dispute in each set of negotiations Here arc the positions expressed by both sides to the Fact Finder on major items SALARY 5V2 increase in total costs This is the Boards offer structured so that lowerpaid teachers receive the highest percentage increase The highestpaid teachers would still receive an increase over 197778 resulting in a maximum salary of for classroom teachers Board Offer Secondary Request Elementary Request 5 overall all positions 8 all positions 28 1 maximum classroom salary INSURED BENEFITS Secondary 160000 Elementary 133000 These are the costs of an extensive dental plan which the teachers have requested be paid by the Board These costs are in addition to the 75 of premiums currently offered by the Board for OHIP Extended Health and Group Life Insurance STAFFING Secondary 1628000 This is the cost of hiring 68 more secondary school teachers to lower the Pupil Teacher Ratio Elementary 980000 This is the cost of hiring a minimum of 50 more elementary teachers The Board feels that there will not be adequate educational benefit to justify these costs Current class sizes in Halton schools are educationally sound and economically responsible This term describes school staff that assist in many noninstructional duties The Board wishes to maintain the use of these staff members within the staffing ratio The elementary teachers request that these nonteachers be compensated above and beyond the budgeted staffing ratio The secondary teachers seek that no nonteacher be hired within the staffing ratio THE BOTTOM LINE The secondary dispute is now in mediation with a appointed mediator The elementary teachers have requested the appointment of a mediator This is the situation as it stands following the Fact Finders report At Fact Finding increase of all items over base SECONDARY ELEMENTARY Board Offer Teachers Request Board Offer Teachers Request 76 164 80 158 The heart of the matter is this controlling the cost of providing the best education possible for the students of Halton The Board wishes to continue negotiations reasonably and responsibly with Halton teachers HALTON BOARD OF EDUCATION WD HERD Chairman ES LAVENDERDirecror