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,~ wWeekend 4 A Metroland Comniunity Newspaper Vol. 144 No. 62 Friday, October 17, 2003 rr- 32 Paçies $1 .00 (GST included~l Mo1o DY UMAM FAINL Derr Road res1ient Mark Alford can't bellevo the damagel ta hie vehicle as weli as hie home (Inset), which had part of lits roof tom off when a irse came crashlng clown Wedneadlay. vHigh winds topple trees, cause damage to homes By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion Mark Alford was stand- ing in his bathroom Wednesday morning when he heard a loud whirring sound. He asswssed il was a large air- craft flying overhead, but was proven wrong when hie heard a large crash, felt Use floor jump and watched as bits of plaster fr11 fromt Use criling. He s000 stood outaide bis Drny Road home - built as a one-roomr schoolhouse - look- ing at a century old cottonwood tree whose tnmk had snapped about 10Ofeet off Use ground and crashrd into Use bouse. "It was Use power of Use wind," Mr. Alford said. Fortunately, his wife and two children weren't home at Use time. The tree also flattened Mr. Alford's S250 Super Duty Ford pick-up truck, which he endear- ingly called "Use Csdillac of trucks.,, "It's very disappointing," Mr Alford said of Use damage, tight- ing back emotions in an inter- view shortly after Use incident. "im here and my famly's safe, but il takes ail you work hard on ... I Mr. Alford was one of scores of Miltonians foreed 10 cope wiUs Wednesday's atrong winds. Milton Hydro vice-president of operations Richard Murray said Use wind caused several power outages Wedneaday when il knocked trees into hydro wires. Milton Hydro receivrd a num- ber of cala from individuals wiUsout power, hie said. There was also a large.black-out along Regional Road 25 from about Cisisholin Drive 10 Use High Point industrial park area north of Hwy. 401. "Tie power was out for a short time until wr removed Use tree froro Use line," Mr Murray sald. Lynda Vermaas also hari a tree Usat came crashissg down, dam- aging Use fence of bier Kissgsleigh Court home. Part of Use willow tree - whicb was locaird behind bier backyard - now resta on a phone lime, and Ms Vermaas sald she's waiting for Use night people 10 dlean up Use situation. ,But UsaIs flot ail. "My neighbours TV mast broke and is now on our side of Use roof," shte sald. Tim Roberts, Milton Fire Departanent's training co-ordina- tor, sald Use station received a cail about hydro lines Usas were down in Use Puslissch area, but Guelps firefighters responded. There were no oUser incidents, hie sald. Stephanie Thiessen can be reached at sthiessen@milton- cg.uadianchampion.com. Martin St. Sehool saved by the. bell By TIM WHITNELL Special ta The Champion Martin Street School has been saved by the bell. The Halton District School Board bas closed Use book on all of its pending school closure studies in Milton, Burlington and Oakville. Education Director Dusty Papke cited election promises made by Ontario's new Liberal govemment, to revise Use educa- tion funding formula, as Use rationale for his reconimendation tisat achool closure/consolidation studies involving 13 elementary schools be halted. Sighs of relief and "Usank yous" were audible from msny of Use parents who attended Wednesday's scisool board meet- ing wbere trustees voted unanimously to end closure studies iseing conducted around Use region. The board's ruling means closure studies Usat were entering Use stretch n, wiUs decisions expected in November, are now non-existent. I addition to Martin Street, schools saved from closure/consolidation discus- sion include one scisool in Burlington and 11 in Oakville. On a recommendation from Oakvlille Trustee Drew Currah, Use board also wiil send a letter to new Premier Dalton McGuinty detailing ita situation regarding sehool accommodation and asking for direction regarding the government's inten- tions on education funding. Mr. Papke sald hie spoke recently wiUs sorte govemment officiais and is con- vinced Use new goveromeit's education policies wiil slow Use Halton board 10 con- tinue 10 build new sehools but, if flot, ils cash flow for such capital projeets stiil will remain. positive for at least a year. "If Usey (govemment) comte Usrough on even one of Useir promises, we wiil be able to build new schools wiUsout having bo close any," hie said. The Liberals bave promised 10 cap clas.s- es at 20 students in Use primary grades, meaning more space, and teachers, will be needed for Use extra classes created, hence achools currently underutilzed may need Useir open space in Use near future. The dilemma for somte of Ontario's pub- lic and Catholic achool boards since Use funding fonmula was introduced in 1996, said Mr Papke, is tisat all surplus pupil capacity bas isad to ise elisninsted in older communities in order to qualify for provin- cial funds to build new schools in growing areas. While happy as anyone to make the announcement about the end of current closure studies, Mr. Papke offereti a cau- tion to parents. "These motions will flot preclude closig achools or having closure studies" in the future, if warranted, hie noted. In Martin Streets situation, tise board is waitisg for Use Town of Milton to make final decisions on Use massive Sherwood Survey residential development, a determi- nation of Use future development in sorth- west Milton and an assessment of Use abil- ity of Martin Stret to meet Use needs of Use conimunity in termis of available pupil places. A final report on Martin Street had been prepared just Use day before Wednesday's momentous board meeting. In Usat six-page report, board Superintendent AI Greyson said Use recoin- mendation of Use Martin Street closure/consolidation committee was to close Use JK to grade 5 French immersion facihty in June 2004 and send its Engliss- stream students to J.M. Denyes Scisool. Comment ......6-7 NS Report ....... 8 Datolns ....... 14 A&E .........20 Sports ... .. .21-22 Classified .... .24-27 *Fwbu! OUM ma* emâmo LawirhWmm C* 0u hg .IhV, 0 hUl k Mbi euffl . WM * .qwh recnnician rreai . ILA± Ie k± -1 48Luie ve. $ LW (GST included)