The Citizen, 2013-12-12, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013.
Continued from page 12
burning bylaw.
“I know for a fact, each and every
one of the councillors had great
concerns with it,” he said. “This is
good information you have given us
this evening.”
Councillor John Smuck said it was
great Keith contacted the fire
department if he was about to have a
burn. He felt people should not need
to pay for a burning permit,
something that was in the proposed
bylaw. He did, however, feel a
document where someone could be
charged for not contacting the proper
authorities would be worthwhile as
there is some cost involved with
false emergency calls being sent out.
“Currently, fire prices are not set
by individual calls so, with that
situation, we aren’t charged for a
false call,” Gowing said. “However, I
agree that should be addressed if
there is a call that is caused by
someone not going through the
proper channels.”
Councillor John Smuck said he
had received six calls from
ratepayers with similar concerns to
Keith’s, but he explained it was a
proposed bylaw and it may, and
likely will be changed substantially
before being passed.
Warwick said he believed that
everyone at the council table was
worried about what they saw from
that original document and said,
along with Mayor Gowing, the final
bylaw will be quite different from
what was proposed.
Council thanked Keith for his
correspondence, however the bylaw
had not been redelivered to council
yet with the several changes they
requested after it was originally
presented, so no immediate changes
were necessary or possible.
Council says proposed burn bylaw to change
significantly before finding approval
Counting with fingers
Putting a spin on using your fingers to count, Justin Kerr, wearing the sight-impairing occular,
learned just how difficult it is for people with sight impairment to find what they need in drawers
and bags. Shown surrounding Kerr are, from left, Avon Maitland District School Board teacher
for the blind Kathlyn Archambeault, Canadian National Institute of the Blind representative
Paul Perna and Huron East Councillor Bob Fisher who is visually impaired. The activity was
one of the many ways the school recognized International Day of Persons with Disabilities on
Dec. 3. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued from page 6
following our character education
assembly.
This past Tuesday, our school was
involved in the International Day of
Persons with Disabilities. Thank you
to our community partners who
helped to organize the events, Lorie
Falconer and Bob Fisher of the
Huron County Accessibility
Committee, Paul Perna from CNIB,
Leeanne Armstrong our speech
pathologist, Kathryn Archambeault
our teacher of the blind and the
Learning for All coaches for all the
work they put into preparing
this special day for our
students.
The goal of the day was to bring
awareness to our students and staff
about accessibility and disabilities.
All classes participated in events
created and presented by the
leadership team. The day was very
hands on, including the opportunity
to experience low, to no vision,
limited mobility through
wheelchairs, speech and language
impairments, hearing impairments
and sensory impairments.
Everyone enjoyed the day and the
conversations and questions that
came out of the day really showed
our students and staff have
developed an interest and
awareness of disabilities and
awareness.
Students learn about disabilities for international day
Radford discussesChristmas tree origins
From the cherished teddies book
comes another Christmas reflection:
“The heart grows fonder at
Christmas. It’s a welcome home for
family, friends and loved ones whom
you may not have seen since the last
holiday. It’s a welcome sight to see
homes all decorated with the
season’s joy. It’s a welcome feeling
to know that the spirit that embraces
Christmas is the same one that
gleams in your heart.”
The Christmas tree, or
Tannenbaum, is symbolic of peace
and eternal life. This tree that has
become a staple of our Christmas
celebrations has ancient pagan
origins. Cultures throughout the ages
have revered evergreen trees for their
refusal to die when everything else
in nature does.
Pagans believed by decorating an
evergreen tree they warded off evil
spirits until the spring came again.
To the Vikings the evergreen tree
was a symbol of hope that the spring
would return. The Druids decorated
oak trees with fruit and candles to
honour their gods of harvest and
light. To celebrate the midwinter
harvest festival of Saturnalia and
during the revelry of Mithras, the
Persian god of harvest and light, the
Romans adorned trees with trinkets
and candles.
The ancient Egyptians, too,
revered the evergreen as a symbol
that life would be renewed after
harsh, cold winters.
To Christians the Christmas tree
represents the cross on which Jesus
died making the bridge between life
and death. The lights on a tree
represent Christ as the light of the
world. The shape of the evergreen
points upward to the heavens.
Supposedly Martin Luther, in the
1500s while out walking, was struck
by the sight of snow covered
evergreens. The snow sparkled in the
light of the stars. He took a tree
home and decorated it with candles
to replicate the trees he had seen in
the forest and to glorify Christ.
Sunday school celebrates White Gift sunday
The Sunday school presented its
annual White Gift Service at
Londesborough United Church on
Sunday, Dec. 1. All parts of the
morning service – the drama, the
prayers, the ushering, etc. were
handled capably by members of the
Sunday School.
This was the first Sunday of Lent
and the candle of hope, hope for the
lives of Christians everywhere and
the world as a whole, was lit by
Jared Bergsma.
Narrators gave insight into what
took place on that first Christmas
Eve as the various actors quietly
took their places completing a live
manger scene at the front of the
sanctuary. The stable owner spoke of
his part in offering shelter, food and
assistance to the holy family. He
noted how unnaturally quiet the
animals were that night as though
they knew the significance of the
family in their presence.
The shepherds were frightened,
too, by the unnatural presence of so
many angels in the sky. Only the
angels’ song, directing them to go
and worship at the stable, calmed
them. Lastly the magi, realizing the
star was the sign they had been
praying for, came bearing gifts for
the King. For all these people it was
a strange and unsettling night.
The congregation sang specifically
chosen hymns to fit with the
various parts of the drama,
finishing with “Joy to the
World”.
It seems the wife of a minister in a
small Methodist church in Ohio held
the first white gift service over a
century ago in 1904. In the Sunday
school of that church she had noticed
the inequity of gifts being exchanged
amongst the parishioners. This
woman felt Christmas was about
giving gifts to Jesus, not receiving
them. So the focus shifted to
bringing gifts the church could share
with people around the world.
All gifts were, and continue to be,
wrapped in white paper so no one
would know the value of the gift.
Each person could then feel
comfortable bringing a gift out
of true caring.
This idea quickly spread to
churches of other denominations.
The white gifts brought to the
manger at Londesborough United
were donated to the Huron County
Christmas Bureau. The items
collected on the ‘mitten tree’ were
sent along as well.
The Christmas concert is fast
approaching. Santa will arrive on
Thursday, Dec. 19. Since her
misstep on Dec. 1, Barb Bosman is
spending a great deal of time off her
feet. It’s to be expected she will have
lots of time to chase acts for the
concert. So if you haven’t talked to
her already she may be calling
you.
Answers to Crossword
on Page 6
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