HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-06-19, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2008.
County councillors want a policy
to compensate lower tiers for the use
of their roads during county con-
struction projects.
At the June 2 meeting, a recom-
mendation was brought forward
from the planning, agriculture and
public works committee regarding
the use of a portion of Morrison
Drive in South Huron as part of a
detour route this summer.
Compensation would consist of
pavement repairs, line painting and
intersection improvements on two
South Huron roads.
Councillor Ben Van Diepenbeek
of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh,
agreed with the recommendation,
and compensation in any of these
cases. He said his council asked for
the same during the use of Zion
Road. After several months of
increased traffic, the road is now in
need of repair. “We’re repaving a
chunk. I was told then no compensa-
tion.”
Warden John Bezaire of Central
Huron indicated a change in think-
ing recently. “Once again this rec-
ommendation is in a spirit of co-
operation.
Bert Dkystra, Central Huron
councillor said a policy would be an
advantage.
However, acting public works
director Dave Laurie said each situ-
ation has to be considered on its
own. “Hopefully we can make
arrangements for future projects.”
Knox honours its fathers
The annual Sunday school
anniversary and chicken barbecue
was celebrated at Knox United
Church in Belgrave on Father’s Day
Sunday.
Steve and Patti Nixon welcomed
the large congregation to the nicely
decorated sanctuary and Roger
Hopper, Sunday school superintend-
ent, welcomed everyone.
Gabriel Carter led in the respon-
sive call to worship, which was fol-
lowed by a poem,A Father, given by
Lindsay and Andrea Shiell.
Following the singing of a hymn,
with Elizabeth Procter at the organ,
and Lila Procter on the guitar,
Cassandra Carter led in the opening
prayer.
The junior choir sang Jesus Wants
me for a Sunbeam, Oh You Can’t
Get to Heaven and The Fruit Song.
The congregation joined in with
the singing of The Fruit Song. Lila
Procter led the choir and Elizabeth
Stennett played the piano.
Ashley Higgins led in the prayer
of confession and announced the
next hymn. Adele Dodds told a chil-
dren’s story. It was based on the
sower and the seeds.
The scripture from 1 Corinthians
was read by Emily Stennett and
Amelia Pletch read a story, What
Makes a Father?
The Sunday school presentation
was a recitation by each student
holding up letters that spelled Happy
Father’s Day.
Kathleen Stennett and Jessica
Procter led in a skit about A Robot
Father. Laura Higgins was the robot,
and Kathleen Stennett, as the inven-
tor of the robot, asked each Sunday
school member what they wanted a
father to be like. She tried to pro-
gram into the robot all their requests.
During the skit, each one of the chil-
dren ran down into the congregation
to give their father a hug. This skit
emphasized all the things a father is
expected to do. They agreed it was a
long list.
Taking up the offering were Adele
Dodds, Kathleen Stennett, Jessica
Procter and Megan Carter. Laura
Higgins led in the offering prayer.
Autumn Wightman presented the
prayers of the people and announced
the last hymn, It Only Takes a
Spark.
At the close of the service Roger
then thanked all the Sunday school
teachers who had helped put the
service together. He thanked Cam
Procter and his group for cooking
the chicken for the barbecue, and all
the children who had taken part in
the service.
Lila Procter led in the singing of
grace, Johnny Appleseed.
The congregation enjoyed a deli-
cious barbecue chicken dinner,
served inside the church as well as
out on the lawn. A family social time
was enjoyed by all.
Next Sunday morning will be a
camp day celebration and everyone
is to come in casual/camp clothes.
Melissa Snyders and guests will lead
in camp songs, camp activities and a
coin collection to benefit Camp
Menesetung.
The official board meeting
announced for Thursday, June 19
has had to be cancelled.
With 2008-09 budget deliberations
looming at the Avon Maitland
District School Board, adult educa-
tion specialist Susan McKee used the
opportunity of a regularly-scheduled
staff report to call for sustained fund-
ing.
“I always feel like we’ve made
greater inroads in the broader com-
munity than we have in the local
board of education,” commented
Avon Maitland administrator for
lifelong learning, McKee, at a regu-
lar board meeting Tuesday, June 10.
She was responding to a question
about her department’s biggest chal-
lenges, from South Huron represen-
tative Randy Wagler.
After explaining there are some
things over which she has no control
– such as labour agreements with the
local chapter of Ontario Secondary
School Teachers Federation, a union
that includes some but not all adult
education instructors – she told
Wagler, “when I negotiate my budg-
et with my superintendent, I always
want some wiggle room.”
“I hate to say it, but when it comes
down to it, my biggest challenges are
related to the board.”
It was a type of directness not
often seen in public from Avon
Maitland administrative staff.
McKee explained it away by noting,
“I think I’ve been known to bowl
people over with the passion I have
for my portfolio.”
But it’s also true that the portfolio
she holds – coordinating seven
Centres for Employment and
Learning across Huron and Perth
Counties, as well as a satellite serv-
ice in Poole for the Mennonite com-
munity and online programming
used by students from across Ontario
– exists almost in spite of its minimal
use of overall Avon Maitland
resources.
All staff members are employees
of the Avon Maitland board. But
much of the programming is sus-
tained through agreements with
other funding agencies – both gov-
ernmental and community-based.
“We’re able to do this because
partnered service delivery is one of
the values of the Centres for
Employment and Learning,” McKee
explained. “The only way we can
give the rural communities what they
have in the urban areas is by partner-
ing . . . Sometimes it’s money that
changes hands, sometimes it use of
an office. Someone will say, ‘use my
fax machine (and) next time I’m in
another community, I’ll use your fax
machine’.”
McKee chronicled the history of
the school board’s involvement in
adult learning, beginning with a
decision by Kitchener-based
Conestoga College to pull its satel-
lite programming out of Huron
County in 1984. The former Huron
board of education stepped in with a
well-respected program, and respect
for that program’s value carried
through when, in the 1990s, the
provincial Education Ministry decid-
ed to place adult learning on a much
lower funding tier than regular day
school.
“Why do we do it? Because there’s
no one else doing it,” she said,
adding 28 per cent of adults in this
region lack a high school diploma
compared to a provincial average of
19 per cent. “We’re here because of
the marginalized workforce that’s
here in Huron and Perth Counties.”
But funding, as McKee noted,
remains a challenge.
NEWS
FROM BELGRAVE
By Linda
Campbell
Call
357-2188
PEOPLE AROUND
BELGRAVE
Firefighters for the day
While he had no formal training, three-year-old Keith Robertson took the wheel of the
Brussels Fire Department’s main mode of transportation over the weekend at the annual
Father’s Day breakfast. Keith wasn’t alone, however, he operated the truck under the watch-
ful eye of his father, Roger Robertson, who spent the day with his son on Father’s Day.
Dozens of families stood in line between 7 a.m. and well past noon waiting for Brussels’ best
to cook them some bacon and eggs. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Shawn Cottrill, a participant in
Cops for Cancer, welcomes pledges
for the shave-off on Thursday, June
26 at 7 p.m. The big shave-off will be
taking place under the tent at
Foodland in Wingham.
Anyone wishing to support
Shawn’s new haircut for this
worthy cause can call 519-357-
1906.
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
By Stew SlaterSpecial to The CitizenBd. talksmoney
Council
discusses
policy for
road use