HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-09-25, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2008.
Congratulations
Jacob McGavin, back, and Brandon McGavin of the Walton
area, came up quite successful at the recent International
Plowing Match in Teeswater. The pair represented the area
well on its own ground. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
The plowing match is over and was
a great success according to all
reports. Walton’s Graeme Craig as
chairman of the Ontario Plowmen’s
Association was well pleased with
the site, the exhibitors and the
attendance. Even the rain on the
weekend before the start of the match
didn’t dampen the spirits of many, as
people continued to try and pour into
the site and campgrounds.
Our own Walton competitors in the
plowing competitions did very well.
Brandon McGavin, son of Brian and
Shelley, captured the Ontario Junior
Champion division and will advance
to the Canadian Championships in
Alberta next year. Brandon also won
the 4-H competition and received the
Elliott Moses award.
Jacob McGavin, son of Jeff and
Shannon, won his Class 2 Group 2
for under 16 plowmen and was also
awarded the Davenport Family
award.
Other locals plowing included Paul
Dodds and Steve Haney and George
Townsend who plowed in the Antique
Class.
Congrats to everyone.
Paul Ryan has returned from a
great holiday on the motorcycle. Paul
joined a group of other biking friends
to travel to the States for an event.
They first went to Milwaukee to the
Harley Davidson museum.
They headed off to Tomahawk,
Wisconsin to attend a huge event that
raises funds for muscular dystrophy.
The event, sponsored by the HarleyDavidson Company, is held on a hugefairgrounds, and has lots of differentactivities going on. All proceedsgoing to the charity.Paul and friends did hit some rainbut had a great time away.Returning from a great few daysaway is Lilly Fincham. She was awayto Foxwod, Connecticut to have a
holiday at the Foxwood Spa and
Casino. It is a most beautiful resort
and is the largest in the world. She
travelled by bus with Great Canadian
Tours and recommends it is the best
way to travel. She was accompanied
by her sister.
Belated congratulations to Maddy
and Jeff Miller on the birth of a third
son. Marshall has big brothers Jake
and Ryan to show him the ropes. Jim
and Betty Ryan are happy
grandparents.
Mary Huether is in Stratford
hospital at this time and we wish her
a speedy recovery from yet more
surgery.
Home recovering from a traffic
accident are Ted and Marlene Little.
They were broadsided at an
intersection when travelling near
Dublin on the weekend. Thankfully,
neither sustained serious injuries, but
both were severely shaken by the
ordeal. The jaws of life had to be
used to cut Ted from the overturned
truck, while Marlene managed to
crawl from the vehicle herself. We
send get-well wishes to both of them.
Congrats to Valerie Shortreed, who
was the big winner at the Brussels
Legion elimination draw. This is the
second year in a row that a Waltoner
has been the big winner.
Harvest continues with a few
farmers out there starting soybean
harvest. There’s still white beans out
there as well and thankfully we are
having great weather.
Kelly and Sharon Dalton spent a
few days in the Kirkland Lake area
last week. Kelly reports that hemanaged to hunt twice as manygrouse as last year and Sharonreports that would total five. Wouldthat mean Kelly shot only 2 1/2grouse last year? Kelly will have toexplain that one.Kelly also checked out moose trailsand tracks to keep in mind for whenthey go moose hunting later in the
year.
Our sympathies are extended to the
Semple family on the passing of Joe
Semple. Joe was an active member
and supporter of the community. He
was a dairy farmer for many years
and in recent years a beef farmer. To
his wife Kathleen, and children,
Calvin, Kevin, Robina and Janice and
their families, our condolences are
expressed to all.
Road construction in Brussels is
causing a few extra problems for the
businesses on main street. One week,
there was an unexpected loss of water
and this past week, there has been
trouble with the phone lines. When
calling, people would get a busy
signal, repeatedly, but not everyone
was talking all that time. The phones
were just a little crazy. Ma Bell was
busy trying to correct the problem,
but it took more than one try before
successfully restoring all the lines.
Hopefully all is well this week.
Congratulations to Murray Keffer
and Shelley Grabell on their marriage
on the weekend. It was a beautiful
day and a lovely reception was held
at Ethel Hall.
Attending Duff’s United Church
for service was a smaller crowd than
usual. Greeted by Teresa Baan the
congregation was treated to a very
musical service.
Rev. Sandra Yule’s sermon was
entitled Music of our Lives. It was a
collection of 14 songs from the
Voices United hymn book which
conveyed the history of song.
Presented by Sandra and Gloria
Wilbee, the first verse of each song
was sung.
The offering was collected by Don
and Teresa Baan.
It is Bluevale United Church
anniversay on Sunday so there will
be no service in Walton. Turkey
supper tickets are availble and a
supper committee meeting is
Thursday evening at 7 p.m.
Celebrating birthdays this past
week are Clarence Flood, Ben
Driscoll, Heather Kelso, Bruce
Whitmore, Chrissy Warwick, Mike
Boven, Lucas Godkin, Sean Kirkby,
Tim Nolan, Raymond Wilts,
Sebastian Andrades, Karen Hoegy,
Ashley Stevenson, Brandon
Williamson, and Gary Sutcliffe.
By Jo-AnnMcDonaldCall 887-6570PEOPLE AROUNDWALTON
Grey Central Public School has a
new principal and he has travelled a
long way to be here this year.
Mario Gagne is in the first month
of his first principal job, but he has
been working in education systems
all over the world for years.
Gagne was the vice-principal for
three years at Bedford Public School
in Stratford prior to coming to
Huron County to teach. Before
working in the Avon Maitland
District School Board, he and his
family spent several years in Hong
Kong, where he was the head of the
physical education department.
The Hong Kong school where
Gagne taught was an English-
speaking school with over 1,600
students from students younger than
kindergarten up to Grade 12.
He says the first six months were
hard adapting to the new culture, but
he and his wife and three sons
quickly grew to love Asia. He says
they travelled all over the continent
in their spare time and would go
back if they had the chance.
Gagne’s sons are aged 15, 13 and
11 and his wife has been teaching
for several years in Goderich. When
Gagne taught in Stratford, his wife
was teaching in Goderich, so the
family lived in Port Albert and he
would drive to work every day.
In 2001, the family bought the
cottage in Port Albert, where they
currently live, and decided to
convert it to their permanent home.
Gagne is originally from Quebec
where he went to elementary school
and high school before heading to
the University of Ottawa. From there
he worked his way through schools
in Fergus, Guelph and Waterloo
teaching French immersion.
The reception at Grey Central
Public School has been very warm,
he says, and the staff has been very
eager to work with him. Together, he
says, they have already implemented
several changes.
There have been slight changes in
scheduling, the school’s timetable
and class structure. Gagne says there
will be an emphasis throughout the
board on non-fiction writing this
year, an area that needed
improvement according to last
year’s tests.
Class restructuring is currently
underway, where all classes up to
Grade 6 will be taught math in single
grade classes. So a Grade 5/6 class
will be taught together until they are
split up for math. Gagne says this
helps to shrink class sizes and
increase the efficiency of teaching,
by making it more specific to
students’ age and grade level.
There are also new guidelines in
place for behaviour. Gagne flips
through a large binder full of
expectations of both students and
staff for things as simple as entering
and exiting the school, up to their in-
class behaviour.
Gagne hopes it will help to clarify
the staff’s expectations of students
and his expectations of staff.
Our fall mums
are blooming.
We have a large
selection of colours to
choose from
GREYHAVEN
GARDENS
1/2 mile west of Londesborough
Open 7 days a week
519-523-9781
Gorgeous
Garden
Mums
FALL SALE
All perennials & shrubs on sale now
Large Fall Mums
$700 ea. or
3 for $2000
Rose of Sharons
and Hydrangeas
$1600
Gorgeous
Fall Planters
Grey CPS welcomes new principal
Welcome
Mario Gagne has taken over the principal’s post at Grey
Central Public School. He has been teaching for years,
throughout Canada and Hong Kong and says he has been
very well-received at the school so far. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen