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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-08-11, Page 7Bluewater Board gets good marks The Education Improvement Commission (EIC) recently released its review of Bluewater District School Board. The Commission is evaluating all 72 school boards in Ontario to identify how well they are responding to the challenges of restructuring. The intent of the review is to see how well restructuring is working for students. “The Bluewater board has kept its focus on its students,” said Betty Moseley-Williams, EIC commissioner and chair of the review team. “People at the board are also enthusiastic about public consultation. These two things have made organizational change happen smoothly.” To support the changes the board has already made, the EIC recommends that the board: • expands its transportation and purchasing consortium with its coterminous Catholic board; • explore more productive and Group seeking single tier continues to meet Though Huron County council rejected the single-tier option by a 40-21 vote, the Concerned Citizens for the Promotion of a Single Tier Government is not giving up. According to representative Ken Campbell, the group is preparing for the possibility that county coun­ cil or the provincial government does not accept a restructuring pro­ posal with current planning. Though not trying to force any­ one to go single-tier, Campbell says the group is trying to encourage councillors to consider the option. “It is not a dead issue,” he said. We have to wait until the action the councils are doing plays itself out.” Concerned Citizens is also hop­ ing to invited a speaker with expe­ rience in single-tier to a future meeting so they can discover how their municipality did it. Government extends deadline for disaster assistance Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Ernie Hardeman has announced an extended deadline for Ontario farmers applying for income disaster assistance to prevent confusion resulting from the recent extension of the federal government’s disaster relief program. Farmers who experienced drastic Income losses in 1998 now have until August 20, 1999 to apply for financial assistance to the joint federal-provincial Agricultural income Disaster Assistance program through the Ontario Whole Farm Relief Program. The original deadline was July 31, 1999. “Ontario was there in the early days, providing much-needed assistance to our farmers facing severe financial hardship,” Hardeman said. “Because of the timing of Federal government program applications, some farmers require this extension.” The program is designed to help farmers deal with the unexpected events of 1998, including serious worldwide market fluctuations and severe, but isolated, weather- related incidents. It is available to all eligible producers, regardless of commodity. Since early February, $28 million has been distributed to more than 2,5(X) farmers in need. creative applications for information technology; • review the role of trustees; and • take time to celebrate its accomplishments Contest tests thresher knowledge The era of the threshing machine will be relived in a big way in Blyth in the coming weeks with both the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion and the opening of Paul Thompson’s new collective play, Death of the Hired Man at the Blyth Festival. In preparation for his production, which will recreate the inside of a barn at threshing time, Thompson has been collecting bits and pieces of threshing machines. Over the TEST YOUR THRESHING KNOWLEDGE WHAT IS IT? If yoy can identify the piece of threshing equipment above, along with the two other items appearing Aug. 18 and 25, you could win: • Two tickets to the opening night performance of Death of the Hired Man at the Blyth Festival, Sept. 3. • Dinner for two at a Blyth Festival Country Supper prior to the performance. • A signed season poster • A one year membership to the Blyth Festival. Contest rules: 1. Name each object, giving as much detail as you can in 25 words or less. 2. Mail in, fax or drop off your entry to the Blyth Festival or e-mail your answer including your name, telephone number and address, naming all three objects. Submis­ sions can be submitted weekly or all at once. 3. Contest closes 5 p.m., August 31. 4. Judging, Sept. 2. The winner will be notified by tele­ phone. Plan Ahead for........... Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association Inc. 38th Anniversary Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 10, 11, & 12 It will soon be time for one of Western Ontario's most successful events, the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion in Blyth. This year the Thresher Reunion is celebrating its 38th successful year and once again The Citizen will publish a special souvenir edition for both regular readers and visitors. An additional 3,000 copies will be distributed to visitors and exhibitors attending the reunion. This edition will feature original stories about the people who come to the Reunion and those who have helped make it a success. Take advantage of this opportunity to promote your business or service. Call Jeannette McNeil or Les Cook at 519-523-4792 or Fax 519-523-9140 to reserve your space or to discuss your advertising plans. This report, as well as reports about other boards, evaluation materials and background informa­ tion may be read on the EIC website at http://eic.edu.gov.on.ca next three weeks The Citizen will hold a contest for people to identify some of the artifacts he has collect­ ed (colour photos are also available cnthe Festival’s website, www.blvthfestival.com. The contest closes Aug. 31 and judging will take place Sept. 2 with the winner receiving a pair of tickets to a per­ formance of the play, two country suppers before the performance, a signed season poster and a one-year membership to the Blyth Festival. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1999. PAGE 7. New script readings begin Friday at Festival The Blyth Festival has premiered 78 plays over the last 24 years so new play development is an integral part of the Festival’s mandate and involves a long process in getting a script ready for the stage. Petro-Canada Playworks, the Blyth Festival’s festival array of new plays, which takes place in August, is one step in the new play development process, giving audiences a glimpse at scripts under consideration for upcoming seasons. It provides the playwright with the opportunity to hear the script aloud and get feedback from the audience and allows the PRINTING IS OUR BUSINESS •Colour Printing • Posters • Letterheads • Envelopes • Business Cards WE CAN DO IT ALL! BLYTH PRINTING INC. BLYTH 523-9211 Festival to determine the suitability of a script for the Blyth stage. Read by actors from the 1999 Company, scripts in this summer’s Petro-Canada Playworks are at various stages of development. Readings include: The Last Shot by Rick Whelan on Friday, August 13; The Overflowing Mug by Josephine Ryan on Wednesday, August 18; A Better Life by Bev Cooper on Friday, August 20; and Shifting Gears by Carolyn Hay on Friday, August 27. All readings take place at 3 p.m. in the Lower Hall of Blyth Memorial Community Hall. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to help pick future hits. • Business Forms • Brochures •Flyers • Carbonless Forms • Labels