HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2006-06-08, Page 22Mon. - Fri. 7-6:30;
Sat. -8-6:30, Sunday Closed
PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2006.
Teachers appeal to board for support
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
Two award-winning teachers and a
group of students from St. Michael
Catholic Secondary School in
Stratford appealed to the Huron-
Perth Catholic District School Board
for official support for student
participation in a massive annual
peace demonstration outside a
military training facility in Atlanta,
Georgia.
Dwyer Sullivan has been leading
students from across Ontario to the
annual School of the Americas rally
for about eight years, the last four of
them as a teacher at St. Mike's.
Participation from the Stratford high
school has grown over that time,
with fellow teacher Carolyn Wilson
taking on leadership . duties and
about a dozen students making the
four-day, late November trek last
year.
"It's not a school-sanctioned event
nor a board-sponsored event. It's a
community trip, and the parents and
students are aware of that," was how
Huron-Perth Catholic District
School Board - education
superintendent Dan Parr described
it, when asked to comment last
week.
Sullivan and Wilson, as evidenced
by a presentation at a trustee meeting
Tuesday, May 23, don't see it quite
The board of directors of Habitat
for Humanity Huron County has
selected the partner family that will
purchase the house that is currently
being built in Wingham.
Terry Taylor. chair of the family
selection committee and board
member, announced that Jacob and
Tina Hiebert and their four children
will occupy the newest house in
Huron County,once -it is completed.
The Hieberts' children. range in
age from seven to 15. Taylor stated
that, while choosing a family is a
difficult and complex precess, he is
confident that the Hiebert family is
an excellent partner family and that
they will all work hard to not only
help build the house, but to keep it
spotless
Habitat is open to people from all
ethnic and religious backgrounds
and gives careful consideration to
the reality of the need of the
applicant. Families who are selected
must have a steady income, and a
the same way. Interviewed following
the meeting, Sullivan suggested the
board has been unofficially
supportive in the past, and a more
official declaration of support might
be necessary to keep offering the
opportunity to human rights-
conscious students.
Elements of the trip include
meeting up in Detroit with students
from University of Western
Ontario's King's College for a
workshop about non-violent protest,
a question-and-answer session with
military brass inside Fort Benning,
and participation — along with
between 12-20,000 other peace
activists — in. a two-day rally
outside the locked gates of what has
become known as The School of the
Americas.
The rally coincides with the
annual anniversary of the murder of
six Jesuit priests in Central America
in the 1980s, and the Ontario student
group has made a place. for itself in
recent years by staging what
Sullivan described as "a very solemn
(and) very dramatic theatre
procession . . . a die-in, recalling
similar massacres that have
happened in Central and South
America."
According to Sullivan, it was
eventually revealed that 19 of the 26
perpetrators in the Jesuit killings had
been trained as guerrilla insurgents
positive work history, but are unable
to qualify for a , conventional
mortgage.
Along with financial commitment,
the family must be willing to
contribute 500 hours of sweat equity
in the building of their home. The
selected family will also be willing
to co-operate with the family
partner committee in learning about
and preparing for the responsibility
of home ownership.
The attention of the family
selection committee will now turn to
finding a partner family for the
house that is scheduled to be built in
.Hensall this fall.
Taylor would like the process to
begin immediately with a target date
for the final selection slated for the
end of July. Habitat for Humanity
Huron County already owns the lot
in Hensall, which was deeded to
them through a donation from the
Kinsmen Club of Hensall and
District.
by the U.S. military at the School of
the Americas.
At the May 23 meeting, trustees
watched a digital _presentation about
the annual trip, prepared by a St.
Mike's student. Chair Vince
McInnes was presented with a letter,
urging the board to officially support
the trip.
Such support, it was suggested,
might translate into such actions as
treating the participation of
teachers as "professional
development" so they aren't deemed
to be absent from work, or writing
letters of support so students from
other school boards might
participate without affecting
attendance records.
"They may have wanted some
money, too, but they didn't say it in
as many words," speculated McInnes
in a subsequent interview. Trustees
had several questions regarding the
trip, and gave no immediate offer of
support. That didn't mean, however,
that reaction was all negative.
"It's a good cause; a fine cause,"
McInnes commented later. "It's a
social justice issue (students) can
really get involved with. Plus, it's a
trip."
There was concern, however,
about the fact sortie participants in
the annual School of the Americas
rally are willing to break the law to
make a point. Speaking later,
New brochures have recently
been produced which target
prospective families with
information and answers about the
family selection process. These are
currently being distributed in the
Hensall and area community.
Interested people are urged to.
contact the local Habitat
organization- for more information
and details about the selection
process and who may qualify.
Habitat for Humanity is a non-
profit, independent housing program
made up of local affiliates that are
locally managed. Habitat for
Humanity Huron County is entirely
operated by volunteers. Habitat
provides a "hand up, not a hand out"
by selling homes to qualified
families through "sweat equity" and
non-interest mortgages.
Each local chapter must meet the
Strict guidelines of Habitat for
Humanity Canada. Started in 1976
in the United States, Habitat for
Humanity now enjoys success in 87
countries around the globe. Habitat
came to Canada in 1985 and thus far
has built over 900 homes.
Habitat for Humanity Huron
County can be contacted at
www.habitathuroncounty.ca or at
linat =Row
John and Barbara Kerr
of Belgrave, ON are
pleased to announce the
upcoming wedding
of their son
Rowan, to Susannah,
the daughter of
Grant and Mary Lynn
Curry of Addison, On.
The wedding will
take place on
August 12, 2006
in Thornhill, ON.
11111=* MOM
Sullivan, admitted there are usually
arrests at the event, mainly for
trespassing on U.S. military land.
"If we think of (American
citizens) coming up (to Canada) and
protesting, we don't always think
that's so great either," McInnes
explained, before using the term
"professional Mohawks" to describe
some of the US-base& protesters
who have been known to bolster the
ranks of Native Canadian blockades
and demonstrations.
Speaking several days after the
May 23 meeting, the board chair
said it's quite possible a letter of
support will be written, but it might
also include a "warning" that staff
and students should "be careful" to
remain lawful. "We don't want our
kids going down there and getting
accused of something," he
commented.
Parr, meanwhile, said that,
although the board is "grateful" to
Wilson and Sullivan for "attempting
to instill a social conscience" in
students, the trip will be viewed as a
"community trip."
And the leaders, despite their
employment status, will be viewed
only as "community members."
Sullivan, a long-time activist who
has travelled to world hot spots with
the Christian Peacemakers Teams
organization, argued attending the
rally "is the most Catholic protest
Nappy 90th
Mifttliclav
Audrey Wajsl?
rale C) CosNiir;rc
fiappy 50th
Wedding
sinniversary
L, mom & Dad
(Oma & Opa)
Don & Bonnie Bakelaar, "-I
) . \ Cathi & AI Korvemaker, f
' Is Calvin & Cheryl Bakelaar, IA
i ) Veronica & Ralph deVries r \
kt%4 and your 27 grandchildren k(`.;)
- oiie ‘N\
, _.,---- ‘----=
you could probably have . . . It's
entirely in keeping with the Catholic
teaching of putting faith in action."
Within the past year, both Wilson
and Sullivan have received teaching
awards: Wilson was recognized by
an organization linked to the Prime
Minister's office, and Sullivan by the
Ontario English Catholic Teachers'
Association.
Prficutthca.itting
Brad and Gayle Speiran
of RR #3, Brussels
are pleased to announce
the forthcoming marriage
of their daughter'
Jill Arlene
to
Matthew Carl
son of
Dary! and Cathy Dann
of RR #l, Palmerston.
The wedding is to take place
on June 24, 2006
kx:t Ethel United Church.
4 k% A
„,
A
V 1.4, -,t
t''
Ai rf'4'..
V
A .
t's
Fli,
,Ali I 4li
fii. - Please join us for an IA:
afternoon to celebrate r
with our parents
s6 Maurice & Mary - r644C,
v1 Hallahan I ,e;
1/4 Sunday, June 11 r
ti
1-4 pm
rt;',
tf Hall ahan's 1 4,4
at Jim & Karen ie
A 84218 Currie Line . kiFs
(The Home Farm)
r
-A6 ',
, Please bring your lawn ;4..
;II chairs and beverages as 11:
Cli well as any musical Fs instrument you may play. ,
.s‘t'l Best wishes only please. ri: V-
v:
.1
Your presence is your gift. 0 V:
.1 Blaine, Jason, Tyler, Jeff, Kyle,
Love Jim, Karen,
?,‘‘s
Dennis, Julie, Connor,
'i' , Bill, Maryanne, • Irene arid Becky !z:
lifi -...., rar, -4••71 I ran 2"' .7.k1 Ilea 7. C' ' .. . 4Ir
'„Irlilitr- --,6;*•-• -Alb*: -]!illlIP•- •,..-
Am I too late?
The success of Blyth Festival's book sale is dependent
upon the generosity of area members in donating books
and puzzles. Just hours before the sales' opening Alice
Wilson of Bayfield gave her donation of books for the sale
to Festiva: general manager Jane Gardner. (Carol Burns photo)
Habitat announces Wingham family
Jim. 6cj1iiike
• ,_., Sakelaar
r ‘j‘ June 8, 1956
/ Love Mary & Peter Slotegraff, J\
...1 c- Joanne & Herb VanAmersfoort, -)
••• 141i
1
r
,i k
gaiory 50e4
rtyggiveirdevay
•
:v
••
i