HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-06-03, Page 10•
Page A10 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Resigning Avon trustee to stick out decision process
Mow_Sisk
for the signal -star
With two key school closure -related
decisions looming in June, the Avon
Maitland District School Board learned
last week it will lose one of its nine trust-
ees. But Clinton -area resident Shelley
Kaastra, representative for Huron East/
Central Huron,. vows to remain around
the table for those decisions, before re-
signing effective July 1.
"It wouldn't be fair to ask someone to
step in at this point," Kaastra said in an in-
terview Mo�day. "I'm still thinking over
how 1 feel about (the potential school
consolidations in Exeter and Wingham)
and I've been gathering information for
a year. You can't expect someone else to
get up to speed that quickly."
Kaastra is a key figure behind Friends
of the Community, a private organization
that operates a food bank and, until re-
cently, a transitional home for homeless
youth in Clinton — in buildings owned
by the organization. She's resigning her
position as school trustee to devote more
energy to Friends of the Community.
•
• "Because we're a private organization,
we don't have any funding on an ongo-
ing basis," she explained. The transition-
al home was operating thanks to federal
government funding but, due partly to
the expiration of that funding and partly
to issues of government red tape, it's
currently not open.
A one-time school council chair, Kaas-
tra first began attending every Avon Mai-
tland meeting when her home communi-
ty school in Holmesville was threatened
with closure in 2001. In 2003, she was
elected as trustee, and returned follow-
ing the 2006 election. Her current term
expires in November, 2010.
According to board chair Jenny Ver-
steeg, board policy and provincial legis-
lation set out three options for Kaastra's
position: fill the vacancy through by-
election, appoint a replacement, or leave
the position vacant.
Versteeg commented that the by-elec-
tion option is unlikely because "it would
probably ... be too expensive." Leaving
the position vacant is also unlikely be-
cause "there's so much work (for trust-
ees). Everybody's doing this .in their
spare time ... We really need to fill this
position."
That leaves replacement by appoint-
ment, which Versteeg suggested would
'occur after trustees conduct a search and
interview prospective candidates.
The chair cautioned, however, that
none of this will be confirmed until
trustees have the opportunity to discuss
the options.
"It's too bad," Versteeg said of Kaas-
tra's decision. "We'll miss her. She's a
very effective trustee.
"Although it's good for Shelley that
she's pursuing something she feels is
important. When you see someone fol-
low their heart like that, you just kind of
have to sit back and take notice."
According to Kaastra, "some people
think there are no
homeless people in
Huron County but I
can tell them differ-
ently. We've had 17
people go through
the transitional
home since it first
opened in Septem-
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ber, 2007."
Asked if she could point to any success
stories that keep her passion alive for
helping troubled youth, she said, "there
are lots of success stories. But you learn
to measure success differently."
"With young people who are keeping
so much inside, any little reaching out or
any little wanting to talk is a success."
She added that one young person, liv-
ing on their own since they were 13, is
now 19 and has their own apartment.
"That may not sound like a lot, hut it's
huge in their world."
Versteeg expects the Avon Maitland
position to be filled by September,
2009.
Photos submitted
Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Children's Theatre Group of Goderich is presenting
the Wizard of Oz on June 13 and 14 at 2 p.m, at the
MacKay Centre, Adult tickets are $5, and children under
12 free. All proceeds from both performances will go
directly to the MacKay Centre for Seniors. Above, a flying
money readies to go after Dorothy, while the Iwcked Witch
hovers over a rainbow.