HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-12-28, Page 11Signal -Star • Wednesday, December 28, 2011
ew AMDSB chair sees tough year ahead
Accommodation reviews, contract talks,
arisitions for 2012
w. Avon Maitland District
0.1 Board (AM DSt3) chair
Versteeg sees a challeng-
ti.tr ahead for the board.
ti North Perth. trustee,
r•d. chair at the board's Dec.
augural nafteting, said that
=�tl
issues loom on the hori
i ux:Riding (-tufting the
is long-term strategic plain.
,s well, the year kviil be
cd with some touch deci
N atl)OUt .a CCDM 10d-aatiOn
w. and labor negotiations
in the context (Avery signif-
l card buds et cot�strrtints,M
did
t s t .tE t� Ut t o iii I, kV( stt t t )I11_
�ttrt)rl reviews being con
ed in the" board. One in
Huron decide the fate
)11)ut rlt' Central and [Iolrn-
t' public schools, where pre -
ng a "rural option" for sttt
has become a dominant
cond accommodation
review is in Stratford, where a
heated debate has emerged
over how to deal with the over-
crowded Bedford PS, home of
the board's Grade 1 to 6 French
Immersion students as well as
a number of English language
students.
The AMDSB enters labour
negotiations with teachers and
support stafffrom the hoard's
elementary and secondary
schools in 2012 as well.
In an interview after the meet•
Versteeg said the several
transitions set to take place in
September 2012 will be another
issue. The transitions affect
schools in and around Exeter,
Blyth and i 'ingharn, including
the planned opening of the new
Maitland River Elementary
School.
Versteeg, who oWfls'a dairy
farm in I Jowic'k Township with
her husband, first carne to the
board as a trustee in 2003..She
has served as vice -chair and
chair previously; her last term a_ s
chair was in 2010:
trustee and outgoing chair Randy
Wagler for the position, but Wagler was
subsequently acclaimed to the position.
of vice -chair after trustees AI Sygrove
and Julie Moore declined to let their
names stand for election.
The board heard later that several
AMDSB principals and vice -principals
will also be taking new positions in the
new year. Once schools resume in Janu -
ary 2012, John Carr, principal of Brus-
sels Public School, will move to Downie
Central Public School to replace the
retiring Suzanne Kelly. Frank Stretton
former principal at Wingham Public
School, will take over as principal of
Brussels PS at that time.
When the new school year begins in
September 2012, Suzanne Irwin, cur-
rent principal at Turnberry Central PS,
will become the Grade 7-8 administra-
tor at FE Madill Secondary School. Prin-
cipal Wendy Armstrong -Gibson will
leave East Wawanosh PS to become
principal of the newly -named North
Woods Elementary School. Kerry Car-
lyle will leave her post as vice-principal
at . Hurd:: Centennial PS to become
Grade 7-8 administrator at South Huron
District High School.
North Perth trustee Jenny
Versteeg was elected chair of
the Avon Maitland District School
Board at the Dec. 13 inaugural
meeting.
E't• r s t eeg told trustees in a
short election speech -that she
had the experience to lead the
board again, adding tth at with her
kwal hi torn t l' Mi iras-1 urnberry
almost complete, she would atkt)
hdve the taint to serve.
Versteeg also published a local
history of 1:l m a Township, Flim a
nac, an 2000.
\:'ersteeg defeated South l furcal
ary
rces
PERTH LIMITED
is time:l Would -like to tfiank some of the people who helped us recover from the tornado damage we
ined at our repair shop in the former Volvo building, Warren Auto Glass, Mark Glassford from TPI, Keith
KMH. Cines, and Darryl from TTK.
Id also.like to thank the Municipal staff for their Herculean efforts getting the Town operational, Bill Raith
the boys at Goderich Hydro, Larry McCabe and Chip Wilson, the staff at the public works and the Town
and the emergency responders. Everyone did amazing. work in a situation where there were no good
ions, only less bad ones.
.uld also like to thank the many fine Vcald �m. - blas we worked with cleaning up scrap metal at sites
ughout the town, VanOriel Excavating, Merners, Lavis, Hayters, Gardiner Tire, the boys at Sifto, KBR
i, Bin There Anderson, Waste Management and Huron District Contracting. It is amazing what we can
mplish when we all work together.
Id also like to thank our customers, suppliers and neighbors at the yard, for their patience with us while
orked through the resulting inventory bulge.. 1 can assure you that things are returning to normal.
ly, I would like to thank our staff for going above and beyond during this time, trying to do the right thing
serve the greater good of the community as a whole. I think this situation has proven that Goderich does
need a scrap yard.
Ube closed for scrap metal receiving between Christmas and New Year's, reopening Monday January
, in order to give our staff a well-deserved rest and some time with family.
ncluslon, I would like to reflect onithe fact that a very bad situation brought out the best In us all.
Happy New Year, and try to get some rest, Goderich.
Tont Joyes
Secondary resources
205 Nin Street East.
Goderich
Jeff Sabin and Father Gary Ducharme donate $15,000 on behalf,of St. Peter's Parish
to Ken Dunn and Tom Jasper of the Goderich and Area Disaster Relief Fund. The
money was raised both through the local parish and throughout the diocese.
OUR OFFICES WILL BE
CLOSED FROM
DEC. 23 AT 1:00 PM AND WILL
RE -OPEN JAN. 3, 2012 AT 9:00 AM