Loading...
The Times Advocate, 2008-04-30, Page 13Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Times -Advocate 13 Repair work —Those on Main Street in Exeter April 14 would have seen Harry Hargis, above, towing his Thurston Teal airplane, which he had picked up from Glen'sTerryAir in Huron Park after some repair work. Hargis made a stop in Exeter to visit Conrad and Bonnie Sitter before towing his plane home to Christiana,Tennessee. An interesting fact about the plane is that it was originally owned by the Beatles' record company, Apple Corps. Ltd. (photo/submitted) Top spellers —The Kirkton-Woodham Optimist Club recently held a Spelling Bee for local chil- dren in Grade 5. Children from Usborne Central, South Perth and Holy Name in St. Marys partic- ipated. Michaela Partridge was the First Place winner, while Dylan Horenberg was second and JosephVerwer finished third.All participants received a cash award and an Oxford dictionary. Pictured in front from left are Emma Watt, Dylan Horenberg, Kim Pearce, Zach Brintnell and Joanne Armstrong; in the second row are MadelineAarts,Amelia Black and JosephVerwer; in the back are John Froud of the K -W Optimists, Jim Watt ofTradition Insurance, Michaela Partridge and K -W Optimist president Bernie Benoit. (photo/submitted) Welcome Wagon awards —The local Welcome Wagon recently received two awards at the Welcome Wagon Spring Conference in London April 17. FayeVan Oss, pictured above, was awarded the 2007 Ontario Representative of theYear for a community of under 8,000, while Exeter was named the 2007 Ontario Region Community of theYear for a population under 8,000.Van Oss, who has been with Welcome Wagon since 2003, was also honoured in 2005 and 2006. She received her award "for her community and sponsor service, her overall co-operation with all Welcome Wagon programs provided within her community, her sales ability, enthusi- asm, dedication and her personal performance."To be eligible for a Community of theYear award, a community must have Welcome Wagon's three basic programs in place — visits to families who move, expectant or new parents and couples planning a wedding.Also necessary is "excellent participation by the business community, a high ratio of families visited and good civic involvement." (photo/Scott Nixon) Studio and gallery tour this weekend GRAND BEND - The Grand Bend Studio & Gallery Tour in Grand Bend features 25 talented artists ranging from potters to painters who have opened their homes and studios to show you their finest and most exquisite pieces. Several of the pieces will be on display in model homes giving you the oppor- tunity to see what's available in new homes as well. The tour takes place on Sat., May 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun., May 4 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Area artist Catherine Weber showcasing original pastels and watercolours will be featured at Jennison Crescent, Wee Lakes. Other featured artists and loca- tions are Patricia Downie, 10076 Estate Dr., Port Franks; Josy Britton, 9922 Pinetree Crt., Huron Woods; Bill Nieuwland, 10011 Old River Rd.; Debra Bailey, 10317 Pinetree Dr.; Elizabeth Tonner- Keats, 9938 River Rd.; Teresa Marie, 10249 Woodpark Cres., Southcott Pines; Lynda Crossman, 22-81 Crescent; Anna Landry, 45 Walker St.; Richard Ford, 28 Ontario St. S.; Barry Richman, 30 Alberta St.; Fran Roelands, Pinedale Inn, 107 Ontario St. S.; Laura Jones Wright, 22-81 Crescent; Lynn Stewart, 22- 81 Crescent; Mike Dills, Queen Street Place Unit 4; Bill Ellison, 2- 81 Crescent; Daniel Stewart, Pinedale Inn; Ken Jackson, Pinedale Inn; Mary Lynn Fluter, Oakwood Inn Pub; Anne Luxton, 22 Kingsmere Dr.; Lakeview Studio - Christopher Wallis, 71857 Bluewater Hwy.; Lakeview Studio - Geri Binks, 71857 Bluewater Hwy.; Skip Izon, 71660 Bluewater Hwy.; Bohemian Cinderella, 72650 Bluewater Hwy.; Michael Billet, Corbett Community Centre 35914 Corbett Dr. POLICE BRIEFS Mountain bike stolen Lucan — A Supercycle speed grey and black Mountain bike was stolen in Lucan April 27. Grand Bend woman fails breath tests GRAND BEND — Lambton OPP were conducting a RIDE Checkpoint on Ontario Street in Grand Bend April 25. It is alleged that the driver of a van approaching the checkpoint turned around in an effort to avoid the checkpoint. The vehicle was stopped and the female driver spoken to. It was determined that she had been drinking and a roadside breath demand was made of her. The result of that test was a fail. She was arrested and subsequent breath tests revealed that the 55 -year- old woman from Grand Bend was more than one time the legal limit. She will appear in Sarnia Court June 30 to answer to a charge of being over the legal limit. Group speaks of declining enrolment By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE STRATFORD — Parent -based provincial lobby group People for Education, announcing the release of its most recent annual report last week, enlisted the help of a technol- ogy -savvy Northern Ontario high school student to highlight the effects of declining enrol- ment in remote communities. And to describe the effects of declin- ing enrolment in school boards dominated by urban areas, they enlisted the help of the planner from the town of Niagara -on -the -Lake. But when it came to declining enrolment in boards dominated by rural and small-town schools, high- profile People for Education execu- tive director Annie Kidder took an extra step: she delivered a speech in Stratford aimed at inspiring several hundred employees of the Avon Maitland District School Board, she held a news conference at a school operated by the board, and she asked Avon Maitland chairperson Meg Westley to join her in the media spotlight. "Definitely, in our rural areas, (enrolment has) been steadily declining," Westley explained at the news conference April 23 at Stratford's Avon Public School. She cited an approximate 10 per cent decline in student population across the board over the past six years. People for Education hosted the news conference to release "Declining Enrolment in Ontario Schools," an excerpt from the group's 2008 annual report on Ontario's publicly -funded school sys- tems. "Much of the funding that school boards receive is based on num- bers of students," states the report. "People for Education data show that Ontario's smaller schools are less likely to have teacher -librarians, guidance coun- sellors, music and physical educa- tion teachers, and special education support staff." Kidder called for an updating of per -pupil funding benchmarks, which were established in 1997. But she also called for revised Education Ministry policies that might make it easier for boards to come up with innovative solutions to enrolment challenges. This point was stressed by Stephen Bedford, a municipal planner from Niagara -on -the -Lake, who joined the news conference to share his experiences trying to work with a school board he fears is being forced — by budget constraints and a lack of creative thinking — into closing the town's only high school. Bedford told reporters a communi- ty-based consultation committee on which he served (similar to the com- mittees which met recently to tackle accommodation issues in St. Marys, Goderich and Mitchell) was "think- ing outside the box; we offered a vision for education in Niagara -on - the -Lake." "You can understand our dismay when the board staff based their recommendation solely on a clinical analysis of funding ... This recom- mendation tells me the board needs help and direction; they need more tools and the ability to be flexible." Also in attendance was Waterloo Region school trustee Catherine Fife, a vice-president with the Ontario Public School Boards Association. And joining the proceedings through a one-sided version of computer- based video -conferencing (he could see the media but the media could- n't see him) was Grade 12 student Travis McArthur from Lake Superior High School in remote Terrace Bay. With enrolment having dropped to about 170 pupils, senior students seeking university -prerequisite courses at the school face tough choices. Some join one or two of their classmates in taking video -con- ference, independent study or e- mail -based courses taught by teach- ers in other towns. Others commute over 100 km, sometimes staying the whole week and only coming home on weekends. Others simply leave the community. "It's hard. I'm not saying it's easy," Kidder said. But she warned that examples like McArthur suggest the province's education system is becoming split between students who have access to top-level oppor- tunities, and those who do not.