The Citizen, 2008-05-22, Page 1Clean drains; happy fish
Students of Karen Gilbert’s Grade 5 class at Brussels Public School hit the streets last week
equipped with paintbrushes, yellow paint and a fish stencil to remind residents that litter down
storm drains isn’t good for anyone. Curtis Bloemberg and Katie MacFarlane were one of
several teams painting and keeping watch for cars last Thursday. This project caps off a very
productive time for the students, who have been participating in Earth Day activities since the
beginning of April. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Storm drains in Brussels now
come equipped with a colourful
reminder to ensure only rain will
find its way down the village’s
grates.
Grade 5 students from Brussels
Public School participated in the
Yellow Fish Road program last
week, which put them to work
painting a bright yellow fish above
any storm drain from the school to
the main street.
This initiative caps off Earth
Month for the students who have
participated in environmentally-
friendly activities aiming to clean
the village up and to raise awareness
about environmental issues.
Karen Gilbert, the Grade 5
teacher, has spearheaded many of
the initiatives.
They started with daily
announcements to the school,
providing information about the
world and the problems facing it.
The class then hosted a litterless
lunch contest on Earth Day, which
was won by the Grade 1 class, who
won small trees to plant for their
efforts.
Now, as April has ended, Gilbert
has teamed up with the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority to
put the exclamation point on the
efforts of her class.
“We thought it would be a good
way to cap off all of our efforts. It’s
a very visible step, getting out into
the community,” she said.
The program is supported by
the MVCA as well as Trouts
Unlimited.
The program started in 1991 to
remind people that what goes down
community storm drains often
connects to the local waterbody
untreated.
This means that any litter, salt,
soap or fertilizer than runs down the
drains can end up in the local
waterbody.
There are also information
brochures that are distributed to
households in the area in the form of
yellow fish cards hanging from
doorknobs in the area.
Huron East council approved a
motion at its May 6 meeting
allowing this program to take place
in Brussels.
Huron County country fans and
music lovers of all ages will be
meeting in Blyth May 22 -25 to
enjoy a full weekend of activities for
the 2008 Country Music Festival.
With more than 100 performers
and musicians, fans will enjoy an
amazing choice of new and about-to-
be-discovered Canadian country
music talent.
Two Blyth locations will be
offering an exciting roster of
performers of all ages and their
musicians. At Blyth Memorial Hall
fans will enjoy the second annual
AM920 Ontario Open Country
Singing Contest hosted and co-
ordinated by the Blyth Festival,
while the Blyth & District
Community Centre houses the 11th
annual Barn Dance Jamboree with a
history of dynamite performances
that have wowed country music fans
year after year.
Activities begin on Thursday, May
22 when fans will enjoy Canada’s
high-energy country music trio The
Wilkinsons in concert at Blyth
Memorial Community Hall. Amanda
Wilkinson won the Ontario Open
Country Singing Contest in the 12
and under category in 1991.
During the evening of Friday, May
23, the weekend begins with the
Barn Dance Jamboree’s bluegrass
show.
A unique musical flea market with
silent auction items will be held on
Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and
these two events will keep collectors
and bidders coming back to pick up
memorabilia and special items.
The traditional Barn Dance Stage
Show begins at 8 p.m. followed with
dancing until 1 a.m. on Saturday
evening.
The Barn Dance Jamboree wraps
up weekend activities with the
gospel show Sunday from 10 a.m.
until noon hosted by Mary Elliott
(Huyzen).
Also on Sunday, May 25 are the
finals of the am920 Ontario Open
Country Singing Contest beginning
at 1 p.m. with awards being
presented late in the afternoon.
Throughout the weekend local
service clubs are participating by
holding breakfasts and dinners to
accommodate the weekend guests.
More than 300 campsites have been
booked already.
Full details of all the weekend
activities are available at
www.ontariocountrysingingcontest.com
or www.thebarndance.ca or by
calling 877-862-5984 toll free.
An associate director of the
Hamilton Wentworth District School
Board has been chosen to replace
Geoff Williams as education director
with the Avon Maitland District
School Board.
Charles “Chuck” Reid, whose wife
Suzanne has family roots in
Wingham, moves from the number-
two job at one of the province’s largest
school boards – slightly less than
50,000 students – to the top job at a
largely rural board with just 19,000
students.
However, after being introduced at a
regular board meeting Tuesday, May
13, Reid expressed his excitement
with taking on new challenges once
Williams officially retires Aug. 1.
“I want to deepen the achievement
agenda,” Reid told the media, after
noting the Avon Maitland board
already has a strong record in many
student success determinants.
“There’s recognition that there’s a
glass ceiling across the province in
terms of student achievement, and I’m
hoping that, if we can differentiate
some of our approaches we can maybe
start to break through that ceiling.”
Board chair Meg Westley, while
introducing the man trustees chose
from a shortlist brought forward by an
education-centred human relations
consulting firm, highlighted Reid’s
past accomplishments in student
success.
“He achieved a great deal in the
Hamilton Wentworth board in terms
of student achievement,”Westley said.
However, the very fact Reid was
introduced in a meeting held outside
the board’s Seaforth headquarters – in
St. Marys, where trustees face one of
three upcoming major
accommodation decisions – points to
what will certainly be more imminent
challenges faced by the incoming
education director. As a largely rural
and small-town board, the Avon
Maitland board is at the forefront of a
province-wide struggle with declining
enrolment in non-growth areas.
Responding to media questions,
Reid noted he has past experiences in
rural settings, having spent a
significant portion of his career as a
teacher and principal in the former
Brant County school board.
He also praised his new employer
for its “very rich relationships” within
its communities – something he says
will ease his job navigating the board
through potential future
accommodation reviews.
“Truly, (the Avon Maitland board) is
the envy across the province because
of the way it approaches its
relationships in the community.”
Something fishy in Brussels
CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, May 22, 2008
Volume 24 No. 21GOOD SPORTS - Pg. 8Local soccer teams have good week COUNTRY STARS - Pg. 19Top performers appear inBlyth this weekendDONATIONS- Pg. 6Brussels Optimists donatelocally and beyondPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Big
weekend
for
country
fans
AMDSB
names
director
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen