Volume 3 Number 12

View the January 21, 2010 edition on issuu.com

Volume 3, Number 12 – January 21, 2010

Inside: Who wins in ARC process?, photos from Pinery Provincial Park toboggan hill and World Religion Day, and Carla Johnston goes to India.

  • Future South Huron Accommodation Review Committee meetings
    February 4 Hensall Public School February 25 Stephen Central Public School March 4 ARC makes recommendations to board
  • “We will not make everyone happy”
    2008-09 school populations Source: AMDSB.ca Zurich – 148 (110% of capacity of 135) Exeter – 303 (74% of capacity of 409) Stephen – 171 (68% of capacity of 250) Hensall – 152 (58% of capacity of 262) Usborne – 117 (52% of capacity of 227) Avon-Maitland District School Board superintendent of operations Mike Ash is the chair of the Accommodation Review Committee ...
  • Hensall rep: “I don’t want to ship my kids to Exeter”
    Joan Bradley is the vice-chair of the Hensall Public School parent council. All three of her daughters attend the school. As told to Casey Lessard With my children, part of the deal when we moved here was that they did not want somewhere they would have to ride the bus. They wanted to have a school close ...
  • “Closing Exeter PS is an option”
    Laurie Russell is the chair of the Exeter Public School parent council. As told to Casey Lessard Emotions are running rampant. No one wants their school closed. The reality is one or two schools have to close. It’s just the reality. To come up with a decision that everyone agrees with is not an easy process. In Hensall ...
  • “I will go for the best education for students”
    Trustee Randy Wagler has unenviable task of deciding schools’ fate Randy Wagler is one of nine trustees who will make the final decision about which school(s) to close. He is a chemical engineer and product manager for Honeywell, and his five children attended Exeter PS and South Huron DHS. As told to Casey Lessard I haven’t made up ...
  • Our poker king retains his crown
    Richard Webb wins second Canadian Poker Tour title Story and file photo by Casey Lessard Canadian Poker Tour champion Richard Webb will retain his crown after winning the championship this weekend in Calgary, Alberta. The Grand Bend resident beat the tour’s 50 best players, and wins a second $100,000 contract that pays for his travel and entry ...
  • Giving women a better future
    Summer resident Carla Johnston set to spend winter, spring in central India A summer resident of Grand Bend, Carla Johnston is known to many in the area as the daughter of Chris Bregman, manager of the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce. Johnston is finishing her last semester at F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham before flying ...
  • War is the new peace
    Alternative View By Lance Crossley In George Orwell’s 1984, the ruling party’s three slogans were “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” If you need any evidence that an Orwellian world is already upon us, you need to look no further that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama – ...
  • ROTF not LMAO
    Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Those were the words that came out of my mouth the day I slipped and fell on the ice next door. I had been to town in the morning and walked in and out of a number of stores with no problem. Then I ...
  • New Year’s hangover
    Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Christmas has come and gone and, on the whole, I imagine most people were pleased with the presents they received. Some people are hard to please, resulting in the regifting concept. Every year, my mother disliked the presents my brother Richard and I gave her, which I thought was fine because ...
  • Grand Bend Public School wheelchair accessible playground is a go
    It was one year ago this month that it was decided that the Grand Bend Home & School Association would start fundraising for a new wheelchair accessible playground for the children of Grand Bend Public School and the youth of the community. The goal was $70,000, daunting to say the least. It was through grant ...
  • Poetry for the Soul
    Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton What’s wrong with a little memory work anyway? In past decades, a requirement of learning English in Canadian elementary schools was a certain amount of memory work. It usually was in the form of poetry. One would be asked to choose a poem and commit it to memory; the teacher would ...
  • Can’t we all just get along?
    Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com Well, apparently not. Over the holidays my youngest dog, Chiclet, had what most people would consider a bad encounter with another dog. While we were visiting with my parents, a friend stopped by with her dog. Now, I’m not sure what exactly happened to create the fireworks but there was an explosion ...
  • Grand Bend Winter Carnival 2010
    Friday, February 5 6 to 9 p.m. – GB Public School Sobey’s Drive-in Movie Night. Build your own car and come to the movies. Ages 12 and under. 8 p.m. – Various Locations Opening Ceremonies. Torch Relay beginning at Municipal Parking Lot across from FINE A Restaurant. Lighting of the Flame at Paddington’s. Saturday, February 6 9 a.m. – Grand Bend ...
  • Winter To Do
    Sunday, January 31 1 to 3 p.m. – Morrison Dam, Exeter Winter Wonderland snowshoeing event ABCA education staff will be leading a guided hike on snowshoes. Participants will travel by snowshoe on the South Huron Trail while learning about trees and animal life in winter. The cost is $5 per adult to join in on the guided ...
  • Playhouse needs teens for High School Musical
    Drayton Entertainment is looking for area teens to be members of the chorus for Disney’s High School Musical, which runs from May 19 to June 5 at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. Open auditions will be held on Sunday, February 21 at South Huron District High School in Exeter from 10 a.m. to 1 ...
  • Feed a Super Bowl army with pulled pork sandwiches
    You don’t need much to fill their bellies with this affordable – yet gourmet – dish Recipe by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca Photo by Casey Lessard Looking for something more romantic? “Take a flight this Valentine’s Day” from our February 2008 issue. This recipe is intended for a slow cooker. If you do not own a ...
  • How to help Haitians
    I traveled to Haiti in 2005 with Baptist Haiti Mission Canada, the Canadian arm of the largest mission based in Haiti. If you are interested in helping people recover there, I encourage you to donate to Baptist Haiti Mission. They are currently accepting donations to their The House That Jack Built fund for rebuilding homes, ...
  • Let’s start a national debate
    Public policy and regulation among subjects of winter Partners in Learning discussions The winter season of Partners in Learning, a discussion group that meets at the Southcott Pines clubhouse, runs Wednesdays from Jan. 13 to Feb. 10 and then March 3 to 31. This season’s topics include Science, Serving the Public Interest?; Has Big Brother Gone ...
  • Grateful for 2009
    View from the Strip By Casey Lessard With the mediocre weather and mediocre economy we experienced this year, it’s tough not to feel glum. I’m happy, though, (for the most part) with how 2009 went here. No health problems this year. Missed the swine flu this time around. Angela is almost done school. Well, for now, anyway. We got a ...