Market Moment surprise for Valu-mart shoppers

By early Monday morning the former Dundela schoolhouse building, that has long served as a recreation building for the Dundela outdoor rink, was a pile of rubble. 

The decision to demolish this building was first discussed by South Dundas council in February 2014, and officially finalized last July, as reported in the July 23 issue of The Leader. The mural on the building was relocated months ago and is now freestanding in Dundela’s McIntosh park. 

The municipality plans to replace the building with a new structure to accommodate skaters at the popular outdoor rink. 

When the excavator arrived on scene to demolish the building, a group of area residents expressed their opposition to the demolition, however upon closer inspection agreed that saving the building was not feasible.

[…]

 

August 5, before the Tubies take to the water, a truckload of rubber ducks will plunge into the St. Lawrence at the Morrisburg beach. 

Like their rubber-made cousins, the ducks will be vying for the chance to be the first to make it from the water to the beach. Unlike their Tubie cousins, the ducks will rely on dog power rather than man power to get there.

The Morrisburg and District Lions Club Duck Race fund raiser will take place Sunday, August 5, 10 a.m., at the Morrisburg beach.

Wendy Gibb will be providing the splash by splash for the five dogs, who will be helping the Lions Club retrieve the five lucky prize winners from the 1,000 rubber ducks that will be floating on the St. Lawrence.

The first dog with a duck out of the water, and on shore, will claim the first prize of $500. The second dog back on shore, with a duck, will have retrieved the second place winner of the $200 prize. The third duck out of the river will  win $100 for its ticket holder, and the fourth duck back on dry land will win a $50 gift card from Riley’s Valu-mart. The fifth duck claims a gift card of $50 from Canadian Tire.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the  Morrisburg Animal Hospital or the Lions will be selling tickets Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Riley’s Valumart. Proceeds from ticket sales will be directed back to the community.

The fate of the prize winners, will be clenched between the teeth of these five canines, who wanted to take this opportunity to introduce themselves to the community.

Heidi – Gilmer Family 

18 month old Chocolate Lab

Heidi was thrilled to be selected by the Morrisburg Lions Club to retrieve a duck. Since her successful application for this post, she has been training under the tutelage of her caregiver and BFF Scott Robertson. Scott reports that the ducks had better ‘watch out’ when Heidi comes their way.  As a result of her Olympic style training, Heidi has lost a pound or two and is no longer insecure about appearing at the beach.

Cocoa – Juli Strader 

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

As a veteran of the 2011 ParkPals Duck Race, Cocoa is determined this year to repeat his stellar performance. He has been in training for this year’s race while visiting with his Grandpa, Gary. Cocoa not only enjoys the heat of the competition but also the opportunity to socialize with fellow race participants. He is particularly interested in meeting Heidi since he has heard so much about her and wants to remind everyone that good things come in small packages.

Gemma – Bennis Family 

Gemma’s first visit to Morrisburg was last summer when the Cornwall Humane Society brought her to the Waterfront Dog Park grand opening. It was that day that Gemma found her forever home with Jim and Cindy Bennis and family. When not busy modelling for Arbonne, Gemma has been practicing her retrieval skills with the shoes belonging to those visiting the Bennis home. Gemma is looking forward to demonstrating her prowess at fetch by retrieving one of the winning ducks in the race this Sunday morning.

Dublin – Radoman Family 

Golden Retriever

One of the more intellectual K9’s participating in the Lion’s Duck Race this year is Dublin, the constant companion to Mike.  Although fetch is not Dublin’s forte, he and Mike were quick to volunteer when the Lions Club asked for their assistance. Dublin has been busy plotting his strategy to be the one who selects the first prize duck. He feels that his more academic approach to duck retrieval will be more successful than the physical training regimen of his compatriots. 

Willow – Pricilla Hubbard 

Black Lab x Border Collie

Willow’s person is Pricilla Hubbard. Willow is confident in her skills as a prize winning duck selector because of her proud heritage as a Labrador retriever and border collie. She believes she has what it takes to complete the task and bring in a winning duck with great speed and accuracy. As a new resident of Williamsburg, Willow looks forward to using this opportunity to make new friends, both human and K9.  To Willow, the organizers of the duck race say, “Welcome Willow….Your spirit of volunteerism is appreciated.”

[…]

 

Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board have passed a $353 million operating budget for next year to support student needs and meet long-term objectives under its CREW Strategic Plan. 

Another $45.8 million has been earmarked for capital projects.

The budget was passed during Wednesday night’s regular Board meeting, said Chair Greg Pietersma.

“The biggest thing this budget does is ensure quality and consistency in our programming and operations,” said Pietersma. “It provides assurance for parents that schools will be open, math and science classes will run, driveways will be cleared, competition will take place on our sports fields and buses will be running.

“We’re also planning for two more quality schools in the Cornwall and Kemptville areas.”

Director David Thomas praised the budget saying it is reflective of good governance by the Board, citing the new Accountability Framework as a key factor in that good governance. 

He also noted changes in the budget reporting process which will see departments keep trustees better informed through the addition of quarterly status reports.

“The development of the Accountability Framework has had a very positive impact on our senior team,” said Thomas. “It has helped us to become more purposeful, focused, responsive and transparent in our operations and that is reflected in this budget.

“The creation of the yearly budget cycle and quarterly reporting process will allow us the opportunity to better serve the students and communities of Eastern Ontario.”

The operating funds the board will use come from the 2014-15 Grants for Student Needs issued by the Ministry of Education. 

 The largest portion of the board’s operating budget is for staff instructional salaries – for teachers, principals, para-professionals and others – comprising about $241 million. 

About $25 million goes to transportation, $34 million for school operations and maintenance, and $8.5 million for administration and governance.

Major capital expenses include: a project to fund construction of, and furnishing and equipping of, two new elementary schools in Cornwall and Kemptville, (scheduled to open in 2016); funding for school renewal; and improvements for the Full-Day Kindergarten program.

“I’m pleased to present a compliant budget that puts students first,” said Superintendent of Business Nancy Barkley. ”As the 2014-2015 school year unfolds, student learning will remain our priority and continue to drive our business decisions.”

“This budget reflects our philosophy that proper support for student learning is at the heart of everything we do,” added Pietersma. “We are funding new school projects, enhancing the instructional skills of our teachers, and funding special education programming – all the kinds of efforts that allow students to learn and thrive.”

Under the budget, Special Education gains $46 million in funding. About $19.4 million has been set aside for special education teachers, along with another $17.7 million for educational assistants and $1.2 million for new technologies to aid student learning.

Other department operating expenses include: Human Resources, $2.9 million; Director’s Office, $4.4 million; Information Technology Services, $5.4 million; Facilities, $90.3 million ($45.8 million for Design and Construction, and $44.5 million for Facilities Operations and Maintenance); and Program, $3.7 million.

 

[…]