Letters_09-27

Jeff Green | Jul 09, 2009

Parham fireworks, Mary Howes

Palmerston Lake Bass Derby, Jen Robertson

Sharbot Lake Fireworks, Alison Robinson

Shame on the System, Paul Isaacs

Re: “Parham school gets a boost”, Lesley Pickard

I would like to say Thank You to whom ever was responsible for the hour-long fantastic fireworks in Parham, which I enjoyed from my patio. What a wonderful gift to all the people in Parham on Canada Day.

Mary Howes

Accolades would be remiss if they were not given to Rose and Denis, owners of the Double 'S' Sports and Marina in Ompah, who did all the organization for this event. Without their heartfelt caring for the community this event would not take place every year. Special thanks to Sharon Killingbeck and Dale Southward for the steak dinner and all the trimmings. It was super! Thanks to the many individuals and companies who donated the various prizes. An event like this can only be successful by community volunteers coming together to make it happen. Many thanks to all the great volunteers. All these people would be welcome on any Organization Team any day.

Jen RobertsonSummer Resident, Ompah

THANK YOU! I couldn’t help but feel proud being a Canadian, and even more proud of the community we live in as I watched this year’s Canada Day fireworks display. What a fabulous display!

It is so obvious the many hours that volunteers have put in to make this community a very special place to live and play. I couldn’t help thinking of all the hours the firemen put in training every Tuesday evening: practising challenging rescue procedures, CPR, extractions, ice water recovery, accident simulations, first response and just knowing what to do when anyone is in distress. Not to mention the hours it takes to set up the display we enjoyed.

Thanks to all the volunteers for pulling off a great Canada Day and a special thanks to all the firemen. Thanks also to the business and community people who donate to support the cost of the fireworks.

I must disclose my son is a fireman.

Alison Robinson

Up before dawn, home after dark. It’s a long, hard, tiring day in the depths of a Canadian winter, especially if you're a four-year-old going to kindergarten.

If I were a parent sending my child to day care under these conditions, I would not be at all surprised to have Children's Aid knocking on the door.

Why can the Ministry of Education and the School Board say a few platitudes about "more programming" and "enriched environment", wave 13 million dollars as some kind of pot of gold at the end of the educational rainbow, and conclude that subjecting four-year-olds to this kind of quasi-abuse is somehow justified?

Just what is wrong with five one-million-dollar elementary schools and one eight-million-dollar secondary school? Has that clearly preferable option ever been explored?

It seems that is just fine to make the four-year-old fit the 13-million-dollar bureaucratic mold rather than make the bureaucrats use the money to mold themselves to the four-year-olds.

Who seriously believes that unsubstantiated claims about "more programming" and an "enriched environments" conjured up in educational Taj Mahals are valid? Who would believe that "programming" and "environments" can compensate for children who are too tired to keep their eyes open?

However can an education system that promotes and fully understands the importance of the "early years" be so callous about its treatment of these very children?

Shouldn't the "system" be bending over backwards to accommodate these youngsters? Why is infrastructure being deliberately designed to maximize their time on the bus?

What has become of us as a society when we are so easily willing to sacrifice our most vulnerable youngsters in return for vague proclamations of educational nirvana? How has it come to pass that the youngest children have come to be placed at the back of the educational bus?

Shame on the "system". Shame on us.

Paul Isaacs, Denbigh

I would like to address the article written by Jeff Green dated June 18, 2009, titled “Parham School gets a boost”. In the article, Jeff states that I was at the Visions Meeting to advocate for my school.

That information is incorrect. I did not go to the Visions meeting to advocate for my school; I went to the Visions meeting to advocate building more than a school. My first question to the council was whether they would consider partnering with the board of education to build the new school. Quite frankly, I am quite excited about the idea of a new school and all the possibilities it brings with it. I know that the Board of Education will build us a nice new shiny school, but what if we want more? What about adding a public library to the school? How about a Youth Centre? What is the possibility of building the school more eco-friendly with a water retrieval system, solar panels, wind turbines? Then how about offering an environmental studies course at the school? What funds could the municipal government apply for, or put us on track to apply for them?

The fact that I am unsettled with the proposed location of the new school is not the only issue here. The new school has the possibility to breathe life into this area if we put time and energy into it now. I just wanted to set the record straight that I am not advocating to keep the old school open, I stand by the recommendation of our PARC and the hard work my colleagues and I put into coming to that conclusion, but I want to make sure when the recommendation is put forth, we will be getting the best school possible, with programs that will encourage students to stay in our area. 

Lesley Pickard