2 I Community
Essex Free Press
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Thursday, August 29, 2013
New service to shuttle students to college
by Sylene Argent A new transportation program will offer over a dozen St. Clair College students living in Leamington, Kingsville, and Essex an opportunity to travel to the postsecondary education facility via a newly implemented shuttle service. Acknowledging that county students who are starting post-secondary education do not always have access to a
vehicle, the South Essex Community Council (SECC) is trialing a pilot transportation project, which will start the first day of school. It will offer a shuttle service to St. Clair College students living in Leamington, Kingsville, and Essex. The program will provide up to 14 students a ride to and from class, Monday to Friday. Students need to purchase a pass to board the Erie Shore
Community Transit vehicle. The shuttle mini bus or van will pick up and drop off the students at three locations - Erie Street South in Leamington, on Main Street East in Kingsville, and at the McDonald’s parking lot in Essex. The vehicle will pick up students in Leamington at 6:30 a.m. and then move to the other locations. After picking up students in Kingsville, the shuttle service will then pick up the Essex students. The shuttle is expected to arrive at the school campus for 8:00 a.m. The vehicle will return to the college at 5:15 p.m. to return the students home after classes. The South Essex Community Council is a non-profit, charitable organization that has been in operation since 1973. It provides employment and training, language and settlement, and community-home support services. Mark Wybenga, Department Coordinator for Community Home Support Services through SECC, said the organization recognized many students have worked hard to get accepted to study at a post-secondary institution, and some adults may be returning to college to pursue a new career. But getting accepted to college is only part of the challenge of pursing a college diploma.
Recognizing that transportation can be a challenge for college students, SECC began inquiring within the community about possibly starting a transportation service for college students. Owning and operating a vehicle can be costly, and those unable to drive may seek out opportunities to live closer to the campus, which could also be costly. The deadline for applying for the service was this week. Wybenga, however, urges anyone interested in utilizing the service to contact SECC to inquire about the program and see if any seats are available. The organization will also keep a waiting list of individuals wanting to utilize the service. As seats become available, those wishing to utilize the transportation service can be informed. To register, or for more information, contact Erie Shore Community Transit at (519) 3269030. So far, Wybenga has heard positive feedback
about the project. He hopes it is successful and is able to grow and expand in the future. If the program continues and expands, he would like the next step to be the availability of
a midday run and an evening run for night classes. Wybenga would also like to connect to the University of Windsor and the downtown area to allow access to other educational institutions.
The Coffee Shop ( Patrick Quinn )
looking at the many faces as I walk through a busy mall people rushing here and there I feel quite sad for them all for you see, I am now retired I’m not in that game anymore it took me a lifetime to realise all the stupidity I stressed for I find myself a tiny coffee shop and I go in for a cup of brew I sit now, when I used to run trying to make the grade, too and In the throws of yesterday all the things I hungered for funny, now that I look back don’t seem to matter anymore I engulfed myself in my work not enough hours in each day I still remember being too busy when my son asked me to play I think back at my sorry life my son is too busy to visit me he puts his job before anyone I taught him well, I now see so as I sit in this coffee shop the fast paced world goes by another man gets a cup to go as I wipe a tear from my eye