The Voice, January 29 2020

Charges laid in pedestrian fatality page 2 A glimpse of summer page 10 Downtown Fenwick parking at issue page 12 EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

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Vol.24 No.4

January 29, 2020

FREE

Frustration as Mayor, Library Board meet

F O O R P

At the Pelham Public Library Board's meeting last Wednesday, Mayor Marvin Junkin listens as board member Gail Pepper winds up the preamble to a question.

BY VOICE STAFF

There’s nothing like talk of an imminent crisis to pack in the public. Through social media and by word of mouth, Pelham Public Library supporters urged concerned residents to attend last Wednesday’s regularly scheduled Library Board meeting, a recruitment effort that was, by any mea-

sure, hugely successful.

The Festival Room at the library’s Fonthill branch was filled to capacity by 6 PM, with spillover into the lobby, as the Library Board and Mayor Marvin Junkin prepared to spar over issues of library leadership and finances.

“I've been a board member for a year now,” said Nicole Nolan, newly appointed board Chair, in her

opening remarks, “and I've never seen a [single] guest at one of our meetings. So this is phenomenal.”

As matches go, this was a reasonably tame affair, and the gloves never really came off. Both sides landed a few jabs, but the footwork was often awkward and there was no knockout punch.

In early December, Town Council “instructed” the Library Board

to defer hiring a new chief executive officer, and instead appoint Vickie vanRavenswaay, Director of Recreation, Culture, and Wellness, as acting CEO on a six-month interim basis.

“We do not accept the instructions in the resolution of December 2nd, 2019,” said Nolan.

Under the Ontario Public Libraries Act, library boards oper-

VOICE PHOTO

ate as independent entities, which hire their own staff and CEO, and do not report to the municipality, despite receiving the lion’s share of their funding from municipal coffers.

Mayor Junkin told the audience that he and past board Chair Tim Wright met in mid December, See FRUSTRATION Page 3

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The Voice, January 29, 2020

Charges finally laid in E∞ngham death NRPS impaired

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

by Dave Burket

BY VOICE STAFF

I never met Kobe Bryant, despite spending a couple of years working more or less across the street from him. I did, however, lay out plenty of stories about him. I was then editing a suburban Philadelphia newspaper, and he was then a teenage basketball phenomenon, at the high school closest to the newsroom. Our sports editor was an early Kobe fan, convinced that he was a one-in-a-million talent, an assessment that later decades would clearly prove correct. In fact, and although I’m not particularly a basketball fan, Kobe has come to mind over the years any time I’ve laid out stories about similar young talent—including as recently as last week, with Bernie Puchalski’s story about (and superb photo of) Port Colborne’s 15-year-old basketballer Emma Koabel...Another reminder of the past: This one’s a little more recent. In February 2015, my wife and I bought a new stove from Sears. For the first time ever, we added the extended warranty—$160 bucks—but only because it was sold with a guarantee that any unused portion was refundable. It was foolproof! The warranty was for five years. Well, what should pop-up on my computer this morning but a reminder that I set five years ago: “Cancel stove warranty by Feb. 10.” Yes, we were the fools. You’ll recall that by late spring 2017 there was talk of Sears Canada filing for bankruptcy. Distracted by work, I didn’t call in to cancel the warranty and request the refund. By the time I got to it a couple of months later, Sears had rescinded all promises of warranty refunds on its way to exiting Canada. On the plus side—and I probably shouldn’t say this too loudly—so far so good with the stove...Plenty of meat this week: There’s much to feast your eyes on in this issue, from the Mayor being grilled by the Library Board, to Fenwick residents stirring the pot over a proposed hotel, to a taste of summer in the centrespread, to a non-metaphorical tale of slow food in Fonthill. Plus plenty of engaging opinion—including a proposal to reconsider public funding of the Catholic school systems. It’s truly amazing that the practice still survives in Ontario...Bombshells dropping on live TV: Starting with council’s next regular meeting, on Feb. 3, all council and committee meetings in Town Hall are to be live-streamed on Pelham’s YouTube channel. Coincidentally, word is that former Town Treasurer Cari Pupo has requested to speak before council, possibly as soon as this next meeting. What she intends to say remains anyone’s guess...Getting paid to help: With the coming retirement of longtime employee Lori Grande, Pelham Cares is looking for a new boss. See their recruitment ad, p. 15…

Keeping mum: The Puzzlemeister has decided not to reveal the answer to last week’s mini-Puzzler, as it wasn’t solved, and he (or she) wants to reserve the ability to use a similar clue in the future. Well, okay then. Until we Puzzle again. ♦

Voice

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

It’s taken nearly two months, but charges have finally been laid in the case of a pedestrian death last year on Effingham Road.

A 66-year-old Ridgeville resident was walking along Effingham, between Foss and Welland Roads, when she was struck and killed by a southbound vehicle on Saturday morning, November 30, 2019.

In accordance with the family’s wishes, police have not released the victim’s name.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The vehicle, a 2006 VW Jetta, was driven by man who police will only identify as a 51-year-old Fonthill resident. He did not suffer any injuries in the collision.

The Voice repeatedly requested status updates on the case from the Niagara Police in the intervening weeks.

Pressed by the newspaper as to why police were taking so long to complete what on the face of it would appear to be a relatively straightforward investigation, on January 13 NRPS spokesperson Stephanie

FIRST PERSON John Chick

Remembering a complicated Kobe

O

N APRIL 13, 2016, the NBA regular season came to a close. Two noteworthy events highlighted that night: The Golden State Warriors going for a record 73rd regular-season win, and Kobe Bryant playing his last-ever game for the Los Angeles Lakers, who were about to miss the playoffs for the third straight year.

My job as a sports reporter was to monitor both games on a giant bank of TV screens in a room that resembled the control cen-

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on vacation!

Saubourin responded, “Each investigation is investigated thoroughly by detectives on its own merit, there is no standard timeline for an investigation as each has its own nuances.”

Sabourin declined at that time to identify the driver, saying he had yet to be charged.

She did, however, deny local conjecture that he was an off-duty police officer.

Finally, when again contacted, late last week, Sabourin stated that detectives with the Collision Reconstruction Unit have charged the driver with the following alleged offenses under the Highway Traffic Act: Careless Driving Cause Death, Driver while Under Suspension, Driver Motor Vehicle No Licence, Operate Unsafe Vehicle.

The driver’s name, however, again was not disclosed, and he is not in detention.

“As the person has been charged under the Highway Traffic Act and not the Criminal Code of Canada,” said Sabourin, “we do not disclose their name. However, I can advise that they have a court appearance March 3, 2020 at the Welland Courthouse.”

tre at NORAD. Both contests were being played simultaneously on the West Coast, but by 12:30 AM Eastern time it was clear that the Warriors’ part of history was going to have to take a backseat. Bryant entered the fourth quarter of his final game against the Utah Jazz with 37 points, and, in an ode to a career defined by doing things solely on his own terms, he was chucking up shots with reckless abandon.

He finished that game with 60 points — one of

See KOBE Page 14

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The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.

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CARRIER

Olivia and Emilie Walker are sailing out to the Bahamas from Port of Baltimore.

They also attend A. K. Wigg Public School.

In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court.

In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension.

The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample.

Jason A. COURTNEY, 45, St. Catharines Cody T. BIGGLEY, 28, Fisherville Michelle E. O’SOUP, 30, St. Catharines Kaitlin D. SEWARD, 29, Niagara Falls Steven H. SPIERENBURG, 46, Fort Erie Eliane GENEREUX MOLAISON, 36, Niagara Falls Bradley M. JENKINS, 26, Niagara Falls Edward C. WHITTAKER, 30, St. Catharines Pirooz BAYAT, 32, Barrie

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only 32 players to do so in the 74-year history of the NBA — on a ridiculous 50 shots, a level of audacious basketball inefficiency that had emboldened his critics in the years prior.

Still, it remains one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen. As Bryant’s career wound down, those critics decried his stubborn, ball-hogging, isolation style as outdated and not in tune with the modern game.

While they were essential-

driving charges

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Vol.20 No.48

CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

DSBN wants portion of Town park

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Vol.20 No.39

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

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Oops: No fire trucks for you

Column Six

The Comfort Maple myth

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Column Six

Growing up British

BY JULIE MANNELL

Special to the VOICE

W

BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3.

NATE SMELLE PHOTO

Public meeting tonight on school issues

BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick.

Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-

Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation.

DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be

“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime.

Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting.

“We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page

HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin.

My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries.

Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town.

This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation.

On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque.

“This tree looks dead,” I said to my father.

“It sure is getting there, Julie.”

The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14

Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

Vol.20 No.32

BY VOICE STAFF

A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through.

One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through.

“If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire

BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER

Special to the VOICE

A

Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said.

While waiting for the contractor to return to fix

the mistake, the Town has taken measures to temporarily allow passage for vehicles through the neigh-

VOICE PHOTO

bourhood in the short-term.

Manager of Public Works Ryan Cook said that after discovering the issue with

the chicane the morning it first opened, the Town See CHICANE Page 5

Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21.

Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-

sidered.

The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event.

Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-

ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more specific issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security.

Another way the committee plans

to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016.

"We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said.

“It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going.

We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5

FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver fish-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box.

Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano.

For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely.

Sundays were different again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint

Wednesday October 12, 2016

FREE

Apple Day comes to Fonthill

See COLUMN SIX Page 14

BY VOICE STAFF

The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals

ceives them, enabling youth to have experiences that build character, challenge them, and allow them to try new things. The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and wellrounded individuals, better prepared for success. Apple Day helps to achieve that.”

“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie.

Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls

Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept.

19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-

walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school.

Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later.

After delivering to Council a petition containing

Many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later the names of 450 students calling for a safer walk to school, Simpson handed the

podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case.

Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel.

As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.

www.pennylanesold.com

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VOICE Correspondent

and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support.

Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.

Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers SUPPLIED PHOTO in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign.

A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.

Office 905.892.1702

Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn

Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932

While shopping in Fonthill between Friday and Sunday, keep an eye out for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in front of local stores with bushels of apples.

As part of the annual Apple Day campaign, Scouting youth of all ages will be trading apples for donations.

The yearly fundraising drive is an important way for young Scouts to connect with the communities they are serving, says Leah Marie of Scouts Canada.

“The Apple Day campaign holds a great tradition of being able to have youth interacting within the communities they live in,” she says. “All of the Apple Day donations stay directly within the group that re-

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BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick.

Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues.

Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students.

“The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated.

The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the

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“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained.

“I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.”

Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2

HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn.

Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn.

It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly.

The hues of Autumn are outstanding.

A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour.

Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River.

If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills.

If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3

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The Voice, January 29, 2020

Page 3

FRUSTRATION

continued from Page 1 following reporting in the Voice about council’s request, and had a “great meeting,” during which Junkin agreed to speak directly to the entire board. With his customary bluntness, Junkin offered his side of the argument.

“Excuse my language, but there’s no bullshit. What you hear from me tonight is the straightup truth, no hidden agenda. What we are proposing is going to put more money for resources in this library. When I ran for mayor, at no time did I mention the library.

I don't know who's on the board now. I probably should, but I don't.

When I got elected as mayor, my biggest mistake was that I did not reach out to the library board and open a channel of communication.”

Junkin recalled that 2018’s wholesale turnover of council was based primarily on voters’ reaction to the Town’s dire financial situation.

“This town council got elected based on financial austerity. We needed to fix the financial mess that this town is in. [In early 2019] we spent 12 hours as a council, going through the budget line by line. At the end of it, we had made $235,000 in cuts and one of them was $40,000 from the library.”

It was during these 2019 and 2020 budget processes, Junkin said, that council scrutinized the library CEO position, which had remained unfilled since the previous CEO’s departure in October 2018. The previous CEO earned about $120,000, including the value of benefits.

Using a brief PowerPoint presentation, Junkin contrasted the library’s management structure to those of various Town departments.

“Our Public Works Director oversees 25 full-time and 12 seasonal staff, and a budget of about $21 million. His salary is $125,000.

Our Recreation Director has 58 employees and a $3.3 million budget, and makes $124,000. Compare them to the library CEO, with a budget of $1 million, four fulltime employees and 12 part timers…This is what council cannot get our heads around…a million dollar budget and $200,000 was going to two people at the top,” referring to both the library CEO and Deputy CEO. Junkin asserted that council wanted to work more closely with the Library Board, but conceded that there would be a learning curve for a non-specialist CEO. “Does [vanRavenswaay] know anything about running the library? No, she does not. And that is why we would have [Deputy/ Acting CEO and Chief Librarian

Top, board member Tim Wright, with mic, addresses a question to Mayor Junkin. Left, board Vice Chair Donald Brown. Above, from left, council liaison to the board, Councillor Marianne Stewart; Acting CEO Amy Guilmette; newly elected board Chair Nicole Nolan. VOICE PHOTOS

What you hear from me tonight is the straight-up truth, no hidden agenda

Amy Guilmette] continue on in her job to run the day-to-day operations of the library.”

The Library Board’s choice for the previous CEO, a Region of Niagara administrator, also came into the position without library management experience.

Junkin asserted that council did not want to “take over” the library, noting that the Town recently spent $1.2 million modernizing the library’s Fenwick branch, and that council had approved re-

Getting carded What percentage of Pelham has a library card

BY DAVE BURKET

The VOICE

A Library Board member’s inaccurate assertion last week that only one member of Pelham Town Council possessed a library card got us wondering. How many residents in Pelham are, in fact, cardholders?

Before the answer, a bit of backstory.

When the library moved to a new database, in 2010, it assigned five-year expiry periods for cards, which was typical for the times, says Acting CEO Amy Guilmette.

Since five years between visits would hardly qualify someone as a regular library patron, the expiry period was lat-

questing provincial grants that could see $8 million spent on moving the Fonthill branch next to the community centre.

Junkin compared the cost savings that council achieved with the community centre’s staff reorganization to the potential for similar results at the library.

“We just want to get a bigger bang for our buck…do we really need $200,000 at the top of a $1 million budget? We just think it's ridiculous. If you want, you can

er dropped to one year, where it remains today. In addition to being a better measure of actual patronage, this also allowed for more accurate updating of contact information in an era when email addresses and phone numbers are often changing.

Guilmette says that in 2018, the library reported to the province that it had 4,077 active cardholders—i.e., patrons who used their card at least once in the previous 12 months—or approximately 24% of Pelham’s population.

“That doesn't include the many residents who don't use a card to check out materials, but instead simply come in to chat, read the newspaper, attend programs, use the computers, or job search,” says Guilmette. “Or the many families that only use one card for

think of us as a bunch of arrogant sons of bitches, but we think we can run this library cheaper and increase the resources to the public.”

After Junkin finished, board members were given the chance to ask him questions. Board ViceChair, Donald Brown, who also heads the Finance Committee, was quick to take the Mayor to task.

“Mr. Mayor, the Town grant is not $1 million. The Town grant is maybe $850,000. And then we

everyone.”

Guilmette says that the one-year limit “probably helped us rank first

[in Ontario] in our population grouping—15,000-30,000—in 2018 for circulation per cardholder...and second for circulation by population.”

It turns out that council is actually ahead of Pelham’s cardholder percent-

have other sources, provincial grants, fundraising, rentals. As to the salary of the CEO, has the Town Council looked at the job description of the CEO?” Junkin conceded that he had not.

“I have not looked at it personally. What I'm still saying is that we're not building a ship. We're not going to the moon. We are managing four full-time people, 12 part-time, and two buildings.”

“I have no nice way to say this,” Brown responded, “but I don't think that Town Council has a good idea of what it takes to operate this library.”

Brown then asserted, potentially breaching the library’s own privacy policy—and apparently erroneously (see sidebar below)— that only one of Pelham’s six Town councillors had a library card.

See FRUSTRATION back page

age, with two of six councillors—33%— having cards.

When asked by the Voice, Councillors Marianne Stewart and Bob Hildebrandt confirmed that they possessed library cards.

“I do indeed have a library card,” responded Stewart. “I’ve had one here since 1980, the year I moved to Pelham.

I signed up, along with my family, when the library was in the lower level of the Town Hall. As I stated at the meeting, I have also participated over 20 years in fundraising for the Maple Acre branch.”

Councillor Mike Ciolfi said that he did not have a card.

“That being said, I also do not visit Lookout Park, but I made it a priority to ensure that the kids in that neighbourhood have a park to play in and the playground equipment that they expected.”

At last Wednesday’s meeting, Mayor Junkin said he preferred to find books at Chapters.

Councillors Lisa Haun, John Wink, and Ron Kore did not respond.

Page 4

The Voice, January 29, 2020

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

OPINION

The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.

The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0

COMMENTARY / OP-ED Suzette Taylor Hands off our library, Town Council

I

ATTENDED THE Library Board meeting last Wednesday evening at the Fonthill Library, specifically to hear Mayor Junkin’s presentation to the board. His recommendation to appoint a town employee as Chief Executive Officer to save the town a few dollars was ill-conceived, shortsighted, and insulting.

I was appalled at his disregard for the library services in our community and at the lack of preparation in his presentation.

He and the councilors should have read the Ontario Libraries Act beforehand.

If they had, they would have known that it is a violation of both the Libraries Act and the Municipal Act for a municipality to appoint anyone to a library board.

The Library Board CEO is a library employee, not a municipal employee, and reports to the Library Board, not the Town. He and the councillors also should have taken the time to review the job requirements for a library CEO. If they had, they would have known that Vickie vanRavenswaay, capable as she is in her position as Director of Recreation, Culture, and

Wellness, is in no way qualified for the position. They would have known that it is a full-time position, to be filled by a library professional, not an additional

I'm relieved and gratified that the Library Board refused to bow to pressure

part-time job to foist upon someone who is already the head of a municipal department.

According to the Libraries Act, the consequences of the Town appointing a library CEO would be devastating to our two libraries, far outweighing the tax dollars saved by making one employee take on two jobs.

They would automatically lose their designation as public libraries; they would lose all the provincial and

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federal funding that they now receive (including any grants, which the Town is hoping for, for the proposed expansion of the Fonthill branch into the Meridian Community Centre). They would no longer be part of any consortium of libraries, meaning that they would lose all access to the resources which they now share with other libraries in Niagara, Ontario, and beyond, including interlibrary loan, reduced rates on e-books and equipment, and librarian training and support.

Most of us in the room already knew this—why didn’t the Mayor?

When Mr. Junkin ran for mayor, he promised transparency, as did the councillors we elected. They broke that promise by planning this appointment without the knowledge or input of the Library Board and staff.

If the library had been involved in the discussion, they could have informed Town Council that the current Acting CEO, Amy Guilmette, is willing to stay on in the position. Simply stating after the fact that the council’s actions “stank,” See HANDS OFF next page

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Shocked at dismissive attitude toward Libraries Act I attended last week’s Library Board meeting, at which the Mayor presented his and Town Council’s case to name the library’s interim CEO. I was more shocked as a citizen, than as a former board member, by the Mayor's dismissive attitude toward following the Ontario Libraries Act. The rule of law exists for all elected politicians, not just for the likes of a Donald Trump. So to hear the Mayor openly advocate ignoring the Ontario Libraries Act (and the Municipal Act, which legally obligates municipal lawmakers to follow all pieces of legislation), because it's inconvenient for his bottom line, and because there are no

“library police” to really do anything about it, I found to be both disturbing and completely unacceptable.

No elected representative should think they have the power to pick and choose which laws they want to follow, nor to “instruct” a legally independent library board to to do the same.

The Mayor seems to have a very simple notion that a library is where you “pick up your books.” The fact that no one on council had read the library CEO job description (despite the Town having helped design it See ATTITUDE next page

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament

Electoral District: Niagara West

Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900

Mayor of Pelham Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 289-929-2681 Members of Pelham Town Council

Member of Provincial Parliament

Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi mciolfi@pelham.ca 905-892-0077

Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755

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The Voice, January 29, 2020

Page 5

OPINION Thanks to list of Bandshell supporters We, your Fonthill Bandshell volunteers, wish to publicly thank everyone who helped make our Jazz Up the Park come to fruition: the Town, the contractors who made it happen, and the generous community for helping our small group of volunteers Jazz Up the Park!

To say that we are blessed is an understatement.

We say this community is truly awesome! The wonderful, kind, generous support received has warmed our hearts.

We recognize the Mayor, Town councillors and Town

staff for helping make our initiative happen.

We are so very pleased with the results and are thankful for the Town so quickly approving our request to get the job done last fall immediately after our concert series ended.

We are thrilled with the improvements and look forward to the installation of the last few items —new lighting and more benches in the spring including four new ones — three donated by the Rotary Club of Fonthill and one from the Swan family!

See BANDSHELL Page 7

ATTITUDE

continued from previous page several years ago), and the fact that council believes a fulltime Town employee can meet this job description while still fulfilling her other responsibilities, speaks volumes about this lack of understanding.

The simple fact is that libraries cannot be measured according to a financial bottom line. Having said that, however, the expert panel at Wednesday's meeting provided ample quantifiable data about the return on investment when municipalities commit to library funding—in particular, the positive impact on children's learning, the reduction in youth suicide rates, and the alleviation of social isolation amongst seniors. I truly hope that the Mayor and council member in attendance were listening.

Numerous times, the Mayor reiterated his wish, moving forward, to work collaboratively with the Library Board, and I'm sure he was being sincere. Council does not need to make these arbitrary directives. After all, the Library Board is comprised of individuals with the very expertise the Town needs to help create a workable solution which achieves its objectives as well as those of the board. One board member has a wealth of governance experience leading health care sector boards; another has literally decades of experience on library boards and is an expert on the Ontario Libraries Act. Governments are always hiring “consultants” to help shape policy, but what better minds than these could you have to sit down with and devise a solution for Pelham's library?

L. Murray Fonthill

HANDS OFF

continued from previous page and Town Council treated the Board “like dirt,” or that “Vickie is a great gal. She’ll do a great job,” did not play well to the crowd. It was painfully obvious to the concerned townspeople, who filled the room and spilled out into the hall, that the Mayor hadn’t done his homework, which was inexcusable and insulting to the Library Board members, library staff, and library users.

In reference to one of Mr. Junkin’s poorly-received comments: No, Mr. Mayor, we don’t go to Chapters when we want something to read. We don’t need to. We have library cards. We know that libraries are about much more than books. Hence, our cards entitle us to much more than Chapters can offer.

I’m relieved and gratified that the Library Board refused to bow to pressure and has rejected Town Council’s recommendation to appoint Ms. vanRavenswaay as Library Board CEO. The fact that the Library Board and staff were able to organize Wednesday evening’s meeting so well on such short notice, bringing in experts from the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL), the Ontario Library Association, and the Southern Ontario Library Service to state the facts, give advice, and answer questions, is proof of how good they are at what they do. The fact that these experts were willing to travel to Fonthill from Toronto and London is proof of just how crucially important our libraries are.

Library staff providing the time and space for the public to observe and take part in the meeting is proof of the library’s transparency.

At some point during the meeting, Stephan Abrams, of FOPL, commented that “those who mess with the libraries don’t get re-elected.” Hands off our libraries, Mayor Junkin.

Fund them properly, recognize and respect their value to the community, and trust the Library Board and staff to run them effectively and provide outstanding value for our tax dollars. ♦ Suzette Taylor co-hosted a tailgate party in support of Ontario libraries at MPP Sam Oosterhoff’s office last May. She lives in Fonthill and believes that if there is a heaven, it will be a kind of library.

COMMENTARY / OP-ED

Don Rickers

Ontario schools—a proposal for fundamental reform

Full public funding of Catholic systems discriminatory, unnecessary

A

S WE ENTER 2020 in sanguine spirits, best to temper our optimism with some cold, hard pragmatism. There are going to be tough days ahead. After all, Ontario is swimming in debt…over $350 billion, and rising fast. That’s $25,000 per resident. We pay $12 billion a year in interest alone to service this financial albatross.

How may this bleak scenario affect our schools?

Ontario’s current $163 billion budget includes almost $30 billion for elementary and secondary education.

The government kicked in $186 million more this year for education than in 2018.

Sounds good at first blush, but many are not happy. Students have staged walkouts, and teachers are currently engaged in work-to-rule and rotating strike action. The standoff between the government and teachers’ unions continues with no solution in sight on substantive issues.

“Further escalations by teachers unions are adversely affecting students in this province,” said Ontario education minister Stephen Lecce. “We’ve made significant moves to date...they’ve made no change at all.”

Teachers’ union president Harvey Bischof countered with “…the Ford government’s policies, if we are not able to reverse them, will continue to create chaos in the education system for years to come. Ontario students deserve better, and that is exactly what we’re fighting for.”

Any way you cut it, $30 billion is a lot of money. It seems counter-intuitive that costs should keep increasing regardless of whether enrollments rise or drop, but that appears to be the universe in which we exist. (In Niagara, the Catholic board’s current numbers have dropped marginally, to 22,000; the Public board experienced a small increase in enrollment, to 37,000.)

The Fraser Institute, a libertarian-conservative research and public policy think tank, claims that Ontario’s spending on education increased by 30% over the past decade, while enrollment dropped 5%. The Institute proclaims most of the money went to teacher salaries, benefits, and pensions, rather than classroom resources.

If politicians are serious about saving money in education, an obvious solution involves streamlining the system

That’s not a knock against teachers.

Having worked in education for over 30 years, I know that managing and motivating a classroom with multiple student ability levels, and offering meaningful lessons and assessment, is not an easy job. But reasonable people acknowledge that teachers generally are well paid and enjoy holiday and retirement benefits which are the envy of the working class.

Premier Doug Ford assures us that he is maintaining his relentless search for ways to take the financial strain off the taxpayer. He claims that the government consulted 72,000 Ontario parents, students, teachers, employers, and organizations in formulating the new approach to education in the province.

Ford wheeled out a plan called “Education that Works for You” last March,

which featured a bunch of ostensibly positive developments, like improved broadband internet service for schools.

He promised stronger curricula in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and improved skilled trades opportunities.

But there were cuts as well. Like grants for special needs students. And bigger classes (up to 28 students in high school grades) were part of the equation, due to the phasing out of thousands of teaching jobs. Although the Premier tried to allay fears of teachers involuntarily losing their jobs (insisting that a reduction of teaching staff would be achieved via retirements), many school boards issued redundancy notices to teachers.

What does this mean for students?

In addition to bloated classes, it will mean fewer course options, as noncore electives are cut. Expect the arts to take a major hit.

If politicians are serious about saving money in education, an obvious solution involves streamlining the system.

Make that systems. In Ontario, we have four: English Public, English Catholic, French Public, French Catholic. School boards (76 of them) are aligned within this framework, with a dozen French, and the remainder pretty much evenly split between Public and Catholic. Also funded are seven children’s treatment centres (including the Niagara Peninsula Children’s Centre) and the Penetanguishene Protestant Separate School Board (I’ll explain that anomaly in a minute).

Two professors at Western University in London, Samuel Trosow and Bill Irwin, completed a comprehensive study on the provincial education system in 2016, and declared that school consolidation would result in significant and recurring cost savings by See PROPOSAL next page

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The Voice, January 29, 2020

PROPOSAL

continued from previous page eliminating service duplication.

Similarly, a 2012 discussion paper from the Federation of Urban Neighborhoods (a province-wide coalition of community associations) estimated annual savings approaching $1.5 billion by merging the systems. Their research considered various factors, including savings from grants for administration, capital costs, and reducing under-utilization and transportation costs.

Separate school stalwarts dismiss any talk of savings through amalgamation as a fallacy, arguing that since the funding follows the students, it would cost the same regardless of which system they chose.

Three provinces —Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta — fully fund Catholic schools.

Only the provincial Green Party has come out in favour of streamlining the school systems. The Progressive Conservatives, Liberals, and New Democrats have all gone on record as saying that they have no intention of revisiting the school funding issue.

Wonder why? Because the backroom boys have already heard the rhetoric, seen the polls and done the math: dismantling Catholic school funding would be a potentially massive vote loser. And the raison d’etre of every politician is to get elected.

Catholic school supporters view full funding as an absolute entitlement, anchored in the Canadian Constitution of 1867 (also known as the British North America Act) which decreed funding for Catholic schools as a protection of minority rights. In the 1800s, Protestants were in the majority in Upper Canada (Ontario), and the Catholic minority was primarily composed of Irish immigrants and French

settlers who were nervous about losing their religious and cultural identity. Interestingly, in the northern reaches of Upper Canada, it was the Protestants who were in the minority—hence funding for the Penetanguishine Protestant Separate School Board.

B

ut times have changed. Catholics are the largest religious denomination in Ontario, at around 30%, according to the 2011 National Household Survey from Statistics Canada. And they are actively recruiting students. A February 2018 report in the Globe and Mail indicated that Catholic school boards in Ontario are increasingly enrolling non-Catholic children and siphoning students from the public stream as the two systems compete for provincial funding. Analysis showed that in 2017, 11,000 non-Catholic students were part of the provincial separate school system. This expansionist behavior is clearly divergent from the intentions of the 1867 BNA edict.

Catholic schools may enroll students from outside the faith, but their practice of hiring teachers is not so magnanimous. If you don’t have a reference letter from your priest, you can pretty much forget about teaching in the separate system.

Kelly Gallagher-Mackay, who teaches law and society at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, commented in a Global News report in June 2018 that this pattern of behavior is not only unfair to teachers, but is unconstitutional under the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“The status quo simply doesn’t meet our standards for international human rights or Canadian constitutional equality,” she said.

“Catholics, unique among religious groups, are getting an unequal benefit of the law, having a publicly funded school system and use of

that school system to advance their specific religious views.”

In 1999, a United Nations human rights committee reported Ontario’s policy of funding Catholic schools to the exclusion of other religious schools was discriminatory. The UN advised that Ontario could either extend funding to oth-

Is it equitable that Catholic schools should receive funding but Jewish and Christian Reformed schools do not?

er religious schools, or end funding to Catholic schools. To date, provincial governments have done neither.

Gallagher-Mackay noted that Newfoundland and Quebec stopped funding religious schools 20 years ago, after passing constitutional amendments. Making an amendment is not difficult, she said, as the protection of Catholic education in the province is governed

by Section 43 of the Constitution, which requires only a resolution be passed by both Queen’s Park and Parliament.

“It’s an anachronism that was part of our constitutional bargain at the beginning, but was specifically put into our constitution in a way that made it possible to change where the political will appeared,” she said. “We should get rid of this because it’s unconstitutional and contrary to the values of equality.”

Another component of the edu-

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca cational landscape in Ontario are the 900 private schools serving over 100,000 students. None gets government funding. Not a nickel.

Most are faith-affiliated. (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec subsidize private schools, but don’t offer full funding.)

Some private schools are for-profit institutions, while others (generally referred to as independent schools) are non-profit with charitable status. All private schools are registered with the Ontario Ministry of Education, and those offering the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) are inspected by Ministry officials to ensure the integrity of the diploma credits.

Detractors enjoy propagating the false narrative that the province would go broke if private schools received funding. But the arithmetic is not complex. Each public school student is funded at the 100% rate of over $12,000 per student. Currently, private schools cost the taxpayer zero. If a single private school student got 40% of what is allocated to a public school student, one could reasonably argue that the savings to the taxpayer would be $7,200 (60% of $12,000) as compared to the same student taking a place in a public school at the full funding rate.

The fundamental question is one of fairness. Is it equitable that Catholic schools should receive funding but Jewish and Christian Reformed schools do not? Don’t forget that private school families currently pay taxes to the public system for services they don’t receive.

H

ere’s a school funding compromise—and this is me just spitballing here. Greater minds would have to massage the details.

Public schools would continue to get 100% funding. This would ap-

ply to both Canadian citizens and international students on study permits.

Catholic schools would receive 100% funding in 2020. Thereafter, their funding would be reduced in 5% increments until 2030, where they would stabilize at 50% funding. Catholic schools would be allowed to register only domestic Catholic students with baptismal certificates. No international students would get funding in this system.

Private and independent schools would receive 5% funding in 2020, and annual 5% incremental adjustments until they reached the 50% plateau in 2030. No funding for international students on study permits. As a condition of partial funding, all schools would be required to hire teachers who hold a Bachelor of Education/Ontario Teaching Certificate (currently a two-year, professional program in Ontario universities). Tuition increases must not exceed the rate of inflation. Annual inspections

by Ministry of Education officials would be required. And, for the socalled “elite” independent schools (you know who you are), the funding must be allocated to financial aid programs for low and middle-income families.

What would Catholic schools do, faced with diminished funding? They would do what private schools do—what Catholic schools in the USA do. They would charge tuition, fundraise, and create charitable trusts. Life is about choices and priorities, folks.

As Professors Trosow and Irwin succinctly expressed, “All that’s truly needed is the political will to take on a difficult issue and move forward.” ♦ Don Rickers is a retired educator who worked primarily in enrollment management for over three decades.

He lives in Fonthill.

55+ Events at the Meridian Community Centre

February 2020

55+ EVENTS & ACTIVITIES HAPENING AT THE MERIDIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE

FEBRUARY 2020 1

2

3 Members Drop in Euchre 10am

9

10

17 Happy Family Day! Members Drop in Euchre 10am

23

Members Drop in Cribbage 9am

11

Members Drop in Euchre 10am

16

5

4

24

Members Drop in Cribbage 9am

Senior V.I.P. Training 9:30am-3:30pm

Members Drop in Bridge 1pm Meet Your Municipal Leaders 2:00 pm

18

19

Members Drop in Cribbage 9am

Members Drop in Bridge 1pm

8

7

Members Drop in Board games 10am

Members Drop in Board games 10am

20 Members Drop in Board games 10am

Members Chess, Cards & Coffee 2pm

14

Happy Valentine's Day!

Members Chess, Cards & Coffee 2pm

21

15 Valentine's Ballroom Social

22

Members Chess, Cards & Coffee 2pm

PSAC Meeting 1:30-3:30pm

Big Band 7:30-9:30pm

Members Drop in Cribbage 9am

6

12 Men's8:30Breakfast 13 am

Ladies Social 2:00 pm

25

Members Drop in Euchre 10am

Members Drop in Bridge 1pm

26

Members Drop in Bridge 1pm

Meet Your Municipal Leaders 2:00 pm

27 Members Drop in Board games 10am

28 Members Chess, Cards & Coffee 2pm

Free Pelham Transit is available! For more information call 905-892-2607 ext. 347

Volunteer with our Senior V.I.P. Program to get involved in your community!

Free Customer Service Training is available for all Seniors who wish to participate.

Please contact syole@pelham.ca for more information!

29

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

BANDSHELL

continued from Page 5 We appreciate Mayor Junkin’s assistance through this endeavor, helping to put us into the right department to keep it moving forward and personally helping with our fundraising. His comments and public support of our group are always getting back to our members. Please know it is genuinely appreciated by each and every member of our Bandshell volunteers.

To CAO David Cribbs, we wish to publicly thank you for willingness to move mountains to help us achieve our goals in short order. You quickly recognized we were serious, and needed your and the Town’s quick actions and assistance to make it happen. We appreciated your willingness to consider paths less travelled to help us achieve our objective and kind cooperation at every step of the way.

To our Town Treasurer, Teresa Quinlan, for your confidence in our group and willingness to work with us in achieving our fundraising efforts, thank you. Without your cooperation it could not have happened.

And to Jason Marr, Director of Public Works, and the man on the job itself, Ryan Cook, we wish to publicly state that our community is blessed to have the two of you hardworking men in our service.

You both had plenty to do without our fast-paced project being thrown into the mix, but neither of you missed a beat, and calmly and efficiently helped us meet our timelines.

Next we wish to publicly acknowledge the fabulous team of Pelham businesses who helped us pull off the park renovations on time and under budget.

Firstly, to Barb Christopher

The Voice, January 29, 2020 of Young Sod for her incredible knowledge and guidance to ensure we chose the right product for the best long- term solution.

She made sure everyone recognized the timelines for best outcome and installation of the sod, delivered two truckloads of some of the best grass this Town has ever seen, provided it all at a very reduced cost and as if that wasn't enough, sent a very kind donation to our fundraising efforts. Barb, you and your family have been a part of this community for over 60 years. The third generation is set to soon take over —may your children know the impact you have made on this community and be so proud to carry on the legacy of Young Sod farms.

Next, Jack Dekorte and Dekorte's landscaping. When we reached out to Dekorte’s to ask for their help in bringing this to fruition, Jack immediately made himself available and was on side.

He quickly realized the short time frame we had set up and the need for several things to quickly be moved into place. No sweat for Dekortes! So many Dekorte vehicles and workers taking over Peace Park last fall — it was a sight to behold!

To Jack and Eric, your lovely wives, and the entire Dekorte family and team, we thank you for your invoice for the work you did so expeditiously for us. You have never specifically told us how heavily you discounted it for us, but we are not fools, and know all that work, equipment and manpower are not cheap. Your modest invoice and investment in our community are sincerely appreciated. Thank you.

To Todd Barber, at Forest Green Creations Inc, we wish to extend special thanks for his help in the initial phase getting the elevation design work and drawings for the upgrades done.

Next to Rankin construction: to Tom, Beth, family and team who somehow despite being in the absolute pinnacle of road work season, kindly and generously formed, poured and set in place our handicapped accessible walkway and steps for us- before the snow flew —at zero cost to the

We appreciate Mayor Junkin's assistance through this endeavour... and personally helping with the fundraising

Jazz Up the Park project. We never got an invoice or idea of Rankin construction’s generosity but we suspect their donation saved us $10,000 in costs.

Lafarge, with specific thanks to Mike Deluca— we recognize Lafarge’s donation of all the concrete that went into the new walkway and steps— making for a truly wonderful Christmas gift valued at some $6000. We sincerely appreciate your generosity Lafarge!

To the Langendoens of Willowbrook Nursery, who kindly donated all the new trees in the park, please accept our thanks on behalf of the entire Bandshell family. We welcome their shade in summer and look forward to watching them grow. Your living gifts are sincerely appreciated.

To the Town of Pelham, we thank you for doing the infrastructure including for the prep

Page 7 for the new irrigation system we installed, for moving the catch basin and for taking down the dead and damaged trees.

To BZ Electric, the time the two of you donated and put into the trending and wiring for the new lights is sincerely appreciated.

We thank Bryan Baltjes and Martin Zwier for their generous gift of their expertise and fitting the work into their busy schedules for us.

To Nature’s Own Landscape and Design, thank you for your team helping us lay all that sod. We sincerely thank you.

It was a great team of local people who helped us get the park done and we are thankful to all who participated in the Jazz Up the Park improvements.

To our local businesses Tim Hortons and Sobeys, who kept the team fueled and fed on sod laying day at no charge to our group, we, on behalf of the scores who enjoyed the treats, say a big thank you.

To our kind donors who supported the Jazz up the Park initiative by opening up their wallets, we want each of them to know it has truly been a heart-warming fundraising effort for our band of red-shirted volunteers. We thank everyone for every dollar we so kindly received and would like to publicly acknowledge the significant donors who will be recognized on our permanent commemorative granite installation.

To date we have received the following commitments: $10,000 - $25,000: Lookout Ridge Retirement Home , Taylor Foundation, Rankin Construction (in kind), Dekorte’s Landscaping (in kind). $5,000 - $9999: Rotary Club of Fonthill, Lafarge (in kind), Town of Pelham (in kind), Fonthill Bandshell Concerts.

Special mention: Young’s Sod (in kind and donation). $1000 - $4999: Royal Canadian Legion, Sobeys Fonthill, anonymous, Maxine McPhail, Rick and Lori Gretsinger, Shane and Denyse Davis, The Voice of Pelham newspaper, the Warden Family, Country Corner Market, Pelham Hills Dentistry, BZ Electric (in kind), Willowbrook Nursery (in kind), the Swan family, and Forest Green Creations (in kind). $500- $999: Welland Toyota, Pelham Art Festival, Marando Family Dentistry, Noreen Casson, the McFarlane Family, PharmaChoice Fonthill, Nick’s Cleaners, Pen Financial, Peace Park Dental, and Len Doyle We are a community truly blessed! Thank you to all who supported our initiative. We are almost complete —we just have the benches and lighting to be installed in the spring.

We are pleased to confirm that we have received 75% commitment for the monies needed to fulfill our objectives. We have a few more donors that have expressed intent, but are not firm at this point. Having said that, we are confident that we will reach 100% or more of our initial objective as we continue to fundraise through 2020.

Any monies raised beyond our hard costs will go toward the ongoing maintenance of Peace Park and the Bandshell.

Lastly, and again, we say thank you to all involved. Our group could not be happier.

Your Fonthill Bandshell Volunteers: Bryan Baltjes, Gayle Baltjes, Ray Barlow, Jill Cappa, Jim Casson, Annie Holtby, Wayne Hosick, Gail Levay, Carolyn Mullin, David Swan, Marlene Taylor, Liz Triano, and Sandra Warden

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Page 8

The Voice, January 29, 2020

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

In education dispute, opinions yes, movement no Last week the Voice offered the Ontario government, and a teachers' union, 500 words to state their cases to Pelham residents. This is what they had to say.

I

READ WITH INTEREST the article regarding education labour escalations in the Voice last week.

Many young people and their parents have reached out to me to share their thoughts on the situation.

What I hear from these families is that they care about the mental health of students, about special education supports, and about young people being able to find good-paying jobs in the future.

We have been trying to listen to and to be responsive to the needs of students, and those concerns govern our investments.

It’s why the Ontario government has made historic investments in education.

We have invested $1.2 billion more than previous governments, this year alone.

Our government is also investing nearly $40 million in mental health funding for students across the province. This is nearly double what it was last year.

We are also permanently funding close to 180 frontline mental health workers in secondary schools to reduce wait times and improve access to critical services.

To get local, that means

that the District School Board of Niagara will receive over $438 million, with special education funding increasing to nearly $56 million. The DSBN will receive over $600,000 for mental health.

For its part, the Niagara Catholic District School Board will receive over $243 million, with special education increasing to nearly $30 million. It will receive over $450,000 for mental health investments.

Our students are worth our best efforts.

We want them to be healthy and supported today and tomorrow.

And we want them to be able to work in well-paying and fulfilling careers.

That is why we are also making a record-level investment in the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program, creating hundreds of new programs across the province.

It is estimated that by 2021, one in five new jobs in Ontario will be in trades-related occupation.

The SHSM will have 122 new programs—in sectors like construction, agriculture and mining—aimed at encouraging students to enter rewarding fields where they will find jobs.

We are also increasing

our spending on Ontario's Pre-Apprenticeship Training program by $2.5 million this year, in order to give an additional 200 people exposure to good jobs.

Obviously over the past months, I have been hearing more and more concern about teacher strikes.

Parents worry what they will do with their small children if elementary teachers and child care workers are on strike.

That is why the government has decided to take the money that is would ordinarily be used to pay teachers, and instead we are offering families up to $60 a day for every day there are strikes at your school.

As of last weekend, we received over 7,000 applications from the Niagara region alone, with hundreds of thousands applying across the province. I encourage families to apply for this support if their schools are impacted by strike action at Ontario.ca/ SupportForParents.ca We will continue working to get a deal, and support students and families in this difficult time of strike action.

MPP for Niagara West Sam Oosterhoff

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WOULD LIKE TO TAKE the opportunity to address the main issues —mandatory e-learning and increased average class sizes—that are surrounding the current state of negotiations for OSSTF/ FEESO teachers and occasional teachers in Niagara.

E-learning is currently an option for students. The DSBN already encourages our Grade 12 students to take one online course. Currently, students who take online courses are placed in a virtual “classroom,” where course materials and assignments are created and overseen by a qualified secondary teacher within the DSBN. These teachers, by choice, will still meet with students face-to-face early in the semester to make a personal connection with their students. These teachers stay in regular contact with other educational workers within the students’ “home school” to check in with students who are not logging in, or struggling to succeed, such as guidance counsellors, student success teachers, and/ or administration.

E-learning requires students to be self-directed and intrinsically motivated to complete their course readings and assignments.

If e-learning were to become mandatory, many students will struggle to be successful. There are several reasons for this.

E-learning creates an environment where students are left on their own to understand content and direct their own day-to-day learning. Many students struggle with time-management and motivation. By

Catholic school system teachers on the picket line last Thursday in Fonthill.

DON RICKERS PHOTO removing the caring adult at the front of the room who can check in daily and regularly monitor behaviour, many students will fall through the cracks.

You cannot learn to drive by standing next to a car.

Student learning doesn’t happen by simply sitting in front of a computer.

Access to reliable highspeed internet is also an issue within Niagara—not all students have a personal computer or wifi at home.

Online courses cannot be completed on a smartphone.

With the current average class size funding at 22.5, secondary students in Niagara have already seen class sizes balloon to as many as 38 students in a room. Currently our collective agreement has class caps at a maximum of 32, which the government is looking to eliminate. If the funding moves to 28, or even 25, class sizes of 40+ students will become the norm.

With that many students in a room, safety becomes a major concern, but also

there is little time for the one-on-one attention that every student needs and deserves.

High school students have also seen courses disappear this year —some of them being requirements for graduation. Elective courses are in serious jeopardy of being reduced, or even eliminated altogether.

Let’s be clear: this fight is not about compensation.

It is about preserving the world-class education system that students in Ontario have enjoyed for generations.

This is why we are standing up and fighting back. If these cuts that the current government is proposing are allowed to happen, the students are the ones who are going to suffer. Educational workers care deeply about the students in their care, and they want to provide the best learning experience for every single child in their school.

Shannon Smith District & T/OT President OSSTF District 22 - Niagara

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Letters

The Voice, January 29, 2020

Page 9

Slow Foodies celebrate “Terra Madre” in Fonthill

continued

At Fenwick's former RBC branch, development proposal raises concerns The other day a neighbour brought something to my attention, which has myself and others in our area concerned. It's the application to waive some Pelham bylaws to accommodate the proposed renovation of Fenwick's old RBC building.

It is proposed that the building have its main floor footprint increased and renovated to accommodate a bakery/bistro. In addition, two additional floors are to be added to the structure to accommodate an eight-unit hotel. On the surface this idea seems good for drawing business to Fenwick.

However, where we are having issues is, at minimum, two-fold: parking and hotel.

If you read the architectural drawings as well as the notes, a minimum seven spots are required for the commercial space, plus eight additional spots, one for each hotel room, for a total of 15 spaces. Pelham's bylaw requires a minimum of three spaces for the hotel.

The contractor would like the Town to waive the parking requirement for the hotel down to zero.

Where does the contractor expect the hotel guest to park during their stay? The existing four parking spaces allotted to this site (on the building’s property) are not enough. What is not mentioned in the application

is they intend to use three additional sidewalk parking spaces. This will now provide the architects’ allotted seven spaces for commercial use.

Should the proposed business intended for this new building venture be successful, where do they intend to have both their customers and staff park?

If I read the paperwork correctly, the intention is to increase the footprint of the building as well—no room to add parking there!

As I am sure that we are well aware the core centre of Fenwick has a traffic/parking concern. This is nothing new. Parking and accessibility has been an issue multiple times—during the core restoration/beautification, the building of the new Fire Station #2, and most recently during the renovation of Maple Acre Library. As it stands, the Town-owned parking lot is a well-utilized property, full on most occasions. Depending on the season this lot is woefully undersized.

During summer months there are many evenings per week when residents on Maple Street deal with their front yards becoming overflow parking areas. We are aware the Town owns the boulevard, the land from the sidewalk to the street centre line. However, we are tasked with the upkeep of this land.

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We do not undertake this task to make it available for overflow parking. This issue has been a growing concern to many.

Is “hotel” a euphemism for AirBnB? I am aware this may be the legal term for this type of rental property. However, and forgive me I am not up to speed on the Town’s latest stance on these types of rentals within Town limits, but if memory serves, during the last election cycle it was a very divisive matter. Fenwick doesn’t need a short-term rental property, or a hotel for that matter. I/ we are concerned that this proposal will create issues which the community is unwilling to deal with.

As a side note, as per the Town bylaws, posting and notices about this proposal were issued based on the letter of the law. Notices were issued to property owners within a 60-metre radius of the building concerned. The Town-owned parking lot encompasses the majority of this area. A “good faith” gesture should have been implemented.

The Town already has an image issue with some residents. That radius should have been increased to encompass those residents potentially affected by this proposal—i.e., further down Maple Street and Canboro Road.

Fonthill’s Root and Bone restaurant was the scene as members of Slow Food Niagara and their guests joined other Slow Food enthusiasts worldwide in celebrating the annual Terra Madre event last month, to recognize the importance of good, clean, fair, local food. Around the world, some 100,000 Slow Food members from 160 countries found appropriate ways to celebrate the day, from school tours of farms in Morocco to a train trip in the French Alps, from themed film screenings in Japan to a communal meal in South Africa.

The Niagara “Convivium” recognized the day with a specially prepared menu by Chef Ray Taylor of Root and Bone, emphasizing local products and acknowledging the farmers, artisans, and producers who make it possible to enjoy the food we sometimes take for granted.

Valerie Grabove, the leader of the Niagara Convivium, welcomed some 40 members and their guests by emphasizing the importance of the worldwide community of Slow Food members coming together at the same time, though separated by vast distances, to join in celebrating the principles of the Slow Food movement.

“Slow Food believes that

food is tied to many other aspects of life,” she said, “including culture, politics, agriculture, and the environment. Through our food choices we can collectively influence how food is cultivated, produced, and

Through our food choices, we can collectively influence how food is cultivated

distributed, and change the world as a result.”

The Slow Food idea found its genesis in 1986, when an Italian farmer named Carlo Petrini led a protest against the construction of a McDonald’s fast food restaurant near the Spanish Steps in Rome. Since then, the movement has spread and evolved from a general idea of resisting the fast food culture, to a vast organization that promotes local food sources, preservation See SLOW FOOD Page 16

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Please don’t misinterpret this as a just grumbling from the “miserable old guy who lives down the street, who doesn’t like anything new.” I want the businesses in our community to succeed. I believe as this proposal stands it will hinder the existing businesses. As an example, parking for the Avondale is already hampered by congestion. As I am sure the two existing restaurants and library note this on occasion as well. If there is a parking issue now, it will become far worse, eventually killing business for all those concerned.

We lose the Avondale, we will kill the core of Fenwick.

It stands to reason that should that many additional parking spaces be required (prior to asking for variance on the issue, total of 15), maybe 795 Canboro Road is not the right location for this size and type of building. Building without the infrastructure to support will ultimately come back to bite you.

By all means, lets attract small business to Fenwick.

But let’s be smart about it.

I hope to see all affected/ concerned residents and business owners at the February 4 meeting of the Committee of Adjustment, at Town Hall, starting at 4 PM. Mark Bay Fenwick

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Page 10

The Voice, January 29, 2020

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Through Louis' Lens

T H E PHO T O GR A PH Y OF

LOUIS ALBANESE

A

S WINTER HEADS TOWARD mid-summer greenery would be a timely about photography. “A h its coldest, potentially snowi- remedy for the chill. Fonthill native Lou- afternoon was the prel est stage, we thought a dose of is Albanese is as avid about golf as he is electrical storm moving t

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

hot and humid July ude to an intense through Niagara in

The Voice, January 29, 2020

the evening,” he recalls. “I decided to head shutter release with a remote. It was a great up the hill to Lookout Point golf club. While light show put on by Mother Nature. I got standing under an overhang, I tripped the over 200 photos that evening. I’ve been a

Page 11

member of Lookout for 55 years. This photo encompasses 2.8 seconds of that time.”

Page 12

The Voice, January 29, 2020

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Fenwick RBC slated for transformation Old Royal Bank building at Maple and Canboro may become a boutique hotel and retail space

BY VOICE STAFF Downtown Fenwick may become a feature destination if a local builder’s plans come to fruition.

Mark Young, of Plumm Construction, hopes to erect a three story hotel with storefront businesses on the same footprint as the old RBC bank building.

The bank closed the branch in spring 2018.

Young says he wants to contribute to the vibrancy and future of the village. He bought the building in May with the intention of transforming the corner of Maple and Canboro into an attractive commercial centre.

His plans call for first-floor retail outlets, and he says he has firm interest from Vineland Estates Winery to put a café and bakery in at the location, featuring sidewalk tables under an awning. He says that Pen Financial has expressed interest in adding an ATM and possibly a part time banking outlet on the first floor. Some Fenwick residents still resent the closure of the Royal Bank at the location.

Plans for the building feature a stone façade and a central tower (reclaimed from a farm silo) that will house an elevator. Each of the two upper floors will have four “luxury” hotel rooms. When asked what would draw people to a hotel in Fenwick, Young cited the boutique Fonthill Inn, and suggested that promoting the facility as a central-butout-of-the-way stay-over for wine tours, golf holidays, and even Niagara Falls visits would draw guests.

The project is dependent on the results of a hearing of the Town’s Committee of Adjustment on February 4. Young has applied for several minor variances that will need the approval of the committee. In effect, he will be applying for approval of the present building’s location, since the bank building is now in contravention of the Town’s 30-year-old zoning bylaws, having been built previous to their adoption. He plans on putting his hotel on the footprint of the current red brick structure.

The present zoning allows for both a hotel and the three-story structure,

but there is concern about parking for eight hotel units and an enterprise such as a café. Mark Bay, who made downtown Fenwick parking an issue in his unsuccessful bid for a Ward 1 council seat in the last election, has gone on record as objecting to the project based on the parking problem. Anticipating this issue, Young commissioned a parking study that concluded the municipal lot behind the building and street parking would be adequate to meet the needs of hotel guests and clients, except for a period during busy Saturday mornings.

He is hopeful that the committee and Fenwick residents will weigh the benefits of his plan against the occasional inconvenience of unavailable parking.

Young grew up in Fenwick, attending St. Ann’s school and E. L. Crossley.

He started his own construction business at the age of 18, working mainly on farm buildings. Plumm Construction now employs ten workers and is about to expand into the old Avondale store in North Pelham, where Young plans on opening a specialty hardware store for farm construction projects at the front, with his shop, offices, and storage at the rear.

“I can understand that people don’t like change,” he said, “but I hope they can see the benefits of creating a vibrant downtown.”

He feels that the project as he plans it will complement the other businesses in town rather than draw customers away from them, and hopes that a beautiful building in the centre of town will inspire others to be more creative in their approach to downtown structures. He noted that both the old firehall and the old post office have been purchased and are slated for reconstruction.

Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi is keeping an open mind.

“I would like to see something done with the vacant bank,” said Ciolfi when asked for comment.

“As for the plans, I have yet to receive any information

Various architectural renderings of the proposed development. from the Town planning staff. I do know that the developer has applications in for several minor variances.

I have also received calls from a concerned resident about the lack of parking.

I’m looking forward to the planning report.”

Ward 1’s other representative, Councillor Marianne Stewart, said that as much as some “would like to turn back time,” change is inev-

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itable.

“The proposed renovation and enlarging of the building would be a great looking addition to 'downtown' Fenwick,” said Stewart.

“In the coming years we are expecting large growth in the Fenwick area and features like this only make the town more attractive.

That being said, the downside is the current shortage

of parking spaces. When the downtown is busy and the on- street commercial parking and the parking lot are full, patrons are parking in residential areas, causing aggravation for the residents.”

Stewart said that it was up to the Town to ensure that any new development would provide enough additional parking for both employees and patrons of the proposed

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commercial spaces.

“Development is great— both the commercial spaces and accommodations for travellers—but without adequate parking, people may stay away because of the aggravation of not finding nearby parking. A balance needs to be found for development and access to that development without a negative impact on the residents.”

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The Voice, January 29, 2020

Page 13

Musician in new video Spencer Burton finds balance in the country, takes cares of his chickens

BY VOICE STAFF A fixture on the Niagara music scene for almost two decades, Ridgeville's Spencer Burton is now the subject of a short video.

Burton is an interesting subject, for he has managed a delicate balance between his music career, his life raising his own food on his Pelham farm, and his family life.

This balancing act was chronicled by reporter Sam Piccolo in a Voice feature article in 2017, in which Burton is as excited about a new chicken coop for his prize layers as he is about a new album of his music. This balance of life and career is now the subject the video, produced by a former Pelham resident.

Benjamin Burns, a commercial video producer raised in Pelham and now based in Grimsby, has taken up the theme of Spencer Burton as a man who combines a successful music career with small town living and raising a family. In the film, Burton reveals that while success for many of the musicians he has worked with in the past meant life in big cities and a crowded touring schedule, for him, success is enjoying a quieter life in Ridgeville, while continuing his musical expression on a smaller stage.

In a series of slow motion montages, Burton is seen walking his land and doing farms chores, while interview segments portray a thoughtful, genuine apprecia-

tion for the lifestyle that he has created, “Here in a Small Town,” the film’s title, taken from one of his songs.

Burns grew up with Burton’s music and followed him for 15 or 20 years before deciding to create the video. He operated as an independent videographer in Grimsby for a dozen years, starting with wedding videos “to pay the bills until I could get some good equipment and move on.”

He produces commercial videos for corporate clients from Canadian Tire to Hellman’s mayonnaise, and decided to produce his video about Burton as a creative outlet, far removed from the constraints of commercial production.

He admires Burton’s ability to balance the many facets of his life while finding success on his own terms.

“Spencer,” Burns says, “proves that you don’t have to move to the city to be successful in a music career, and by staying in Pelham he shows that you can be successful in music and in life.”

Asked what he hopes the video will accomplish, Burns says that he’d like people to realize that success can mean different things to different people, and that the music scene in Niagara is still going strong.

Burns says that “Here in a Small Town” will go live on YouTube sometime this week.

Top, Spencer Burton appears in "Here in a Small Town." Above left, a musician outstanding in his field, the musician is out standing in his field. Above right, filmmaker Benjamin Burns.

SUPPLIED

www.youtube.com/townofpelham

NEW MEMBERS In December, the Fonthill Lions welcomed two new members to the pride.

From left, new Lion Ed Hazlet, District Governor Lion Steve Burrows, Sponsor Lion Fred Arbour, new Lion Karen Sequeira, and President Lion Ted Gula.

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Page 14

Letters

The Voice, January 29, 2020

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

continued

If current bylaws were respected, Alan Crescent development wouldn't happen Thank you for your extensive report on the recent Committee of Adjustment meeting that dealt with the bylaw variances being requested by a developer at 20 Alan Crescent in Fonthill [What is a “neighbourhood,” Jan. 22, p. 3].

I am the next-door neighbour to this property and am writing this letter as a means of explaining to the wider community the potential negative ramifications of approval of the requested variances, as being supported by our Planning Department.

In June 2019, the developer or his representative met with the Town off Pelham Planning Department in a “pre-consultation meeting” to ascertain what could be done with the property regarding severance and development.

In the fall of 2019, three people who know the developer reported to our neighbourhood that the

developer was planning to sever one building lot off the property facing Elizabeth St., then if successful with that, he would proceed to demolish the existing bungalow and sever two more lots facing Alan Crescent, on which two new homes would be built and sold.

On or about December 1, 2019, we neighbours received notice from the Town that the developer had applied to the Committee of Adjustment for several “minor” variances to our established bylaws to sever one lot facing Elizabeth St. The variances requested total seven in number: 1. For general severance of the lot 2. For severance of a lot smaller than allowed by our current bylaw 3. For a lot frontage smaller than allowed by our current bylaw 4. For a lot coverage

building footprint) higher than allowed by our current bylaw 5. For a front yard smaller than allowed by our current bylaw 6. For a side yard smaller than allowed by our current bylaw 7. For a rear yard smaller than allowed by our current bylaw Every variance request herein asks the Town to ignore the current bylaws, and the Planning Department said yes, they support these applications and the Committee of Adjustment should approve the variances!

Why is the Planning Department advising the Committee of Adjustment to ignore the bylaws in this case? Isn’t the Planning Department supposed to uphold and respect our bylaws? Why do we have bylaws if we don’t respect and enforce them?

There are many other issues related to this development proposal that have been brought to the attention of the Planning Department and the Committee of Adjustment, such as: establishing precedent, which other developers will use; infilling guidelines; provincial and Regional directions; the remov-

al of 50-year-old mature trees and climate change; drainage issues and further pressure on aging infrastructure such as sewers and water lines/the absence of storm sewers in this area; the cutting- up of spacious lots and demolishing of perfectly good and well-built homes to create two-to-three vacant lots, which are more valuable collectively than the one established home and lot; and finally, changing radically the character of an established neighbourhood and going against the wishes and appeals of every resident in the area and beyond.

While all of the above issues and others deserve attention at some time or other by the Planning Department, the Mayor and Town Council, and we citizens, the urgency and stress of doing so go away if we just judge our developers’ requests by firstly following and respecting established bylaws, thereafter considering the myriad of other issues.

There will no doubt be more to come, from me and other residents of our wonderful town.

Foster Zanutto Fonthill

Home is not a place, it’s a feeling.

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Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant, Gianna Maria Onore Bryant and Natalia Diamante Bryant, in Los Angeles, February 2018.

STARFRENZY

KOBE

continued from Page 2 ly correct, Bryant went out the sometimes ugly way he wanted to — even if teammates were feeding him the ball every chance they got.

News of Bryant’s death Sunday in a Los Angeles County helicopter crash, at age 41, has come as a brutal shock to the basketball world. In a tragic added gut punch, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna — a promising basketball player herself — and seven others are among the dead.

I’ll spare platitudes about dying young, but the last time that an elite, transcendent sports superstar died in a similar manner, either during their career or so soon after it ended, was probably Roberto Clemente, in 1972.

Bryant’s basketball accolades need no re-hashing.

A five-time NBA champion, 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, twotime scoring champion and one-time MVP, his place in history is secure, even if he probably ranks behind LeBron James and Michael Jordan, as one the greatest players of all time. (In an eerie footnote, James had just surpassed Bryant for third on the NBA’s career points list the night before his death, against the 76ers, in Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia no less.)

Bryant spent part of his childhood in Italy, where his father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant played professional basketball. He later returned to Pennsylvania and became a star at Lower Merion High School. In 1996, he joined a trend at the time of jumping straight to the NBA from secondary school. His hubris his first few years as a pro could be exasperating, and it eventually helped lead to his breakup with

Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

That on-court style and his off-court life became polarizing. In 2005, after criminal charges were dropped, he reached an outof-court settlement in a civil sexual assault lawsuit brought by a woman who said he raped her in a Colorado hotel room in 2003.

The incident cost Bryant much of his reputation and millions in endorsement contracts, but he went on to say that the experience returned his sole focus to basketball. And in the NBA of the late 2000s, there was no harder worker than Kobe Bryant. In 2009 and 2010, he finally shed the “Can’t win without Shaq” label, leading the Lakers to back-to-back titles. In his retirement years, as his daughters began to excel at the sport, he also became a champion of the women’s game.

My own personal experience around Bryant was limited. I even fell asleep early, ten years before that final game, on the night of Jan. 22, 2006, before he dropped 81 points on the Raptors. I was, however, fortunate enough to be in attendance for his final NBA All-Star Game, in 2016, and I’ll never forget the time, in December 2010, he made us media wait an hour and a half in the locker room, after a win in Toronto, because he wanted to watch the end of the Philadelphia Eagles game on TV. What I’ll remember most is his laser-like focus on the game and dedication to his craft, to the point where some speculated he was a sociopath. I’ll also remember everyone — from kids throwing paper in a wastebasket to bad rec-league basketball players chucking up ill-advised shots — shouting “Kobe!” while they did it. ♦

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The Voice is hiring!

PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOP Make six cards with fall themes, learning a variety of techniques. Materials areThis provided.

At timecalls of registration, please enquire tools full-time position for a well-rounded reporter with theabout ability to coverneeded.

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FABULOUS FENWICK LIONS FISH FRY Tasty treats with funds heading straight back into the community. Haddock, french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m.OBITUARY DREWETT, Helen Ruth

COORDINATOR, CLIENTEQUIPMENT SERVICES SALE PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY Buy, sell orroletrade used equipment Pelham Arena. Aimed to provide The primary of the Coordinator, Client Services at is tothe provide Helen Ruth Drewett passed support & administrative services for clients, volunteers, cheaper options for players in this upcoming season.

Sept.on6 from away Runs peacefully the Board of Directors, and community partners. morning of January 16, 9-12 inThe thequalifications morning. required of this position include 2020. She will be greatly

but are not limited to: missed by her loving family.

• Post Secondary Education and employment experience in a In lieu of flowers the family PELHAM MUDFEST related field; ideally social services, voluntary sector, small business would appreciate donations commitment to person-centred service Men•• AExcellent and women will be back in the mud as the second run Without on theBorders year is to Doctors communication skills (verbal & written) Canada.

• Excellent organizational skills & record keeping ability held at Bissil’s Hideaway.

• Ability to work to deadlines • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office & social media • WillingnessREGIONAL to participate in training & skill enhancement opNIAGARA EXHIBITION portunities Rodeo, games and alive entertainment headline this Route years excitingCres,event.

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Yard & Shed MOVING Burke’s Masonry (Licence SALE, # 10969) Large collection FONTHILL Bricklaying, tuckpointing, of Christmas and holiday E. L. Crossley decorations and household Churchill Natural Meats step repair, granite Shoppers Drug Mart coatings, brick slices items, SAT. AUG. 30, 8AM- Fonthill Library 1PM 625 METLER RD, P18-28 905-682-7061.

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Qualified candidates are invited to send their resume by noon 7.onProceeds for the Big Move stay in Niagara and support the Walker FamFriday February 7th, 2020 in confidence to: Tracy Holmwood, Pelham Cares Inc P. O. Box 1173, Fonthill ON L0S 1E0 ilyPresident Cancer Centre.

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Call (905) 892-8690 Pelham CaresCLUB thanks all individuals who apply. Only WALKING applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Interested in walking in Pelham? Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There is no fee for this program. For more information, please contact jcook@ pelham.ca or call 905 892-2607, ext 329.

Support your local HAMPER DAY FOR PELHAM CARES Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the Market or bring a non-perishable food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4. service clubs

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flowering shrubs, evergreens & trees is seeking Wholesale nursery growing container grown perennials, This ad is to be printed byvines, all participating Ontario papers

who likeevergreens to work with& plants.

We are in need of vines,individuals flowering shrubs, dwarf trees seeking part time June)in and full time general individuals who (April, desireMay, a career horticulture.

We are laborers in well as labourers those skilled theasgrowing, management need as of general as in well those skilled in the and shipping of nursery stock.

Plant knowledge and experience is growing, management and shipping of nursery stock. an asset but not necessary. If you are an individual who has Plant organizational knowledge and experience is an asset. are skills and dedication as well Ifasyou a willingness an individual skills and dedication to work who as a has teamorganizational player, we look forward to hearing from as wellyou. as aWages willingness to work as a team player, we look will commensurate with experience.

Resumes forward to be hearing from you. Wages will commensurate may emailed to hr@willowbrooknurseries.com or dropped with experience. mayofbe8:00a.m.-4:00p.m. dropped of between the off betweenResumes the hours Monday to hours Thursday of 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m.

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Page 16

The Voice, January 29, 2020

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

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Places of Worship and Events Bethany Christian Reformed Church 1040 Balfour St., Fenwick

First Presbyterian Church 602 Metler Rd., North Pelham

Glad Tidings Church of God 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill

Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St., Fonthill

Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill

Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill

Holy Trinity Anglican Church 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill

Ridgeville Bible Chapel 418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville

Fenwick Church of Christ 765 Welland Rd., Fenwick

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill

Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church 1344 Haist St., Fonthill

St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church 50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill

Fenwick United Church 1050 Church St., Fenwick

Fonthill United Church 42 Church Hill, Fonthill

Pelham Community Church (United Church of Canada) 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick

St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church 834 Canboro Rd., Fenwick

FAITH LIFT

continued from Page 19 Gospel hip-hop album, “Jesus is King,” along with a movie with the same name. The rapper has stated that he wants to use his massive platform of influence to bring fame not to himself, but to Jesus. In December, West produced his latest album called, “Jesus is Born.” When Jimmy Kimmel asked,“Would you consider yourself to be a Christian music artist now?” West replied, “I’m just a Christian everything.

Everything.”

West is being spiritually helped by an evangelical pastor in California. Pastor Adam Tyson serves a congregation of about 400 at Placerita Bible Church, in Santa Clarita. They meet every Tuesday night to study the Bible together. When West and his family moved from California to Wyoming, Pastor Tyson continued the Bible studies, flying out

weekly.

When they first met, West told Pastor Tyson, “I got radically saved five weeks ago.” When asked to explain, West said, “I was just under the weight of my sin and I was being convicted that I was running from God, and I knew I needed to make things right, so I came to Christ.

I came out of darkness into the light.”

The American Bible Society started a program called, “Bibles for Kanye Fans,” which gives away free Scriptures. One of the program directors commented, “It is amazing to see how God is using this one-time idolatrous, self-worshipping rapper to spread His message of salvation far and wide.”

Amazing indeed. ♦ Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor who prays for Kanye West and confesses he doesn’t really like rap music.

SLOW FOOD

continued from Page 9 of heritage species, resistance to development on agricultural lands, and safeguarding traditional foods and recipes.

At Root and Bone, each of the seven courses specially created for the Terra Madre celebration was introduced by Chef Taylor with stories that emphasized the local ingredients and local producers, as well as his sometimes exotic and complex preparation methods.

Of special note was the “immersive soup” that used a glass siphon system placed on each table that, when heated, drew the soup from one glass bowl where it had steeped and flavoured, into another for pouring.

Other features included vodka quail eggs, East Coast scallop with pine needle crema, locally sourced wild boar pappardelle with forest mushroom shaved pecorino, and GMO- and antibiotic-free Ontario

At work preparing the seven-course Terra Madre meal. striploin, among other delectable highlights.

The Niagara Convivium of Slow Food meets several times a year at

VOICE PHOTO

the homes of members for themed potluck dinners and special presentations or visits to local producers and farmers.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

“Home is not where you live but where they understand you.”

The Voice, January 29, 2020

Sporting Green

Christian Morgenstern

The Niagara

The Voice and TheVoiceofPelham.ca | January 29, 2020

Home SWEET

HOME

Daniel Singer joins NF Canucks from OHL

Daniel Singer.

BILL POTRECZ

Athletics load up for Minto Cup The St. Catharines Athletics will play host to the Canadian junior A lacrosse championships in August

BY BILL POTRECZ

BPSPORTSNIAGARA.COM

St. Catharines Athletics general manager Jeff Chcoski was a busy man at the recent Ontario Lacrosse Association midget entry draft.

Chcoski did some major wheeling and dealing in order to not only acquire new talent, but be in a position to add pieces at the trade deadline now that the A’s are assured a spot in the Minto Cup following the news St. Catharines will host the event this August.

“It was busy. My head was spinning,” Chcoski said. “[Head coach Steve] Toll was there and there were times he looked up and didn’t even know where we were because we were over somewhere talking. We were super active. We added some lefties and then picked up a good young kid and started to load up on assets.”

Before the draft even began, Chcoski traded a first-round pick in 2022 to Peterborough for defenders Matt Barazin and Danny Bazarin. Matt Bazarin is a member of the St. Catharines Falcons junior B hockey team.

BERNIE PUCHALSKI

“They are big boys,” Chcoski said.

A dispersal draft of players and assets of the now-defunct Barrie Lakeshores was held before the midget draft and the A’s picked up Jackson Webster from Georgetown and Felix Cote of Sudbury.

Webster is an offensive lefty who is committed to Canisius College while Cote is also an offensive lefty who played on Team Ontario with Alex Simmons, Carter Zavitz and Liam Ham of the A’s.

The A’s held the eighth overall pick in the midget draft and

selected Cameron Pack from Caledon, a lefty transition player with speed to burn, who attends Culvert Academy.

“He’s a great kid from a great family and I spent time talking to him,” Chcoski said. “We’re really excited to see what he can do for us. He can also step into the lineup now and be a solid player for us.”

Chcoski then really went to work trading and exchanging several picks in deals with Peterborough, Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and Burlington.

The A’s also received a second-round pick from Brampton

in 2021 to complete an earlier trade.

“We had to load up on draft choices that we’ll be able to use at the end to bring in the guys we need to win the national championship,” Chcoski said.

“Now that we are the host city and have an automatic bid, it’s a game changer. It’s amazing how quick everything is happening.”

Chcoski was particularly proud of the fact he was able to add some muscle.

“I promised our guys and our team we won’t be undersized this year,” he said. “Last year against Burlington in the second round, I think we all thought to a man we were undersized against them. We’re in a real good position to be able to floor a real good lacrosse club at this point.”

Earlier, Chcoski added defender Wyatt Haux and goaltender Laine Hruska from the Saskatchewan Swat of the Alberta Junior A Lacrosse League.

The Athletics lost several players from last season including goalie Nick Damude, captain Latrell Harris, Bradley Fannell, Riley St. Onge, Alex Pace and forward Jake McNabb.

Page 17

John Chick recalls Kobe Bryant 2 Swart's tips for winter fitness

18

BY BILL POTRECZ

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Niagara Falls Canucks coach Frank Pietrangelo received a pleasant surprise recently when he received a text from Daniel Singer.

The Erie Otters winger and St. Catharines native was thinking of coming home and playing junior B and was interested in suiting up for the Canucks.

Pietrangelo couldn’t say yes quickly enough.

“You don’t pursue something like that because he was in the OHL,” Pietrangelo said. “You don’t go around knocking on OHL doors and asking guys if they want to come back and play junior B hockey. It’s not realistic. When it did happen, it was a great surprise and 100 percent was something I wanted to do.”

Singer, who was having a respectable season for the Otters with nine goals and 16 points, said the reason he wanted to play closer to home had little to do with hockey.

Singer’s mother, Sheila-Ann Carr, passed away last January, and he wanted to be able to spend more time with his father, Duane Singer.

“Just being back home after all the stuff that went on with my mom, it was just kind of nice to be back,” Singer said. “My dad is at home by himself and it’s nice to be with him a lot more, other than have him come drive two hours. He still works and plays hockey and stays busy and we have a new dog.”

Singer has only played one game with the Canucks —he picked up a pair of assists in a win over Thorold last week — but already feels the arrangement is working out.

“I have that time off to be able to be with him or even just going to grab a bite to eat with him, I think that means the world to him,” he said.

Singer, who turns 21 in February, said a big factor in choosing the Falls was his relationship with Carson Edwardson and Andrew Somerville, who both joined the Canucks recently in a deal with the St. Catharines Falcons.

“I grew up playing with those guys, and when I knew they were coming here that was a big influence for me to come to the Falls, to come and play with them,” he said.

“I think our team acquired a lot of strong players and we have a strong team. I obviously picked the Falls because I knew they had a strong team to begin with.”

The Canucks also added forwards Dario Tesoro from Welland and Sam Bourdages from Milton, of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Pietrangelo is well aware it may take some time for all the new faces to gel.

“I don’t know how it’s all going to shake down. He’s only been here for one game.

We’ll have to see how everything unfolds as far as the lines go,” Pietrangelo said. “We have five good players but you just can’t throw guys on the ice. Chemistry is a big part of it. In that sense, we disrupted our team a little bit. We just didn’t go out and get players. We had specific needs we felt we needed to address.”

The Canucks are now loaded up front and Pietrangelo has no worries there will be enough pucks to go around.

“It’s always all about depth, especially come playoff time,” he said. “That was our goal, to try and improve our hockey club for the playoffs. You never have enough good players. Depth is a very important part of being successful in the playoffs.”

Singer, who played two seasons with the Niagara IceDogs before being dealt to the Otters for Ivan Lodnia, has fond memories of his time in the OHL. “I had a lot of good experiences and it made me into the hockey player I am today,” he said. “Off the ice, it made me more mature and more of a man. I’m really grateful for the opportunities to play in the O.” Singer hopes to play at the university level next season and has already made contact with a few teams.

Page 18

The Voice, January 29, 2020

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FROM THE HANDLEBARS

by John Swart

Ways to avoid winter de-conditioning

L

IST E N T O YOU R body. You’ll be fitter, healthier, happier and an all-round better person.

At least, that’s what they say.

Problem is, my body frequently speaks to me in foreign languages and technical jargon beyond my comprehension.

Sometimes, it just flat out lies to me, like now, telling me that hibernating indoors for the rest of winter is okay.

I’d love to believe I can do no exercise this winter, then pick up where I left off come spring, but I’m skeptical.

What happens when someone who exercises regularly stops training?

How quickly will your ga-

zelle-like summer physique deteriorate? How soon before you’re panting rather than bounding up the stairs?

Just what is the minimum you can do this winter and maintain your muscular and aerobic fitness base for spring, or simply avoid putting on a few extra rolls or kilos? Aerobic capacity and muscle tissue are key parts of the answer, and each atrophies at different rates.

Aerobic capacity is a measure of the ability of your heart and lungs to provide oxygen to your muscles.

Strenuous aerobic exercise improves your cardiovascular system by strengthening the heart muscle, blood vessels, and increasing blood

volume.

You begin de-conditioning in approximately two weeks if you stop exercising completely, and you will lose aerobic capacity first.

Blood volume drops to pre-training levels within a week or two, and your cardiopulmonary system quickly loses its ability to use oxygen efficiently.

If you’re well-conditioned—say you’ve been exercising regularly for at least a year—half of your aerobic conditioning will be gone in three months.

If you just began cycling or running this summer, you will regress completely within a couple pf months.

Muscle atrophy is different. Each muscle is made up of thousands of individual cells or fibers, and that number remains constant no matter how much you exercise. The strength you

gain from exercising is because muscle fibers have the potential to grow in size, density, and efficiency with training.

When you stop exercising, or putting demands on your muscles, they begin to return to their normal, pre-exercise composition. This regression rate is different for everyone, and it may take a month or more before you start to feel softer and uncomfortable as your muscles re-adjust to the reduced workload you’re requiring of them.

If maintaining base strength is the goal, most studies indicate as little as one third of your normal fitness routine will be sufficient to maintain most of your season’s strength gains. Short, intense winter workouts can successfully stress your muscles, prompting them to be ready

for action. By keeping your muscles on call, a few weeks of exercising in spring will have your strength back to normal.

If maintaining your summer weight is your concern, you won’t get off as easily.

Newsflash. Fat and muscle are very different tissue structures, and one cannot mutate into the other. No matter how many late night commercials promise their product will turn unsightly fat into sleek muscle, it ain’t so.

Worse, even wholesome, healthy foods get converted into fat if our muscles aren’t fully consuming the fuel they provide. Bottom line, if we don’t reduce calorie input when we stop exercising in the winter, we’ll accumulate fat. Would you believe those love handles are from too much spinach and tofu?

Plus, you can’t target fat for spot reduction. You can jog or do crunches in the basement all day long, but if your fat chooses to accumulate on your upper legs and waist, it’ll be thunder-thighs and a buried six-pack until excess body fat is burned away completely.

It’s not all bleak.

Accompanying cessation of training with a small reduction in dietary intake should ensure you don’t gain more fat than you lose in muscle mass during the winter. Those toned calves and thighs may temporarily disappear, but your total weight won’t change.

Whether it’s jogging outdoors in the cool winter air, indoors on a treadmill, or stationary cycling, it’s worth the effort to maintain your summer fitness until next spring. ♦

Voice

HOROSCOPE

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS JANUARY 26 Ellen DeGeneres, TV Host (62) JANUARY 27 Noah Schnacky, Singer (23) JANUARY 28 Ariel Winter, Actress (22) JANUARY 29 Adam Lambert, Singer (38) JANUARY 30 Christian Bale, Actor (46) JANUARY 31 Tyler Seguin, Athlete (28) FEBRUARY 1 Harry Styles, Singer (26)

E

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SOLUTIONS DOWN 1. Enid 2. Peer 3. Agee 4. Crewe 5. To 6. Eaves 7. This 8. ASL 9. Panoramas 10. Elea 11. Reach 12. Meths 14. Anecdotes 17. Arias 20. BPD 21. Paris 23. Cot 25. PHM 26. Rear 27. Eames 29. Serenades 30. Sebum 32. Decameter 34. Mar 35. Silo 37. Torah 40. Nab 42. Vow 43. Dares 47. Mir 49. Chase 50. Boded 52. Soaks 53. Saber 55. Pire 56. MRNA 57. Tabi 58. Earn 59. Slag 61. Bid 65. DB

155 HWY 20 WEST

it on its head immediately, Scorpio.

Those unique skills may be put to the test this week.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 A reorganization will occur in your life. This may involve physically moving things around the house or an intellectual reorganization that produces a new perspective.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Good times with the ones you love do not have to take a back seat to professional goals, Capricorn. Find a way to strike a balance, even if it means delegating more often.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Even if you have a mind to help the ones you love, those people have to be receptive to your assistance, Aquarius. Give them a chance to come around.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Don’t let others talk you into something you don’t want to be involved with, Pisces. Stand your ground or walk away.

SOLUTIONS ACROSS 1. Epact 6. ETA 9. Perm 13. Negro 14. Aahs 15. Alee 16. IEEE 17. Anvil 18. Neat 19. Drew Brees 21. Poach 22. Epics 23. Car 24. HS 25. Pre 28. Dad 29. Soras 31. Head 33. Sometimes 36. Mamet 38. Tar 39. Sabin 41. Recovered 44. Sula 45. Saros 46. Nam 48. Mob 49. CB 51. Maw 52. Saris 54. Hopeh 56. Moderates 60. Adit 61. Braes 62. Baal 63. Sere 64. Inks 65. Debra 66. Eder 67. Das 68. Bring

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, a budding relationship appears to be on the cusp of taking the next step. Your relationships are your own, so don’t be afraid to slow down if things feel like they’re going too fast.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, now is the time to institute a change to your daily routine if that’s been on your mind. Planetary energy is pushing you on a course of self-discovery.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, small influencers in your life may be imperceptible, but they are slowly turning the wheels of change and you’ll soon be able to realize what is in store.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Connect with your spiritual foundations, Cancer. They will be your guide through a week that figures to have its share of ups and downs.

Faith will help you ride it out.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 The week ahead should be fairly positive for you, Leo. This lifting of weight will inspire newfound freedom to embark on interesting projects or pursue new interests.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 You may be looking for fulfillment in your love life or your career this week, Virgo. Some measure of liberation will occur in the days ahead.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, as the days unfold, you may find yourself feeling more creative and perhaps a bit more rebellious in your thinking. It is okay to want to set out on a new path.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Oftentimes you are a master of taking a difficult situation and turning

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The Voice, January 29, 2020

Voice

FAITH LIFT

by Pastor Rob Weatherby

CROSSWORD

K

The old Kanye

Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, in 1977, to Ray and Donda West. His parents divorced when he was only 3, and his mother moved to Chicago to raise him. As a child he showed a passion for art and music.

As a young man he dropped out of college to pursue his musical dreams (much to his mother’s chagrin).

Since 2002, West’s climb to stardom has been swift.

His music has been eclectic, spanning hip hop, soul, baroque pop, electro, indie rock, synth-pop, industrial, and now Gospel. His career has produced many albums but also many controversies due to his rash words and unpredictable behavior.

Nevertheless, West is described as among “the most critically acclaimed musicians of the 21st century,” and has become one of the best-selling music artists of all time (over 100 million records sold worldwide) and one of the most awarded artists of all time (winner of 21 Grammy Awards).

In 2007 his mother’s sudden death greatly impacted him. In 2014 he married television personality Kim Kardashian. They have four young children with interesting names — Saint, North, Psalm and Chicago.

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Kanye West, rapping for Jesus?

ANYE WEST is a rap megastar formerly known for his idolatrous and immoral lyrics (I won’t give examples). As such, he was a very influential cultural figure in America and beyond.

So, when he announced he had experienced a radical spiritual conversion and had become a Christ-follower, many were amazed and perhaps a bit skeptical. Was it real? Would it last? How did it happen?

Page 19

Referring to his old life, West now says, "When I was trying to serve multiple gods —the god of ego, the god of money, the god of pride, the god of fame — it drove me crazy."

The new Kanye

On Jan. 2, West (now 42) declared, “Today marks one year of Sunday Service!” He was referring to his first concert at the “Union Rescue Mission,” a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles. West continued, “A lot of times people say, ‘Thank you YE (his nickname) for Sunday Service.’

I’m saying thank God. This thing saved my life. This

thing was an alternative to opioids. This thing was an alternative to pornography.”

Over the last year, West has been busy living out his faith. He has led “Sunday Service” concerts with a Gospel choir in various cities such as Detroit and Atlanta. In the latter, he said, “Let’s not be concerned with the opinions of men at all!

Only the opinion of God!… I know we say, ‘Oh, this is the culture, that’s the culture.’

To be radically in service to Christ is the only culture I want to know about.”

Last October he released a See FAITH LIFT Page 16

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Weekly Word Search

Find the words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backwards.

AISLES ANCHOR BIG BOX BROWSING CASH CLIENTELE

CUSTOMERS CUSTOMIZATION DATA DEMOGRAPHIC FORMULA INVENTORY

LOSS LEADER MOBILE PAYMENTS PRICING RETAIL RETURNS

SALES SHIPPING SHOPPING STOCK SUPPLY WHOLESALE

ANSWERS ON PAGE 18

Page 20

The Voice, January 29, 2020

FRUSTRATED

continued from Page 3 (Asked to comment later, Acting CEO Guilmette responded, “I actually do not know how accurate the statement is. I have never, and would never, have checked in the database on any councillors being cardholders.”)

Junkin remained adamant that efficiencies and the extension of library services were front and centre for council, employing a phrase that he often repeated during the course of the meeting.

“We're not going to burn anybody's books. We want to give you more services.”

Board member Tim Wright argued that council’s emphasis on manager-to-to-managed ratio was misplaced.

“I find the analysis that you used to be an irrelevant factor.

Generically, the job of the CEO is leadership, not supervision. A proper review and analysis needs to be done to determine the appropriate organizational model to administer the library, starting from ground zero, using proper process to come up with a well-documented and well thought-out plan."

Asked if council would be receptive to starting over, Junkin responded with another mea culpa.

“Look, we treated you guys like dirt and I apologize for that. That was awful. There was no excuse for it. But what I would love is to get a partnership going. We have [Information Technology] people. We have a Treasurer, and we do your books already at the Town level. Does it not make sense to continue the merging?”

At this point, the audience’s steadily increasing pushback snapped the patience of Pelham CAO David Cribbs, seated at the rear as an observer.

“This is completely unacceptable,” Cribbs bellowed, startling the room into silence. “Decorum and basic good manners are appropriate at a public meeting.”

Cribbs looked pointedly at the Chair.

“Would you be so kind as to explain the rules?”

Momentarily flustered, Nolan responded that she was still getting a handle on her new responsibilities, but did remind the room

that Robert’s Rules of Order prevailed, which, at least temporarily, resulted in a reduction of audience agita.

Board member Gwen MacDougall asserted that if the library no longer functioned under the Libraries Act then there was more at risk than the loss of $40,000 in provincial funds.

“If we are violating the Public Libraries Act,” said MacDougall, “we cannot use services through [the Southern Ontario Library Service], which means that townspeople would no longer have access to the inter-library loan service.”

“Well, I’ll be quite blunt,” responded Junkin. “There is no public library ‘jail.’ So if we don't operate under the Act, yes, we might lose the $40,000 grant. But I think that the overall savings of what we can achieve would be well-worth operating outside the box of the Libraries Act. Put Vickie [van Ravenswaay] in there, and we’ll meet once a month and see how everything is working. It's only six months. I'm not asking for a five-year commitment. If it's not working out, we’ll move ahead to another solution that would be mutually agreed upon by the board and the council.”

Board member Greg Lewis responded that the Board still needed to be consulted.

“You said you treated us like dirt,” said Lewis, “and you wish you could take it back, and you wish you could fix it. There's an easy fix. Just forget this resolution and let's do all the teamwork stuff first.”

Junkin said that he would put such a motion forward at council, “as long as I can also say that I looked [you] in the eye and the Library Board is willing to cooperate with council….It's a council decision. I’m only one vote. But I would definitely see that as a way forward.”

After a short break, the meeting resumed with presentations by three library science professionals who were invited by the board to speak, then field audience questions.

Stephen Abram, the Executive Director of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries, stressed that a CEO job should never be judged by the number of employees, but by the scope of responsibilities and

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Invited library experts Stephen Abram, Anne Marie Madziak, and Shelagh Paterson, prepare to speak. VOICE PHOTO their impact. He asserted that one dollar in library spending realized a $27 return on social investment in a community. Abram said that libraries were more than books, and were “transformational” in a community. He declared that students who are regular library users score 15-20 points higher than their peers on standardized tests. In Abram’s assessment, the Pelham Public Library is “funded about right” given its catchment area. Based on operational metrics it is “doing well by comparison” with other library systems.

Anne Marie Madziak, of the Southern Ontario Library Service, encouraged the community to “look for synergies, not just savings,” and for council and the Library Board to work to find the “win-win.”

Shelagh Paterson, of the Ontario Libraries Association, noted that a major library conference was slated for the coming week in Toronto, which presented an excellent opportunity for council and Library Board members to investigate cutting-edge offerings in library technology and operation.

As the meeting drew to a close, board members ruminated over whether to hire a consultant to assist in their deliberations. Ultimately, they unanimously passed

a motion to work collaboratively with Town Council, and to arrange a meeting including various stakeholders to develop a process to move the discussions forward.

“I think overall the meeting went well,” Junkin told the Voice afterward. “From council’s perspective, we appreciate that the board has agreed to delay hiring a CEO. With that being the case, l’ll recommend to council that we withdraw our request to appoint a staff director as Interim CEO. In the future, I hope we meet regularly to identify areas where overlapping services can be better integrated and improved. I think both sides want to see useful, efficient services offered to Pelham residents.

That's why I was in favour of the $1 million library budget. I can’t believe that members of council are the only residents upset to see any organization spend over $200,000 on two administrators to manage four full-time and 12 part-time staff.”

Town CAO David Cribbs sees reorganization under the Libraries Act as potentially satisfying all parties.

“I think it might be fruitful to look at the ‘union board’ model,” Cribbs said late last week, “which is entrenched in the Ontario Public Libraries Act. A

union board is one in which two or more municipalities get together and conjunctively operate an independent library board.

Some of Pelham’s neighboring municipalities in Niagara have similar populations and roughly equally-sized library systems. I would think there may well be an opportunity to amalgamate the libraries, akin to what was contemplated with respect to amalgamation for the Niagara municipalities themselves, in an effort to see if we couldn't spread the costs of library readership over a larger number of actual libraries.

If we look next door to Haldimand County, I know they have a CEO who oversees eight library branches, and that seems like a reasonable number to spread the CEO salary amongst. That could be a potential model for us.”

Responding to the notion that council was bent on limiting funds to the library to help offset spending elsewhere, Cribbs said, “I haven't heard a single elected official from Pelham indicate that they were looking to achieve cost savings out of the library system. All I've heard are positive statements looking towards a reinvestment and improvement of service.”

Cribbs added that he does possess a library card.

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