Olympic spirit

Above: Ela Jones, left, a junior kindergarten student at Elgin Market Public School, gets helped out of a soft-sided play tunnel by Grade 3 student Meagan Huggard, during an obstacle course game. It was one of several games included in the school’s Olympics-themed Winter Fun Day on Friday. (Kristen Shane photo)

Above: The two girls run to the finish line. (Kristen Shane photo)


Bluewater changes school scheduling for Sept.

Kindergarten switch could disrupt parents’, caregivers’ schedules

By Kristen Shane

 

Starting September 2010, Bluewater District School Board elementary students are slated to follow a new timetabling cycle which could disrupt parents’ and caregivers’ schedules.

 

The change would mean students follow a two-day or five-day schedule rather than following the days of the week.

 


Darcie’s Variety closing its doors after 15 years

By Kristen Shane

 

Every day for the last eight and a half years Doug Lamb has done it: cross the street a few hundred metres from his house to pick up a paper and, maybe, a lottery ticket from Darcie’s Variety, on the corner of Russell and Walsh streets.

 

“(It’s) a great neighbourhood store,” he says. “It’s quite handy. And they’re good people who run it.”

They know his routine; he knows theirs.

 


Independent nominated for two newspaper awards

The Kincardine Independent is one of the top three newspapers in Ontario in its circulation category.

Also nominated for the Class 2 General Excellence Award are the Meaford Express and the Minden Times.

The general excellence award recognizes the overall quality of the newspaper, including editorial, advertising and layout. Class 2 newspapers have circulations between 2,000 and 3,499.

The award for the best Class 2 newspaper will be presented at the Ontario Community Newspapers Association convention on May 14.

The Independent has also been nominated for best Feature Writing for newspapers with a circulation under 9,999.

The other two nominations went to the Elmira Independent and the Haliburton County Echo.


Lovely day for a walk

Trevor Davis takes his son Ichigo, just shy of two years old, and their family’s dog Tripp for a walk along the trails near Geddes Park Saturday. The spring-like sunny weather attracted many Kincardine residents to spend part of their weekend outdoors. (Kristen Shane photo)


Lessons to be learned from Bruce Power contamination

Workers may have long wait for results

By Josh Howald

Early testing indicates that while no workers will be adversely affected from the alpha radiation contamination at Bruce Power, there are lessons to be learned from the situation.

That point was hammered home by the president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Michael Binder, at a CNSC Public Hearing held in Ottawa Thursday morning.


SBGHC cuts more jobs

By Kristen Shane

 

South Bruce Grey Health Centre is cutting the equivalent of 14.16 full-time jobs and changing the way it serves food to patients, staff and visitors at its four sites, including the Kincardine hospital.

 

Currently, hospital cafeteria workers serve food to paying customers. By November, that will likely have changed, said South Bruce Grey Health Centre CEO and president Paul Davies last week. Visitors and staff would get food from vending machines and, if needed, re-heat it themselves.

 


Under 23? Stay away after 9

Hawgs Breath sets age limit for weekends

By Josh Howald

If you’re under the age of 23, stay away from the Hawgs Breath Saloon on weekends.

The local establishment has instituted a rule banning those under the age of 23 on weekends after 9 p.m.

It’s a preventative measure really, says Laura Doerr, who with Brian Doerr has run the Kincardine business since 1996. No serious incidents have happened at the Hawgs Breath, but “the anticipation has been there.”


Too many cats, too few homes

Helga Szekely, of Cozy Cat Kennels in Kincardine, has rescued many cats like Bogey, seen here, whose owners likely abandoned them. But her services are being stretched thin. Read more about Kincardine's cat overpopulation problem in this week's paper version of The Independent. (Kristen Shane photo)