letters to the editor

Thanks to friends, family, firefighters and police for help

It was Tuesday, April 6, when I narrowly escaped my burning van with two precious grandchildren, ages 4 and 5. I prefer not to go into too many details, except to say that the event occurred on Anne Street about two blocks from my home. The trauma was further complicated by two issues; my cell phone battery had just ?died?, and I had laryngitis and could communicate only in a whisper. Thank you to the kind woman who offered us a ride as we were fleeing away from the burning vehicle. I could not explain at the time why I did not accept. My main

Local education benefits students, businesses and the community. Write to the Minister of Education in support of NDSS, supporters ask.

You have seen the phrase "MY NOTL INCLUDES NDSS" for the last couple of years around town. The Trojan army made it their slogan as have so many others in town while they concern was that we could walk home more quickly than take the time to get in the car, do up the seat belts, and then reverse the procedure at home. I greatly appreciate your offer, and suspect that you drove home quickly to call 911. By the time I placed my frantic, whispered call from home, the fire fighters had already been notified. My sincere appreciation is expressed to my two dear friends, Paul and Joanne Thiessen, who responded immediately to my distress call. Joanne played calmly with the children while Paul placed a phone call to my husband who was in a meeting in St. Catharines, and then drove me back to the scene where we saw the burnt wreckage of my formerly well maintained 2007 van. Thank you to the police officer who took my whispered report. He was gentle

Sandra Cowan & Georgina Keller

Friends of NDSS battle for the right for community secondary education here in Niagara-on-the Lake. The phrase appears on Tshirts, a popular fashion item among NDSS students with me, and that meant a lot. It was also comforting to see some familiar faces amongst the firefighters. Thank you so much for the work you do. You must put yourself into the midst of many horrifying situations, and yet continue to persevere with your efforts to save property and, most importantly, lives. The prayers and support from family and friends are very greatly appreciated. I have prayed many prayers of gratitude as well, especially after viewing the burnt-out seats in which we had been sitting minutes before our escape. I also pray that my grandchildren will not be overly traumatized. My granddaughter, in particular, was urging her brother to ?walk faster? as we hurried away from the van. She asked me later if the van had exploded. As I was driving with her yesterday, she commented that she thought she and many community members. Businesses have also shown their support for secondary students by displaying the phrase on their commercial signs and recently NDSS students made banners and placards using the phrase while they demonstrated in a walk-out in front of the NDSS. Why all the fuss over one small high school you may ask? The best answer to that question that we can give you is that local education has many benefits to offer. It is good for the community and the students. Here is a list of positive things that a local high saw smoke. I explained that it was very likely a farmer burning his brush. She admitted that she is still afraid at times, and we agreed that it is okay to feel that way, and that we have to keep remembering that we school can offer our town. The most obvious is that our high-school aged children would stay in NOTL, allowing less time spent on bus travel. Staying local allows students more opportunity for after-school employment. This was mentioned at the Town meeting two weeks ago when a local business owner stated that the highest call-in rate for sickness comes from those students who go to school outside of the community. Local education gives better access to extra-curricular activities and sports and also allows students a better opportunity to gain volun- are safe. That is sometimes easier said than done, especially when considering that we could have been on the skyway, or a busy highway where there is no avenue for escape, and where other vehicles and people would

Grace United holds first open house

teer hours close to home, benefiting them and those in this community. By going to school locally, students make a strong connection to our community, which promotes not only a strong sense of community, but also a desire to remain in NOTL, where they will continue to buy homes and build families. Local education also offers more safety and less truancy. It's a lot harder to skip classes in a smaller community where many people know you. Having a local high school also attracts families to our beautiful town, who then buy homes; pay taxes and Thursday, April 15, 2010 ? Niagara Advance 7

opinion

have been dangerously affected. Although I recognize that there are many much worse tragedies, the ?after-shocks? continue. About 50 people attended the first Open House at Grace United Church Sunday. The event was held to welcome the community to the church.

Our NOTL needs NDSS, for students and community

OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY APRIL 18TH 2-4 PM

14639 Niagara Parkway River

$799,000

Waterfront

Sylvia Wiens contributes to the fabric of our community. Communities need to stay healthy and vibrant in order to grow; local education for both elementary and secondary students is the best way to sustain this growth. The time is now for NOTL to continue its support for local secondary education. Please take this opportunity to write Leona Dombrosky, the Minister of Education, at minister.edu@ontario.ca and encourage her to work with our community and the DSBN for local secondary education in NOTL. Our NOTL not only includes NDSS, it needs NDSS.

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

You need to upgrade the version of your Flash Player to version 9 minimum.

Click here

Adobe Flash Player Download Center