It was the most glaring example yet of the schism that has developed since September between North Frontenac Little Theatre (NFLT) and the Limestone District School Board.

The digitally controlled lighting system, which was purchased by the theatre company for $33,000 in 2005, was removed from the cafetorium at Granite Ridge last Wednesday (February 19th). The system included banks of lights on the ceiling in the centre of the room, and lights that were installed on the stage as well, 2 in all. They have been placed in storage and some of them will be used at the Oso Hall in Sharbot lake for the upcoming spring production of an award-winning original play, Ciara’s Coming Home, by Glenys O’Connell of Henderson.

Most of the money for the purchase of the lights came from the Trillium Foundation grant ($28,100) but the Limestone Board chipped in $500.

The lights were installed in the cafetorium at Sharbot Lake High School in 2005, just in time for the NFLT production of Guys and Dolls, and were re-installed at Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) when it opened in 2014. They were a physical symbol of the tight relationship between the theatre company and the school, a relationship that goes back to the founding of the company in 1979, mostly by teachers from what was then the Frontenac District School Board.

Here is an excerpt from a Frontenac News article published on April 11, 2005.

“The announcement was attended by Don Clark, a member of the Trillium Foundation’s grant review team, MPP Leona Dombrowsky, Central Frontenac Mayor Bill MacDonald, and Sharbot Lake High School Principal Tom Taylor, along with the drama class at the school.

“The relationship between the Little Theatre and the High School was highlighted. The High School has hosted the productions over the years, and students from the school have been involved with many of the productions, both on stage and behind the scenes. Tom Taylor also pointed out that the new lighting system will be set up in the High School and will be available for use by the High School as well.”

Last September, in line with ministry directives, the board began charging rental fees to NFLT for rehearsal on weeknights, and productions on weeknights and weekends. Until then, NFLT had free use of the facility.

The NFLT fall production of “A Christmas Story” went up in early December at GREC.

Teachers from Land O’Lakes and Clarendon Central Public Schools were on the “morning shift” of picketing at Granite Ridge Education Centre Tuesday morning in Sharbot Lake.

“We opted for a more visible location,” said picket captain Danielle Harding. “The GREC elementary teachers will take the afternoon shift and we’ll switch shifts tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Secondary teachers are scheduled to picket Thursday.

Much like their secondary counterparts, class size is a huge issue for the elementary and intermediate teachers.

“They (the Ministry of Education) want to remove all language involving class size,” Harding said. “That would have a big impact on special needs students, who don’t get the attention they need now.”

They also don’t want to see changes to kindergarten programs and are deeply concerned about the Local Priority Funding program not being renewed.

In the 2017 contract extension, $56 million was added to hire teachers and early childhood educators so that class sizes could be reduced to a cap of 30 students in the first year in most full-day kindergarten the first year of the contract and 29 in the second.

Also, that contract extension included funding resulting in a four-per-cent salary increase for teachers over two years.

And while there is a 1 per cent salary increase on the table this time around, that’s not why the teachers are out picketing, Harding said.

“It is a contract negotiation, so it’s in there, but it’s not what we’re fighting for,” she said. “We’ve already lost that increase from picketing days.

“We would be the worst mathematicians ever if we were to strike over 1 per cent.

“We want them to say they won’t change the kindergarten formula.”

In all, they say cuts to education funding totalling $235 million will affect all students but particularly at-risk and special needs students.

Harding said they’ve been bolstered by the support they’ve received, particularly from parents.

“A lot of parents have dropped off treats . . . we like the treats,” she said. “Some have even dropped off non-perishable goods and we’ll see they get to the food bank.”

There did seem to be a lot of public support Tuesday morning with a high percentage of passing cars honking.

One driver, Dave Hansen in his red Ford F150, noticed a painting of Premier Doug Ford eating an apple on one of the picket signs, rolled down his window and called out: “Fords don’t last forever, you know.”

The 14th annual Frontenac Heritage Festival kicks off Friday night, Feb. 14, with its usual variety show, but this year things will be a little different, says producer Rob Moore.

“This year, it’s called ‘Variety Show — The Musical,’” Moore said. “After two years of Frontenac’s Got Talent, rather than rehashing what we’ve done in the past, I wanted to work with some kids I know, including my own kids.”

He said those familiar with the Glee TV show will recognize the show style, complete with a number of cameos and performances.

“Some of the songs will be backed up by a live band — Dennis Larocque, Brett Hilder and Nate Paul,” he said. “Others will use pre-recorded backing tracks.

“It will be a mixture of pop songs, ’80s rock and such — everything from The Beatles to Twisted Sister to Justin Timberlake.”

He said he and co-writer Cathy Bateman wrote scenes around the songs. The overall story arc is them blending two families together.

“They’re short skits, that culminate in songs,” he said.

He said one of the goals this year was to include a lot of people but not manipulate months of their time for a one-off show.

He said part of their inspiration was the very first Variety Night, which was kind of a takeoff on Hee Haw.

“We may return to the Frontenac’s Got Talent format next year,” he said.

The cast includes Mason and Miles Moore, Audry and Anderson Bateman, Braidey Merrigan, Sidney Potts and Nevaeh Mapleston.

There will be a half-time canteen with Cardinal Cafe hosting.

The show gets underway at 7 p.m., following the opening ceremonies in the Granite Ridge Education Centre foyer, with charcuterie and punch from Seed to Sausage and Mike Dean’s.

Entry to the show is by monetary or non-perishable food donation to the Food Bank.

A delegation from the North Frontenac Little Theatre came to Central Frontenac Council last month to complain about the new fees they, and other community groups, must pay to use Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC). They received a sympathetic response from council.

When contacted this week about the matter, the Limestone District School Board (LDSB) has once again pointed out that the fees are based on a cost recovery model that is prescribed by the Ministry of Education.

Jane Douglas, Communications Officer with the LDSB, said that the fees charged on school day afternoons and evenings before 10pm, when custodian crews are working whether or not the school is being used by community, are based on the extra cleaning that is required.

“There are still extra costs even if the custodian would be there anyway. Rooms need extra cleaning, and there are material costs. It is all based on calculations that were provided to the board by the ministry, it was not a local decision,” she said.

Groups that have been using the school for free for years, were informed that the change was coming a year ago, and received notification in June about the actual costs for the current school year.

Doug Steele is one of the organisers of Thursday night badminton at GREC. The fee was initially set at $50 a night in June, but the group was able to have the fee lowered to $24 for the use of the gym, because students under 18 play along with the adults.

“For now, we are all still paying the same amount each of us paid in the past, $5 per semester,” Steele said. “We have some money in the bank and can use that until it runs out. We will then need to raise fees or fundraise.” There are about 20 badminton enthusiasts paying the fee.

The costs to North Frontenac Little Theatre are higher because they rehearse twice a week and more often in the immediate run-up to the productions. The fees are much higher during the weekend of the run, and the entire package had put the future of the company at GREC in doubt.

The board had intended to keep community use of GREC free, for community groups, when the school was originally built, according to Jane Douglass.

“It was clear from the Program and Accommodation and Review process, that led to the Granite Ridge Education Centre build, that community use was a priority because there are not a lot of other similar facilities in the Sharbot Lake area,” said Douglas, but she added that “there was never any formal written agreement between the board and the township. The board kept to the agreement, and received ministry funding to cover the costs, until the Ministry of Education changed its policy.”

Douglas also said that as far as the board is aware, there was no formal commitment made to the township of Central Frontenac in exchange for the township’s decision to waive a portion of the building permit fees when the school was being built.

Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith said that the township forfeited about $50,000 in fees at the time. Smith was not the mayor at that time, but she was a member of council representing Oso ward, which includes Sharbot Lake.

On August 6th, members of the North Frontenac community and beyond, gathered at Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna to partake in an education session hosted by MALLA (Malcolm Ardoch Lakes Landowners’ Association) regarding the t Eurasian Water Milfoil infestation which has negatively affected many lakes in the area.

The goal of the session was to inform community members on the precautions which are being taken to minimize the harsh effects this invasive plant is having on local aquatic ecosystems. Many local lakes sent representatives and multiple local organizations and businesses made an appearance as well some of which provided educational booths. Booths were provided by Kelly Stiles from Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Makayla Parks, the owner and operator of Highland Aerial Canada, Chole Lajoie from Watersheds Canada and Olivia from Federation of Ontario Cottage Associations.

The presentation provided the highlights of the MALLA Eurasian Water Milfoil Management plan thus far and provide an environment where audience members could share their experiences.

The main goal being - to gain some control over this invasive species.

The MALLA project features a unique partnership. North Frontenac Township who provided the initial funding in 2018 for the purchase of burlap mats, which is the latest method of controlling this invasive plant that is being deployed. In 2019, NF Township also funded a MALLA summer student with knowledge of drone operations; Ryleigh Rioux. The Above and Beyond class at Granite Ridge Education Centre is also a partner. They have provided the lake with aerial imagery of the recent infestation under the supervision of teacher Wade Leonard, who trains students in drone technologies. Two of these students are Ryleigh Rioux and Makayla Parks. The final partnership is with Professor Jessie Vermaire and grad student Patrick Beaupre from Carleton University who are well known for their studies in aquatic invasive species.

Ryleigh Rioux, the MALLA summer student, provided a detailed summary of the project thus far by supplying aerial maps from the last three years. She compared 2017, 2018, and 2019 data indicating the huge expansion of the EWM colonies across Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes.

“Over the last 8 months, there has been a dramatic increase in all the patch sizes, the most dramatic being the one at Ridge Lane, but there have also been significant increase in size of all the patches,” Rioux told the News in a phone interview afterwards.

That’s the bad news, but while there is not quite any good news there is some promising news.

“Last year, we laid our first sheet of burlap in the mouth of Ardoch Lake, and dozens of sheets were laid at the beginning of this summer, and the burlap has slowed the growth of the millfoil enough for the area to be safe for boating, and gives an opportunity for other treatments. There have also been good results from the introduction of the milfoil weevil. No treatment can eradicate the milfoil, but hopefully it can be contained,” she said

Rioux has conducted 7 drone flights over sections of the lake so far this summer as part of the project and 7 more are planned.

The drone flights are scheduled around a kind of goldilocks weather scenario (not too sunny because the images get washed out but not too much low cloud because the images can be too dark) as well as the availability of volunteers from the lake association. Because she is a licensed drone pilot, Rioux can operate the drone from one boat, and two to three other boats are also necessary so that someone can have eyes on the drone at all times.

“It takes a lot of organization to do the drone flights,” she said.

She has been using the Granite Ridge drones for the work until now, but going forward she will be using a new drone that she just purchased, equipment that may also help her to start up her own business in the coming months.

As the drone work has been proceeding, Jessie Vermaire and Patrick Beaupre from Carleton University have been collected data from the lake. They are looking at the impact of the milfoil on aquatic life in the region and will be monitoring the impact on aquatic life. They will also be looking at the impact of the milfoil mitigation efforts on aquatic life.

At the meeting in the Clar-Mil hall, the range of strategies that MALLA has selected to minimize the negative effects of milfoil on their lake system were discussed. The number one strategy is still hand pulling along shorelines, followed by the laying of biodegradable burlap mats, educating community members, lobbying for government funding, and the expanding a weed watch program.

The presentation was followed by an interactive question and answer session. Some discussion centred on the use of weed cutters both hand- held and motorized as a strategy of removal as well as the use of the Milfoil Weevil, which has had promising results in other lakes.

The day came to a close with the reading of “The Story of The Starfish” which highlights the importance of making a difference as we all have the ability to make a positive change to the environment- even if it is a small one.

After twenty-nine years of teaching and impacting the lives of many students, Randy McVety has decided to retire. Sharbot Lake High School and Granite Ridge Education Centre have been extremely fortunate to have had this incredible teacher for twenty-six of those years and he will be dearly missed.

Mr. McVety has always taught in the Social Sciences department; teaching geography, history, civics, philosophy and law. He enjoys providing enrichment opportunities through field trips and guest speakers, making his lessons come alive. He has encouraged his students to be active members of society and understand their responsibilities through such organizations as United Way, Student Vote, and 30 Hour Famine. Mr. McVety was the driving force behind the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative in the civics class which has resulted in numerous charities receiving funding based on student presentations.

His teaching extends beyond the engaging lessons he has provided in his classroom. He has taught students how to give of themselves and to be kind to one another. His infectious smile and his big heart are fondly remembered by students as they understand that he genuinely cares and respects each individual student while encouraging them to reach their full potential as they pursue their dreams.

Since his first year of teaching, Mr. McVety has unselfishly dedicated his time to students by coaching numerous teams, attending leadership camps, and acting as an advisor to Student Council. Students remember those special moments where they travelled to Ottawa or Toronto or even to Costa Rica and Europe. He has been instrumental and creative in fundraising to make these opportunities feasible for students.

As a colleague, Randy has been a mentor to many. He has been a liaison between our schools and the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, passing on his knowledge and expertise to future generations of teachers. Randy cares deeply about his colleagues and has always been a welcoming agent for our small, northern, rural school.

On behalf of all the people who have been influenced by this exceptional teacher and kind man, we want to thank Mr. Randy McVety for the wonderful memories. We congratulate Mr. McVety on a fabulous career and wish him all the best in his retirement.

While many area high school students are scrambling this time of year to find a summer job, GREC Grade 11 student Ryleigh Rioux already has hers all lined up — and what a summer job it is.

Rioux, who recently received her drone pilot’s licence (via geography/biology teacher Wade Leonard’s innovative and unique program at GREC), will be mapping Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes from the air thanks to a grant North Frontenac Township and the lake association managed to secure specifically for the project.

“We’ll be using the drone to collect aerial imagery,” she said. “They’ll be putting down burlap on the milfoil beds and we’ll track the results.

“We’ll be creating a baseline data set which is exciting because there hasn’t been much work done in this area as yet.”

She said planning will perhaps be the biggest part of her job.

“Flying over water and collecting video data is difficult because of the reflection and refraction,” she said. “I’ll be controlling the take off and landing of the drone but the computer does much of in-flight deployment.”

Leonard said the actual mapping will be very dependent on weather.

“It will take time,” he said. “Cloud cover is obviously a big issue.

“We can deal with ripples and even some whitecaps but the atmosphere can present problems.”

So can the fact that water creates refraction and reflection issues but Leonard thinks they’ve come up with a solution for most of those.

“We’ll be using polarizing optics to refine the features,” he said. “That will take several flights to orient the drone properly.”

And the project has attracted the attention of Carleton University professor Jesse Vermaire.

“Our job is to provide the baseline data so we can show the year-to-year incremental growth of the milfoil,” he said. “We can get down 15-20 feet from the surface and provide 3D data which will link up with the Carleton information well.”

He said that they can get detail that scuba divers and boat-side sonar devices can’t.

“We can look at the health of the entire weed bed, and measure the results if under attack by weevils,” he said. “But we have to get out there and grab the data.”

He said they’ve already done some work and it’s led to observations that boats going through the beds can help spread the milfoil as “it spreads through fragmentation.”

He’s optimistic there will be solutions found but “those are things we’ll have collect all the data to know.”

For example, he said, the life cycle of the northern milfoil weevil, which eats milfoil, may provide some answers.

“The weevils may overwinter in shoreline duff (vegetative cover) as much as 18 feet from the water,” he said. “And the weevils are a favorite food of sunfish and others.”

For Rioux, the prospects are exciting. She said she’d like to pursue a career designing environmentally friendly and sustainable building but many of the techniques they’ll be pioneering could shape the future of lake ecology and data collection.

“The ability to shape a new course,” she said. “How can you pass that up?”

It’s almost hard to imagine Granite Ridge Education Centre (and its predecessor Sharbot Lake High School) without Mr. McVety.

But that’s the way it’s going to be once the spring semester of 2019 finally lets out for summer vacation.

And last Friday night, his contemporaries and co-workers gathered in the cafetorium to send him off to retirement in style (sprinkled with healthy doses of lunacy).

But how else would you say good-bye to a legendary performer?

Mr. Randy McVety has been a teacher for “almost 30 years” according to a slide show featuring some of the best moments of his youth provided by his family that led off the “McVety Minute” talk-show format good-bye.

Ben Moser served as talk show host on the McVety Minute, with sidekick Wade Leonard and the band “Three People Not Named Randy.”

First guest on the talk show was Liz Steele-Drew who confided she’d worked with McVety for 26 years.

“It had its moments,” she said. “But for the most part, they’ve been awesome.

“Randy did try to kill me a couple of times, though.”

“Randy carries every assignment he’s ever written in his little brown bag,” said Moser. “He actually invented the Dewey Decimal System (actually Melvil Dewey in 1876).

“Eight of his fingers have never touched a typewriter keyboard (and) he loses it twice a year just to prove to the kids he still has it.”

He was thanked by the IT department for “creating enough work for two techs — without you, our computers and projectors would be working just fine.”

He was remembered for legendary field trips, showing movies like Bad Santa, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay and Quest for Fire, and cited as a legend in the world of car pooling as well.

As far as retirement plans, McVety told The News he wasn’t going to be one of those teachers who just can’t seem to give it up by accepting numerous supply teaching assignments.

He did say, however, that he planned to remain active in the school sporting community, continuing with one of his passions — coaching soccer.

Aurora French (Granite Ridge Education Centre), Rachel Cumming (North Addington Education Centre), and Rebecca Hillis (Sydenham High School) were among the Limestone Achiever Award winners for the 2018/2019 year.

Here are some excerpts from the testimonial letters, written on their behalf, from staff at their respective schools.

Aurora French

Aurora is extremely intelligent, articulate and talented in multiple subjects, while being humble and an excellent role model for her fellow students. Her diligence, excellent learning skills and perseverance are evident as she sets high standards for herself, and she is committed to seeing them through to fruition.

Aurora has been an integral member of student council and extra-curricular teams. She is also a vital part of our athletic program. As a team member, she is encouraging and extremely positive, but do not let her quiet demeanour mislead you as she is a fierce competitor who pushes herself to her full potential.

Along with these significant in-school contributions, Aurora has been actively involved in her community. She has been involved in fundraising for a number of charities, including the Canadian Cancer Society. She has consistently volunteered for the Blue Skies Kids Arts Camp, encouraging young people to be creative.

Rachel Cumming

Rachel is a hard-working student who is dedicated to her learning. She is continually looking for feedback and for new learning opportunities. Her academic drive has allowed Rachel to experience success in all classes. She has been a leader for the volleyball, badminton, track and field and softball teams. This volleyball season, Rachel broke her foot the first game of the season. She showed commitment to her team and leadership by continuing to come to practices and games, acting as an assistant coach until she was well enough to play again.

She has keen interest in photography and works hard at home, and on her own time, to improve her photography skills. Rachel’s academic drive also extends to her hobbies. Rachel strives to continually improve and deepen her understanding and skill in photography and graphic arts. She rises to challenges and has represented our school, winning back-to-back gold at the Limestone Skills Competition for photography and qualifying to represent our region at the Provincial Skills Competition.

She is the student council president, and is not afraid to take charge and make her opinion known. Rachel shows this commitment to her community while balancing high marks and also maintaining a part-time job.

Rebecca Hillis

Rebecca’s passion is in the arts, music and drama, and her grades in these subjects certainly reflect this. She has used her incredible talent as a vocal musician in numerous ways. She has led sing songs by the campfire on student leadership retreats, sang with the Glee Club, performed solos at Remembrance Day assemblies and toured LDSB schools with the school band. Rebecca has performed at LDSB board meetings, former Director Hunter’s retirement, athletic events and most impressively has performed at three Limestone Learning Foundation Crystal Ball Galas. Rebecca plans to continue her academic pursuits at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Bachelor of Music program where she auditioned in Voice – Soprano.

Athletically, Rebecca is a member of the cross country and track and field teams. She has competed in both sports in each of her years at high school. Not only a competitive athlete, Rebecca is an incredible role model and mentor for younger teammates. In a confident, caring and respectful manner, and as a senior leader, she responds to the complex needs of Para - ID athletes on the school team (many of whom go on to compete at the provincial level). Rebecca is a true role model, providing assistance and leadership to ensure these athletes are on time, warmed up and ready to compete. Her contributions to this program are invaluable. She has an innate ability to recognise the needs of others, then formally and informally lead when necessary.

The staff of Sydenham High School would like to thank Rebecca for her contributions and congratulate her on this accomplishment.

On May 14, several girls and staff from Granite Ridge Education Centre and Sydenham High School tried their hand at blacksmithing. This event was arranged to show the girls that there is no job they cannot do. Stefan Duerst, Artist Blacksmith from Godfrey, Ontario, led the students through a logical sequence of techniques including forging, twisting, scrolling, and bending.

After covering safety and the basic techniques, Mr. Duerst let students work on their own to plan and make items. Mr. Duerst stressed that with the proper techniques and equipment, anyone can work with metal – it is not necessary to be built like Thor.

Students worked hard all day, and came home with several items they had made. A Grade 8 girls’ group will be going to Duerst Artist Blacksmith in June, from Land O’ Lakes Public School, Granite Ridge Education Centre, and Prince Charles Public School.

On May 15 and May 23, David Francey led songwriting workshops at Sydenham High School in the morning, and Granite Ridge Education Centre in the afternoon.

Many students participated in these intensive sessions, working alone or with partners.

David Francey has won three Juno Awards, the SOCAN Folk Music Award, the Grand Prize in the International Acoustic Music Award and the Grand Prize in the Folk category for the John Lennon Songwriting Award.

These events are part of the initiative focusing on the Arts, Indigenous Learning, and non-traditional pathways funded by various combinations of AIREE, GREC Parent Council, Live Wire Music, Blue Skies, Gillianne Mundell, and Pez.