Over 20 residents from North, Central and South Frontenac were bussed into Kingston on March 6 to attend the a meeting of the Limestone District School Board (LDSB) at the school board office. The residents made the trip in support of Jamie Riddell, a Mountain Grove resident who made a presentation to the LDSB's board of trustees. Riddell opposes the process that led to their choosing the name Granite Ridge Education Centre for the new school in Sharbot Lake.

In his opening remarks Riddell said that in his eyes, the process was "marked for failure right from the word go”. He said that the chosen name did not meet the needs of the people and was not on the original list of names put forth by the Naming Sub-committee.

Riddell wonders why Granite Ridge was added back to the list of names that was presented to the board, after the board appointed naming committee had eliminated it.

He also raised concerns about a certain mass email he and other residents received from Board Trustee, Ann Goodfellow, which he felt showed that the name was decided upon well in advance of the actual process that took place.

Riddell asked the members of the board, “Was the name Granite Ridge already picked and this process just a smoke screen to satisfy the board's version of a diplomatic process?” He continued, “Granite Ridge was the name the board wanted and it appears it was arbitrated from the word go. You as trustees should hold your heads low today since in my opinion you have violated a code of trust.”

He also cited a “a breakdown in communication between the board and the general public”, saying that the announcement of the final vote came much quicker than he or the public at large had anticipated.

Riddell also cited a recent school naming by the Ottawa School Board. He said that the Ottawa board opened up the name selection to all the families served by that school by holding an on line vote for the final name selection.

He also spoke of the historical significance of the name Sharbot. “Yes, it is the name of just one of the communities served by the new school but it holds past, present, and future significance and it is the name of the founder of that community, Francis Sharbot. I would have thought that this fact alone would have had more weight than the name of the rock (granite) that was in the end chosen but it seems I was mistaken.”

In closing Riddell asked the board to reconsider their final decision. “It's not too late to fix this. It's not too late to correct the process that was broken from the start and to repair the damage that has been done and to restore our faith in the decisions of the people we have chosen to represent us.” He added, “If the process had been completed fairly and transparently, I would be satisfied with the outcome of the chosen name but that was not the case.”

Board Director Brenda Hunter next made a Powerpoint presentation outlining the steps leading up to the final vote for Granite Ridge (as was outlined in Jeff Green's article “Granite Ridge Naming Debate Persists”, Feb. 28).

Both presentations received very little feedback from board members. Trustee Ann Goodlfellow stated that she has heard from both sides on the issue and felt “confident that all of the parties involved in the naming process had followed the proper guidelines and procedures and had acted fairly and responsibly” and that she “looked forward to now focusing on what is best for all of our students, who will greatly benefit from this wonderful new school”.

Her comment elicited some audible groans and laughter from many of Riddell's supporters. The only other question came from Trustee David Jackson, who wondered if there was any history of school names that included some kind of additional vocational name or sub-name below the actual school name.

Board Director Brenda Hunter said that off the top of her head she did not know of any in this district. Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski was present at the delegation and tried to address the board, but was rebuffed by Chair Helen Chadwick, citing the Board’s procedural bylaw.

Following Hunter's presentation all of Riddell's 25 plus supporters left the chambers. One supporter, Marcie Asselstine, left copies of a history of the Sharbot Lake community, which she invited the trustees to read.

Students in Stephanie Leeder's grade 5/6 class at Sharbot Lake Public School fired multiple questions at one local hockey hero when he visited the school on March 8. And like the great goalie he is, Graeme Gemmill easily managed to catch and return every single one of them.

The 16-year-old goalie from Godfrey, who was named Midget Goalie of the Year last year for the Kingston Canadians and who currently plays goalie for the Greater Kingston Junior Frontenacs, has been playing in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association for eight years. During his visit to the school, Graeme not only gave students a chance to get up close and personal with his skates, goalie mask, pads and stick but also spoke of how he, an all around high achiever, manages to balance a serious hockey life with teenage student life. Graeme is a grade 11 student at Sydenham High School. He started playing hockey at age eight at the Frontenac Arena and started playing goal at 12, which is a later than usual start.

However he was able to use his story to stress to the students that any serious endeavor can begin at any age. “It doesn't matter how old you are when you start whatever it is that you want to pursue. I know that a lot of hockey players start playing at 4 and 5 years old, but I don't think the age at which you start something is what matters most. What does matter most is that you have the drive; that is what counts.” While the students were eagerly inspecting Graeme’s gear, his mother Sue told me that her son “is a humble player and most importantly has learned how to balance his time”. Graeme later shared that priority with the students. “No matter what else you want to include in your life, be it a sport or any other endeavor, I can't express how important it is that school comes first”, he said. Graeme fielded typical fan queries from his young audience. His favorite NHL team? Montreal. His favorite player? Price.

He also shared numerous personal stories – one was about one of the first NHL games he attended, when a sign that his mother had made for him attracted the attention of a young Jaroslav Halak, who ended up giving Graeme his goalie stick. “That was one thing that really set me off and made me really want to strive to get to that level of play myself.”

Asked about any unusual rituals he partakes in before games, Graeme said that he puts all of his gear on - left side first. He also loves to juggle pucks. “I'm one of the weird guys. Other guys like to warm up before games and get really hot and sweaty but I hate getting hot before a game and will only run for about five minutes as my pre-game warm up. I also prefer not to talk much before a game.”

He showed the students a number of videos, including one of a training session he participated in with Danny Taylor, who plays with Calgary in the NHL and with Abbotsford in the AHL, and a practice session he took part in at the Under 16 Program of Excellence in Oshawa. Lastly, he showed a warm up session that he was invited to attend with the Napanee Raiders.

Last year Graeme and his team, the Kingston Canadians, had numerous highlights and were the Cobourg Region Silver Stick Champions and OMHA finalists.

Students in the class came away inspired by his presentation. Megan Dunham, who started playing hockey at the age 10 for the Tay Valley Tornadoes, said that she hopes to play goalie one day. Eddie Brown, another student in the class who donned a Kingston Frontenacs toque, has seen Graeme play once before and was thrilled to have a chance to speak with him.

Following the presentation Graeme said that speaking in classrooms to young kids is something that he likes to do. “This is a way that I can give back to the community and also to let these kids know that if they set their heart on something that they truly want, they can achieve it. I have a strong work ethic and I want them to know that if you have that, anything is possible.”

As far as his future plans go, Graeme hopes to get a scholarship and play in the NCAA and has spoken with reps from various schools. And what about the NHL? Here Graeme demonstrated some of that realistic attitude and humbleness his mother mentioned earlier. “Of course it would be ideal to make the NHL but let's face it; there are thousands of guys who want those spots.”

As many are aware, Hinchinbrooke Public School will be closing its doors as an elementary school at the end of June. We would like to mark this occasion by remembering and celebrating the history of this wonderful school that has educated so many in our community. Please join us on Saturday June 1 from 10 am to 4 pm to honour this facility.

Committees are being established in Food, Entertainment, Games, and Memoriabilia. If you have any thoughts or ideas, we are interested in hearing from you. If you are willing to assist in making this event something we will all be proud of, please express your interest to Janice at Hinch 613-375-6230 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have items that could be put on display, Lisa Hamilton or I would be interested in talking to you about that as well as any pictures you may have. They can be scanned to my email address as well (or copies will be accepted - we don't want to be responsible for originals if at all possible!!), call me at 613-375-6525 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Penny Cota is looking after food so if this is of interest to you, let her know. Games are being handled by Tammy Dupuis, so she is your contact in that area. Entertainment is still open. Thank you for any help that you can provide in honouring the Hinchinbrooke Huskies!

Construction has begun on a new addition to Sydenham High School, a project that has been in the works for a number of years.

The 14,000 square foot addition, which was designed by H.M. Sardinha Architect Inc. and is being built by David J. Cupido Construction Ltd., will be located on the west side of the building. It will include four brand-new components: a new gym facility; a hospitality area that will include an industrial kitchen, serving area and an attached classroom; a new drama room equipped with a mini stage and auditorium seating; and a new computer lab. The addition required the purchase of some older homes on the site, which have since been torn down. This winter the land was excavated and presently the new footings have been put in place.

Years ago the need for more space was recognized due to overcrowding in the school’s athletics programming and physical health and education classes. There was also a need for updated classrooms in order to keep the student curriculum current. Principal Jessica Silver further explained that need when I interviewed her by phone earlier this week. She said, “Sydenham High School has a strong focus on healthy and active living. These new facilities will benefit both students and staff by allowing expanded programming in these areas. The addition will also bring with it exciting new opportunities for both students and staff by making possible expanded programming for students in all grades in advanced hospitality, and in the health and wellness specialist high skills major programs. We here at Sydenham are a very technology-based school and really excel in those areas, so the new addition will allow us to build on the already strong programming that we are currently offering here at the school.”

Silver added that the new facilities will also benefit the community at large. “We have a very strong community backing us and these new facilities will allow us to be able to bring the community into the school. For example, we will be able to share the new drama space with various community members and community partners as well as with the students and staff at the Loughborough Public School.”

Asked about any negatives that could go along with expanding the school’s foot print, Silver said she foresaw none. “Students and staff are very excited about the new addition and see it as something brand new to build on. I suppose the only negative is that these things take time.” Silver said that construction of the new facility should be completed sometime in the 2013/14 school year.

As construction continues on the new school in Sharbot Lake, a protest against the name chosen for it, Granite Ridge Education Centre, is bubbling along on Facebook.

It is clear, at least in the minds of the Facebook group, Granite Ridge Education Centre/This is a protest group, that the Limestone District School Board’s trustees have chosen the wrong name. It is also clear that a number of the group’s members are pretty adamant about, as there were hundreds of comments posted on the group’s Facebook wall between February 15 and 22, although traffic has died down since then.

A running poll on the wall lists reveals the preference of the group. Among the six potential names listed, 225 chose Sharbot Lake District School while only 36 chose all the other listed options combined (Granite Ridge, 6; Lakeview, 8; Waterstone, 1; and Hillcrest, 1)

Ann Goodfellow, the school board trustee for Central and North Frontenac, and Addington Highlands, is not particularly impressed with the Facebook group.

“I can't tell you what they are saying because it is a closed group, and my request to join was rejected,” she said.

One of the group’s administrators noted that the group is not meant as an open forum on the name of the school. “It is about how to get the name changed, not about anything else. Try to keep it to that; we want opinions on how and what we need to do to accomplish it,” posted Genny Kelly on February 18.

The Facebook group lists over 1,600 members, but that includes people who have been invited but have not yet joined the group. A quick survey of the list of members would indicate that about 40% of the 1,600 people listed have agreed to join the group.

As one of the nine Limestone trustees who ultimately chose the new name, Goodfellow said that she supports the decision. “To have named the school after Sharbot Lake would have meant excluding the people in the surrounding communities who do not identify with Sharbot Lake. The school will serve all the communities, not just Sharbot Lake. I think Granite Ridge is a good name; it denotes strength,” she said.

Goodfellow provided an outline of the process that was used to come up with the name Granite Ridge, which is a formal process adopted by the board in recent years because a number of schools are in various stages of development throughout the region.

Soon after the board announced that the new school was coming, an Integration committee was formed to facilitate the transition from three schools to one. The Integration Committee includes representation from the students, staff, and parent councils from Hinchinbrooke and Sharbot Lake public schools and Sharbot Lake High School.

This past fall, the Integration Committee formed a Naming Subcommittee, which was headed by Madeleine Tarasick, a retired superintendent of the Limestone Board. The Naming Committee put out a public call for suggestions, and received 130, which they whittled down to a shortlist of six.

These six names, (Lakeview, Waterstone, Sharbot Lake, Granite Ridge, Hillcrest, and Lakeside) were published in the Frontenac News and elsewhere in early December of 2012, and further public comment was sought about which one was the best.

The Naming committee then met again, looked at the comments and cut the list to four names, which they submitted to the Integration Committee. Apparently one of the two names that the Naming Committee eliminated was Granite Ridge.

The Integration Committee then took over. They looked at the four names, added one of their own, Maple Ridge, and also decided to put Granite Ridge back in the mix.

They then held a secret ballot vote on the six names that were now in front of them, and chose the top four to send to the Board of Trustees.

The four names that were submitted were Granite Ridge, Sharbot Lake, Maple Ridge and Lakeview.

At the February meeting of the nine-member Board of Trustees the four names were put forward, and a closed ballot vote was taken. After the first ballot none of the names had received a majority vote, so the least popular name was dropped, and a second vote was taken, which delivered majority support for Granite Ridge Education Centre.

(The above account of the process came from interviews with Ann Goodfellow and Sharbot Lake High School Parent Council Chair Cheryl Allen – the complete details of the process and all the written reports should be included in the minutes of the February Board of Trustees meeting, which will be presented for approval at the March meeting. The minutes and attachments to Limestone District Board of Trustees meetings are posted at Limestone.on.ca/Board/Minutes.

Jamie Riddell, one of the members of the Granite Ridge protest group, and a former candidate for school board trustee for Central and North Frontenac, has asked if he can make a presentation to the Limestone Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, March 6.

However, even if Riddell gets to the board meeting, it is hard to see how that could translate into a reconsideration of the school name. For the decision to be changed, a member of the board would have to make a motion to reconsider the decision; another trustee would have to second that motion; and a 2/3 vote would be required to rescind the motion that named the school Granite Ridge.

As everyone who lives on the Canadian Shield learns eventually, granite is not easily moved.

Jory Bolton is an NAEC graduate from Flinton who is just finishing up a Bachelor of Arts at Trent University in International Development Studies and Spanish.

Before heading off to teach in Spain next year she will be participating in a trip to Israel and the West Bank in May with a group called Operation Groundswell.

The trip includes visits with two Israeli groups, Rabbis for Human Rights and Breaking the Silence, as well as work with a group called Naasej in the West Bank, which is devoted to education efforts targeting vulnerable groups of people.

Rabbis for Human Rights is a group made up of 100 rabbis in Israel.

They describe their mandate in this way: "Rabbis for Human Rights serves as a shofar for the distribution of information about human rights in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  We work in partnership with local Israeli organizations, and with international human rights organizations.”

Breaking the Silence was founded by a group of ex-Israeli soldiers who have been active in the West Bank in recent years. They describe their mandate in the following way: “We endeavor to stimulate public debate about the price paid for a reality in which young soldiers face a civilian population on a daily basis, and are engaged in the control of that population’s everyday life.”

For Jory Bolton the opportunity to put her educational background in International Development to some use and to deepen her understanding of issues in one of the most couples and historically dense regions of the world had a strong appeal.

“I heard about Operation Groundswell four years ago, and now that I’m graduating I have some time available,” said Jory. “I’m considering a Master’s Degree in Refugee Studies so the opportunity to visit Palestine and Israel is ideal.”

Operation Groundswell was set up in 2006 by students who wanted to volunteer in different parts of the world but were disillusioned with what they saw as a volunteer trip industry that they describe as “glorified tour operators, manufacturing an experience rather than facilitating one.”

On their website they say the trips they sponsor in 21 countries are “all about ethical travel. We’ve sparked a movement of globally active and socially conscious backpackers, what we like to call backpacktivists.”

Part of the way Operation Groundswell works is to provide funding to the groups and organisations that they visit. Each of the 10 or 12 participants in the trips must not only pay their own travel costs, they need to raise $1,000 to donate to local programs.

Jory Bolton, home for Reading Week this week, has been fundraising locally to cover the $1,000 donation requirement. She is putting out flyers at all businesses and is also reaching out to the public for support. And she is planning to share what she learns afterwards.

“I will be coming back after the trip to make a presentation at one of the local halls about what I experience on the trip,” she said.

To make a donation go to fundraising.operationgroundswell.com/jory.

Five years ago Robert McLeman, a geographer from the University of Ottawa, presented the results of a small research project on the potential effects of climate change on Addington Highlands and North Frontenac Township.

His research project did not end there, however, and he has brought some of his colleagues and student researchers into the region on a regular basis since then to look at different aspects of climate change and social change on the local population.

This week, McLeman bought these researchers together to present summaries of their findings at a research fair hosted by North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne. In addition to his own report, McLeman introduced colleagues from Queen’s and Guelph Universities, as well as Paul Lehman from Mississippi Valley Conservation (MVC).

Paul Lehman presented annual temperature and water level information that MVC has collected over the years, along with projected temperature and rainfall levels for the coming decades.

“We’ve seen a trend towards higher levels of precipitation overall, with the largest increases coming in the fall of the year, and also a trend towards higher minimum temperatures in the fall and the winter,” Lehman said.

He also noted that the water flows have been lower in the dryer summer period, which has been persisting for a longer period of time.

The implications of these trends are making the management of water levels on the lower end of the watershed more difficult, Lehman said. By storing and drawing down Crotch Lake, the principal reservoir lake in the Mississippi system, MVC attempts to maintain a flow rate of 5 cubic metres per second for the recreational season from May 24 to Labour Day.

Lehman noted that the tendency towards more intense rains storms of recent years has affected the total amount of nutrients in the lakes as phosphates and other minerals are washed off the shoreline into the lakes. This decreases the available oxygen in the lakes, with effects on fish habitat.

Scott Lamoureux from Queen’s has been taking sediment samples on two of the smaller lakes in Addington Highlands as well as two of the larger lakes. By analysing the sediment he can determine the amount of organic activity in the lakes over a period of decades.

What he has found thus far is that the smaller lakes have seen a dramatic increase in activity since 1950, probably due to increased development. The larger lakes, however, have seen little change.

Peter Keizer, a graduate student at the University of Ottawa, has been studying the pollen trapped in lake sediments on Tawney Pond in Cloyne and on Stoll Lake to the north of the hamlet. His studies have been able to determine the predominant tree species in the region over long periods of time. The main factor affecting the predominance of species has been temperature levels, with the notable exception being the logging frenzy that took place in the region in the mid 19th century. In general, the pine forest has thrived in cooler periods; hemlocks have been on a steady decline for hundreds of years, and the tendency since the 1870s has been for an increased hardwood forest and a decreased softwood forest. In terms of human impact, the preponderance of plants like ragweed and others can be seen as a direct result of human activity in the region.

Dawn Dietrich, a PHD candidate from Guelph, is studying community and family vulnerabilities in the forestry sector, particularly in communities with a history of small, family-based logging companies. She has been doing a comprehensive case study of the members of the Mazinaw Lanark Forest Inc., whose members log on Crown Land under forest management plans that are approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

She described what she called a “perfect storm, high cost of operations, a lack of markets, falling prices, and regulations stemming from the Sustainable Forestry and Endangered Species Acts that has pushed many of these businesses to the brink.”

She said that while most of the loggers that she has interviewed are committed to sustainable forestry practices and the protection of endangered species, the way the regulations have been imposed has made it very difficult for them to operate.

One of the loggers who was present at the Fair described a situation that has developed on a number of logging roads as the result of turtle sightings.

“All summer long, ATVs and pickup trucks are allowed to bomb down the roads at whatever speed they want, and we are not allowed to use them for logging; where’s the sense in that.”

Dietrich said that neither of the recent acts is responsible on their own for the plight of local forestry, but given how vulnerable the industry is, the way they have been implemented needs to be looked at again.

Finally, Stuart Fast talked about his study into local attitudes towards renewable energy.

The conversation returned to forestry when the subject of the potential for biomass power generation was raised. Although it is not in favour with the Province of Ontario in the way that wind and solar power is, it was pointed out that, on Crown land at least, less than half the volume of wood is forested than the amount that grows each year, leaving a large latent capacity for harvesting.

“The resource is there, and it is increasing every year, but that does not mean it is viable from an economic point of view at this time,” said one of the loggers in attendance.

The Limestone District School Board has chosen the name Granite Ridge Education Centre for its new school in Sharbot Lake, which is slated to open in September.

The name has not gone over very well, and has sparked a bit of a media campaign in opposition to the name.

As the machinery continued working away nearby, a small group gathered in the parking lot by the wood shop of the soon to be demolished Sharbot Lake High School for a TV interview with a reporter from CKWS on Tuesday at noon (February 19) in the midst of a snow squall. Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski and Shabot Obaadjiwan Chief Doreen Davis were on hand to lend their support to the protest.

Gutowski said that granite is not specific enough to identify a school. Davis said that honouring the Algonquin heritage of the region in honour of Frances Sharbot, for whom Sharbot Lake was named, would have been preferable. She suggested Tanakiwin, which is also the name of the Algonquins of Ontario website, referring to the homeland of the Algonquins.

These protests all came a bit too late; the opportunity to propose names for the school was given last fall and culminated in a number of names making the short list, which was published in this newspaper late in 2012.

For the record the short list included the following proposed names: Granite Ridge District School or Granite Ridge School, Lakeview District School, Lakeside District School or Lakeside Education Centre, Waterstone District School, Sharbot Lake District School or Sharbot Lake Education Centre, and Hillcrest District School.

According the Limestone District School Board Administration Procedure 552 – Naming of Schools, the short list was presented to the Board of Trustees for a final decision, and that decision was to choose Granite Ridge Education Centre, which has the unfortunate acronym GREC.

At first blush all I can say about the decision is that it is probably a better name than Waterstone District School.

Administrative Procedure 552 provides for a number of criteria for the Board trustees to consider when deciding the name of a school.

The procedures encourage the selection of “i) Names of famous Canadians of either local or national recognition; or ii) Other appropriate identifications; or iii) Names that reflect the positive image of the Board.”

Since there is no famous Canadian by the name of Granite Ridge, Granite Ridge must either “bring an appropriate identification” to the school or “reflect the positive image of the Board”.

The board, which named itself Limestone after all, does seem to think that substrates “reflect a positive image” but in my view, while rocks are certainly solid (Granite more so than Limestone to be sure) they don’t really reflect anything except heat.

So, we are left with the all-important question, is Granite Ridge an appropriate identification for the school or its students?

I hardly think so. No one that I know in this region identifies themselves as “granitelike" or "granite-ish"; no one that I know has ever said of themselves, “I come from the granite country”, or “I am like the granite under my feet”.

How will the students at the school identify themselves? Will they be the Granite Ridge Runners, the GREC o Romans, or the Granite Ridge Rockers.

Maybe, in the end, the trustees at the Limestone Board are just doing the kids from Central and North Frontenac a favour. Knowing that the kids from Sharbot Lake High School have for years suffered ridicule because of the urban bias that we from the so-called “North” all face, the board has given the northern students a name they will have to live down.

This is my ‘Boy named Sue” theory about the Granite Ridge Education Centre, and the more I think about it, the more I like the name.

I like to think that our kids will be hardened, toughened by the experience; they will learn to laugh when those nasty kids from Sydenham taunt them by saying “go back to Bedrock High, Bam Bam.”

The Kids from the Ridge will have to be strong, they will have to be tough, they will have to be, well, hard as granite.

But if the school board doesn’t mind too much, why not change the name to Granite Ridge District School, at least then the acronym won’t rhyme with Shrek.

It is not often that local students are presented with an opportunity to work alongside an astronaut - and even less often with an astronaut who happens to be on a special mission orbiting the earth in the International Space Station. But that is the case for grade nine science students at the North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne, who along with students from 250 other schools across the country, will be working alongside the Canadian Space Agency astronaut in a special study to document data comparing radiation levels on earth and in outer space.

Melissa Randle, who heads up the Department of Pure and Applied Sciences at NAEC and teaches science there, will be working with grade nine science students at the school. They will be measuring and recording data collected from a specialized bubble detector, known as a Personal Neutron Dosimeter. The device, which has been supplied to the school by Bubble Technology Industries, is a small hand-held instrument that measures radiation levels in the environment. Astronaut Hatfield will be conducting similar experiments in space and both he and students from across the country will be collecting the data from February 11-18 and again from March 6-13.

The bubble collector the students will be using at the school was developed with Canadian technology at Chalk River. During the data collection dates the detector will be left outside the school for 24-hour intervals. Tiny bubbles that form in the gel inside the glass detector indicate the particular dose of neutron radiation that is being received.

Randle explained what she and students can expect to find from the data that they collect. “We should expect to see a significantly lower level of radiation here on earth as compared to levels in space, since radiation levels are one of the biggest hurdles that astronauts in space are faced with.”

NAEC students are the only students from the Limestone District School Board who will be participating in the project, which Randle sees as a great way to bring science alive for students at the school. “Astronomy can be a hard subject for students to engage with since it is so huge and so 'out of this world'. So this project is a great way for them not only to engage but also to get a better understanding of Canada's contribution to what is happening currently in space right now.”

The student action project was made available to students from across the country through a company called CurioCity, a branch of Let's Talk Science. Students at the school will also be watching videos of Hadfield and will be keeping in touch with him throughout his space journey through Twitter. For more information visit http://www.explorecuriocity.org/Community/ActionProjects/RADIN2.aspx

Although Bob Seger was referring to “that old time rock and roll”, many of us are reminiscing about “the days of old” as we look back affectionately on all the wonderful times spent at Sharbot Lake High School. Even with all the excitement that accompanies the building of a “new” educational facility, there are many fond memories that come to mind as we say goodbye to the “old” school.

In celebration of those “by-gone days”, a committee of energetic organizers has planned a final opportunity for SLHS alumni to gather together before the old building is subjected to a wrecking ball. The event, which is taking place on Saturday, May 25th, 2013, is being referred to as The Last Waltz, and has been planned in combination with the 65th Anniversary of Sharbot Lake High School.

The Last Waltz is intended to be a tribute to all the wonderful music that has been performed on the SLHS auditorium stage. It will involve a concert beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing well into the afternoon featuring an array of alumni musicians representing much of what has been enjoyed on the SLHS auditorium stage over the years. Wrist bands can be purchased at the door for $5, allowing people to come and go throughout the day as they please. The concert will provide an entertaining backdrop for a celebration of the school’s 65th Anniversary giving people the opportunity to socialize with old friends, and reminisce about “the good old days” as they enjoy a variety of displays and memorabilia as well as wander the hallways of SLHS. Lunch will be available on-site to satisfy people’s appetites. The supper time period has been left open for people to relax with friends and family over a meal at one of our local restaurants/venues or at private gatherings before the evening fun begins.

The day will culminate with a Concert/Dance from 7:30 p.m. to 12 midnight featuring the extremely talented Shawn McCullough and his band. It is going to be a great evening of merriment with a light buffet (11 p.m.) included and a licensed bar. Tickets will be $30/person. Due to limited space, they will be sold in advance, and can be obtained from the SLHS main office. If you are looking forward to attending the dance, make sure that you and your group purchase your tickets well ahead of time.

So mark Saturday, May 25 on your calendar, and join us for an enjoyable trip “Down Memory Lane”. Although the organizing committee is doing its best to advertise the event, we are also relying on the power of social media to get the word out. Please let other alumni know by messaging your former classmates online. You might even consider combining this event with plans for your own group reunion. See you at the Last Waltz!