Dan Belluz was acclaimed for another term as chairman of the Rainy River District School Board last night while Ron McAlister was named vice-chair, replacing Atikokan trustee Judy Eluik.
Following a call for nominations for the position of chair by Education Director Warren Hoshizaki, trustee Gord McBride moved to nominate Belluz.
As there were no further nominations, Belluz was acclaimed.
Trustee Martin Darrah then nominated McAlister, who represents Rainy River, Morley, and Lake of the Woods, for vice-chair, with no further nominations.
“Judy set the bar pretty high. I’ll try to maintain it for her,” McAlister said.
Also at last night’s meeting, the local public school board awarded a tender for nine bus routes to Iron Range Bus Lines of Thunder Bay.
The board had received notice from the current bus operator last month, noting the discontinuance of nine bus routes effective March 1, 2005.
The board put the nine routes up for tender and received seven proposals.
Laura Mills, the board’s chief financial officer, said the board examined the level of service, history, and references of each person or business, and also took into consideration their ability to cover all nine routes.
Mills said most proposals submitted only included four of the nine routes, which would leave the board with no operators for the other five.
“Four of the routes have higher metrage, and higher contract value,” she explained.
“Iron Range has a strong busing history in Thunder Bay,” Mills said, adding the company agreed to set up shop in Fort Frances should it be awarded the nine routes.
Also at last night’s meeting, the board heard a presentation from Helen Crook, chair of the local “Communities in Bloom” committee, regarding a proposal to beautify its grounds on Second Street East next to Robert Moore School.
Crook suggested the board, the committee, the Fort Frances Horticultural Society, students, and local residents work together to create an “appreciation garden” outside the board’s office.
“Students should be surrounded by beauty, and be aware we are all responsible for our environment,” she said.
While Crook said the committee would not be able to provide funds for the garden as it has not yet begun fundraising, members could contribute the help of people to help design and plant it.
The idea would be to use the garden to remember the long years of service of retired and deceased board staff—from caretakers to teachers to administration and trustees.
“The garden would be there as a living reminder, and a way to make visible to the students and the community that people’s contributions are valued,” Crook noted.
Communities in Bloom is hoping to get groups of families to look after the garden, she added. “You get a great deal of satisfaction out of it,” she said.
Hoshizaki noted he has spoken to Robert Moore School’s Builders Club about the possibility of designing a garden for the front of the board office, and said it may be a project they could collaborate on, as well.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
