It has been suggested by my constant critics in the Wingham Free Press, that I should apologize to the Avon Maitland District School Board for my revelations of their ill-advised decisions to close the schools of several Huron County villages. They also demand that I apologize to a member of the AMDSB Communications Department for comments I made about him.
As usual the WFP demands are pure nonsense.
AMDSB closed the only school in our community for no legitimate educational purpose. The new school is being built as a monument to the Huron County school board members to match the new school Perth members got last year and children had to be thrown out of their home town schools to feed this monster.
What sense does it make to build a new 24 room school in an area that is reported to have too many schools and not enough children?
Blyth Public School and several others have been sacrificed for the new school. The school board cheated on the ARC process in order give a false appearance of community consultation.
A petition signed by 631 people, presented by our MPP, Lisa Thompson to the Ontario legislature, indicates the fact that Blyth citizens were totally opposed to what their school board did to them.
As councillor for the Blyth Ward, it would be a dereliction of duty if I were not speaking out on this topic. An apology would be inappropriate.
ABOUT THE AMDSB COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
In a radio interview on CKNX I stated the known fact that Blyth was not properly represented in the ARC process. Later the school board's director of communications accused me of not telling the truth. He clearly stated that every ARC meeting was advertised in the local papers and that Blyth was, in fact , properly represented.
Neither claim was true.
The fact is that only the second meeting was advertised in the Citizen; the other 5 meetings were not advertised at all.
The fact is that only two of the ARC meetings were advertised in the Wingham Advance-Times; the others were not advertised at all.
The ministry guidelines stipulated that a broad cross-section of the community must be involved, including business representatives and municipal reps. Ask Steve Howe the names of the business and municipal reps were for Blyth and he will have no answer. If there is any apology due it should be from him for accusing me of lying. I am the one, the only one, who spoke the truth.
Brock Vodden
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