Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Monday, January 22, 2018

The fog advisory has ended and a special weather statement is now in effect.
Today – Periods of rain. Risk of a thunderstorm this morning. Fog patches. Amount 5 to 10 mm. Wind becoming south 20 km/h gusting to 40 this morning. High 8.

Tonight – Periods of rain ending after midnight then partly cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Fog patches. Amount 10 to 15 mm. Wind south 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light this evening. Wind becoming southwest 20 before morning. Low plus 4.

Pancake supper in support of bible camp in Wallaceburg

Several Wallaceburg churches sponsor a vacation bible camp each summer.

This year’s free event will be from July 9 to the 13th at St. James Anglican Church from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday with bible stories, games, crafts and snacks.

All children from the area are welcome.

To support this event, the organizers are holding a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at St. James Anglican Church, 719 James Street, Wallaceburg from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Cost is $8 for adults, $3 for children ages 6 to 12 and five and under are free.

For more information or tickets contact Sheldon Parsons 519-359-1969 or Elaine Lewis 519-627-6325.

Blood donor clinic this week in Wallaceburg, next week in Dresden

Canadian Blood Services is holding a pair of blood donor clinics coming up in the community.

A clinic is being held at the UAW Hall in Wallaceburg from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 25.

A clinic is also being held at the Dresden Arena hall on Tuesday, January 30 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit blood.ca to book your appointment.

Autism Transitional Classroom receives $5,000 donation

Karen Kirkwood-Whyte , CEO, United Way of Chatham-Kent; Amy Bergsma, Teacher, Chatham Christian High School; and Grade 12 students from Chatham Christian High School **(Helen Heath)**

Last week, twelve Grade 12 students from the Chatham Christian High School, made a presentation to a panel of judges and to the general public about some of the incredible work being done in our community by nonprofit organizations funded by the local United Way.

Amy Bergsma, a teacher at Chatham Christian High School, partnered with United Way of Chatham-Kent and the Chatham-Kent Nonprofit Network to create a unique opportunity for her students to work on an hands-on experiential learning project in place of their final exam – a project that would raise awareness of charitable programs in Chatham-Kent, encourage volunteerism in youth, allow students to meet Ontario curriculum requirements in a meaningful and purposeful way, all while encouraging a pride in, and love for, Chatham-Kent.

The students each selected a charity to research and their assignment was to publicly present and advocate for funding for each of these charities to a panel of community volunteers. At the end of the presentations, each of the students was assigned a grade and the charity represented by the presenter with the most votes was slated to receive a $5,000 donation – approved by the United Way Board of Directors from their Community Impact Grants.

The winning charity was the Autism Transitional Classroom with Chatham-Kent Children’s Services, based on the presentation that was made by student Patrick Hindmarsh.

“I designed this project to not only matter for Grade 12 marks, but to alter the course of their lives,”
Bergsma.

“Imagine the impact of these students having a deeper sense of community, greater capacity for empathy, and the empowerment to know how to step outside of their comfort zones and make change happen.”

The Autism Transitional Classroom is planning on using these funds to purchase enhanced learning materials for their classroom.

Chatham-Kent Public Library introduces NextReads newsletters

Chatham-Kent Public Library is launching a new email newsletter service this winter.

NextReads newsletters feature subject and genre-specific title lists based on your interests.

Available newsletters feature topics such as:

– Armchair Travel

– Arts and Crafts

– Biography and Memoir

– Canadian Treasures

– Christian Fiction

– Coming Soon!

– Fantasy and Science Fiction

– Graphic Novels

– Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

– History and Current Events

– Home, Garden and DIY

– Kids’ Books

– Kids’ Picture Books

– Movies

– Mystery

– Nature and Science

– New York Times Fiction Bestsellers

– Off the Shelf (features CKPL programs)

– Romance

– Teen Scene

– Tween Reads

Patrons interested in reading, viewing or program recommendations delivered straight to their inboxes can simply visit www.ckpl.ca/new and subscribe to the newsletters of their choice.

Email newsletters link directly to CKPL’s online catalogue where it’s easy to place a hold on library materials to pick up at your local branch.

Whether you’re a movie buff, or a Sci-Fi fan, you’ll surely find something new and exciting at CKPL.

To find out more about NextReads and other Chatham-Kent Public Library services, call 519-354-2940 or visit www.ckpl.ca.

Ontario nominates Ed Clark as new LCBO board chair

Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, has nominated Ed Clark as the new Chair of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), subject to review by the Standing Committee on Government Agencies and confirmation by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

“I am delighted to be selected as the next Chair of the LCBO,” Clark stated in a press release.

“Having recommended three years ago that it remain publicly owned, I am enthusiastic for the chance to help further its customer-friendly focus and oversee its growth and development, as well as help carefully manage the roll-out of the new standalone cannabis stores.”

Provincial officials say Clark is ideally positioned to help lead the LCBO through this period of transition, growth and development, particularly as it further strengthens its focus on customer experience, expanded retail initiatives and the launch of its new subsidiary, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation. He has asked that his compensation as the new Chair be set at one dollar a year.

“Mr. Clark is an accomplished and well-respected business leader with a proven track record of creating financially successful organizations based on highly effective retail and customer experience,” Sousa said in a press release.

“His unique blend of private sector success and public policy expertise will help guide the LCBO through an unprecedented period of change and innovation. I have had the pleasure of working closely with him on a number of files and look forward to his continuing leadership.”

Clark served as Group President and Chief Executive Officer of TD Bank Group from 2002 until November 2014. During that time, he oversaw a pronounced focus on retail operations and customer relations that saw TD grow to become the country’s second largest bank with global brand recognition.

He currently serves Premier Kathleen Wynne as Business Advisor and also served as Chair of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Government Assets where he shepherded significant policy reforms to the alcohol beverage sector and gained in-depth understanding of the LCBO’s operations.

Clark will retain his responsibilities as the Premier’s Business Advisor, continuing to offer advice on key issues including the preservation and growth of jobs in Ontario’s steel industry and the Amazon HQ2 bid.

MClark holds a BA from the University of Toronto, and an MA and Doctorate in Economics from Harvard University. He has received honorary degrees from Mount Allison University, Queen’s University, Western University, University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson University.

The government thanks Penny Lipsett for serving as Acting Chair and helping to establish the LCBO as a more customer-focused and competitive retailer.