Here's Videos Of PCVS Student Reaction Immediately After KPR Decision Last Night
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And reaction today from students at PCVS...
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Peterborough Blogs
Live: KPR Meeting Deciding Fate Of Peterborough High School
/UPDATE, 1:50 a.m: Trustees have voted 7-4 to close PCVS.
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Some tweets we wrote after the vote last night:
"The final vote has been reached: PCVS to be closed."
"PCVS students hugging, crying. Lots of yelling from parents, swearing."
"PCVS parents & students screaming with fury at board members: 'Thank you for ruining our school.'"
"Security has now entered the building. Emotions running high."
"Board members still sitting, in shock. Crowd leaving, in shock. Everyone in shock. Lots of tears, crying, dismay."
"PCVS students screaming, chanting in hallway."
"The students are coming back in the boardroom, chanting to board members, most of whom remain seated."
"Hey board, so you know, we won't let our high school go!" -- PCVS students chanting over and over.
"Shame, shame, shame, shame, shame, shame" PCVS students chanting in hallway."
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The meeting has just begun live at KPR board office... It is packed... There are two overflow rooms... Watch for updates...
Live inside the KPR board office...
PCVS graduate Bill Lockington is the first speaker
TAS student council president Victoria Salem, who is for the merger of PCVS and TAS.
Christina Adams & Victoria Pyle who read statements from fellow students about influence of their school
TAS student Tyler Rawson demonstrating robotics created at school
The live video feeds
PCVS students applauding Dr. Charlie Menendez
Estimated busing costs by Dr. Charlie Menendez
Betsy McGregor speaking in support of PCVS
Support from the hallway
Dean Pappas speaking in support of PCVS
The emotions after KPR made recommendation PCVS close
Standing ovation in response to trustee Roy Wilfong saying PCVS should not close
Going around the boardroom table, each trustee was allowed to ask questions, followed up with their own personal summary
Diane Lloyd, chairperson summing up the evening while being filmed by CHEX
1:38 a.m. The final vote is 7 to 4 in favour of closing PCVS.
PCVS students chanting and consoling each other in hallway after vote announced
[Photos by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]
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Here's Video Of The PCVS Human Chain To Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up"
/[YouTube]
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Breast Cancer Month In Peterborough Kicks Off At City Hall Friday Morning
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Cancer Cancer Society members will be on hand this Friday, September 30th at 9:00 am at City Hall to raise the pink flag to celebrate breast cancer survivors and to remember those who lost their fight with the disease. 
Mayor Daryl Bennett will be at the opening to officially proclaim October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
As part of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month Fundraising campaign, they are asking people to unite behind those living with breast cancer by making a donation and proudly wearing a pink ribbon.
Volunteers will be selling pink ribbons at the following locations in Peterborough on Friday, September 30th (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and Saturday, October 1st (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.): Costco, Walmart, Canadian Tire – Chemong Road, Canadian Tire – Lansdowne Street, Morello’s Independent Grocers, Loblaw Superstore, The Beer Store – Lansdowne Street, Chemong Road and George St., LCBO – Lansdowne St. (at Chapters) and Portage Place, Dieter and Darcy’s No Frills – George Street, Ken’s No Frill on Lansdowne Street and Towerhill Sobey’s.
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Here Is Just One Of The Letters Sent To KPR Board Members Asking Them Not To Close PCVS
/There are many, many letters being sent to KPR officials pleading with them to not close PCVS. Here is one of them from local downtown business owners:
To the Board of Trustees of the Kawartha Pine Ridge school board,
I own a business in downtown Peterborough, if PCVS closes the businesses of downtown Peterborough will suffer greatly.
As you know, teenagers have tremendous influence on household purchases. The fact that they are downtown influences their families to come downtown and shop. The students bring a great lively atmosphere to the downtown, it will be devasting to the businesses of the downtown if this is lost.
On another note, I have 2 children attending Queen Mary public school. I chose to live in the area that I do because of the walkabilty of elementary school and high school. I expected my children to attend PCVS. Personally I am a huge supporter of the public school board but I will not send my children on a bus to school. If PCVS is closed I will send my children to St. Petes (where they can walk). The public school board will lose many children to the catholic school board if the decision is to close PCVS. There are numerous like minded families in my neighborhood. We will not send our children to Adam Scott or Kenner which are the recommended schools for our district.
The larger picture must be considered. PCVS is a fantastic school with an exceptional record of sucesses. Do not close it. I am certain the downtown as a whole will suffer tremendously if it is closed, my business included. The DBIA has sent you a letter and every business owner I have spoken with is against PCVS closing, knowing that their business may not survive this closure. It is tough enough to operate a business downtown. We as business owners strongly believe that if PCVS is closed, our doors may have to close too.
Please consider these points when making your decision tonight.
Sincerely,
Amanda and Shane Palmer
Green Eyewear Optical
374 George St.
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The Iconic PCVS Is Now The Board's No. 1 Choice To Close With The Final Decision This Thursday
/The school board is meeting this Thursday evening, where a final decision is expected to be made on which school is closing. Here's the latest in a report from CHEX news last night:
[Related: The Truth About Why Closing PCVS Would Be A Huge Blow To Our Community]
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10th Annual Doors Open Peterborough Is This Weekend
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This weekend (September 24th and 25th), local venues will have their doors open especially for you to enjoy the 10th year of Doors Open Peterborough.
This year, they have chosen a theme of "Peterborough: The Participation City," which highlights our city's keen interest in sports by showcasing many of the venues where such activities take place.
Take a look at this year's featured sites and enjoy this unique opportunity to be able to go behind-the-scenes.
[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]
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"Friends For Life" Walk In Support Of Humane Society Is This Saturday
/The Peterborough Humane Society will be hosting the "Friends for Life" Walk for the Animals fundraiser at Beavermead Park this Saturday (September 24th). Registration begins at 9 a.m.
[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]
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There Are Many Dogs Salivating Over Prospect Of Off-Leash Park
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Okay Political Parties: Engage Me, Interest Me, Tell Me What You Got Baby!
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I am still trying to stay positive about the provincial election here. The Federal Tories’ new archaic, colossally expensive "tough on crime" legislation is scaring me. All the more need for a simpatico MPP, I guess.
Last week, I looked at the local candidates. Today’s challenge: find something interesting about each party’s platform. Here we go, in no particular order:
The Tories’ proposed tax reforms are interesting: Reduce income taxes by 5 percent on the first $75,000. Populist. Popular. (And one helluva loss in government revenue). And double the caregiver tax credit. Those are good ideas. Hard to swallow that they could do this and meet their commitment of a balanced budget by 2017-2018, but…
The Green Party advocates reducing commuting costs by “supporting transit and affordable commuter benefits including incentives for ride-sharing, more high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and tax credits for public transit users.” By virtue of the appalling waste of human time and energy—not to mention toxic pollution—that comes from single occupancy cars in gridlock day in and day out, this is interesting.
Now here’s a good one: As part of the NDP Platform, cap government CEO salaries for $80 million in savings. That’s interesting. I don't believe in some people earning ten or 20 times what others do. That’s wrong. Glad someone’s saying this, publicly.
By-and-large, the Liberal platform highlights the POSITIVE. While this is more a communications approach as a platform plank, you take what you can get.
• Best Schools in the English-speaking world (MCKINSEY & CO, 2010)
• From the longest surgical wait times in Canada to shortest (CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH INFORMATION, 2011)
• So far this year Ontario has created more full-time jobs than the rest of Canada combined (STATISTICS CANADA, 2011)
"A Socialist Party of Ontario government will work to start to end poverty by implementing a guaranteed annual income of no less than $18,849, with annual adjustments for inflation, for each individual adult plus a child allowance." What? No bureaucracy to police every dime? Might just pay for itself. This is interesting.
Along with other libertarian policies, the Freedom Party affirms freedom, justice, and peace during international political meetings. Making political hay out of the scary embarrassment of police behaviour during the G8/G20 summit (and elsewhere)—well, that’s interesting. We welcome newcomer Alex Long to the Peterborough Riding.
PtboCanada Politics Columnist Miriam Lyall (aka Miriam Stucky) is a former Green Party Candidate. She is a step-mom extraordinaire and communications maven. Check it out: MiriamStucky.ca.
[Related: Here's A Primer On The Five Local Candidates Vying To Be Your MPP (With Pictures!)]
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