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6 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, June 8, 2007 OPINION Gardiner left a legacy of learning The public education system in Halton-- and particularly schools in north Halton-- suffered a serious loss Tuesday with the passing of Ethel Gardiner. Gardiner, 69, spent her entire adult life trying to make a difference in the education system, be it through her 39 years of teaching-- 29 of which were spent in Halton schools (18 at Robert Little School in Acton)-- or her 11 years as a Halton District School Board trustee. HDSB education director Wayne Joudrie echoed the comments of many colleagues when he said Gardiner "always put kids first". To say that about some in the education field would be disingenuous; about Gardiner it was the truth. We may be bias, but it is our opinion the HDSB never ran smoother than when Gardiner sat as its chair. Even during turbulent times, Gardiner attempted to get trustees to keep Halton students first and foremost in their thoughts when it came to decision-making. Colleagues described her as a "teacher's teacher", "encouraging", "compassionate" and a "real leaderteacher". She was all that... and more. When she visited our office last fall to inform us she wasn't going to run in the last municipal election due to her battle with cancer, Gardiner insisted it was only a temporary setback. But that was Ethel. She believed mountains could be moved and she was always eager to be the one doing the pushing. While Gardiner's gravelly-voice may now be silenced, her dedication to students, teachers and parents cannot be minimized or forgotten. We suggest the HDSB would be wise to quickly establish an award-- recognizing the efforts of a student or students-- that bears Gardiner's name. It would be a fitting tribute to this selfless educator who always put the kids first. www.independentfreepress.com Phone: 905-873-0301 Fax: 905-873-0398 Steve Nease STAFF DIRECTORY Publisher Ken Nugent Advertising director Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager Nancy Geissler (distribution@independentfreepress.com) ADVERTISING Advertising co-ordinator Jennifer Christie (jchristie@independentfreepress.com) Retail Sales: Jennifer Spencer (jspencer@independentfreepress.com) Adam Spinney (aspinney@independentfreepress.com) Andrew Key (akey@independentfreepress.com) Amy Sykes (features@independentfreepress.com) Real estate: Sue Spizziri (realestate@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds: Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) ACCOUNTING Rose Marie Gauthier, Michelle Wimmer EDITORIAL Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@independentfreepress.com) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@independentfreepress.com) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@independentfreepress.com) PRODUCTION: Mary Lou Foreman, Kevin Powell, Shelli Harrison, Dolores Black, Debbie MacDougall LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Board mourns loss of `great champion' Dear editor, Every community has members who commit themselves to its betterment, giving generously of their time and talents to advance the causes they believe in. It's remarkable, however, to have given 50 years of such service. This week, our community will come together to celebrate the life of Ethel Gardiner, and her five decades of dedication to public education. Although her health caused her to pull back from active service in the last year of her life, Ethel continued to attend some of her favourite events at the Halton District School Board as an honoured guest, and on each occasion she was welcomed and embraced. Those of us who are relative newcomers to the board know Ethel primarily by her reputation at the board, and by the loyalty felt for her by the people with whom she worked. Our board mourns the loss of one of its greatest champions, but in that mourning we recognize that her legacy is everywhere. Gillian Tuck Kutarna Board Chair and Trustee for Georgetown Wards 3 and 4 Halton District School Board Something bugging you? Send us a letter! Letters to the editor must include an address and daytime telephone number. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 200 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1 E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Local nurses went beyond the call of duty Dear editor, On April 2 my husband was rushed to Georgetown Hospital, and from there to Oakville-Trafalgar, finally ending up in Hamilton General Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit. He was accompanied on his trip by a nurse from Georgetown Hospital whose duties ended once she had arrived in Oakville, but she took it upon herself to stay with my husband until he was admitted to Hamilton General and was in good hands. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Ruth, who was in emergency that night and didn't get home until 5 a.m. the following morning. Len was in Hamilton for five weeks where he spent four weeks in ICU before returning to Georgetown. It was our 44th wedding anniversary on May 4 and Tracy, a nurse on the medical surgical floor set up a small room with soft music where we could enjoy a dinner for two. She made our anniversary a day to remember after all we had been through. We will never forget her for that. These two nurses have made Len's hospital stay more than bearable. Where would we be without our nurses-- especially these two? Georgetown Hospital is lucky to have these two special ladies. Once again, thank you. You will always be in our hearts and prayers. Len and Barb House, Acton THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS The Independent & Free Press is published every Wednesday and Friday at 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown Ont., L7G 4B1. It is one of several newspapers published by Metroland Media Group Ltd. 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The Independent & Free Press is a member of The Canadian Community Newspaper Association and The Ontario Community Newspaper Association. `Weekend' support is appreciated Dear editor, We want to thank the local businesses, friends, family, and residents of Georgetown for supporting all of our fundraising efforts for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. A special thank you to Pat's Deli, Wal-Mart, The Superstore (Argentia), and the Georgetown Market Place for allowing us to sell our pink ribbon items and hold our fundraising events in their stores. Thanks to everyone who donated items for our garage sale as well as Adams Georgetown RentAll which generously donated tables for the sale. Many friends and family donated their time and special skills to support our fundraising including Monique's bookmarks, Marnie's chocolates, and Heather's bracelets. With everyone's support we have managed to raise the minimum of $2,000 each as well as support other walkers. Thanks so much to you all. Mia Irwin and Joanne Chandler Georgetown