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New trustees pledge to respond to voters' needs

As a trustee for the Rainbow District School Board and its predecessor, the Sudbury Board of Education for 22 years, Doreen Dewar has a few words of advice to new trustees elected to the four area school boards.
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Doreen Dewar, seen here with her husband, Bob Dewar, was elected as a trustee with the Rainbow District School Board Oct. 25. Dewar has been on the school board for 22 years. Oct. 25 marked her eighth election. Photo by Heidi Ulrichsen.
As a trustee for the Rainbow District School Board and its predecessor, the Sudbury Board of Education for 22 years, Doreen Dewar has a few words of advice to new trustees elected to the four area school boards.

“Always, always, always return every call (from parents),” she said during an interview with Northern Life at her home on election night.

“Sometimes when you’re returning a phone call the message you’re going to have to give them is not a good one. It’s not going to make people happy. But give them the courtesy of a return call, no matter what. I really feel that way.”

She also advises new trustees to ask a lot of questions, and enjoy the good parts of their job, such as attending graduations and science fairs.

According to unofficial information posted on the City of Greater Sudbury’s election website, Dewar won her eighth election Oct. 25, beating out challenger Lionel Rudd in Area 5, which corresponds to Wards 9 and 10.

She said she first ran for trustee when three of her four children were still in school. The board was considering closing Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, and Dewar decided to get involved.

She said the most difficult part of being a trustee is accommodation reviews, such as the one which is currently underway with the board’s South End schools. The school board will make a decision about the fate of these schools Nov. 18.

“It’s really a difficult, difficult decision that has to be made,” Dewar said.

According to the unofficial election results, Robert Kirwan beat out incumbent Ruth Ward, along with Gordon Ewin, in Area 3 in the Rainbow District School Board trustee elections.

He said he taught with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board for 28 years, retiring in 2001. He’s also the former president of the Sudbury Catholic Teachers’ Federation, and owns his own tutoring agent and education consultant business.

Kirwan said he decided to run with the Rainbow District School Board to so he could be “objective” with his decisions on the school board, and give himself some distance from his teaching career.

He said he’s concerned that all school boards will have some “tough sledding” after the provincial election next year, as there’s “no money in the budget” for education.

Michael Bellmore beat out Geraldine Meskell in Zone 3 in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board elections, according to the unofficial election results. He said he’s not entirely new to the role of trustee — he was the trustee in the same area from 1994 to 1997.

“I’m absolutely over the moon, actually,” he said. “I have two young children in the system, so I have a vested interest in ensuring that we’re providing a strong and quality education, that’s faith-based, to our children.”

Bellmore said many people in his area brought up concerns about the bussing services provided by the Sudbury Student Services Consortium. He said he’d like to encourage the school board to re-examine how students are transported.

“They find the consortium is non-responsive to their needs, and they’re not quick to get information to the parents, and the route system seems to be flawed.”

He also said he’d like to create an advisory council of those who pay taxes to the school board, but don’t currently have any children in the school system.

Raymond Desjardins won in Zone 2 of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, beating out incumbent Jack McDonald, along with Felicia Fahey, David Stapleton and Leslie Marie Steel, according to the unofficial election results.

Desjardins worked for many years as a principal with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. He said he’s excited to have been elected as a trustee.

“I think Jack (McDonald) worked many years, and made a contribution,” he said. “You can’t take that away from him. I just thought (this) was an opportunity for a new person to offer something.”

John Robert has been elected, along with incumbent Georges Boudreau, in Zone 6 for Conseil scolaire de district catholique du nouvel-Ontario, according to the unofficial election results. The two beat out incumbent Marcel Legault, along with Fernand Bidal, in the race.

Robert, the former mayor of Valley East, said in his role of trustee he’d like to promote extracurricular activities, such as after-school sports.

He said many people don’t understand what school boards do. He said he’d like to hold public meetings to educate citizens about the role of school boards. 

Click here for a full list of trustees who have won seats and a list of Greater Sudbury's city council, or visit www.NorthernLife.ca/election2010.

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Heidi Ulrichsen

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