The Our Town - Clarenville Blog by Paul Tilley

Summer's Coming! And when I think of summer in Clarenville, I think about some of the great community events that we hold in Elizabeth Swan Park on Tilley's Road.  Elizabeth Swan Park has proven to be a hub for Clarenville town based activities.  During the Summer, Canada Day, Clarenville Day and Arts Under the Stars events take place there and during the fall and winter, Bonfire night and Winter Carnival activities take place in the park.  I’m sure if you were out to any of these events you enjoyed yourself - each of them bring a greater sense of community to the people who came.  Then there’s the weather. Rain, sleet, snow, wind and cold have plagued the turnout of too many events and as many of our townspeople age access to the park is becoming more restricted.   Rather than a problem, this presents a wonderful opportunity to make the park space more user friendly by building a larger shelter to replace the small one that has served its purpose.   A multipu

In 2007 Clarenville was designated an "Aged Friendly Community" and since then the Random Aged Friendly Board has been engaging seniors in numerous activities and advocating for seniors on numerous fronts.  One of the most successful initiatives has been the "Computers for Seniors" classes that are offered at the Clarenville Campus of the College of the North Atlantic. In Fall and Winter semesters, Random Aged Friendly and the College offer a free 8 week evening course to seniors that teaches basic computer skills such as searching the internet, composing and sending emails, Google earth, on-line banking and many other computer functions. Each evening, 5-8 volunteer facilitators from the College, the Community and the local High School work with the class of 12-16 seniors - who come from all over Clarenville and surrounding communities. On March 27, 2012 another 17 seniors graduated to bring the number up to 127 graduates since the program was launched.

Co-contributer Paul Tilley wrote an excellent posting about the issue of the Clarenville Fire Department providing fire protection services to the Local Service District (LSD) of Milton/George's Brook. I didn't think there was much to add to the topic until I read this week's Packet . The story doesn't seem to be posted on the website, however, the article is about the request of the LSD for a tanker truck from the provincial government. The LSD had requested that Clarenville Fire Department provide them with services and one of the conditions was a tanker truck to be stationed in the area to ensure adequate water supply. The Minister responsible indicates that should Clarenville become the regional fire department, an analysis would then have to be completed to determine the necessary resources required.  Fair enough. What caught my eye, however, was the last few paragraphs. The article indicates that "while the final decision to negotiate comes down to council

While spring means bulbs will start to appear in the garden, it also means that something  has disappeared from our streets. The snow and ice on the roads have disappeared as have the road markings.  Each year, road surface markings seem to disappear almost as quickly as they are painted on. You are taking your life in your hands while driving down Manitoba Drive these days. While the regulars know where the lanes are, there are many people coming off the TCH who have no way of knowing. Over the past few days, it has been a free-for-all with cars in turning lanes going straight and straddling both lanes. This has been a problem in many towns for the past few years.  Surely there's a solution to increase safety on our streets?

Over the past ten days we have been treated to one of the most well organized, entertaining and energizing events of the year - the annual Kiwanis Music Festival. A small band of volunteers create a fantastic talent showcase that rivals any other festival in the province. What truly makes it successful though is the talent - our region's children are awesome!! Paired with their highly skilled music teachers these kids are a talent tour-de-force. To appreciate the talent that I speak of here, you really need to see it and hear it. The technology that you are using here helps you do that. Through my job I have a lot of occasion to use technology and share its application with my students and the greater community. In our Business program at the Clarenville Campus we use this same technology extensively in the classroom and outside to teach (hands on) communications and media skills. What you are seeing here and in other pages/projects that we are involved in is a sample of some of

Over the past week or so there has been a lot of talk in the media of the wrong people parking in designated Disabled (Mobility impaired) Parking spots.    These are prime spots that serve a definite purpose – making building access easier for people who face more than their share of mobility challenges.  Stores, Banks, Hospitals all have them and generally people are courteous enough to leave these spots for people who really need them.   I see here in Clarenville that Wal-Mart has taken this idea further by adding designated parking spots for people with toddlers – good on ‘em! Taking Wal-Mart’s cue further, there is a large and growing group of aging people who are finding it increasingly difficult to walk any distance.  As early baby boomers push into their late 60’s,70’s & 80’s they too should be considered for special parking treatment in key places such as health care facilities.   As my mother-in-law points out, it’s hard to find a spot to start with, let alone one that