Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
County councillors driving to the county building for their October meeting were greeted with the sight of four large pieces of public art in the parking lot.
Four of their big snow plows were angle=-parked side by side, their plow blades decorated with colourful artwork, courtesy of four Northumberland elementary schools celebrating Local Government Week.
Terry Fox Public School in Cobourg, St. Mary Elementary School in Grafton, Kent Public School in Campbellford and Spring Valley Public School in Brighton all signed up to decorate the blades with artwork based on the theme Partners Today for a Terrific Tomorrow.
County councillors (who were charged with the duty of selecting a winner) said it was a tough call. But in the end, the Kent students won the big prize – a tour of the county’s Material Recovery Facility recycling plant in Grafton and a pizza lunch.
Local Government Week activities are an opportunity for municipalities to raise awareness about the important function of municipal government within our community, the county’s press release said. The Paint The Plow contest was designed to encourage students to reflect on the connections they have day-to-day with their local level of government,
This year, Local Government Week is Oct. 14 to 20, and many municipalities have activities of their own to engage citizens in such initiatives. At Northumberland County, Paint The Plow competitions have been held since 2016. Students from Donna Burkholder’s Grade 8 class at Kent Public School were pleased to accept their prize for the 2018 contest.
“We are thrilled to see students of varying ages getting involved in municipal activities like Paint The Plow and reflecting on the role their local government plays in their day-to-day lives,” County Warden Mark Lovshin said in the press release,
“On behalf of county council, we thank all the participating schools for making this event a success, and we congratulate Kent Public School students on their well-deserving win.”
The children’s mayor also offered congratulations.
“We clearly have talented buddings artists here in Campbellford,” Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate declared.
“I want to thank the school administration for supporting this activity, and I want to congratulate Ms. Burkholder’s class for its submission. The students have certainly made our community proud.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
