Arlington school could close

Committee targets Arlington middle school for closure
Five local schools to become four if board approves recommendation
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier April 28.)

Arlington Middle School is recommended for closure.

Five local schools are half empty,  one will close, but which one should it be?
An accommodation review committee report has recommended that Arlington Middle School be shut down while JR Wilcox, Cedarvale, Rawlinson, Humewood elementary schools all expand from grades 6 to 8.
Board staff will make its own recommendations and trustees will vote on this issue at the end of June.
Meanwhile, Arlington school council chair Robin Fraser is pushing everyone to rethink their decision.
“My person opinion, I am little confused about the recommendation because Arlington has the best facility,” said Fraser, who has a son at the school. “It has a larger gym, auditorium, a lunch room, science labs, a music room.”
It’s also right on Cedarvale park with a baseball diamond, soccer and football fields and a ravine, she added.
Her solution is to keep the 1971-built Arlington and close 90-year-old JR Wilcox instead.

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Oakwood Vaughan community action plan

Local residents creation a plan to improve neighbourhood
West end Toronto vision for Toronto spurs improvements
By Kris Scheuer
(Written April 28 for Town Crier.)

Oakwood residents and council reps have found new ways to engage the community, including hosting movie nights and potluck dinners at Laughlin Park. Photo courtesy of Tamara Massey.

Oakwood Village residents Tamara Massey and Josh Colle see ways to improve the neighbourhood they love.
They’ve put their passion for the community into a plan that could see the once-troubled neighbourhood become a thriving arts district.
Massey and Colle are members of the 5 Points Community Action residential association that’s produced an Envisioning 2010 document with the help of neighbours, local business, police, politicians, charities and service agencies.
Don’t expect this report to sit on the shelf collecting dust – it’s already producing results.
“It’s become a second job on nights and weekends,” said Massey of the action
plan. “When I started this in January 2009 with (councillor) Howard Moscoe
it was an envisioning exercise with maybe 12 people at the meeting.”
Massey and Colle, co-authors of the document, spent a year planning, and
this January 70 people showed up to participate in brainstorming session on
how to improve the neighbourhood.