Beach to get new name?

What’s in a name?

Plenty – especially when it’s not the one everyone uses.

Dover Beach Park, colloquially known as Mitchell’s Bay beach, may be getting a name change if a request from the Mitchell’s Bay Area Association is approved by council. North Kent Coun. Jamie McGrail said people are tripped up by the Dover Park Beach name considering it’s located in the heart of Mitchell’s Bay.

“Dover beach is not what people call the beach,” McGrail said, noting the name also poses a safety issue as it can be confused with Dover Centre or other parts of Dover.

“In an emergency, that can be really import- ant,” McGrail stressed.

McGrail, herself a resident of Mitchell’s Bay, said the name change would also help streamline tourism marketing and grant funding.

The request is expected to go before council on March 27.

A survey is also posted on the municipality’s website on Let’s Talk CK to garner public input on the issue..

Deputations on the matter are also welcome at the council meeting.

Check out a laptop

The Chatham Voice Narrowing Chatham-Kent’s digital divide is the aim of a new Connect CK laptop initiative.

Thanks to a joint venture between the Chatham-Kent Public Library, Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team and Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services, local residents can now check out Google Chromebooks at the library. The data-enabled mini-laptops will allow those without home Internet to access the service. The Chromebooks can be checked out for a period of 21 days.

The laptops are available to adult patrons aged 16 and up, who have a valid library card. They are available at 11 CKPL branches.