HISTORY Baxter Arts Centre documents building’s past
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THE PICTON
Gazette
Volume 186, Week 47
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 24, 2016
REFUGE
Macaulay House offers warm escape from winter
RALLY
Pirates score three goals in third period to beat Rebels
Canada’s longest publishing non-daily newspaper, proudly serving Prince Edward County since 1830
Administration recommends K-12 facility at PECI, new elementary school in Wellington
Major consolidation of county schools under consideration JASON PARKS STAFF WRITER
GOLDEN GIRLS The PECI Senior Basketball Panthers celebrate on their home court Thursday after beating the Bayside Red Devils to earn the COSSA championship and a trip to the OFSAA provincial tournament in Essex County. (Adam Bramburger/Gazette staff)
Panthers capture COSSA basketball crown
In a move that will change the face of education in Prince Edward County forever, the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board has approved a motion to start an accommodation review of six of the eight local public schools. At their monthly board meeting Monday evening (hosted at PECI thanks to the board's policy of annually rotating November's meeting to various corners of the board's catchment area), trustees approved motions made earlier at a school en-
rolment/capacity subcommittee meeting to commence the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) process in three areas in the Quinte region including the City of Belleville, Centre Hastings and Prince Edward County. Locally, the motion will lead to certain school consolidation although its not set in stone exactly what the final preferred option developed through the ARC process and submitted to the board on June 19, 2017 will look like.
See SCHOOLS, page 12
PECI seniors survive semifinal scare to clinch history-making trip to OFSAA championship ADAM BRAMBURGER STAFF WRITER
The story in the PECI gym moved quickly from coronary to coronation Thursday. The Senior Basketball Panthers nearly had their dreams dashed as a pesky Crestwood Mustangs team pushed them to the limit and beyond in COSSA 'AA' semi-
final play. After prevailing by the slimmest of margins, they steamrolled the Bayside Red Devils to earn their first COSSA gold medals and to advance to today's OFSAA provincial tournament in Essex County. The Mustangs showed up at PECI short on size and depth, but they made up for that with desire and speed to
go nearly point-for-point with the Panthers. Meanwhile, the home side appeared to be grappling with the enormity of the day as struggled to make baskets before a large crowd. "To Crestwood's credit, I'm not sure if they played above what they're capable of or if that's the team we should have expected, but
they gave us some fits," said Panthers coach Rob Garden. "They were athletic, they were aggressive, they played a really good zone defence and our shots wouldn't fall — despite all our best efforts, we shot two for 22 (on free throws) and 14 for 47 (from the field)."
See PANTHERS, page 25
CHANGING LANDSCAPE Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board manager of planning Kim Horrigan speaks to the ARC recommendation Monday evening. (Jason Parks/Gazette staff) LOOK INSIDE FOR COUNTY
Inside this week’s edition of the Gazette... OP/ED
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