4- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, June 30, 1998 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice' ' Busy volunteer's Citizen of the Year Heather Haliburton- Smith has the drive to get things done By Chris Hall Port Perry Star When asked to name off the number of local committees that she's involved in, Heather Haliburton-Smith pauses for a moment to recall the long list. "... Central Seven Association of Community Living, Rotary Club, Northern Durham Family Network, the Spina Bifida/Hydrocephalus Association, Easter Seals... I think that's it for this year," she says before adding another four names to the growing list. A full-time employee at Everlasting Memories in Port Perry; a full-time vol- unteer with various committees; and a full-time parent with husband Bob to son Devon, Mrs. Haliburton-Smith will be honored tomorrow (July 1) by The Star as Port Perry's Citizen of The Year. While it's an accolade she truly appre- ciates, Mrs. Haliburton-Smith says the award 1s not for her, but for the people who have stood behind through all her years of community service. "This just blows me away," she said last Friday in her Old Simcoe Rd. home. "All these years I've tried to help out and try not to be recognized; this work is for the people and the kids... it's not for me to be in the spotlight. I just feel that I've been fortunate enough to help out. "Winning the award will give me an opportunity to recognize in public all the people who have helped me achieve all the things we have done." 8S OR a BD Heather Haliburton-Smith: Port Perry woman juggles, job, family and vol- unteer responsibilities. She's been named The Star's Citizen of the Year, and will be honored in Palmer Park on Canada Day. A resident of Port Perry for the past 16 years, Mrs. Haliburton-Smith said getting out and working in the commu- nity to help people is something she's always been keen on, even though it has meant family and professional sacrifices. "I'm just one of those people in life that can't say no to someone who's look- ing for help. I'm known to be bossy -- okay, I am -- but people seem to follow me, and with that... we get things done. That's the way I am. "Bob's the best husband in the entire world. He never says no either. I always seem to be on the podium while he does the work in the shadows; he's a big part of the community as well," she said, adding that her busy, and sometimes conflicting schedule has left her employ- ers at the local flower shop "high and dry the odd time, but they're very under- standing of what I do." So understanding, in fact, they nomi- nated her for the second annual Port Perry Star Citizen of The Year award. "Nellie Stell and Marilyn Yeomans are just great... they're everything a friend could ask for, and what you would want in an understanding employer." When not attending committee meet- ings, riding the waves or snowdrifts in fundraisers such as Aquarama or Snowarama, or lobbying the provincial government on-behalf of disabled adults and children, Mrs. Haliburton-Smith says she does get the odd minute to spend with her family. "There are weeks when I'm never home and others when I do have plenty of time to spend there; it depends on what's happening, but everyone's really understanding." It's work that's enjoyable, and some- thing she plans on continuing for years to come. And she's humble about being recognized as Citizen of the Year. "I'm extremely surprised at this award, but not excited. I'm not the one who deserves it, really. It's everyone who supports me that should receive this; I guess since we got this they'll have to keep supporting me now. "But really, it's just so rewarding to give back to the people in the community who have helped us out. It's a great feel- 'ing to give back to the community a little bit of what you received." Heather Haliburton-Smith, along with award nominees Charlene Knaap and Linda Courtney, will be presented with their plaques by Star publisher Peter Hvidsten and General Manager Don MacLeod during a 12:45 p.m. cere- mony at the Gazebo in Palmer Park during Canada Day celebrations July 1. By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Two local bus drivers will be vying for the North American championship this month when they head off to Washington for an international com- petition. Two drivers from the Sunderland division of Stock Transportation will test their skills against the best in the United States and the rest of Canada in a rodeo to be held in Washington D.C. on July 11 and 12. It's a challenge both are excited and nervous about. After winning both a company com- petition and the provincial crown in recent bus rodeos, second-year driver Rhonda Thomson says she and Marg Prevost, her friend and trainer, are ready to compete. "It's really exciting to do this, a real honor for both of us. We get to represent our country and our province in an international competition," she said. Ms Thomson, a Seagrave resident and mother of two children, won Stock's Safe Driving Championship during a June 6 challenge in Richmond Hill "while Ms Prevost, a 13-year veteran, took second place. They had to manoeuvre through a tight obstacle course, weaving between barrels and parking between markers Driving force Two local drivers will represent Stock at international bus rodeo with precision accuracy. "It was a very tight, very tough obsta- cle course to drive and you only had 10 minutes to do it in," said Ms Prevost, adding that a written test was also part of the event. Then it was off to Whitby to the Durham District Board of Education on June 13 for the provincials, which saw the local duo finish first and second once again. With the scores combined from Ms Thomson's top finish and Ms Prevost right behind her, the local drivers also captured the team trophy, and were off to nationals. Ms Prevost won the provin- cial championship in 1993 and this will be the fourth consecutive year Stock will compete in the challenge. While both are confident about the international competition, Ms Prevost says one real challenge in Washington will be the use of air brakes, something not used on Canadian school buses. "It'll be the same idea, same proce- dure but we'll be driving buses with air brakes and that's something neither of us have done. Stock is giving us a two- day course on it before we leave," she said. "There'll be some slight differences in the competition, but I'm sure we'll be alright down there." i Si % 'i » i Se * Ms Thomson says that while driving a bus wasn't really a career she'd always had on her mind, it allowed her to get out of the house and work and still spend time with her two children. "Marg's been a great help and the company's great. I wanted to get back Two drivers from Stock Transportation's Sunderland Division have advanced to a Washington DC competition which will see the pair compete against other top-notch bus drivers from across Canada and the United States. Rhonda Thomson, right, won both the Stock and provincial titles at recent bus rodeos while friend and trainer Marg Prevost finished second right behind her. The two will fly to Washington to compete July 11-12. to work after having the children and this job accommodates mine and my kids' schedules. "I've always enjoyed driving large vehicles and now that I've got my B license I can both work and stay at home with my kids," she said.