F.W. Howay’s reign as May Queen remains intact.
When Cassidy Tecklenborg was named New Westminster’s 144th May Queen, it marked the second consecutive year F.W. Howay has claimed the honour. After students in schools have selected their representatives, a random draw for positions in the May Queen Suite takes place in council chambers.
Accompanying Cassidy will be Peyton Arndt, who is F.W. Howay’s Royal Knight.
Rounding out the 2014 May Queen Suite are: First Maid of Honour Misha Dilshad and Royal Knight Nolan Common – Hume Park Elementary School; Second Maid of Honour Nadya Raza and Royal Knight Tejan Singh – Queensborough Middle School; Medal Bearer Ella Foster and Royal Knight Michael Paul– Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School; Register Bearer Emma Sneep and Royal Knight Praniel Surgrive – Connaught Heights Elementary School; First Flower Girl Asia Cornelius and Royal Knight Ethan Ginogino – Lord Kelvin Elementary School; Second Flower Girl Teadora Kadonoff and Royal Knight Manaf Al-Jawadi – John Robson Elementary School; Third Flower Girl Anna Rose Machuik and Royal Knight Teodor Petkovic – Herbert Spencer Elementary School; and Fourth Flower Girl Moira Young and Royal Knight Sean Chesman – Richard McBride Elementary School.
Al Balaniuk, assistant superintendent of schools, said the tradition is unique to New Westminster and has been taking place for 144 years.
“May Day is an incredible and unique opportunity for all our students in New Westminster to get together to celebrate their community spirit and school pride,” said Ardyth Moorcroft, a resource teacher with the school district.
Moorcraft noted that dances were introduced to May Day in 1913, when the governing body of the day decided B.C. kids should learn folk dances. New Westminster decided to incorporate the folk dances into its May Day celebration, and the tradition has endured.
Although the folk dances have been lasting traditions at May Day, other features have come and gone – including a Fat Man Race that was held for one time only in 1911.
Greener parks
The Lower Mainland Green Team and Evergreen are teaming up to green up Hume Park.
The groups have joined forces to do an invasive plant removal and planting of native plants at lower Hume Park on Sunday, March 9 from 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Community members are invited to take volunteer at the event. To sign up, go to tinyurl.com/LowerHume.
As part of Evergreen’s Uncover Your Creeks program, volunteers will remove invasive plants and possibly plant native plants and take water quality samples in the Brunette River. Participants will meet at lower Hume Park at East Columbian and Holmes streets, near the picnic shelters.
Plant a row
The folks at Plant a Row-Grow a Row are getting ready to party.
The program encourages people to plant an extra row of food in their vegetable gardens and donate it to Plant a Row-Grow a Row, which donates the products to the food bank so local families can put healthy, fresh food on their tables.
The 15th annual Spring Gardeners Party is taking place on Thursday, March 13. It gets underway at 6 p.m. at St. Thomas More Collegiate at 7450 12th Ave. in Burnaby – just across the New Westminster border. In addition to coffee, tea and goodies, it includes presentations and door prizes.
Brian Minter, national spokesperson for Plant a Row-Grow a Row, will get the evening started. Other presenters include: Senga Lindsey (landscape architect); Conway Lum (GardenWorks Mandeville); Susanne Perrin (GardenWorks Mandeville); June Hewko (Lee Valley Tools); and Michael Lascelle (Amsterdam Greenhouses).
A wide range of topics will be covered including increasing fruit production, mason bees, edible garden design, edible gardening for small spaces and new garden gadgets.
Claude LeDoux, who coordinates the local program, and members of the St. Thomas More community, will host the evening.
Other presenters will cover a wide range of topics, including increasing fruit production, mason bees, edible garden design, edible gardening for small spaces and new garden gadgets.
Admission is free, but people are encouraged to bring a donation of nonperishable food for the food bank.
Send Around Town ideas to tmcmanus@royalcity
record.com
