By Cecilia Nasmith

After a fourth year of fierce competition, Northumberland County council has declared Roseneath Centennial Public School the winner of the fourth annual Paint The Plow contest in celebration of Local Government Week.

As county councillors filed into session Oct. 16 at the county building, snowplows lined up in the parking lot had plow blades decorated by students from local schools on this year's Local Government Week theme: Here At Home: Ways We Can Work With Local Government To Shape Our Community.

As they pondered the selection of a winner, councillors took into consideration creativity, visual impact and depiction of municipal services. The puzzle-pieces approach Roseneath students took proved to be a winner, edging out other wonderful, colourful entries from students at Colborne Public School, Northumberland Hills Public School in Castleton and Dr. Hawkins Intermediate-Port Hope High School.

“The Paint The Plow challenge is a fun way to encourage students to learn about municipal services and reflect on the impact of local government in their everyday lives,” acting warden Bob Sanderson stated in the county's press release, adding his congratulations to the Roseneath students on a well-deserved win.

Acting Alnwick-Haldimand Township mayor Gail Latchford expressed pride in seeing the students engaging with their municipal government in a way that embraces creativity and teamwork.

“I want to thank the school administration for supporting this activity, and offer my congratulations to Ms. McCullough's Grade 5-6 class for their outstanding submission,” Latchford said.

Local Government Week was Oct. 20 to 26 this year, an opportunity for municipalities to raise awareness about the important function of municipal government in everyone's lives. Paint The Plow was created to help inspire children and youth to explore the many ways they may interact with municipal employees and services every day.

There is a prize to this contest, by the way. Students from Roseneath Centennial Public School will receive a tour of the county Material Recovery Facility in Grafton that includes a pizza lunch.