HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-10-21, Page 1414 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Suicide Prevention Workshops to be held in Zurich
Two half day "safeTALK" suicide
alertness workshops are scheduled
to take place in Zurich on October
23 and October 24, from 1:30 p.m.
- 4:30 p.m.
"The recent loss of another beau-
tiful young life in our area, due to
suicide, has prompted this initia-
tive so that community members
can receive vital information mak-
ing them more alert and able to
recognize the signs from someone
in distress.
Suicide is real. It is prevalent in
too many families and action needs
to be taken. It knows no bounda-
ries and hits people of all ages and
circumstances. There is not enough
help readily available for those
needing it but as individuals we
can take steps to assist." stated
Heather Redick, organizer of these
workshops.
safeTALK is a half-day alertness
training that prepares anyone
over the age of 15, regardless of
prior experience or training, to
become a 'suicide -alert helper'.
Most people with thoughts of sui-
cide don't truly want to die, but
are struggling with the pain in
their lives. Through their words
and actions, they invite help to
stay alive.
Those certified in these safe -
TALK workshops will be more
able to recognize the signs, take
action and connect those in dis-
tress with life-saving intervention
resources.
An audio -video presentation,
handbook and hands -on -practic-
ing of skills, using the TALK steps
of tell, ask, listen and keep safe
will be presented by Craig Redick,
a LivingWorks Certified Trainer.
Craig has spent the past fifteen
years working in non-profit ser-
vice organizations. He began his
work in the social services sector
as a front line Developmental
Services Worker with specialties
in American Sign Language and
alternative communications and
continued through such organi-
zations as Community Living,
Children's Aid Society and Big
Brothers Big Sisters. Craig has led
the development of programs at
the local and national level for
adults and young people in
organizations including Appleby
College, ArtHouse, Big Brothers
Big Sisters and Kids Help Phone.
Craig is now the Executive Direc-
tor of a Distress Centre and a
trainer in suicide alertness.
safeTALK workshops are held
all over the world, and 'now' in
Huron County.
Workshops will take place at St.
Peter's Lutheran Church in
Zurich. Anyone over the age of 15
is invited to register by contacting
Heather Redick, heather@hay.
net, 519-236-4945. The cost is
only $20.00 due to the generous
support of local organizations,
businesses and individuals. To
find out more about safeTALK
visit https://www.livingworks.net
"This is an opportunity for all of
us to take a positive step to work
towards a suicide -safer community
to live in":
Blyth Witches' Walk gets cancelled at last minute
Laura Broadley
Postmedia Network
A 13 -year tradition in Blyth has
been cancelled just a few weeks
before it was set to take place on
Oct. 17.
The annual Witches' Walk is a
much -loved event set in the weeks
before Halloween. It draws hun-
dreds of people, who are deter-
mined to be scared, from all over
the area.
Up until last year the walk hap-
pened on the Greenway Trail. Co-
organizer Hope Button said the
committee decided to do some-
thing different so they moved it
into the shed behind the Blyth
arena.
Button said when it was outside
the team was often setting up in the
rain and a lot of their props weren't
able to withstand the rain so they
ended up having to leave a lot of
the stuff behind.
They've also had issues with van-
dalism and theft so setting up out-
side beforehand is not an option,
which means that everything has to
be put up and taken down on the
day of the event.
A few weeks ago members of the
organizing committee met with fire
officials who gave them a list of
requirements they had to comply
with in order for the walk to go
ahead.
Last year they were required to
have smoke detectors and fire
extinguishers but they were not
asked to use fire retardant, which
they were told they had to do this
year, according to Button.
"I don't know why last year this
wasn't brought up to us," said
Button.
The committee was told they
would have to spray the black plas-
tic going up to walls and covering
the floor as wells as their dried
corn.
James Marshall, fire prevention
officer with North Huron, said the
Fire Department of North Huron
requested a fire prevention inspec-
tion prior to the event this year. He
said fire safety at indoor haunted
houses changed when eight teen-
agers died 31 years ago. Interna-
tional standards reflect the lessons
learned from that event, he added.
"I can't inspect something that's
not there so as they set up and
show me what they're looking to
do, then I can inspect it. But to go
into a building that's wide open
with nothing done in it, it's very dif-
ficult to do any kind of fire and
safety inspection, " said Marshall.
Marshall said he wasn't the
inspector last year, so he can't
comment on what happened then.
The fire retardant had to be
shipped in from Vancouver but
Marshall said with fast shipping it
could have been here within the
timeframe. He also said that once
it's applied it doesn't need to be
reapplied every year.
"FDNH and North Huron asked
the Witches' Walk to purchase fire
retardant, which FDNH would
apply to all of the props, and
offered to implement all of the
other required fire safety measures
at no cost to the Witches' Walk to
ensure this year's event could
safely carry on. We are disap-
pointed that this event is not do-
able within the time window we all
had," said Marshall.
There are only four people in the
committee and with the Thanksgiv-
ing holiday and work schedules,
Button said there wasn't enough
time to fulfill all the requirements.
"We're not upset about the regu-
lations and the rules. It was just the
timing of what they brought upon
us."
Button said it's too much work to
bring it back out onto the trail
within a matter of a few weeks.
"A lot of people are really ques-
tioning why [we cancelled] and it's
just a lack of time, that's all," said
Button.
"We are not happy that we had to
do this, we all really love Hallow-
een and we really love [the Witches'
Walls] .
The future of the Witches' Walk is
uncertain as Button said the com-
mittee has not discussed it yet.
Rotary Club loads 50th container of school supplies bound for Africa
Lynda Hillman-Rapley
Postmedia network
Several years ago the Rotary
Club of Grand Bend learned that a
local school was being closed, with
all the school equipment and sup-
plies slated for scrap. The Club had
an idea: rather than waste all this
valuable educational material, why
not pack it into a seagoing con-
tainer and ship it to a school in
rural Africa.
This was the beginning of the
Global Literacy Project, which has
grown beyond all expectations. In
fact, on October 17 they loaded and
shipped their 50th container.
Each container is carefully
packed with school supplies such
as books, desks, chairs, black-
boards, shelves, and computers.
No space is left unfilled. Items
shipped include medical supplies,
sports equipment and musical
instruments (50 pianos have been
sent). The results speak for them-
selves: more than 40,000 children
in South Africa have been reached
with educational supplies with an
estimated value of $5 million.
Some 33 school libraries have been
stocked with 900,000 books. And
10,000 milk bag mats have been
shipped.
'Although the idea is simple, the
undertaking is huge. School sup-
plies must first be collected from
the schools and warehoused. The
40 -foot containers are loaded by
Rotarians and friends, trucked to
ports on the Atlantic, shipped by
sea to Durban, trucked to Middel-
burg, South Africa, where their
unloading is supervised by another
small Rotary Club and then distrib-
uted to schools in need," says
Rotary member Brian Hall.
"Making it happen has involved
many partners: other rotary clubs
in the area; local school boards
such Avon Maitland, Thames Val-
ley, and St. Clair Catholic School
Board; shipping contractors; edu-
cational authorities in South Africa;
and local South African Rotary
Clubs. It also required the support
of our community, in both man-
power and money. Some $250,000
has been raised from Rotary Clubs
and individual donors to pay for
freight."
This project has breathed new
life into many rural schools in
South Africa. Some of these chil-
dren had never seen a book before,
and now they are reading, writing,
and working on computers.
Educators are thrilled with their
progress.
Rotary president Peter Phillips
says the project keeps evolving.
"Schools are continuing to shut
down all across Canada, and more
and more Rotary Clubs are looking
to get involved. Other initiatives are
planned: the Avon Maitland District
School Board is planning an
exchange with South African teach-
ers to share ideas about education:'
For more information contact
Brian Hall, 519-238-8892, bh@way-
pointfinancial.ca . Also visit http://
grandbendrotary.com/SitePage/
global -literacy -project
seaforthhuronexpositor.com