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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-04-14, Page 6>ArAt'tteNkv;Ivertota,W)4tAbreividedoetettiitYtra..il.ema,.... ry.morol"dscrAmtenfieuyearmpo,,"5,,wormwmformom ire tFot er 234 The flews from ndesboro Lloyd Stewart passes away WATER SOFTENER SALT SPECIAL 20 kg. $3.9 40 kg. $6.95 ith coupon from bag Howson & Howson Ltd Blyth 523-4241 StjPPL1ES 523-9771 I mile west of myth FOR SPRING LAWN CARE INCLUDING: - raking and clean up - fertilizing - spike aerating - tree trimming - custom sod cutting available April Is bare root month for most evergreens and deciduous trees. Please order by April 14 to guarantee availability. GET A GOOD THING • PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1993. Streetproofing your kids Tips to make their world a little safer •-,,,i4=Xiggli4444MtioitlfitaiP~WNSIStmaitoPfl Good information Huron County doesn't have 9-1-1, so it's important your child know what number to call and what information to provide: Dialing the operator or phoning home is a good second choice so make sure your child knows his phone number and street address. By Bonnie Gropp By making our children aware of the dangers on streets are we doing more harm than good? According to Dana Bazzato, of the Centre for Children and Youth in Clinton, the answer is no. Ms Bazzato and Laurie Green- wood were present at a meeting sponsored by the Brussels UCW to discuss streetproofing your chil- dren. Both women are involved with the organization Child Find, which began in Huron two years ago. Formed in Calgary in 1983 following the disappearance there of a young girl, the non-profit vol- unteer organization, works to help parents keep their children safe and prevent abduction. In addition to visiting communities to educate parents, they also conduct Kid Check programs. These identifica- tion packages consist of finger- prints and photographs of your child which are updated regularly. The information is an addition to the other services which exist through area Legions, schools and police forces. They try to get into different communities at least once a year, said Ms Bozzato. Child Find also makes and dis- tributes the posters of missing chil- dren. Funds for the organization are The sympathy of the community is extended to the family of the late Lloyd Stewart who passed away last week. The Blood Donor Clinic is April 22 at Central Huron Secondary School. The April meeting of the U.C.W. will be held at the church at Greeters at Londesboro United Church on Sunday, April 11 were Jack and Dorothy Tamblyn. Ushers were Don and Kittie MacGregor, Theresa Knox and Karen Roetcisoender. E. Wawanosh council may study Potter's Bridge East Wawanosh council was advised by Jim Walker of the Min- istry of Transportation that a full scale study on Potter's Bridge is required. He explained the study is required to see if a limit of five tonnes on the bridge is required or if an increase is necessary. The discussion took place at council's regular meeting April 5. Also at the meeting, council issued building permits to Jim Scott Part Lot 37, Conc. 9 for a trailer (sub- ject to Huron County Health Unit approval); David and Melanie Pletch of Part Lot 24, Conc. 7 for an addition to a house (subject to Huron County Health Unit approval) and to Fred Meier of Part Lot 42, Conc. 6 for a silo. raised through the Child Fair held each May and through other fundraisers such as celebrity lun- cheons. Though many parents believe the children living in small towns are less in danger than those raised in large urban areas, Ms Bozzato warns this is not necessarily the case. The friendliness which exists in small towns can make children susceptible to this type of danger. "No one's a stranger. Everyone believes they know everyone else." Ms Bozzato gave a video presen- tation, narrated by actor Daniel J. Travanti. He said that in the United States each year the unidentified bodies of 200 children are found. There are 200,000 reported cases of child sexual abuse. "It is time to replace fear with power," he said. Mr. Travanti said that it is no longer enough for parents to tell their children to stay away from strangers. "Ask your child what a stranger looks like. The bad guys don't always look bad," he says. Child molesters will often count on the fact that children think strangers aren't nice looking. A convicted child molester said what he looked for in a potential victim was someone who was always alone. They have a sad look and in most cases trusted him. He 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 19. The seniors' dance will be held at Londesboro hall on Wednesday evening, April 21. Miss Heather Fothergill and Mr. Eric Maddford of London spent the Easter weekend with the Fothergills. Flowers at the front of the church were in memory of Lloyd Stewart whose funeral was Friday. They were placed by his family. The choir sang an anthem and Lisa Elliott sang "Because He Lives". The sermon topic was "Where were the Witnesses?" It was announced that there will be Bible Study until April 27. provides them with a feeling of affection and likened the process to that of spinning a spider's web to entrap the child. The video offered tips to help educate parents on streetproofing their children. •Don't single your child out with personalized clothes. It makes them vulnerable. •Don't dress your child like a "rich kid". Criminals are drawn to children who dress differently from the rest of the group. •There is safety in numbers. Chil- dren alone are easy marks. Alone in any public place is not safe. •Children six and under are too young to be outside alone. •Never let them take shortcuts. They should stick to the main streets. •Tell children to trust their instincts. If something doesn't feel right to them they should act on it. •Teach them to scream and run towards a crowd. Another good tip for parents is to devise a code word. Police officers agree this is one of the best defens- es around. The child will never leave with someone unless that per- son knows the code word, which is a secret between children and their parents. Mr. Travanti said there has been many documented cases where it has worked. Physical power through self defense courses is not likely going to help a child against an adult. The best defense, the experts say, is for children to use their heads. Children should know their street address and phone number or they are missing a major defense. They have know way of getting home or calling for help. They should be taught to use the phone. Teach your child to look for someone in uniform if they are lost. Another suggestion was that chil- dren must be given the right to say no to an adult. There are times when our children should not be expected to be perfect. Molesters are not interested in kids who resist. Only when children are comfort- able with all the parts of their bod- ies will be they be able to tell a parent about good touching and bad touching. Children are compassionate and affectionate and while parents want to encourage that, the video warns against forcing children to give affection. "Telling a child they must let grandma kiss them when they don't want her to is not a good idea. It sends a message that forced physical contact is all right with you," said Mr. Travanti. Parents can never know too much about where there children are and who they are with. "Most parents are clearly devoted to their chil- dren, but they must check thor- oughly Parents have to communicate." Finally, if child safety experts agree on one thing, it's playing "What if'?". The idea is to present a scenario, then listen to your child's answer. Sometimes it's important to dig a little deeper the experts say, using as an example a situation when a mother had asked her child if she would leave to help someone look for his dog. The child had responded negatively, but the mother then asked the same ques- tion using a cat as the lost pet. The answer this time was affirmative. One of the questions asked by parents is how to get the informa- tion across without scaring them. Are we doing more harm than good? According to this video the experts say no. Giving information is giving power. John Walsh, whose son Adam was abducted and murdered in 1981 said, "To bury your head in the sand is doing your child a disservice. You won't be the victim." 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