HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-12-13, Page 1The Citizen
________________________Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 16 No. 49 Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000 75 Cents (70c + 5c gst)
Inside this week
Pg-2
Pg. 6
Seaforth honoree
has Brussels
connection
Tips for caring for
Christmas trees
Kellington scores in
shoot-out for
Lightning victory
Avon Maitland
surplus to benefit
literacy project
Huron 4-Hers get
awards
‘Colorado low’ hits,
creates Tuesday chaos
For the third time in the past four
weeks Huron County was blasted
with a winter storm, Monday night
and Tuesday, only this time the
region had company.
The storm front, described as a
“Colorado low” by weather experts,
not only hit the traditional snowbelt
of Ontario, but much of eastern
North America including major
centres like Chicago and Toronto.
The storm caused 75 per cent of
flights at Toronto’s Pearson
International Airport to be cancelled
on Monday.
Here in northern Huron County
virtually everything ground to a
standstill by Tuesday morning.
Every school in the area was closed
and most businesses joined them as
OPP asked dnvers to stay off the
roads. Among the victims, The
Citizen, which, because even staff
living in town nearby couldn’t get to
the office, was delayed in its usual
printing time. As this is written
White to work
for N. Huron
The new Twp. of North Huron has
recently named its new director of
finance.
The hiring of Donna White,
currently clerk-treasurer of Brussels,
was announced earlier last week.
Murray Nesbitt, councillor for the
Blyth ward, who was one of the
committee that interviewed White,
said that they were impressed by her
and that she had the experience for
the job.
For her part. White said that a lot
of factors went into her decision to
take the job. “I’m really looking
forward to it, I think it’s going to be
a challenge,” said White. “I wish
nothing but the best for Huron East
and am sure that the residents of
Brussels will be well looked after by
the administration there.”
White had been hired as deputy
clerk-treasurer for Huron East,
which includes the Brussels ward.
The transition board was expected to
address this at the Monday night
meeting, but it was cancelled.
Crime Stoppers MADD about drunk driving
Crime Stoppers of Huron County
Inc. is teaming up with MADD
(Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
the Huron/Bruce Chapter in the
battle against impaired driving.
Sandra Lee and Dwayne Evans
presidents of the local chapter of
MADD are asking the public to be
the eyes and ears for the police and
report incidents of impaired driving
to Crime Stoppers or directly to
police in certain circumstances.
Christmas and New Year's are
special times of the year for most.
However, the ever-present threat of
impaired drivers on our roadways is
a sober reminder of how joy can turn
to tragedy.
Crime Stoppers is a community
based program that combines the
public, police and media in a co-
Tuesday afternoon, we still do not
know exactly when the paper will be
printed and delivered.
The culprit was not just the
snowfall, estimated at up to 30
centimetres, but the 70 km winds
that started in the northeast and
switched to the northwest overnight,
creating drifts that made even urban
streets impassable, given the high
winds, many snowplows did not
even venture onto the roads until
Tuesday afternoon.
Oh, Christmas tree
For those in the Christmas tree business it’s a busy time of
year and picking out that perfect Christmas tree can be a
nice family outing. Chris Willits, who went shopping with his
father at Niel Edgar’s tree farm outside Wingham in East
Wawanosh, gets some help from Edgar to load his
purchase for the trip home. (Vicky Bremner photo)
operative effort in the battle against
crime. Crime Stoppers provides
investigative leads to police while
maintaining the anonymity of the
caller. Callers are then eligible to
earn a cash reward for the
information they provided.
Crime Stoppers encourages the
public to call the toll free phone
number l-800-222-TIPS(8477) with
tips about impaired drivers, however
cautions the public that there are
certain situations when a call to
Crime Stoppers is not the
appropriate course of action.
“I think it’s necessary to educate
the public on the role of Crime
Stoppers when it comes to reporting
drunk drivers,” says Detective Kevin
Hummel, the Co-ordinator of the
Huron program.”
“For instance”, states Hummel
“when a member of the public
witnesses any crime in progress,
including impaired drivers, it is
WrapAround roots in Huron
In 1997 the WrapAround seed was
planted in Ontario. That seed has
since taken root and continued to
grow locally with the development
of WrapAround in Huron County.
The development of WrapAround
within Huron County is overseen by
a active 14-member community
team which has been working hard at
incorporating provincial guidelines
into the creation of the local
community’s policies and
imperative that they contact the OPP
immediately” to allow for a quick
response. An out-of-control impaired
driver poses a threat to public safety,
and this immediate action may well
save lives.
If following a suspected impaired
driver, remember the following:
• Remember your own safety and
keep your distance
• If you have a cell phone, call the
police (9-1-1) as soon as possible
• Provide the best description you
can of the vehicle and the driver
• The last known direction of travel
• Describe the movements and
actions you observe.
Driving to a phone of convenience
(home or next town) could have
deadly consequences, and greatly
reduces the ability of the police to
apprehend the culprit.
Detective Hummel advises, “In a
situation where you are following a
suspected impaired driver, you need
procedures. A review committee
(sub-committee of the Community
Team) has been established whose
role it is to review WrapAround
plans ensuring the critical elements
of WrapAround have been followed
and assist in locating and accessing
community resources on behalf of a
family involved in the WrapAround
Process.
The WrapAround process assists a
family with a child(ren) 18 years of
to call the OPP dispatch who can
relay the information to officer on
patrol as quickly as possible.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t
instances in which you can call
Crime Stoppers about impaired
drivers. A good example that
Hummel outlines concerns the
chronic drunk driver, or the one that
shows a pattern of this type of
activity. The suspect may frequently
drink somewhere, and then typically
drive home, or somewhere else.
The information you provide to
Crime Stoppers is relayed to the
appropriate OPP detachment that can
now make concentrated patrols in
that area.
Crime Stoppers of Huron County
and MADD Canada, Huron/Bruce
Chapter extends a Merry Millennium
Christmas and Happy New Year to
everyone. They remind everyone to
drink responsibly and Drive Sober -
Save Lives! Happy Holidays.
age and younger, which is
experiencing difficulty in a number
of areas of life to improve their lives.
A trained WrapAround facilitator is
assigned to assist the family through
the process.
Within Huron County a number of
staff from agencies that have
dedicated their time and r 'sources in
support of this community directed
initiative, have been trained
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