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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-11-16, Page 15erich Signal -Star • Wednesday, November 16, 2011 r iii;ti;l1T,�1►' ;i�['li«� Fh)4 d our *sr on Nov 2 4 end ddt.dIve 10. the LH to the SIN Were tamale FX Ughtsaber tits Mould be 34' Pape P023 the CD 'Venous Aitrsts 2012' 030264e84 wed be available on November t 5 • The Guentny kw Me Incandescent 06 Santa lights (V112/31 should be 25 tights. Pepe 27 The tnhsnt Gam Set 01301 354017i74ru4eo ) wiN not be swelled,' Ow amersien Ns how aw..al. Restorative justice promotes community-based resolution Gerard Cretee Goderich Signal -Star advertisement How to cruise through this winter season Tips from Ontario Tire Stewardship November 13-20 is Restor- ative Justice Week in Ontario, a chance to highlight the 1 -or the last month or so, you've had the. t Cy turned off, the space heaters plugged IIS and the warm weather clothing stashed in the .closet. And with the fall leaves safely on the ground, it's a sure sign that winter is right around the corner - and (gulp) so is the first snowfall. "Tougher driving conditions mean more wear and tear on your tires, so it's a good idea to check your winter tires before hitting the road - especially if they've already seen a few seasons," says. Andrew 1 iorarnan, Executive Director, Ontario Tire Stewardship. "While its always important to have a well-maintained set of tires on .your vehicle the difference in performance can be even more dramatic in the winter. Making sure your winter tires are up to the ,nowy roads will help keep you safe all season long." I )riving slowly and more carefully is the best way of staying safe in the winter, but a well-maintained set of proper winter tires 13 paramount to a smooth ride. 14* for WWI YOUr tires rolling this season: Put a id on R. If valve caps arc left off, the moisture in the valves can freeze. This can lead to escaped air and a flat tire. Stay wateltftA. Make checking your : tire pressure a regular habit. While this is good practice all the time, it's especially important in. the winter when air pressure and temperatures are at their extremes. Good traction is especially important in the winter, and keeping in line with pressure guidelines helps tires maintain their grip. Be consistent if you choose to use winter tires, use them on all four wheels. Inconsistent . traction can be dangerous and can lead to sliding and skidding. Keep e001. Store your all -season tires in a cool, dry place. Pile them up to four high, but don't stack them tread side down. Replace and recycle. Part of: safe winter. driving is knowing when your tires have outlived their lifespan. Replace winter tires every two -to -three seasons, and drop off up. to 4 used tires free at a registered Ontario Tire Stewardship collector. Collectors are stationed all over Ontario, and drop off is easy. Old you know? Ontario Tire Stewardship helps roll old tires into green products. Used tires can get new lifeas recycled rubber products such as car mats, soaker hoses, playground tiles, carpet underlay and floor mats. �isltGreenMyrlres.ca to find a local Collector or for more information on recycled rubber products. Follow us on ?ivitter iGrseseMyTires Specie pr'wrdei thruujh potnenhsp htlwe n industry and (*Its munmrire) tee 1. • 1 +.x1 * 4c A., ev*t n pvi rip,am.. willingness of youth criminal offenders to make peaceful amends with those they have wronged outside of the court system. Restorative justice brings all parties involved in. a crime together to find solutions through voluntary mediation. The program bangs youth charged with a crime together with the victim, par- ents and volunteer committee mem- bers, to work out an appropriate way to make amends. Jessica Davies is the Youth Justice CommitteeCoordinatorfor Huron County, based out of the Salvation Army, Goderich. Davies oversees the seven community volunteers involved in the process, and said the program allows a very different approach to Jus- tice than that offered in the courts. "YJC allows the persons harmed a chance to be involved In the process," she said. "That isn't always the case in the traditional justice system!' By having the victims of the crime explain how it made them feel to the youth charged, it creates a far greater understanding of the effects of their actions. 'that idnd of empathy, Davies said, is worth its weight in preventing a reoccurrence. "Personally, I've seen youth be really held accountable for their actions, which is important for learning and making better choices, she said. "And I've seen people who have been victims of offences embracing the chance to have their voice heard." For example, if a young teen enters an unlocked apartment and is charged with break, enter and theft, the person robbed would have the ability to explain to the young offender not only why the theft was wrong, but about the personal invasion and other aspects of the crime the youth may not have considered. "They are not out for punishment," Davies said. "They are out to under- stand why this youth offended and maybe use that information to help somebody else." The program is run under the Salva- tion Army's Community Alternatives for Youth program, which has been funded locally by the Ministryof the Attorney General since 2010. This year, the theme for Restorative Justice Week is "Revisioning Justice" - looking at injustice in all areas of life, not strictly related to crime. "Restorative justice can be used in all aspects of life," she said. "Opening up that dialogue for people to corne to an agreement on how we should treat each other in the. world" Since January of 2011, there have been 16 referrals to the program - cases that otherwise would have been brought before a judge. Davies noted restorative justice is 100 per cent vol- untary, both for the offender and the offended. "A volunteer n myself will meet with anyone who is going to participate beforehand," she said. "We sit down and talk about what happened, who has been affected and what is to be done" Partners in the Restorative Justice Program include the OPP, Wingham Police, Legal Aid and Victims Services. Hullett Central to keep name after merger Mb Marshall Hullett Central Public School will. keep its name even after it includes stu- dents from Blyth Public School in Sep- tember 2012. At the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) Nov. 8 meeting, Mike Ash, AMDSB superintendent of educa- tion, school operations, told trustees that the school's Transition Committee has decided Hullett Central's name should continue to be used for the merged school populations. The decision came after two commu- nity surveys, one in May and one in October of 2011, were completed. Of the 33 respondents in the first sur- vey, only two suggested a name change to "Hullett/Blyth". The rest argued that a name change was unnecessary, would cost money and might upset the Hullett school community. Ash noted that the majority of responses in the spring came from the Hullett CPS school community. He said that at that time Blyth parents were being surveyed about both the Hullett CPS transition and the Maitland River Elementary School transition, as well as being surveyed on where they planned to send their junior and senior Kinder- garten -aged children. He said given the number of surveys for Blyth parents, and the low Blyth responsa to the Hullett naming survey, a second survey was launched in the fall of 2011 to ensure Blyth PS parents had another opportunity to give their opinions. In the second survey 20 of 21 respond- ents, again mostly from the Hullett CPS community, made similar arguments with one person suggesting a name change to "Upper Central Elementary School" Trustee Colleen Schenk said a Blyth councillor as well as several students and parents from Blyth PS attended the transition meeting where the decision to keep Hullett's CPS name was made. "They all seemed very pleased with the outcome," said Schenk. Students from Blyth Public School will be split up in September of 2012, with some attending Hullett Central and others attending the new Maitland River Elementary School (MAPS) in gingham.