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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1994-04-20, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, April 20, 19,4 Briefly 1 l Township raises pay two per cent Tuckersmith Township's full- time employees received a two per cent raise on their annual salary. Council approved the increase in closed session on April 5. Township backs tax break for ethanol Ethanol production for gasoline should receive a tax exemption for a further 10 years, says Tuckersmith Council. At the April 5 meeting council agreed to forward a letter to Paul Steckle, MP, advising him of their decision. Town pays for damages to car from sidewalk A bill was sent to the Town of Seaforth recently from a resident for repairs to a car damaged last month when exiting the owner's driveway. The owner sites the town's new sidewalk in front of the property as the cause of the damage. Superintendent Forrest inspected the sidewalk and added gravel fill to the edges, accord- ing to the April 5 report of the Transportation and Environment Committee. Administrator Crocker recom- mended the bill for $89.07 be paid and that a release be obtained from the other party confirming the Town will not be liable for any future damages or costs. West Street reconstruction to cost $16,000 West Street in Seaforth will have to be reconstructed at an estimated cost of $16,000 to meet MTO specifications to accommodate the eight drive- ways that will enter the street when the Munn subdivision is complete. Roads Superintendent John Forrest reported to the Transpor- tation and Environment Commit- tee on April 5 that engineers have advised that West Street is only five metres wide, which is about three metres narrower than it should be. As well, Church St. sanitary sewers will have to be extended at the developer's cost and the watermain extended and a new storm drain installed. The total estimated cost for Church SL is $45,000. The road work on the two streets is eligible for a 50 per cent subsidy. McKillop accepts quotation A quotation was accepted from John Ellingson Electric Ltd. by McKillop Council for streetlight maintenance at a rate of $45 per hour for a bucket truck and operator and $65 per hour for a bucket truck and two operators. * * * At their April council meeting, McKillop Township accepted the budget for the Blyth District Fire Area Board. It remains the same as last year with McKillop's portion being $5,048. News and Views Safety big issue for women BY DAVID SCOTT Expositor Staff It's an unfortunate fact of modern life but women travelling alone are often targets for attackers. John Marshall, Senior Constable with the Goderich OPP and co-chair of SWAN (Stop Women Abuse Now), was a uest lecturer on "Women Alone" at the Woman's Resource Centre in Seaforth on Wednesday night. Marshall offered safety suggestions for women, played a 45 -minute video produced by the OPP and had a lively ques- tion and answer session following. Driving alone was the main focus of the discussion but safety tips for women living alone were also given. "When you're coming out of the grocery store with many parcels, where are your keys when you get to the car?" asked Marshall. "Make sure you know where they are before leaving any building. Hold them between your fingers. They can be a good weapon," said the OPP Senior Constable. "It's some- thing you carry in your purse at all times." He also suggested a key chain* you can wear around your wrist. (* A supply of these will be available soon at the Woman's Resource Centre in Seaforth, cour- tesy of the Goderich OPP). When getting into your parked car, always look in the back seat and on the floor before you get in, said Marshall. In Toronto under- ground parking lots, the latest rob- bery or abduction scheme is for attackers to hide underneath cars and wait sometimes for hours for car owners to return and then grab their feet or legs when they go to enter their car and knock them over. To avoid this kind of attack, Marshall suggests parking near elevators or near the lights in the underground parking. "It's important to look out. There's a lot of cuckoos out there. Women are vulnerable," said Marshall. -, Walk as if you own the street, especially seniors, suggests the Senior Constable. "Don't look like you're Lost even if you are." An air of confidence can deter muggers. Putting your purse strap around your neck can be a dangerous mis- take. Marshall told of a women in Toronto whose neck was broken when the robber grabbed her purse. A technique used in American cities might scare off bandits. Women carry their purses upside-down. Then if they're attacked, they empty the entire contents of the purse on the street and sit down. "A thief isn't going to take the time to pick up everything," said Marshall. Another robbery technique gain- ing popularity in Toronto is stealing from your car when it's stopped at the lights. When you come up to a stoplight, if your door is unlocked and thieves standing on the corner notice a purse, they'll open the door, take the purse and run. "Remember to lock the passenger doors. It can save a lot of aggrava- tion. If you have electric locks, get into the habit of locking them when you get into the car," suggests Marshall. At one time there was a motel chain that used to make it a practice Golf club opens season with pot ljzck dinner The women's golf season will begin with a pot luck dinner at the Seaforth Golf and Country Club on Thursday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the club house. H EAVY-DUTY VALUE JOHN DEERE #10 UTILITY DUMP CART • 1120 18 LOAD CAPACITY • FLOATATION TIRES • REMOVEABLE SWING TAILGATE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! IN STOCK NOW $2 3 200 N.S.U. FOR ONLY...• CALL: �,/ aft OGM FARM EQUIPMENT (191381 tTt) 5 MILES NORTH OF MITCHELL County Rd. 11 . Bornholm "It's important to look out. There's a lot of cuckoos out there." to put all women travelling alone on the third floor. "People found out and they stopped doing it," said Marshall. Hotels aren't supposed to even call out your room number when you check in. Many hotels have now installed credit-card type entrances to rooms to increase safety. In 1950, one per cent of business travellers were women. Today, 50 per cent are women. "A women travelling alone is a prime target," stated the video by the OPP. It featured three incidents; two of which occurred in Ontario. In the first, a woman alone at a restaurant during a winter snow storm returns to her car in the parking lot to discover she has a flat tire. A man parked in a van beside her offers to change her tire if she'll get the spare, tire iron and jack from her trunk. She hands him the tire iron and he hits her over the head. The woman was abducted, sexually and physically assaulted and left to die at the side of a road. That was a real case, re-enacted from OPP files. The killer was never caught. Question & Answer Session One woman present related a story of how a friend was being followed by another car. She took off one of her shoes, held it up and pretended it was a phone. The car following her turned away after that. It was also suggested that a child's toy cellular phone could be purchased for. less money than a real one and be used in the same circumstance. Another incident that happens regularly is that people will pull up beside you when you're driving and try to point out something wrong with your car, like your tire is flat or there's something burning. Be aware-ii'snu]dbe_-a.-potential_= attacker trying to lure you to stop. A CAA membership was men- tioned as a valuable thing to have in case of an accident or roadside breakdown. Special Constable Marshall also said that some new cars have 1-800 phone numbers as part of the war- ranty that you can call for someone to come and fix your car for free. Another member of the audience related a story of a friend who was travelling in- the area and stopped her car when she saw a body lying on the road. When she got out of her car to check and see if the person was all right she was robbed. Marshall told .:ie audience that most of the house robberies that occur in Huron County are com- mitted by people from outside the area - like London, Kitchener and Windsor. Many of them come to the area and watch houses and the habits of their tenants before break- ing in. One of the hardest questions of the night to answer was "What's being done about women having to be on guard in their home and when they go out?" "Police can't do it on their own," said Marshall. He sympathized with the situation and suggested possibly longer prison sentences for offenders. "Why can't a person just go for a walk down the street on their own?" he asked. John Marshall conducts safety presenta- tions in the area on the topic of 'women alone' almost every week now. Tips for women driving alone • Attackers look for women alone who are vulnerable. • Carry keys in your hands in your fist. • Lock all the doors in your car. • Flip the passenger seat forward to make it easier to see if there's someone in the back seat. If the seat is flipped back when you return to the car, call the police. • Circle your car before entering to check for obvious trouble signs like a flat tire. • Don't do a circle check in an underground parking lot since the fess time you spend outside of your car is safer. • Always check you have enough fuel in your car. Always drive with at least a half tank of gas especially in the winter. • Carry a "Call Police" sign in your car in case of a breakdown. (Signs are available through the Goderich OPP or the Co- operator's insurance office in Mitchell). • If you have a cellular phone in your car, call * OPP in an emergency. • If you're travelling on a free- way, know the exit that you take or that you're near. • If your car breaks down, don't mise the hood of your car. It brings more attention and you can't see out the front. • Don't get out of your car under any circumstances. • Leave your window rolled down only one -inch when talk- ing to someone at the side of the road. If there's room enough for someone's hand to reach in, it's_ p t ntial trouble. • If you're run off the road or involved in a suspicious accident and you feel in danger, leave the scene of the accident and go directly to the police. • Let someone in your company know your exact travel route. • Don't put your complete name on your luggage. Only put your business address and phone number. • Hotels/Motels are where people let their guard down and are open for attack. • Check your room phone to make sure it works. • Get the bellhop to check through your room upon arrival - it's their responsibility. • It's a common mistake to open your door to strangers. Ask them to wait outside and verify with the front desk. • Travelling door alarms are helpful - they're designed for hotel rooms. • Be aware of your surroundings even if you're busy with work. • Make sure you re rental car doesn't advertise itself with stickers or plates. TAYLOR'S MARKET WHOLESALE & RETAIL OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 5'" ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS 5 Ib. Ontario CARROTS Now 'til Sunday, April 24 Product of U.S.A. $'1 69 CANTALOUPE & $ 4 49 HONEYDEW • •ad Ontario CABBAGE 99°... Seedless fled or Green GRAPES $1996 [1-6lb APPLES $449 4 Litre Jug Wellesley FRESH CIDER $399 9' CREAM $399 PIES 'POTATOES Shetboexne POTATOES 50 Ib. Bags also available • 500 mi Wellesley APPLE BUTTER $329 10 lb. IDA RED APPLES $399 1 DUTCH $ 99 APPLE PIE Cherry & Hawaiian FRUIT LOAVES Come Celebrate WlttT Us Thursday, April 21 Serving Hot Cider & Cake --- All Day THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE during the past 8 years. 212 Victoria St. CLINTON 482-3413 McMaster1 v INSURANCE' BROKERS INC. AUTO l:lO ll: FARM / Rt 1 /.. / ,/,t./tlr.t,Cl tl /iI'G lNSl 1, tit 1. ROKERS RILL SIEMON SIEMON DAN PROCTOR 68 °Norio Rd. Mitchell 348-9150 CORRECTION NOTICE Godfather Pizza's advertisement in our April 17" issue of the Expositor should have read "Every 12'" person who buns, a Targe pizza receives a gift certificate for a free 4 item Targe pizza" AND Look in your pizza box. If you see a Ninja Turtle, you're a winner and call Godfather's to receive your free gift. ETE' S PAPER CLIP OFFICE 8UPPLIEB • STATIONERY • BOOKB PAPEASALE COMPUTER PAPER 2200 Sheets FOR ONLY $ 1n 95 19 MAIN ST. SEAFORTH PHOTO OPIER PAPE (Letter Size Only) 5000 Sheets . $35 95 527-1681 MITRE "BASE HIT` BASEBALL SHOE - Pro pattern Sale BOYS' MEN'S & LADIES' LOUISVILLE SB W Sale DOME BAT First ever rolled - over CU31 alloy bat 4Rlli:):3?f IA ,.v -*VV.,: �e�.. Ki✓i E31iE .� , ts 00291BATTING HELMETS JL -9 $3499 BC -5 $2899 CORDER UNIFORMS BEFORE APRIL 22 allo PAY NO TAX 7 MAIN ST. ISeEAFO_ �R�TH? 527-1588 WE'RE MOVING! on May 1st MAIN STREET VIDEO WILL BE RELOCATING TO 15 MAIN ST., SEAFORTH (Formerly Klings) 114,000 BOOKS ON SAI :�„.., mom+ 50-80%OFFCOYEHPflICE We have a great selection of: • movies Nintendo Games -C1!* II Super Nintendo am -s( Sega Genesis Games pop • chips • cand -2774?