Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1997-12-10, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 - Seaforth, Ontario 'Hope' for the bereaved BY JACKIE FITTON Expositor Editor Many people view Christmas as one of the most festive seasons for family and friends, The Christmas season is commercially portrayed as filled with joy. whilst others view it as a nightmare. as they try to come to grips with their sorrow and deal with their loss during the suppos- cdly 'happy holiday'. Supported hy the Huron Hospice. local funeral direc- tors and the clergy 'Hope For The Holidays" is being held December 14 from 4 p.m. until 5 p.tn. at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. John Street Scaforth. The non -denominational service is to help the bereaved i[cal with a loss at holiday season. "It's a way of reaching out News In Brief • Close call Provincial police say, a mini -van with a half-dozen Seaforth and arca women in it slid off an icy road. went into a ditch and hit a fence Friday morning on I lighway 8 in Hulieu Township. Three teenagers had minor injuries and the van. driven by 32 -year-old Tracy. Nash of Egmondville. received moderate damage. No charges were laid. Tricia Jansen. 16. of Egmondvillc was taken to Seaforth hospital with minor injuries. Jessica Finlayson. 15. of Seaforth and Melissa Van Bakcl. 15. of Egmondvillc had "minimal injuries." The others in the vehicle reported no injuries. They were Robyn Nash. 14. and Kimhcrlcy Devereaux, 15. both of Egmondvillc. The accident happened at about 8:50 a.tn.. just west of Huron County Road 15. according to the OPP report. It says the driver "lost control on the icy road anti went into the north dit-.r,. striking a fence. Drugs found OPP say a large amount of marijuana plant material. "worth $10.000 at street prices" was seized when they executed a search warrant at a residence at Lot 40. Conc. 3 in East Wawanosh Township last Wednesday. Their investigation contin- ues. Fatal accident A 79 -year-old driver frurn (iodcrich Township. who was not wearing his seatbelt. was killed Friday morning after being thrown from a van that rolled over. about 1 km north of Varna. Dead is Oswald. R Lesperance of RR 2 Clinton. formerly of Detroit. His wife. Corrine Lespc?ancc. 78. was wearing her belt and survived. although she received serious injuries and was air amhu- lanced to a London hospital. Ontario Provincial Police say it happened at about 8:55 a.m. on Huron County Road 31, when the driver "lost con- trol of his vehicle, entered the west ditch and rolled over. The van was "severely" dam - a d. to people who will have diffi- culty getting through the hol- idays." said volunteer Ruth Hildebrand. 'Hope For The Holidays' is a first-time venture for Scaforth and its aim is to help case the grief whether it's a recent bereavement or a bereavement from years gone hy. Hildebrand said the Huron Hospice recognized this as a need for the comunity. It's the first year and has been put together very quick- ly, she said, adding, Huron Hospice have recieved an overwhelming positive reac- tion from the community. If die "Hope For the Holidays" is successful it could become an annual event. and could he incorpo- rated withothcr local events. Hildebrand said organizers are hoping for about 100 peo- ple to he in attendance. To advertise thc event posters have hccn visual throughout the town. Local funeral directors have been contacting those who have lost loved ones during the past year. Clergy, thc Huron Hospice members and volun- teers are also spreading the word. "There is a definite need for this type of service, a lot of people struggle during the holidays. This is a way to New Council meets for first session Seaforth Council and the town's public utility commis- sioners wcrc sworn in at their inaugural meeting last Monday night. Jane Muegge of Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs gave an inspirational talk, and ncw Mayor Dave Scott also addressed the full gallery at Town Hall in the short meet- ing. "Seaforth is a grand town in a great country," Scott said. "Let's keep it that way and improve on it." He thanked former mayor Irwin Johnson and town staff for their assistance in thc transition, and said hc is looking forward to a chal- lenging term. Mucggc's message was that as wc approach the millenni- um. leaders at all levels - rnunicipal to global - need to he more clastic and find new ways to look at and approach today's and tomorrow's prob- lems. Shc said a sense of humour will help and called for "cre- ative destruction." Four councillors volun- teered for an concrete exam- ple of this, and found they could drive a straw relatively easily through a potato, con- trary to what they first thought. The OMAFRA representa- tive added we need to all look at things through "the eyes of a child in the sand- box." Council mct again last night. after press time, in its regular monthly format. Coun. Lin Steffler is the only other ncw member of council. although former Coun. Brian Ferguson was acclaimed as the town's new reeve in November's munici- pal elections. replacing Bill Bennett, who retired after 24 years on council. help them cope," she'said. "The need for this type of service everywhere anybody who has had to deal with death and greiving knows that the holiday time is very difficult especially the first Christmas without that loved one there is especially diffi- cult." she said. a lot of people struggle during the holidays..." 64 The planning group involved in organizing the event along with Hildebrand are Yvonne Kitchen; Grace Dolmage; Rev. Martin Malina; Father Dino Salvador; Chris Smith; Ross Ribey; Ruth Townsend; Holly Book and Rev. Robert Hiscox. 'Hope For the Holidays' organizers' are also hoping morc clergy will become involved in this special ser- vice of remembering. December 10, 1997 --- $1.00 includes GST Volunteer Ruth Hildebrand places the 'Hope for the Holidays posters' throughout town. The service is to help the bereaved deal with loss at the holiday time. (Fitton photo) Speaker and facilitator attend St. Columban parish does some `brainstorming' BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Ross from the Ontario Expositor Staff Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who has a Organizers had to round up dairy farm near Kirkton. cxtra chairs because the gym Shc told parishioners about at the school in St. Columban a similar predicament, the was brimming with the "dull time when a chimney fell roar" of parishioners having a through the roof of a St. serious "brainstorming" scs- Marys' church. ending up in sion last Thursday night. Many in the parish have been worshipping there since the 86 -year-old St. Columhan Roman Catholic Church was fenced off as unsafe at the end of September. A speaker and a facilitator wcrc at last week's get- together to help focus all the frustration. Parishioners arcn't sure where they go from here. The speaker was a Presbyterian. Brian Ireland from Tceswatcr, a well- known farmer, rural activist and member of thc Queen's Bush Rural Ministry said hc was there to give perspective and insights, and "ask ques- tions you might not want to ask." He said hc suspected thc church "is the institution that holds this community togeth- er." The parish that became known as Si Columban first worshiped together in 1832. The facilitator was Nancy the -Sunday school in the basement. The situation looked bleak at the time, she said. hut the church worked through it and today once again thrives. SPECIFIC QUESTIONS But Ross said she really didn't come to last week's meeting to give a speech, but to he a bit of a drill sergeant How do we maintain our to help St. Columhan parish- community identity'.' How do loners whittle down their wc lind the money to achieve thoughts. to determine what -our goals'! they want now and how they Consensus was That should plan to get there from here. the parish decide to rebuild. The more than 100 people their investment should he in attendance were randomly secure. divided into different groups FEASIBILITY STUDY to brainstorm on specific The information gleaned questions. then determine and itemized from the meet - what were the most important ing is to he studied by a lea - aspects ofeach. sibility committee in the The results wcrc itemized parish. which will take it on big blank sheets of paper. from here. then each group shared its "Your church is not some - conclusions and priorities thing to walk away from with the entire meeting, with lightly." speaker Ireland said morc input and feedback fly- before all the "dull roar" ing hack and forth. began. Discussion was frank and wide-ranging. but off-the- record by agreement, so as not to hinder the expression and free flow of ideas. A previous recent survey indicated only roughly half of the parish would he in favour of building a new church. In any case, repairs to the exist- ing one would he very expen- sive. Experts have concluded it could collapse. structural damage is so profound. The three specific areas dif- ferent groups. themselves further subdivided. focussed on at last week's meeting were: What arc the issues'' OPP officer senior constable Art Burns chats with Dave dcVries as the Scaforth detachment con- duct the Festive Season R.I.D.E (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign in a continuing effort to make Qntario Highways safer. All types of locations will be targeted for enforcement, from provincial highways to municipal streets. The R.I.D.E. initiative will deploy extra officers in Clinton, Exeter and Seaforth specifically to this program to reduce impaired violations from Nov. 29 to Jan. 2 1998. (Fitton photo) The church " is the institution that holds this community together... -Perhaps all this is an opportunity." he said. and asked parishioners to ask themselves where the St. Columhan community would he rive. 10 or 15 years down the road if this had not hap- pened. "You have to have an open relationship and respect each other's views." he stressed. "What docs the church mean to you?" Losing your. is "traumat- ic." he said. "similar to the loss of a farm or loved one." "Whatever you decide on. you have to all get behind it. stay united and work togeth- er." he said. Ireland feels churches are once again becoming more important to communities. on the front lines and taking up the slack for many of soci- ety's problems that govern- ments arc generally walking away' from because of down - siting and other priorities. He discussed churches of different denominations else- where in Canada and other parts of the world where sim- ilar problems have hcen sur- mounted. where Christians of differing faiths worship in the same building at different times. for instance. "You have to ask yourself how much control you have here." he said. Fundraising shouldn•l he a problem. if you put your mind to it. Ireland added. "If you give people a pur- pose and they can sec it. you can do it."