Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-01-24, Page 4Page 4 January 24, 2007 • The Huron Expositor Opinion Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1W0 :e50 years of marching by all -girls' band Seaforth is a town that seems to love nothing bet- ter than reminiscing about the old days and cele- brating its local heritage. That's why it's so baffling that the Seaforth and District All -Girls' Marching Band is having little or no response to its call for help in organizing a 50th anniversary'reunion for this July. While the band - in order to survive - has had to expand out into the rest of Huron County during the past decade or so and is no longer exclusively made up of Seaforth girls, it still has deep roots in Seaforth. Begun in 1957 as an all -girls' band at Seaforth District High School under the direction of George Hildebrand and continued under the leadership of Charlie Kalbfleish since 1978, the band has given 100s of girls the opportunity to play a musical instrument, travel throughout North America and gain the poise and maturity that performance demands. It's likely that some of the best high school mem- ories of decades of Seaforth women revolve around the band. The band has performed for dignitaries such as Lester B. Pearson, Pierre E. Trudeau, former U.S. • President Gerald Ford, Ontario Premier Mike Harris and Mickey Mouse. While it's played in Calgary, Toronto, Kitchener Oktoberfest and International Plowing Matches throughout Ontario, the band is also well known beyond Canadian borders with performances in Michigan, Arizona, South Carolina and Florida. A few years ago, the all -girls' band also toured England and France with performances through- out. It's safe to say the all -girls' band is one of the best known ambassadors for Seaforth and while there's been pressure during recent years to drop Seaforth from the name, organizers opted instead to add "and District" to the moniker to reflect the county- wide involvement. Where are the alumni, especially the former Seaforth members, who are willing to devote a bit of time to celebrate 50 years of girls and music? We- hope that this important piece of Seaforth heritage does not go unsunk. Susan Hundertmark Truscott deserves a real second chanc\e at justice In June 1959, this com- munity lost its innocence. And in that month, and for the same reason, Steven Truscott lost both his innocence and his free- dom. As the history books show, the 14 -year-old boy was held responsible for the rape and murder of 12 -year-old classmate, Lynne Harper. Then, at the age of 14, Truscott was the youngest person in Canada ever sentenced to death, which is something that rocked the region and shocked the world. (That death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1960, and he was released on parole in 1969.) Now 62 years old, Truscott maintains his innocence. In fact, he is still fighting to clear his name before the courts nearly 50 years after the murder. In October 2004, former justice minister Irwin Cotler decided the government had a moral obligation to see whether fresh evi- dence, which had come to light, could have led to a different outcome at the original trial. Indeed, Cotler stated a "miscarriage of jus- tice likely occurred." Truscott has been through a trial, appeals from that trial, a reference to the Supreme Court of Canada. And now, finally, the Ontario Court of Appeal has heard arguments on the issue of said "fresh evidence." As reported in the Clinton News -Record, the By Tom Williscraft appeal court heard the fol- lowing testimony from var- ious sources: • Jocelyne Gaudet, whose testimony helped convict Truscott, asked another witness, Bob Lawson, to lie to authorities. • Bob Lawson, who owns the bush where Lynne's body was discovered, told the court of appeal that on the day that Truscott was alleged to have killed Harper, he and a friend saw two people, a man and a girl, in car near where Lynn Harper's body was eventually found. Lawson also told the court when he tried to tell an officer on duty at the Air Force base about the car, he was dismissed and told that Truscott had already been charged. Lawson also testified that during Truscott's original trial, Jocelyne Gaudet visited him. in order to try to persuade him to change his tes- timony. She wanted him to back her own testimony. She testified at the original trial that she had gone looking for Truscott at the time that Harper was alleged to have been killed but didn't find him. Two other witnesses told the appeals court last month that Gaudet admitted to them that she had lied at the original trial. • Ontario's chief forensic pathologist, Dr. Michael Pollanen, said the doctor who See ORIGINAL, Page 6 Ron & .lye (school is such a\ waste of time! Think of all the stuff we could do if we didn't waste all day at school. Think of all the things we could accomplish. '741 411t) 11, It's crimina b David Lace Lets see if we can watch TV all day without going blind. Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 E-mail us at seaforth@bowesnet.com Visit our home page at www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com OUEBECOR - MEDIA Canadi LUN MEDIA "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs." SUBSCRIPTION RATES: LOCAL - 36.18 a year, in advance, plus G.S.T. SENIORS; - 34.17 a year, in advance, plus G.S.T. Foreign: 36.18 a year in advance, plus $181.48 postage, G.S.T. exempt U.SA.: 36.18 a year in advance, plus $92.56 postage, G.S.T. exempt Published weekly by Sun Media at 11 Main St., Seaforth. Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occu- pied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT 40064683 PAP REGISTRATION NO. 7605 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO Circulation Department P.O. Box 69. Seaforth, ON., NOK IWO Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association & the Ontario Community Newspapers Association Tom Williscraft Susan Hundertmark Publisher Editor Bernie Pugh Advertising / Office Dianne McGrath Jeff Heuchert Reporter Marcie Riegling Front office Composing Editorial and Business Offices - 11 Main Street.,Seaforth Telephone (519) 527-0240 Fax (519) 527-2858 Mailing Address - P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, Ontario, NOK IWO