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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-04-01, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, April 1, 1998 Regional wrap up Options exist in fight to keep school SEAFORTH - According to School Board Trustee Bob Al; len, also a former Huron n County Board of Education director, • Seaforth residents have options in 'their .tight against thc pro- posed closure ',of. •their high school.• The Avon Maitland •School Board plans to replace the school with a new hoard office. As reported in..the Huron -Expos- itor, Allen lists possible grounds the issue could he fought on. First. the -Ministry of Educa- tion has the, power to overturn an action by a school -hoard. As well. the courts -could overturn the hoard's decision. Allen also pointed out the 'tact Clinton .residents won their: court haute to keep its hospital open. The school's fate was to be de- cided March .3-1 in Stratford at an Avon Maitland School Board . meeting Tall ships coming to Goderich G'ODERICH - Three tall ships may be -'featured in -the Marine Heritage Festival in August, re- ports the Goderich.Signal-Star. The 'chips are tentatively booked and organizers arc work- ing on -getting a •total of five ships to visit the area. In 1994' thc town held a ship event that attracted 23,000 spec-. tators.- , Toddler alerts mother of house fire • , BLYTH - Melanie -Taggart credits her three-year-okl son tot saving _both their lives while their home went up in flames on March 18: When Kyle Shouldice . woke his mother to tell her there were explosions. she went doyvnstairs to find the kitchen wallpaper' bursting into flames, reports the- Clinton heClinton News -Record An investigator determined the fire was caused by an electri- cal failure in the back of the hy- dro box. The loss of the house was esti- mated at $50,000, Youth centre plans include young committee MITCHELL - A six -member committee of -children aged sev-. en to 12 will he formed for a new youth centre, according- to Kids Off the Street. the -organi- zation that hopes to develop the centre. The Mitchell Advocate reports the group's March 23 meeting involved detailed discussion of potential equipment donations. .. Music festival features local talent MITCHELL - The Concert of Stars, a performance featuring young area musicians, takes place April 3 at the Main Street United Church. According to the Mitchell Ad- vocate, the event closes the 52nd annual Mitchell Jaycees Music Festival. • 1NTHNEWS Poster campaign in Huron Park dr Continued from front page they have no power over where he -goes... • "We are aware .of him and we will monitor the situation," Shulist said. The victims' mother is - con- tinuing her poster campaign alert-' ing the community that Steep is out . of jail and could be back. The vic- tims and their mother cannoi be named under the Young Offenders Act. The posters • have been- seen on utility poles throughout the village, hut many have been torn down by those who feel Steep deserves to , start ' over. -again ,without per- secution. • The victims' 'mother maintains Steep should. settle in• an area that doesn't have as.many chil- dren present... The victims' mother, who now lives in Dashwood is upset over comments made by- those in the_ community in Monday's London Free Press, who feel Steep should he given a second chance in 'Huron Park. - "I ani very upset with some of the. comments. my neighbors have been saving:" she said. "If their children had been molested they wouldn''t be saying those things." - She -plans on continuing her fight to` keep Steep out' of Huron Park-? and even heightening the effort if .need he, "(Those • supporting Steep) think they've wrtn the fight hut they haven't," she said. 1f1 l get enough support 1: will protest in front of his (former) house." Steep's wife.. Jean, still lives in Huron Park: • The mother of the victims added •tihc will keep her own vigil on Steep' -s movements if she-spots.him in -the area. : "l willbe. every move he makes. i will 911_thepolicc.if I see him • talking 10 an underage child." Though Steep has paid his debt to - sciciety through _serving •a jail tem. • the victims' mother feels Steep - hasn't been rehabilitated.. - ' "1 -have to follow my heart." she said. "I think he will offey.again." •' - She . said hgr three - hovs, -now' ', aged 17, Ib and 14, still'suffer psy- chological and physical problems because of the assaults and one has 'shown ' suicidal tendencies. All three "arc still receiving coun- selling, she said. - • "They hang their heads -because ' they think it's their fault," she said: Shc also feels Steep's sentence was too lenient and Be'still has a debt to pay to the community. "He's going to pay for what he's done," she said. "In my opinion he hasn't paid enough. Is he proud of what he's done...stripped three kids Of their. self-esteem? The hurt that's been done to them won't go away. My children and I. will take this to our graves." • - Shc hopes that victim groups will be established in the area to help her children as well as other young people who have suffered sexual. abuse. She also hopes those who have .been abused by others • and- haven't come forward with their stories will do so to start the healing process. - One -concern: brought up by res- idents was ,the fact McCurdy Pub- lie School is located. a short dis- tance down the street from Steep's former home. McCurdy principal Niall Strati said he 'Met with his staff early on Monday to revicw- tha school's safety procedures. • "We are making sure of student safety on school property as we would any. other •day," he said. "Student safety is foremost." He said• Steep has never stepped foot on school property .in his sev- eral years -with the school as a prin- cipal -and vice-principal. He added the school has several safety programs for its students in eluding the- 'Feeling Yes, Feeling No' program. for kindergarten to. Gr. 3. the ViP program for Gr. 5-6 and the Quest program for Gr.. 7-8. All these programs instruct stu dents on 'how to stay sate by not talking to strangers and what is in appropriate touching: Straw •also, Said Huron Park has• a Block NI - ent. program find teachers arc out. on yard duty at- all times during lunch hours., recesses and h,efo_ rc and atter school. McDonald's, Pons join in fundraising EXETER -McDonald's Restaurant and its employees, are. teaming up with the Exeter i,,ions Club Easter. Sgals fund and Camp Woodeden as the charity partnerfor their 1 Ith Mt Happy Day set for May:6. . . A portion of the money raised by McDonald's on McHappy Day will. go direptly to the Exeter Lions Club Easter Seals and Camp Woodeden 'as well as Ronald McDonald Children's Charities of Canada. • ' J Store'managerFrank Rozic told the T A there arc a - few= events prior to this day that will help raise More funds: . / ' - This Saturday. McDonald's and the Lions club are putting on a bottle drive. People who want td get rid of their empty -beet ' or pop bottles can drop them off at the Exeter Lions Club Youth Centre from ,l lam to 3 pm. Anyone needing pickup should call John at 235- 3538. - . On Saturday.' April- 28 McDonald's and- the Lions Club will host a garage sale with all proceeds going towards the gharities. On May 6 each of the more than 100( McDonald's across Canada including Dieter will donate 51.00 from every Big Mac sold to RMCC and the restaurants' selected charity'. As an added bonus 25cents from every McFlurry sold - hetween;April 13 and May 6 will also go directly to support special -needs children across Canada. . , Fine flies Local artist Bruce Grant's exhibition "Feathers in the Breeze" opened Friday night at the Ausable Centre in Lu - can. Grant has tied many of the classic salmon flies from the 17th and 18th centuries. The exhibition will continue until April 22. Oil spill clean-up Temporary move. A home in Crediton was moved on Thursday to make way for clean-up crew. Occupants of the home suffered an oil spill just before Christmas. . Bathhouse key to each revitalization proec , supply. a' foist concession booth ccmhcr, will work' . towards in - and a tourist intim-moon/event proving the appearance of the con -- hoard. Thc- building. which would minty. including a beach clean-up and road alignment. The committee was formed as a re-establishment of the Main Street By Brenda Burke T -A Kelzorte]- GRAND BEND - Grand Bend's new beach vision /features a new bathhouse as its focal point.. Now that 'the village legally owns Gil'l's heath. its newly -formed Community Enhancement Ad- visory Committee. is busy making Keach revitalization plans. Although an official decision has not vet been made to .replace the old hathhousc,• the ; 13 -member committee has presented council with • a list of design criteria in hopes of working toward a pro- posal for an -architect. "We've actually outgrown this one," said committee member and councillor Shirley. Andraza, ges- turing toward the old building that includes washrooms. a food con- cession and storage/mechanical room. The 2.5000 square -loot structure. located at the end .ell the village's Main Street along the beach, may he replaced- by a slightly larger building including lockers. show- ers. baby change areas. Washrooms, - storage, lifeguard/first aid post. util- ity/generator room, external power he located immediately south of the old one. is hoped to he up and run- ning ninon! for the 2001 games, "At the next meeting (April 7) Task Force and 'Advisory Com- we'II he addressing the goals of the committee." explamcd ncwh'- sclected chairperson and councillor Bob Mann.•"1 think that things will tall in place very quickly once the In 1996 the Parks and Recreation goals have been set." Committee/ convinced council to consider beach improvement . ideas. Fanshawe College students . pre- sented 19 concepts to council: One of them being a new bathhouse. Mann pointed nut complications would have arose if Gibbs still. awned the section of the Keach and stresses Mayor Cam Ivey made "a great trade" in clearing red tape in the process. ' "There's no antagonism between the Village and Mr:• Gibbs." said Mann. , "And we've invited him back, so he's still part 'of it," said Andraza, referring the fact Gibbs has been in- vited to sit on the committee. "And no matter how you cut it," added Mann, "This will remain Gibbs Beach for the next 99 years." mince. which found it difficult to make beach revitalization plans when the property 'was owned by Archie Gibbs. Committee member Andrea Ross believes the proposed gaming ca- sino Will help speed the process. "This is just opening a whole new world fur Grand Bend," said Andraza. "We have the criteri:f now." - The committee has ; discussed sonic concepts hut declines to com- mit itself to one panrcular idea so early in the game. There may even be a contest for the bathhouse de- sign. "it's going to he fun bringing all these ideas together." said Mann. "It's an exciting process. / He cites the location of lockers and a boardwalk as challenging de- tails to son out. In the meantime, the committee. which was established in De - Out with the old. Community Enhancement Advisory Committee members hope to replace the old bathhouse with a new one in time for the 2001 games. From left, Bob Mann, Andrea Ross, Shirley Andraza and Mel Dougla,