HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-05-06, Page 27COM M1JMTY
Times -Advocate, May 6, 4998
Tree planting Merchants boost their fraud awareness
The seminar featured credit card fraud and advice on theft -proofing businesses
Page 27
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By Ross Haugh from the
archives of the
Exeter Times Advocate
10 YEARS AGO
May 4, 1988 - The village
of Lucan received a cheque
for $41, 349 as the first pay-
ment for a water works pro-
ject Friday. The money is part
of a grant estimated at
$2,673,733 for the upgrading
of the village's water supply
and storage facilities.
Mayor Bruce Shaw and Ex-
eter R.E. Pooley Branch of
the Royal Canadian Legion.
past president John Brintnell
cut the ribbon to open phase
one of Legion renovations.
20 YEARS AGO
May 4, 1978 - Exeter fire-
. men were engulfed in smoke
as they battled a blaze which
gutted the snack bar and dam-
aged the adjoining picnic pa-
vilion at the Kirkton-
Woodham Community Centre
around noon on Sunday.
Steve Pfaff, the youngest
person ever to sit as a member
of Exeter council announced
Monday night he will be re-
signing his seat at the next
meeting. Pfaff has been pro-
moted to the position of post-
master at the Rodney Post Of-
fice. He assumes his new
duties in June.
Three employees still work-
ing at the striking Huron Park
Fleck plant had their cars
sprayed with paint. During the
week sugar was also put into
the tank of a security guard's
car.
The Exeter Hawks have
forced a seventh and deciding
game in the Ontario Junior
"D" final round by beating
Lakefield 8-5 in the sixth con-
test.
35 YEARS AGO
May 5, 1963 - Another new
constable joined the Exeter
OPP detachment Wednesday.
He is William Glassford, 24,
of Mount Forest.
St. Mary's Anglican Church
in Brinsley which was named
after the wife of the rector un-
der which it was built, cele-
brates 100 years this week-
end.
'.griculture Minister W.A.
Stewart will officially open
the new memorial community
centre at Dashwood on Mon-
day.
George Lawson, who has
served as division court clerk
for nearly 18 years has re-
signed. He will be replaced by
William Musser, deputy reeve
of the town of Exeter who
will serve both as clerk and
bailiff of the fifth division
court of the county at Exeter.
Pat Strapp, Hyde Park and
Barry Anderson of RCAF in
Clinton won the "twisting con-
test" sponsored by Exeter
Kinsmen at their annual spring
jamboree.
40 YEARS AGO
May 7, 1958 - Hon. William
Nickle, minister of planning
and development will officially
open the Morrison Dam at a
ceremony at the site, Wednes-
day afternoon, June 4.
Sunday, June • 8, the new
$60,000 nurses' residence for
South Huron Hospital will be
opened for public inspection.
during an afternoon program.
A marker, commemorating
the original site of Grand Bend
Brewster's Dam was dedicated
in a ceremony held Saturday.
. 50 YEARS
May 6, 1948 - Ontario Liber-
al Leader Farquhar Oliver and
Frank Fingland, Liberal candi-
date in Huron addressed a rally
in the Exeter arena.
A new grandstand is being
erected at the Exeter Recrea-
tional Park.
Messrs. B.W. Williams and
J. Hodgen shipped two car-
loads of cattle containing 56
head to the Toronto market
Monday and received the high-
est price ever received during
their years of shipping. For
baby beef, they got a little
more than 19 cents a pound.
Exeter's entry in the Huron -
Perth Intermediate Baseball
League, will be guided by an
executive of 18 businessmen.
75 YEARS AGO
May 5, 1923 Mr. Thomas
Cameron has purchased from
Mr. Charles Monteith, five
acres of land which he present-
ed to the Thames Road Young
People as an athletic field.
A three -act -comedy, "Not
Such a Fool as He Looks", put
on in the Opera House under
the auspices of the Trivitt Me-
morial Sunday School, drew
packed houses Wednesday and
Thursday. The cast included
Mr. H. Miller, Mr. Donald Da-
vis, Mr. George Hunt, Mr. B.
Cunningham, Mr. James Mor-
ley, Miss Helen Wethey, Miss
F. Dinney, Mrs. N.J. Dore and
Miss E.M. Howey.
New nature path. As part of
an Earth Week project, Grand
Bend Public School students
grades 4 to 8, help Love's
Nest Inn owners work on their
nature path near Grand Bend
on April 27.
Cabaret. Mat Leyes strums
an electric guitar off stage
while performers from the
Red and Black Jazz Bands
and the senior concert band,
entertained the audience on
Saturday night at the cabaret
style concert at South Huron
District High School.
By Brenda Burike
T -A Reporter
EXETER - "They've gotten away
from altering credit cards and now
they're making their own."
Those were the words of sank of
Montreal Corporate Security In-
vestigator Jim Matthews at an April
28 fraud awareness seminar.
He describes credit card fraud as
one of the world's most lucrative
crimes, often supporting drug and
gun habits. Some countries don't
have credit limits, he informed the
'group, which means people ripped
off are often surprised by huge
amounts on credit card statements
that sometimes exceed their 'limit'.
Matthews presented a video out-
lining steps to take when checking
a credit card in an effort to "take a
swipe at crime."
Most important are
reviewing new card
security features and
checking signatures.
"When you've got
the card in your
hand," he pointed
out, "it just takes
seconds."
The reward structure for cap-
turing fraudulent cards ranges from
$500 to $1500. Matthews claims
merchants should be responsible
for helping to curb phoney credit
cards, adding people in small com-
munities grow lenient about check-
ing signatures of familiar custom-
ers. But trusting customers on
instinct has its price and merchants
may even have to come good for
products purchased with faulty
cards.
"You better be willing to take the
charge hack because there's no de-
fense," warned Matthews, adding
allowing people to use credit cards
belonging to others is another no -
no.
In the fight against credit card
crime; he told the audience it's too
expensive to implement a photo
identification system. The only way
to control the problem, he said, is
through a unified effort of all
banks.
The seminar also featured Dianne
McGregor, of the Exeter OPP de-
tachment, who spoke about theft
and NSF (non -sufficient funds)
cheques.
"We have a lot more criminals
now who are going through cars,"
she began, adding spare keys and
addresses are high on a criminal's
search list.
She advises people not to put car
keys on the same key chain as
house keys, and told business own-
ers to avoid having labelled key
units at the workplace.
"We are a small community but
you can't think small," she warned.
"It's not our locals always hitting
us...Make it tough for them to get
your stuff."
She suggests theft
"We are a small corn- may be deterred
, with panic buttons,
munity but you can t
think small...Be
aware of suspicious
people...It's getting
scary out there."
video cameras,
good lighting
(placed up high and
protected by cages),
trimmed shrubs,
dead -bolt. locks,
steel doors, window
bars, alarms and back-up staff. Em-
ployers should not only use police
assistance when making large hank
deposits,- but do criminal record
checks on staff.
"Do you know who you have
working. for your she asked the
audience. "Half the time, no."
She told merchants not to keep
cash register keys at the cash reg-
ister.
"Having a bell on your door is a
good idea if you have a small
shop," she added.
Exeter clothing stores have re-
cently fallen victim to thieves. -
"Be aware of suspicious peo-
ple...It's just getting worse all the
time...It's getting scary out there."
Although the recent • Subway
theft/machete threat took only 38
seconds, McGregor said the em-
ployee provided police with an ex-
cellent description.
Sorority chapters
Ritual of jewels. Exeter, Clinton and Goderich chapters of Lamba Eta mingle to receive
their ritual of jewels at the Ranch House Inn on April 28.
Contract problems in .Grand Bend
GRAND BEND - Encroachment
agreements, or the lack thereof,
was the main topic of discussion at
Grand Bend's Council meeting on
May 4.
Gord Bryan. owner of Gordy's
Beach Club appeared in front of
council because he failed to sign an
encroachment agreement with the
village before building a sidewalk
cafe last month.
Bryan pleaded ignorance, stating
several times that he thought he re-
ceived approval from council last
May when he submitted a proposal
for construction.
Mayor Cam Ivey clarified that
what was actually approved last
May was everything in Bryan's
proposal except the sidewalk cafe.
"What it boils down to is the fact
you don't have a signed agree-
ment," Ivey told Bryan.
Bryan was troubled by the lack
of communication between the two
parties.
"Why didn't someone on council
call me three weeks ago when 1
was building the thing...especially
since I feel that I took all the right
steps," he said
"You are right to a certain ex-
tent... however it is built and if
you want to get approval, you'll
have to get the councilors on side,"
Ivey responded.
After an hour of discussion, a
motion was finally approved by a
3-2 margin stating that Bryan must
remove.two sections of the sidewalk
cafe that block the sidewalk and re-
turn to a village budget meeting on
May 1.1 with a complete site and de-
sign plan.
After that proposal is submitted,
council will decide whether to pro-
ceed with signing an encroachment
agreement with Bryan.
' Council also agreed to make a site
visit to Gordy's Beach Club this
week.
The lack of an official encroach-
ment agreement with J. Dee's Sum-
merhouse was also discussed.
The business has already started
operating without presenting proper
proof of their $2 million liability in-
surance.
The lack of the insurance policy
directly violates the encroachment
agreement between the establish-
ment and the town.
Ivey commented that a letter
should be sent immediately to the
establishment.
"They don't have an agree-
ment...therefore they shouldn't be
operating," he said.
He then added, "this is getting to
the point of being an epidemic."
Encroachment agreements have to
be reviewed yearly and pass third
reading by council before there is
an official agreement between the
establishment and the town.
Other highlights of the meeting
included:
• Mic Wasylko presented on be-
half of the Brevik, Scorgie, Wa-
sylko, Morrison architectural firm,
their concept of the proposed bath
house.
A motion was passed authorizing
the architectural firm to submit a
thorough proposal by May 8 that:
1) discussed tae specific design of
the beach house 2) the re -design of
the beach front property in relation
to the new facility.
• There was discussion on the
progress of the definition of el-
igible charities which can benefit
from the grant being made avail-
able by the province until the char-
ity casino is up and running in
Grand Bend.
Councillor Bob Mann urged the
council t� take an "assertive stance
and sent letters to every charity
they might think is eligible to ben-
efit."
Clerk Paul Turnball advised the
board that they should wait until
the Alcohol and Gaming Commis-
sion issues the criteria for eligibil-
ity before contacting local char-
ities. Council decided to follow
Turnball's recommendation to
wait.
• Councillor Brian Knights made
a motion that in the future, all
scheduled council and committee
meetings be conducted from 7:30
p.m. - 10 p.m. If the meeting runs
any later, the decision must be
unanimous by the council to con-
tinue. The motion easily carried.
1
When calling in emergencies,
McGregor advised, don't get dis-
couraged with dispatch delays due
to police -restructuring and the sys-
tem's timing.
She praised Exeter's COP (Cit-
izens on Patrol) program.
"You take your own vehicle out
and you patrol," she explained.
"You're an extra set of eyes."
"It's great. It's working really
well but the bad guys are getting
smarter...They do it for a living."
McGregor describes .NSF
cheques as a real problem and told
people not to collect a bunch of
them before advising police.
"We're not a collection agency."
Sending out warning letters to of-
fenders is the only option besides
taking them to small claims court,
she mused.
"I don't know why we use
cheques anymore...You're ac-
cepting a piece of paper."
As a detailed form of identifica-
tion, she advises merchants to get
driver's license numbers of cheque,
holders.
"Most people• don't update their
drivers licenses but it gives us a
place to start."
Fake credit cards and phoney money. Jim Matthews, a
corporate security investigator with the Bank of Montreal,
shows seminar participants how to detect fraudulent credit
cards and currency.
>1.
( *From the Principal's desk
By Deb Homuth
South Huron District High School
Recently, outh Huron has received press in other
newspakrs over our smoking area. Perhaps it is
time to address.the whole issue in a more public
way.
The Tobacco Control Act came into effect in
Ontario on November 30, 1994 preventing institu-
tions funded by provincial dollars from having peo-
ple smoke on their property. Schools were forced to
move their students onto public property i.e. side-
walks and boulevards. Neighbourhoods were
disrupted.
Elementary school students were being given a
very negative visual image about teenagers. The
crowding of students, the cigarette butts and litter
left behind and the possibility of students being hit by passing vehi-
cles prompted Goderich District Collegiate and then South Huron to
re-examine what could be done. It seemed that the legislation had
not achieved what it set out to do which was reduce the number of
smokers; rather, it had just forced a change of venue for the smokers.
An agreement was struck between the Town of Goderich and that
school, and the Town of Exeter and South Huron. For a $1.00 per
year, a small parcel of land on school property would be leased back
to the town making it; in effect, town or public property. This small
parcel of land would then become the smoking area. The neighbours
were relieved. The school was in a better position to police its own.
Things were looking up.
The location of the smoking area at South Huron has become
increasingly problematic. As students file out to the smoking area,
too often cigarettes are lit on the way out. As well, when the doors
open and the students come back in the smoke comes in too. The
layout of our school means the smoke is in the hallways, lower and
upper, and that'r just not fair.
So, we are moving again. This time a fenced in area at the east
and of the school will become the new designated smoking area. I'm
not sure how we address the secondary issues of fence boards being
broken and extraordinary amounts of litter building up. I know what
we have tried and will continue to try but I remain puzzled about the
total disrespect by some of the smokers for the area designated for
them.
A study on the Ban on Smoking on School Property: Success and
Challenges in Ontario has been produced by York University work-
ing in conjunction with Ontario Health Units. Several interesting
points are raised.
Schools all across this province have borne the brunt of complaints
about students smoking off school property and this has caused con-
siderable frustration, as schools have no real authority over students
who are not on school grounds. Inconsistent attitudes toward young
people's smoking is another part of the problem. On the one hand, it
is illegal for retailers to sell cigarettes to minors and schools are held
responsible for the behaviour of their students. On the other hand, it
is not illegal for students to possess cigarettes or to smoke. The good
news is that non-smoking students report that they do feel less pres-
sure to smoke. Disappointingly, 80% of Ontario high schools report
that they cannot see that any reduction has been made in the total
number of students smoking at their school.
That great southern writer William Faulkner says it so well in his
novel Intruder in the Dust. If we force laws based on what we know
is right but society as a whole is not convinced, then it will take time
to achieve what the law intended. Often it is through education not
laws that we change attitudes.
We'll keep at it.
Deb Homuth
v