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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1984-07-18, Page 13Huteu.s combine to Welcome Wagon hostess Cathy Seip, who has been dropping in to welcome newcomers, brides-to-be and new babies to Exeter and sur- rounding are for the past three years, has been named Hostess of the year by the On- tario branch of the Welcome Wagon association. This is the second year in a row the enterprising, effervescent HOSTESS WITH named Ontario Wagon organizat THE Hostess ion. MOSTEST — Cath Seip has been of the Year by the Welcome Wellft&"'' dvocate young woman has been the recipient of this honour. Cathy shares the hostess duties with co -hostess Velma Huff, and affirms her per- sonal award could not have been attained without the con- tinuous support of her partner. "In order to win, you need someone good to work with," she explained. Welcome Wagon has also named Exeter the Town of the Year for Ontario in the under -5,000 population category. Area supervisor Barbara Berg drove from. Cambridge to present Mayor Brice Shaw with a com- memorative plaque, and said Exeter was chosen by the organization because of the good will generated by the local hostesses, and the ex- cellent relationship establish- ed between Welcome Wagon and the civic and community services within the town. Often the first visitor to greet a newcomer to a com- munity is a cheerful Welcome Wagon hostess with a basket of gifts, coupons and gift cer- tificates from participating area merchants. Recipients in this area receive a map of Exeter and letters from the mayor, MPP Jack Riddell, the police and fire depart- ments, and the post office. In- formation is included about area service clubs, churches, the recreation department, health office and a communi- ty activity list. Serving South Huron, North Middlesex July 18, 1984 a NorthLamblon Since 11171 ACIM PagelA Tuckersmith debates new landfill possibility Tuckersmith township council discussed a landfill site in Tuckersmith township proposed by the geologist as a possible site for the town of Seaforth, and Tuckersmith and McKillop township. Tuckersmith council was reluctant to give its approval for this suggested site owned by the Ministry of the En- vironment near the Seaforth lagoon west of Seaforth at the southern edge of Harpurhey. John Brownridge, Tuckersmith representative on the landfill site committee. said he would not like to see the landfill site so close to residences and he would not like to see garbage trucked through Ilarpurhey by local garbage collectors and various citizens who take their own garbage there. Another suggestion for gar- bage to be trucked to the llolmesville Landfill site. Tuckersmith council wants more information before making any decision. Passed for approval was an application for a tile drainage loan of $18.600. Two building permits were approved for Cor Dorssers and Hugo Menheere for manure tanks on their farms. A long discussion was held with Ron Fleming of the Agricultural office and Iler- man VanWeiren, township building inspector. on firm guidelines on construction of these tanks. Passed for payment were the following accounts totall- ing $196,180.69 including: Vanastra Recreation Centre, $21,537.01, I)ay Care Centre at Vanastra, $7,519.00; special Day Care Centre akVanastra, $5,235.63; roads, $94,876.37; and administration, $67,012.68. Reeve Robert Bell and councillor John Brownridge will attend a meeting to discuss a joint operation of a landfill site on invitation from the Township of Stephen. A letter was received from the Seaforth Community Hospital advising Tuckersmith there were 166 patients from the township admitted during the 1983-84 fiscal year for which council will send a grant of 3498. The Federation of Agriculture acknowledged the receipt of the township grant of $700 for the 1983-84 term. Undertake study on dump covering Exeter will be revising its method of operation at the landfill site, but council members are still hopeful that daily covering of material by a bulldozer will not be required. For the next month. an in- vestigation will he conducted into the cost of bulldozing the site twice a week The ministry of the environ- ment would like the hulldoz ing done daily. but Reeve Rill Mickle said. the ministry was being too demanding in that respect. "They have a heck of a lot of dirty things in their own backyard to dean up Ix•fore ordering small towns like Ex- eter around," he said. Noting that the site had been recently inspected and found non-polluting and clean, Mickle said no changes should be made until the ministry can guarantee there will be no problems with the method of operation they recommend. "Why change it''" Mickle asked in reference to the pre- sent method of operation which has been found to create no problems. Mayor Bruce Shaw agreed that more frequent coverings would be costly and the study in the next month will deter- mine just how costly. 11 I t 1 t t t 1 HOT WEATHER DRINKS — On recent hot days, residents of Huron street have a chance to quench their thirsts. Offering fresh drinks are Andrea Weigand, Carrie Stuart and Laura Pearson. T photo bring thsi1ies and town 'welc,,' honor Besides visits to newcomers, brides-to-be and new babies, Welcome Wagon hostesses in larger centres also call on executives, business and professional people and over -sixties on the move. Most businesses associated with the Exeter Welcome Wagon sponsor all three types of visits as well as the Cam- pus Welcome program in- itiated by Cathy at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology a year ago. Each new student is presented at registration with a kit of information and gift certificates relevant to young people beginning their studies at CCAT. This expansion of the Exeter Welcome Wagon, plus the number of visits made each month and the sponsors signed up, helped qualify Cathy for the Hostess of the Year award. The Welcome Wagon pro- gram was begun the the U.S. by Thomas Briggs in 1928 to provide a welcoming service and assistance for new families in the community, and an introduction to the businesses in their new location. The name came from a pioneer custom: homesteaders moving into the west were greeted at various settlements with hospitality, gifts and provi- sions designed to persuade the travelle4 to go no further, but put down roots in that par- ticular settlement. Welcome Wagon was in- trtotl.c.:' i Va couver in,19490, and to Exeter by Connie Johnson in 1972. That same year, Briggs sold both his Amercian and Cana- dian interests to Gillette. Seven years later 13 manage- ment personnel bought the Canadian company, now headed by president Pauline Hill. Cathy joined Welcome. Wagon after reading an arti- cle about the organization. Though employed at the time, she wanted a job with flexible hours while her children were young. Being a hostess is paid employment, not a volunteer job. "11 provides mad money for a few little extras," Cathy said, adding her greatest reward is the welcome she TOWN HONOURED — Welcome Wagon has named Exeter the Ontario Town of the Year. Area supervisor Barb Berg drove from Cambridge to present a plaque to Mayor Bruce Show, while Exeter Welcome Wagon hostesses Velma Huff (left) and Cathy Seip look on. receives on her visits. Qualifications for a Welcome Wagon hostess in- clude at least a grade 12 education, typing ex- periences, prior active in- volvement in one's communi- ty activity so the hostess is aware of all the businesses and social and service organizations available local- ly, and a liking for people., "You have to be able to talk", Cathy expanded. "And listen",- co -hostess Velma Huff interjected. "You play every possible role on visits," Cathy said. Welcome Wagon has been established for some time in Clinton. A branch was started in Seaforth three months ago, and another in Lucan on May 15. Cathy is now organizing one in Mitchell. - Cathy and co -hostess Velma Huff exemplify the Welcome Wagon philosophy: The longer you're in it, the easier it gets, and the more you put into it, the more you get out. Each Christmas the two women deliver an assortment of home-made cookies and squares to all sponsors as a token of their appreciation. Without the sponsors, there would be no Welcome Wagon. Cathy said merchants are not sure how much extra business directly results from Welcome Wagon sponsorship, but the value of the good will is incalculable. , Cathy said the free six- month subscription to this paper given to newcomers and newlyweds is abcepted enthusiastically. Other Exeter Welcome Wagon sponsors are Cana- dian Tire, Country Flowers, Culligan Water Softeners, (Morley Hall), Darlings IGA, Dinney Furniture, Ellison Travel and Tours, Exeter Decor Centre, Exeter District Co-op, Exeter Pharmacy, Frayne Chev-Olds, G and G Discount, Gen's Sewing Cen- tre, Gerrards, Good Times Eating Emporium, Image Cleaners, Decorators Touch Plus, Little People, Mary K Cosmetics; Sherry Gilfillan), Metropolitan Life Insurance (Dave Watson), Rumours Hair Design, Stedmans, Vic- toria and Grey, Whitings Warehouse and Wuerth's Shoes.