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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-05-20, Page 150 CENTS PER COPY Quiet holiday in Goderich area police say The Goderich Police Force reports a quiet week with no unusual incidents on the holiday weekend. Police officers dealt with a few bicycle thefts and liquor offences, as well as juvenile shoplifters and other minor thefts, but Chief PatKing said "happily (there was) no wilful damage" reported. In out-of-town police business, the Goderich detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police had nothing to report and said the weekend was very quiet, considering it was a holiday weekend. This dramatic accident scene was just one of several that was staged for the benefit of county firemen taking part in week-long extrication exercises at Clere-Vu Auto Wreckers. Ken Jones of the Ontario Fire College conducted the extrication seminars and is seen here poking through the windshield at one -of the mock accidents. Plenty of ketchup was applied to add a touch of realism to the scene. (Photo by Dave Sykes) Firefighters learn art of extrication Ken Jones is the type of guy that thoroughly enjoys his work. Jones was one several instructors from the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office conducting specialized classes in Clinton last week with firefighters from towns and villages in Huron County. The week-long school of- fered instruction and seminars on extrication, pumper operation, changeover to the metric system. and flamable liquids. Jones was responsible fbr extrication exercises and seminars at Clere-Vu Auto Wreckers near Holmesville and was deliberate in his methods to meticulously stage accident scenes with abandoned and rusted cars from the wrecking yard. With the co-operation of owner Glen Price, cars and trucks were smashed and delicately placed to resemble an accident to the liking of Jones, who had an overt penchant for detail. The simulated accident scenes brought out almost every conceivable problem and situation that firemen may face when rusning to the scene of a multiple vehicle accident. The simulated two and three -car pileups provided necessary practical experience for local fire department personnel, not only in the extrication process, but also in training firefighters to quickly assess the situation, the extent of injuries and course of action to be followed in removing victims from the vehic les. - Jones took delight in making the scenarios real, complicated and thought provoking by hiding crash victims, piling cars on top of one another and anything else he could think of. But every exercise was a learning experience. "We have to make it tough and learn something from each accident scenario. They are going to run into these situations on the job and we have to try and make them real," he said. "The group involved in these exercises has done well considering many haven't had a lot of practical experience in ex- trication." Jones would set up a crash scene using the wrecked cars of trucks from theyard and firemen were placed in the .vehicles as victims. The five or six -man crew working the accident scene would have no prior knowledge of the crash or number of victims, but would treat it as if coming to a real accident. Five Goderich firemen attended the week-long school: Two were enrolled in the flammable liquids and ventilation course and three were involved in the extrication exercises. Goderich Fire Chief Bill Beacom said the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office offers courses in the county every five years but this is the first year the courses have been as detailed. "The last school was in Goderich five years ago but we will try and have them every two years if Farmer's market will. open again in June ; new vendors wanted Well the weather is finally co-operating and soon gardeners will be rewarded as green things shakily poke through the soil. Warm weather naturally brings with it thoughts of fresh fruit and produce and soon both may be available at the Goderich farmer's market. The farmer's market will open Saturday, June 20 at the Ron Feagan Memorial Grandstand and run through to Mid -September. Last year the market was quite popular and most vendors .were sold out by mid-morning. This year the market will open by 8 a.m. and recreation director possible," he said. "Now the men are divided into separate classes so we could use the schools every two, years." Three members of the Goderich Fire Department participated in the extrication classes since the local department, hopes to purchase some equipment in the near future. Service clubs in Goderich have been contacted for donations towards the purchase of Turn to page 3 BY DAVE SYKES' The implementation of Bill 82 into the education sy§tem will not only have a profund effect on a child's right to education .but will gurantee tailored and structured courses to suit individual requirements. In essence, Bill 82 is a mini education act, that was passed in the Ontario Legislature in December 1980. Reduced to simple terms, Bill, 82 is an act that en- sures that every exceptional pupil in the province will. receive an education suited to their needs. Previousl-yn the 1 implementation of - special education programs and services was left to the discretion of individual boards of education. Many, boards, including Huron, provided some measure of special education in the curriculum but the new bill removes the option .and mandates that all boards provide for thespecial education needs of every child. That guranteed right to publicly supported edudation means that every board will have to initiate programs to meet the diverse and specific needs of students. It will requirea major conk mitment on the part of boards, educators and the governmenit, which has 'allocated $75 million for the conversion. The specific breakdown of the funding scheme has not been laid out by the Ministry but they are definite in their commitments to special education. Superintendent Don Kenwell said each board must have a plan in place,by 1982 and it must be in full operation by September1985. - So in 1985 every exceptional child will have access to special education programs and services within the county system. The system. is a rather complex one in defining an exceptional child and subsequently making a placement in a specialized program. The exceptional pupil covers a broad range on the spectrum and includes not only intellectually gifted children but otherswith behavioral, com- municational, intellectual or physical ex ceptionalitiesthat require placement in a special program. A special education program is based on continuous evaluation of a student and will be tailored to meet the needs of the exceptional pupil. Student services co-ordinator for the Huron Board of Education, Sheila Clarke explained that the process of establishing special programs for students will invlove parents and educators. "Every child will receive an education suited to his or her abilities and needs. This was formerly a decision of the board but now we will require parental permission to assess a child and parental consent on the placement of the child," she said. "It will mean massive changes for the board of education and the ministry." Parents will be involved in the procedure from the start have plenty of appeal options available. Parents will be involved in early identification, assessment and placement proceudres. They also have the right to request and participate in the review of the child's assessment and the right to appeal the placement of the pupil. In order to effect the program, the board of education will be establishing committees and hiring additional staff over the nest three years to meet the deadlines of Bill 82. By September of this year.:the board will . establish a Special Education Advisory Committee 'consisting of three board members, representatives of local associations and a separate school representative. The Huron Board will also establish a Special Education Identification, Placement and Review Committee consisting , of at least three members, including a principal or a supervisory officer. The Huron Board is considering such a committee for each school in the system with the principal acting as chairman. Other members may include the parent, the teacher of the child, or representation of the administration. A third committee, A Hard to Serve Committee, will be established at the discretion of the board to determine if a pupil is unable to profit from in- struction.due. to a mental handicap or one or more additional handicaps. The committee would be ac- tivated c- tivated at the request of the parent or principal: - The committee would dtermine whether the pupil could benefit from instruction or the board could assist the parents with proper placement of the child. There would be no cost to the parents for placement of a hard to serve pupil. The entire system begins with the detection of a child demonstrating a learning exceptionality. With permission of the parents, the child is referred to Student Services for diagnosis and testing .will ,be administered' The test results and placement recomme)tidations will be discussed by the school's Identification, Placement and Review Committee and a personal program will be recommended for the pupil. With permission of the parent, the pupil will receive a special education program. That program could result in regular classroom placement, classroom placement plus supplementary programs, placement in a special needs learning class either part-time or full-time, placement in a school for the trainable mentally retarded or referral to an outside agency. If a parent disagrees with the placement of a child, they are to serve written notice of appeal to the Turn to page 3 Jane Netzke is hoping to attract more vendors. "We had seven or eight vendors last year and we can handle quite a few more at the grandstand," she said. "The space is rented for $5 a week but the vendors must supply their own tables. This year we are hoping to attract new vendors because there is more space than is being used." There is no restriction on the items offered for sale and last year vendors peddled produce, crafts and plants. Netzke said the market could expand if enough people express an interest. Anyone interested in renting space at the weekly market is asked to call the recreation department. Cool weather didn't discourage area campers seven evictions resulting from rowdiness. He said the younger crowd, which is notoriously rowdy, must have gone elsewhere. The Pinelake Camp reported a very busy weekend which included such features as a pancake breakfast and a display of fireworks. The 20 overnight campsites available at the park were all full and there was no indication that the cool weather kept campers away from this area. Both campgrounds hope for another active weekend this week when the Americans celebrate their Memorial Weekend by vacationing in Canada. Point Farms Provincial Park Superintendent Doug MacEcheron said the relatively cold Victoria Day Weekend didn't discourage many campers, as the park managed to fill 95 per cent of its campsites. He said some campers packed in their gear when the unseasonable coolness didn't let up toward the end of the three-day period, but most of the 180 sites in use were occupied- for the weekend. Twenty camp- sites could not be used because of flooding problems. The campground was quieter this year than in some past years, Mr! MacEcheron said, with only Frank Drea; Minister of Community and Social Services, •,Yoke to the staff at the Bluewater Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped on Friday afternoon, part of Education Week activities. ( Photo by Cath Wooden) BY CATH WOODEN We are our brother's keeper, ,and it's time the public find out how he is being kept. In essence, that was the message that Minister of Community and Social Services, Frank Drea, and director of communications for the ministry, Don Rennie, conveyed to the staff at Bluewater Centre on Friday afternoon. Their talks took place on the final day of Education Week at the Centre for the Developmentally Han- dicapped. Drea was appointed to his new Cabinet post in April and takes on a massive ministry with a $1.6 billion budget and 12,000 employees. He told the Bluewater staff that he is "the luckiest man in Cabinet." He said that even the school system hasn't achieved what professionals and volunteers have in the field of work with the handicapped; that is, putting the accent on developing the individual to his fullest potential. "I only wish the public would become more aware of the singular contribution you are making," Drea continued. "No one here wants a medal, but we do need public support. Sure, we need the money but the real investment is in the quality of life." Don Rennie blames the general lack of public knowledge about the great strides in work with the mentally handicapped on a media that is "always looking for the offbeat stories that sell papers. The media today is not takingggthe social services issue seriously enough. Good news doesn't sell papers," he told the Bluewater staff in his address. Rennie said that the ministry has become a "victim of its own efficiency," meaning that the institution has done such a good job that the community loses something and takes on a 'let the professionals do it' attitude. Rennie and Drea were both quick to point out that their community involvement criticism doesn't necessarily apply to Goderich and the Bluewat^ Centre. Rennie thinks that things have moved too far from "the community spirit " He told the staff that he feels the government was tricked in the '60s when they had money available. They introduced a spectrum of services wkich have left them vulnerable now that finances have become finite. Drea picked up that thought and said that it is his role to provide the professionals with resources to do the job, and it is the professionals' job to let the public know what they are doing and to get their support. He said with regard to the volunteer movement that we have only begun to scratch the surface." "Whatever successes that have been achieved will seem very tiny compared with what will happen in the future." INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Education Week This year's Education Week at the Bluewater Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped focused on public relations. Staff there feel it is time the public knew more about c them. See page 1A for an extensive write-up.- Oldtimers play soccer The first annual Goderich Oldtimers Soccer Tournament was held on the weekend with four teams participating. Our own Oldtimers won one of their games and lost two. See the sports pages for pictures and story. GDCI. finishes third GDCTtrack and field athletes competed at the Huron -Perth meet in London last week, and the team finished third behind Stratford' Central and South Huron of Exeter. See page 7 for deta its . Regular Features Tid Flits Pg. 2 Classified Pg. A-9 Newborns Pg. 2 Real Estate .. Pg. 1•110 Obits Pg. :1 1'hu ri•h Pg. :3.4 Editorials Pg. 4 R. Board Pg :'i Columns Pg. 4 Farm Pg. SA Sports Pg. t1-7 C. l'omet Pg. 11 i