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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-03-16, Page 1• a 135i7EAR-11 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16,1983 50 CENTS PER COPY. Views expressed at open meeting The Goderich Town Hall council chamber was filled to capacity on the night of Tuesday, March 8 when local residents turned out to discuss what Planning Board Chairman Tom Jasper called, "an emotional issue." The issue which Jasper was referring to wag,' the proposed plans of the Goderich and District - Association for the Mentally Retarded to open two new group homes in Goderich. Outlining the proposal, Linda Girard, program supervisor for accommodation for the Ministry of (Community and Social Services, said, "There will be no intent to place all of the Bluewater residents in group homes in Goderich." Girard also assured the concerned citizens that the ministry will play a major role in running the homes. "The ministry will always be funding the homes as well as monitoring them and evaluating them. on a regular basis," Girard said. Dr. Jim Hollingworth a neighbor of the Keays Street group home also tried to assure the residents that they need not be overly concerned about the homes. Using himself as an example Dr. Hollingworth said, "When I first heard a group home was opening in my neighborhood I was concerned since at the time I had three small children. But none of my fears have been substantiated." Dr. Hollingworth added, "The people in the Keays Street home are polite and courteous and if only we normal people could learn from these people." ' As well as being a neighbor of the home, Dr.. Hollingwprth also acts as theresidents' physician. „Dr. Hollingworth stated that be is impressed with both the counsellors who work at the home and the advances some of the residents had made. since coming to the home. 44 •• Although both Dr. Hollingworth and tirard em- phasized that there was no need for concern, one local resident Joe Ducharme, announced. he .was presen- ting a petition on belrai, of 260 concerned Citizens. After announcing the petition, Ducharme who has a mentally handicapped sister, stated, "I really' think the neighborhood has been dealt an unfair blow. Later Ducharme explained that he feels the group homes should not house residents from other towns. "I don't think there are people who object to taking care of Goderich mentally retarded people," he said. Ducharme was told that the two homes will house a total of 10 people who will cane from Goderich; . Clinton, Blyth and the surrounding rural'area. Although the plans have been made to open the group homes the final decision w "1 be up to town council. ' • However, council's decision may be complicated by the old zoning by-law. While the town's new official plan permits group homes to be established the zoning by-law does not. Jasper says the planning board is presently in the midst of updating the by-law and the group home guidelines will be addressed within the next few weeks. The petitior stated that.the petitioners had signed because . the were against the closure of the Bluewater entre: The petitioners also felt the proposed es ablishment of group homes was "Drea's quick fix p agram" and setting ,up the group homes would be a waste of the taxpayers' dollars since it would mean, "a duplication of services which already exist at the Bluewater Centre." ,•-•.;;t7, >.1 tt 4 The Huron Council for Alcohol and Drugs (CAAD) has announced that the council and five area hospitals have set up an Assessment and Referral Service for alcohol or drug hurt individuals. Pic- tured are ( front left to right) Clinton Mental Health Resource Centre representative, Peggy Strong; and Wingham Mental Health "Resource Centre representative, Merle Thomas. (Back row) CAAD Chairman, Dave Hemingway; Addiction Reslearch Foundation Community onsultant, Bill Murdock; Seaforth Community Hospital Administrator, Gordon McKenzie; Alexandra Marine and -General Hospital Administrator, Elmer Taylor; and South Huron Hospital Administrator, Roger Sheeler. The various representatives were signing a letter of agreement. ( photo by T.Marr) Alcohol and drug referral service here By T.Marr After three and -one-half years of planning a inuch needed and long awaited service is now available to Huron County residents. On Wednesday, March 9 the Huron Council for Action on Alcohol and other Drugs (CAAD) an- nounced it has set up an assessment and referral service for people who are suffering from an alcohol Or drug related problem. As Well as Huron CAAD, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, Goderich, South Huron Hospital, Exeter, Seaforth Community Hospital, Wingham Mental Health Resource Centre, Clinton Mental Health Resource Centre and the Addiction Research Foundation will all be playing a major role in the program. - Addiction Research Foundation representative Bill Murdock pointed out that the two main objectives of the service are to find out the reasons causing the problem (assessment) and then develop a treatment program for the alcohol or drug hurt individual. Describing the Huron County service Murdock said, "It is a unique model and the only one of its kind." Explaining why the service is unique Murdock said, ' 'It is a truly co-operative system which utilizes existing services." Instead of implementing a service which would be operated in ,one specific Huron County town, the system has been set up so that it is accessible to all county residbnts. Alexandra Marine and General Hospital will provide a central phone number which anyone in- cluding police, clergy, relatives or the person who is suffering from the problem, can phone if they want help or information. Grant Ellison the program co-ordinator, will then contact the assessment centre which is nearest to the individual's home. The centre, will undertake an assessment, develop a treatment program and then one month, three months, six months and one year later carry out follow-up assessments with the client. Murdock pointed out in order for an individual's treatment plan to work each centre will ensure that a very careful and thorough assessment will be un- dertaken with the client. Calling the assessment service, "the cornerstone of the treatment program" Murdock explained, "The more specific we are in treating the problems, the better the results will be." If however, the Assessment and Referral Service or the client, decides that the specific treatment plan is not working the centre will carry out another assessment and develop a new course of action. Although the Assessment and Referral Service is a new project, funding for the program will be not be left to the taxpayers. Alexandra and Marine General Hospital has agreed to provide the telephone service and the staff at each individual assessment centre have agreed to voluntarily take on the extra work. Vivian Marcotte, a resident of the Keays Street House held at the home last Group Home in Goderich, serves refreshments to .( Photo by Joanne Buchanan) some of those people who dropped into the Open ' omerescients Thursday evening. are good neighbours What kind of neighbours do mentally handicapped adults make? Will a group home drastically alter the value of my home and the homes of my neighbours? Is there. adequate supervision in a group home and is that supervision qualified? These are just a few of the concerns raised in the minds of people after learning that the Goderich and District Association for the Mentally Retarded plans to establish two group homes in town. The association announced plans ,to lease two local properties, one at 16 Elgin Avenue West and the second at 79 Wellington Street, South. •The group homes will house a total of lb retarded adults, individuals capable of living in the community and who do not have behavioural problems. The funding of the group homes is permanent and monitoring is done 'on a regular basis. Last week the Goderich planning board held a public rneetingto give.the general public a chance to air its views on the subject of group homes. The, views expressed were as varied and complex as the issue itself. While people may feel some moral obligation, they have some nagging doubts -on the other hand. People came looking for assurances and association representatives did their best to alleviate those fears and apprehensions. One neighbourhood resident, Dr. J. Hollingworth, told the meeting that he had initial concerns when the group home.,was established on Keays Street. Now, however, he is convinced the residents are model citizens with a great deal of respect for people and property. Most of the neighbours in the Keays Street area feel the same way. While many felt hurt and angry when the home was established in the neighbourhood, their worst fears have been allayed. They felt betrayed, initially, but realize those feelings were unfounded. Grace Fuller of Keays Street said she felt as though the decision to locate the group home on her street • "was shoved down our throats." • She added that, "the neighbours weren't consulted at all and we tried to oppose it." Now, Fuller admits those fears were unfounded. "I have no complaint in the world," she said. "They are no problem to me at Mr. and Mrs. C. Brindley of Keays Street reiterated Mrs. Fuller's thoughts, explaining the residents are model neighbours. , • "We have no complaints whatever' Mrs. Brindley said adding that she and her husband moved to the neighbourhood after the homes had been established. "We never hear a *sound and they don't bother anybody." Mr. R. Doak of Keays Street offered -similar fare on the group home saying "there's no problem at all. The young people who lived on this street were much worse." Other neighbourhood residents, wishing to remain anonymous, told_much the same story. The neigh- bourhood has had worse neighbours than those now occupying the group home on Keays Street. The residents, most neighbours agree, are quiet and respectful citizens of the community. While many still disagree with the manner in which the group home came into existence on Keays Street, they are not willing to change neighbours. Company announces plans to rebuild existing The People's Store on the Square will be rebuilt and a building permit could be issued within the next week. Goderich town council authorized the building inspector to issue a permit to the parent company for the reconstruction of the vacant People's Store on the Square. Council learned from commissioner of works Ken Hunter that the company now plans to rebuild the existing building rather than demolish it. Hunter presented plans before council detailing the new exterior. Council accepted the plans as presented and authorized the issuance of the building permit. The second floor of the structure will remain vacant but some minor changes are planned to ac- commodate ventilation above the windows. The facade below the second storey windows will be new and new brick will match existing brick. People's Store local Architectural conservation ACiViSOry Committee chairinan, Dorothy Wallace, said in a letter to cou'ncil that the committee is delighted the building will be rebuilt within the existing structure rather than demolished and replaced. She said the store represented an important historical landmark on the Square. "The Goderich Conservation Advisory Committee is delighted that the People's Store is to be restored and that its interesting and impressive facade is not to disappear. As the only example of 1900s ar- chitecture among the heritage building stock on the Square its loss woulg have been most regrettable," the letter read. Hunter said the building permit will be issued within the next week or so and construction could begin by April. Board plans to expand progran The French program in the 19 separate schools in Huron and Perth counties will be expanded in grades six to eight effective September of this year. The Huron-PerdSeparate School Board approved the expansion at its Feb. 28 meeting in Dublin. Currently French is taught for 20 minutes a day in grades four to eight. In September this will increase to 40 minutes a day for grades six to eight, while grades four and five continue with 20 minutes of French a day. Director of education William Eckert said current grade eight graduates have accumulated 300 hours of French and 'after the increase, the grade eight graduates will accumulate 480 hours of instructional French. - The increase is an attempt to have the separate school students in the two counties on par with students from the two public systems. Another con- sideration for the increase is that effective Sept. 1984, French become a compulsory subject to obtain a secondary school diploma. ,..lintort woman. kiiled in crash. A Clinton wolnan was killed and five other peOple were injured in a four -vehicle accident near Ifolineaville Thursday, Goderich OPP reported that Pearl Cummings, 66, of Clinton, died in Clinton Public Hospital as a result of the head-on =Went. Police said the vehicle driven by Cummings wag travelling westbound and coilideil head-on with an eastbound pickup truck driven by John•PurlOY, 29,4 Clinton, The Burley pickup truck also hit another westbound vehicle driven by Cheryl Campbell of Seaforth and then a pickup truck driVenbYRobert McCullough, 29, of Goderich, which had pulled onto the shoulder of the highway. Helen Sootheran, a passenger in the Cummings car, Maryjo Ryan, of Dublin, and three others were treated at hospital for minor injuries and released. Town receives • n Wintao grant The town of Goderich has received a Wintario capital grant of $18,000 to complete restoration to the Goderich Public Library. The Goderich Public Library has been deteriorating over the years and interior and exterior repairs have been estimated at $56,000. The restoration process and the grant money will be used over a two-year period. The town must commit $2 to the project for every Wintario dollar. Commissioner of Works Ken Hunter estimated that $28,000 will be required for interior renovations and an additional $28,000 would be needed for exterior repairs to the brick work. Town council has only committed $10,000 to the project this year, meaning they will be able to make use of $5,000 of the Wintariogrant in 1983. The remainder of the work will be completed next year. Hunter said the town will also apply for an Ontario Heritage grant to assist with the cost of exterior restoration work and Word on the grant should be forwarded in April. The town also hopes to secure a Canada -Ontario Employment Development Program grant to offset labour costs. • Students to attend Robertson School Grade 7 and 8 elementary school students in Goderich will attend Robertson Memorial Public School the Huron County Board of Education decided at its regular monthly meeting Monday. • The unanimous decision not to add Grade 7 and 8 at Victoria Public School resulted after series of recommendations were forwarded to the board of education by a special committee that included: parents and board members while principals acted as impartial advisors. A group of parents petitioned the' board of education last spring, requesting that elementary school students at Victoria Public School be alloWed to continue their education at the school beyond Grade 6. All Grade 7 and 8 students attend Robertson Memorial Public school in the southwest section of town. The committee of parents and board members was formed to investigate the feasibility of adding Grades 7 and 8 at Victoria .Public , School but the board rejectedits reeoliutieildatianaMbliday.,-:,,, While the committee's recommendations were not adopted, the board suggested' a liaison program between the two elementary schools and principals, monitored by the board. More details on the board decision will be available next week • INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Tourney tales The W.O.S.S.A. "AA" junior and senior boys' basketball championships were played last Friday and Saturday in Exeter and Goderich. Although the senior Vikings didn't compete, the junior Vikings managed to be the only Huron -Perth team to get by the first round of play. The story about the tour- nament appears on the front page of the Recreation section. Fashion show The Clare McGowan Unit of the North Street United Church sponsored a spring fashion show on Wed- nesday, March 9. Dresses, sportswear, swim suits and children's clothing were only a few of the items which were modelled by local women, and children. The story and pictures appear on page 12 of the Recreation section. Legion awards The Legion Branch 109 and the Ladies' Auxiliary held a joint awards night on Saturday, March 5. Pins, medals, certificates and life memberships were awarded to various members of the Auxiliary and the Legion. The story and pictures- about the awards night appear inside the first section.