The Times Advocate, 2004-01-28, Page 15Wednesday,January 28, 2004
Exeter Times—Advocate
15
RSD Authentics owner Scott Bogart stands with the store's new laser engraving
machine during last week's South Huron Chamber of Commerce `After 5' event.
The `After 5' meetings give businesses the chance to show other Chamber mem-
bers what they do. Bogart said RSD has been a Chamber member since the fall
and was excited to show off the business to other members. (photo/Scott Nixon)
Opportunity to realize dreams
SEAFORTH — This
summer will mark anoth-
er chance for youth to
realize their dream of
operating a business,
being their own boss and
winning an award of up to
$3,000 at the same time.
The Summer Company,
sponsored by the Ministry
of Economic Development
and Trade (MEDT) is
entering its fourth year in
Huron County.
Since its inception, 17
Summer Company awards
have been granted in
Huron and 17 young peo-
ple were allowed to
spread their wings and try
out a new business idea.
Summer Company is
hoping to have six posi-
tions in 2004. The dead-
line to apply is April 5.
Training and mentorship
is provided during the
summer by a volunteer
group of community men-
tors. Financial assistance
CNIB holding annual fundraiser
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — The Canadian
National Institute for the Blind
(CNIB) is gearing up for its Focus
on Crocus fundraiser, which runs
Feb. 2-14.
CNIB volunteer and board mem-
ber for Huron County Gordon Hill
said the CNIB will have a display
set up at Hansen's Independent
Grocer Feb. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m.
The sale of purple crocus plants
are a major fundraiser for the
CNIB and sell for $4 for each pot
or three pots for $10. Hill said last
year the Huron CNIB branch sold
1,500 crocus pots, and the goal
this year is 2,200. Pots of crocuses
will be sold in nursing homes,
schools, county hospitals and dur-
ing the Hansen's display. Money
raised will be used in the area it is
raised and will be used to provide
service to CNIB clients
There are 275 CNIB clients in
Huron County, including 15 in the
Exeter area. Clients are partially
blind, blind or deafblind. While the
problem is more severe with a
deafblind client, the CNIB has a
staffer trained to help those clients.
As Hill explained, CNIB clients
receive free service from 18
staffers in the area who provide
services in the home.
He said one of the first things the
CNIB does with a client is help
them learn to continue living in
their own home. Clients are assist-
ed with cooking, shopping, banking
and with using a white cane.
Counselling sessions are also made
with the clients' family members,
who also have to make adjust-
ments in their lives.
The CNIB also provides technical
aids for its clients, although there
is a cost involved. Examples Hill
cited are a device that tells clients
when a glass is full and watches
and clocks that use sounds to indi-
cate times. There are also sun-
glasses available, braille lessons
and computers that speak.
The CNIB also helps with career
development, helping clients devel-
op new skills to find jobs.
"We have a huge library with
material in braille and on tape and
it's currently being converted to
disc," Hill said. "This service, of
course, is free."
Hill said the CNIB's most com-
mon problem is macular degenera-
tion, which is increasing dramati-
cally among seniors. CNIB's client
base is increasing 15 per cent a
year.
Hill said the CNIB gets 17 to 20
per cent of its funds from the gov-
ernment and 20 to 25 per cent
from the United Way, although in
Huron County, the CNIB isn't asso-
ciated with the United Way.
"The rest of the money we have
to find ourselves," Hill said. "And
that's why we're selling pots of
crocuses."
Hill was quick to pay credit to
the Exeter Lions, which he said are
"a great help" to the CNIB.
"The Lions are known as the
`knights of the blind,— Hill
explained. "We're grateful to the
Exeter club for their help."
Other information provided by
the CNIB, which has been the pri-
mary provider of vision loss ser-
vices since 1918:
• The CNIB Ontario division
serves nearly 50,000 clients, near-
ly half of the Canadian client popu-
lation. That number is projected to
double within the next decade.
• Across Canada, the CNIB
receives a new request for service
every 10 minutes.
• The CNIB serves all age groups,
including children (five per cent),
working -age adults (31 per cent),
and seniors (64 per cent).
• By age 65, one in nine
Canadians will experience some
form of vision loss that cannot be
corrected — the figure increases to
one in four by age 80.
• In 2003, library services circu-
lated one million books to Ontario
CNIB clients.
POLICE BRIEFS
Stolen truck
found in ditch
SOUTH HURON — Huron OPP
were advised of an abandoned
vehicle in the ditch on Airport Line
in South Huron Jan. 20 at 11:45
a.m.
According to police, someone had
put a blue 1989 Ford F150 pickup
truck into the ditch sometime
through the night. The officer
checked with the owner and was
told the truck had been stolen from
the parking lot of a working shop
on 1st Ave in Vanastra.
The investigating officer is follow-
ing up on information already
received, but if you can help in
solving the crime call the Huron
OPP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-
222-8477 (TIPS).
with start-up costs (up to
$1,500), is available and,
upon successful comple-
tion of the program
requirements, the student
will be eligible for an addi-
tional award of up to
$1,500.
Participants must be
aged 15-29 at the time of
their application, attend-
ing school on a full-time
basis (either secondary
school or college) and
returning to school on a
full-time basis in the fall.
The business must be a
new, first-time venture for
the applicant and the
completed application
form requires a compre-
hensive business plan.
Assistance in the prepa-
ration of the plan is avail-
able from the Huron
Business Enterprise
Centre.
An information session
on the program is being
offered March 4 from 7-9
p.m. at the Huron
Business Centre in
Seaforth. Students, bring
your parents and find out
what's involved in devel-
oping an effective business
plan. To register, call Lisa
at 527-0305.
For youth 18-29 not in
school full time, but are
interested in setting up a
new business, another
MEDT program called My
Company provides train-
ing and support in obtain-
ing a loan of up to
$15,000.
Contact the Business
Enterprise Centre in
Seaforth at 527-0305 for
more details.
Again, the deadline for
applications is April 5, and
the application includes a
business plan. As of
March 1, applications can
be made online at
www.ontariocanada.com
POLICE BRIEFS
2 hour
suspension
BLUEWATER — On Jan.
17 Huron OPP set up a
RIDE program on London
Road in Hensall. Officers
stopped a vehicle at
approximately 12:15 a.m.
and found a driver with
alcohol on his breath. The
44 -year-old man from
South Huron blew a warn
on the roadside device.
The vehicle was parked in
a parking lot close by and
the male was driven home.
RIDE programs will con-
tinue over the rest of the
month.
The Exeter Times Advocate was the proud recipient
of the Exeter Agricultural Society's Agricultural
Service Diploma. Deb Lord from the Times Advocate
accepts the award from Norma Cockwill at the
Society's annual meeting recently.The Exeter Fall Fair
celebrates its 150th year on September 24-26, 2004.
Volunteers are certainly welcome and needed.To join
in on the celebration, contact Wayne Shapton 263-
2800. (Photo/Pat Bolen)
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