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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-02-18, Page 27Wednesday, February 18, 2004 Exeter Times–Advocate 27 Counterfeiting presentations take place across the county By Mary Simmons TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — Sr. Const. Don Shropshall of the Huron OPP and Manuel Parreira of the Bank of Canada made 11 counter- feiting presentations across the county to approximately 220 people Feb. 11 and 12. In their last stop at the Ranch House Inn Shropshall told the group there has been a slight change in the type of counterfeit bills showing up in the county, with more $10 and $20 bills. "Once you receive a bill, it's yours," he said. Parreira said the securi- ty features on currency must be quick, easy and reliable to check. He said in 2001 a Windsor counterfeiting ring put a lot of counter- feit $100 bills into distrib- ution which resulted in many businesses refusing to except the denomina- tion. He said the ring has been busted and the majority of counterfeits now are $10 bills, but not many people are checking the lower denominations. "Whether it's $100 or $10, the checks are the same, so why not do both?" he asked the group. Parreira said most counterfeiters do not pass the money themselves. They sell it on the streets and it makes its way into circulation, which means it can wind up in anyone's pocket. Parreira said it is always a good idea to compare a genuine bill to the one you suspect is fake. To train the group to recognize the security features on Canadian cur- rency, Parreira passed around bundles of bills containing two $20 bills, one $10 and one $5 and asked everyone to check them and tell him which were counterfeit. He said in the Birds of Canada series, it is impor- tant to check the coloured patch in the top left cor- ner to make sure it changes colour from gold to green when tilted and can't be peeled off. There will also be green dots on the bill which can be removed when scratched and will glow under UV light. In the Canadian Journeys series a hidden numerical value is revealed in the band to the left of the portrait when tilted correctly and three maple leaves to the right will change to a shiny gold colour. Under UV light the Coat of Arms and text glow glow and fibres glow red. On every denomination the portraits will have concentric circles within the eyes and raised ink will feel thinker to the touch on certain portions of the bill. They will also contain micro printing which will not wear off and if they are rubbed on a piece of white paper, colour will come off. Parreira said it is impor- tant not to rely on one feature since counterfeit- ers learn tricks. For instance he demonstrated some of the counterfeit bills will pass the UV light source test. "Rely on your eyes and rely on your hands," he said. "You have to touch the bill anyway so check where the raised ink is." Parreira said if you sus- pect a bill is counterfeit, stop the transaction with- out putting yourself at risk and if possible, retain the note. If the transaction has already been made, get a receipt from the police and if the note is genuine, it will be returned. Unfortunately if it is coun- terfeit, there is no way to recoup the losses. Manuel Parreira of the Bank of Canada shows the new $100 bill which will be released March 17. (photo/Mary Simmons) School trustees hear about 'At -risk student' initiatives By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE SEAFORTH — Intervening before learning problems become severe was a theme for much of the most recent meet- ing of the Avon Maitland District School Board, held Feb. 10. First, trustees gave the final stamp of approval to an earlier decision to free up $300,000 for expanding upon the board's Team Read project. Initiated in 2002 to target Primary -level literacy in 12 elementary schools, each of which compared poorly in provincially -stan- dardized EQAO tests, Team Read pro- vided literacy resources as well as three specialized teachers for once -per -week school visits and the creation of an "early reading intervention program." Team Read 2, to be established using the newly -approved cash injection, will provide a similar program for 12 addi- tional schools, at which EQAO improve- ment is also sought. Those schools are Central Perth (Wartburg), East Wawanosh (Belgrave), Elma (Atwood), Hamlet (Stratford), Listowel Central, Listowel Eastdale, Mornington (R.R. 1 Newton), Shakespeare, Stephen Central (R.R. 2 Crediton), St. Marys Central, Usborne (Exeter), and Wingham. Not only that, but the $300,000 will also allow Team Read to step into the Junior division in four schools, in what education superintendent Marjatta Longston identified as a Pilot Project, in her Feb. 10 report to trustees. One Junior Language Resource teacher will be hired through June 2004, to con- duct once -per -week visits to each school, including Colborne Central (Goderich), Listowel Central, Robertson Memorial (Goderich) and Wingham. On paper, money for the Team Read expansion came from the board's reserve funds but, in reality, it has only been on reserve for a few weeks. Essentially, the program's expansion was made possible by the windfall of provin- cial government contributions made both before last fall's election by the Conservatives, and in the wake of the Liberal's electoral victory. Just over $131,000 represents the board's share of a "literacy and numera- cy" grant, while the balance of the Team Read money is provided by a portion — about $170,000 out of a total of over $600,000 — of the Avon Maitland com- ponent of a recent injection of "rural and remote" funding. Longston's report notes that a recommendation for allocating the rest of the "rural and remote" money "will be forthcoming later in the school year." Promotion of the board's commitment to early intervention, however, didn't stop with the Team Read recommenda- tion. Longston's report also included an explanation of another literacy -themed "Pilot Project" — this one targeting the Intermediate level. And the approval of the Team Read recommendation was fol- lowed by a lengthy presentation from the board's recently -hired system principal for so-called "at -risk students," Ted Doherty, along with some staff with whom he has been working. Two English departmental heads — one from F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham and one from St. Marys DCVI — will work half-time with board staff through June 2004, on a series of resource acquisition and teacher training initiatives. This Intermediate literacy pilot project, as well as Doherty's work, are supported through yet another of the funding announcements made in the wake of last fall's provincial election — one geared particularly towards students who aren't identified as having a learning disability, yet are at risk of leaving school before they earn a diploma of any kind "We're somehow failing these students, and this is an attempt to keep them in school for a few more years," explained F.E. Madill principal Joe Jankowski, who introduced trustees to two half-time teachers who came out of retirement to co-ordinate a program at the school enti- tled "We Care." According to Doherty, "We Care" began before the At -Risk money became avail- able, but it will now be used as a model for new initiatives at three other schools: Central Huron in Clinton, South Huron in Exeter, and Listowel District Secondary School. Stratford Northwestern also has a similar program. The two F.E. Madill specialists will also branch out to the high schools' feeder system, visiting Grade 8 students in Wingham, Howick Central, Lucknow (a Bluewater District School Board facility which sends some students to F.E. Madill Secondary School) and Brookside. All of the projects aim to identify stu- dents at risk, examine their course timetable to see if other courses would be more appropriate, and perhaps alter the timetable so the workload is more manageable. Another goal of Doherty's work, which he calls "Project GRASP — Goals, Relationships, and Successful Pathways" — includes working with school adminis- trators to recognize how many students would be best served by courses which aren't meant for students hoping to attend university or college. He suggested that, based on available statistics for where students end up, most of the board's high schools are geared too much towards university - bound students and not enough towards those who will eventually move straight into the workforce. Members of the Exeter Lions Blind (CNIB) were at Hansen's club and the Canadian National Institute for the Independant Grocer Feb. 12 as part of the CNIB's annual Focus on Crocus campaign the first two weeks of February. Fifteen hun- dred crocus were sold last year in Huron County with the goal this year to sell 2300. CNIB volunteer Gordon Hill said $931 was raised during the day with all money collected locally remaining in the area to help local clients. L -R: Gordon Hill, Howard Hodge (Lions), Gwen Stirling (CNIB volunteer), Lorne Haugh (Lions) (photo/PatBolen)