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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-05-12, Page 66 Exeter Times–Advocate Wednesday,May 12, 2004 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Violent behaviour Continued from page 5 therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses. 12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses. And certainly my favorite 13. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory posi- tion. A Motorist, driving by a farm hit and killed a calf crossing the road. The driver went to the owner of the calf and explained what had happened. He then asked what the animal was worth. "Oh, about $200 today", said the rancher. "But in six years it would have been worth $900. So $900 is what I'm out." The motorist sat down and wrote out a cheque and handed it to the farmer. "Here," he said, "is the cheque for $900. It's post- dated six years from now." Speak up and show your support! Dear Editor, I ask for you to help make our communities aware of what is going on: On May 14, 2004, The Ontario Review Board will be at St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital review- ing a case that happen last January. On January 06, 2003, Kim Gingerich was violently and brutally attacked with a sword by Andrew Bannister. Bannister was found CRIMINALLY NOT RESPONSIBLE due to mental illness. Now after ONLY fifteen months, Bannister could be released from St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital. For the safety of society, proper laws need to be instated for perpetrators with mental illnesses who commit violent acts. Where is the support for the sur- vivors of violent crimes? We will not stand silently, we will not let fear win, Let us give Kim and all victims of violence a VOICE. Everyone has the right to personal safety. BREAK THE SILENCE ABOUT VIOLENCE! On May 7th, 2004 family and friends will protest outside of St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital at 4 p.m. Would you want Andrew Bannister or any other per- petrator living in your community? For one moment put your feet in Kim and her family's shoes, think about the pain that this has caused them, What if it was your daughter, your wife, your sister, or friend! Please speak up and show us your support Thank you Pam PAM SIDDALL, Petrolia, Ontario Panther Profile EXETER — Students involved with "The Farm Show" are now able to relax a little before exams begin. The show went off without a hitch last week. Congratulations to everyone who acted or helped out with the performance. You did a great job! This Saturday is the Formal. The Formal committee has been working tirelessly this week set- ting up for the event. The gym is gradually being transformed into a tropical paradise, complete with sand, bamboo walkways, a Tiki hut and a volcano. Thanks to all the committee members for your hard work! The soccer and rugby teams have been doing well, along with members of the track and field team. Good luck to everyone in upcoming tournaments! Coming events May 12 — Junior boys' soccer at Stratford Central — Track and field athletes to Goderich May 13 — Girls' soccer at Stratford Northwestern — Reading Day schedule — Senior boys' rugby — London Cup May 14 — Boys' soccer at Stratford Northwestern — Canada's Wonderland trip for students in Calculus, Physics, and Discrete Math classes — Girls' rugby at South Huron — Junior boys' rugby — London Cup May 15 — Formal May 18 — OSAP presentation at 2:05 p.m. May 19 — Grad meeting at 10:20 a.m. ASHLEY ERB remains a concern Dear Editor: This letter was sent to the Review Board of Ontario. I am Kim Gingerich's Aunt Cathi, and I am writing this letter to you, the people I feel are going to be responsible for the outcome on May 14, 2004. I have watched my niece Kim for the last 15 months, and I have seen her go through the most painful, frustrating, exhausting and fearful times. Since Jan. 6, 2003, the day that Kim was nearly mur- dered by Andrew Bannister, Kim has had to face so many horrifying things. First and foremost being the survival of a brutal stabbing through her abdomen, her chin and stabbings that nearly cut off her arm. Kim is alive only because during this vicious attack the sword hit the ceiling and broke, saving Kim from being sliced in half. As we the family prayed for Kim's survival, never did we worry about what punishment Andrew Bannister would serve. We thought it was a no-brainer. Andrew planned the murder and there were witnesses to his brutal attack: Andrew stabbed Kim over and over and threw away the sword after. We are so blessed that Kim is still with us, but this nightmare will haunt Kim and her family forever. I believe Kim is the one with the life sentence. I know that neither you nor I can ever feel the exact pain that has been caused; but, what I ask of you, the Review Board of Ontario, is please close your book, put aside the professional name, the rules and regulations. Close your eyes and picture the story in your mind. Visualize, feel the ache and pain. Imagine the fear! Now if this was your daughter, son or loved one, what would you want the Review Board to do? I believe Kim needs more time to heal, and I believe Andrew is not ready to be released into the public. He is not safe to function in society. Who is responsible for Andrew's actions on his day -passes and outings? What Relay for Life In about two weeks time, South Huron District high school will take part in its first Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. I'm sure that people are aware of the event from read- ing past issues of the T -A, or seeing the event being advertised in different stores, but I think that this is a fundraiser that's going to positively effect a lot of people in the local community. The Cancer Society has recently launched a new advertising campaign that goes along the lines of for every one person affected by cancer, a whole group is affected as well. I couldn't help but think how true that is, I mean how many people can say that cancer has never been an issue in their life, whether it be with a friend, family member or themselves. Relay for Life covers all areas of those affected by cancer: a chance for survivors to celebrate beating the disease, a time to remember those who have lost the battle, and the opportunity for friends and family members to show how much they care by raising money to help find a cure. I've learned all too well — particularity in the past year, what it's like to have family members who have been diagnosed with cancer. It's hard to think of how things could have worked out in some cases if money for all the research that has been so far never existed. I think the best part of Relay for Life so far is how excited the students are getting at SHDHS who are involved with. This is the first year the school has ever done this sort of event and a lot of student hours have been put in planning it. Even if they have not entered their own team, members of the community can have a significant involvement in success of Relay for Life as well, whether it be purchasing one of the memorial lumi- naries, financially supporting the teams entered, or going out and cheering on the participants as they make their way around from 7 P.M. to 7 A.M. on May 28-29. Advancements in cancer research is an issue that should never be overlooked. Without events such as Relay for Life, the ability for prevention, early diag- nosis, and treatment wouldn't be as far as they are today. So I would like to take this opportunity to say thank -you to all those involved with this event, their hard work is greatly appreciated in the community. r DEBRA TOONK happens if Andrew attempts another attack, to Kim or someone else? These are the worries and concerns that need to be addressed. If you choose to keep Andrew in a secure facility maybe that could help Kim and her family sleep at night. CATHI CI.AUSIUS, Exeter Principal's message EXETER —EXETER — Over the course of the next three weeks we will be conducting a series of surveys within the community to get feedback on the effectiveness of our programs at South Huron. There will be four surveys in all, each one tar- geted at a different group: students, staff, parents and the community at large. The student and staff surveys will be administered at the school next week. The parent survey will be available in two for- mats: a paper version will be sent home with about 300 of our students, but it will also be avail- able, starting later this week, on our school Web site: www.amdsb.ca/SHDHS/current/. The survey will be available online for two to three weeks, and is easy to fill out. We encourage all parents to take the few minutes required to fill out either the paper or electronic version of the survey. The community survey will arrive with the Focus newspaper in the week of May 17 - 21. It's a short survey and on the bottom is a listing of several locations in the South Huron area where complet- ed surveys may be dropped off. These surveys are part of our ongoing efforts for school improvement, and your feed- back is important to us. So please take a few moments to let us know how we are doing. This weekend is the annual SHDHS Formal, the last big social function of the school year. The for- mal is the final dance for our gradu- ating students, their last big event as students of South Huron. It is also the night we honour 10 students selected by their peers as Student of the Year nominees. This year's nominees are: Shannon Baer, Jessica Bray, Maegan Kipfer, Lindsay Muller, Denise Ritchie, Aaron Daters, Peter Kikkert, Ben Martin, Curtis Pfaff and Jonathan Thornton. Pictures and profiles of these students can be found in another article in this week's paper. Two of them, one male and one female, will be chosen as the winners in a brief ceremony that at 11 p.m. Saturday. Parents, friends and family are welcome to attend the cere- mony. The formal is a much anticipated event and one of the major highlights of the school year, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah Parker and her Formal committee for all the work they have done in preparation for this year's for- mal, which has a Hawaiian theme. The committee members have been hard at work for months preparing for this event, and I hope the students who attend the dance take some time to thank them for all of their efforts. There is one negative side to the Formal and that is the concern that some students will be drinking before attending the dance. Unfortunately, this is an issue with which we must contend every year, and sometimes students end up being refused entry to the dance and sus- pended from school. The new Provincial Code of Conduct is clear on this issue: students who attend school or school functions under the influence of alcohol are required to be suspended. I have spoken to the graduates about this issue and have advised them there will be breathalysers on site, and the police will be encouraged to check out the students as they arrive. If we find they have been drinking, they will face the conse- quences. We want this to be a fun and enjoyable evening, but there will be no tolerance for drink- ing. I would encourage parents to assist us in convey- ing the message to the students that it is possible to have fun without drinking. Underage drinking is prevalent in our society, and while young people today are generally more responsible about not drinking and driving than my generation was, it still happens, and when it does, it can have tragic consequences. If you need a reminder of how seri- ous an issue this is, you might want to check out this Web site: www.lfpress.ca/cgi- bin/niveau2.cgi?s=societe&p=67399.html&a=1 JEFF REABURN PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE