The Times Advocate, 2004-11-17, Page 3Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Exeter Times -Advocate
3
Lucan Biddulph council gets update from OPP
By Mary Simmons
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN — Members of
Lucan Biddulph council
got an update from
Middlesex OPP officers
John Stephens and Doug
Graham Monday.
Stephens gave a report
to council updating
members on police ser-
vices in the county up to
Sept. 30.
He said Middlesex OPP
officers responded to an
average of 28.8 motor
vehicle collisions while
the regional average is
15.03. The average
number of total reported
crimes per officer is 26
in Middlesex while the
regional average is 21.
The number of occur-
rences per officer is 275
in Middlesex with a
regional average of 203.
Stephens said
Middlesex consistently
has the highest average
in the Western Region in
all three categories,
adding the regional
trend in these incidents
is rising, but in
Middlesex it has
remained steady or is
slightly decreasing.
Mayor Tom
McLaughlin pointed out
Lucan Biddulph has sim-
ilar numbers in areas
such as alarms, traffic
complaints and break
and enters as the larger
municipalities of
Southwest Middlesex
and North Middlesex.
Graham said the
majority of the 90 traffic
complaints occur on
Highway 4.
He also said break and
enters are down from
last year. Police have
investigated 26 this year
compared to 47 in 2003.
Stephens said the num-
ber of motor vehicle
accidents causing fatali-
ties in the county may
exceed last year.
Middlesex OPP have
investigated 940 acci-
dents as of September
with 15 fatalities. The
total fatalities in 2003
was 18.
He said 26 of the acci-
dents have involved
alcohol compared to a
total of 18 in 2003. He
pointed out 2002 was a
bad year since police
reported 51 alcohol
related accidents.
Stephens told council a
presentation was made
at Medway High School
in October to raise
awareness about driver
fatigue.
McLaughlin said he
attended the presenta-
tion and found it infor-
mative. He said he was
surprised to hear that
going without sleep for
15 hours is equivalent to
having a blood alcohol
level of 50 milligrams
and going without sleep
for 22 hours is equiva-
lent to having a blood
alcohol level of 80 mil-
ligrams.
Graham said driver
fatigue can be a real
problem because people
don't feel they are doing
anything wrong and
Chamber holding "Mega After Five"
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — The South
Huron Chamber of
Commerce is getting
ready for a big event at
The Ranch House Inn that
will promote local busi-
nesses.
The Chamber's Mega
Business After Five will
take place at The Ranch
House Nov. 24 from 5-9
p.m. Thirteen area busi-
nesses will be attending
and will display informa-
tion about the products
and services they offer.
The event is open free to
the public.
The Mega Business After
Five is a large-scale ver-
sion of the regular After
Five meetings the
Chamber holds monthly at
local businesses. In those
meetings, a local business
hosts the meeting, which
gives them a chance to
showcase their business.
Chamber membership
chairperson and board of
directors member Paul
Ciufo said participants in
the After Five always
learn a lot about the busi-
ness they're visiting.
The meetings also allow
business owners the
chance to speak to one
another, tour facilities and
learn about the talent and
innovations available
locally.
Ciufo said the After Fives
are well attended and
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allow businesses to net-
work. He said business-
people at After Five meet-
ings have learned local
companies provide ser-
vices and products they
had previously been buy-
ing from the U.S.
The idea for a Mega
After Five comes from
other Chambers that have
held similar events. Ciufo
attended one in London at
the John Labatt Centre
and said it generated lots
of excitement and energy.
With 13 businesses
signed up for the Mega
After Five, Ciufo said he
was surprised at the great
response.
He added the South
Huron Chamber of
Commerce is growing and
now has a full-time staffer
(Linda Finkbeiner) which
has made "a huge positive
impact" on the Chamber.
The Mega After Five will
include door prizes,
"goodie bags" for the first
50 people and a trivia
game.
Taking part are: the
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don't drive cautiously.
Stephens also quoted
figures for the number
of volunteer criminal
record checks conducted
throughout the county.
The Lucan detachment
has done approximately
340 background checks
from September to
November.
He said people can't
expect them to be com-
pleted on demand since
it takes time for staff to
do a thorough check.
Graham said one of the
reasons for the high
number in Lucan could
be that the Thames
Valley District School
Board offers a mentor-
ing program in its ele-
mentary schools which
has approximately 150
mentors. All of these
checks have been taken
on by the Lucan detach-
ment.
Stephens said after-
hours calls to the Lucan
detachment will soon be
directed to the commu-
nications centre rather
than an answering
machine.
Business retention
and expansion
study
Council also discussed
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a draft review of the
municipality's business
retention and expansion
study at its Monday
night meeting.
McLaughlin said he
thought it was a good
report and council
should move forward
with its recommenda-
tions.
The draft document
will be reviewed by
council and members of
the Lucan area business
association before being
revealed to the public at
a meeting which will
likely take place early
next year.
Sixty local businesses
completed the extensive
survey and the results
were compiled with the
help of Middlesex
County economic devel-
opment officer Jay
Brown.
Pat Van Geleuken of
the business association
said the plan is to retain
the businesses in the
area rather than recruit-
ing new businesses.
To move forward the
group needs action plans
and seed money.
"We have very realistic
goals," Van Geleuken
said.
She said area business
owners were co-opera-
tive during the study and
the group had no prob-
lem finding 60 who
would participate.
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