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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-03-09, Page 15Wednesday, March 9, 2005 Exeter Times -Advocate 15 Summer job hunt underway March Break extended for 2006 The Pinery Provincial Park is accepting applications from students looking for summer work. The park was one of a dozen employers taking part in the Grand Bend Youth Centre job fair March 5 at the Legion. Park Warden Harvey Cornell helps Micah Brenner (left) and Mark Kelders with their applications. The park will hire 130 students this summer. (photo/Stephanie Mandziuk) Looking at mischief in Huron County (Note: The following story was written by a South Huron District High School student in the Grade 11/12 Communications class. The story is one of a series that students have published in the Times - Advocate this year.) EXETER — Look around your community. Have you came in con- tact with walls covered with graffiti? Knocked over trash cans or mail- boxes? Broken street lights? Spray paint on stop signs? Broken pub- lic telephones? Missing street and traffic signs? In our community these types of vandalism are happening all the time. Cost of vandalism According to www.bris- toltwp.com/police/van- dalism.htm, communi- ties pay out millions of dollars each year to repair broken windows, replace vandalized and stolen equipment and to clean up graffiti. Having to pay for things like this means less money for fixing roads and clean- ing up parks. Local gov- ernments (and taxpay- ers) pay the bills for bro- ken street lights, stolen signs, and vandalized parks. Businesses pay the cost of vandalism through higher prices. Who and why? Most of the vandalism is committed by young people, from grade schoolers to teen to young adults. There are many reasons why van- dalism happens in and around your community: boredom, anger, revenge, defiance or alliance. In our commu- nity there are no gangs, but just single people or small groups that com- mit vandalism. There is not a certain type of mis- chief going on in our community, this is why it is hard to tell who is cre- ating vandalism. What can be done? Clean up vandalism as soon as it happens: replace signs, repair playground equipment, paint over graffiti. Protect you house or apartment from vandal- ism by using good light- ing and locking gates and sheds. Support com- munity recreational pro- grams for young people. Volunteer your time, donate money or sup- plies, and help any way you can. If you see any- one committing vandal- ism, report it to the police, school authori- ties, or someone who can take action. Remember, vandalism is a crime. Consequences According to Huron OPP, the consequences for vandalism may vary based on the amount of damage done, and if your police record shows you have been in one or more previous incidents. Under the Criminal Code of Canada it is labeled as a mischief under $5,000 section 430(4), and mis- chief over $5,000 section 430(3). If caught for mis- chief the person will be charged as a young offender, which is under the age of 18, or charged as an adult, which is 18 and up. For a young offender there are fewer conse- quences depending on the amount of damage. The child might attend a court trial where he or she will tell his or her side of the story. If con- victed of the crime there would be a punishment, fine, community service, or probation depending on the amount of dam- age. An adult charged with mischief would also have a court trial; if he or she is convicted, there would also be a punishment, fine, and if he or she committed a serious crime there might be a jail sentence along with probation, depending on the amount of damage. COUNTRY CORNERS RENT -RLL INC. ; 586 Main Street South, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S1 'a= Tel: (519) 235-3456 • Toll Free: 1-800-265-2901 I WHAT A SUCCESS! WHAT A SUCCESS! 1 Country Corners would like to thank everyone for coming out on Sunday, to our 2ND ANNUAL SNOWMOBILE RUN IN MEMORY OF MIKE LIGHTFOOT. 85 sleds came out for a fun day and raised over $1100.00 towards Saint Elizabeth Health Care. Special thanks to Dennis and Jackie Dietrich, Jeff Dwyer, the Pineridge Snowmobile Club and all our friends and family who helped make this day a success. By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE DUBLIN — The March Break will last an extra day in 2006 for students in Huron and Perth counties, follow- ing an agreement about a "modified calendar" between the Avon Maitland and Catholic school boards. The sixth day off school, scheduled for the Friday before the traditional five-day break, will be replaced by an additional school day at the end of June. "As I understand it, (the possibility of taking off the Friday before March Break) had come up as a discussion point for several years previously," said Huron -Perth Catholic District School Board's education superinten- dent. At the board's regular meeting Feb. 28, Martha Dutrizac told trustees the idea was driven largely by suggestions from staff members, including those who travel during the break and are forced to pay higher weekend airline rates. The board's chairperson, however, is concerned about how the change will be perceived by the public. Bernard Murray, a trustee from Perth South, advised the board should "make the message clear why we would support it," and called on "the teaching profession" to inform the public about the reasons for suggest- ing an extended break. "I have a problem with the message it sends out to people — a perception that they will pick up on," Murray said. "People will say, oh, they're getting an extra day on their March Break." Dutrizac agreed "the optics are very important," adding each year's school calendar must be approved separately, and that the revised schedule will only happen on a trial basis in 2006. She said future use of the extended break may depend "on the way the month falls." She also noted there should be clear communi- cation that the lost instruction day will be added to the end of the school calendar. Vice -chairperson Mike Miller, meanwhile, spoke in favour of the extra Friday off, suggesting parents would also appreciate the additional travel day. And in the end, Murray joined his counterparts in a unani- mous vote in favour of the 2005-06 school calendar. At its meeting Feb. 22, the Avon Maitland District School Board unan- imously approved a similar calendar with little discussion. Season opens with romance and magic By Stephanie Mandziuk TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF GRAND BEND — The 2005 playbill at Huron Country Playhouse promises to have theatre -goers on the edge of their seats. The season opens with the magic of Disney's musical fantasy Beauty and the Beast. It's followed by Neil Simon's award- winning comedy about a family's ups and downs in Lost in Yonkers. Up next, a salute to the leading men of musical theatre in Give My Regards to Broadway. The season winds down, or in this case is turned up, with the fun -filled musical review Twist and Shout: The British Invasion. It's a look at the nos- talgic '60s celebrating classics by artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Herman's Hermits. Playhouse II will feature The World Goes 'Round, a musical review of leg- endary composers Kander & Ebb. Their songs includes hits from Cabaret, Chicago, Funny Lady and New York, New York. Tickets are now on sale for all perfor- mances at the box office. Call 238- 6000 or toll free, 1-888-449-4463. For more information check out the website at www.huroncountryplay- house.com James says ... Deacon Flooring has expanded to serve Grand Bend and area! The Leader In ... 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