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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-06-29, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, June 29, 2005 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 you are taking a risk. It is your responsibility to be alert, to be familiar with common consumer frauds and well informed on tips that may prevent you from becoming a victim of consumer fraud. Common consumer frauds Suspicious "Contests": You are notified, usually by mail, that your name has been selected in a draw and are eligible to win a large sum of money. You are requested to sign the form as well as select two or three gift purchases for $29.95 and return the order form and money. This is a come- on to involve you in a transaction to purchase goods under the premise you may win the large sum of money. Misleading Ads: For $19.95 you can purchase this 9 x 12 rug. Order early, as supplies are limited. You for- ward your money order or certified cheque. If you do receive your rug, it is 9 x 12 inches, not feet as you thought. Read your advertisements carefully. Retirement Estates/Property: Be suspicious of adver- tisements found in papers, magazines or brochures promoting real estate sales of retirement lots, villas, condominiums in other countries—site unseen. Travel Club Offers: Join our club and win a free vacation to a foreign paradise. The impression created by the solicitor is that a valuable prize has been won. Instead, the cost of the "free" vacation is often paid through inflated credit card charges. The actual vaca- tion seldom complies with the representations made and frequently contains additional hidden costs which must be paid during the vacation. Telemarketing/Telephone Solicitation: Telephone solicitation is a recognized legitimate business prac- tice for the sale of goods and services, canvassing for charitable donations or conducting surveys. However, as a marketing technique, telephone solicitation can be susceptible to misuse. Telephone solicitation is not something to fear but is a technique the consumer must understand and be cautious of. As you are the consumer receiving the telephone call - YOU are in control - if YOU do NOT wish to buy, politely hang up the telephone. Prevention tips Watch out for products that are promoted with prizes or free trips. Be suspicious of "no -risk" claims or promises of huge financial gain. Beware of individuals or firms that operate outside of Canada. If they are fraudulent they cannot be pros- ecuted, ie. travel scams to Florida. Resist pressure to act immediately; act on reason not impulse. Before investing your money, get a second opinion from a spouse, friend, financial adviser or attorney. Consult with the Better Business Bureau or your lawyer regarding large investments. This may save you fmancial grief. Find out the percentage of money the charity receives before making a donation to charitable orga- nizations over the phone. Do not give your credit card number over the phone unless you are absolutely certain that the caller is legitimate. Avoid giving out personal information over the tele- phone (your name, address, marital status or personal history). Be careful when someone offers to deliver a product to your home. By telling them when it would be conve- nient, you may be providing them with the times when your house will be vacant. Programs and services A secure environment takes more than locks and lights. It involves working with your neighbours and the local police in identifying community problems and implementing programs and services to create a safer and more secure environment. Crime prevention programs Home security Street safety Auto theft Consumer fraud Confidence schemes Victim services Provide information on: Status of police investigation Court procedures Support services available in your area Provide referrals for: Legal information Financial help Counselling services Community programs "Watch" programs Volunteer programs Consultative groups Crime prevention committees Education and awareness programs Contact your police department in order to obtain information on programs available in your area and to provide suggestions. Conclusion This booklet deals with crimes that are most likely to happen to you. The fear of violent crimes, however, can greatly affect you, even though as a senior adult you are less likely to be a victim of a violent crime. Isolation, media sensationalism, physical and social changes in one's life can lead to a heightened sense of vulnerability. By becoming involved in your communi- ty and participating in crime prevention programs, you can reduce your sense of vulnerability. There is evidence that some people who have been victimized are too embarrassed to report the incident to the authorities. For your own wellbeing and to help others from becoming victims, if you have been vic- timized (or think you have been) report the circum- stances immediately to oyur local police department. You are a true Ontarian if: • "Vacation" means going south past London for the weekend. • You measure distance in hours. • You know several people who have hit a deer more than once. • You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again. • You can drive 65 mph through two feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching. • You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit. • You know driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow. • You know all four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction. • Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your blue spruce. • You have more miles on your snow blower than your car. • You will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it. • You consider it a sport by drilling through 36 inch- es of ice and sitting on it all day long hoping that the food will swim by. • You have had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number. Taking the opportunity to thank deserving indivdivals EXETER — As the school year rapidly draws to a close, I would like to remind students and parents that report cards will be available for pick up in the main office during the week of July 4 - 8. Before receiving their report cards, students must have returned all textbooks and library books and paid any outstanding fees. Report cards that are not picked up by noon July 8 will be mailed out, provided that all books have been returned and fees paid. After our promotion meetings this week, students who have failed a compulsory course will be noti- fied of the need to either take summer school or make a timetable change for September. Students who anticipate that they may be in this situation are advised to report to the Guidance Office to sign up for summer school just in case. pace is sometimes limited at summer school and regis- trations are accepted on a "first come, first served" basis. In this, my final column of the school year, I JEFF would like to take the opportunity to thank the REABURN students, parents and the community for their PRINCIPAL'S ongoing support of South Huron and the many MESSAGE activities we hold every year. Thanks to your support, we have had another successful year in the arts, athletics and especially in our fund-raising ven- tures. Due to the generosity of the community, we were able to donate close to $50,000 to a variety of charita- ble organizations, including Tsunami Relief, Jesse's Journey and most recently, the Canadian Cancer Society. Our second Relay for Life raised over $33, 000 for cancer research, a truly astounding example of the generosity of the South Huron community. We thank you for your support of this campaign and of all the other activities we have each year. Thanks again to Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church for the $50,000 donation to our music program. We have purchased many new instruments already, and this donation will enable us to make a wonderful pro- gram sound even better. I would like to especially thank the many businesses, industries and institutions that support our co-opera- tive education program by taking on co-op students. Your willingness to be involved in this program allows our students to experience the world of work firsthand, and to get a much better awareness of all the career opportunities available to them. We greatly appreciate the fact that so many employers are willing to open their doors to co-op students and provide them with experiences that cannot be offered in a classroom set- ting. Your ongoing support of co-operative education is highly valued and we don't say "Thank you" nearly often enough. I would also like to thank the students of South Huron for being such great kids. This truly is a great school in which to work and we are frequently complimented on the fine behaviour of our students. It is unfortunate that sometimes so much attention is paid to the tiny minority of students who misbehave and get into trouble, as their poor choices often overshadow the good behaviour and great contributions of the majority of our stu- dents. So, on behalf of the staff, let me thank them for being such great kids. Finally, I would like to thank the school staff, both the teaching staff and all the support staff whose hard work all year is what really makes South Huron the great school it is. The dedication and profes- sionalism of our staff make my job much easier and I am truly thankful that I have the opportunity to work with such a great group of people. Unfortunately, at this time of year we also have to say goodbye to some of them as they move on to other things, and this year we are losing several key mem- bers of our team. George McEwan and Vince Trocchi have been assigned to vice-principal positions at Mitchell District High School and Clinton Public School, respectively. Kathy Coolman, one of our EAs has also been re- assigned to Mitchell DHS. Glenda Burrell, Bonnie Becker and Pat Gibbings are all retiring after many years of service to the students of South Huron and we wish them health and happiness in the next phase of their lives. All of these individuals have made significant contri- butions to the students and to the school, and they will be greatly missed. On behalf of the students and staff of South Huron, I would like to thank all of them for their many contributions to the South Huron family Friends of Hospital seek contacts Dear Editor: The Friends of Four Counties Hospital is a group of citizens that are gravely concerned about the further loss of services and the potential closure of more beds in our small community hospital. We are aware that we are not alone and that similar changes could be happening in other communities. We are attempting to identify similar groups that exist in other small/rural communities and contact them to discuss mutual issues. Could you please pro- vide us with the name, contact person, telephone number and e-mail address of any similar advocacy groups that / Lett you are aware of in your t ens area? .000 the Our next meeting is 'd1toP July 15. Any information you could provide us before that date would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. FRIENDS OF FOUR COUNTIES c%o PHYLLIS MILLYARD, RN Please reply to gabejfross48@hotmail.com or to Mary BoweringAOL.com or send a letter to Mary Bowering, 6303 Glendon Dr., RR 3, Melbourne, ON NOL 1TO