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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-08-09, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, August 2, 2006 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 tered place out of direct sun. Walking early morning or evening when it is cooler is advisable. If heatstroke is suspected, prompt veterinary medical attention is vital. Symptoms of heatstroke include exces- sive panting and drooling, listlessness or losing con- sciousness. In the meantime, wet the fur immediately with cool water, not cold water. Bring the pet into shade and offer drinking water. If you see an animal suffering in the heat, contact your local Ontario SPCA branch, affiliated Humane Society or the police. For Ontario SPCA branches call 1- 888-ONT-SPCA or visit www.ospca.on.ca HowWe Count: Why are Women Poor in Canada? Canada is a wealthy country and is enjoying positive economic times, but many women have not benefited. • The economy grew by 62 per cent between 1994 - 2004 but women's pay rates stayed the same, and costs of basics (food, housing, childcare, utilities) soared. • Federal funding for social programs have fallen to levels not seen since the late 1940s. The Province of Ontario cut welfare rates by 21.9 per cent in 1995. • Women have been hurt most by cutbacks and changes in the way social programs are delivered because they rely more on social programs. • Between 1998-2004 the Federal Government allo- cated 152 billion to tax cuts, 61 billion to debt reduction and only 34 billion for new resources for health and childcare. Statistics paint the "big picture" for women in Canada: • Women make 73 per cent of what men earn for full - year, full-time work. • 1 in 5 women (2.8 million) are living in poverty. • 56 per cent of families with children headed by women are poor. • 73 per cent of Aboriginal single mothers live below the poverty line. • 85 per cent of single mothers under the age of 25 live below the poverty line. • 49 per cent of single, widowed and divorced women over 65 are poor. • 73 per cent of visible minority women are low income, compared to 19 per cent of all women. • Women with disabilities had a poverty rate of 25.1 per cent in 1991. In 1995 Canada adopted the Beijing Platform for Action, along with 188 countries to address women's poverty, economic security and health. But 10 years later more Canadian women live in poverty. In good and bad economic times the Canadian Government has not followed through on promises made to improve econom- ic security for women. "There are more than enough resources for the federal government to honor the com- mitments it has made to women's equality... Simply a question of priorities" When women live in poverty, it means their children live in poverty too. OPPWarn - Beware of Extension of "Nigerian Scam" to Internet Selling: Wellington OPP is issued a warning to the public who use the Internet for selling items. A new dangerous version of the long standing Nigeria scams that have pestered, plagued and duped thou- sands of dollars from people since the 1980s has recent- ly surfaced in Southwestern Ontario. Here's how the new version works: • You are selling an item over the Internet; could be a used car, motorcycle or even bred horses or puppies. You receive an email offer to buy your item at your ask- ing price or close to it and the buyer say's he'll send a bank cashiers cheque. • The buyer is usually from out of the country. At the last minute the buyer asks to send you a Cashiers cheque for more than the price negotiated for the item. He will then ask you to forward the "extra" amount to a shipper or a friend for him, as it would be simpler for completing the transaction. • As promised a cashiers cheque arrives. It looks gen- uine and you take it to the bank. The bank will release the funds based on the appearance of the cashiers cheque as it can take weeks to determine if a cashier's cheque is fraudulent. You keep the amount negotiated for yourself and wire the remaining funds from your account to the friend or shipper. • Sometime later your bank will call you to inform you that the cashiers cheque is a counterfeit. Not only are you out the amount you wired off, you are now responsi- ble for repaying the bank the funds that have been lost. In some cases this could add up to thousands of dollars. • By this time your Internet buyer is gone along with your hard earned dollars. • The key ingredients for consumers to be aware of are: selling on-line, buyer from out of the country, extra money to be forwarded, cashiers cheque, and of course a story from the buyer. Whatever you do, don't touch it! Stay away from it. The chances of recovering your money are negligible at best. The best way to protect yourself is to stay away from any transactions where the buyer is asking you to do more than just sell your item. If you have been a tar- get of this scam you should notify your local OPP Detachment. How's your resume? EXETER — It is always a good idea to update your resume or start a new one. A good resume has one objective — to help you land an interview. Your resume provides potential employers with a brief summary of your work and volunteer experience, educa- tion and skills. An effective resume will help you sell your skills and abilities to employers. Before you begin, think about the type of skills you have that employ- ers will find valuable and think about what skills may be required for the types of jobs you are inter- ested in. After brainstorming about your skills and abilities, think about what experiences you've had at work, at school and in volunteer positions that will help demonstrate these skills. Formatting your resume is the next step. You can follow this outline: Personal information Personal information includes your name, address, telephone number where messages can be left, and your e-mail address. This should be at the top of your resume in bold and larger -sized font. Skills In this section, use a point -form list to high- light your greatest strengths and qualifica- tions for the specific job you are applying for. Education List your educational history, starting with the most recent. Include school name, type of program or major area of study, grade com- pleted or certificate received and the year you completed your studies. Work and volunteer experience List your experience, again starting with the most recent. Include business names, position names, the dates you were employed and the duties you performed. Interests and activities Briefly outline a few of your extra -curricular activities and interests to indicate something about your personality. You can also mention achievements and/or awards. References It used to be common to write "References Available On Request" at the bottom of a resume, but this is no longer widely done. Do not mention ref- erences on your resume, but be sure to ask three respectable references their permission before including them in any reference list you supply to an employer. When you put all this together, you should have a concise, well -organized resume. Be sure to proofread it carefully. Having an attractive, easy -to -read resume can make the difference between being offered an interview or not. For individual assistance with your resume, or for more information, call the Goderich Service Canada Centre for Youth (SCCY) at (519) 524-8342, ext. 232, or 1-800-265-5185, ext. 232. For information on the Government of Canada summer work experience programs, call the toll-free Youth Info Line at 1-800-935- 5555, the touch-tone phone or teletypewriter line (TTY) at 1-800-926-9105, or visit youth.gc. ca TOM PETTIGREW SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OFFICER Third annual ABCA trail run Sunday EXETER — The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) third annual trail run is Sunday. Children and those wanting a light recreational run can take part in the 2 km Fun Run beginning at 9 a.m. An 8 km Trail Run, certified by Bernie Conway and attracting runners from Ontario and the United States follows at 9:30 a.m. supporting the South Huron Trail System. Both races begin and end at the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter. Participants travel through the streets of Exeter for less than 1 km and then enter the scenic and shaded trails of the newly developed South Huron Trail. Age categories for the 2 km Fun Run are nine and under, 10 and 11, 12 and 13 and 14 and up. Age categories for the 8 km event are male and female under 19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60- 69, and 70 plus The first 125 entries receive a souvenir T- shirt. The pre -entry fee for the 2 km Fun Run is $20 and $25 for the 8 km run. Prizes will be presented to the men and women in the 8 km event, and ribbons will be given to participants in the 2 km Fun Run event. All participants are eligible for draw prizes. Participants can register at www.abca.on.ca or by visiting the ABCA Administration Office or Runners' Choice. Entries and fees can also be dropped off or mailed to the ABCA Administration Office or Runners' Choice. The South Huron Trail Run is part of the Runners Choice RunPiker Series which hosts many races in southern Ontario, including an upcoming race in Grand Bend Oct. 15. Everyone who participates in five of the eight events that make up the Runners' Choice RunPiker Series will receive a souvenir series sweatshirt. Your name will also be included in a draw for some prizes, like accommodation packages and shoes to be drawn at the last race of the series. A `Blast from the Past' EXETER — Despite the smokin' weather, we have been having a blast at South Huron Playground. We have been beating the heat by playing lots of indoor games and hanging out in the cool Rec Centre. We also cooled off at the splash park at the African Lion Safari. Thanks to everyone who came along and made the day full of fun. Everyone get ready for next week — it's going to be a `Blast from the Past.' We have lots of activities planned for the week. We will have some old fashion fun making play - dough on Monday. The children will be per- forming in retro airbands on Wednesday and we will be doing groovy exercises with `Sweatin to the Oldies' on Friday. We invite new and familiar faces to come out and join in our blast from the past. Reminder: Because of our trip to Fleetway bowling and the Pioneer Village Aug. 17, there will be no supervision for children not attending the trip. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. There are still spots available on the trip so please call us at 519-235-2361 for more details. Keep having a great summer! MAGGIE MILLER EXETER PLAYGROUND LEADER Letters to the Editor The Times -Advocate welcomes letters to the editor as a forum for open discussion of local issues, concerns, complaint, and kudos. By mail: P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 By fax: (519) 235-0766 By e-mail: editor@southhuron.com Please include your name , address and phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. The Times -Advocate reserves the right to edit letters for style, grammar and length. Please keep your letters to 300 words or less.