Loading...
The Times Advocate, 2006-06-07, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, June 7, 2006 Opinion Forum News Where's my compensation? Open letter to Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Maria Van Bommel and Lambton- Kent-Middlesex MP Bev Shipley What the heck is going on in Caledonia? Retailers are receiving monies for lost business during this 'land claim' issue, and rightly so. My problem with this is, where was the government aid during the 1995 Ipperwash situation? My wife and I ran a restaurant in Ipperwash before, during and after that September tragedy, and we are still reeling from its effects. We closed in 2001 after struggling to keep the operation open, nearly losing everything in the process. For example, the first four days of September 1995 we brought in over $2,300.. . from that point to the end of the month about $350. In October 1994 (bear in mind we were open only weekends after the summer rush) we brought in $6,201.76... not bad for the off sea- son ... but how about October 1995? Try $857.79! The summer months, before the killing, were great for years. We could easily make all our payments, mortgage, taxes, payroll for over 10 employees (bringing in over $20,000 some months) and actually bank some money. That nest egg was short lived. Business died and never did recover. I asked our MPP at the time what to do. He said "sue us." I asked our MP the same question, and she said she'd work on it, which she did until she got shouted down and told to shut up ... both of them useless and a waste of taxpayers' money. My question to both of you current members, what can you do for me now? You are both of different current political affiliations, and different affiliations from that time. Is your approach different from back then? I still have all my daily, monthly and yearly records from my time in operation, and they are readily available to anyone who would like to view them. I think a precedent has been set. GARY CONNORS (Formerly Jake's Dining Lounge) Forest Thanks for reading Letter to the Editor ltor I would like to thank all those who take the time to read the "letters to the editor" portion of the local paper. Comments made, both posi- tive and negative, are written by those who obviously care about their community. It is easy to grumble and complain to friends and neighbours. It takes time and thought to put pen to paper and courage to ask for it to be printed. I encourage others to take the time to express their opinions through the media or at local council and community group meetings. This is how a commu- nity is built and maintained. s� DEAN DUCHARME Exeter School year is winding down, but still lots of events EXETER — I would like to start my column this week by commending the students who attended the Formal last Friday for their excellent behaviour. It was certainly the smoothest and most trouble-free Formal we have had in my tenure at South Huron, and it reinforced for me what an outstanding group of students we have. Congratulations to Artemysia Fragiskatos and Justin Knee who were named Students of the Year and to Vicki Hartman and her Formal Committee for all their hard work organizing the dance. The gym was wonderfully decorated in a Hollywood theme, and I think a good time was had by all in attendance. I would also like to thank the many staff who assisted by chaperoning the dance, with special thanks to Brenda Hill and Shelly Weselan, the teacher advisors to the Formal Committee, and to Dave MacLeod and the OSAID students for supplying refreshments. Even the weather co-operated, with the rain holding off until late in the evening. The annual Grade 9, 10 & 11 Art Show will be in the Small Gym next week. We are setting it up on Monday, and it will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We encourage parents, students and anyone interested to stop in and check out the work of our talented art students. The school year is winding down, but we still have a couple of important events yet to happen. Two of them take place this Friday. In the morning we will be hold- ing our annual Athletic Awards Assembly, where we recognize the accomplish- ments of our various sports teams. The coaches will be introducing team members and handing out individual awards for each sport. In addition, there will be several special awards, including the junior and senior athlete -of -the -year awards. The assembly will begin after the morning announce- ments and attendance, and parents are most welcome to attend. On Friday night we will host our third annual "Relay for Life," a 12 -hour walk to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. This has been an exceptionally successful fundraising venture in the past two years and we expect it will be again, as we have in the neighbourhood of 200 participants who will walk the track from Friday night until Saturday morning. The event will start with the Survivors' Victory Lap to celebrate the lives of people who have faced cancer and either beaten it or continue to fight it. The Relay for Life Committee, headed by student Michelle Desjardine and teacher Stacey Park, has been working hard for several months to organize the event, which continues to grow in size year after year. We are grateful for the involvement and support of so many people in the South Huron com- munity and it is your generosity that has made this event so successful. On behalf of the committee and the students and staff of South Huron, I thank you for your support. Of course, the end of the year also means all kinds of assessment and eval- uation activities for the students. As we head into the last three weeks of regular classes, there are numerous in -class tests, projects and activities happening, includ- ing the EQAO Grade 9 Test of Mathematics. Exams start June 22, and run until June 27, and I would like to remind students and parents of the importance of studying hard and being thoroughly prepared for exams. With just three weeks left in the school year, now is the time to make that final push and finish the year on a positive note. JEFF REABU PRINCIPA MESSAGE RN L'S A lifelong experience EXETER — Students: before you know it, school will be finished for the year and you can start planning your summer! You may already have some exciting plans for the summer. But have you thought about how you are going to pay for these plans? If not, consider finding a summer job. You may be thinking that looking for a job isn't easy, especially if you're not sure where to start. Well, we have the solution. The Exeter Service Canada Centre for Youth (SCCY) is here to help you with your job search. If you are looking for casual, part-time or full- time summer employment, the SCCY is a great place to start. The SCCY acts as a link between students and employers looking for summer workers. Our offices post job vacancies from employers and provide stu- dents with easy access to these jobs. All the employers who post jobs with our office are specifically looking to fill these positions with students. A thorough job search means researching more than one source to find job openings. In addition to the SCCY, there are many other sources of potential summer jobs. Other possi- ble sources to consider when you are looking for a job include: • Telling everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Tell friends, neighbours, teachers, relatives, former employers and any- one else you can think of. Many positions are filled through personal contacts; • Check the Yellow Pages in the telephone book. Make a list of businesses that might have the kind of job you are looking for and contact their human resources department yourself; • Read the want ads in newspapers. Many businesses and organizations advertise in the newspaper, so check often; • Positions may be posted on bulletin boards at the place of business. Keep your eyes open; • Drop off your resume at places of interest to you. Many businesses and organizations don't advertise publicly. They want interested applicants to come to them; • Do some research on the Internet. You can access job postings right from your own com- puter for opportunities in your area or all over the country. A good site to start at is Service Canada's Job Bank at jobbank.gc.ca For more help with your job search strate- gies, resume writing, and interview skills con- tact Katie at the Exeter SCCY at (519) 235- 1711, or visit us at 349 Main St. S., Exeter. We are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For information on the Government of Canada sum- mer 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 KATIE EMMRICH SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OFFICER Exeter resident roofer dies, cause not determined By Nina Van Lieshout TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — The cause of death has yet to been determined for 36 -year-old Exeter resident Dennis Boyle. Boyle, a roofer for Keller Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., died June 6 after roofing in Dresden, near Chatham at Cangro Foods Inc. the day before during the intense heat Boyle sat in an air-conditioned truck after roofing, according to Andrew Murray, the lawyer for Keller Roofing. He fell and hit his head some time later while changing out of his roofmg clothes, says Murray. "I don't know if he stumbled, fainted or tripped. He stumbled somehow and banged his head, I understand," adds Murray." An ambulance was called, taking Boyle, who was conscious, to Sydenham District Hospital in Wallaceburg. Boyle was later taken to Victoria Hospital in London and died the next day. Jean Keller of Keller Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc. speaks highly of Boyle who was employed with the company for the past two and a half years. "All of our roofers are good guys," says Keller. "You have to be good to work in hot and cold," Keller adds. Boyle acquired the position through the Western Ontario Therapeutic Community Hostel (WOTCH) which assists adults in Southwestern Ontario living with a serious mental illness to work independently in the community. Boyle's mother lives in Walkerton, his siblings live in Guelph. Keller, who was at Boyle's funeral last Friday, could not say a lot Boyle's death is under investigation. "The guys did everything right and that's everything I can say," says Keller. Both the police and the Ministry of Labour are investigating the cause of death which could possibly be from heat stroke. Murray insists the presence of an investigation in this type of situation is "very routine."