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The Huron Expositor, 1987-11-04, Page 3Dedicated group j..rotec:ts In our modern society,moat people have the privilege 'of beingable to take for grapted they, their families, . and their possessions are safe. But since this week is : Crime Prevention Week we should take a •• Took at the people who are out there mak- -Mg sure our lives and possessions are secure. Even in a town the size of Seaforth, • •• it takes several people, dedicating a lot of their time, to ensure the town is properly policed. " The Seaforth. Police Department. is a force with an authorized strength of four. members, although it is currently working with-only=three,, Chief -Hal -Claus -and -Con- stables Dave"Dale and Charles Akey. The fourth member of the force John, Cairns, took an early retirement after seriously in- juring his knee in a Snowmobiling accident • earlier this year. He has yet to be replaced. , On a routine basis these local policemen uphold all the • statutes - Criminal Code, Highway Traffic Act 'and Lieuot Licence Act. On a practical level this means they are a response team, responsible for answering calls and complaints, and deal- ing with situations that arise. It works out the department deals with 100 plus • oc- curerrces every—month--which—includes-"-- everything from domestic disputes to car accidents. Little time is actually spent at' the police department, as most of the job involves spending time on the streets . either in a car, or on foot. There are some advantages to having. a town police department rather than On- tario Provincial Police (OPP) work the town. The Seaforth Police Department is run by town council, so there is municipal control over policing. It also costs less to have a local police force as the policemen earn an annual salary of approximately $32,000 a, year compared to the OPP con-. stable salary of $39,000. It could also be argued a town police department offers a more personalized policing and can deal with more localized problems. CHIEF HAL CLAUS Chief Claus has put in almost 26 years in law enforcement. His career began in 1962 when he was working with the Metro Toronto Police Force. In 1971 he joined the OPP as a constable and 10 years later he came from the OPP in Goderich to work as Police Chief in Seaforth. In his many years as a police officer , ,Chief Claus has seen a lot of things, and he is of course not at liberty to discuss these things. He note's police officers often have a warped sense of humor because of all they see. "It's protective, for their own sanity" he says. "Even serious situations can have a funny element." When asked what he does in his spare time the sardonic chief immediately responds "sleep" but with a little pro- mpting adds•he is also kept.busy hunting, and is looking at going deer hunting near Bancroft. Chief Claus has. also been oc- cupied in the building of a new home. He lives with his wife Marjorie and has two _daughters, one of whom is married, and, the other who is studying Law and Security at Conestoga College. CONSTABLE DAVE DALE Constable Dave Dale has. worked in Seaforth for the last 13 years. Prior to that he was an auxilliary officer with the Ex- eter Police Department. In addition to the basic recruit training everyone gets Con- stable Dale has taken other courses - one which made him a qualified breathalyser technician, another advanced training course which is given to senior officers to update them with the law and changes in it, and a two day seminar on "Values, In- fluences and Peers" which is the basis of presentations Constable Dale makes at local schools. When he has time off Constable Dale likes to spend it in the outdoors fishing, camping, canoeing or hunting. A real family man, he also enjoys spending as' much time as possible with his'wife Terri - Lynn and their four children Chris, An- drew, Stephanie and Natalie. "I've' been here six years," says Chief Claus, "and I have yet to see Dave not want the first day of duck hunting season off." Constable Dale enjoys. working ' with dogs and he trains Labrador Retrievers. He also gives classes in hunting safety and coaches ladies ball. Constable CONSTABLE CharlesLECilARLES an 18 year veteran of police work. He has spent ,the last 10 years in Seaforth, but prior to.that .. , worked in the.OPP"and in the City of Sud- bury. He lives with his wife Willy and his three boys.,• Mr. Akey came to Seaforth to get away from the hassles of the big city police forces. He says heis against violence and guns and, 'doesn't think . they are a necessary part of police work. "I think they should get rid of guns altogether. Cops in Britain get along well without them;" -he says. -Wh'at-he likes•"about-working-tit-a-small-=-- town is that policemen get to do a bit of everything here. In cities, he says, the work is too one dimensional and there is a .. lotof division of labor, Constable Akey compares a policeman's job to that of an official in a hockey game. The ref does an important job, and keeps :the game under control,; but is not notic- ed because everyone is watching what's going on in the game. Aside from the regular officers there are four other people in Seaforth who help to keep order in town.by serving on the police force. Between them these auxilliary of- ficers provide back up for the regular of- ficers on weekends. They have the power to arrest a person who commits an indic- table offense (as does any, civilian) and they wear the uniform of a police officer with the exception that they don't carry a gun. Forthe time these officers put in on the force they are not. paid. SANDRA MORRISON Sandra Morrison is the only female of- ficer in Seaforth. When she was consider- ing what career to go into She looked seriously at police work and even applied at a college for training, but wasn't ac- cepted. So she saw working as a police auxiliary officer as an opportunity to see how interesting police work is. She says she has found it so interesting she still might consider going into police work as a career. One thing she finds entertaining about the police work is the excuses people will try to use to talk their way out of a ticket. One speeder said "I was just at the car wash and it ripped me off, so I was driving fast to get the soap blown off my car." Needless to say he was still charged. Miss Morrision says she does get some looks as many people are still not used to • seeing lady police 'officers, but she says she thinks -some people may be a little easier to deal with for women, and even drunks will watch their Ps and Qs when there is a lady present. For her part she says she is lot more aware of what is going on around her since working with the police. "As for police work I really enjoy it and I'll probably keep on doing it as long as I can," she says, adding it gives her something to do and lets her pay back the town. "I work here but I don't live here, so it's a way for me to put something back into the town." JIM MCNICHOL Jim McNichol is another Auxiliary of- ficer who is on the force because of his past THE HURON EXPOSITOR, NQVEMI3ER 4, 1987 3A serves .Town of-Seaforth SEAFQRTH'S FINEST - (from the back right) Constables Dave.Dale, John Cairns, Charles Akey, (front) Special Constable Pam Soontiens and Chief Hal Claus are responsible for the policing of Seaforth. • 1 NORMAN EAST JIM MCNICHOL ' ALEXANDER BROADFOOT interest in police work, and his desire to fill his time doing something active and dif- ferent. He applied five years ago to join the SANDRA MORRISON OPP but wasn't accepted because his vi- sion wasn't acceptable. He has instead worked as a parts person at a farm Urban municipalities face reduction in road rebates Following a test run during the regular October session of Huron County Council, The had issue of proposed cutbacks in the Ieiel of urban rebates has been handed back to the county roads committee for further study. Urban rebates are considered to be the county's contribution toward road work in its towns and villages. Although the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act sets the minimum rebate at 25 per cent of the amount levied on the urban municipality for county road purposes, Huron County has set the urban rebate level at 45 per cent. The maximum under the act is 50 per cent. The roads committee recommended the level of urban rebates be decreased to the statutory minimum 25 per cent. The 'com- mittee's rationale for the move is that it Would provide approximately $170,000 in 1988 which the county could use to increase the work on its road system. Reductions in provincial funding for municipal roadwork over the past decade have resulted in a substantial backlog in • roads requiring improvement; • County Engineer Dennis Merrell pointed out in a report which accompanied the committee's recommendation. Throughout that report, however, Mr. Merrell avoided making any clear cut recommendation for the county to reduce the urban rebates. Several times in his report he makes it clear that the urban rebate level is not an engineering issue, but a political one. Mr. Mertal's report suggests any addi- tional funding for the county road program would help reduce the backlog faced by his department, however, "whether county council increases the toad budget through a general increase in the county levy, or through a reduction in urban rebates should not be a concern to the county engineer." • Colborne Township Reeve J, R. l{er- nigha-n, roads committee chairman, .called' for some "good honest discussion" on the issue rather than confrontation. He said the committee's intention in making the recant- mendatioe was merely to provoke such a discussion. I m not confrontation, type of person," Reeve kernighan Said. "Those of you whip Want to make it into a confrontation' go ahead." However, he told council the , engineer's ..t is the s reporhe most comprehen- sive ever presented on the issue and outlined several options from which the etiunty could choose. The committee chose this recom- mendation because it was the one most like- ly to encourage debate. If council were to reduce the urban rebates to the statutory minimum, the move would result in higher taxation at the local level for the five towns and five villages. For the Village of Zurich at least, it would mean a possible five -mill increase, Reeve. Bob Fisher said, something the village would be Catholic school The Huron -Perth County Roman Catholic Separate School Board, concerned about the growing problem of AIDS (Acquired lin, mune Deficiency Syndrome) will in- vestigate whether the board needs a policy to guide it should one of its employees or a student acquire the disease. "Perth County has recently recorded its first Aids death and maybe we should act now rather than react if the situation hap- pened, so that cooler heads would prevail," said Trustee Ben Brown of Sebringville. Mr. Brown recalled the conflict caused when parents of the students of a Nova Sco- tian teacher with AIDS objected to hien returning to the classroom. Trustee John Devlin of Stratford asked if the Ministry of Education has a policy now to deal with this situation, and Mr. Brown suggested the by-law and policy comittee detertnine whether the board should have a policy or not. While making plans to present the AIDS education program, developed by the In- stitute for Catholic Education, to the students in its own schools in Huron and Perth •Counties, concern was expressed about the Catholic students attending the public secondary schools in the two coun- ties. The board buys education for 740 high school students in Huron County and 722 in Perth County as it has Only one high school, St. Michaels in Stratford. "I dont think we• cart forget about the Catholic students in the public system: Their very philosophy is totally contrary to What we would teach," Said Trustee Vinceht Melnnes of Wingham. William Eckert, Director of Education, said the board has a right to que'stion What inforrnatfon is . included in the public schools' AIDS, curriculum: • " their cur - I don't know to what extend rlculum would differ from ou'r's but we should obtain that info'rtnation as soon as possible," he said. • , hard-pressed to justify to its ratepayers. Statistics handed out to members of coun- cil by Exeter -Reeve Bill- Mickle gave a breakdown of the increase in taxation which the towns and villages would experience in 1938 should the rebates be reduced to 25 per cent, Goderich would appear to be the greatest loser, strictly in terms of total dollars lost, with $58,653 shaved from a rebate of $131,970 at the present level. At the is concerned Mr. Eckert stated the chaplain bf the board, Rev. Joseph Finn, felt teachtng.about AIDS is the ideal opportunity to stress chastity and the scripture relative to crea tion itself" •. Board chairman Dav Durand of Zurich, wondered if Catholic students could opt out of the lessons covering the disease, but Tr istee John Devlin said it was asking a lot to expect young students to leave a class when ideas contrary to Catholic morals are being discussed. "Most teenage kids are very sensitive and would rather sit and take it than getup and leave," he said. Mr. Devlin proposed the AIDS curriculum be offered 10 the Catholic students taking the religious courses at night school where a credit is offered. (The only religiout pro- gram at night is offered at Precious Blood School in Exeter, for high school students in public high school. It is hoped one may be started in St. Mary's School in Goderich). Trustee Michael Ryan of Crediton sug- gested the students who most need the AIDS program, are not taking the religious classes. The Huron -Perth Board will be starting the AIDS program in the New Year, but in the meantime it has a con inittee studying. it. This eomnittee will present a report to the trustees and to parents. Members of the AIDS Education commit- tee are; Rev. John Sharp of Stratford, Dean of the Huron -Perth Deanery; Rev. Jospeh Finn of Kinkora, Board Chaplain; Trustees, Ernest Vanderschot of St. Mary's, Michael Moriarty of Bayfield, John Devlin of Strat- ford, Dennis Maclay, Religion and Family Life Consultant, William Eekert, Director` Of Education and John McCauley, Siiperinten- dent of Education; Teachers, Sister Elaine Carr, St. Michael's School Stratford, Tint Doherty, St. James School, Seaforth and Turn to page 16A • proposed 25 per cent, the Goderich rebate would be $73,316. For the other towns, the difference in rebates between the present 45 per cent and the proposed 25 per cent would be: Exeter, $28,595; Wingham, $18,216; Clin- ton, $14,849; Seaforth, .$12,649. For the villages, the differences would be: Hensel!, $9,267; Bayfield, $7,602; Blyth, $4,001; Brussels. $4,493; Zurich, $3,316. Turn to page 16A • machinery shop for the past nine years. He finds working as an auxiliary interesting, especially seeing how people react against the uniforms, He is also learning about the law. Mr. McNichol says you see the dirty side of being a' police officer as well when 'you work as an auxiliary. Alcohol, and the drunks, are the biggest thing, but the rare accidents are pretty bad -too. He was work- ing once when they were called to one, and. found the situation pretty scary. "You don't know if there's a body in the car or what," he says. One touchy situation that all officers ' must:dea `with is when'they come across their friends who are up to no good. "It . doesn't bother me," says Mr. McNichol, "and it shouldn't bother them because they know they are in the wrong." Mr. McNichol is an active Junior Farmer member and he used to be in the Agricultural Society but had to drop out because he had too much going on. He was married last October to his wife Danika. ALEXANDER BROADFOOT Alexander Broadfoot works with his dad on a farm in Brucefield.'When the ad for auxiliary offiers came up in the paper last September he applied and was hired. He applied for the job because he thought it— would be interesting and he didn't have anything other than farm work to do on the weekends. He too has sent.applica is to police col- leges but has yet'to be accepted. He does, however, have an interview with the Wallaceburg Police Department, which may set him on the path'to a career as a police officer. He thinks it is a different kind of work that takes a special kind of person, and is "confident he has what it takes to be a good constable. When asked why he would like to do police work. on a volunteer basis Mn. - Broadfoot explains the experience alone is a big asset, especially to someone who is. going into police work as a possible career. Since 'he started as an auxiliary officer ' he has. teamed a lot about the law and about police work. ' "There's a lot more to it than just charg- ing people and giving out tickets," he says. The only thing Mr. Broadfoot doesn't care for in police work is, "there are time when you don't like to be the heavy, but if it's part of the job, then do it." He says hisfriends and associates don't treat him any differently since he has •started being a part time police officer. He treats them the same and they do the same for him. "My friends all know that when I'm in uniform I am there to do a job and will do it to the best of my ability. When I'm out of uniform I'm still the same person. NORMAN EAST' Norman East is the only member of the • force who has never wanted to be a police officer at some time. He went out to be a • auxiliary policeman strictly for the ex- perience and to see what it was like. • Mr. East says meeting the 'people in town is what he really likes about his part- time job, evert though he does not always meet them under the best of cir- cumstances. Being a police officer gets you well acquainted with a town and Mr. East says he is often recognized and greeted by people that he can't place. Mr. East works at the funeral home in Seaforth and hopes to become a funeral director himself one day. He will have to go to school for a year and then apprentice for a year to achieve this goal. He is cur- rently employed by Dan Brie .Mold and Plastics in Exeter as an operator. Mr. East says he doesn't get much spare time, but what time he does get he likes to spend bowling or playing baseball. He says he would never consider becom ing a police officer, but if his future as a funeral director doesn't go as planned, he would like to seek employment as a police dispatcher. PAM SOONTIENS Pam Soontiens works behind the scenes. to make sure the Seaforth Police Depart- ment runs smoothly. She is a Special Con- stable and mostly does office work on a part time basis. She would also be used in the handling of a. female prisoner, and one of her other duties is "chalking tires and making enemies," She does a bit of everything. COMMUNITY CALENDAR 11 you're organizing a non-prdfit event 0f interest 10 other Sealorth area residents, phone the recreation office at 527-0882 Or the expositor at 627.0240, or mail the information lo Communi- ty Calendar. The Huron expositor, Box 69. Seaforth. Ontario. NOK IWO well in advance of the scheduled date. Space for the Community Carer:War is donated by The Huron Expositor. Wed. Nov. 4 - 3 pan. Moots and Tots 1:30 - 4 p.m. Senior Shuffleboard 4;30 - 6:30 p.m. Tween Ringette 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Atom I practice 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Centenaire's practice 7:30 - 9 p.m. Minor Broomball 9 - 11 p.m. Ladies Broomball 8 - 9 p.m. Fitness is Fun 7:30 - 9:30 Wood Carving at S.D.H.S. 8 - 10 p.m. Mixed Adult Volleyball at S.D.H.S. 6:30 p,nt. Huron County Branch, OGS is holdin'g their annual meeting Goderich Twp. Hall, Holmesville. Potiuck supper 6:30. Guest speaker Phyllis Thonipson Thurs. Nov. 5 1:30 putt. The Seaforth HappyCftiz "ens will Meet at the Legion Hall 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Novice practice 5:10 • 6:30 p.m. Bantam practice 630 - 7:30 p.rrr. Minor Broomball 7,30 - 12:30 a.m. Mens Broomball 7:30,- 9:30 Men's Basketball at S,D.H.S. Fri: Nov, 6 4 - 5 p.m. Senior Houseleague practice 5 - 6 p.m. Junior Hous'el'eag ie practice 6 - 7 p.m., Mldget Practice 7 8 p.ni. Junior Ringette. 8.20 p.m. Drayton ve Seahawks Sat.. Nov. 7 8:30 a.m. Canadlans vs North Stars 9:30 a.m. Oilers vs Bruin's " 10:30 am. Flyers vs Leafs it:30 am Whalers vs Jets 12:36 1:80 Cdraches Clfnlc 1 1:30.2:30 p.m. Story Hour at the Library Rl e� Novice, Bunny 1:3b • 2 30 p.m: Petgie t@ 2:30 - 4 p.m. Public Skating 4 - 5 p.m. Novice 5 - 6:15 p.rn. Atom 1 6:30 - 8 p.m. Pee Wee Sun: Nov. 8 1:30 p.m. Lucan vs Centenaires 5 - 6 p.m. Petite's vs Goderich 6 - 7 p.m. Tween Ringette 7 - 8 p.m. Mitchell vs Junior Ringette 8 - 9:30 p.m. Bruins vs Hawks 0:30 -.11 p.m. Penguins,vs Flyers Mon. Nov. 9 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. Figure Skating 7:30 • 9:30 p.m. Wood Refinishing at S.D.H.S. Tues. Nov. 10 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Pee Wed Practice 6:30 • 8 p.m. Bantam's practice 8 - 10 p.m. Mitchell vs Midgets 7:30 • 9:30 p.m. Christmas Microwave Cooking 8:00 p.m. Seaforth Women's Institute will meet at the home of Mrs. Earl Papple. Note: change in time. 8:00 p.m, Hospital Auxiliary meeting in the hospital board room. A 30 minute video on Osteoporosis Wed. Nov. 11 • 1 - 3 p.nh. Moms and Tots 4:30' 5:30 p.ni Tween Ringette 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Atom I practice 6:30' - 7:30 p -.m. Centenalre'S practice 7:30' - 9 p.m. 'Minor Broomball 9' - 11 p.m"'. Ladles' Brdombafl' 8 - 9 p.m. Fitness Is Fun 7:30.9:30 p.m. Wood Carving at S.D.H.S. 8 • 10 p to Volleyball et S.D.H.S.