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The Citizen, 1993-12-01, Page 6Whenever I feel afraid A Company of Sirens, a theatre group based in Toronto, presented a thought provoking play to the students of Central Huron Secondary School on Nov. 23. Cast members are from top left, Max Hancock, Katherine Bruce-Lang and Peter lvaskiv. In front are Eva John, left, and Kim Kuhteuble. NOTICE TO RESIDENTS Township of Hullett The regular December Council meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, December 6th, 1993 at 7:00 p.m. Clerk's Office PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1993. Host may pay for guests' good time By Janice Becker With the holiday season upon us again, many will be attending or hosting celebrations where alcohol is consumed. For the host, it could be a night never to forget. In recent years, the responsibility for the condition of the guests leaving the party has increased for the party-giver. It is very possible that a civil suit could be brought against them if an intoxicated guest is involved in an accident after leaving, says an OPP spokesperson. For those hosting a party at a hall or community centre where a liquor licence board special occasion permit is required for the serving of alcohol, there is now some protection against legal action. Local insurance companies are providing a single-occasion insurance called PAL (party alcohol liability). It protects the host against any injuries or damages caused by a party-goer who consumes excessive amounts while a guest at the function or who is served the final drinks which caused the limit to be exceeded. A typical scenario might go something like this. You decide to celebrate the season with a few friends, including dinner and drinks at the local hall. Everyone seems sober to you but, one guest's car collides with another on the way home. The police inform his insurance company that the blood alcohol level read .1, making himlegally impaired. The insurance company is now only responsible for paying $200,000 towards damages, even if the driver had $1,000,000 coverage, says John Elliott of Elliotts Insurance in Blyth. The occupant of the other car may then bring a civil suit against the driver, the server, the organization which hosted the party for being the supplier/licensee of the alcohol and the property owner for allowing unsafe activities in their facility. This is know as social-host or provider liability and occupier's liability. Because of this legal res- ponsibility, municipalities are requiring the renter of community facilities to purchase the insurance, says Mr. Elliott. "It is the only way they have of protecting themselves from liability." "Although the individual who created the initial problem by being drunk, is responsible, accountability soon backs up when damages cannot be recovered from the instigator and his insurance," he says. The cost of the insurance is based on the number of people for which the license was obtained. For under 100 guests, the cost is $100 and the price for 501 to 1,000 is $175. Mr. Elliott sayS, "This may seem very expensive but if the host considers the costs which might be incurred by a law suit, the price is reasonable." The responsibilities of a private homeowner who hosts a party, where no license is required, are the same, says Mr. Elliott. If an intoxicated guest leaves the home and is involved in an accident, it is very possible that the homeowner would be named in a civil suit. As a property owner, your homeowner's insurance will cover the liability. If you are a renter or do not carry such insurance, it is possible to lose any assets you do have. In the case of rental property, the owner could also be named in the suit, he says. "I think organizations and hosts of parties are becoming more aware of their accountability for the condition of their guests and they are taking the necessary precautions," says Mr. Elliott. "If they don't, the effects may be felt for a long time by individuals other than those involved in the accident." Play deals with teenage conflicts, abuse By Janice Becker If anyone still believes that a statement such as "You're not leav- ing the house dressed like that." could only be heard in a conversa- tion between parent and child, the presentation by The Company of Sirens ma have o s ened some eyes. The Toronto-based theatre group performed the hour-long play, "Whenever I Feel Afraid," to packed houses at Goderich District Collegiate Institute, Central Huron Secondary School, Clinton and F. E. Madill Secondary School, Wing- ham during the past week. An evening performance was staged for the benefit of parents and the community on Nov. 23 at Blyth Memorial Hall. It presented a realistic portrayal of violence and abuse which might have to be dealt with in parental, spousal and dating relationships. The play looks at the conflicts dealt with by a small group of high school friends. The skit covers several levels of abuse, from a beginning ivhere the girls have to put up with or avoid cat calls in the school hall to the point where two teenagers come to t'he realization that their father abused both them and their mother. It does not just state the facts but gives the student audience sugges- tions on how to recognize the prob- lems and how to confront them. At the end of the presentation, the students and staff were invited to ask questions. The students then returned to their home rooms where the topic could be discussed in smaller groups with the aid of peer mentors and community volunteers (The Huron Perth Centre, Survival through Friendship House, Kids on the Block and Stop Women Abuse Now). The focus of these discussions was sexual equality, respect, co- operation and communication. Michel Bisson, stage manager for the group, says the response to the play has been great. Most audi- ences have asked very serious and realistic questions, which shows they understood the depictions in the play were real, she says. Ms Bisson says the small group discussion with peer mentors are helpful for the students in learning how to deal with violence. This show has been on the road for three and a half years, with 65 performance this season. "We just returned from the Maritimes, hav- ing done 32 shows and this is our final week of the run," Ms Bisson says. A press release stated that the performance was supported by the Huron Public Education System and SWAN (Stop Women Abuse Now Committee) in an effort to deal with the focus for the 1993-94 school year, conflict resolution from the Safe Schools mandate. These organizations along with administrators, trustees, parents, teachers, students and the commu- nity are working together to elimi- nate violence in society. Anyone interested in obtaining more information on the topics covered by the performance should contact one of the aforementioned groups. echtel Knows Freshness. Our meat is always 'Grade A' lean. We're so sure you'll find our stan- dards on par with yours, we stand KNECHTEL behind our meat, produce and fresh, in-store baked goods with So get to know Knechtel. Because a 100% money back guarantee. Knechtel Knows Food. Knechtel knows freshness. SCRIMGEOUR'S FOOD MARKET Blyth 523-4551 When you walk into a grocery store everything should seem fresh. It has to be. Because your grocer is part of the community. And his name is only as good as the food he sells. Knechtel under- stands these standards, and we know we're part of the communi- ty. Our produce is always fresh. The lettuce is crisp, the tomatoes are firm and nothing is presented over-ripe. And no wonder. We source the freshest produce from around the world. This Christmas season for example, our clemen- tines are from Spain and Morocco.