The Huron Expositor, 1998-02-25, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth; Ontario
Jennifer Hargreaves of The Looking Glass, one of the sponsors for the Seaforth Health and
Wellness Fair demonstrates the art of foot reflexology at the fair Saturday. It was such a success
that plans are to make it an annual event.
Mailbox vandals
cause for concern
BY JACKiE FITTON
Expositor Editor
Mailbox vandalism in the
country' has got to stop, says
Jim Kelly.
Obviously, frustrated with
the damage and expense of
replacing mailboxes, Kelly
says his has been trashed
about 30 times in the past.
two years.
All told he has purchased
12 new boxes within the past
two years.
Kelly says it's a federal.
offense, the. Huron
Detachment OPP Acting Sgt.
Jeff Sabin says it's a mischief
charge.
if found guilty, the maxi-
mum penalty if damage is
under $ I000, could result in a
$2000 fine or six months in
jail or both, he says.
Kelly says: "It's no joke,
my mail...including bank
statements, very important
personal mail ... has been
found on the ground, in the
ditches and just thrown
around."
Kelly estimates the cost of
replacing the boxes is in the
region of $20. Depending on
how elaborate you want it.
the cost could rise to around
$80.
Then there is the cost of
the posts which have to meet
.postal standards: 42 inches
off the ground with a regula-
tion door on them. They have
to be set so far off the road in
order to avoid the snow
removal trucks in winter and
finally they have to he
inspected prior to the postal
office resuming mail deliv-
cry.
• • •
Exercise caution with
any 1-900 number
BY JANE POWELL
Expositor Co-op Student
You could win $10,00( hut
it will cost you almost $20
per minute to claim your
prize in the latest scratch and
win game.
Cave Promotions may send
you a "Scratch Match 'n
Win" card in the mail. if two
of seven boxes scratched arc
thc same (lips. hearts, faces,
flowers or bells) the holder of
the card is a "guaranteed win-
ner."
To claim the prize, the win-
ner must call the winner's
prizelinc for prize claim
instructions. Here's the kick-
er: the prizelinc is a 1-900
number with a hefty price of
$19.99 per minute. In a few
short minutes, a large sum of
winnings could be spent pay-
ing for the call to claim the
prize.
In one card, there were six
hearts out of a possible seven
boxes. Such incredible odds
raise concern.
Members of the communi-
ty have expressed doubt in
the Cave Promotions Game,
because of being put on hold
for long periods of time and
other delays when calling to
claim prizes.
Goderich O.P.P. Sgt.
Johnson explains that
extreme caution .should be
exercised with any 1-900
number, adding the Godcrich
O.P.P. has no knowledge or
complaints regarding the
Cave Promotions game.
An OPP Detachment
by any other name...
It's not the Godcrich OPP
Detachment. It's not thc
Huron County Detachment of
thc OPP.
it's now the Administration
Centre of the Huron
Detachment of the OPP.
That's the official name that
thc OPP detachment on
Highway 21, south of
Goderich, has received.
Staff Sergeant Brian
Baldwin said it's part of inter-
nal restructuring that has been
taking place with the OPP.
The changes ,have recently
seen the Exeter OPP linked
with London, making it diffi-
cult for the detachment to be
referred to as Huron County
since parts of thc county are
no longer included.
"It .was very confusing to
anybody who wanted to deal
with Huron County," said
Baldwin.
The name change to Huron
Detachment affects the
Godcrich arca office and
offices in Clinton and
Seaforth whcrc the (WP have
contracts. it will also affect
the upcoming Godcrich con-
tract.
"You could he looking at a
cost of over $50. And on top
of that you have to pay for a
mail box in town until the
box is cleared Ibr mail deliv-
ery." Kelly said.
Times that by 30 and it's a
lot of money:
Hc said he had thought of
placing a steel pole on the
mailbox, but says he could be
held liable if it was ever hit
by a snowplow.
Kelly says it's thc joyriders
who travel around and have
nothing Netter to than go
around for thc thrill of
smashing mailboxes.
"It's no joke and it's got to
stop."
Several times has made a
formal complaint to postal
officials.
"All they do is come out
and say it needs attention. Of
course .it needs attention. it's
been smashed up by a base-
ball hat or just deliberately
torn down or something has
been placed around it and
been yankcd out or beer bot-
tles have been thrown at it.
Then I get a nasty Tetter from
the post office."
Kelly says it's the thrill
seekers out for a joyride and
they figure if they aren't
caught, that's how they get
their kicks.
"it's destruction of private
property, it's trespassing and
they don't know how serious
an offense it is."
He says this type of vandal-
ism happens frequently in the
country and it's usuallytwo
or three people joyriding who
arc responsible for the dam-
age.
"it gets very expensive...its
frustrating and we rely on the
mail service. It's an invasion
of privacy. It's like stealing
out of my wallet," he said.
Jane Smale, Scaforth post-
master says. there is nothing
thc post office can do. It's
like a business, the people arc
responsible for their own pri-
vate mailbox and just have to
meet Canada Post standards.
Smale said vandalism of
mailboxes is not a big prob-
lem although there is the odd
one or two which are picked
on from time to time.
She says that could possibly
be the location.
The only alternative for
rural route customers is to
have a mailbox in town,
adding that it could be an
inconvenience for rural cus-
tomers who would have to
drive daily to town to pick up
the mail.
February 25, 1998 - $1.00 includes GST
School board staff
oppose town location
Trustees asked not to consider move to Seaforth
Staff at both Stratford and
Clinton centres joined the
debate, asking the Avon
Maitland District School
Board (AMDSB) trustees not
to consider the move to
Seaforth.
If the board decides this
isn't an option, spokesperson
Nora Darlington said,
Stratford employees would
oppose the headquarters
being moved to Seaforth, one
of thc options being consid-
ered by the AMDSB.
Intwo separate presenta-
tions requesting different
results from the trustees, rep-
resentatives at both centers
clearly stated at the Feb. 10
meeting they, like many oth-
ers have a vested interest in
where the Administration
Centre ends up. •
"Having the corporate
headquarters in 'Stratford has
been advantageous for stu-
dents and staff alike, as well
as those visiting from out of
town because of its easy
accessibility," Darlington
read from a letter signed by a
number of employees.
Darlington stated if
Seaforth was chosen the pre-
sent employees would be
very concerned about several
points.
"The first, driving an unfair
distance on a very busy high-
way that is notoriously one of
the worst roads in the winter
and onc of the first to he
closed during a winter
storm," Darlington said.
"Second, the distance for
us, 43km is a concern, as it
will add at least an hour, an
hour and a half to our day as
we travel at the same ohne
when school buses and others
are also on the road. ,
Since moving to a new
location where half of the
employees must drive signifi-
cantly further would he
unfair, Darlington continued.
Mitchell would seem like a
better alternative.
The spokesperson read
from the employees' letter
that several high schools are.
seeing a decline in population
including Mitchell and when
Grade 13 is phased out, stu-
dents from Upper Thames
Elementary. School can easily
• be moved to that site. She
added that students in
Mitchel! Public School can
then be transferred to the
Upper Thames Elementary
School leaving Mitchell
Public School as a very "fair
and equitable location for
staff having to travel on a
daily hasis."
"The staff in Clinton would
be driving 33 km and we in
Stratford would be driving 22
km," she read from the letter.
"This seems to be a fairer
and more equitable distribu-
tion of travel time for both
parties as welt as those who
must ca,:.,c to the board office
for business."
Pat Taylor spokesman for
the Clinton Centre stated.
"The decision to be made
must he based on what is the
hest for the whole organiza-
tion and not any one particu-
lar part.
"We feel there is a definite
need to have the staff housed
in one building, not for only
logistics, but to encourage
the feeling that we are onc
stall now as opposed to being
the former Huron'and the for-
mer Perth.
These two presentations
regarding the location of the
•new headquarters, aping with
one from Clinton council the
same night. followed those
from the Stratford and
Seaforth councils. As well, •
the public was given a chance
for input Feb. 9 at a public.
meeting in Dublin.
Representatives for the
Stratford Centre outlined
many of the same concerns in
their presentation. However,
unlike thc Clinton staff, they
first requested the board con-
sider moving the Clinton cen-
tre into the old Perth head-
quarters in their city.
Trustees discussed propos-
als for board headquarters at
Thursday night's meeting
held in Clinton.
St. Columban School students, from front, Avery Swinkels, Stacey Van Roessel and Joe O'Rourke
display many of the completed posters on Alzheimer disease, backis Theresa Rice, a board mem-
ber of the Alzheimer Society of Huron County. Six posters from St. Columban and six from Grey
Central in Ethel will be chosen for the annual calendar being put together by the Alzheimer Society
of Huron County. Both the Ethel and Si Columban schools were recent pilot projects to introduce
Alzheimer awareness into the schools. (Fitton photo)
A manly meeting
Alan Stewart, group facili-
tator of a Toronto men's help
group. For Men Who Have
Been Abused, will be speak-
ing in Godcrich on March 3.
Stewart, who facilitates the
pccr support group for mcn
who have been physically,
sexually or emotionally
abused. is being brought to
town by the Knox
Presbyterian Church and
Balance Beam, a local mcn's
support group.
Stewart's organization is
sponsored by. the Westview
Presbyterian Church in
LACAC appoint
new members
At its Feb. 10 meeting,
Scaforth Council unanimous-
ly approved the most recent
local architectural conserva-
tion advisory committee
(LACAC) minutes.
Connie Seymour and Terri
Shobhrook have been
appointed members of the
committee.
Its 1998 budget is tor
$1,500, broken down as:
$700, travel and associations;
$500 advertising; and, $300,
legal expenses.
LACAC's budget last ycar
was also for $1,500, but only
$892 was actually spent
At last week's meeting
council approved moving the
balance of $608 into the
town's heritage trust fund "to
promote the conservation and
stabilization of properties and
areas of architectural and his-
torical value in Seaforth."
The committee also plans to
reprint 1000 copies of the
Seaforth heritage walking
tour brochure, at an estimated
cost of $250. •
Toronto.wherc meetings arc
held twice a month for men to
speak freely on topics from
anger and violence and mas-
culinity and power to expres-
sion of feelings and intimacy
and isolation.
in Godcrich. Stewart will
speak about several topic►&
including: dealing with loss,
how boys become mcn, mcn
and feelings, coping skills,
trust and vulnerability and
fathers and mentors.
Following the presentation,
there will be .a question peri-
od.
Organizers hope to draw
from a cross section of the
community, including area
professionals, interested in
learning more about male
issues.
The event will be held
March 3. at 7:30 p.m. and
Knox Presbyterian Church,
Godcrich.
Stewart has been a speaker
at George Brown College.
Kings College and the
Toronto East i)etention
Centre.
1
R