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The Huron Expositor, 1998-11-25, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario November 25, 1998 — $1_00 includes GST Seaforth's citizens of the year named Brad and Teresa Finlayson --Service to Sports CAMPBELL PHOTO Couple believes sports build confidence in young BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Stat) The typical bustle around the Finlayson household this past weekend made it difficult to fit a photo in edgewise. Every season is sports season for this Church Street family. and getting to all the games. to coach or to play, is higher priority than pictures. Mom and dad. Brad and Teresa. are co -winners of Seaforth's "Service to Sports" award this year. Teresa was in a broomhall tournament this weekend. She's also coaching Seaforth's atom Il hockey team this winter. Brad still plays sports too. but isn't coaching for the first time in a long while this winter because he is getting established in a new job. Both Finlaysons feel sports builds confidence. "1 wanted the children in sports because it builds social skills and self- esteem." Teresa says. "I feel I can help with that by coaching. by making the kids feel they want to come back next year and play again." Bradsays he "can't even skate" just followed his wife's lead. GRATIFYING He has both coached and managed ringette to Seaforth, andn wwith Teresa and Tom and Lynn Devereaux. was the driving force behind starting girl's hockey in town three seasons ago. In the summer. both Finlaysons are big on minor soccer, both equally as active coaching in the St. Columban minor system. Teresa still plays for St. Columban's women's team, which topped its division last season. Brad was also a soccer player of some renown and still plays broomhall. Both Finlaysons are born and raised in the area, and have also assisted with Seaforth minor hockey's Saturday morning House League in the 10 years they have lived in'town. Teresa has been involved with ringette in town for more than eight years at various times as coach. manager and executive member. She was president of the local ringette association for two of those years. The Finlaysons "exemplify the true meaning of volunteerism." says Seaforth recreation director Marty Bedard. "I like coaching." Teresa says. "It's gratifying to see how players develop their skills and as individuals." Life made worthwhile by offering to help BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Volunteering feels as natural as getting up in the morning for Joan Stewart, winner of Seaforth's "Humanitarian Service" award this year. "It's one of the most worthwhile things, it makes your life worth living, making the community. a better place to live," she says. Early Friday morning she was putting the finishing touches on a shepherd, painting a paper banner in the basement of .Northside United Church for its float in this week's Christmas parade. She spends a lot of time there. "Some of the best things in life you don't get paid for," Stewart says. Joan contributes "so much to her church and community that it's difficult to sum up," says Seaforth recreation director Marty Bedard, on behalf of the committee that chose this year's winners from a larger than normal list of nominations. She is an elder and Sunday school superintendent at Northside, a member of United Church Women and Northside's Christian education, renovation and outreach committees. SHORT-TERM The outreach committee is looking after next month's Christmas Bureau at Northside, and Stewart has been its Foodbank representative, as well as hosting the Seaforth area Foodgrains growing project on the family farm, a concession east of Seaforth, north off Highway 8. She also dedicates many hours to helping others, with other groups, among them 4-H Club and the Huron Hospice's bereavement support group. "Most importantly, Joan is a wonderful mother and grandmother to her family." the award committee notes. Volunteerism is changing. Stewart says. "We're always clamouring for volunteers and they seem to come though in the end." She ,thinks many of. today's volunteers prefer doing it short-term. "They like being committed for time. then move on to some.thing else." Stewart says. Joan Stewart --Humanitarian Service CAMPBELL PHOTO Parishioners still in the dark St. Columban Church changes location, no information for parish BY GREGOR CAMPBELL ' Expositor Staff Parishioners in St. Columban are still very much in the dark about exactly where they stand with the Diocese of London in relation to the other two Roman Catholic churches in their cluster. The chair of the parish's ad hoc committee. Gary Cronin, says despite repeated calls to the diocese for clarification, he knows 'nothing more than he knew weeks. ago. At the start of the month the diocese said the parish could proceed with repairs (estimated at between $25,000 to S50,000) to make its structurally damaged church safe for occupancy and Fr. Tony DelCiancio indicated at a service in Si Patrick's Church in Dublin that St. Columban parish had been removed from the cluster. Repeated calls to Fr. Tony Daniels, vicar general of the diocese, for clarification of the parish's status by The Huron Erporiror have likewise not been recanted. A report last Tuesday in an area daily newspaper quoted Fr. Daniels as saying St. Columban will be removed from the cluster temporarily to heal the fractured congregation. " Ur TO SOMETHING" Ad hoc chair Cronin says he read that report but has had no official confirmation from the diocese. "It almost seems like they are up to something," Cronin says. "we've been told that clustering is the direction the church is pursuing, yet we've been removed from the cluster. "It,make no sense. It's almost as if they have something up their sleeve," Cronin says. St. Columban Church has been closed for liability reasons since September last year. But church services returned to the nearby hamlet last Saturday evening, when parishioners celebrated mass in Si Columban for the first time in nearly a ye Fr. Paul Mooney, who lives in St. Columban. was pastor for the service which was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall. About 85 parishioners attended. Up until Nov. 1, Fr. DelCiancio had been pastor of St. Columban and the other two churches in the cluster - St. Patrick's and St. Vincent de Paul in Mitchell. Fr. DelCiancio, who remains pastor at the other two churches, has also not returned calls. Until the turmoil of the past year, St. Columban parish had 98 families and 318 members. Some have since been worshipping at St. James in Seaforth or St. Patrick's. Maureen,Agar--Civic Service HILGENDORFF PHOTO Rural communities need to be kept strong BY SCOTT.HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor Rural communities have to be strong, is the belief of Maureen Agar whose fight to keep Seaforth schools open has led to her receiving this year's Civic Service Award. "1 think rural communities have to be kept ptrong. That's very important in this day and age when everything is centralized in larger areas." she said. She believes every child deserves a good education and has been supporting that notion for years as members of various parent councils. She started out as a member of the St. James Elementary School Parent Teacher Committee several years ago when her children were still in Seaforth schools. She has since become chair of the Seaforth District High School Advisory Committee and has held an active role in the Friends of Seaforth District High School and the current Success Foundation which have struggled to protect the high school. Agar has also spent two years as president of the Seaforth and District Minor Hockey Association and served on its executive for seven years. She has helped coach and manage several teams from hockey and ringette to baseball. Agar thought her children. now in university, received a good education in Seaforth and when the past principal at St. James asked if she would be a part of a parent council, she wanted to get involved. "I always liked volunteering."; she said. After moving on to high school parent councils. she still helps St. James when she can. There was no way of knowing local schools would face closure when she first got involved and Agar said it's been a stressful for the whole community: first when the hospital faced possible closure and now with the schools. "It's been a tough road to haul." she said. But she's seeing more people getting involved and said an .award like this belongs to everyone who volunteers. She was impressed with the involvement, support and maturity of the students who helped with the struggle. "I didn't do it for the award," she said. She got involved to help see to it that students receive encouragement and support. When they do, she said CONTINUED on Page 5 Night parade has drawn people from Ottawa area Seaforth is getting 'ready to light up the night at its annual Lions Club Santa Claus Parade. "We're getting a good response," said Mike Hodgins of the Lions Club. While early figures show the number of entries are down a bit this year, it's always hard to guage because some floats and entries arrive the night of the parade. For that reason, there's no telling what suprises will be in store as entrants compete for the "UAP (Seaforth aAutoward.otive and Industrial Supply) best illuminated" m Seaforth was one of the originators of the night parades and many municipalities have followed and now hold similar parades. Hodgins said people have come from as far away as the Ottawa area to see how Seaforth's works before switching to night parades in their own towns. Hodgins himself, an active member of the Woodstock community, came to Seaforth years ago to see its successful daytime parade and bring ideas back to his former town. CONTINUED on Page 5