Huron Expositor, 2003-10-22, Page 1PRINTER 1
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Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003
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In brief
McKillop
man dies
in single-
vehicle
crash
Saturday
morning
An 18 -year-old
McKillop man died in a
single -vehicle crash on
Saturday at 5 a.m., on
Hullett-McKillop Road
near Maple Line, northeast
of Seaforth.
Chanie Douglas Savile
was driving eastbound in a
1988 Ford Ranger pick-up
truck when the vehicle
entered the north ditch and
struck a tree. He died upon
impact.
His passenger, his 15 -
year -old brother Chad,
was treated for minor
injuries at Seaforth
Community Hospital and
released.
Huron OPP say fatigue
was a factor m the crash.
Port Dover man dies
in Tuckersmith crash
A 31=year-old Port
Dover man died in a
single -vehicle crash on
Highway 4, five
kilometres south of
Clinton in Tuckersmith on
Sunday at 12:30 a.m.
Brad Jewitt, of Port
Dover, was formerly of
Clinton.
Three Huron East
people received minor
injuries in the crash - they
were among the six people
in the car at the time.
Terry Bruce Thompson,
26, of Walton, Dan Smith,
23, of Seaforth and Julia
Geddes, 35, of Huron East
were held overnight at
Clinton Public Hospital
for observation after
receiving minor injuries.
A 30 -year-old Exeter
man was also treated and
released for minor
injuries.
The driver, a 32;year-
old woman from Exeter, is
in stable condition with
non -life threatening
injuries after being
airlifted to Victoria
Hospital in London from
Clinton.
The black 2001 Chrysler
SLX , was going
northbound on Highway 4
when it entered the east
ditch and struck a tree.
Huron OPP say speed
and alcohol were
contributing factors in the
crash.
Highway 4 was closed
for five hours while the
OPP conducted their
search.
Sara Campbell photo
Shawn Thomson, of Goderich, makes his way through Dublin during his fundraising three -wheeled bike tour for the Huron -
Bruce chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving last Thursday as he headed from there to Goderich. Using a specially -designed
bike, the man with cerebral palsy travelled 45 kilometres using the power of his arms and hands.
Shawn Thomson's MADD
campaign pedals through Seaforth
By Chris Colbourn.
Goderich Signal -Star Staff
Shawn Thomson is a perpetual man in motion.
The Goderich resident rode his custom-built hand peddled
bicycle from Dublin (between Mitchell and Seaforth) to
Goderich (about 46 km) Oct. 16 to help raise money and
awareness for the Huron chapter of Mothers Against Drunk
Driving (MADD).
"It was great," he said with smile, after peddling his bike
onto The Square.
Thomson, 27, who was born with cerebral palsy is also
using the recent ride to help him prepare for an even bigger
challenge this spring — when he will cycle from Ottawa to
Goderich under the MADD umbrella.
Thomson said he has been training for the ride for over two
years, but his dream to ride for charity goes back even
further.
Thomson has been training with Corey Eakins, who was
his roommate from college four years ago and the two are
also very close friends.
Eakins said he and Thomson have worked extremely hard
for the past two years gearing up for the Dublin to Goderich
ride and the Ottawa to Goderich journey.
"It was his idea," Eakins said about the plan to ride for
charity. He added that Thomson has always wanted to do
something good for a good cause and even though other
charity plans fell through, MADD has been extremely
supportive in this endeavour.
And now that chance.to go the distance is here.
"It's been a long time coming," Eakins said.
The two men usually train both in and outdoors balancing
the conditioning of Thomson's body between riding the bike
and resistance weight training, Eakins said.
That paid off at least in the short-term with the recent ride
from Dublin.
"This is the warm up," Eakins said with a laugh pointing
out the ride from Ottawa will be much, much tougher.
Both Thomson and Eakins said if Thomson can do the
same 46 km ride every day when he leaves from the nation's
capital, he should arrive in Goderich just shy of three weeks —
with a day here and there where he simply rests.
The ride from Ottawa will commence in May.
Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt told councillors about
Thomson on Monday and said the scope of the undertaking
and the cause it represents is very special.
"It's quite a remarkable feat," he said.
Council will send Thomson a letter of congratulations.
As for Thomson's short-term plans, he will continue to
train on his bike until the snow falls, when he will move
indoors to train on weights he said.
Thomson said he felt very confident right after the ride,
albeit a little sore, and feels the journey from Ottawa to
Goderich will be successful indeed.
"After today," he said at the end of his ride, "I have no
doubt."
Construction beginning on CCAC
building behind medical clinic
By Sara Campbell
Expositor Staff
Construction of a new
building that will house the
Community Care Access
Centre for Huron, is under
way and expected to be
completed by Dec. 31.
"It's just getting started
and if the weather
cooperates, we hope to have
it finished for the new year,"
said Alf Ross, chair of the
Seaforth community
development trust which is
erecting the new building.
Smith Construction Ltd.
began work last week on the
1.5 acres of land, behind the
Seaforth medical clinic. The
land was donated by Seaforth
Community Hospital from
the 50 acres of agricultural
land it owns.
"We're very excited. This
will be a great new facility
for the community," he said.
Huron East council
approved the construction of
the facility in August after
the Seaforth development
trust had been negotiating
with CCAC to erect a new
office building for them.
Ross said he could not
reveal the amount of money
the trust is spending to erect
the building as the costs are
still being negotiated. He
said he hopes to release the
total cost by the end of
November.
The 8,250 -square -foot
building, which will house
most of CCAC's 40
employees, will be rented to
CCAC by the trust, said
Ross.
"We are happy to see the
construction get under way
and we are really excited
about having a more
accessible centre," said
Kathy Scanlon, CCAC
executive director.
CCAC is currently located
on the second floor of
Central Huron Secondary
School and had been looking
for another location in Huron
County since their current
facility is not wheelchair -
accessible.
Scanlon said the CCAC
building will provide an
administration centre for
their service, which serves
seniors in their homes, in
hospitals and in long-term
care facilities.
"We cover all of Huron
County and the move won't
affect or change our service,
but with a better centre we
hope to attract more people
to our services," said
Scanlon.
• CCAC provides
individualized planning and
care coordination of services
including nursing,
homemaking and therapies,
as well as linkages to other
community support services
and access to long term
facilities and adult day
programs.
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An architect's ect's drawing shows the front of the new building for the Community Core Access Centre being built by the Seaforth
community development trust.
Huron
loses
one
youth
out
of two
By Matt Shurrie
Goderich Signal -Star Editor
Huron County must do a
better job of retaining its
youth.
That was one of many
messages delivered by
Huron Business
Development Corporation
economic development
manager Paul Nichol during
last Saturday's Huron
Business Expo at the
Columbus Centre in
Goderich.
"We have a pretty stable
population of 60,000 but
we're.actually declining in
number," Nichol told a
group of business leaders
and municipal politicians.
"We do a good job of
exporting soybeans and corn
and we also do a very good
job of exporting our young
people and now our families.
"Some of them come back
but if you're a young person
growing up in Huron County
right now one out of every
two youth will leave."
During his presentation
'What You Need To Know
To Do Business In Huron
County,' Nichol said 67 per
cent or two-thirds of all
Huron County youth do not
pursue post -secondary
education meaning
businesses must find a way
to engage them for future
employment.
"There is an enormous,
untapped energy," Nichol
said. "We have to be doing a
lot more with businesses in
schools and put pressure on
school boards."
While the county as a
whole is healthy — Nichol
pointed to a two to three per
cent jobless rate and the
creation of 500 new jobs a
year — there are still some
issues that need to be
addressed.
Economically speaking,
Nichol said the county has
quickly become a society of
haves and have-nots. One
look at where people are
spending their money is a
clear indicator.
"Two-thirds of every
dollar in Huron County is
spent in Exeter and
Goderich," Nichol said,
making mention of the
impact big box stores have
had on the local retail
industry. "The small towns
are all struggling to fight for
that other third of the dollar
and that's starting to have
some implications on our
main streets.
"It's nothing quite ugly yet
but it starts to pose some
questions about how
economic developmeht
needs to occur — what we
have as strengths, what we
have as challenges and how
to do business."
Nichol suggested the way
communities approach
economic development
needs to be "turned on its
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