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Huron Expositor, 2005-05-04, Page 1JIN T Clinical Systems DR, ROBERT SHEPHERD Practice in Psychology 148 Goderich St. W, Seaforth Phone 519.527.2669 Toll Free 800.352.3963 Fax 519.527.2588 Visit ,www. i n p s yt. co m for more information. ANIMMIF Two Huron East drivers involved in alcohol charges A 41 -year-old Huron East man was charged with impaired driving and a 20 - year -old Huron East man had his licence suspended for 12 hours as Huron OPP were kept busy this weekend investigating many incidents of over abuse of alcohol consumption. The 41 -year-old was stopped on Mill Road on April 29 at approximately 1 a.m. in a red Silverado pickup truck. Open alcohol was found inside the truck and the driver failed a roadside test. The man was then taken for breath test that determined he was over the required levels allowed to drive. He is scheduled to attend court on July 4. That same day, Huron OPP were conducting a RIDE Program on Duke Street in Seaforth at 10:30 p.m. Officers stopped a blue 1987 American Jeep and found a driver with alcohol on his breath. The roadside test determined that that the driver was over 50 mgs and less than 100 mgs. The 20 -year-old Huron East man had his driver's license suspended for 12 hours. Friends drove the vehicle away. Fraud charges against Teatero dropped Fraud charges were dropped against Len Teatero, owner of Teatero Motor Products in Goderich court on April 18. A letter from Crown Attorney Robert Morris said the charges were being withdrawn because there is "no reasonable prospect of conviction." Teatero was charged in late November of 2003 after police received complaints that a Michigan car broker paid for two vehicles he never received. "I wanted to have my day in court but we're glad it's resolved," said Teatero. Brussels learns about downtown revitalization.. Page 3 CHSS students compete in badminton tourney... page 17 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 s i .25 includes GST ALBERT STREET DENTURE CUN[C Denture Speclallst Dean R. McTag*ut D.D. Complete and Partial Dentures Denture Repairs Relines & Additions 482-1195 50 Albert St, Clinton Seaforth man spent Second World War working for Dutch underground By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor The Second World War began for Gord DeJong, of Seaforth, when he heard a droning sound in the air as he walked to a neighbour's house in Holland at 5 a.m. to help niilk cows. "It wasn't long until I realized they were airplanes and 15 to 20 minutes later, every building in the area rocked on its foundations and the windows blew out. The Germans were bombing the hell out of Rotterdam and they killed 10,000 .people in the first hour," says DeJong, who was 14 the year Hitler invaded the Netherlands. "That was my first taste of war," says the veteran of both the Dutch underground and the Dutch army. DeJong, who grew up on a dairy farm just outside Rotterdam in the village of Niewerkerk ad Ysel, says the rest of that day, he watched families, many who were missing members that had been killed in the bombing, pass through his village as they vacated the devastated city. DeJong will be participating in a ribbon - cutting ceremony at the pavilion dedication in Goderich May 14, recognizing the 55th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland and the 60th anniversary of V.E. (Victory in Europe) Day. By the time DeJong was 16, he had joined the Dutch Underground, a resistance movement against the occupying Nazis. "It was either do that or be sent to a munitions factory in Germany but that was supporting them and I thought, 'To hell with you guys,"' he says. So, DeJong left his family and went into hiding with the underground. He started out stealing Gord DeJong, of Seaforth, holds up a photo album with photos mines for the Dutch army after the end of the Second World War. food coupons from the offices where they were distributed so that Jewish families and others in hiding could eat. "The Germans kept a pretty sharp eye on those offices but they had h time schedule. At a given time, you went in and did it - you lost no time and you didn't look back," he says. Hunger was widespread throughout Holland during the war and before he joined the underground, DeJong was of his days sweeping arrested by the Germans for smuggling cheese and butter. He stuck to his story that he'd found the food along the road and after a week in jail, he was released. "I became a good liar and a good thief," he laughs. His father was also jailed once after being caught with a sheep he bought on the black market. "You couldn't trust your next door neighbour those days and we had one that was pro -German. And, everyone was hungry. If you had a cat, you didn't dare let it out of the house or someone would kill it and eat it," he remembers. In the underground, DeJong also worked at blowing up trains and railway lines to prevent German missiles from being shipped to Hoek van Holland, the firing base where the Nazis launched missiles at England across the North Sea. "I didn't know anything about explosives before joining the underground but they trained me. There were eight of us - four were caught and never seen again," he says. DeJong remembers blowing up a railway track and hearing that a nearby farmer was blamed for the damage. "The Germans tied up the family to trees along the street and they had to watch as their farm buildings went up in flames. The Germans were trying to show you you'd pay for it if you went against them," he says. Although radios were forbidden under the Nazi occupation of Holland, DeJong says member of the underground had radios, listened to news of battles and gained information about how they could mislead the Germans as much as possible. As the end of the war approached, DeJong says signs the Germans were losing included the shabbiness of the occupying army. "The Germans were a See DEJONG, Page 9 Iron sculptures to spark ark to downtown Seaforth metal sculptor Jim Dawe using historic look with hint of Victorian design By Jason Middleton Expositor Staff The Seaforth Business Improvement Association is hoping that a new addition to the hydro poles of downtown Seaforth will help add an old spark to the area. At their April 4 meeting, the BIA approved the purchase of new iron cast sculptures. planters and signs for the downtown core. "We wanted to give our downtown a more historical look," said BIA chair Danica McNichol. "Right now. you look downtown and you see a nice streetscape, but this is going to add to it." McNichol said. Along with the help of Seaforth metal sculptor Jim Dawe. of Murals in Metal, the BIA came up with a historical look with hints of Victorian design. "We wanted to give our downtown a more historical look," McNichol said. Part of the money for the $8,377 project was raised as part of the Christmas home tours. the BIA . organized last year. The B1A has' also received $4.000 from the Seaforth Community Development Trust to be used for the project. Originally. Dawe planned to hang the baskets over the street but See METAL, Page 3 Jim Dawe