Huron Expositor, 2009-04-01, Page 5•
Opinion
The Huron Expositor • April 1, 2009 Page 5
Dominican trip an opportunity to make change, hope
To the Editor,
It isn't hard to forget about things
happening in parts of the world past
the outreaches of Huron County.
And if you don't even know it is
going on, you don't have to forget
it. But there are things happening
every single day that make me feel
disgusted, ashamed, hopeless.
Like many, I have grown used to
hearing about tragedy and poverty.
I have heard the statistics about
AIDS, hunger, lack of education,
and I have seen the pictures of chil-
dren with no food, clothes or par-
ents.
It doesn't have to be that way. But
with a mindset that accepts the
world's downward spiral, we don't
use our power to make a difference.
I have full intentions to use the po-
tential I do have.. I, like anyone else,
can cause change.
That is why this summer I, along
with Genelle Reid, am going to be
part of the change. We are going on
a humanitarian trip from July 3-27
to the Dominican Republic with a
program called Hero Holiday (HH),
through Absolute Leadership De-
velopment.
"Absolute" exists to help young
Canadians understand that their
life has a purpose and that they can
make a difference in their world.
The HH projects provide housing,
schools, and children's homes for
people living in abject poverty.
They run trips to Mexico and
Thailand as well as Dominican. The
program we are participating in is
an internship, so we will be in Do-
minican for two HH trips helping
the staff run and organize the proj-
ects. With the internship, we are
building leadership skills as well as
helping fight poverty.
When you picture Dominican,
images of sandy beaches and lazy
sunny days come to mind. However,
this is only found in resorts.
If you were to get up and walk
a few kilometres away, you would
find a different reality, and that is
that the majority of Dominicans
are living in extreme poverty. That
means they're living in shacks with
no decent food, water, hospitals or
education.
Wearing the same dirty clothes
everyday, these people don't have
money to buy food, let alone for re-
tirement savings plans and sum-
mer cottages. They are the reason
we want to help.
Dominican is closer to us than our
own British Columbia, yet we are
letting these conditions continue
each and every day.
Education is paid for by the Do-
minican government for all chil-
dren ages 7-14. Even so, 35 per cent
of children in that age bracket do
not attend school largely because
school is too far away. The remote
areas outside of city centres do not
have schools. So many aren't get-
ting an education.
Quality education is key to over-
coming poverty in a single genera-
tion. A leading doctor on a past HH
trip said, "You will save more lives
by building schools than you will
See DOMINICAN, Page 6
Seaforth becomes- the centre of a rural telephone
twork after a line is installed in 1909.
March 21, 1884
The contract for the erection. of
a teachers residence in Hibbert
School section #6 has been let to Mr.
W. Dinnin of Lumley, for $612. Mn
Dinnin is a thorough workman and
the trustees may rely on having the
job done in a first class style.
St. Patrick's day was celebrated
in Dublin by a grand supper at the
Dominion Hotel to which about 100
gentlemen sat down.
On Friday of last week" a com-
pany of about 15 men went out to
Durnion's bush at Wroxeter and oc-
cupied themselves all day in cutting
firewood as busily as they could. In
the afternoon four teams came out
to the bush and hauled the wood to
the residence of George Stokes. Mr.
Stokes is in poor health with very
little hope of ever enjoing robust
health again.
At a recent meeting of the Loyal
Orange Lodge No. 766, Bluevale, a
resolution was unanimously passed
expressing sympathy with John
Timmins whose store and other
property was recently destroyed by
fire.
March 19, 1909
John Beattie has sold out the flour
and seed business which he recently
opened in the old bank of Commerce
block to Russell Sproat, of Tucker -
smith. Mr. Sproat intends adding
feed to the other lines carried now.
G.E. Parkes who has been manager
of the Seaforth branch of the Bank
of Commerce has received notifica-
tion of his transfer to the branch of
the bank at Dunnville.
The Seaforth Electric Light Com-
pany has purchased from the Bell
Engine Company a new 125 horse
power high pressure boiler. This
boiler has been purchased to take
the place of the smaller one now in
use at the electric light station.
Before the summer is over Sea -
forth will be the centre of a network
of rural telephones. The installation
of a line in McKillop last year cre-
ated a desire for telephone service
in Tuckersmith and they have now
completed arrangements for quite a.
comprehensive circuit.
March 23, 1934
When a wheel of the buggy in
which Mr. and Mrs. Martin Haney.
and young son of Tuckersmith were
driving down Main Street on Tues-
day afternoon dropped int&'one of
the famous ruts, the young lad was
thrown to the road, but was for-
tunately not injured. Mrs. Haney
was also thrown out, but in falling
her feet caught in the buggy and
she was dragged a short distrance
and is suffering from bruises and
shock. The accident occured oppo-
site Walker's store.
Charles P. Sills was re-elected
president of the local branch of the
Canadian Legion at the largely at-
tended annual meeting held in the
club rooms on Wednesday evening.
A new. -restaurant, the Star Cafe
and Chop suey house is being
opened on Saturday of this week
in Gillespie block on Main Street.
Thom Ghong is the proprietor.
The Hensall Firemen held an-
other successful euchre and dance
in the town hall on Friday evening
with the hall being packed. Music
was furnished by the Murdoch or-
chestra and Thomas Meyers was
floor manager.
March 20, 1959
Seaforth Legion will commence
construction of a Legion Hall in the
immediate future it was announced
following a meeting of the branch
Thursday. The hall of cement block
construction will be 80 feet by 40
feet and will be located on the lot
which the Legion has owned at the
corner of Main and Huron streets
north of the bowling greens.
Due to the severe snow storm on
Sunday most of the homes on No. 8
highway at Dublin were filled with
motorists who were stranded or
were in minor accidents.
Announcement was made this
week by Joseph McConnell that the
Regent Theatre block had been sold
to outside interests at an undis-
closed price.
Dr. E.A. McMaster was guest
speaker at the regular meeting
of the Men's Club of Presbyterian
Church Tuesday night. Dr. McMas-
ter spoke on his trip to Japan. Fol-
lowing his talk he showed movies
taken on the trip.
Donald J. MacRae, Dublin was
the winner of an automatic dryer at
the St. Patrick's dance sponsored by
the Seaforth Kinsmen Club, Tues-
day night in Seaforth Community
Centre.
March 21, 1984
When 12 -year-old Glenda Carter
of Walton found the details of a po-
etry contest in the waiting room of
the Seaforth Community Hospital,
she started writing at once. She'd
found the perfect way to express
her feeling about her father, Jim
Carter, who is semi-conscious in
the hospital after he was severely
injured in a traffic accident four
months ago.
Seaforth council approved the
Main Street heritage conserva-
tion district plan at their March 13
meeting. But before the plan can be
implemented, it will be submitted
to. the Ontario Municipal Board. for
final approval.
Seaforth's PUC commissioners
want more information on secu-
rity systems before they decide to
go along with one proposed for the
town hall.
A security system costing approx-
imately $1,200 is under consider-
ation by Seaforth's town council
with information provided by police
chief, Hal Claus.
Enrolment at Huron County ele-
mentary and secondary schools this
September is expected to be down
by 159 students and this decline
will result in 10.9 less teaching po-
sitions.
The Huron County Board of Edu-
cation approved a 1984-85 teaching
staff of 588 both full time and part-
time teachers at its March 5 meet-
ing.
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