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Times Advocate, 1991-08-21, Page 1CAR RENTALS DAN N • we>ritty • MOKTHLY CI=FOR INSURANCE CEMENT NEEDS • Conal is Auto CJrali% Clem • 235-3381 or 2.98-8e39 after hours I Serving South Huron • Inside Reunion The class of '71 retums page 3 Recession Does it affect your buying habits page 5 Car lovers More than just basic transportation pages 9 & 10 Bean F'agtivat Plenty to see and do this weekend pages 12-15 Win big Express clobber Owen Sound Second front Senior Games 140 compete in Grand Bend page 19 Firefighters - :-- may see pay increase EXETER - Town firefighters could be getting another pay in- crease after council approved high- er wage rates for volunteer mem- bers called out for both emergency and practise sessions. Council has approved the Exeter and Area Fire Board's report which recommends "moderate" pay in- creases for town firefighters. Firemen's Association representa- tives epreta- tives Peter McFalls and Danny Smith pointed out that other sur- veyed departments pay firefighters an average of $13 an hour for emer- gency responses and practise time, and Exeter's should be increased by 1994104a= hour for emergency calls, and S1O an hour for practices. "They're below the other munici- palities and I think we should ac- cept it," said deputy -reeve Lossy Fuller. Reeve Bill Mickle noted the in- creases represented five percent more each year. Nevertheless, the final say on the firefighters wages won't come until the Fire Board's September meeting when it is anticipated most mem- bers will have discussed the wage package and will be present to vote on it. London pair charged with thefts EXETER - A man and woman from London are facing charges of possessing stolen property after an investigation by the Exeter OPP. Meat stolen from two grocery stores in Exeter and one store in Lucan was recovered by police last Wednesday. Charged with posses- sion of stolen property are John McNair and Margaret Beaveridge, both of London. The OPP are currently investigat- ing a break-in to a car parked in the St. Joseph Shores 11 subdivision. Police believe the break-in oc- curred in the early hours of Satur- day morning and two males seen'in the area earlier in the evening are being sought for possible connec- tion to the theft. Stolen from the car were compact discs, a portable CD player, golf clubs and cassette Police are asking that if anyone has any information about this crime, they contact the OPP direct - 1y77 r Crime Stoppers at 1-800-265- , 6 North Middlesex & Lampton Since 1873 Gainer-Kneale Insurance • Service al Experience & Value NI 235'2420 Wednesday, August 21, 1991 75 cents Historic house? Meeting to decide if deiflolition will Improve park EXETER - A public meeting to be held Thursday evening will un- veil a series of proposals for the fu- ture of Exeter's MacNaughton Park. However, one of the main items on the agenda will be whether or not a house owned by the Ausable Bay- field Conservation Authority in the park is to be demolished. The 7 p.m. meeting, to be held at the park pavilion, will feature infor- mation on the future of the Exeter - Morrison corridor, and proposals from the Exeter Lions Club on how the park will be revamped in com- mTheeAAusable Bayfield Conserva- tion Authority and the Lions Club are working together to create a new look for the park, which will be developed over the next few years. Ideas to revitalize the park in- clude the demolition of the house to make way for a parking lot, the re- location of the park roadway to its former roadbed on the east side of the park, flower gardens and con- necung walkways, washrooms, a playground, and facilities for a Christmas lighting panorama. The house was the miller's resi- dence for Pickard's Grist Mill, which was built at the side of the river in the late 1850s or early 1860s. The mill and house were later sold to the Exeter Roller Mills. While the mill became a derelict building and was later de- molished, the house served as a res- idence for many families, was a maternity hospital run by the Bat- ten family in the 1940s, was pur- chased by the ABCA in the 1950s to serve as offices for both them and the board of education. The house is presently rented to two members of the authority staff. While the town has already ap- proved the relocation of the road- way and the demolition of the house, the Ausable Bayfield Con- servation Authority are holding the public meeting to hear the voice of the public on this matter". In the event of rain, the meeting will be held at the Exeter Lions Youth Centre. Parkhill man's lake swim postponed PORT SANILAC, MICHIGAN - After months of planning, Mother Nature had the final say Saturday morning, as Parkhill resident Dick Kloss was forced to postpone his marathon swim due to bad weath- er. In conjunction with his 50th birthday, Kloss was to attempt the crossing of Lake Huron, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday in Port Sanilac, Michigan, and finishing 24 hours later on the beach at Grand Bend. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans as she whipped up a se- ries of storms, creating unsafe con- ditions for Kloss, his support ves- sels and the four pace swimmers set W accompany him. According to Leigh Rose at the Grand Bend Harbour Office, swim- .aring aooditialc wogs-less.than de- sirable. "The winds were coming in at be- tween 15 and 20 knots," said Rose. "And the thunderstorms increased in strength all day long." The swim, which covers a dis- tance of 67 km, has also been orga- nized to raise funds for the new Grand Bend and Area Public Li- brary. Proceeds will be donated to the building purchased in April of this year, which currently stands $51,000 short of its $210,000 fund- raising goal. To date, funds have been received duough pledges, do- nations and the sale of commemo- rative t -shirts and tank tops. Kloss, who spends summers in Parkhill but winters in Florida, has re -scheduled the swim for this Sat- urday, with him entering Lake Hu- ron at Port Sanilac at 10 a.m. Adjusting to a wheelchair "You have to find out what you are capable of" By Rhonda Vandeworp LONDON - In the summer of 1979, for- mer Crediton resident, Cathy O'Neill, and some of hex friends decided to beat the heat one day at a nearby pond. Although the bottom of the small lake had a gravel floor, they thought nothing of diving from a van topinto the cool water. Unfortunately, the wet surface ofthevan caused O'Neil to lose her balance, dive to the bottom of the pond, and break her neck upon im- Otver ten years have passed since the accident, and O'Neill is veerryy comfortable discussing not only the in- cidenl-Twf Mao all of the adjustments she has had to make with her life. "I'm so glad it happened to me," O'Neill said. "When you go through it yourself, you are forced to go through it. It's much easier than having to watch someone else because you are so helpless. Now 1 don't think about being in a wheelchair. It's part of me, like a piece of clothing." For O'Neill the adjustment was a long and difficult one. She remembers her dignity being stripped away from her during the initial hospitalization as others dressed her and told her what she had to do. But as she adapted to her hospital surroundings, a greater fear be- gan to develop - the fear of leaving the "Wonderland" where people accepted her and didn't ask embarrassing questions, and entering a world that would now be fa- eini to her. You know life will change, but you don't know how. You have to find out what you are capable of, and how people will react to you. It takes an awful long time to adjust," ONeill explained. Friends and family "The hardest part of the accident was dealing wilk family and friends. It broke their hearts, and they Pelt helpless," said O'Neill. "I remember the first day I was in the X-ray room, and I was slipping in and out of consciousness. I looked up and saw my two sisters offering me candy. Then the nurse yelled, Don't feed her anything! She has broken her neck.' They both turned around and started to cry." For two months following her release from the hos- pital, O'Neill refused to tell her friends at college that she was paralyzed. She could not think of the right words, and she was afraid of their reactions. "Some friends 1 lost completely, and others who I didn't think were good friends were very supportive. You lose some, and you gain some," said O'Neill. Financial strain The accident was not only emotionally ovcrwhclm- ing for the family, but also a financial strain. Because they were not able to make their Crediton home wheel -chair accessible, the O'Neills moved to Lucan where an occupational therapist helped make decisions on the renovations of the home. Not only are there renovation costs, but O'Neill says one must also consider other necessities such as a wheel chair ($3,000 for a manual chair and 510,000 for electric), bath seat ($300), and a vehicle (vans may cost $40,000-$50,000). - Moving on Feeling trapped in Lucan, O'Neill moved to London to live in the only apartment building in the city spe- cifically designed for people in wheel chairs - lowered cupboards and appliances, slanted doorways, larger bathrooms. "You don't see the barriers until you're in a chair. It's almost impossible to move around in a small town," said O'Neil. Although businesses and schools are a,1ot more ac- cessible than they were 12 years ago, maneuvering around Exeter and other older towns is still very diffi- cult. - "People assume their businesses and schools are ac- cessible. Businesses aren't always accommodating be- cause it usually involves njor. $it>mcial renovation," she explains. In London O'Neill can drive around town in her spe- cially designed two -door car or take advantage of the city's Paratransit. In addition, all of her shopping needs are taken care of at a nearby mall. Employment O'Neil explained that many people who are in acci- dents and are forced to be in a wheelchair must seek al- ternative work because their jobs are too physical. In many cases the person must return to school to attain work that does not involve physical factors. At the time of her diving accident, O'Neill had fin- ished attending college in Guelph and was working as a registered nurse's assistant. Finding the job too diffi- cult after the accident, O'Neill began to work as a re- ceptionist and communication clerk at University Hos- pital. She is now employed by Outreach, an organization which provides household assistance to people in wheel chairs. Special organizations Adjusting to a chair is difficult, as O'Neill has de- scribed, but there are numerous organizations and gov- ernment programs which have helped her "lead as nor- mal of a life as possible." O'Neill noticed a drastic decline in her energy level following the accident, and since then has been unable to work full-time. Examples of some of these groups and special pro- grams include: the Canadian Parapeligic Association which helps direct a person who has been involved in a spinal cord injury to possible assistant organizations; disability pension which provides individuals with a flat -rate amount of money each month (necessary to go on welfare first); the government -funded Assistive De- vices Program which will pay 75 percent of the cost of a new wheel chair, and Vocational Rehabilitation which helps a person back to work, or provides child care assistance so the person does not need to depend on a pension. These organizations are extremely helpful, but also very difficult to access. It may take up to two years be- fore a person receives assistance, and in order to attain it, it is imperative that he or she fulfill all of the neces- sary criteria. For O'Neill, being paralyzed is not something for which she needs to be "brave." The wheel chair is a part of her, and she has adapted her physical surround- ings to fit her needs. That does not mean, however, that she has adjusted her personality or her soul. "You'll be the same person. If you were bitter or de- pressed before being in a chair, you will be after. It's not something you become after you are paralyzed." Benefit toUm,y planned for Crediton area man CREDITON - Members of the Crediton community have once again bonded together, in an at- tempt to raise money for one of their own. Wayne Hindmarsh. of RR#Il Crediton, rweived aesvex+e spinal injuries in June while riding an ATV in Algonquin Park. The single parent of three will re- quire major. renovations to his home to accommodate a wheel- chair and other special equip- ment. In order to offer assis- tance, friends and neighbors will be holding a benefit slow -pitch tournament, September 13-15, at the Centralia ball diamond. "We're hoping for a good turn- out," said co-organizer Don Clarke. "I think the Cutis should help." Jn addition to eight men' utak eight women's teams taking part, the Stephen Cuties will strut their stuff beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. A special fund has already been set up, and donations can be made at the Exeter and Lucan branches of the Bank of Mon- treal. For further information, contact Art Cunningham at 235- 1758. Cathy O'Neill - adapting to a now mobility