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Times Advocate, 1995-12-28, Page 23C OMMIJ NTTY Times -Advocate, pecember 28, 1995 Page 23 December 6 ■ Co-op confirms major expansion. The local economy received a $2 million vote of confidence when the Hensall District Co -bp officially confirmed a major expansion will proceed immediately for a large agricultural supply and hardware building products in Hay Township. ■ Students want smoking area on school property. Mike Gans of Exeter walked across the street to . South Huron District High School and dumped a can of garbage in the lobby. He was complaining of the litter and cigarette butts dumped on his property by students. ■ Huron Park forms Housing Association. Citizens of Huron Park have formed an association of residents to represent the community. The association will work with local social and service groups to act as a voice for area residents. December 13 • Olde Town Hall officially opens. A ceremony was held to celebrate the official opening of the renovated Olde Town Hall on Main Street in Exeter. The vacant building located next to the town library was renovated and expanded by 1,750 square feet to house town offices. • Court rules public has right to use Grand Bend Keach. An Ontario appeal court ruling upheld the private ownership of a stretch of beach along Lake Huron, but legally recognized the public's right to use it. • Lucan man losses home to fire. Donations were being collected by Ailsa Craig Food I}and and Thrift Shop for Don Allen who lost his home to a fire. The Lucan Fire Department said the blaze was siarted by sparks from a defective skill saw. December 20 ■ No staff cuts in PUC plans. Exeter Councillors were surprised to learn the Exeter PUC was adding costs to its budget in cutting the cost of meter reading. Chair of the PUC, Chan Livingston and the General Manager Sherman Roth said they will be contracting out meter reading for $14,000 a year resulting in a savings of S16,000 by not having staff do the task. ■ Amalgamation expands - Usborne now in. Exeter Council reported on the progress of the amalgamation meeting with councillors from Stephen and Usborne Townships. It was decided each municipality would provide three members to a negotiating committee to determine a procedure for conducting its deliberations. • Lakeview Casino proposes trial period for gambling. Member of the Lakeview Casino Corporation presented council with a letter designating Grand Bend and immediate area as gaming area for a trial period of 18 months. The move should create a tourist casino facility, creating approximately 250 full-time jobs. Auxiliary donation Donna Paynter, president of the South Huron Hospital Auxiliary presents Hospital Administra- tor Don Currell a cheque totalling $35,000 on Dec. 14. The funds are to be put towards new hospital equipment as Auxiliary Treasurer Vera Armstrong looks on. The auxiliary raised the funds through rummage sales, tag days and gift shbp 'donatiorr5.- • At left, Mary Carlton, South Huron Hospital gift shop treasurer, presents a $2,500 cheque to Hospital AuxiliaryTreasurer Vera Armstrong on Dec. 14, to go towards the hospital. Shirley Dav- idson, of Exeter, won a Lover's Knott quilt in a recent gift shop raffle. At right are Donna Paynt- er, auxiliary president and Mary Fisher, gift shop convenor. Auxiliary presents $35,000 cheque EXETER - South Huron Hospital Auxiliary met on Tuesday December 12. The president Donna Paynter chaired the meeting, introducing Audrey Pooley, Direc- tor of Nursing who had been invited to speak to explain the use of some of the equipment on this years wish list of the hospital. The auxiliary could then make a more in- formed decision on where they would request the money they donatt. to the hospital be spent. A discussion followed and four piec- es of equipment for patient care were decided on. A short business meeting followed. Reports were given. Mary Fisher, gift shop convener mentioned in her report some suggestions for the gift shop, ide- as she had gathered from a workshop she attended while at the H.A.A.O. convention in Toronto. A cheque for $2500. was received from the gift shop. Mystery draw made by Sharon Brule was won by Betty Wedtake. Volunteer of the month, Laura Sillery was presented with a rose. it is the organization and planning by the committees in charge of the spring and fall rummage sales and tag day combined with the hours of time given by so many willing volunteers, and the support of the town and sur- rounding communities, that has made it possible for thc auxiliary to present a cheque for $35,000 to thc hospi- tal. Audrey Pooley, Di- rector of Nursing had been invited to speak to explain the use of some of the equipment on this year's wish list of the hospital. it is the custom at the December meet- ing the auxiliary is entertained by the hos- pital staff. A skit was written and presented by a very talented group of staff members in their usual, very humorous and capable manner. The designer costumes were eye catching and drew much applause from the audience. One of the main characters in the skit, Santa Claus was asked to draw the lucky ticket for the quilt, which was won by Shirley Davidson of Riverside Drive Ex- eter. The meeting closed with a Christmas reading by Donna Paynter. A dainty lunch was served by the hos- pital staff. Marjorie Johns played a medley of Christmas music during lunch. A vote of thanks was extended to the hospital staff and seasons greetings to all from the pres- ident Donna Paynter. At left, Pam Rosa, acting president of the Huron County setellite of Parents Without Partners, discusses December's general meeting agenda with Flo Cartwright, secretary, Anna Lenting and Roily Vanstone, both members and Bonnie Schenk, the group fundraiser. Single parents group seeks new members Brenda Burke T -A staff CLINTON - Since it first met in Exeter last June, the Huron County satellite of Parents Without Part- ners has been campaigning in•an ef- fort to expand its membership. "We feel with the size of the county, there's got to be more sin- gle parents around looking for the kind of support that we offer," said Acting President Pam Ross. The group, which needs 25 paid members in order to be self- supporting, currently has 15 mem- bers from Hensall, Zurich, Lon- desborough, Seaforth, Auburn, Blyth, Clinton, Bayfield, and Gode- rich. "Part of our problem is lack of funding," said Ross, adding the group now depends on its London chapter for financial support. The future goal. she explained, includes "finding out what re- sources will be available in our community to help us financially." A support , group that began in New York City in 1952, PWP has expanded internationally to provide single parents with support, friend- ship and education. "That's our common bond, that we are parents without partners," said Ross; ache's been oa single liar' ent for 10 years and had experience as a child protection worker for the Children's Aid Society. The majority of the group's members are divorced, separated or widowed. Water quality program will end EXETER - The most successful water quality improvement pro- gram in the 50 -year history of the Ausahlc Bayfield Conservation Au- thority will end on Mary 31, 1996. The province's decision to termi- nate the Clean Up Rural Beaches ram (CURB) came shortly af- ter the November 29 Ontario Eco - r nic Statement. Therefore, no new applications for the CURB Program will he ac- cepted. Individuals who have al- ready received approval for a pro- ject to be completed under thc CURB Program must complete their project, have the site inspected and approved by the local Conser- vation Authority, and show ade- quate proof of payment, by March 31, 1996. However, to allow time for processing, the ABCA recom- mends that all the above work be completed as soon as possible. About 200 people have had their projects approved, but have not yet completed thc projects. Besides financial grant incen- tives, the CURB Program has also developed and supported demon- stration projects and research for innovative and alternative proce- dures to remediate non -point source pollution. Two Ministry of the En- vironment/Energy staff will be re- tained in the Science and Technolo- gy Branch in Toronto to provide leadership and expertise in rural non -point source pollution assess- ment and remediation through con- tinued scientific study and applied research, technical guidance, and field support to the rural residents of Ontario. Water quality remains the most important environmental issue ac- cording to ABCA's Conservation Strategy. The Authority will now be looking for alternate funding to meet the demand of local residents for water quality technical informa- tion, monitoring and innovative so- lutions. PWP's monthly general meet- ings, which include new member registration, discussion and an ed- ucational speaker on topics such as family law, employment help and nutrition, are held at St. Paul's An- glican church in Clinton. Board and planning meetings are held at members' homes through- out the county and include small group discussions of issues such as loneliness, raising children and dat- ing. The group holds a minimum of one adult function and one family activities event each month. Adult include camping, pot- luck suppers, sing- songs, dances and other low-cost events. Family functions eon- sist of activities such as bowling, birthday par- ties and tours of local museums and rec- reational parks. Children of members may attend events free, since the cost of the ac- tivities is funded by the London chapter. Fundraising through dances, raffles ventures: also opep. over the place," said Fundraiser Bonnie Schenk. "That network is really crucial in this particular county," added Ross, explaining the area can be isolating due to its lack of public transit. To be eligible, new members are required to have written ver- ification they are single parents. Custody and childrens' ages are not a factor "The median age in our group is about 40," said Ross, adding some members have adult children. The yearly membership fee of $42.81, includes a monthly news- letter, issues of Single "We feel with Parent magazine and the size of the world-wide member - county there's ship privileges. PWP, however, is not got to be more without its rules. Com - single parents plaints of member mis- around looking behavior, for example, bringing alcohol to a for the kind of family event, are taken support that we to a grievance com- mittee in London, with offer." the possibility of being barred from the group for life. Also, members' last names and telephone numbers may be kept confidential, if requested. "They can be as_ anonymous as they want to be," said Ross. The next general meeting of PWP is at St. Paul's Anglican Church at 7:30 p.m. Call Pam Ross at 482- 9235 or Dave Bernard at 482-3976 for more information. is done and other to non - Upcoming winter events include a skating trip in January, an outing to Grand Bend's Winter Carnival in February and a Clinton dance in March. "You're meeting single people all Winter safety Cold weather and the wind chill factor can create a danger of frost- bite especially for children Wind chill factor We arc all aware of how much colder it feels outside on .t windy day as compared to when there is no wind, especially in the winter. This feeling of coldness is due to the more rapid cooling effect produced by the wind to make it feel colder than it really is. ` This combined effect of wind and low temperatures is known as the wind chill I actor. The wind chill factor can produce dangerous conditions; one of which is frostbite. Children are especially vulnerable to the danger of frostbite as they spend extended periods of time playing outside during recess at school and at home. Frostbite Frostbite occurs when exposed skin and underlying tissues have had prolonged exposure to wind, cold and moisture. Skin and tissues actually freeze. Body parts at greatest risk are the cheeks, ears, fingers, toes and nose. Signs of frostbite include a change in skin color to white or grey- ish -yellow and the individual may feel pain or tingling at first but then it subsides. The affected area is cold and numb and the victim oftcn does not know of frostbite until someone else observes the symptoms. How to treat frostbite DS2 'Cover the affected areas with extra clothing, a warm, wet wash cloth or blankets •As children rewarm, they will feel a tingling and burning sensa- tion. The skin affected should turn red • •Seek medical attention if the skin blisters or remains numb after 15 minutes of warming •Dry the affected areas and wrap in sterile, dry dressings. Be sure to separate fingers and toes if you can't see a doctor right away DON'TS •Don't rub frozen areas; this could cause more damage •Don't apply sources of heat (heating pads) as this could burn the skin Prevention Dress warmly) Dress children in layers, wear a hat, neck tube (dickey) and mittens. Be aware of local weather conditions and use your judgement. Consider if the play area is sheltered from the wind, if all children have sufficient winter clothing and if the activ- ity keeps children moving about. *Information provided by the Lantblon Health Unit