Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-09-24, Page 1• erich _ 138 YEAR - 39 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1986 Wawanosh reeve resigns by-election is called BY ALAN RIVETT Following a meeting with West Wawanosh Township's solicitor on September 16, a new reeve has been ap- pointed and an upcoming by-election will fill a vacant councillor's position. In the midst of allegations from some council members as to his attendance at Huron County Council meetings, the handl- ing of his .resignation and subsequent reinstatement to the reeveship, Reeve Jim Aitchison has resigned for the second time from the reeve's position - this time for good. "I might say that I'm very much disap- pointed with the actions of this council. But, if that's the way you want it, so be it. "I often sat up on my hospital bed and I cheered council for the confidence they had in me - I really did. I said that to some of my roommates in the hospital. But, my health didn't come around as quickly as I thought, so I tendered my resignation (as reeve) in goodfaith in order to remain on • council and do whet I could. "This is one of the saddest nights in my life. In all my 64 years I've never come through anything like this. I'm leaving council tonight and my resignation is ef- fective immediately. I bear no animosity towards council and I wish you all the best in the years to come, but this is the last time I'll sit on council here," said an emo- tional Jim Aitchison, shaking everyone's hand before leaving the council chambers. Turn to page 2 • Fires increase but damage is down BY PAUL HARNAN. The number of fires in the town of Goderich increased slightly last year while • the actual damages caused by the blazes decreased when compared to statistics from 1984. A total of 10 fires were recorded in Goderich last year which resulted in an estimated loss of $43,532, according to a report released by the Statistics Division of Vie Ontario Fire Marshals Office. -In 1984, Goderich fell victim to nine fires, one less than last year, but the estimated damages amounted ta$51,501. The decrease in actual damages totals some $8,000. fwn suf- rede16for 1983 reveal that the fires which resultedin $50,946 damage. In contrast, the report indicates that the munber of fires in Huron Coi my decreased a 1985 while the damages sustained from these increased by almost $500,000. The year 1985 saw 104 fires in the county while 1984 =had 145. Damages last year were estimated at $2,505,375 compared to the $2,043,122 figure released for 1984. Incidentally, the figures for the past twp _years were down from the 1983 totals 'of 194 and $2,685,831. There was one fatality in the county in 1984 but none resulted from fires in 1985. Broken down into townships, the statistics reveal that all but one of the surrounding four townships saw an increase in the number of fires and estimated damages for 1985. Goderich Township escaped almost unscathed with a total of only two fires and $3,500 damage in 1985. In 1984, it suffered Turn to page 2 • 60 CENTS PER COPY Survey need for i asters. • The Kinette Club of Goderich is survey- ing schools and agencies in the area to treasure the need for •a Big Sisters organization in town. "We don't want to create the need but if it's here, we plan to start up a Big Sisters chapter in Goderich. if only two girls who could benefit from having big sisters exist, we'll go with it," says Adele Drennan, of the Kinettes. Drennan, who presented the idea of star- ting Big Sisters to the Kinettes as their 1986-87 project, says Big Sisters could easi- ly fit in with the Kinettes' motto, "Serving 'the community's greatest needs." "There are all kinds of reasons why we could have Big Sisters. It's a service by adult femaleess to the community and it helps any girls who need another female influence in their lives, not just girls who are in one parent families," she says. "When I logk back at my youth, I could have probably used a big sister sometimes myself," she adds. There are 641Big Sister chapeters in On- tario with the philosophy, "A girl cared for today is a woman caring for tomorrow" and the aim to provide personal develop- ment of youth through 4riendship with responsible female adult volunteers. Big Sister volunteers would be expected to spend two to four hours a week with a lit- tle sister. Drennan says that without put- ting any pressure on the Kinettes, the Kinette organization already probably contains a group of potential Big Sisters. But, any members of the public are welcome tobecome involved as a commit- tee member, a volunteer or glade sister. If interested in becoming involved or receiving a survey, please contact Adele Drennan after 5 p.m. at 524-6675 or Sandra Pollock at 524-2572. • } Legion honors veterans at service Legion Branch 109 members gathered at the Maitland Cemetery on Sunday afternoon for the annual Decoration Day. Members paid tribute to veterans from World Wars I and II with wreath -laying and poppy -pinning ceremonies. Ladies' Auxiliary members placed a poppyat each headstone as well. Above, from left to right, Don Kernick, Margaret Baker and Mayor Eileen Palmer pre- sent wreaths while at right, members place poppies on the wreaths. The Goderich Laketown Band provided the music for the ceremony and Reverend Lockhart Royal, the branch chaplin, read a homily in honor of the veterans.(photos by Paul Hartman) Youth is jailed The first of 33 persons charged after an early morning drug raid at the end of August had his day in court on Monday in Goderich. Kelly J. MacAdam, 19, of Goderich pled guilty to charges of trafficking a restricted drug and trafficking a narcotic. He received a sentence of nine months in jail for trafficking the restricted drugs lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and a ,sentence of three consecutive months in jail for trafficking the narcotic cannibus reline. He was, sent to the Bruce County jail in Walkerton. The drug raid was the result of a three month undercover drug investigation throughout Huron County which involved 40 local police officers who confiscated quantities of drugs totalling $7,650. In the raid, 33 persons were charged with 71 charges, 32 of them for trafficking drugs. The investigation was the biggest opera- tion in the county for approximately six years. DeGrandis clarlfies misconceptions The idea that new wing is for murderers and rapists is erroneous . person will not. go r,. a • DeGrandis remarked. rt the' person to DeGrandis remarked. BY SHARON DIETZ The new maximum security wing at the Bluewater Centre for Young Offenders will not necessarily house rapists, murderers and arsonists, says Carl DeGrandis, the centre's superintendent. "The unit is not intended to handle a specific type of charge but rather to con- trol a specific behaviour that you want to control within the institution," DeGrandis explained in an interview Monday. "Th feeling that the unit is being created for rapists, murderers and arsonists is erroneous." From a behaviour standpoint, this kind of facility may be required within the treatment program for the young of- fenders. The physical structure of Ahe maximum security unit will control behaviour while the program will deal with it. It is the policy of the Ministry of Correc- tional Services thateach institutioninhandling region be responsible for secure custody under the Young Offenders ers Act, said DeGrandis. tech institution specl- trum be responsible for handling the Wholep trum of people who get secure custody dis ppostions and therefore each institution t will build a ttaxhttuntt security unit, to sc» commadate this type of behaviour dottrel. When consideringthe near unit, yott have to look at the number of people who may be auuu served in a maximum security arrange- young offenders' facility. Assuming that the majority of murder, rape and arson charges will be moved to adult court and assuming this type of crime is not overwhelming in this age group, you don't build a maximum /the purpose o- securi- ty regional facility for handling these charges. Should some of these charges not go to adult court, each uistitution must be ready to accommodate them. It is incumbent on the ministry and the institutions to prepare for all eventualities, said DeGrandis During the interview, DeGrandis dealt with several misconceptions contained in the letters to the editor column of the Signal -Star. "We're not in the business of beating up 16 and 17 year olds. We're not in the business of corporal punishment,". he com- mented. "This doesn't mean we don't discipline." If an, offender rips a shirt issued to him by the centre he pays for it out of funds he can accumulate /it the cern tre. If he loses his locker hey, hheeepays for it If he misbehaves, sanctions aapplied d including the loss unitis and r privileges, the removal of pass opport al to a More structured institution.of the "Discipline is within the bounds filtW and within acceptable stat►darde,'r ment, he said. While the secure custody unit in th'e Goderich centre will have 26 cells, there aren't 26 rapists, murderers and arsonists • in that age group, he explained. In fact presently, there aren't five in maximum security custody in the province. Studies indicate rapists, for example, invariably fall into the age group between 19 and 27. This type of behaviour is practically non • - existent before the age of 19 and falls off dramatically after the age of 27. The Bluewater Centre serves offenders age 17 and 18. If one maximum security institution were established to serve the entire pro- vince, it would be very easy to send young offenders there, out of sight, out of mind, and they would just stay there. What is the motivation to work on your problems when there is only one stream inthe Institution? asks DeGrandis. At the flluewater Centre, a young offender in rnaxirrtum s'eeurity can Work to move into another ares of the centre where, there are More priViteges and less structure to the pregrarn DeGrandis alsop anted out that serious s. chargesuch as murder, arson and rape cart be moved to adult court. This is a pros Vision in the act If the case is heard in 1A The more appropriate approach to Many is:. released A London man' was released from custody after a bail hearing in Goderich last Wednesday. Cecil John Graham, 23, will appear in Goderich court again on Oct. 20 on a charge of attempted murder. -tow He was arrested last Monday when he gave himself up to police and was charged with the stabbing of Richard Pringle, of RR3 Auburn. Pringle, who was stabbed eight times on The Square the evening of Sept. 13, is in fair condition in University Hospital, London. discipline is to handle it in such a way that the youth learns self-discipline. Discipline is not something to oppose but soriiething to accept, he said. The law of the province reads that so- meone over the age of 16 does not have to go to school. "We're not about to say to so- meone who has come to the school for breaking the law, we're going to break it," by forcingthem to go to school, com- mented DGrandis. The school' has attracted 70 per cent of the centre's population to the program which'is considerably higher than the 35 - 40 per cent considered to be necessary for - the school to be a success. If an offender attends . when he doesn't want to and is distruptive in the classroom or sits with 'his head down on the desk, what does this do to the atmosphere of the school•program? The teacher, is spending time negsti�rely maintaining. controlover the class Which is where these kids came from. "We don't need to be replicating this,"said said DeGrandis. lay they don't go to school, they don't around," said DeGrandis. They work in the krtchen, on maintenance, grounds keeping acid cleaning floors. Its not work Turn to page 2. • INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Vikings supreme The GDCI senior girls basketball team continues to dominate the Huron -Perth league after trouncing the St. Mary's Salukis with a score of 83-14 on Friday. They also made it to the consolation cham- pionship final in the Sarnia St. Pat's In- vitational tournament on Friday but lost to ' London Catholic Central 47-34. Quest for Health Holistic healing which Involves taking reponsibility for your own health is,becom- ing more and more popular among health consumers. This week's community sec- tion looks at the Quest for Health Centre at it112 Bayfield which has its grand opening this Sunday, Sept. 22. The centre's board of directors plans to join medical technology with complementary healing methods for the total wellness of its 'patients. Id,