The Times Advocate, 2006-11-08, Page 1TIMES ADVOCATE
Exeter, Ontario, Canada Wednesday, November 8, 2006 $ x.25 (includes GST)
j4JHURON TRACTOR
EXETER
519-235-1115
WHAT'S
INSIDE
Kause for Kids
West Coast Riders
raise money and toys
in annual ride
PAGE 16
Dress -up time
Exeter Guides and
Sparks celebrate
Halloween with party
PAGE 31
INDEX
Editorial 4
Sports 18
Announcements 22
Classifieds 25
TIMES ADVOCATE
424 MAIN ST.
Box 850
EXETER, ONTARIO
NOM 1S6
TEL: 519-235-1331
FAx: 519-235-0766
WWW.SOUTHHURON.COM
XETER HAWKS
vsMITCHELI
FRI., NOV. 17 8:30 P.M. SH REC CENTRE
Vote by mail
changes made
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
SOUTH HURON — The municipality has
made an amendment to its vote by mail
procedures to allow some of the improperly
completed ballots to count — as long as the
signed declaration form is included in the
package.
As previously reported, there has been
concern over the number of improperly
completed ballots in South Huron. As of
Monday night, 527 (or 17.7 per cent) of
2,961 ballots processed have been rejected
because they were improperly completed.
With a council decision Monday night,
ballots returned without signed declaration
forms will still be rejected; however, ballots
that include signed declaration forms in the
wrong envelope (the envelope that includes
the ballot) will be counted. South Huron
clerk and election returning officer Sandra
Strang said voter secrecy will be main-
tained
. Strang said there are about 800 more
ballots to process, with more to come in,
and she expects a voter turnout of more
than 50 per cent.
She said she hopes to have election
results ready by 9 p.m. Monday.
Stephen ward candidate Dianne Faubert
asked if those with spoiled ballots could be
contacted by the municipality and asked to
vote again. Strang said there simply isn't
enough time to contact every voter with a
spoiled ballot. Mayor Rob Morley added the
onus is on the voter to vote properly and he
said he isn't sure if the municipality can
legally contact voters.
"It's very clearly marked," he said of the
voting instructions.
With the post office closed Monday for
Remembrance Day, Strang said any resi-
dents still wishing to vote on election day
will need to bring their ballot to town hall.
Any ballots mailed Monday won't be
received until after the election is over.
Voting stops at 8 p.m.
Other council notes:
Growth review
Council awarded Dillon Consulting a con-
tract for an "Exeter Comprehensive Growth
Review" to determine the viability of inte-
grating residential development into a pro-
posed stormwater diversion project on the
eastern edge of town.
As chief administrative officer Larry
Brown said in his report, the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs requires such a review to
See CONFERENCE page 2
Wreath laying — Remembrance Day services were held in Exeter Nov. 4 to mark the
service of Canadian veterans. Forming part of the honour guard during the wreath laying
ceremonies are from left sergeant at arms Len Fleet, Sharon Colter and cadet lance corpo-
ral Melissa Lundle. More photos on page 8. (photo/Pat Bolen)
Forum discusses crystal meth
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — "It's the most dangerous drug
I've seen at the street level."
That's how Huron OPP Det. Const. Mike
McCabe described methamphetamine at a
Community Forum meeting at South Huron
District High School last week.
Crystal meth, part of the methamphetamine
family of drugs, was the main focus of the
meeting, with McCabe and Shona Gray of
Huron Addiction Services filling in parents,
teachers and youth on the effects crystal
meth can have on a person's life and the
risks involved.
Highly addictive
Methamphetamines are a powerful stimu-
lant, highly addictive, that stimulate the cen-
tral nervous system and can cause paranoia
and violent behaviour, resulting in severe
brain damage. While McCabe said OPP aren't
seeing a lot of meth in the Exeter area, it has
hit the Wingham and Brussels areas and
Perth County has become notorious for its
production of the drug — McCabe said about
80 per cent of the meth labs in Ontario are
found in Perth County.
McCabe said 60 per cent of crystal meth
users smoke it, 20 per cent inject it and the
remaining 20 per cent snort it, although
McCabe said it's a difficult drug to snort
because it is rough and hard. Meth can look
like shards of glass, is usually off-white to
yellow in colour and has a tacky or sticky feel
to it. McCabe said one of his observations has
been that those who inject the drug tend to
be female. Gray added sharing needles is
another risk to crystal meth use, because HIV
can be spread through dirty needles. With
pipes, they can burn the inside of the user's
lips and transmit hepatitis.
Comparing meth to cocaine, McCabe said
users get "a lot more bang for their buck"
with meth. A gram bag of crystal meth costs
$80 to $100, but the initial rush lasts five to
30 minutes, with a high of between four and
12 hours, much longer than cocaine, which
has a high of 20 to 30 minutes.
Meth was developed by German scientists
in the late 1800s and was given to German
troops by Adolf Hitler in the Second World
War to keep them awake. Allied soldiers also
used it, McCabe said. The drug was linked to
bike gangs in the U.S. in the 1940s and
1950s, before going into a lull for a long time,
finally making a comeback in the 1980s,
starting in California and sweeping across
the United States and into Canada.
Effects on health
Meth users can suffer from the following
See HIGH SCHOOL page 2
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Help support your local woman's shelter.
Throughout November, Herbal Magic will be
accepting cash donations for local women's
shelters. We're also requesting "nurture" donations,
such as toilet paper, facial tissue, paper plates
and cups, and pillows.
394 Huron Rd. Goderich
519-524-5555
8 Wellington St., Exeter
519-235-3088
It's not just what you lose, it's what you gain.
Help support the Courage to Change Campaign.
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