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wp 30-- Scugog Citizen -- Tuesday, Nc b 17, 1992 dom Volunteer with Marine rescue by Heather McCrae Dick Hofman always wanted to get into some kind of volunteer work where he could use his skills to benefit qthers. Dick is a scuba diver, certified in advanced open water diving, and last year received his certificate in ice diving. It was through his scuba hobby that he met Kevin Webb, a captain with COMRA---and the rest is history. COMRA stands for City of Oshawa Marine and Rescue Unit Assco, formed in 1968 by a group of concerned boaters who realized there was a need for a rescue vessel on Lake Ontario in the Oshawa area. = In 1968, the city of Oshawa bought the 31 foot Bertram with twin 440 cu. inch diesel motors for power. Dick, 35, a resident of Port Perry is now a volunteer with COMRA, one of 76 in the N M GRAIN MARKET REPORT Prices quoted at market closing Monday. Board Prices includes basis price $/ $/Metric Bushel Tonne 246 96.85 638 234.42 294.20 New Com New Soys New Canola Prices supplied courtesy of W.G. THOMPSON & SONS LIMITED R.R. 1, Bethany, Hwy. 7A & 35 h waiting time for you - bushels an hour." Receiving in Season: ® CORN and ® SOYBEANS "Our modern facilities mean less We can unload up to 10,000 OPERATING EXTENDED HOURS for HARVEST Brom -- Commodity Contracts Available mmm Cnmm--m-- WE TheMpsene, SONS UMITED . ,onving agriculture in Ontario for over sixty years. organization, several of whom are women. All receive training in first aid, CPR, search and rescue level one, boat handling and radio dispatch techniques. Most of the volunteers live in Oshawa, while others come from Whitby, Bowmanville and Port Perry. They respond to emergency calls by a pager system. The day crew is made up of volunteers who reside in Oshawa. The night crew, to which Dick belongs, is on call from 6:30 PM to 6:30 AM. COMRA's mandate is ta provide search and rescue on Lake Ontario from Ajax to Bowmanville and as far out into the lake as the border between Canada and the United States. Dick became a member of COMRA three years ago, his first ever volunteer work. "I guess you could say it fills a void in my life. I find my skills are useful and I'm only too glad to be able to assist a boater in distress," he said. COMRA goes into action each year about mid-April and finishes the last week of October. It gets most of its money from Oshawa, Whitby, and Bowmanville councils. But for the men and women who make up the organization, the work is strictly volunteer. Not only are they active in assisting boaters in distress, Dick and others have helped in the search from missing people. Dick took part in the searches for Elizabeth Bain and Julie Stanton in swampy areas behind the Darlington Marina, using a Zodiac inflatable rescue boat. Dick finds his volunteer work in no way interferes with his job with Scarborough Public Utilities. He enjoys being a volunteer, even when that "beeper" goes off at two o'clock in the morning. Port Perry resident Dick Hoffman, a volunteer with the COMRA, a Marine rescue unit. Feeder cattle loans now permanent The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food's two- year trial program to provide loans for feeder cattle co- operatives i8 now permanent, Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food Elmer Buchanan and Ontario Cattlemen's Association President Douglas ~ Gear announced last week. "The two-year trial period has proven successful, creating a needed and valued alternative source of credit for cattle farmers and strengthening Ontario's cattle industry," Buchanan said. The ministry provides a 25 per cent government guarantee on co-operative loans, and provides start-up grants of cor's of Hwy. 35 & 7A $10,000 to new feeder cattle co-operatives. "The Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program is a good example of a co-operative approach to agricultural finance, and in light of its success I am pleased we can now offer the program on a permanent basis," Buchanan said. The program was developed in cooperation with the Canadian Bankers' Association and the Ontario Cattlemen's Association (OCA). Buchanan praised the role played by the OCA, which has supervised the program since its introduction in November 1990. Ontario Cattlemen's Association President Douglas Gear, who helped develop the initial project, said, "We're pleased that our members were able to benefit from the trial period, and we will continue to encourage our members to take advantage of a program which encourages financial stability and growth." OMAF and the OCA assist beef producers to establish feeder finance co-operatives under the Co-operative Corporations Act, for the purpose of negotiating cattle loans. The Board of Directors of each co-operative reviews farmers' applications to purchase cattle. In addition to the usual financial criteria, the boards review applicants, husbandry skills, past performance record, and other farm In management criteria. addition, Gear said a key advantage of the program is that co-operatives can often negotiate a preferential interest rate, by applying for a single large loan rather than a number of small ones, and by making use of the 25 per cent government guarantee. Minor modifications have been made to the final program, Gear said. For example, individual members can now obtain funding of up to $125,000 to purchase cattle, up from the previous $100, 000 ceiling. The permanent program is in effect immediately, although cattle may be purchased under the trial program until November 15, 1992. Existing co-operatives may continue their activities without interruption, and applications for new co-operatives will be considered. 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