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THE NEW TANNERTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2007 13THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 200712 310 Guelph Street #5 Georgetown 905-873-4405 Close to Home.. Far from Ordinary Anyone can grow corn in straight rows. But to design a corn field in the shape of the Great Pyramids of Egypt or in a mes- sage such as Farmers Fuel the Future takes extra talent. Corn mazes are some of the fastest growing tourist attractions in Ontario. In fact, 42 farms with mazes have joined forces in a new Maze Craze Passport program which is funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Agricultural Adaptation Councils (AAC) CanAdvance program. Offered through the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Associa- tion (OFFMA), Maze Craze encourages visitors to navigate a series of mazes located across the province. Upon completion of each maze, a passport is stamped. People receiving four or more stamps can then submit their passport in person, by mail, or on-line through www.mazecraze.ca for a chance to win a series of prizes. Corn Maze latest craze Students at St. Joseph School receive fire safety lessons by Justina Pembleton Halton Hills Fire Protection & Prevention Services visited St. Joseph Catholic School Friday, Oct. 12, teaching grade four students about fire safety and proper procedures. Dave Ford, Fire Safety Spe- cialist, along with firefighters Shawn Barnes, Pat Woods and Kevin Usher, brought a trailer to the school for the young- sters to maneuver their way through. After a 15-20 minute discussion about smoke detec- tors and what to do when one sounds, the grade fours were taken into the bedroom of the trailer, which was filled with smoke once they were all inside. When the detector went off, Chantelle Myles, the first volunteer, got off the bed, crawled to a door, which was warm to the touch, and had to find an alternative route out of the room. It was kinda fun because it was a practice, but in real life it would be scary. After today, I think I would be able to do it if I had to, said Chantelle. Through these presenta- tions, Dave Ford and his team are getting the children excited about planning escape plans with their families. During the discussion prior to the exercise, all the children were eager to answer Fords ques- tions, with barely a wrong answer in the group. SMOKE ALARM: St. Joesph Grade fours make their way out of the Acton Firefighters smoke-filled trailer. Justina Pembleton photo Dave Ford and the rest of the team were heading off to McKenzie-Smith Bennett School later that afternoon, and 16 more around Acton and Georgetown by the end of the month. By the time theyre finished, over 840 grade four children will have gone through the exercise and the staff will have conducted over 40 of these presentations. Why Important? So why are these presen- tations so important? Fire creates thick smoke and deadly gases that make it hard to see or breathe. A home escape plan prepares everyone so they can escape quickly and safely. This exercise teaches children how to do this. Its unbelievable that a 2004 study commissioned by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs found that 64% of Canadians claim to have a home escape plan. Of this 64%, 63% had not practised their escape plan with family members even once. What is involved in an es- cape plan? All members of the family should know that if they hear the smoke detec- tors go off, they should check closed doors for heat before exiting through them. If they feel heat, using the back of their hand, they should find an alternative way out. If a window is the only option and they are on the second floor or above, they should get a sheet or pillowcase to wave while calling out for help. If exit through the house is possible, you should stay low to the ground to avoid as much smoke inhalation as possible. If in a room with a hot door, shove clothing or blankets under the door to keep smoke out. Once out of the house, all family members should meet in the same place, a swing set, a sand box, a neighbours house, so that everyone knows that you got out safely. Staff of the Halton Hills Fire Protection & Prevention Ser- vices encourages families to plan their escape, be prepared and most of all, install and maintain smoke alarms. Fire Chief Brent Marshall says, Most people underes- timate the speed and power of fire and smoke, and the danger they pose. As a result, they get complacent about fire safety. It seems hard to believe, but ev- ery second counts in a fire. ROCKWOOD Ring Around with Rebecca Ring PRACTISE YOUR ESCAPE PLAN: The Guelph/Eramosa Fire Department held an open- house last Saturday to top off Fire Prevention Week. A model escape plan was set up where visi - tors learned to first feel the door and knob before opening it, get down low and crawl to nearest exit, and meet at a prearranged spot. Captain Rob Crosbie is shown here guiding children through the demo plan. - Rebecca Ring Photo. or no packaging, start a backyard compost, bring dead batteries to Wellington County Libraries, reuse what you can, bring reusable bags or containers shopping, do not bag produce unnecessar- ily, such as turnip, bananas or avocadoes they come in their own packages. Drink tap water or fill your own reusable bottles with filtered water. Remember first reduce, then reuse, finally recycle. Recycling reduces waste in landfills but it still requires energy and produces emissions in transporting and processing the items. Continued fromPage 12 Farmers can take advan- tage of an environmentally responsible way to get rid of bale wrap at no charge. Along with Think Plastics Inc, Wel- lington County Solid Waste accepts polyethylene bale wrap for recycling at the Riv- erstown Landfill Site. This program diverts plastic away from landfills and prevents burning it, which releases harmful, toxic gasses into the air, water and soil. The bale wrap must be white on both sides. Shake large stones, etc out of it, cut it into sections and roll it. Do not tie or wrap it. For more information, visit www.county.wellington. on.ca or call 519-837-2601.