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Sexual abuse of children comes out of hiding ByJANEMLUJiil Local children may be given a chance to guard themselves against sexual abuse if an educational program geared to preventing such incidents is instigated here Thousands of students from Kindergarten level to Grade 8 have already benefited from such a program in Toronto through the school system The Task Force for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse in co operation with both public and separate school boards here is looking to include a preventative program in Hal ton by next fall At the first formal meeting si net the task force formed more than a year ago the pro ven Torontobased program was outlined by Catherine Stewart The project director for the Metropolitan Chairman Special Com on Child Abuse made the tion to an audience which included member of Hal ton Board of Education I la Hon Separate School Board and Children Aid Society The special committee established two years ago by Metropolitan Chairman Paul Godfrey considered the problem of child abuse Sexual abuse became the groups focus as according to Mrs Stewart this is a hidden problem In the process of getting sexual abuse into the open the commute looked into legal aspects like investigation and prosecution and the response to children who complain about such abuse Vie had to change a lot of beliefs and mis understandings A lot of attitudes in the past got in way of children being helped Now we re saying we believe ihe child the projecl director said When the special committee formed members were faced with a per cent in crease in reported incidents within the Catholic school board and a per cent rise in reports by students within the Metro politan board The rash of victims had now here to turn for help however but ding to Mrs Stewart services are now place for victims and offenders Grappling with the problem and realizing its extent made the need for preventative steps obvious and part of the special com mltlees focus We felt it was important to look at it in terms of the effect of the community The lack of community understanding has kept kids from reporting explained Mrs Stewart Before the education process begins to In volve children orientation is provided for parents The theme of the program is personal safety Vtc tell parents we re not doing sex education it more broad than that Mrs Stew art said Part of the parent introduction to the prevention program is a theatrical presentation used to acquaint children with the subject Music and humour are comb in ed in a play called Journey from AMU stands for All Mixed Up This revised version of a play used previously embraces a wider age group said Mrs Stewart The creator of the music for the play Mrs Stewart called the presentation bright colourful and entertaining Written this past summer includes some concepts which were missing from the original and puts more emphasis on some which were includ ed We felt we I do something which was age specific she said Response from students has shown the play does appeal to the wide age range in eluded in elementary schools This is the result of what Mrs Stewart approach as opposed to the Romper Room While the play is useful in introducing concepts it is absolutely mandatory to have followup shecxplained Mrs Stewart stressed practise encouragement and reinforcement are needed to ensure the aims of the program are mel A special kit for teachers includes puppets for role plaving exercises posters and instructional material Her music includes songs called Touch Trust your feelings and It not my fault which provide further reinforcement of the program s message Follow up m the classroom is covered in four areas Touching is dealt with the idea of children standing up for themselves people they can go to for help and personal safety are part of the approach produced by the committee The message w wanted to make clear is that everyone in this school knows about the problem and can talk to them about the pro blem Halton residents will have a chance to preview the play and learn about the pro gram us well as respond to it The location for a Milton presentation has not been deter mined however it will happen here Tues Nov at 30 Two have been in Burlington the following day The task force in the meantime will be working toward completing a formal report to both boards of education by January Before creating that report four committees will evaluate the play and education kit and organize in service train ing for teachers IH VEb fiSnl GeorgetownActon Wednesday Oct 1984 Georgetown MounUnvtaw N GEORGETOWN Toronto Una The hog operation Bob Marry featured feeding hall of hit pigs outside He use metal to separate the animals during feeding Patrons lobby for computer technology Pater Merry proudly allowed oil two baby pigs to the group visiting his fathers Politicians get earful on tour of area farms by Ted Drown In an effort to educate poll I on the problems facing farm operations today the Agricultural Advisory Committee organized a tour of five farms October About politicians school trustees planners and municipal staff spent Thur afternoon listening to farmers voice their concerns Then first stop of the bus tour was at the operation or Evelyn and Graham Gillies of Milton The Gillies operate a beef cowcalf farm and answered questions an the opera lion Because their farm Is in close to the proposed Halton landfill and toxic sites the Gillies then took the opportunity to voice their opposition to the councillors The next stop was the dairy operation run by the fatherson partnership of Bill and Paul of After explaining some of the practices of dairy farming Paul was questioned about the controversial Croatian Centre up the road and Its affect on their farm operation My will probably me for saying this he said But I feel It has little or no effect on us In fact we rent a considerable amount of land from them The third stop on the tour was at the beef fccdlot of Dons and Donald Lindsay of RR 1 Georgetown The unique feature of the Lindsay operation is that the short keep steers are fattened economically on hay and bakery waste which is cookies cakes etc that t meet quality control standards Lindsay explained to the group that this method of feeding was about onethird the cost of a conventional corn feeding program The group moved on to Farms the fruit and vegetable farm of James and Peter McCarthy of 3 Georgetown After a brief talk on the business Peter McCarthy took the group on a tour of his orchards While discussing farm and regional problems later McCarthy expressed a concern over the swallowing up of farmland in the province We ve got lo be careful in our long range planning thai we preserve this good farmland he said After all they re not making any more of It He also expressed concern over Ihe selection of garbage dumps 1 know they have to be he told the group But I hope you people give them a lot of thought The final stop was at Farms the hog of Bob Merry of RR Milton Merry commented first to the group about the subdivision that has sprung up directly south of his pig farm on Five Sideroad That subdivision is not compatable with my operation Houses and agriculture do not mix and I was here first he stated And the only reason that that subdivision has come about is because you people the councillors have allowed it Merry Ihen outlined the financial aspects facing the farmer of today and explained his own operation to the group The group finished the tour with a pork at the Merry Farm If the public has its way Ihe Acton and Georgetown libraries may soon turn into computer playgrounds from which students and researchers could tap into international data resources The need to help local schools keep up with technology and enable students to take advantage of Ihe vast potential offered by today computer systems emerged as a burning issue among members of the public who attended lost Wednesday s meeting of the Hills Public Library Board Suggestions from a half dozen people who attended the board public forum In Georgetown amounted to an organized lobby seeking greater Investment in com and other technologies There is a new elite who have computers at home and they re leaving behind a large segment of the population Sheridan College administrator and former computer instructor Robert Lovelace advised the board There Just enough computer programs in the schools and those they do have are very structured It very therefore for the library to make some inexpensive computers available Commenting that its criminal for such services not to be provided by public libraries Lovelace said Ihe right computer link up would enable local students of all ages to apply university level research to their projects by tapping into publicly cessiblecomputcrdata bases in Canada and the US Harrison Public School teacher John Murphy noted that the Hamilton Board of Education sends students to its Region public libraries where computer programs complement classroom cur riculum Lovelace and Bill Apgar of Maple Ave a sometime computer instructor and a member of the Social Planning Council told the board that their views are shared by many other local educators in eluding principals at Acton and Georgetown schools Library trustees made no promises but vowed to keep the demand for computers and other new technologies in mind during future budget considerations If local library computer programs don t become a reality in the next few years told this newspaper later I think the library board is going to be In the embarrassing situation of being one of the few boards around hat are not offering these services There are ways to gel the money and there are plenty of people willing to help them set things up It a matter of whether they re willing to take that first Apgar said he believe the cost of launching such programs will be as over whelming think Heexpres hope that other local residents enthused by the idea will contact the trustees about It Board chairman Norm Elliott welcomed an offer of help from the Peel Computer Club whose vicepresident John Rice said members will help library staff set up the equipment and programs and put them in touch with various data bases All present agreed that they be willing lo pay any new library fees to use such equip ment if board consider them necessary As an extension of new technological programs at the library Lovelace added that he d like to see satellite reception equipment at the library capable of bringing in a variety of educational programming The relatively new field of tele conferencing enables viewers around world tunc in on speciallytelevised symposiums he said Support for the move was offered by Rod Taylor of Windsor Ken Hughes of Market St and Pay ton who noted a special need for computer programs geared to the physically handicapped Although such courses are offered in south said the transportation costs are prohibitive for students Local farmer Donald Lindsay explained his feeding program consisting of hay and bakery wast Llndtay ia able produce beef through this program at onequarter the cost of a com based ml Ion Visitors to Laid lew farm were able view Ihe fine herd of Hotstetn cattle they have built up over the years has declared Oct as Week of the Child The region s support in backing the week was recommended by the region health and social services committee November 5 will be Engineering Week in Contracts Tanya Cole a speech therapist has been awarded a contract to provide speech therapy to eligible home care pa tients until March 31 1985 on a fecfor service basis Karen Laretei nutritionist has been awarded a contract to provide nutritional services in the region until March and a fee for service basis Honoured A number of regional employees were honoured by council for their service Retiring at the region were Browned printing Gordon plant operator Pearl Mowat health care aide and Josephine Mule house Retiring from Regional Police were Charles Parsons Constable First Class Jack Pelraraca Constable First Class and Terell Inspector Warning Sign Council has authorized an agreement with CP Rail for the installation opera Hon maintenance and repair of apropos special warning signal on Line in Campbell lie Region briefs Trees Planted will pay for trees to be planted along Ihe newly reconstructed portion of SteelesAve in Milton This and another in Hills will cost Co to be completed Old Coat For New A provincial coat of arms housed it Region Museum will soon the newly rebuilt courthouse and Jail which will be used as Milton new town hall The loan will be long term and when erected will be accompanied by a small plaque noting the coat of arms is on loan from the museum Funeral Help Regional chairman Peter will officially write a letter thanking the Town of Milton for the town pation in the funeral procession held for Metro Police Constable David The procession was conducted in an uninterrupted and dignified manner by the town Mr said Maintain childrens programs library trustees told While the need for Hills public libraries to offer access lo the new technologies was the main topic of con venation at last week s public meeting of the library Board it warn the only subject broached by concerned patrons The continuation of children s programs the extension of operating hours provision of an afterhours book return facility end improvement to the Acton library tor the physically handicapped were other topics that drew about a down people to the meeting at the Georgetown library TaUftC a keen to the proceedings was Councillor Harry Levy former chair man of the Town s budget committee who called himself a severe critic of Ihe library Expressing hii disappointment that more councillors werent present Levy com mentcd that Ihe meeting made it obvious to him that library requirements have changed substantially la recent yean The book return box will be installed within months and changes to the two libraries operating hours arc being con The Acton library termed a hope less case lor disabled patrons by Kit Wood of the Physically Handicapped Citizens Association could also see some changes to help alleviate that problem also asked the board whether It might expand on its deal with TV Ontario to provide access to all Channel 19 programming through its videotape equipment The trustees took the suggestion under advisement chief librarian Betsy Gomwell commenting that the libraries are but surely Docking into Century where modern electronic equipment and services are con Cenaratulatina the board for the libraries Very beneficial children programs Rod Taylor of Windsor said he d rather have to pay extra library fees than see any programs cancelled for lack of funds Yearround children programs and especially summer pastime courses and preschooler activities provide an excel lent introduction to books and other library services Taylor said Of the current debate over how much a library must do to accommodate local schools Tayktrcommenledontheneedfora mutuallybeneficial agreement While teachers bring their students to the library to work on projects with librarians help he said perhaps the library patrons could make use of school facilities during the summer and offhours The schools com puters if made accessible to library users could help meet the demand for new tech oology at the libraries he To Payton and Robert who asked about operating hours board chairman Norm Elliott pointed out that cur rent hours carved In stone and while any changes will have a tremendous impact on library staff will likely see some Implemented