You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
N EWS<br />
New service to mind your home<br />
By Rosemary Fitzpatrick<br />
Why worry about your home<br />
while you are absent? Why<br />
not leave your cares to Home<br />
Minders?<br />
Home Minders is a service<br />
that looks after your home<br />
and pets while you are away<br />
for any period of time.<br />
This was the brainstorm of<br />
Centretown resident, Colin<br />
Chalk. The idea came to him<br />
just over a year ago while<br />
speaking with friends who<br />
had just returned from vacation,<br />
and felt their holiday<br />
would have been more enjoyable<br />
without the worry of<br />
the safety of their home.<br />
Research to set up this<br />
business took approximately<br />
four months. It is legally<br />
registered in Toronto, bonded<br />
and insured. Colin also<br />
gleaned information from<br />
Small Business Development,<br />
as well as the Crime Prevention<br />
Units of both the<br />
Ottawa and Kanata Police Departments.<br />
Colin will look after your<br />
home and pets for a fee of<br />
$7. per visit, anywhere from<br />
a few days to a few months.<br />
Your plants will be watered,<br />
your mail brought in and<br />
your pets will be tended to.<br />
This fee also includes timer<br />
switches so that your lights<br />
will be turned on automatically<br />
at desired times. The<br />
time is alternated on a regular<br />
basis.<br />
If the owner is absent for<br />
a lengthy period the garden<br />
is tended anu the grass is<br />
freshly cut. When you return<br />
you will find fresh<br />
bread and milk in your refrigerator,<br />
compliments of<br />
Home Minders.<br />
Home Minders is a one man<br />
operation, but during peak<br />
seasons, he is assisted by<br />
Barbara Button (also bonded<br />
and insured), who in the<br />
fall will be entering her<br />
final year in the Business<br />
Administration program at<br />
Algonquin College.<br />
In its first year, Home<br />
Minders has been trouble<br />
free. The growth of this<br />
operation indicates the need<br />
for such a service.<br />
Jason Moscovitz, a national<br />
reporter and a resident<br />
of Ottawa South has availed<br />
himself of this service<br />
while vacationing. He admits<br />
that while he was a bit<br />
leery of leaving his keys<br />
with a stranger, he found<br />
Home Minders very satisfactory.<br />
Colin has a regular number<br />
of requests to take care of<br />
cats, birds, fish, etc.<br />
while their owners are away.<br />
However, one of the more unusual<br />
requests came from a<br />
couple who left,their two<br />
teenage sons at home and<br />
asked Colin to check on the<br />
boys and provide them with<br />
$5. each day.<br />
For a worry free vacation<br />
call Colin Chalk at 230-2107<br />
and should he be unavailable<br />
leave a message on his recording<br />
machine and he will<br />
return your call as soon as<br />
possible.<br />
City offers leadership program<br />
By Kahlia Baksh<br />
Too old for camp? Too<br />
young to work? Then maybe<br />
the Leadership in Training<br />
program offered by the cities<br />
Ottawa and Gloucester<br />
is for u.<br />
The program offers a combination<br />
of in-class training<br />
and placements, working<br />
in parks, recreation programs,<br />
and a chance to meet<br />
people and have some fun.<br />
"We train them in child<br />
behaviour, special needs and<br />
job seeking techniques,"<br />
George Blake, director of<br />
the program said. "We are<br />
also offering first-aid<br />
certification this year."<br />
Highlights of the program<br />
include a placement in a<br />
recreation program to gain<br />
work experience and a camping<br />
trip to develop camping<br />
skills.<br />
At the end of the program,<br />
June 6, 1986, GLEBE REPORT -12<br />
the successful candidates<br />
receive Leadership certificates<br />
and their names are<br />
kept on file with the City<br />
of Ottawa Recreation Branch<br />
as a reference for future<br />
employment. "The skills<br />
acquired are useful in obtaining<br />
that important tirst<br />
job, be it in recreation or<br />
in any other field", said<br />
Mr. Blake.<br />
While the emphasis is on<br />
marketable job skills, participants<br />
also play sports,<br />
have barbeques and interact<br />
socially with their own age<br />
group.<br />
More information<br />
There is still room in the<br />
program. George Blake may<br />
be contacted at 564-1271<br />
for further information and<br />
brochures are available at<br />
your local community centre<br />
or swimming pool.<br />
OBE to prohibit smoking<br />
By Paul Balsamo and Susie Saghbini<br />
Effective November 1,<br />
1987, the Ottawa Board of<br />
Education will prohibit<br />
smoking in all'its facilities.<br />
The changes are aimed<br />
at achieving a healthier<br />
work environment for students<br />
and staff.<br />
Medical evidence clearly<br />
shows that smoking is a significant<br />
health risk. Tobacco<br />
smoke is also an irritant<br />
to non-smokers and can<br />
worsen allergic and cardiac<br />
conditions. There is increasing<br />
evidence that nonsmokers<br />
constantly exposed<br />
to second-hand smoke are at<br />
a significantly greater<br />
health risk than those who<br />
are not exposed.<br />
Although an immediate ban<br />
on smoking would be preferable,<br />
it would not be appropriate<br />
at this time to<br />
dictate such a drastic<br />
change so suddenly. Instead,<br />
the board believes<br />
that the interests of both<br />
health and haLmony in the<br />
workplace would be served<br />
better by a more gradual<br />
phasing in of smoking restrictions.<br />
The interim policy on smoking<br />
for the next school year<br />
is contained in the following<br />
five-point plan.<br />
There will be no smoking<br />
in common areas of any<br />
building, including lobbies,<br />
corridors, stairways,<br />
offices, classrooms, meeting<br />
rooms, conference rooms,<br />
libraries, gymnasia, cafetarias,<br />
washrooms and other<br />
such rooms.<br />
Schools and other OBE<br />
buildings may establish<br />
smoking lounges if there are<br />
equivalent or larger lounges<br />
for non-smokers. A designated<br />
lounge for smokers is<br />
to be separated from a<br />
lounge for non-smokers by an<br />
air-tight barrier.<br />
Secondary and adult students<br />
are to be permitted to<br />
smoke only in designated<br />
outdoor areas. Elementary<br />
students will not be permitted<br />
to smoke on OBE property.<br />
Smoking will not be permitted<br />
on buses used by the<br />
OBE at any time.<br />
Organizations and persons<br />
renting OBE property will<br />
not be permitted to smoke<br />
inside the building as a<br />
condition of their lease.<br />
Then, in September of<br />
1987, no one will be allowed<br />
to smoke anywhere on OBE<br />
campuses.<br />
DONOHUE & BOUSQUET<br />
27 Hawthorne Av.<br />
(Between Pretoria Bridge & Main St)<br />
I am interested in<br />
your views on our<br />
schools and on Board<br />
business<br />
JOHN SMART<br />
TRUSTEE<br />
Ottawa Board<br />
of Education<br />
563-2332 (Days)<br />
234-5058 (Evenings)<br />
FINE ANTIQUES<br />
SILVER<br />
APPRAISALS<br />
Open Daily Except Sunday 9:30 - 5:30<br />
Saturday 10:30 - 5:30<br />
232-5665
Change language