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Quarter of Queen E students in Petrolia stay home Friday
There will be no classes for about 100 primary school students in Petrolia again Friday after a severe storm caused water damage in an elementary school which is under renovation.
Lambton-Kent District School Board Director of Education, Jim Costello, says 100 mile per hour winds ripped some temporary roofing off of Queen Elizabeth Public School Wednesday night. The storm, which caused extensive damage to trees and tore shingles off of roofs, left about a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of water inside the primary classrooms.
A disaster restoration team was on the scene until 3:30 am Thursday but we’re not able to clean up the mess and secure the roof in time for school Thursday. About a quarter of the school population was asked to stay home Thursday.
By late Thursday afternoon, Costello says a delay in getting building materials to fix the roof forced the school board to ask the Grade 3 to 6 students to stay home Friday as well. “We want to make sure we have the roof secure,” says Costello. “We want it to be dry and secure before we put the students back in there and we want the air quality to be good.”
Costello isn’t sure if the weather related repairs will delay the $6 million renovation project at the school. It’s slated to be completed at the end of the school year.
Meantime, Town of Petrolia work crews made good progress cleaning up about a half dozen large trees blown over by the storm. By mid-morning, all the streets with fallen trees, including Princess Street which was the hardest hit, were reopened.
– Heather Wright
Petrolia councilor recovering from stroke
There is a big hole around the Petrolia Council table.
Councilor Helen Havlik has been absent from two council meetings since Aug. 14 after having a stroke.
Mayor John McCharles says Councilor Tim Brown called Havlik to see if she needed a ride to that night’s council meeting. There was no answer.
McCharles and town staff have been trying to reach the family to find out how Havlik is doing, but have been unable to find out the full extent of her medical issues.
“I understand she’s still a bit confused,” said McCharles Friday.
Havlik is in her 80s and is still active with the Sarnia-Lambton Health Coalition and OASIS – Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs.
McCharles is not sure when Havlik might be able to return to her council duties.
He notes councilors are not supposed to miss more than three meetings in a row. “We’ll likely drag our feet on that” he says, adding considering the circumstances “we can give her a little bit of latitude here.”
“We’ve put up with it…and it has to stop”
Oil Springs leaders
want OPP to deal
with drug problem
The assault of an elderly woman in her Oil Springs home has sparked renewed concerns about drugs in that small town.
On Sept. 1, police say the home of an 88-year old woman was broken into early in the morning. Forensic identification officers were on the scene most of the morning but police released few details of what happened inside the home.
Tuesday, the OPP issued an arrest warrant for Craig Powers of Enniskillen. By Wednesday, the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau and the Repeat Offenders Parole Enforcement unit arrested the man in Watford without incident.
Powers faces charges of break, enter and commit an indictable offence of sexual assault, careless use of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
Oil Springs Mayor Ian Veen fears the incident was sparked by drugs saying the OPP’s search dogs went right to a home known by local residents for its late night parties and drug use.
“This has been going on at least five years now,” he told The Independent. “We’ve put up with it and put up with it and it has to stop.”
Veen says about one percent of the village’s population has a drug problem and much of the drugs can be found in one apartment building. “They party 24 hours a day,” he says. “Neighbours are threatening to move out because they can’t take the partying.”
The mayor says methamphetamines – which is highly addictive – are the drug of choice in the area.
Veen believes much of the property crimes, such as Sept. 1st break in on Oil Springs Line, stems from people looking for drug money.
OPP have said they believe up to 90 percent of property crimes are committed due to drugs because people cannot sustain their habits without stealing.
The mayor says the OPP do make regular rounds in the village but “every time the OPP come out, these guys scatter as soon as the cops are done, they’re back.”
Veen and council were to meet with the OPP at Tuesday’s council meeting to talk about the issue.
“Somehow we have to address the drug use in Oil Springs,” says Veen. “I don’t know how we go about this and I know it is not just Oil Springs problem; it’s everywhere. I really don’t know what the answer is.”
Veen says some members of council have said there is nothing the village can do, but he wants to try expressing a personal belief that the drug users should be moved out of town.
“We don’t need to be living anywhere near this,” he says. “I don’t think it is good for anyone. Young kids in the area are getting criminal records over this stuff,” Veen adds “that’s the scary part.”
– Heather Wright