The Herald Serving Thamesville, Dresden and Bothwell Established in 1886
Vol. 134, Issue 43 • Wednesday, October 21, 2020
The Herald • $1.25 per issue (HST incl.)
Missing Woman Returns Home
Chatham-Kent police were out in force in Thamesville searching for a missing 81-year-old woman with dementia who left her home at Francis’ Place Oct. 13. Chatham-Kent Police say Darlene Payne was last seen on London Road at 4 pm. Just before noon Oct. 14,, police were called in to help search for Payne with officials saying they were concerned for her safety. A large contingent of CKPS officers amassed mid-morning across from Francis Place and the Thamesville Tim Hortons. Police knocked on doors as they conducted a search of businesses and residences. According to Cowell, community patrol officers, members of the Criminal Investigation Branch, and the Critical Incident Response Team were on scene. A police drone and the K9 unit were also involved with the mobile command unit coordinating the search on site. Police officials said she was found Wednesday around 3 pm. It was discovered she had gone to Windsor to visit family and friends and she returned later in the afternoon. Cowell says “all resources are utilized in an effort to locate them, as soon as possible, hopeful safe and in good health.” Pam Wright/Local Journalism Initiative Initiative Photo
Camp Vincent near Bothwell on the brink of closing its doors Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative Pushed to the brink by COVID-19, Bothwell’s Camp Vincent is teetering on the edge of closure. The iconic children’s summer camp — set to mark its 50th anniversary in 2021 — may be forced to close unless some last minute funding is found. So the group has launched its first ever public fundraising campaign
to stave off closure. According to the chairperson of the camp’s executive board the pandemic has created “very challenging” circumstances for the facility. “COVID-19 is the catalyst,” says Collin Girard says the camp’s precarious financial situation. “It’s kind of pushed everything over the edge.” It’s been a tough year for the camp. There were no campers all summer because of the pandemic, and then, in August, there was a robbery at the facility. That caused $12,000 in damage. The camp’s tractor broke down as well, making it difficult to cut St. Vincent’s vast swaths of grass to
keep the grounds in shape. However the St. Ursula chapter of the Knight’s of Columbus in Chatham stepped forward and donated a Ford tractor. But the bills continue to stack up, say officials, including taxes and utilities. Girard says the organization is in need of around $50,000 to get it to through to next May, with the hope the camp can again open its doors to children. An average of 700 youngsters normally attend the Longwoods Road facility each summer, overseen by about 30 counsellors. It’s estimated that 30,000 youngsters from across Southwestern Ontario, as well as Toronto and
Niagara, have attended the camp in its 49-year history. Around 500 staff have worked there too, including Girard, who spent eight summers as a counselor and two as an administrator. The camp has never reached out to the public for funding before, relying on camp fees and a host of donors who quietly give. “A lot of our donors sponsor kids, which is great,” Girard says, but that doesn’t help pay for items such as maintenance or water system upgrades. A third of the organization’s budget made up of donations. In order to fundraise, St. Vincent officials have entered into a marketing campaign with a Wallace-
The Herald Serving Thamesville, Dresden and Bothwell
1 year (50 weeks)
50
$
00 tax included
within 65 kms of Thamesville
Your News. Your Community Don’t miss another issue
Please make cheques payable to: The Herald - Thank you. Box 580, 3 London Road (Town Hall) Thamesville • Office Hours: M 10-3 • W 10-3 • F 10-3
burg radio station, 99.1, to see if sponsorship funding can be found. Lee Salisbury, who also works on maintenance at the Bothwell site is helping spearhead the campaign. The fundraiser is offering donors four levels of sponsorship, ranging from one camper at $350, to a corporate ‘survivalist,’ level at $5,000, which includes a company logo on camp t-shirts and other merchandise. People are also welcome to make a donation of their choice either online, or by mailing to 15142 Longwoods Rd., Bothwell ON N0P 1C0. - The Herald
Name on Subscription: _______________________________________________ Mailing Address:
Ds
_______________________________________________
In Town: P.O. Box # OR
Rural: 911 - Civic Address
_______________________________________________ In Town: Street Address OR
Rural: RR#
_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ TOWN
[ ___ ] New Subscription
Postal Code
[ ___ ] Renewal
The Herald • $1.25 (HST incl.)
No campers and break-in in 2020 cause financial heartache