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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-08-20, Page 18This year there were 13 rural healthcare work placements across Huron, Perth and Bruce Counties in various healthcare settings, includ- ing pharmacies, nursing homes, hos- pitals, and a health unit. There were a total of 94 applicants for the available positions, demon- strating the demand by students in these counties for exposure to sum- mer employment in a healthcare set- ting they are currently or interested in pursuing. Jessica Alber, the HealthKick summer programs leader, has taken the opportunity to meet with the stu- dents and the employers throughout the summer. Student and employer feedback has been exceptionally positive, and HealthKick is excited to have the opportunity to allow 17 work placements across the counties during the summer of 2010. Students and employers were given one more opportunity to share and reflect on their experiences at the work placements wrap up ses- sion which was held on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 9 a.m. at the Huron East Health Centre in Seaforth. Students and employers who were part of the program were invited to attend and had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion to discuss the benefits of the program and to sug- gest ways to improve the program to help meet the demand within these counties for the rural summer work placements. In addition employers who may be interested in the program in the future were invited to learn more about this opportunity. HealthKick will also be wrapping up their summer student placements for Alber and Rosie Grobbink, who both worked directly with the HealthKick Project alongside Laura Overholt, the HealthKick program manager as summer program leader. Alber was responsible for helping to organize the 2009 Huron and Perth MedQUEST Career Exploration Program, the rural work placements, and assisting to organize a memory clinic within the Huron community Family Health Team. She has used her opportunities to inspire and motivate her as she heads towards her continuing education this September at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland to complete her masters in neuropsychology. Alber’s experience at HealthKick has influenced her future goals to include the possibility of practising in a rural setting. Grobbink initially was introduced to the HealthKick Project while completing a rural summer work placement during the summer of 2007 with the recruitment and reten- tion leader for the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Gwen Devereaux. Grobbink has been directly working with the HealthKick Project since the sum- mer of 2007, as the programs assis- tant. While working with HealthKick Grobbink has had the opportunity to help plan two MedQUEST Exploration programs, initiate the application process of rural summer student work place- ments, participate in clinical place- ments, and help to promote the pro- gram in various ways including web- site updates and participating at the 2009 Huron Perth Career Symposium. Being part of the HealthKick proj- ect has allowed her to gain firsthand experience into many careers within healthcare while developing an understanding of how healthcare is delivered in Ontario. The invaluable insight she has gained while working with HealthKick has played a large role in her career decision. Grobbink will begin school at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto this September to study to become a naturopathic doctor. PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN,THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2009. Nature walk John Hazlitt, an Ontario certified hike leader with the Maitland Trail Association showed the Grey 4-H Club members the big willow in the Maitland Woods near Goderich and explained the controversy around it and future development. (Photo submitted) By Matthew Swart The fifth meeting of the Central Huron Swine Club was held on July 20 at the home of the Kroe family who live just west of Clinton. The topic was judging in order to prepare for the county-wide judging compe- tition which was to be held on Aug. 11 in Seaforth. Judging is a very valuable compo- nent of the 4-H program as the process helps to instill confidence and public speaking skills in 4-H members. Members practised their reasoning skills by judging dairy cows. They were told to focus on the cows’ mammary system. An excel- lent mammary system should dis- play fullness in the udder and four equally-spaced, same-sized teats. Other points to look for included the quality of the cow’s legs, her depth and the openness of the ribs. From there members practised their judging skills on vegetables. The leaders taught them to look for colour equality throughout the group and minimal blemishes. After the judging they enjoyed some ice cream provided by the hosts. Swine Club judges dairy cows, veggies The Ethel euchre was held onMonday, Aug. 10 with seven tablesin play. Winners were: 50/50, Bush Whittard, Edna McLellan; high lady, Delphine Dewar; ladies’ lone hands, Joyce Alex- ander; low lady, Beryl Smith; high man, Bush Whittard; men’slone hands, Joan Jacobs, DorothyMartin; low man, Florence Holmes. There were many lucky tally prizes. The next euchre will be held on Monday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. By Brett Woodman The fourth 4-H meeting of the Grey Wild Walkers was held on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Members went hiking at the Maitland Woods Urban Forest which is located behind the Columbus Centre in Goderich. John Hazlitt of Goderich hiked with them, he is an expert on these woods as he has helped to catalogue over 3,000 species of trees here. Members saw many white birch, yellow birch (the young branches and leaves smell like wintergreen when crushed) and a spice bush that smells like spices when you crumble up the leaf. There was a service berry, also known as a Saskatoon berry that grows in a bush or a tree as well as pin cherry and some black night- shade that is poisonous and grows like a vine close to the ground. When the hike was almost fin- ished Hazlitt led them to what is believed to the largest golden willow cross tree hybrid on record in Ontario. Ethel euchre has7 tables in play Emily Cardiff graduated with dis- tinction at the Spring Convocation of the University of Western Ontario with her Bachelor of Science Nursing degree. She passed her RN exam in June and is currently working at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre in general surgery. We are very proud of your achievements. Congratulations! Love, Mom, Dad and Matthew. Graduation Grey 4-Hers go wild The Huron Stewardship Council is again running a project to locate and assess butternut trees in the Counties of Huron and Perth. “Many landowners have contacted us in the last year, allowing the locating of over 200 trees on 60 sites. We would like to thank these people for their help,” said Steve Bowers, Stewardship Co-ordinator. Butternut, a native tree threatened by a canker disease, has been desig- nated an endangered species in Ontario. It has never been plentiful, and does not occur extensively in large stands, but usually as isolated trees or groups of trees. Unlike its cousin walnut, it is rarely found in towns and cities unless previously planted. John Irwin, tree assessor, says “The canker, first identified in the Southern U.S., has been spreading northward and has decimated the butternut population in several states. It first appears as blackened sooty marks on the stem, which develop into open cankers with loose bark.” In the past few years, the Forest Gene Conservation Association, with the assistance of local Stewardship Councils, has been locating butternut trees to assess how badly they are affected by the butternut canker. “Our goal at this point,” Bowers says, “is to establish the status of the species in our area.” Future plans are to identify those trees that show resistance to the dis- ease. These may be used for propa- gating the species by collecting and planting nuts, and by taking scions from twigs for grafting onto root- stocks. If you have butternut on your property, you are asked to call Bowers with the Huron Stewardship Council at 519-482-3661, or John Irwin, field assessor, at 519-482- 9517, to arrange a site inspection. Your assistance is appreciated. Forthcoming Marriage John and Ivonne Albers together with Barry and Gail Riehl are pleased to announce the forth- coming marriage of their children, Adam William and Kimberly Ann. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Brussels. Stewardship council runs butternut project BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED Healthcare placements end Classified advertisements published in The Citizen are now available on our website at www.northhuron.on.ca