HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1987-06-03, Page 11173,7,,,211
ESTABLISHED IN 1873
"THE SEPOY TOWN" ON THE
HURON -BRUCE BOUNDARY
Vancouver -based magician John Kaplan
entertained about 300 people at the
Lucknow Community Centre Sunday after.,
noon with a number of magic .acts. At left,
Lucknow resident Vince Sticklend was the
"willing volunteer" for the guillotine illu-
sion while, in the photo above, seven-year-
old Sonia Jones of Holyrood, helped Kaplan
with the connecting rings illusion. (Loun
Ann Hope photos)
Van Horne explains Liberal's mandate
to seniors at spring rally held Friday
Initiatives to reform extended care
facilities in nursing homes and retirement
homes and to adopt "one-stop shopping", a
program giving single entry into the many
community services available, are includ-
ed in the current timetable in the Ontario
Liberal's mandate to seniors.
Ron Van Horne, the Minister for Senior
Citizens' Affairs, explained these two in-
itiatives to a gathering of approximately
50 people at the United Senior Citizens of
Ontario (USCO) Zone 33 Spring Rally at the
Lucknow Legion Hall on May 29.
Calling the current system of extended
care services for seniors "an unholy
mess", Mr. Van Horne said extended care
services in Ontario is currently operating
with two separate systems of extended
care in both nursing homes and rest homes
under two different government ministries
regulated under four separate pieces of
legislation.
"The situation is unsatisfactory. It can't
hold its own under the glare of reason,"
said Mr. Van Horne in his speech.
Under the government initiative, a new
Extended Care Act would apply to all pro-
viders and establish a uniform criteria for
extended care with a more uniform system
of funding. Also, as the first step in
establishing new legislation, a care re-
quirement study for seniors would be com-
pleted. He said the study should be done by
the end of 1988.
In the interim, an advisory committee
on rest homes will be put in place to review
the issues in order to regulate the quality
of care in rest homes.
In explaining "One Stop Shopping", Mr.
Van Horne said community support
systems for seniors are currently provided
by a wide variety of agencies. The propos-
ed program will provide a "single point of
entry" into the maze of community ser-
vices available.
He said a pilot project for the program
will soon be undertaken in the province
with details on the project to be announced
in the near future.
In addition, the minister outlined some
farther proposals in the April Throne
Speech, calling for financial assistance to
increase mobility of seniors and the disabl-
ed; funds to help improve access to com-
munity facilities for the elderly and the
disabled as well as an increase t� the ceil-
ing on provincial operating funds for
seniors' centres with plans for funding for
25 new centres.
Mr. Van Horne described other in-
itiatives, contained in the 1986 government
White Paper called "A New Agenda"
which are aimed at developing a program
for change in services for senior citizens in
the province. He cited the Integrated
Homemaker Program, established in
Huron County in January of 1986, which
has been implemented into three-quarters
of the province in the past three years.
To date, the Ministry of Senior Citizens'
Affairs has allocated $36.2 million,
representing an annual expenditure of
$75.3 for the operation of new services, he
said.
Among other programs implemented
since the White Paper was released are.
— A multi -disciplinary department of
geriatrics and gerontology at McMaster
University ($12 million)
— A commitment for five new and enhanc-
ed regional geriatric units in teaching
hospitals.
-- 22 respite care programs
— 27 community Alzheimer projects ($4
million) with plans for more funding
— Doubling of funding for home support
services over two years ($11.8 million )
with Throne Speech plans for more
— New funding for comunity health centres
— 1,900 new housing units for seniors
— Developing regulations for rest homes
— 948 new nursing home beds ($9.9 million)
Turn to page 2 •
Magician
entertains
in Lucknow
By Lou -Ann Hope
Although his name may not be recogniz-
ed as easily as that of Doug Henning or
David Copperfield, Vancouver -based illu-
sionist John Kaplan is well on his way to
attaining the same success which magi-
cians Henning and Copperfield have found.
Kaplan, a 29 -year-old magician -
illusionist, was in Lucknow Sunday after-
noon for a magical show sponsored by the
Lucknow and District Kinsmen. Almost
300 people attended the hour long perfor-
mance of "Abracadabra" held at the
Lucknow Community Centre.
With help from his assistant, Nila,
Kaplan entertained the audience with a
variety of acts involving larger items such
as trunks, a guillotine and a levitation
table. He also performed a number of
slight of hand tricks.
Kaplan has been interested in magic
since the age of eight.
"I saw a magic show when I was little
and I was hooked. I was eight years old
and I knew that it was all I really wanted to
do."
Each year he showcases his magical
talents in a spring tour which lasts almost
four months. He has travelled across
North America and has appeared on the
television show "The Love Boat" as well
as performing at Expo '86 and for the
Kinsmen Miracle Telethon.
One of the magician's favourite acts to
perform is one which involves the use of a
locked trunk, Harry Houdini style. Sun-
day's audience was treated to a perfor-
mance of this act which involved handcuff-
ing his assistant, locking her in a trunk
which was checked by a member of the au-
dience and then making Nila reappear.
She then unlocked the trunk, and who
Turn to page 6 •
Your Sentinel
this week...
Playschool
Holyrood and area mothers have been
enjoying the benefits of a playschool for
pre-schoolers which has opened in the
former Kinloss school. A varietyof ac-
tivities keep the children busy every Tues-
day morning. For a story, SEE PAGE 5.
Concert band
The Lucknow Concert Band recently
returned from a four-day excursion to
Guelph and Cambridge where they per-
formed in a number of schools. For a
report on the trip, see Megan Johnstone's
story on PAGE 15.
Routine habits
In this week's column, Sentinel editor
Alan Rivett discusses something which
everyone has at least one of ... routines.
Although the editor felt he was "routine -
free", after some thinking he has found
that there is at least one routine in his life.
To find out what it is, SEE PAGE 4.