HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-03-02, Page 1PUBLISHED IN
LUCKNQW, ONTARIO
Wednesday,
March 2, 1994
55e
G.S,T, Included
Council turns thumbs down WDH occupancy rate for January
on proposed fire budget reaches 99%; highest in nine years
by Pat Livingston
A proposed budget for the Lucknow and District Fire Department has
. been making the rounds of the co-operating municipalities for approval.
Ashfield and West Wawanosh Townships have approved the budget as
submitted.
When the budget came up before Lucknow Village council at the Feb.
8 meeting, two motions were lost pertaining to its acceptance.
The first motion, to accept the budget as presented, was amended to
include holding the chief's and deputy chief's allowance at 1993 levels.
. The proposed budget included a 14.5 per cent increase for the chief and a
16.6 per cent increase for the deputy chief. In dollar figures the respective
increases would be $340 and $350. In 1993 the chief's allowance was
$2360 and the deputy's was $2100.
When,a recorded vote was requested, motion one, to accept the presented
budget was defeated, three to two; and the second motion, to hold the
increases to 1993 levels, was also defeated three to two.
Reeve Stuart Reavie said in a telephone interview that he didn't think
that in good conscious he could vote for the increase, particularly in these
times when everyone is trying to hold increases to zero per cent. Reavie
says he is against such large increases. "They don't need it."
The budget will have to conte before council again, Reavie says.
Other areas of the budget remained relatively constant when compared
' to 1993 budget and actual figures. °
by Jim Brown
The. second highest occupancy
rate for the month of January for
the past nine was achieved this year
at the Wingham District Hospital.
Chief executive officer Lloyd
Koch told the monthly meeting of
the hospital board on Thursday that
the occupancy rate for January was
99 per cent, the highest level the
hospital has had in nine years.
"Activity in the hospital during
January continued to hold at a high
level,' 'the CEO stated in his report
to the board. "Both admissions and
patient days exceeded last
January's, as did the cases done in
the operating room."
Koch added that last year's oc-
cupancy rate of about 98 per cent
was the second highest during the
same period.
Former student returns to
LCPS for co-op placement
by Mike Robinson
Robert Hamilton, 19, has come
home again to Lucknow Central
Public School.
Hamilton has returned to Luck -
now Central on a student co-op
placement , from Georgian Col-
lege. Currently enrolled in year 2.
of the computer programming
course at the Owen Sound, cam-
pus of Georgian College, Hamil-
ton said the one-semeste"r
placement runs from January
until the end of April.,
For him, it, was a chance t�
earn 'a co-op credit. Now when
he is in -the classroom, it is to
help out staff and students.
At Lucknow Central, he assists
both students and teachers with
computers. The variety in his
tasks range from assisting
students with computer programs
to helping teachers' with
programs sttch as designing
student attendance sheets.
He said it is an interesting ex-
perience.
The staff and students have
been great, he said. Having
graduated from Lucknow Central
in 1988, he says it is "a bit
different" to be working with
some of the teachers who once
taught him.
Hamilton returns to Georgian
College classes 'on May 2 and
will attend until Aug. 21. At that
time, he has the option of going
to the Barrie campus for the
third year of the programmer's
course.
When asked why he chose
computer programming, he said
"I feel it is the way of the future
and thought I'd get a head start
by getting into it."
He said he believes the staff
appreciates his help - and having
an extra pair of hands to help
out.
Robert Hamilton, a former Lucknow Central Public School student, Is currently on a student
co-op placement at the school. Hamilton is enrolled In year two of the computer
programming course at Georgian College, Owen Sound. While completing histo -op credit,
Hamilton Is also helping out staff and students. (Mike Robinson photo)
The CEO was unsure as to why
'the occupancy rate increased during
January, but added that it could
have been ,a combination of an
influenza virus that was in the area,.
weather, and other factors.
Dr. Brian Hanlon of the medical
staff said that the January occupan-
cy rate will continue to increase as
more seniors do not go to Florida
for the winter. He added that the
highest proportion of cases for the
hospital during January was for
treatment of fractured hips among
senior citizens. However, that could
also be related to the heavy snow
and cold weather midwestern On-
tario received during the month.
Koch said that the staff did an
excellent job during the month of
January. •
"Our staff did well to cope with
this extraordinary level of activity,
particularly when combined with
the many snow days we ex-
perienced when staff could not get
in to work and other employees .had
to be assigned to cover for them,"
said Koch.
Koch also' informed the board, in
his report, that he was part of the
Ontario Hospital Association
(OHA) Region 5 delegation which
met with Health Minister Ruth
Grier on Feb. 11.
"I presented our concerns about
funding emergency room payments
for doctors, noting the special cir-
cumstances under which rural
physicians work and the need to
have adequate reimbursement to
retain and recruit doctors," he said.
Koch noted that minister was
•turn to page 2'
Everyone should appoint
a power of attorney
by. Debbie Davidson
Imagine if your health deterio-
rated and you became unable to
make decisions for yourself. Your
estate could be taken over by a'
government agency if you have not
signed an enduring power of attor-
ney.
Lawyer George Magwood.recom-
mends people grant someone a
power of attorney, but to be careful
when deciding who you give this
power to.
"A power of attorney document
gives someone total legal authority
to sign for you ... and people can
abuse power of attorney."
The Ontario government is 'intro-
ducing a. controversial 'Substitute
Decisions Act.' . The major change
in the new act is if a person
becomes mentally infirm, and no
Power of Attorney has been
appointed, the Power of Attorney
will automatically fall to the prov-
ince. The government could tie up
trusts and estates under the new
law, according to critics.
The province of Ontario, through
the public trustee, handles about
$550 million worth of trusts and
estates. Provincial auditors found in
1992 that the public trustee had
mishandled about 55 per cent of the
124 trust and estate, files it man-
aged.
People will have a chance to
appoint an enduring power of attor-
ney under existing rules. There is a
six-month leeway from the time the
new act becomes law, which isn't
expected until early 1995, according
to a press release from the Attorney
General Over the past several
weeks, Magwood's office has been.
swamped with requests to draw up
powers of attorney.
The Ontario government and at
least one lawyer from this region
feels there is misleading informa-
tion that the new act will be a rev-
enue generator. However, the act
"didn't come out of the blue," said
Magwood, adding that the act was
conceived ,before the NDP came
into power. The Walkerton lawyer
said this has "not been dreamed up
•turn to page 2
Bruce -Grey Separate School Board
Examine consultant's job
Aware of publicpressure%for
financial accountability, two'trustees
for the Bruce -Grey separate school
board put a special education
consultant's job under the spotlight
at the board's Feb. 22 meeting.
When the educational services
committee recommended a three-
year contract for the consultant,
trustee Gerrard Kroeplin suggest a
one-year term would be more "pru-
dent" from an economic view.
"Would it be prudent to go ahead
and make it a three-year term given
economic conditions?" he asked.
Kroeplin said he wasn't against
the consultant or the need' for her
services, but was concerned about
the cost.
Director of Education Joe Waters
argued in favour of the three-year
term.
"The planning is there," he said.
"1t is financed. I fully support it.
The consultant is vital to the
smooth function of the student
services program."
Superintendent Rosemary Kenne-
dy said Special Education consul-
tant Val Jones works with a team to
help classroom teachers design
programs for the board's more than
300 special needs students. The
team' consists of principals, the
board social worker and other stu
dent services providers.
Trustee Helen Waechter said the
team and teachers will be able to do
a better job of assisting those stu-
dents if they know theyhave a
consultant's help for more than the
short-term.
"I think the teachers need all the
help they can get," she said. "Next
year we'd end up (re -hiring the
consultant) anyhow."
Trustee Ken Waechter disagreed.
He argued against the cost of the
consultant and the principle of
committing the next board to that
extra staff position.
"The students arc going to be
there (for more than one year),"
countered trustee Christine Zettel.
"How can we decide not to have
the consultant to help them?"
A motion by Ken Waechter and
turn to page 6