HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-06-09, Page 13Engagement
RAPSON - SANDERS
Leo and Corry Sanders of
R.R. #4, Brussels announce
the engagement of their
daughter, Jennifer to Bill
Rapson, son of Mrs. Ruth
Rapson, Seaforth and the
late John Rapson. The
wedding will take place
Saturday, July 3, 1993 at
Sacred Heart Church,
Wingham. Open reception
at 8:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart
Parish Hall, 220 Carling
Terrace, Wingham.
FORTHCOMING
MARRIAGE
HENRY - MERNER
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Merner
Mr. & Mrs. James Henry
are pleased to announce
the forthcoming marriage
of their children
Sandra Lee
Michael James
on Sat. June 12, 1993
at 3:30 p.m.
Trinity Anglican Church
Blyth, Ontario
Reception to follow
9 p.m.
Blyth Community Centre
Everyone Welcome
Scrimgeour's
Food Market
BLYTH 523-4551
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1993. PAGE 13.
County Council briefs
Welfare use could increase in '93
With the pleasant modem homes
for the aged recently opened in
Huron, the waiting list to get in has
suddenly mushroomed.
A report of the Seniors and
Social Services Committee, pre-
sented at the June 3 meeting of
Huron County Council showed
there is now a waiting list of 47
people from the county and 11
from outside the county for Huron-
lea at Brussels and 87 from the
county and four from outside the
county for Huronview at Clinton.
All meet the first criteria that they
have a need for extended care cov-
erage, says Wayne Lester, adminis-
trator of the homes for the aged.
Minister
announces
Commission
To bring all the partners in the
education system together to make
Ontario's education system work
Education and Training Minister
Dave Cooke has announced the
establishment of a Royal Commis-
sion on Learning.
This five-member Commission
will undertake a province-wide
effort to assess and make recom-
mendations about the goals, stan-
dards and programs to guide
Ontario's elementary and secondary
schools into the 21st century.
The mandate of the commission
is to address the accountability in
education, the organization of the
school system, the program in
Ontario schools and the purpose
and direction of the school system.
The Commission has two co-
chairs: Monique Begin, a former
federal Minister of Health and Wel-
fare and Dean of Sciences at the
University of Ottawa and Gerry
Caplan, a public policy analyst and
public affairs commentator.
A toll-free 1-800 number for the
Commission will soon be available
and will be widely publicized.
In a press release from the Min-
istry, it states there hasn't been a
full review of the education system
since the Hall-Dennis report of
1968. This new commission will
have a broader mandate than earlier
studies and will seek wide input
from students, parents and taxpay-
ers than in the past.
FRISCHKNECHT - LOGUE
Lynn and Bill Logue of Blyth
are pleased to announce the
forthcoming marriage of their
daughter, Lisa Ann to Henri
Frischknecht, son of Agnes
and Henri Frischknecht, of
Wingham on July 19, 1993 at
Blyth Untied Church at
5:00 p.m.
Lionel Wilder, reeve of Hay
Township worried that the county
had just spent millions of dollars
but didn't have enough room to
meet the demand. Mr. Lester point-
ed out that the waiting list to get
into the old Huronview was almost
nil. It's the experience in other
municipalities as well, he said, for
the waiting list to boom when peo-
ple see excellent new facilities
open.
Meanwhile applications for ten-
ants for the apartments at the two
sites were accepted. One councillor
objected to the lack of information
about the current home of the resi-
dents, noting there was no way of
finding out if they came from
Huron or beyond. Mr. Lester said
the government-approved forms do
not reveal the origin of the appli-
cant and since the province pays 80
per cent of the capital investment in
the apartments, it gets to make the
rules.
Official opening for Huronlea
and the Highland apartments will
be June 25 at 11 a.m.
***
The province has eliminated the
category of residential patients at
homes for the aged and only
extended care patients, those
requiring a much heavier amount of
nursing care, will now be included.
There are no residential units in the
two new Huron homes. Residents
will either be extended care in the
main home, or able to look after
themselves with a little extra help
in the apartments. Residents of the
apartment must be 60 years of age
and in need of a small amount of
support to live independently, Mr.
Lester said. "You can't be fit as a
fiddle and cutting your own lawn
and expect to get in," he said of the
apartments.
In his annual report to council
Mr. Lester pointed out that the
average age of residents dropped
slightly from 84.3 years of age in
1991 to 84.1 years in 1992 but this
is still up more than three years
from the 1990 average age of 80.9.
***
A controversial decision not to
allow a member of the Planning
and Development staff to attend an
out-of-province seminar was over-
turned by council. The decision had
been made at the April 29 meeting
of council but then referred back to
the Agriculture, Planning and
Development Committee. Warden
Tom Tomes reminded council that
the county's policy does allow for
out-of-province travel and there
was no real reason to turn down the
request. The seminar would be part
of the staff member's requirement
to complete a course at the Univer-
sity of Waterloo.
Lossy Fuller, deputy-reeve of
Exeter, questioned the need for the
University to hold seminars outside
the province and felt the county
should inform the university of its
concern. Dr. Gary Davidson, Plan-
ning and Development director,
noted that people come from all
over Canada to attend the course
and that all regular classes are held
in Ontario. The seminars are held
across the country to try to make
sure everyone doesn't have to travel
all the time, he said. Huron benefits
from having the longest portion of
the course held .iii.nly 70 miles down
the road, he said.
***
The potential for a huge increase
in welfare use in the county exists
because 506 people who have been
receiving Unemployment Insurance
will run out of benefits between
April 25 and July 31. If even 25 per
cent of those people apply for wel-
fare it would increase the number
of welfare applicants by 126. The
jump from April 1992 to April
1993 was 78 cases, amounting to a
12.6 per cent increase. Still, Huron
county remains the fourth lowest of
62 municipalities reporting on the
use of welfare. Only 2.59 per cent
of Huron's population receives wel-
fare, compared to 9.81 in Halibur-
ton, the highest municipality.
* **
The 1993 budget for grants by
the county will be trimmed by 10
per cent and staff has been instruct-
ed by the executive committee to
provide background research on the
history of current grants. Currently
the county gives out $73,250 in
grants to everything from the
Goderich airport to theatres in
Grand Bend and Blyth to fair
boards and Women's Institutes.
The committee voted to eliminate
"those grants that warrant it" over a
three year period.
The committee already voted to
eliminate grants and scholarships
amounting to $3600 to university
of Western Ontario and Ridgetown
College of Agricultural Technolo-
gy.
Goderich Reeve John Doherty
said that under the difficult circum-
stance he would not press council
to retain the airport grant but that
"I'd like to thank the county for its
support in the past."