HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-12-18, Page 1Vol.12 No 50 Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996
70¢ + 5e OST 750
Perfect angels
Melissa Cowan, left and Evelyn Horne gave angelic performances at the East Wawanosh
Christmas Concert on Thursday, Dec. 12. The program featured students from the Early
Years classes to Grades 3/4. Walton and Hullett schools also held the concerts last week,
while Blyth's was Dec. 17 and Brussels and Grey are tonight (Dec. 18).
Product determining retail success
• News
Blyth Medical
Centre hosts open
house
See page .3
Sports
Brussels Tykes
tournament's B
champs
See page 10
Business
Grey Twp. man
opens new
business
See page 21
Retires
After 20 years
Bruce McCall
leaves MVCA bd.
See page 23
Mood grim
at Wingham
open house
Tfie
North
ura
itizen
By Margaret Stapleton
Advance-Times Staff
The weather outside was grim,
but the mood inside was much
darker when the Huron-Perth
District Health Council held an
open house last Thursday in
Wingham to discuss its options on
hospital restructuring.
More than 1,000 citizens of
Wingham, as well as the
communities in the catchment area
of Wingham and District Hospital,
turned out for the information
sessions presented by DHC
representatives.
DHC Chairman Janet Hook and
Kelly Gillis, DHC administrative
assistant, explained the criteria
used by the DHC to arrive at its
three options for hospital
restructuring in Huron and Perth
Counties. However, the frustration
of local people spilled over during
the question-and-answer sessions
when Hook and Gillis were widely-
heckled by the angry crowd.
Late last month, the DHC
released three options for hospital
restructuring, all of which diminish
the role of Wingham and District
Hospital, as well as Other small
By David Scott
Expositor Editor
Now it's just a matter of waiting
to see where Seaforth fits into the
future picture of local health care.
Area residents were given a
chance last Tuesday from 4 to 9
p.m. to voice their concerns and
give their input on the three
possible options for hospital
restructuring at the Huron Perth
DHC's Open House held at the
Seaforth and District Community
Centres.
The task force was scheduled to
meet yesterday (Tuesday) to decide
on the final preferred option. That
option was to be made public by
today (Wednesday). Unfortunately,
it wasn't released in time for this
hospitals in Huron and Perth and
elevate the role of hospitals in
Stratford and Goderich.
An action committee was rapidly
formed for Wingham and area and
an "option four" developed. The
new option, which was unveiled at
a whirlwind series of six public
meetings held in the catchment area
of WHD, calls for Wingham,
Goderich and Listowel hospitals to
become "primary-plus" hospitals
with their services intact.
Verna Steffler of Wingham, a
member of the action committee
and the board of governors at
WDH, said she was very happy
with the turnout to last Thursday's
open house in town, despite the
inclement weather. Between the
open house and the six public
meetings, Steffler estimates, the
committee got its message out to
over 2,500 people.
While the committee may have
gotten through to local residents,
getting through to the DHC is a
different story. The Wingham
committee, along with numerous
others, submitted a written brief on
it option to the DHC last Friday
and made a presentation Monday
Continued on page 6
week's press deadline.
A steady stream of residents filed
through the information display
that recapped the efforts of the task
force and broke down the numbers
of responses received and surveys
conducted. Specifics included the
number of acute care beds needed
in Huron-Perth (220-225)
compared to what there is presently
(346).
The first 45-minute session of the
day began with a presentation on
the task force's fact-finding
procedures given by Chair Janet
Hook and Kelly Gillis, DHC health
planner. Only 10 minutes were
allotted for questions and answers
before the group moved into the
final cordoned off area where more
Continued on page 7
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
From bustling sales to silent cash
registers, the amount of Christmas
shopping being done in local stores
appears to be highly dependent on
the product offered.
Oldfield Pro Hardware and Radio
Shack in Brussels is having a great
season, said Jim Oldfield. "Com-
puters have really gone as have
small (satellite) dishes and cellular
phones."
Technology is in high demand,
he said, as people focus more on
home entertaining.
"We have been selling two to
three dishes per week. The picture
is unreal, it is digital and stereo."
Phones have also been hot since the
installation of a tower in the area.
As for computers, people are
coming in knowing what they
want, said Oldfield. "This is not
their first computer. They are look-
ing for a fast modem and internet
capability. With the price on colour
printers also dropping, they have
been popular."
Staying at home seems to be a
theme this year. McDonald Home
Hardware has seen an increase in
power tools, said Julie McCall.
"Maybe they are going to do the
work themselves."
Sales have also been fairly good
in housewares and appliances, she
said.
The tendency to home entertain-
ing may be evident in sales at the
liquor store. Nancy Ducharme said
sales have been slow, but that is not
uncommon. "Our sales often occur
in the last three days."
"The amounts appear to be down
as there are fewer Christmas parties
and home entertaining is scaled
down." There is always the consid-
Ten people were taken to hospital
after a collision on Hwy 4, just
south of Blyth on Dec. 15 at 2:50
a.m.
According to OPP a 1989 Pontiac
driven by Christopher Lee, 19, of
Blyth crashed into a 1985 Cadillac
driven by 17-year-old Margaret
Stewart, also of Blyth.
All the people taken to hospital
eration of drinking and driving she
points out.
Items which are going well this
year do include wine to go with the
holiday meal and gift packs.
The liquor store may see
increased sales before New Year's,
which tends to be a celebration for
couples rather than the family. Last
year, sales in the two days before
New Year's equalled the week
before Christmas, said Ducharme.
As for Luann's Country Flowers,
in Blyth, business is great, so busy
in fact, she had little time to talk.
Other retailers are seeing busi-
ness on par with last year or a drop
in sales.
were treated for non-life threaten-
ing injuries, police said.
Lee was arrested and charged
with impaired driving causing bodi-
ly harm, over 80 and driving a
motor vehicle with liquor readily
available. His court date is Feb. 17.
Lee also had his license suspended
for 90 days.
Seaforth just waiting
Closed for the holidays
The offices of The North Huron Citizen will be closed for the Christmas
holidays, Dec. 20 until Jan. 2.
The final issue for 1996, our "Season's Greetings" will be published Mon-
day, Dec. 23. As there will not be another Citizen until Jan. 8, anyone want-
ing to advertise an event to be held prior to then, may wish to do so in the
Dec. 23 issue.
Copy must be submitted to the Brussels office by 2 p.m., Dec. 19 for
inclusion. The office will re-open at 10 a.m. on Jan. 2. Deadline for advertis-
ing and editorial at the Blyth office will be Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. The office will
be open, however, until 5 p.m. Dec. 20. It will be back to business as usual
on Jan. 2.
The staff of The North Huron Citizen takes this opportunity to wish our
readers, advertisers and their families a very Merry Christmas and nothing
but good news in 1997.
10 hurt in car accident