HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-01-29, Page 1Health Care Sports Feature News______
Wingham group
meets in Blyth to
discuss option
See page 6
Blyth Juveniles
begin best of 7
series
See page 8
Photos show some
highlights of
Brussels carnival
See page 17
Brussels Ag.
Society holds
annual meeting
See page 19
Accident claims life
of Bly th-area teen
9t
. Uli
Angela Konarski
A Hullctt Twp. teen died early Monday morning
in London's Victoria Hospital from injuries sus
tained in a snowmobile accident at 5:55 p.m., Sun
day, Jan. 26.
According to police, Angela Konarski , 16, of
RR1, Blyth, was travelling north on Maple St.,
when she drove into the side of a 1980 Oldsmobile,
driven by 37-year-old Steve Campbell of Clinton,
which was travelling west on Whitehead St.
Konarski was taken to Clinton Public Hospital
before being transferred to London.
A Grade 11 student at Central Huron Secondary
School, Clinton, Angela is the youngest child of
Rick and Brenda Konarski. She is survived as well
by a brother, Jason and a sister Jenny.
The funeral service will be Wednesday (today) at
2 p.m. at Londesboro United Church
CitizenTheNorthHuron
Vol. 13 No. 4 Wednesday, Jan. 29,1997 70e i 5e GST750 I
Johns talks ‘good news’ with HCBE
All 8 hospitals stay open
in task force new option
By Amy Neilands
Clinton News-Record Staff
The Huron County Board of
Education held its annual meeting
ment of education finance reform.
The new funding reforms will be
based on a per pupil funding
system. "It's going to come to be,"
she said, alluding to the number of
letters she as received from the
through five per cent of property
taxes, and Newfoundland where it
is funded through both general
revenue funds and transfer
payments.
"We've looked at other models
with Huron MPP Helen Johns on
Thursday evening and discussions
centered around the provincial
government's planned changes for
education in Ontario.
board requesting finance reforms.
The difference in dollars between
Huron County and other boards in
the province is "incredible," said
Johns, adding that the reforms "will
and I think we have a good way to
do this," she said, adding that the
government wants to ensure that
everyone gets the best value of
education dollars. "There is no
By Andy Bader
Mitchell Advocate Staff
A "unique" and "novel" approach
to hospital and health care
restructuring was unveiled
Monday, a proposal which keeps
all eight hospitals in the Huron-
Perth district open with inpatient
beds and emergency services.
Task Force Chair Janet Hook and
District Health Council (DHC)
Chief Executive Officer Fraser Bell
made the announcement Monday
morning with hoards of media,
some task force volunteers and a
couple of hospital CEOs in
attendance. Perth MPP Bert
Johnson was also present.
The task force has recommended
the establishment of a single Huron
Perth hospital system with a single
board and one administrative team.
That alone will save upwards of
$3.4 million. Hook said the
preferred option involves
"considerable change" as programs
and services will be redistributed.
Under the preferred option, basic
hospital service will be provided in
Clinton, Exeter, Seaforth and St.
Marys, with community hospitals
established in Goderich, Listowel
and Wingham. Everything but
pediatric, rehabilitation and
psychiatric care will be performed,
except for 20 psychiatric beds in
Goderich and five rehabilitation
beds in Wingham.
Stratford will be a secondary, or
a referral, hospital.
Of the total 406 hospital beds
identified through the utilization
management process and accepted
by the task force last November,
almost half - 182 - will be located
in Stratford. The beds in the basic
hospitals will concentrate on
medicine and chronic care, as well
as be available for emergencies. St.
Marys and Exeter hospitals will
have no beds available for obstetric
care.
Three preliminary options were
announced in November, and
caused massive community uproar
in towns where their hospital faced
service reduction. An extension
was granted in December, after
seven additional options were
brought forth, including one
formally endorsed by all hospital
boards two weeks ago.
Over the next two years, the
Ministry of Health will be
withdrawing significant funding
from hospitals, and in order to meet
this "funding challenge," more than
$10 million in cost savings were
addressed by reducing
administration and support service
costs, reducing dollars spent on
direct patient care or reducing costs
of operating buildings.
This is the "first step" and a
starting point, since the task force
initially set a 20 per cent savings
target (approximately $15.6
million) but has already made a
commitment to save $10.4 million,
or approximately 13 per cent.
"It is not possible to save 20 per
cent and maintain facilities in all
eight communities," Hook said,
Continued on page 6
"I know it's hard to keep up with
the changes that have affected you
in Huron County in the past year,"
said Johns. "I think it is important
bring us to a better level. I'm happy
that this has come about. There has
been pressure to get this done and
more money to put into it."
A large percentage of rural
Ontario boards wanted education
for us to talk about them so I can
bring back information on how to
make these changes to best reflect
the needs of the kids in Huron
County."
Of the announcements for change
made by the Ministry of Education,
Johns stated that she believed the
"good news" was the announce-
to have gone this far in 18 months finance reform. "These are the
is a big step. I’m here to see it
through for the kids of Huron."
The government is also taking
motives why we entered into the
process."
"What this means to Huron
Man hurt in accident
The Ministry of Labour was
called in to investigate an accident
on Jan. 21 at Howson Mills, Blyth
which injured two people.
According to a report from the
OPP, Peter Taylor, 30, of Waterloo
was working on a ladder grinding
weld in a cylinder-shaped bin when
he fell off the ladder, approximate
ly 20 feet. He was taken to Wing
ham and District Hospital with
serious injuries, then later trans
ferred to University Hospital, Lon
don.
Another man, Wiliam Pearse, 52,
of Elmira, who was assisting Tay
lor, received minor injuries.
As of Tuesday morning, the
investigation was not complete,
according to a Ministry spokesper
son. The investigating officer is
Tony Steers.
the education portion of taxes off
property taxes. Johns stated that the
government has looked at other
models of funding, such as those in
British Columbia and Alberta
where education is funded only
County is we are refocusing our
resources in education and we will
talk to boards, trustees, parents and
students for input," said Johns. The
government will establish a flat fee
Continued on page 20
Tropical twirlers
These young skaters led by Nicole Mastnak entertained the crowd with their contribution to
the Brussels Figure Skating Club's Carnival "Dance, Dance, Dance" presented Sunday
afternoon at the arena.