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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-04-12, Page 10t »• 3AAO Ch 11(30 A VUOPaMflTW MOVITfO 3IJV PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2000. Councillors learning more about ambulance service As they prepare to take charge of operating ambulances in Huron County, county councillors are learning the intricacies of the job, including the fact a supervisor is not necessarily a supervisor. The debate arose at the April 6 meeting of county council after Bayfield Reeve Doug Grant com­ plained about the job description for the position of operations supervisor for the ambulance service. Grant said he was concerned the successful applicant did not need a medical background — that police, fire department or military experience would be enough. Further, Grant worried there was no provision for the supervisor to provide continued training for para­ medics and to assure that they knew County council briefs Health study to examine farming health concerns The Huron County Health Unit and the Huron Couhty Federation of Agriculture are co-operating on a rural health study to examine specif­ ic health concerns on farms, the county’s health and seniors commit­ tee reported to county council, April 6. About 800 farming households were asked to complete a written survey to identify health concerns over such issues as long hours of work, air quality in barns and stress brought on by economic pres­ sures. The survey will help the commu­ nity, the federation and the Health Unit develop programs to meet the health needs of farm families. A farm task force comprised of local farmers and representatives from farm agencies will be set up to provide direction in program plan­ ning. $ >lok A two-acre area will be set aside, a caim erected and trees planted to Health officers support ban on Guatemalan berries Medical Officers of Health from across Ontario moved to support the Toronto Board of Health’s requested ban on the spring importation of fresh Guatemalan raspberries and blackberries. Over the past four years, hundreds of Ontario residents have become ill from the parasite, Cyclospora. While most of the recognized outbreaks have occurred in the Toronto area, public health officials throughout the province state that these measures are required to protect the health of all Ontario residents. “With Ontario’s capability to rap­ idly distribute imported foods throughout the province, contami­ nated berries could conceivably be sold from Ottawa to Kenora,” states Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, chair of the Medical Officers of Health Section of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies, “We are calling on Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ban the spring importation of these berries to protect the public’s health”. Cyclospora causes watery diar­ rhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomit­ ing and fatigue. If untreated, symp­ how to use the most up-to-date equipment. Grant also felt that the supervisor should be hired by county council­ lors, not by staff, in a process similar to hiring a department head. But Lynn Murray, county clerk­ administrator, said the supervisor would not be a department head, but more like a foreman or lead hand. The ambulance service will not be a separate department but part of one of the other county departments, she said. What’s more, she said, paramedics will answer for their quality of serv­ ice not to someone in the local ambulance service, but to the physi­ cian directing the base hospital’s emergency services. Currently Huron is served by two base hospi­ commemorate those buried in an old cemetery at Huronview. Rhea Hamilton-Seeger and Reg Thompson attended the March meet­ ing of the health and seniors com­ mittee to urge the committee-to sup­ port the recommendations. The two acres will be withdrawn from its current use as rented farm­ land. A traditional caim with the names of those buried on the site will be erected. Special fundraising will be undertaken to meet the estimated $5,000 cost. As well, one tree will be planted for each of the people known to be buried at the site, at a cost of $ l ,000 to $5,000. *** An application under the Community Access Program to pro­ vide internet service to small libraries in Auburn, Bluevale, Centralia, Fordwich and Gorrie has been rejected, the library board reported. The rejection was apparently toms may persist for days to weeks. More severe and prolonged disease may be experienced by those with a weakened immune system. “Although washing all fruits and vegetables is good preventive prac­ tice,” says Dr. Noseworthy, “the Cyclospora parasite may persist despite usual washing and rinsing. In one case, infection may have been acquired by consuming a single berry.” From September 1998 to Q: Po you have a personal & investment plan? Black Oil Sunflower Seeds A: For a balanced portfolio, include: 1. Physical activity 2. Healthy eating 3. Your doctor’s advice tals, Owen Sound for the northern part and Sarnia for the south but the county is negotiating to have London as the base hospital for the entire county since most patients are transferred there. Paramedics operate under the licence of the physician, she said. That physician is also responsible for the ongoing training of the para­ medics. The supervisor only looks after the day-to-day operations, Murray said. Still, she said, she had no objec­ tion to deferring the motion to hire the supervisor while the job descrip­ tion is re-examined. There is no hurry to hire for this position, she said. Grant’s motion to defer was passed by council. based on the limited hours the branches are open to the public. Beth Ross, county librarian, said the inter­ net has already been hooked up for the libraries and they will continue to offer service until the money runs out. *** County councillors will receive an increase of two cents per km to help offset higher fuel prices. *** In a program inspired by close-to- home resources, the Huron County Museum is putting together a pro­ gram on bats, includihg an illustrious speaker. The ipuseum made news last year when it decided it must evict thou­ sands of bats from the attic of the old school house that forms the older part of the museum. Speaking on the bat program will be Dr. Brock Fenton, author of The Bat: Wings in the Night Sky and a professor of biology at York University. December 1999, the federal govern­ ment banned importation of fresh Guatemalan raspberries. Despite repeated calls to continue the ban on raspberries, and a request to expand the ban to include fresh Guatemalan blackberries, Health Canada has yet to assure Ontario public health physicians that a full ban will be implemented. The spring importa­ tion season began March 15. To date, there are no good measures to detect Cyclospora-contaminated berries. pdftnupacnon _® www.participaction.com LONDESBORO SEED PLANT Proud day Kyle Griffiths of Walton Public School accepted a $300 cheque on behalf of his schoolmates, from Sandra Feltz of Huron Heart Health Network. The small school placed first in the Heart Healthy Family Challenge as almost 29 per cent of the school’s families returned the participation booklets, topping all the Huron-Perth public schools, Catholic schools and Christian schools. The families had to record the occurrences of healthy eating, getting active and living in a smoke-free environment. Picnic area, patrol yard to be transferred to county The roadside picnic area north of Bly th and the former Ministry of Transportation patrol yard at Wingham are among four properties Huron County will buy from the province for $ 1 each. County council agreed, at its April 6 meeting, to accept four properties from MTO without conditions. . The other properties include a pic­ nic area on County Rd. 86 at Assessment appeal filed against trailers With nearly $300,000 in property taxes being lost in Huron County each year from more than 1,000 trail­ ers permanently located in camp­ grounds, Huron County council has decided to retain a consultant and file an assessment appeal against the campgrounds. The administration, finance and personnel committee was told trail­ ers located in these recreational campgrounds pay far less tax than identical trailers in mobile home • Mixed bird feed • Niger seed • Sunflower seed • Peanuts • Finch mix • Budgie mix IT'S BIRD FEEDING TIME! Now in stock - a good selection of: • Cockatiel mix • Individual ingredients • Bird feeders /50 lb. bag (tax included) Lawn Grass Seed 4 different blends to choose from bulk or bags Londesborough 523-4399 Lochalsh, near Amberley and the Grand Bend patrol yard. The county had previously put conditions on accepting the two patrol yards and the Lochalsh picnic area but MTO had pointed out they were getting the properties for a dol­ lar each so the ministry shouldn’t be expected to upgrade them. The county finally agreed. parks. Twenty-four campgrounds in the county have anywhere from a small fraction to 100 per cent of their trailers there on a permanent basis. The county will join the counties of Grey and Brant and the city of Sarnia in a co-operative appeal of the provisions under which the camp­ grounds are assessed differently than mobile home parks. All the municipalities have retained Municipal Tax Equity Consultants Inc.