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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-03-08, Page 1EHro x X osto • 70 cents plus 5 cents G.S.T. (75 cents) HEALTH It's hard to convince Huron people not to smoke. see page three. • Briefly Drug search comes up empty at high school There was a drug search at Seaforth District High School last Thursday morning. Two dogs from the Ontario Provincial Police Canine Unit plus four officers, two from the Seaforth Police Department and another pair of officers from the Goderich OPP, conducted the search for contraband drugs. They didn't find any, only residue on some jackets which was not enough to charge anybody, says Seaforth Police Chief Hal Claus. He says the search was • initiated because of concerns expressed by SDHS Principal Jim Moore some time ago. "We're very pleased with the results, they were very gratifying," Moore says.. "It is confirmation for the most part this is a good school. The vast majority are good kids." He described the search as a preventative measure. Moore estimated the entire search took about 45-50 minutes. "In my, opinion it was a useful exercise," he says. • Delay landfill site: councillor BY MARK CRIPPS Iluron County councillor Mason Bailey thinks the search for a new landfill site in Huron County should be halted while other waste management options are examined. "I don't think we should be looking for landfill sites any more," he said. "The world is developing better methods for waste management and they are very good methods." Bailey raised his concerns about the search for a new Iluron County landfill site at the March 2 session of County Council. "I think it would be appropri- ate to delay the starch," said Bailey, after council learned the local cost of the new landfill site could reach $5 million. see New, page 11 New arrangement could save hospital thousands of dollars Scaforth Community Hospital may save more than $10,000 a year by cooperating with St. Joseph's Hospital in London for greater purchasing power in buying IV supplies and medica- tion. The arrangement, between the Scaforth and London hospitals and a medical supply company, is in the process of being final- ized. Chief Executive Officer Bill Thibert said the hospital will investigate other such arrange- ments. INDEX Entertainment... page 13. Sports...pages 6, 12, 14. Rec Preview...page 13. "Your community newspaper since 1860..serving Seaforth, Dublin, Hensall, Walton, Brussels and surrounding communities." 1 The Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Ontario, March 8, 1995 Investment and Tax Planning "Seaforth RRSP Specialists" ATHLETICS Two students of Seaforth District High School are off to Texas for coaching. see page eleven. This space could be yours! Call 527-0240 THE MIND IS .QUICKER THAN THE EYE - This trio had a most interesting project on illusions at Seaforth Public School's annual Science Fair last week. There were close to 100 exhibits, "all winners" according to the principal. From left: Katie Emmrich, Kristine Rowbotham, Tina McClure. On Parliament Hill in Ottawa Former Queen locked up BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff A former Scaforth Fair Queen was locked up on Parliament Hill last Monday. But Melissa Whitmore of RR 4 Walton thought it was "a fantastic" experience and would jump at the chance to do it again. The 21 -year-old English student at Carleton University in Ottawa is also an part-time administrative assistant to Huron-Brucc Liberal MP Paul Steckle. Her assignment on budget day was to absorb the contents of Finance Minister Paul Martin's budget, particularly those things of interest to the local riding, and then brief the MP so he could ask relevant questions in the House of Commons. Then she fielded questions on the budget in Steckle's office from any interested constituents. Governmdnts have fallen over leaked budgets. So to do her job last Monday, Whitmore was one of those "locked up" and briefed on the budget before the finance minister presented it to Parliament. She was released after about two - and -a -half hours in "lockup", with all the others, when Martin began speaking in the House. "I• though it was great," Whitmore said. "Paul Martin himself came in and spoke with us. He told us how important this budget was, and that it was the toughest since World War II." Melissa says she was worried at first because she had no previous. experience analyzing financial statements of any sort, but the day went "just great". "It was kind of a neat experience knowing you were part of this," adds the bubbly 21 -year-old. "You don't exactly always get opportunities like this so you have to seize them when ' they are presented." Whitmore became Steckle's administrative assistant by first volunteering for the job a year ago. She worked as a volunteer until last April, then was first in line 'when a part-time paid position became available last September. She works three days a week and books flights for the MP and schedules meetings. Other duties include dealing with constituents, A government problem BY TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor It is not the responsibility of hospitals to find extra funds for emergency on-call service by doc- tors, said Bill Thibert, Chief Execu- tive Officer of Scaforth Community Hospital. He told the Board of Governors last Tuesday that the Scaforth insti- tution has had no problems with its own doctors, who have shown a willingness to work with the hospi- tal. He said, however, a provincial solution is required. Some hospitals, for instance, arc competing with one another to attract doctors to provide emergency service. Scaforth Community Hospital recently submitted its Operating Plan to the District Health Council and Ministry of Health. The Scaforth facility is submitting a balanced budget but is relying on past reserves of $50,000, an amount equal to the cost of paying phys- icians for emergency on-call ser- vice. "Our decision to utilize this source of funding for one more year is based on the belief that the cur- rent review...will lead to the resol- ution of the emergency on-call issue and thereby remove any further financial burden on our hospital in subsequent fiscal years," it says. In its submission the hospital states that "the provincial govern- ment, and not the hospitals, is fully responsible for the payment of physician services." Here arc some of the highlights of the Operating Plan: ',The hospital does not anticipate any staff layoffs this year. •Seaforth Community Hospital is seeking to act as a dispatch centre for some fire departments in Huron County. This is a revenue generator. •As part of the Social Contract the hospital implemented a wage freeze which realized the target of $141,000 savings. According to the hospital document, expectations for salary increases are now high with- in the health care industry. * ,p•* Scaforth Community Hospital has a new banner, about 15 feet long, for community events such as Homecoming '95. some case work, and "major, mass mail -outs". Minor injuries from collission A Seaforth woman's car was severely damaged, but her daughter who was a passenger in it only received minor injuries in an accident west of Mitchell Wednesday morning. Police say Mary Ellen Thompson, 19, of Mitchell was trying to pass the vehicle driven by Connie Devereaux, 36, of Seaforth when she lost control on a patch of ice on Highway 8 at 8:15 last Wednesday. The Devereaux vehicle ended up in a ditch. Lindsay Devereaux, 14, a passenger was treated for minor injuries at Seaforth Community Hospital, and soon released. The Thompson vehicle had moderate damage. RINGETTE Team heads to provincials after a come from behind victory at regional level. see page six. Strange shooting remains mystery The girl who was shot while she slept in her upstairs bedroom just outside of Seaforth in a strange near -tragedy early last Tuesday, was released from a London hospital Saturday. Julie Bachert, 14, is now home with her parents Ken and Mary and family, at their home on the southern outskirts of Egmondville, on the Kippen line, or Huron County Road 12, Lot 11 Concession 3 of Tuckersmith Township. Goderich OPP continue their investigation, and say it is "unknown" if the Seaforth-area shooting is connected to another shooting incident the same morning, or night before, at the Vanastra County Market Store. That business, in the small municipality outside of Clinton, was recently opened by Tom and Dawn Papple of -Egmondville. Juliewas shot behind the right knee. She had surgery twice last week, the first at 9 a.m. last. Tuesday to remove the small -calibre bullet, and is scheduled to visit the London hospital again later this week. Brother Brian, who was home at the time of the apparent drive-by' shooting, says he is a sound sleeper so the first he knew something was wrong was after his parents heard a loud noise then woke him up when they. turned on the hall light to investigate at about 12:30 that morning. Julie didn't cry and the family didn't realize she had been shot, but saw blood on her knee and noticed that a mirror in the bedroom was broken. "A shooting is not the first thing you think of," Brian says. Budget doesn't bother hospital The recent federal budget of Finance Minister Paul Martin will not affect Seaforth Community Hospital this upcoming fiscal year. Chief Executive Officer Bill Thibert, however, suggested there is "concern" over the implication of comments by Prime Minister Jean Chrdtien that the federal govem- ment wants to eliminate billions of dollars from health care spending. Julie Bachert ...recent school photo He adds there are three bullet holes in the house that police and Bacherts are aware of. Julie was first listed as in "fair" condition, then spent five days in the London hospital before coming home on the weekend. Brian says his younger sister, who is carrying about an 88 per cent average in Grade 9 at Seaforth District High School, is now wearing a cast, seems to have settled, and may be ready to return to school soon. Film crews from area television stations kept her busy telling the bizarre story on the weekend. Brian adds he has no brother Matt, as reported in last week's The Huron Expositor, but a brother Dan and sister Karen, both away at school last Tuesday morning. There were four people in the split-level house at the time of the incident. • Dawn Papple of the Vanastra Market says the shooting there happened sometime between when the store closed at 10:30 Monday night, and when it opened at 8:30 the next morning. It caused "about a one -inch hole" but she has "no idea" what calibre it was in the main window, which cost about $200 to replace. Police say the projectile was found embedded in the wall and was removed for examination. Goderich OPP report no new developments in their investigations, and won't say if comparisons of bullets used in the two incidents produced a match. TIM CUMMT O PMMOTO IT'S MAGIC! - Entertainer Richard Knechtel, aka 'Dickie Bird', amused local children with songs and magic at the Seaforth District Community Centres on Sunday, March 5. The show was presented by the Seaforth Co-operative Children's Centre.