HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-07-17, Page 1Health
Seaforth Medical
Clinic welcomes
new doctor.
See page 2
Sports
St. Columban
soccer team
unbeaten in
13 games.
See page 8
1996
siwafoRD
FESTIVAL
Entertainment
Two Stratford
Festival productions
reviewed.
See pages 13 & 14
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario
July 17, 1996 -r 75 Cents Plus GST
Francis Hicknell
Prominent
citizen dies
A prominent local citizen
passed away on Saturday.
Francis Edward Hickncil,
of McKillop Township, died'
at 'Seaforth Community ,
Hospital July 13 at age 65.
Hicknell was a past trustee
for the HuronrPerth Roman
,Catholic Separate School
Board and first treasurer of
the St. Columban PTA. He
was an executive member of
14e •McKillop Federation of
Agriculture and Seaforth
Farmer's Co-op and a mem-
ber of the Seaforth
Agricultural Society since
1963. Francis was a past
member of the Seaforth Jr. D
Booster Club, a member of
the St. Columban Parish
Council, spent 27 years on
the Father Stephen Eckert
Knights of Columbus, was a
member of the Huron County
Plowmen's Association and
an active supporter of the
Huron '99 Plowing Match.
He was also a bus drivcr.for
Murphy Bus Lines.'
Francis Hicknell is survived
by his wife Marie, former
Reeve of , McKillop
Township, children Joseph
and Mary -Ellen of Port
Stanley, Larry and Franccs of
Nipigon, Teresa and Martin
Van Raay of Dashwood, John
and Sheila of Schringville,
Margaret and Chris Rooney
of Midland and Stephen at
home. He is also survived by
11 grandchildren.
A complete death notice
appears on the classified
pages.
Former chief
returns to work
Former Scaforth Police
Chief Hal Claus returned to
uniformed duties with the
Godcrich detachment of the
Ontario Provincial Police a
week ago Monday.
He had a stroke last winter.
shortly after the OPP took
over policing duties in town.
Our former chief had heart
problems before that time
and says he's feeling Netter
now. hut some things arc still
harder to do than heforc his
latest health problems.
Huron councils
getting smaller
Town councils in both
Godcrich and Exeter will he
smaller after next year's
municipal elections. Last
week Godcrich decided to
reduce its council's size by
two to save money, and
Exeter recently passed a
hylaw reducing its elected
members from six to four,
effective for the 1997 elec-
tion.
PHOTO BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
ANOTHER FIRE It has been a bad summer for fires in Seaforth and area. The alarm sounded again locally Monday
afternoon at about 2:30. It was a call to Coleman Street, south-east of town, to the house of Gerry Berringer, set back
from the road across from the park off Goderich Street and Coleman, used by St. James School. There was Tots of smoke
but firefighters managed to control flames from spreading quickly. The cause, or damage estimates, were not available at
press time.
Nursing homes could suffer from cuts
BY MICHELE GREENE
SSP News Staff
A Scaforth doctor doesn't
want nursing homes to suffer
overburden as a result of fur-
ther cuts in Huron and Perth
hospitals.
Dr. Mark Woldnik. of
Seaforth, asked a new task
force study group to consider
the impact of their recom-
mendations on nursing
homes in thc district. Dr.
Woldnik is the chief of staff
at Scaforth Community
Hospital and the medical
director of Huronvicw, in
Clinton; HuronLcc, in
Brussels; and Scaforth
Manor, in Scaforth.
Last Thursday, Huron MPP
Helen Johns announced a
$260.000 grant for a hospital
and related health service
study that will he carried out
by a 19 -member volunteer
hoard under the auspices of
the Huron -Perth District
Health Council. Thc board is
mandated to develop an inte-
grated system of hospital and
health care services, giving
immediate attention to hospi-
tal restructuring and will con-
sider hospital -related services
such as home care, long-term
care and other support ser-
vices.
"As we cutback at the
nursing homes, every little
hump at the hospital will
have an immediate effect on
the nursing homes, which arc
already over their heads. A
little bed closure will trans-
late into great changes at the
nursing homes," he said.
Dr. Woldnik said hospitals
in small communities arc
used for chronic care. If more
cutbacks arc made in the hos-
pitals, thc "brunt will he
borne" on the nursing homes,
which arc providing higher
and higher levels of medical
care.
. "It's. important not to study
hospitals and acute care in
isolation. We must look at
other services," responded
Perth MPP Bert Johnson,
who was at the press confer-
ence.
Thc shortage of doctors in
Mitchell will also be a part of
the study.
"Thcrc have been some
discussions with the DI -C
and the physicians but a
human resources plan for thc
district is a part of the study,"
said Janet Hook. chairperson
CONTINUED on page 3
Council says appeal to OMB `frivolous'
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
Expositor Staff
Seaforth Council has asked
the Ontario Municipal Board
(OMB) to dismiss the appeal
of W. George Ring of the
bylaw this town passed last
month, approving the latest
new plans for a subdivision
north-west of town by devel-
oper Joe McTeaguc.
Council described Ring's
appeal as "frivolous and (is)
made for the purpose of
delay" in its motion which
passed unanimously last
Tuesday night, after thc con-
cerned .ratepayer addressed
councillors in their meeting
at Town Hall earlier in the
evening.
Plans for storm drainage
variances at the development
seerried to most bother Ring
in last week's verbal objec-
tions. His property abuts the.
proposed subdivision, 1f
which the most ree tl.
modified plans call itf
single-family units.
"MI of the .issues cited in
the notice of appeal (Ring's)
were dealt with in the previ-
ous draft plan approval of the
subdivision and previous
zoning bylaw amendment,"
council's motion to the OMB
states.
LONG HISTORY
A devclopmen.t has been
planned for this arca of
Seaforth, behind the arena,
since 1989 but has been sig-
nificantly modified sinceiand
hasn't yet left the drawing
board.
Ring has corresponded at
length with council with vari-
ous concerns at different
times in the last eight years.
A 10- ,age, single-spaced
y of the issue was
oulined by Seaforth
Administrator Jim Crocker
for councillors prepared for
last week's meeting.
Council's motion to the
OMB, in part, reads: "Mr.
Ring stated at the public
meeting June 5 that he had no
objection to.tpe lands being
re -zoned fo llitglc family
dwellings, but that he did
object to the plan of subdivi-
sion."
"The issues of storm
drainage wilt be dealt with
through a storm water man-
agement plan to he negotiat-
ed between the developer and
the town of Seaforth, and
included in the subdivision
agreement.
"BOGGLES MIND"
Ring told council last
Tuesday night that as far as
he is concerned the way vari-
ances are being planned
"doesn't cut it...(and) taxpay-
ers will end up paying for it."
In delving into the issue he
says he uncovered informa-
tion and plans, or the lack
thereof, that "boggles the
mind."
CONTINUED on page 7
Council says:
Preserve
facade
for sake
of street,
owners
haven't
decided
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
Expositor Staff
Council feels Seaforth's
strectscape should still be
preserved despite major blaze
downtown on June 30, so it
unanimously passed a recom-
mendation "to maintain and
stabilize the second -floor
masonry facade" of the 120 -
year -old building that was
severely damaged.
The two-storey brick build-
ing, has been mostly vacant
in recent years. Owners Mike'
'and Dave Anstett of Exeter
and Clinton haven't decided
what they are going tei do
with the shell yet.
They had an offer to pur-
chase on the property, sched-
uled to close the Tuesday
after the holiday weekend
when the fire took place.
Administrator Jim Crocker
noted in council's discussion
last Tuesday, that there is not
much return on investment
for any private owners of
two-storey brick buildings in
small rural towns such as
Seaforth these days.
Council recommended
preservation of the upper
brick facadeafter it accepted
the report of architect John
Rutledge of Goderich, who
toured the burnt-out stores
from 24 to 26 Main Street
South on July 5. He conclud-
ed the building, now barri-
caded, is basically sound and
not in any immediate danger
of falling down.
ARCHITECT REPORTS
In a two-page report, thc
Godcrich architect made
"initial observations"; among
others:
• "Exterior hrickwork on
the,second-storey facade has
very little charring; did not
receive serious discolouration
during the fire; and appears
to have little surface damage
on thc exterior face of the
brickwork."
• "Thcrc is a major crack
above one of the windows in
the central store." The archi-
tect adds he doesn't know if
this was there before the
recent lire.
• "If the second -floor
masonry facade is no longer
plumb, it can be straightened.
Note that few buildings of•
this type and age have
plumb/true masonry walls."
• "Thc second -storey
masonry wall is supported on
steel hcams. Stccl, during a
fire is almost always dam-
aged and deformed, but
masonry is not necessarily
damaged by fire."
Among eight initial com-
ments and recommendations,
Rutledge reported to Seaforth
Council that:
• "The steel hcams could he
replaced. Replacement of
beams under existing mason-
ry walls is standard construc-
tion practice and was previ-
ously done to this building."
CONTINUED on page 7