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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-12-04, Page 11Yanaportation Local bus company celebrates 50 years in business. See page 8 YeW eddy" Opinion Readers speak their minds about DHC report. See page 5 Sports Seaforth's Boyd Devereaux invited to try -out for National Junior Team. See page 11 Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario Briefly More than 80 floats in parade Santa came to town Friday night. , He was once again the main attraction in his annual parade down Main Street. There were more than 80 floats in the parade, four bands and four groups of majorettes. The event is sponsored evbry ycar.by the Lion's Club. The weather co-operated and grganizcrs say crowds went "exceptional." Spokesman Mike Hodgins said Monday the community •event would he impossible without the good community involvement. Seaforth Branch 156 of the Royal Canadian Legion won the award for having the float with the hest overall theme. Honours for hest illuminated float were won by McGavin Farm Equipment. The Thamesford Baton Majors were picked best girl's baton group Workfare here .Workfare has hecn okayed for i luron County. •.' service administrator Jo. ..-Kinnon says his stall has ucen providing indi- vidualand group sessions to clients during the past month and more than 200 of them have begun transition to the new Ontario Works program, Where all employable will be required to develop an action plan. "It is anticipated that over the next two weeks a mini- mum of 1.5 clients will he placed with participating agencies," states a county press rcicasc. "This -will increase to include 30 to 40 clients on a monthly basis in the New Year." Acting principal The principal at Seaforth District High School, Jim Moore, is assisting at the Huron County Board of Education office for a few months. In his absence, Brucc Eccles will he the local high school's acting principal and Laurie Hazzard its acting vice-principal. RIDE begins The Reduce impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) campaign began in Huron County last week. it contin- ues to the traditional end of the holiday season. Jan. 2. "RIDE checkpoints will he in any location at any time of the day or night." notes a press release from the Goderich detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police, "All types of locations will be targeted for enforcement, from provincial highways to county and township roads and municipal streets. from Hensall to Wroxeter or Huron Park to I,ondeshorough." "The RIDE initiative at OPP municipal locations will deploy extra officers specifi- cally to this program," the press release states. "funded by a provincial grant with $4,484 for Clinton, $3,990 for Scaforth and $1,368 for Exeter." 0 December 4, 1996 — $1.00 includes GST Canadian Tire closing at end of December PHOTO BY CARLY PRICE SANTA ARRIVES IN SEAFORTH - Santa and Mrs. Claus made a guest appearance at Friday night's Seaforth Lions Santa Claus Parade on Main St. to the delight of young onlookers. Over 80 floats were featured in the parade. PHOTO BY CARLY PRICE SLOW DOWN MOM - These two youngsters didn't have to worry about walking along the route of the parade Friday night. They hada free wagon ride down Seaforth's Main Street. Telephone rates shoot up for town Telephones cost more to use in town as of Sunday but soon more modern services will be available in Seaforth, and other smaller towns in Ontario and Quebec. New Bell Canada rates went into effect Dec. 1 after the Canadian Radio -televi- sion and Telecommunications Commission(CRTC) approved the company's net - ,work modernization program and rate -restructuring last Tuesday. The new rate for local ser- vice is $14.60 a month, which includes $2.25 for touch tone service as well as a 32 -cent charge for 9-1-1 service, where applicable. The upgrade to Scaforth's . CONTINUED on page 3 Huron County Council Resolution 'too weak' on hospitals BY BLAKE PATTERSON SSP News Staff A resolution to save hospi- tals was given a rough ride Thursday at County Council. The resolution by the Huron County Board of Health to save acute care facility centres located strategically through- out Huron County was called "gutless," Nov. 28 at the regu- lar monthly meeting of Huron County Council. The resolution in a letter to the provincial government was intended as an appeal to ensure the announced 18 per cent reduction in provincial health care funding does not result in the closure of any hospital in Huron County. Several members of the council, however, thought the wording of the resolution, par- ticularly the word 'strategical- ly' was too weak and (eft room for some of the hospitals to be closed. Coun: Brian McBurney of Turnberry Twp. called the res- olution "gutless," and said, "I would have liked to see more support for all the hospitals instead of this which says nothing." Coun. Bill Mickle of Exeter agreed with McBurney and asked, What 'strategically' was really supposed to mean? Murray Put on Defensive Board of Health chairman Ron Murray of McKillop 'nvp., was immediately put on the defensive by the com- ments from the floor, and tersely •responded by saying 'strategically' was intended to give the restructuring com- mission (Hospital and Related Health Services Study ,Tok Force) the room they need to make the tough decision they are being asked to make. Murray said the county's Board of Health docs not want to encumber the commission, but strongly emphasized the fact the board's priority is to "provide the best possible health services for Huron County. Period." Coun. Carol Mitchell of Clinton said the word 'strate- gically' should be removed and the resolution should be reworded to reflect a clear message that Huron County Council wants all five Huron County hospitals to remain Coun. Tom Cunningham of Hullett Twp. agreed and said it is important for the county to send a clear message k does not support the closure of any hospital -- be it strategic or otherwise. "We represent all (Huron County residents), not the commission," said Cunningham. With Murray clearly frus- trated by the discussion, Warden Bill Clifford, a mem- ber of the Huron -Perth District Health Council, took control to explain the pro- posed letter to government is only to show support for all hospitals, whereas it will be the opinions of Huron County residents at upcoming open houses which will really spell the future of hospitals. Status Quo Not Possible Coun. Bill Carnochan of Tuckersmith, another member of the health council, agreed with Clifford and said it is fine for everyone to scream about maintaining the status quo, but in the light of the budget cuts it is not realisti- cally possible. He said if all the hospitals stay open in the wake of the 18 to 25 per cent cuts, people can not expect to get proper care at those hospitals. "The status quo Will not go on," he said explaining that the three options already pre- sented by the task force were not based on individual whims, but were the result of extensive telephone inter- views and focus pole ip lO CX)NTINUSD wings 3 BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff The Canadian Tire associ- ate store on Seaforth's Main Street is closing at the end of this month. "It is not a decision we are particularly pleased with," says dealer Brian Cunningham, who runs the local store. He added Monday night that any other information would have to come from the chain's head office. Canadian Tire Corporation got approval to build a big new store in the Zehr's Plaza in Goderich Township in late September. The 41,000 square -foot facility featuring eight auto service bays and a covered garden centre sched-, uled for opening next spring. Soon after that announce- ment was made, Cunningham said he wel- comed the new facility and did not think it would affect sales or operations in Seaforth, where a level of customer service was pro- vided "hard to obtain in a big store.' There has been a Canadian Tire outlet in Seaforth for 46 years, since 1950. The corporation's director of public relations, Jennifer Garland, now says this store will offer customers about four times more retail space than is currently the case in the Seaforth store, about 21,500 square feet versus 5,650. She says 16 employees are affected in the Seaforth store, four full time and the others part-timers, but every effort will be made to place them with the Goderich store, requiring roughly 30 employ- ees. The public relations direc- tor said Tuesday moming that the corporation has no plans for the Seaforth building, no offers have surfaced for the property and she has heard no local reaction to the Seaforth store's closing. She says the store is closing in just after Christmas because the Seaforth dealer, Cunningham, is starting at the Exeter store in January. Garland says customers from Scaforth won't have to wait as long or oftcn to buy what they want, when they want it in the bigger Goderich store because of the difference in size, and space for inventory. "They will be able to get what they are looking for when they want it," she says. Reduce speed Inconsistent weather in winter makes reducing your speed to suit the conditions and. turning on your head- lights when it warrants much more important for drivers, states a press release from the Huron County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. When the weather condi- tions detiorate and roads are closed, this information will be passed on to CKNX 920AM/IO2FM and CFPL 980. For road report information call 1-800-265-5407.