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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-06-10, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario June 10, 1998 — $1.00 includes GST Medical students studying in Seaforth Last week of school spent learning rural medicine BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor Two medical' students are spending a week in Seaforth in effort to bring new doctors to more rural parts of Ontario when they finish medical school. "We want to get the students out, first -'year. to, get a taste of thc community," said Stephanie Pagc, administrative' assistant with the Southwestern Ontario Rural Medicine Unit: The students are from the University of Western Ontario in London and are part offa group of 97 students • travelling to 33 h'os)Sitals across Southwestern Ontario for their last week of school. It's the first major initiative of the Southwestern Ontario Rural Medicine Unit (SWORM) started by Dr. James Rourke in Goderich, working in conjunction with 'the Rural Medicine Unit of thc University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Medicine. ' Rourke formed SWORM about a year ago to find ways • to encourage doctors to Shafie Fazel and Gary Kay, medical students from the University of Westem Ontario, discuss their first patient with triage nurse plori Craig in the Seaforth Community Hospital emergency room. The first-year medical students are taking part in a new program that exposes them to rural medicine. HILGENDORFF PHOTO practice in smaller and rural communities in this region. Many communities are` facing shortages of doctors who, atter graduating, choose to start work in urban centres like London. "The job duties of a rural doctor arc broader." said Dorothy Medd. executive assistant at the Seaforth Community Hospital who is organizing the hospital's part in the program. "They don't understand some of the things that come with being in a rural arca," said Medd. While here. .the two students, Shafie Fazel of Toronto and Gary Kay of Oshawa will he exposed to most of what a Seaforth doctor might encounter. That means doing everything from riding along with the ambulance service and working at the drop-in clinic to accompanying a nurse on a home care visit and being in thc operating room. "They touch on absolutely everything." Medd said. "They're getting an overview so they can sec how Museum gets town grant... Money depends on, what cash is on hand when budget is set BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff 'A local museum has support from town council, "if at all possible" for an annual grant of $7,500. "We just want to get started and have .-)me space," Mayor Dave Scott, who is a member of the committee, told council blast Tuesday, when a motion for support was passed. Council can't, give a firm :ommittement because it doesn't know if there will be any money available for a musuem expenditure when this year's budget is eventually set. The usual municipal budget process is well hchind schedule this year because the province has yet to reveal the nuts - and -bolts details of various legislated changes to Ontario's grant and tax transfer system. Amendments to a bill affecting this are still under debate at Queen's Park. The "Celebrate Seaforth's History" committee is hchind the museum idea. Last month it presented four options to council. the committee's first and preferred option involved an annual municipal grant of $12.000. In general discussion, councillors agreed' it would "he folly" to grant money to the history/museum committee and then have to take it away because of budget problems. sort of 'Council's support should depend on a reasonable chance of keeping a local museum in future years. the discussion went. Earlier this year, well before the request for funds from the local history committee. clerk/administrator Jim Crocker reported to councillors that on the basis of early figures from the province, town taxes might have to rise by up to 12 per cent this year to maintain the same level of employees and services. FIRST PAYMENT Coun Lin Steffler moved last Tuesday's tentative motion of support ' for the committee's third option - a museum with a projected break-even budget of $11.50( annually. involving a $7,500 annual municipal grant. . CONTINUED on Page 6 Education superintendent resigns from Separate BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff The resignation of superintendent of education lohn McCauley was tcceptcd by the Huron 'erth Catholic District ichool Board Monday tight. He has held that position ince January 1979 but is aking advantage of new arlier retirement provisions n education in Ontario, the o -called "85 factor." His csignation is 'effective ►ugust 31. Seven of the 12 o.signations accepted by the oard Monday night, are 85 actor related. Director of ducation Gactan Blanchette aid later this is three or four mss thc usual figure. The meeting was first ailed to deal mainly with ie board's short or "stub ear" budget. All thc recent retirements ave dramatically affected rat budget's bottom line. Superintendent of business and treasurer Gcrry Thuss said "pretty well all of" the Huron - Perth Catholic hoard's proj- ected short -fall of $368,365 this short fiscal year is because so many in the system have opted for earlier retirement. 'This is the most interesting budget I've not worked on' --HPCIySB superintendent of business and treasurer, Gerry Thuss He called thc situation "extra- ordinary," but thinks it will sort itself out, as Ontario releases clearer details of budget transfers and arrangements relating to the' current fiscal year. Of those dozen employees whose resignation were also accepted Monday night is former director of education Dr. Jim Brown, who hasn't really been with the Huron - Perth board since July 1, 1997 when he was "seconded" by the province's education improvement commission. MIXED FEELINGS He too has decided to take ad- vantage of the new earlier retirement rules. Educators in Ontario can now retire when their years of service and age total 85, whereas before this year they had to add up to 90. McCauley, who lives in Stratford, said he had "mixed feelings" about leaving, words trustees also used when accepting his resignation. The retiring superintendent said he has "something left for education on a volunteer basis," and feels he will now become "more engaged in the community." Chair Ron Marcy emphasized McCauley's great influence in the board's becoming involved in the Ontario education ministry's $2.3 -million TIPP 2 ( technology incentive partnership program) program last spring. "Without John's influence we wouldn't have got it," he said. Trustee Louise Martin summed up by saying thc board will miss his expertise and abilities and "hates to see you go." Thuss advised the board that most -recent information from Ontario indicates the current "stub year" education mill rates won't be available now until August, when the school year will be well over. Education mill rates were normally set by municipalities in April. "This is the most interesting budget I've not worked on," he said. everything corresponds," Page said. In the city. a doctor may see a patient but then refer him or her to the appropriate specialists. The job is much more specific. In smaller communities the doctor` might work with a specialist by telephone but handle all the patients needs directly. Doctors here spend time on 24-hour call for the hospital plus their regular work load. In the city, there arc doctors whosesole responsibility is covering the emergency department at a hospital. However, Pagc said when they take part in this program. the students will see it's not as intimidating as thcy might think. "A lot of people [not just medical students] think in a centre the size of Seaforth or Goderich, we automatically have to send patients to London," Page said. She said that's not the case. Most of the patients arc treated in their hometown. But Page said thc students will see there are specialists who come to the arca to spend a day seeing patients so they know there are support services available to them. Medd said doctors and staff are enthusiastic about having two students in Seaforth. "Even the two phys`cians coming are keen on coming here," she said. While other communities are experiencing a doctor shortage, Medd .said Seaforth has ,been fortunate enough to have a core of doctors. "It's a cycle. Doctors attract doctors," she said, with hopes initiatives done locally with this new program will ensure there are always doctors willing to come to practice medicine in Seaforth. Through this program, she hopes the students will remember their experiences and want to come hack when they have completed their education. Page said the majority of CONTINUED on Pagc 2 Fastball taking a hit Seaforth m BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Once upon a time there were five Bears. But now they are five Reds, and they're on the roster of the only men's fastball team remaining in Seaforth at the moment. A little more than 15 years ago, when fastball was still a going concern here, there were eight fastball teams in town - with names like Bears, Creamery, Firemen, Turf Club, Villagers, Teachers, Queen's and Main Street, not necessarily in that order. That pecking order and bragging rights were decided on the town's two main diamonds on Monday and Wednesday nights every week, in a very competitive local fastball league featuring some pretty darned good chuckers, that culminated in well -watched playoffs every season. Now only the Reds remain. They play in the Huron County Fastball League. Last year the loop had two teams from town, but Seaforth Plumbing and Heating folded prior to this season. There is a dramatic decline in the popularity of the sport in Seaforth, particularly noticeable this year. Recreation director Marty Bedard says soccer is about the same but minor softball/fastball registration is down a"at (east 50.per cent in Seaforth this season. Last year there were 10 travelling teams in town, both boys and girls, four house league teams and T ball. This year there are only four travelling teams, two house league teams and T ball. MOVED AWAY Playing -manager Trevor Price is one of those five former Bears now turned Reds (the others are Darren Akey, Terry Morey, Jim Roth and Pat Nigh) still playing fastball. Price thinks his particular generation of ball -playing peers just moved away, many to make a living elsewhere, and they got away from the game and simply assunted other responsibilities, family and otherwise, as they got older. He started playing for the Bears 12 years ago, when he was 18. He also played hardball before then. Seaforth nolonger fields any hardball teams. Slo-Pitch started draining players from fastball about 15 years ago, but even that more recreational summer pastime is now dying off, Price points out. Arena manager Graham Nesbitt played top Icvcl senior men's fastball for about a dozen years in Strathroy, Waterloo and Seaforth (with the Bears), and intermediate before then for COMM onPae2