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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1999-02-24, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 Seaforth, Ontario February 24, 1999 — $1.00 includes GST Seaforth girls face disbandment 52 -year-old All Girls Band fears school board will cut its funding BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK Expositor Staff The Seaforth District High School All Girls Marching Band may be disbanded if the Avon Mai$and District School Board refuses to pay the band's $3,700 annual budget. • The band, which has existed since 1952 and currently has 85 members from 16 Huron. County elementary and high schools, uses the $3,700, to buy sheet music and make. - instrument repairs: "We've really been frightened during'the last two weeks since the existence of our band has been questioned." says Charles Kalbfleisch, the band's leader for the past 21 years. "1 can't understand it: It's all over $3.700 when the board has a $32 million budget." Education director Lorne Rachlis says that while the school board has traditionally. funded the band. it is not a school program.': but an outside group. He says the board is in.; the process of determining whether of not it Federal budget encourages local - hospitals BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor The 511.5 billion for health care announced in last week's federal budget is encouraging, says the president of Huron Perth Hospitals Partnership. "We're certainly very. encouraged by the federal government's commitment to health care," said Bonnie Adamson. Two billion dollars,wi l be' distributed to the provinces and territories for 1999-2000 with an additional 52 billion coming in 2000-2001 and the rest of coming in S2.5 billion installments for three more years. "This represents the 'largest single new investment this government has ever made," said ' budget documents. The budget also suggests Ontario cold be in line for a larger share of that cash through equalization programs. The programs address limited growth in transfer payments to Ontario. Alberta and British Columbia for social assistance that have placed them behind other provinces. The federal government spends $80 billion on health care annually. Adamson said they are still unsure of how much money will be coming to this province but said they will be working with their Ministry of Health representations to see how monies could be used to benefit the eight hospitals of the partnership. She hopes funding will he allocated to areas of patient services and for the recruitment of doctors. • "We always want to enhance our clinical service programs," she said. At the same time, the know there is going to be a nursing shortage and the COMLINUED on Page 2 will continue to fund "dozens of outside groups" that new .provincial funding formulas have excluded. ' "We now have restrictive funding envelopes from the province. We can't keep doing everything." he says. Band executive member Shirley Brugger says she and the other two members of the executive Penny Breen, of Goderich and Diane Duckoc}t, of Brussels, were shocked when informed recently by Rachlis that the band is not a school program. "Every kid going to Florida with the band next month had to have a board of education permission slip to go on a school trip. We're really confused and upset," she says. The board also pays bandleader' Kalbfleisch, who retired from the Huron board in 1991 after teaching for 26 years. a salary to run the. band. The board does not charge rental fees for the band's use of -several schools for band • practices and storage space and pays bus drivers' wages and fuel costs when the band uses school buses `We've really been frightened for the last two weeks since the existence of our band has been questioned' --Seaforth District High School All Girls Marching Band leader of the past 21 years. Breen says the band executive was told by Rachlis that since the band's members do not all belong to the same school. they do not tit the criteria of Ontario Prerhier Mike Harris's funding formulas. "The issue is which school the money is coming from," says Breen. "When we suggested that a small amount come from each. of the 60 schools in the district.: he (Rachlis) laughed and said they wouldn't want to give us. their money." • However, Rachlis says the.band would be welcome to approach" each school in the district for a contribution towards the band. The band members all. pay $25 a year to belong and $100 each for uniforms, which are handmade by parents. The band owns the instruments and fundraises to buy new ones when necessary. Fundraising also pays for the travelling expenses for . about 25 -performances a year in Canada and the United States. Breen says raising fees per band member any higher would prevent students with lower family incomes from being able to• join, something the banddoes not want to do. And, while fundraising the board's share of $3.700 'would mean selling "a heck of a lot more hotdogs and baked goods," Brugger says the board's support of the band is important for more than financial reasons. . "We really wantto stay part of the board for the 'credibility and discipline it gives the CONTINUED on Page 2 Students at St. Columban School took part in Bonhomme Camaval (Quebec Winter Carnival) activities on Friday. Each classroom in the school was transformed into a game site for Simulations of several events foundat the carnival: They were studying the camival in Jennifer- Ingratta's French classes. Here, Hilary Gaffney competes in a relay across the floor on carpets. HILGENDORFF PHOTO uron sch Seaforth Public has nutrition program in place now BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK Expositor Staff. - A breakfast program. which has served just under 25,000 breakfasts to students during the past three years in seven Stratford -area schools. may be expanding into Huron County. But, Seaforth PublicSchool. which -has had a -successful nutrition. program called the Good Food Club at morning recess during the past five years, will not be participating. • ools may get breakfast programs "We tried a breakfast program for a short timeabout seven years ago but it just didn't work for us because over half of our students are bused," says teacher Louise Keskinen, staff coordinator of Good Food Club. Because many of the students couldn't get to school -for breakfast before the school day began,- the program was moved to tnorning recess when students can buy orange or apple juice; cheese strings and nutritious muffins for 35 cents each, a cost' which is subsidized by the school advisory council. "We've got something that works for us." says Keski:nen: ' A pilot project for the Huron County breakfast program could begin soon at St. Marys school in Goderich after a community meeting March :1 at 7:30 p:m. atv the school. says principal Mike Boniface. "The health unit has indicated that there's a need in the. community." he says. "We're willing to -do it but we're green. We need information." The meeting will -invite members of the Huron County health unit. the community, the parent council and service groups such as the Catholic Women's League to investigate how a breakfast program would be set up at the school. • - Administered by the Stratford -Perth branch of the Red Cross, .the -breakfast progranrm-the Stratford - area has close t� 200 students enrolled in six Stratford public schools and at Upper Thames public school in Mitchell. Over 35 volunteers have logged more: than 1.100 hours . serving 4.060 breakfasts during` the program's first year; 7,243 breakfasts during the second year and 9,216 breakfasts duringthe third year. Most breakfast clubs begin at about 8:15 a.m.. and finish before the morning bell rings to start the day. Each child washes his or her hands before and after eating to teach good hygiene and social skills are encouraged with conversation at the table and rules such as no toys at the table. —Good -nutrition is also.taught with discussions of what food groups are represented at the breakfast. DEQ on Page 2 Final vice president selected for Huron -Perth hospital partnership BYBY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor The final member of the Huron Perth Hospitals Partnership management team is in place. Margret Comack has been appointed vice-president. multi -site administration, meaning - she will be responsible for Listowel Memorial Hospital and Wingham and District Hospital. She will also be assigned to the development of quality improvement. programs, professional practice leadership programs and program evaluation for all eight hospitals in the partnership. These duties replace original plans for her administrative duties to also include Seaforth Community Hospital. instead. Andrew Williams, who was one of four vice appointed and plans were formed for the management structure to change with vice presidents appointed for the financial and personnel management of all the hospitals as well as vice presidents who presidents named last margret commit would provide the month, will continue with administrative duties at Seaforth. . Williams became acting administrator for Seaforth's hospital last summer while work continued on the details of the newly formed hospital partnership. Once the partnership formed. a president was administrative duties of clusters of hospitals. Williams was originally named vice president for St. Mary's and Stratford's hospitals but will continue to handle Seaforth's administrative duties as well. Bonnie Adamson, partnership president. said Comack's skills could be put to better use -with program development so the adjustment was made for Williams to continue with Seaforth. - - • "It's the best organization of work to match those skills," she said of Comack. She comes to the partnership with a master of education, bachelor of nursing and experience as a speaker and author. She leaves a position as director of professional practice at Toronto East -General Hospital where she had created a new "accountability -based professional practice framework" and developed system -wide initiatives directed at supporting patient care. "Ms Comack joins a team that will lead one of the most innovative health care partnerships in Canada." said Adamson in a press release. She comes to the partnership on March 4 as initiatives begin toward issues such as medical staffing (as the partnership prepares for doctor and nursing shortages) and looking at the distribution of patient services at each of the hospitals. With all the leaders in place, Adamson said, "We Can move forward collectively on all these fronts."