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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 1999-09-01, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Sopt.mbor 1, 1999 News County employees retraining Seaforth library will close Sept. 13-15 to upgrade computer system By Blake Patterson Goderich Signal -Star Staff County employees have been busy this summer learning how to use their computers. . Since June, the county has been upgrading its computers with new 'Microsoft' software packages and ensuring its staff understand. the new programs. Planning department officer Craig Metzger has been coordinating the project for the county. Metzger called the upgrade "an attempt to get (computers) more standardized" at offices across the county. Rather than, having various different computer packages operating in various county offices, Metzger said all the computers • will now be speaking the same language: • This will allow the county offices to communicate better by 'networking' their computers. "From a diverse beginning, we are trying to get it a little more coordinated." he said. The change in computer software will also ensure the county is ready (administratidely at least). for the turn of the century. The county has invested in various software packages during the. past decade. but with growing concern about the impact of the millennium bug. the county realized many of those systems would need to be upgraded to ensure A retriaining centre for new co up at the county building in Go they are Y2K (Year 2000) compliant. They saw this as the time to upgrade the entire system. "We have to do upgrades for Y2K anyway," said Metzger. "Why are we upgrading two or three different packages? We should just be upgrading the one and making sure people are trained on it." Training centre A training centre with 12 computers has been established in the county building, in Goderich to accommodate the training of the employees. Each day, various groups of employees report to the centre to -learn )about the computer programs they need to do their jobs. Some learn about word processing, others learn about programs desigyled for business application or the making of spreadsheets. . Such computer programs mputer programs has been set derich. Council considers i By Scott Hilgendorff Expositor Editor • Council and the fire ttoard are looking at whether or not members of the fire department l should be required to take physicals and whether ort not tax • dollars should pay for them. The issue was brought to council's attention at its Aug. 17 meeting by fire • board representative Mike •Hodgins.. "They are all volunteers and they don't get paid much for -1 o o k i n g -a f t c r -o u r -to w n = he said. after explaining that in the past firefighters have had to pay for their own .medicals. Recreation Director Marty .Bedard. who is a member of the fire department. told council firefighters get . . ;physicals when they first join the department and if they apply for their air -break licence.to qualify to drive some of the trucks. "With the incident with the firefighter in Clinton, it arc not new to. the county staff, but up until now, Metzger said people "learned as they went." This training will ensure all the employees have at least been shown the capabilities of the computers in front of them. The training started in' June and will last until the middle or end of October when the county's computers are scheduled to' be 'switched over' to the new system. In all, ' 125 county staff members will receive the training which is being offered a; part of the county's adult education program. The cost of the training will be about $100,000 and includes the cost of the 12 machines in the learning centre, as well as software, workbooks and. instructor costs! Metzger said it is difficult to estimate 1the total cost of the county -wide computer upgrade because it has taken place over several years and is now being off -set in p by Y2K upgrade grants frolg the province. "There are somekpluses too Y2K," said Metzger. Town libraries to be closed while computers upgraded The Clinton, Wingham. Seaforth and Goderich branches of the Huron County Library will be closed Sept. 13-15 to allow for the upgrade of the county library computer system. • According to County Librarian Beth Ross, the libraries will be closed while new computer hardware and software is installed in the library system's computer server in Clinton. Although local library users will not notice direct benefits from the. upgrade. Ross said the upgrade will match Huron's technology with other libraries that are part of the Ontario Library Consortium. The upgrade will also he a first step toward planned changes to the catalogue computers at the local library hranchc s. Ross said upgrades are already in the works to make the catalogue computers easier to use. Rather than the 'text based' system now in place. Ross said the new graphically enhanced system will allow users to point and click their way through menus in much the same way as required by the Internet and home-based computer systems.. Although linked to the county's computer upgrade. Ross said the long -needed improvement of the county's library system was delayed somewhat because it had to "wait its turn" within the scheduled upgrade of computers at library systems across the province. m� edicaLsforfire should be written down that you go for one every year," said Bedard. A firefighter in Clinton recently died of a heart attack while -driving a fire truck at a grass fire. Bedard said he didn't think. there was a policy in place with the 'local department that required its members sol have physicals. "In light of what took place. in Clinton, it's a policy thatshould be in place." said Deputy Reeve William Teall. Hodgins said .the fire board-hadn'rgone-tharfar-i n- its discussion. • He said the town's 24 firefighters arc among the lowest paid in the county. Coun. Michael Hak said he wasn't sure physicals should occur once a year. Council discussed the possibility of rotating it so every year, a portion of the firefighters get a physical and rotate it over possibly' a three-year period. Reeve Lin Stcffler pointed out school bus drivers are • For real: peace of mind, . 1,01-t,:i thi• symbol „t protection. 't • We provide insurance protection that leu you sleep at night. That's because the collective stungth of out 50 community based mutual insurers makes us among the most financially secure insurance networks in the world. For you, it means friendly knowledgeable service from people who understand your needs and provide the protection and service you want. Sebnngville /44m/ 7 �runnir f:Ni�I4ny 393-6402 1-800-263-1961 a w.e., Of r•. At Pvvv Vow, M.NaKe arfae•an . Call LYNDA VINCENT at 527-2204 or toll free 1-888-269-0377 required to have physicals but they are also required to pay for them. If the -town had a policy that required physicals and, for some reason, at firefighter missed the annual physical. Teall asked if the -town would be held liable if the ters firefighter went out on a call and something happened. "As soon, as ygu -put .4. policy in place. then you're liable," said Hak. No decisions were made about taking the issue any further. Premier Internet Services... SIGN UP TODAY! • FiRST MONTH IS FREE •Instant Account Activation •FREE Easy Set-up Diskette FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL US TODAY... 482-1212 E-mail: IntoOo .on cm - http://www.o —1AIeaRills.Atte]►R•].k/_\C[DM I•1•Yrr Rill on. ea �s,,.CLASSICSCAFE °��a'� 527-0591 ® NOW SERVING DONUTS T BAKED DAILY • :SALAD BAR - . SundayNight Buffets Are Back! 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Pigs 30 to 65 Bob calves 140 - 250 high of 330 •Butcher Sows and Boars accepted Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday** i Contact Lenses and Cosmetics By: Dr. Louis LaPlante The interest in contact lenses as a way of correcting a person's vision has been increasing over the past decade. Almost any prescription Gan be successfully fit and women appear to have the greatest desire to wear them. Contacts and cosmetics go hand in hand for many women so here are some tips for making the two of them compatible. ✓ Put on soft contact lenses before applying makeup. ✓ Put on hard gas -permeable lenses after makeup is applied. ✓ Remove soft or hard lenses before removing makeup. ✓ Use hairspray before putting on your contacts. If you use hairspray while wearing your leri'ses, close your eyes during spraying and for a few seconds afterwards. Hairspray may damage contacts permanently and can not be removed properly with cleaning solutions. . ✓ Keep false eyelash cement, nail polish and remover, perfume and cologne away from the lenses. They pan damage the plastic. Don't use hand creams or lotions before handling contacts. They can leave a film on your lenses. ✓ Choose water-based, hypo -allergenic liquid foundations and an oil -free moisturizer. ✓ Avoid lash -extending mascara. It has fibers that can irritate the eyes and may stain soft contacts. It is important to remind people not to put lenses in their mouth to moisten them. Saliva is full of bacteria, and a potential source of infection. Homemade saline solutions should also be avoided. Their improper use has been linked with a possible blinding condition among soft lens wearers. Following these tips can help prevent damage to your contacts and make wearing cosmetics safe and. comfortable.' Sept. 15: Watch Ftin Seeing Spots and Floaters be/bre • --vane Eyes Straight Talk Frorn THE BUSINESS DocToP 10 Common Beliefs Of Excellent Salespeople As human beings We operate on the things that we hold to be 'True'. This Truth' or belief structure is crucial to the way we perceive and serve our customers. Those salespeople who have. over a number of years. become excellent at their profession have developed a personal set of affirmations that cause them to act with excellence. The following affirmations have been defined as part of the personal belief structure of the best professional salespeople. I. The highest achievement of any human being is to serve his fellow man. I am in this business to serve. i must see that my customer gets what he and'his family want and need. Myprof- itability is in direct propor- tion to the service I first ren- der. • 2. i am responsible for everything that happens to me. If I have a problem, I caused it either by my action. reaction or inaction. I do not wait for "others". I clear my own path to the successful serving of my customers. my family, my friends and my fellow employees. 3. My professional reputa- tion is all i have to sell and I guard it very jealously. My reputation is made of my t"ni kc record in meeting and completing even my smallest commitments on time and with professional elegance. 4. I would never knowingly do anything that would adversely harm a customer, client or friend. (That is my persdnal definition of what a professional is!) • 5. Professional selling is the finest profession in the • world. All other professions take and learn from the pro- fessional salesperson. 6. As a professional sales- person. I am creative and innovative. I constantly seek new ways to help and serve my customer. 7: I am'a'grcat communica- for and an excellent listener. 8. I find out what my cus- tomer wants and i help him get it'. i do not allow my personal tastes to subjugate those of my customer. 9. I offer advise based on my knowledge and experi- ence but am not offended if the cusioifterthould choose his own course. 10. I give consideration to all criticism but none affects my personal self-worth unless 1 permit it to do so positively. Those who would harm me with lies. exaggera- tion and innuendo: only indent my outer surface. The mind produces what we think about. Sales people who give consideiation to these beliefs are implanting the seeds -of excellence; those who have adopted them -as their personal belief structure are among the best. Effective management is the key to increasing results and effective management must begin with managing what . you believe. The Business Doctor is available for annual meet- ings & sales conventions. •