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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-07-12, Page 1arm July 12, 2000 Si fncludes GSi) Local weather Wsdnssday--Sunny. High near 25.• Thursday--Sunnylow near 14. High near 25. Friday --Mix of sun and cloud Low 17, High 27.. Saturday --Mostly cloudy Chance of showers Low 17. High near 25 From Environment Canada In brief Town asked to join firefighters by decorating homes in red and white About 400 campsites are just about ready and plans are being finalized this week for the Aug: 4 through Aug. 7 Firefighters' Association of Ontario's annual convention being held . in Seaforth. More '-than' 1.500 people will be in town that weekend from across the province with firefighters arriving even. earlier for fire training courses. being held all week - _leading up to die: convention fun. While _the _focus of the event is • on firefighters. there will be much for families to enjoy from two parades to firefighter games and activities. And as firefighters get ready for the convention. they are asking residents to get. involved too. Firefighter Marty Bedard said a resident living near the fire hall had asked the department if they had official colours so they could decorate their house before the convention. Bedard said the department thought that was a great idea and are asking people to consider decking out their, homes in red and white bunting or ribbons to help add to the excitement of the event, the largest to come to Seaforth since the homecoming held five years ago. Stores in town. have already been asked to decorate their windows for the convention weekend. "There is judging on those." said -Wed -WC By Scott Hilgendoi f • . Maplewood Manor residents that out Page S kiodwains ROW wakes lotidsicrat_ Pet7 letrraimeeh Imilandspkne mtfitlar_ Phis Ambulance could be moved out County will seek costing on plan to join Seaforth, Clinton on Highway 8 By Sarah Caldwell Goderich Signal -Star Staff Huron County councillors voted 54 to 5 in favour. July 6. of pursing costing on the 'population -model for ambulance deployment despite an abundance of. correspondence from ratepayers: municipalities and the hospital partnership supporting a move to keep the ambulance service running as is. 1 still don't thinkthat four ambulance stations•gives the • services to both the rural and '.urban residents of this county • that's required." said Lin Steffler. Seaforth. who c oted against the proposal w ith Bob' Broadfoot. Tuckersmith Township. population detrsity model means the Zurich and Dashwood and Clinton and Seaforth ambulance stations would be amalgamated moving the first to the Scot—dgendorff photo The Seaforth Ambulance Service could be amalgamated with Clinton and moved to Highway 8 Hensall-Exeter area and the second between' the two towns or into Clinton_ ' Both Goderich and. Wingham stations would remainwere they are located nearthe.hospitals in their respective communities. After much heated discussion about whether to proceed with the population density model for ambulance deployment Steffler and Broafoot were the only two. to vote against the option. Lin Steffler. who called for a recorded vote: was the first to announce she was not in favour of.'the proposed motion. . She ran through a brief listing of some of the correspondence and presentations council -has received about the proposed ambulance service options before county council that has been received since May. On June 5_ the chairs of the five hospital boards- in finnan County urged county councillors to be vers 'conscious when making decisions id regarding the relocationof• ambulance services. especially since Option twa would hada seen reductions in stations from six to four and the mbve of all stations to rural locations. Following public meetings - held' in Hensall and Blth. June 5 and 6. comment 'sheets 'clearly indicated the vast majority was opposed to the equity and :population. models. -From- -June - 7 -13. -feu -r municipalities expressed. concern with the. report. public meetings .or deployment of ambulances. Goderich. Colborne. Morris Township. Tuckersmith Township. Hoick and Seaforth. all supported the resolution of the hospital partnership to keep ambulance' services in communities where hospitals are located. - ' 'On June 19. the Joint •Executive Council of -the Huron . 'Perth Hospital Partnership clearly outlined their belief that "ambulance sites currently located -at hospitals•stay• there while partiestake further prospective study." ' Again:oh. June • 19. Steffler said: the medical staff ai Goderich ' and Clinton hospitals declared their concerns and indicated Option One was '• . the. only one- and indicated one would have._ to -put _financial expediency ahead of patient care to support the • other options. On June 22. Sifto salt mine. expressed_ their concerns a change in location . of ambulance services from the. Alexandra. Marine and General Hospital location would cost. valuable minutes and could be . the .difference between life and death. The. physicians Of ,Seaforth hospital expressed their concerns about relocation of ambulance bases would - greatiy Jepordize response - for residents in their: catchment area in a letter received June 27. S.e PETITIONS, Page 2 Area senior Rural exposure program receives sees medical students Pro1c4aWard. keeping Seaforth interest By Scott Htigendorff Expositor Editor_ Seaforth. area'. Harry Nesbitt was one of 21 Ontario seniors to receive. an Ontario Senior Achievement Award at Queen's Park late last month. Lieutenant Governor Hilary" M.. Weston. presented the awards at_a special ceremony in the front -lobby of the Ontario Legislature to mark the culmination of Seniors Month in Ontario, - Nesbitt. who' now• _lives -in Stratford .but maintains a farm in McKillop Township. was recognised for .the volunteer work he has done throughout the area. Most recently. his efforts were put into last year's International Plowing Match. . He retired from teaching in 1985 but became a 'volunteer for the. Children's Aid Society of Perth County and for 'the Civic Beautification and Environmental Awareness organization. He has been a volunteer with the Friends of Stratford Normal School Heritage Committee and is a member of the Stratford Festival Theatre and Gallery Stratford. He is co-chair of -the. ttlor games for -Huron. -Perth and Middlesex County and is director at large for The Agricultural Fair Board for Stratford and area • Nesbitt has also' Santa Claus 21 times for events across the area in 1998. • . 1 was quite surprised having known • many people have done many things throughou:. •ti, area." said Nesbitt. He was amazed at the accomplishments of other recipients including one woman more than 100 years old and still volunteering in her community. Huron Bruce MPP Helen Johns, who is Minister of Citizenship. Culture and Recreation with responsibility. for Seniors. hosted the event. The awards provide provincial -level recognition for outstanding seniors who. after the age of 65. have made significant contributions to their communities without financial cc material gain. "They looked at turning 65 as a green light to get involved. to help others out. to make a difference in their community." said Johns in a press release. "it's great to be able to do things when you're older. It's peat to be well enough to do it;" Nesbitt said. By Scott Htlg.ndorff Expositor Editor. A positive experience with •Seaforth's hospital and medical' conununity has brought University of Western -Ontario medical student Joe Chan back for some morerural • exposure. Chan enjoyed the four-day'experience �o much tie found a way to get back to town. this time on a research project. Normally. the Southwestern Ontario Rural Medicine program (SWARMI allows medical communities and hospitals to approach the Goderich-based organization with proposals for research projects. If approved. •SWORN) would provide funds tobring medical students on board.• But Chan. wanting to .come back to Seaforth, tried a •different approach and proposed his own project to get the Seaforth' medical community and SWORN! interested. And it worked. He spent that past three week. at Seaforth Communist Hospital research the past year's emergency medical records, to collect data about patient transfers. . He is now; in Wawa. doing similar research 'and will put. the data together to determine whether or not rural hospitals. closer to larger hospitals. transfer more. patients to the larger. facilities than rural hospitals farther (rani major medical centres. like wawa. "You might think a smaller hospital that's - close to a big hospital might send more. patients •away. Intuitively, that's what you would expect to find." said Chan. He said there have been some studies done regarding patient transfers but never one that compares different rural communities. At the same time. Chan is, using this time to get more experience with patients. Now finished his second year of medical, school. he said the book work is done and in September. the•clinical part of medical school Sea MEWCAL. Paw 2 Scott -4ilgendorff photo Medical student Joe Chan hos sorted through stocks of emergency room records for a research paper as rural exposure program at Western begins to show local results