HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-08-16, Page 1August 16, 2000
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Local weather
Wednesday --Mix of sun
and cloud. High 23.
low 15
Thursday --Mix of sun
and cloud. High 27.
Low 15.
Friday --Mix of sun.and
cloud, Chance of
showers. High 26. Low
18..
From Environment Canada
In brief
714.
1'101i��Cr ,
show goes
ahead
despite wet
weather
hurting
some
plants
From weather that
was too dry to weather
that was too wet, it's
been a tough few years_
for the Seaforth
Horticultural Society
and its annual flower
show.
Two years ago, the
show was cancelled
because the dry
weather left flowers in
too poor a state to
bring in enough entries
for a show.
Last year saw a
successful event but
horticulturglists
struggled with poor
growing conditions.
Now, . : with wet•
weather, organizers
aren't sure what to
expect in exhibits this
year because some
plants and flowers
hay a done extremely
well while others have
all but drowned.
"Impatiens seem to
love this kind of
weather. My irises
have turned up.tbeir
toes and died in this
wet weather," said Pat
Rodney, -an organizer
of this year's show.
"We hswE changed
some of the classes,"
she said.
For _exaasple,
miniature roses are
now combined into a
general rose class.
The show features
classes for children
and about 70 other
divisions for floral and
plant arrangements.
There is also a
"show table" that isn't
judged but gives
people a chance to
show off plants they
are excited about or
think people would
find interesting.
The show is held
today (Aug. 16) from 3
to 5:30 p.m. and 7 to 8
P•m-
Winners of this
year's show will be
announced at 8 p.m.
By Scott Hilgsrreorff
Trucks to slay
off side
streets
NIP $
kn and fitness cf
ta: pont •
Pogw1
Council hires legal firm for PUC deal
Stratford seeking other utilities, could lead to lower rates
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Stott
Seaforth's town council hired the legal firm
Smith Lyons at, its Aug. 8' meeting to review the
offer'of purchase by the city of Stratford for the
Seaforth PUC. •.
"Brussels and Hensall are going to hie the same
solicitor to do their offers at the same time." town
administrator Jack McLachlin told town council.
Council voted during a special meeting July 19 -
to enter into negotiations with Stratforti after two
presentations by 'Stratford's mayor. chief
administrator and PUC foreman and by Hydro One
Network Inc.
While council moved into closed committee of
the whole to discuss the two offers. the two
presentations were made in open session.
McLachlin said council chose Stratford over
Hydro One because of the service and proximity of
Stratford.
• Ron Shaw.. Stratford's-chief administrative
officer. told council that purchasing Seaforth's
PUC. was a logical extension of Stratford's hydro
service. said the minutes of the meeting.
"They were very confident that they would be
able to provide first class service to the citizens of
Seaforth exactly as they provide first class service .
to the citizens of Stratford," said the minutes.
Stratford PUC manager Peter Switzer said that
along with Seaforth. Stratford is also working on
tentative agreements with Si. Marys, Milverton.
Brussels, Hensall and Zurich and while the
Stratford PUC hopes to become the major hydro
supplier for Huron and Perth Counties, he said they
lost Exeter and Listowel to Hydro One. the former
Ontario Hydro
"[guess it was those towns' view that they got a
better offer from Hydro One." he said in a recent
telephone interview.
Scott Hilgendorff photos
• Robert. Campbell is`rescued" during a relay race held Friday at Seaforth Lions Pool in the final day of a special 'Fit for Heart'
program that saw a week's worth of fun and exercise programs directed toward building better heart health.
Steffler seeking top spot
in election for Huron East
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
Seaforth Reeve Lin Steffler.
will be running for mayor of
Huron East in November's
municipal. election. she told
town council at its Aug. 8
meeting. • ' •
But Seaforth Mayor. Dave
Scott•also announced he will
not be seeking re-election. •
"Atter months of
deliberation; •t have decided
not to run in the next
election. More time for my
family is the number one
reason." he said. .
Steffler said she wants to
be part of the challenge of
bringing five diverse
municipalities together under
one umbrella when Seaforth,
Brussels and the townships of
Tuckersmith, McKillop and
Grey amalgamate into the•
municipality of Huron East..
"It's a.very interesting time
and l want the opportunity to
work in that. I want to see
Huron East become the
biggest and best part of
Huron County," she said.
Keeping 'an .ambulance
station within the
municipality and ensuring
viable water quality are two
of the issues of concern to
Steffler in her bid for rnayor
-of Huron East.
"Keeping the ambulance
will be an ongoing battle and
nutrient management is a
keen interest of mine," she
said. "1 can't believe that
farmers are deliberately
polluting the water system
but the right to farm carries
some. responsibility."
Keeping Seaforth District
High School open is also on
Steffler's agenda.
"Just because the
community won a court case
doesn't mean we can stop -.
we have to keep pushing. The
one thing I don't want to see
is the high school closing in
June of 2001," she said.
Steffler is the. only
candidate to announce her
intentiontd run for office in
the next municipal election.
Simi STRATFORD, Pogo 2
Youths
charged
• ••
m crime
spree
Fifty-seven charges.
have been laid against sit
young offenders in
connection with. a-
number of break and-
enters and thefts in Huron
County including several '
in Seaforth and the area.
The incidents took
place between July 2 and
July 13 and Were cleared
_after an investigation
following the arrest of
two youths accused of
stealing a 1990 Nissan
from Grand Bend after.
being stopped in
McKillop Township:
Since the investigation,
youths, including three
females and threemales
from: London, Usborne
Township. Exeter.
Seaforth, Blyth arid
Clinton, have been
charged in connection
with a break in at the.
Queens Hotel in Seaforth
-where a- quantity of
alcohol was stolen and .
from a garage and
restaurant in Clinton
where money was taken.
' Charges were also Iaid
in relation to vehicles that
had been damaged in
Seaforth and Tuckersmith
Township. •
The list of charges
includes: 13 counts of.
break, enter and theft,
nine thefts over $5,000.
nine thefts under 55.000;
five mischief' under
55,000, six fail to comply
with court orders. five
breach of probabtion and
seven possession of
stolen property.
One youth was also
charged with trespassing.
dangerous driving and
tailing to stop for police.
• The six appear in
Goderich' court on Sept.
••14.
Hospital focus gr_auppoints to need for public relations
By Scott Hilg.ndorff
Exposaor Editor -
,A public relations effort to
convince people to use Seaforth
Community Hospital and restore trust
in rural hospitals was a need
identified after a community focus
group meeting Aug. 2. .
"We need to better understand why
people are going elsewhere for health
care." said Bonnie Adamson,
president of the Huron Perth Hospital
Partnership at the meeting.
It was held as part of the evolving
hospital partnership,' about two years
old, as it now strives to find ways to
. improve the services at its nine
hospitals and find out what
expectations the community has for _
the facilities.
A discussion about
• medical services and.
how what hospitals
can offer has changed
in the past 10 years
led to questions from
the partnership to the.
community about why
people.go to hospitals
in London for
treatment they could
receive locally.
"We have. a
tremendous number of patients who
go to London tor services that are
available right here," said Dr. Stan
Brown, a member of the
partnership's administration team.
He said if they could et patients to
stay here, it would free�up surgery in
London, reducing sometimes long
Quo
ted
waiting lists there.
For example,. he
said there's no reason
for a patient to leave
the Huron Perth
hospitals for London
to have 'cataract
surgery.
Brown said patients
think the care is better
because the centre is
bigger but suggested
there would be more
personal attention in a smaller
hospital with the same kind of
professional care in the city. .
"We have some tremendous
physicians in Huron Perth," he said.
But one area resident said, ''(here
is a lack of trust in the local system. 1
don't know how that developed."
He referred to a rural family whose
child -was •working in a ,field,
developed a high temperature and
became very sick.
They saw an intern at the Seaforth
hospital who made one diagnosis and
then, a .short time later, an
experienced doctor made -a more
accurate .diagnosis of "farmer's
lung."
Because of the first misdiagnosis,
he said, "Now they bypass Seaforth
for anything."
He also said there is very little
public relations done by the
partnership hospitals.
He pointed out if the family had
gone to a city hospital in that
situation, they could have had to wait
a week or more to learn the
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