HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2002-05-01, Page 7AIM IMO Id a hub 6.
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In brief
Budget
looked
at closely
Huron East council
began its line -by-line look
at its first budget in a
process that is expected to
take a few more weeks
before it is finally
approved.
Council is faced with a
budget that is expected to
result in a tax increase fgr
rural residents who hale
seen their assessments
increase.
At the same time,
council is faced with the
$959,000 cost of a police
contract for all of Huron
East and a request for
potentially $100,000 for an
economic development
officer.
Deputy Administrator
Brad Knight, who is
preparing the budget, is
encouraging council to
look closely at the budget
and find areas in which
councillors think they
might be able to make cuts
to help soften the overall
blow to taxpayers this year.
Knight has said this is
both the most interesting
and challenging budget he
has worked with as staff
and council try to
harmonize the budgets of
the five municipalities that
now make up Huron East.
"I think it's important we
go through this line by
line," said Knight to
council at its May 8
committee meeting.
Council went through the
expenditure portion of the
budget at that meeting and
was expected to go through
the revenue portion at last
night's meeting.
Deputy Mayor Bernie
MacLellan had expressed
concerns that people
expected the amalgamation
to save money and not see
taxes rise but Mayor Lin
Steffler said that is a
promise that was never
made.
She said they have only
offered to work hard to
give taxpayers the best
value for their money.
She pointed out that
money was saved by the
amalgamation but that
there are still costs
involved in operating the
new municipality.
By Scott Hilgendorff
•
Police
suggest
holding off
on Citizens
on Patrol
Business
community
frustrated
by perceived
absence,
of police help
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
About 20 local businesses
were dissuaded by Huron
OPP Staff Sgt. George
Lonsbary from immediately
forming a Citizens on Patrol
committee at Monday night's
BIA (Business Improvement
Area) meeting.
"It's a good thing but [for]
in the future because we
don't want to mess up the
investigation," he said, of the
ongoing investigation into a
total of nine fires set mostly
in downtown Seaforth during
the past six weeks.
Lonsbary told the group he
didn't want to say too much
for fear of jeopardizing the
investigation but offered that
the two fire calls over the
weekend had police a little
uncertain.
"We thought we were
getting onto it but after the
weekend, whether there's a
second or third group, we're
not sure. We got a number of
tips and some of them look
fairly positive," he said.
However, after Lonsbary
left the meeting, at least two
business people said they
were frustrated that a
Citizens on Patrol group isn't
being set up right away.
"I think we're all feeling it
needs to be done now and
not six months down the
road. If we're going to ask
people to sit and wait, we're
not going to get anyone to
join up," said Chris Bruxer,
owner of Sumthing Special.
Brenda Forbes, of Flower
Magic, also said she was
upset about the
postponement of setting up
the Citizens on Patrol group.
The group would see
citizens assisting police
patrolling the community
looking for suspicious
activity.
"I don't see anything being
done. I just spent a weekend
of sheer hell from lack of
sleep and I can't comprehend
that the officers are doing
SN POLICE, Pow 2
Scott Hiigendorff photo
Police wait for the identification unit to determine what happened inside the Shell gas station
in Seaforth Monday morning after a female employee was attacked while opening.
Woman attacked
as she opens
gas station
While police say she is still traumatized by the incident a
Seaforth woman is out of hospital after being knocked
unconscious by an attacker as she opened the Seaforth Shell
gas station Monday morning.
Police were called when another employee discovered the
unconscious woman at about 7 a.m.
The woman was taken to Seaforth Community Hospital by
ambulance and OPP's crime unit and canine unit were on the
scene all morning and part of the afternoon.
Police believe it was an attempted robbery but no entry
was made in the gas station's safe.
Officers have canvassed the neighbourhood for witnesses
who may have seen anything that could help them in their
investigation.
The canine unit was unable to track the assailant and OPP
currently have no suspects in the case.
Tom Williscraft photo
The canine unit was called
to track suspects after an
attempted robbery at the
Seaforth Shell Station.
Youth charged
for stabbing
girl on bus
A 13 -year-old has been charged with assault
causing bodily harm after stabbing a girl in the
hand on a Grey Public School bus near Ethel.
Police were called just before 4 p.m. on May 10
when the youth mistook the girl for one of the
people who was teasing him, stabbing her in the
hand with an unreleased object.
The victim was taken to hospital in Listowel
where she received stitches for her injury.
Patients sent to Clinton
as doctors close practices
because of Seaforth shortage
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
The Seaforth Medical
Clinic is not accepting any
new patients, leaving
Seaforth without any
doctors with open practices.
"I think this is the first
time the clinic has had to
close its practices. The
clinic has always made a
point of being open to new
patients in the past but they
had to make this decision
because of volume," says
Seaforth Community
Hospital chief of staff, Dr.
Carolin Shepherd.
Shepherd says her
practice, which is run out of
her home, has been closed
for several years with a two-
year waiting list.
She suggested that anyone
looking for a family doctor
try the three new doctors in
Clinton including Dr. Martin
Salter, Dr. Norbert Akeh
and Dr. Lisa Yang.
Mary Cardinal, clinical
leader of the hospital, says
the decision to close the
practices is "very recent"
since two doctors are now
working part-time.
"I'm not surprised it came
to this. Across Ontario,
doctor shortages are a
problem. Any family
practice will tell you they're
very busy," says Cardinal.
While Seaforth hospital
has been actively recruiting
doctors for several years,
Cardinal says Seaforth still
needs at least two more
doctors.
"At present we have a
coordinated response to the
shortage and while there's
nothing definite yet, doctors
are being toured through the
town regularly," she says.
Cardinal also says even
patients without local family
doctors will be seen by a
doctor at Seaforth's
emergency department.
Scott Hilgendorff photo
Santa made a surpise visit to Northside United Church on
Sunday morning to tell the congregation about the Christmas
house tour planned for November 16-19. He helped build
excitement about the event and encouraged the community
to help volunteer with putting the tour together.
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