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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2003-11-12, Page 1c:OLDWELL BANKER 1 J4ci MblfYr t.+._4 .Y.:` k Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003 $1 .25 includes GST r� Doug Elliott. CFP lasestaiairod QCobad rammae►a2oo13 Best G.L.C. Rates Daily Interest Savings 2.30%* 3.13 45.46% CARTIER PARTNERS RNAN IAL SERVICES I C II■I�i�ii 26 Main St., Seaforth 527-2222 In brief Second `gala'. weekend aimed at attracting young doctors to Huron - Perth hospitals By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor Residents from five medical schools across Ontario could be touring Seaforth Sunday as part of a second annual weekend retreat throughout Huron -Perth, whose aim is to recruit new physicians to the area. "This is a recruitment strategy as we face a severe shortage of physicians across Ontario," says Gwen Devereaux, community development leader for Huron -Perth hospitals. • "•Last: yeat .was. our fast successful weekend," she says. Most of the weekend is based in Stratford where between 40 to 50 physicians will be offered a full day of speakers, theatre, music and a gala dinner Nov. 15. Local hospitals including their doctors and recruitment committees will have a chance to talk to the residents Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. when booths are set up at the Art in the Park event in Stratford. All physicians working in the area are also invited to the gala dinner to recognize their contribution to health care service and to meet with possible recruits and let the recruits know why they live and work here, says Devereaux. "These candidates will become our ambassadors in taking their experience back to their fellow residents," she says. Residents who choose to visit Seaforth will tour the hospital and town on Sunday. Since last year's retreat, seven family physicians joined the Huron -Perth communities along with two internists and one anaesthesiologist. Joe Seili is mayor by i6 votes Bernie MacLellan is returned to Huron East deputy -mayor position By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor By a margin of only 16 votes, Joe Seili beat Robin Dunbar for the position of Huron East's mayor 1,165 to 1,149 during Monday's municipal election. "I want to thank all my supporters and I'll try and do the job you all expect me to do. That's my speech," said Seili to a room full of supporters, family and fellow Huron East councillors at the Brussels arena. Seili said that because the fall is the busiest time for his business Huron Feeding Systems, he spent a total of three hours going door to door campaigning. "I should have campaigned more. It's still sinking in that I won," he said after the results were tallied. Because Robin Dunbar listened for election results from CKNX Radio, which mistakenly reported that he had won the election, he was disappointed to learn from a call from the Huron Expositor that he had not won. "I felt very good about my chances. I was getting a lot of support at the doors everywhere I went," he said during a telephone interview. "I'll have to consider asking for a recount," said Dunbar. As newly -elected mayor, Seili said he'aing to be -in Seaforth =at the, town hall part of one day each week. "If I do my job right, council can meet bi-weekly. Once a week was getting to be too much - at the end of the three years, we were all starting to get burnt out," said the former Brussels councillor. For Seili, the first order of business will be revisiting policing costs once more, talking to neighbouring municipalities about the Tuckersmith Day Nursery and looking a little closer at the Hugh Thomas report. "The issues that have to be settled still from the Hugh Thomas report are council openness and other wards. "I didn't expect to win Seaforth because I thought Maureen would get her home town's support," said MacLellan. While he didn't campaign door- to-door, MacLellan received three phone calls from Seaforth voters offering their support. • "And, that was three more phone calls than I got from any other ward," he said. MacLellan's top two issues for the new council are the Seaforth trust and the daycare issue. "What Seaforth wants addressed immediately is the trust fund issue. They want it back in public control. I heard that over and over on the streets," he said election night. In Seaforth ward, Lou Maloney topped the polls with 508 votes, Joe Steffler filled the second seat with 463 votes and Dick Burgess lost his seat with 340 votes. "The biggest reason I headed the polls was that I wasn't involved in the Seaforth trust. I was told that by the voters," he said. The Seaforth Laundromat and Seaforth bake shop owner said he was getting a lot of support during the campaign. "I'm grateful," he said. Steffler said he knew the race for •tousllor was `going to be a laugh one. "There were three excellent guys and I'm glad to be coming in second," he said. Steffler agreed that the issue he heard the most about from voters was the Seaforth trust. "I had people phone me and talk to me about it on the streets," he said. Incumbent Alvin McLellan also retained his seat as Grey councillor with 307 votes and was joined by Mark Beaven on council representing Grey ward with 252 votes. Susan Hundermark photo Joe Seili gets a congratulatory hug from his wife Debbie at his victory party at the Brussels arena Monday night. more communication with personnel," he said. Incumbent Deputy -Mayor Bernie MacLellan retained his seat on Huron East council, beating Maureen Agar 1,318 votes to 994. Despite Agar's big lead in Seaforth 454 to 294, MacLellan lead the polls in Huron East's four Corn harvest delayed two weeks by rainy weather By Sara Campbell Expositor Staff Rainy weather, high moisture and poor conditions are to blame for a late corn harvest as area farmers try to get to their fields before the snow fall does. "It's getting late enough to be harvesting but the corn hasn't dried down enough yet. It's still very high in moisture," said Larry Burns, a Seaforth area fanner. "Most farmers will be getting the corn harvest done now before it gets too late but we've had so much rain there, everyone is behind." Huron East farmers were in their combines most of the day during Monday's municipal election and politicians were pointing to the clear weather that day as a reason for low voter turnout in some of the rural wards. Burns said the arrival of snow this past weekend did not do any damage to the corn but it was one of the only weekends without rain. He said he expects the harvest to be done before the weather gets colder as farmers are "certainly concerned about heavy snow coming." He said the corn harvest is a good two to three weeks late than previous years. "We're normally done harvesting by the end of October," he said. Burns said the dry summer months along with the rain caused the moisture to stay high. He said the corn roots are not very strong this year as well but if there were better conditions it would not be a bad sign to be harvesting late. "If the stocks are healthy, they can stay on the fields until December but there is always the concern the frost and heavy snow will come and flatten the corn right down," he said. Despite the weather, Burns said the corn yield is average to above average. "We're quite pleased with the yield, considering the weather we've been having, with the rain, frost and snow. It's really surprising," he said. Burns said he suspects farmers will finish their harvesting by the end of the week but it will depend on the weather. "This rain will shut us down again for a few days but hopefully we can get back out there soon," he said. See BURGESS, Page 2 Spittals' son-in-law home after four months in Iraq By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor Dr. Matt Brown is back from the war in Iraq with his family in Connecticut and his Seaforth in-laws are breathing a huge sigh of relief. "We were very tense every day he was gone because of the news on CNN but it's great to have him home," says his mother-in-law Maureen Spittal. "We really appreciated people's thoughts and prayers for Matt around town. People in Seaforth were always stopping me and telling me they were praying for Matt," she says. Her daughter Nancy was in Seaforth for most of the summer with her two children and Brown says that fact helped to ease the fear for his family while he was in Iraq until he returned two weeks ago. "That my kids had the advantage of going to Seaforth with their grandparents was hugely important," says Brown in a phone interview. "When they're up there (in Seaforth), my absence is less apparent since they're on holidays." "It was heart-warming and unexpected to hear that people in a town I've been to only two or three times were rooting for me. To hear See U.S, Page 6 submitted photo Major Mott Brown treats a young Iraqi patient who was injured by a kind mine meant for American soldiers during his four-month tour of duty in Iraq. 4