HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-01-26, Page 1INPSYT
Clinical Systems
DR. ROBERT SHEPHERD
;'ractice in Psychology
148 Goderich St. W,
Seaforth
Phone
Toll Free
Fax
519.527.2669
800.352.3963
519.527.2588
Visit www.inpsyt.com
for more information.
IIMEMEMININIIIMMINIMMINSIONNUIellosea
In brief
Local man
charged
with assault
after
woman hit
with shovel
A 42 -year-old Huron.,
East man was charged with
assault with a weapon after
a 39 -year-old woman was
knocked unconscious
when she was hit in the
head with a shovel on Jan.
23 at 3:15 a.m. at Heritage
Estates near Seaforth.
The assault occurred on
Hensall Road after the
couple got ,. into an
argument after returning
home and getting their
vehicle stuck in the snow.
The man was shoveling
snow and the woman was
walking away when the
man threw the shovel and
hither in the head.
The woman was taken
for medical aid and is in
stable condition.
The man at
approximately 4 a.m. was
arrested for the assault.
Later during the
investigation it was learned
that another incident had
occurred on Jan. 1, when
the woman was allegedly
assaulted, choked and
given death threats.
As a result, the man
attended a bail hearing in
Goderich on Jan. 24.
He was charged with
assault with a weapon,
uttering threats,
overcoming resistance to
commit an indictable
offence, assault and
breaching probation.
Pop machine damaged
at Kate's Station
Close to $200 in change
was stolen from a pop
machine that was forced
open outside Kate's
Station near Vanastra
sometime overnight on
Jan. 18.
The Pepsi machine was
heavily damaged after the
thieves had forced the unit
open.
Anyone with related
information is asked to call
the Huron OPP or Crime
Stoppers.
Unlocked truck stolen
in Seaforth
An unlocked truck,
valued at $35,000, was
stolen from the laneway of
a Market Street residence
in Seaforth on Jan. 19,
reports the Huron OPP.
The owner had left the
keys inside the white four
wheel drive 2002 GMC
extended truck in the
ignition.
The truck has
personalized plates #
FINN76.
Anyone with related
information is asked to call
the Huron OPP or Crime
Stoppers.
maw
Local
science club
for girls
offered...
page 5
Broomball
tournament
held in ,
Seaforth ..
page 13
GICs & Mutual Funds
RRSPs RRIFs RESPs
Life & Disability Insurance
Employee Benefits
Retirement & Financial
Planning
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
$1.25includes GST
Mimi i liwaa Mia
15 St. Seaforth
527-0794
Susan Hundertmark photo
Scientific magic
Marissa Scott, Grade 4 student at Seaforth Public School, is suspended in the air during a science magic show by
Freddy Fusion at SPS last Thursday.
Hospital to regain outpatient
physio after provincial review
of Alliance cost-cutting plan
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
Seaforth Community Hospital will be
regaining an outpatient
physiotherapy service but will
still lose beds after the province
reviewed the Huron Perth
Healthcare Alliance's cost-
cutting plan, said Alliance chief
executive officer Andrew
Williams.
The four -hospital alliance that
administers hospitals in
Seaforth, Clinton, St. Marys and
Stratford, received a response
last week from the province about its
balanced budget plan as it looked to cut
a $7 million deficit from its $85 million
budget.
The Alliance also received word that
it would receive $1.4 million in one-
time provincial funding. And while,
$733,200 went to Stratford
General, $215,200 to Seaforth,
$269,100 to Clinton and
$209,900 to St. Marys,
Williams said the total will be
used to offset the Alliance's $7
million deficit.
"We received two
positive messages from the
funding announcement. One is
that the province
acknowledged the funding
challenge around smaller hospitals and
that the current approach is not working
and two is the province acknowledged
An
Wil
drew
Hams
the organizations that are trying to work
through the (budget -cutting) process,"
said Williams.
He said the Alliance will still have job
losses but did not know how many. A
total of 72 full-time jobs were predicted
to be cut under its initial balanced
budget plan.
"It should be far less than the original
number," said Williams.
While the province announced $91
million for Ontario hospitals'
restructuring costs and severence
packages, Williams said the Alliance
will still have to apply for that funding
once the number of job losses are
known.
"Our goal has always been to
See BED, Page 3
Seaforth one of four potential sites
for ethanol plant in county proposal
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
Seaforth is one of four
locations in Huron County
suggested for an ethanol
plant in a recent submission
to the Canadian Renewable
Fuels Association (CFRA)
and Ethanol Industry
investors.
A Huron County
submission was made in
January after an invitation by
the CRFA, which is looking
for five proposed sites after
the Ontario government
mandated that ethanol will
make up five per cent of all
gasoline in the province by
2007 and 10 per cent in 2010.
The submission was
presented to Huron East
council at Tuesday night's
meeting.
The proposed site in
Seaforth is located in the
industrial park near the
London . Agricultural
Commodities building on
Crombie Street.
The 47 -acre Seaforth
property has 25 acres zoned
industrial and 22 acres zoned
agricultural and abuts the
Goderich
mainline.
The other three proposed
sites in Huron County
include Goderich, Hensall
and South Huron.
The Goderich site is a 43.5
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The site plan for an ethanol -plant in Seaforth
Exeter Railway
acre parcel pext to the
• railway line in the east end of
town, the Hensall site is a 70 -
acre parcel on both sides of
the Hensall District Co-op
and the South Huron site is
agricultural land at the north
end of ,Exeter next to the
railway fine.
The. South Huron site is
defined as a provisional site
while the other three sites are
defined as prime sites.
See ALL, Page 2
Gambling
addiction
on rise
in Huron
County
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
As gambling addiction
statistics continue to climb
across Canada, Huron
County's numbers are
increasing at the same pace,
says Huron Addiction
Services counsellor Gail
Huber.
Huber, who began her job
in September, 1999 when the
province began funding a
gambling addiction program,
says she's seen a steady
increase in clients during the
past five years, with
addiction to slots gambling
topping the list.
"Gambling addiction is on
the rise in. Huron County and
it has been for some time.
We certainly are concerned
about it and concerned about
the degrees of addiction
we're seeing," she says.
"We're seeing marital
break-ups, bankruptcies and
huge debts. We're talking
big bucks," says Huber.
While no suicides have
been related to gambling
addiction in Huron County,
she says 15 (more than
double the six gambling -
related suicides reported two
years ago) suicides were
reported to be tied to
gambling in Canada last
year.
"Because it's (gambling
addiction is) such a secret,
it's covered up. We don't
know all the statistics. A lot
of suicides could be related
to gambling," she says.
Huber is quick to point out
that she is not against
responsible gambling of any
kind.
"It's supposed to be fun
and recreational - as long as
your bills are paid," she says.
Teresa Roncon, senior
manager of public relations
for the Ontario Lottery and
Gaming Corporation, says
two per cent of slots revenue
goes towards responsible
gambling research, a total of
$36 million across the
province in 2004.
"We try to look at the big
picture. The majority of our
customers treat gambling as
a form of entertainment and
we're aware that a
percentage find it addictive.
We're very committed ,to
providing responsible
gambling," she says.
In, Huron County, Huber
sees 45 to 50 clients with
gambling addictions a year.
As well, the Ontario
Gambling Helpline received
20 calls from Huron County
.in 2004, six more than last
year's calls.
And, while the numbers
are not huge, Huber says
she's concerned by the 25
per cent increase those
numbers represent.
While Huron County
gambling addicts have,an
average age of 45, Huber
says there is no typical
profile.
People who get hooked on
gambling come from all
socio-economic backgrounds
and income levels.
But, they all share the
same problems of family and
marital trouble, legal
difficulties, employment and
school problems,, mental and
physical health problems and
See HURON, Page 2