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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-02-09, Page 1INPSY T Clinical Systems DR. ROBERT SHEPHERD Practice in Psychology 148 Goderich St. W, Seaforth Phone 519.527.2669 Toll Free 800.352.3963 Fax 519.527.2588 Visit www.inpsyt.com for more information. Tony Arts C P..ou.CM F. C. y Daily buena Sevu Account 2.45%' 1 Year 2.92% 5 Year 3.80% Harm calcultd m chily dodos Max. Oc nts ■ dFat 2005 Wednesday, February 9, 2005 $1.25 includes GST i Imorr IMdaa 15 Ma St. Seaforth 52? -0794 In brief Huron East boy charged with uttering threats after knife incident at SPS A 13 -year-old Huron East boy has been charged with uttering threats after a student at Seaforth Public School was threatened with a knife on Feb. 1, reports the Huron OPP. Police were told that the incident occurred after the boy asked a classmate for a piece of gum and was refused He then allegedly showed his knife to the classmate, who told a teacher at the end of the school day. School officials contacted police the next day and the boy was found carrying a knife at school by police who seized the knife. Police were told of allegations that the classmate had been threatened physical harm by the boy in the past. The 13 -year-old is scheduled to attend court in Goderich on March 10. He has been released from custody into the care of his parents. Huron East woman charged with assault A 24 -year-old Huron East woman was charged with assault on Feb. 6 at 1:45 a.m. after a 33 -year- old man was struck in the face. The Huron OPP were called to the Lager House on Goderich Street in Seaforth and learned about a confrontation between the two. The woman is scheduled to attend court in Goderich on March 7. Snowmobile stolen in Seaforth •A snowmobile, valued at $4,500 was stolen from a Railway Street residence in Seaforth sometime between Feb. 1 and 4, reports the Huron OPP. The yellow 2002 Skidoo Model MXZX 700cc with registration number 911251 was taken from the backyard of the residence. Anyone with related information is asked to call the Huron OPP or Crime Stoppers. university players report on progress... page 16 CORN PRICES. QUEBEC $ 5.03 USA 54.25 ONTARIO $ 2.40 WHY ??? Jason Middleton photo Vincent Farm Equipment parts manager Mike Blake and sales coordinator Paul Storey decided to express their support for farmers recently by using their company's sign on County Road 12. Local business warns of 25 -year low in corn prices By Jason Middleton Expositor Staff "No farmers, no food, no future!" is what a roadside sign at Vincent Farm Equipment warns passing drivers. The other side of the roadside sign lists the prices that Ontario farmers are being paid for corn compared to the price that farmers in Quebec and in America. Paul Storey, a sales co-ordinator at Vincent Farm Equipment, said that he and another employee cam_ a up with the idea for the sign after talking about how they could show their support for farmers. "Our intentions were that it would show support for farmers and maybe let the non - farmers realize what some of the discrepancies are in Ontario," said Storey, adding that the province is not competing with funding programs offered in Quebec and in the United States. After reading the corn prices compared in the Western Ontario Farmer, Storey decided that he would post the difference on the sign to raise awareness. "Hopefully it shows people in town and in cities, that might happen to drive by here, just how lacking the Ontario government's programs are for our farmers," said Storey. See CORN, Page 2 Council votes to close Seaforth's all-wheelsp ark Neighbours say they can't take another summer By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor The Seaforth All -Wheels Skate Park needs to find a new home after Huron East council voted to close it at last Tuesday's meeting. Victoria Street residents Susan Garrick and Steven Smykaluk presented a petition with 26 signatures of people who live near the skate park located behind town hall on the former water tower site. "We're asking for the removal of the park from our area." said Garrick who read a detailed description of the noise caused by the skate park on a typical day in the neighbourhood. "The kids were very loud. There were no operating hours and it was not unusual to hear them at 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning and at I 1 p.m. at night. I invite anyone to sit in my backyard and witness and understand." she said. "It's a non -ending racket and it's just unhearsblc," added Smykaluk. "I don't want to have to leave Seaforth because it's got a lot going for it." Smykaluk read from a biography of Mayor Joe Seili, which said Seili's yt%iet favourite thing is a dinner in his ha "Well sir, come to my house." he said. Seili said the skate park was located on municipal property because no other site could he found a year ago. "It's unfair to knock the people who ckyard. property despite the fact that a park is available. Garrick suggested that the damage to the chain-link fencing and to the ramps is an indication that the users were not happy Quoted 'Isn't it obvious that the park isn't the success 'we hoped it would be?' -- Neighbour Susan Garrick put the park there. The kids that are there at 11 p.m. should he at hone studying, not out skateboarding. The parents have to have a little responsibility too." he said. adding that a few youth can spoil the park for everyone. Grey Coun. Mark Heaven said he was in favour of a skate park somewhere in town so that "kids aren't damaging private facilities" hut added that he's still seen skateboarders using private with the park. "Isn't it obvious that the park isn't the success we hoped it would he? 1 think the kids are trying to tell someone it wasn't what they wanted," she said. "I'm not against young kids having fun and I'm not saying Seaforth doesn't deserve a skate park. I hope you have more luck at another location," said Garrick, adding that she would be willing to serve on a committee whose focus is determining a new location for the park. Garrick said she'd already spoken to a representative of the Seaforth Lions Club about relocating the park at See COMMITTEE, Page 5 Healthcare proposals could solve orphan crisis By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor Two healthcare proposals submitted recently to the province could help to solve the orphan patient crisis in Seaforth and Huron County. In the first proposal, the Seaforth Community Development Trust last week pledged $150,000 - $50,000 over a three-year period - and the Huron Business Development Corporation pledged $15,000 towards a pilot project that would use innovative ways to attract health care professionals to rural areas. "We wanted to create the Seaforth area as a buzz of activity in rural health care and we'll be trying a lot of things that haven't been tried before," says Paul Nichol, economic development manager of the Huron Business Development Corporation. "Everybody knows the pressures facing rural Ontario in terms of the recruitment of health care professionals. We have to start trying new things," he says. The SHARP proposal, Skills for Healthcare Attraction and Retention Pilot, was submitted recently to the province and word of whether it will be approved or not should be received in six weeks. It proposes more education for local youth to pursue careers in the health care field, offering local training for health care workers and broadening recruitment efforts by local community leaders. "These are common sense approaches but not many communities are trying them. This could become a model for the rest of the province," says Nichol. The second proposal puts Seaforth in the running to become one of 45 communities across the province to offer a family health team, which would provide primary care through a team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. "The government is headed in that direction and we're trying to get in on the ground floor," says Ron Lavoie, chair of the Seaforth Community Hospital Trust. Because the hospital trust is already engaged in renovating the Seaforth Community Health Centre (the former medical clinic) after taking over ownership and management of the building, Lavoie says Seaforth has the perfect facility in which to offer a family health team. "It would fill up the clinic and deliver health care to all the residents of Huron County," says Lavoie. Nichol says the second proposal will portray Seaforth as a forward -thinking community and allow health care professionals to be on the leading edge of provincial health care. "If this is how the province wants to deliver health care, Seaforth will step up to the plate," he says. Along with a letter of support from the SCH trust, letters of support are also being sent from the Huron Business Centre, the Seaforth hospital, the Huron -Perth Healthcare Alliance and Seaforth Community Development Trust and local politicians. The family health teams are expected to be put in place throughout Ontario by the end of March. Susan Hundertmark photo Drilling for water W.D. Hopper and Sons drilled at the Welsh Street well last week looking for a source of local groundwater that could provide an alternative to a Lake Huron pipeline.