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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-05-18, Page 5News The Seaforth Community Hospital group is led in a cheer by site administrator Mary Cardinal during the Big Bike for Stroke fundraiser in Seaforth last Wednesday. Big Bike for Stroke's second year raises $21,372 with 14 teams By Jason Middleton Expositor Staff Rolling into town last Wednesday, the Big Bike for Stroke hit the streets of Seaforth and raised more than $21,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. "I know it was a fantastic day," said Nancy Bomasuit, Heart and Stroke area manager for Huron, Perth, Woodstock and Oxford. "Huron County has just come through amazingly with the big bike." In tptal, $21,372 were raised by the 14 teams who participated in the event. The teams rode the 30 -seat bicycle around Seaforth in half-hour intervals throughout the afternoon. In an earlier article, event co-ordinator Keith Courtney said that he would have liked to have raised $24,000 from the event in Seaforth and $100,000 in total in Huron, Perth and Middlesex. Teams that participated in the event were Huronview and Huron Lea, Seaforth Manor, the Huron -Perth Catholic District School Board, Avon Maitland District School Board, the Scotiabanks in Exeter and Mitchell, Walmart from Goderich, Heartland Credit Union from Clinton, Seaforth Community Hospital, the Seaforth Medical Center, St. Columban Soccer league and the Central Huron and Huron East fire departments. The team that raised the most amount of money was the team from Scotia Bank with $4,014. "It was a remarkable group of folks," Bomasuit said. The event was hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Seaforth Legion. Last year, when the event held its first ride in Seaforth 11 teams raised $24,150. Money from the event goes to help fund research into the root causes of heart disease and stroke as well as to the development of health education & prevention programs. "It's key that we continue to focus on research and development," said Bomasuit, adding that only 29 per. cent of all stroke sufferers fully recover. Huron farmers disappointed with province's agriculture budget cuts By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor As beef farmers move into the third year of a U.S. border closed to Canadian beef and as grain and oitseed prices remain at a 25 -year low, Huron County farmers are confused and concerned by cuts to the agriculture budget in last week's provincial budget, said Huron County Federation of Agriculture president Nick Whyte. "Although I understand the desire for the provincial government to reduce its deficit, it is def nitely the wrong time to reduce the agricultural portion," he said last week. "Moving into the third year of the border closure is depressing to say the least," he said. While Agriculture Minister Steve Peters has said the $60 million cut out of the provincial agriculture budget reflects the lack of one-time aid funding for farmers struggling with the beef and the oilseed prices, Whyte pointed out that neither of those crises is over yet. He added that farmers will he facing more" huge costs with the nutrient management legislation. " T h e O'Connor report from t h e Walkerton water tragedy stipulated that since society in general would be the main beneficiary, then society should pay. This requires significant government money to help pay for it," he said. He noted that the budget didn't include any help with nutrient management requirements. A press release from the Huron federation said local farmers were left very disappointed by the provincial budget. Second vice president Wayne Hamilton said in the press release that the province can't use the same excuse it used in March that it didn't know how bad the situation is for farmers, especially w hen Statistics Canada has projected losses of farm income at $230 million for 2005 across the country. "Meanwhile, those negative numbers are having a huge social and economic impact on our rural communities, at the same time that our competitors in the U.S. have been assured of record farm incomes for the past three years because of their strong government farm policies," he said in the press release. Marilyn Broadfoot, Huron South regional Quoted •It. is definitely the wrong time to reduce the agricultural portion,'— Huron Federation of Agriculture president Nick Whyte director said the province, needs an "attitude adjustment" and "a specific plan to maintain the second largest economic engine in Ontario." "By. allowing the agricultural budget to stagnate and only providing us with platitudes like 'the need for innovation in farming' just proves how remote the government is to the needs of the industry." said HFA past president Neil Vincent in the press release. A press release from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture's president Ron Bonnett said farmers were "left with a terribly empty feeling" after listening to last week's budget. Bonnett said farmers are concerned about where the expected $169 million in cuts will be made from the Agriculture Ministry's operating budget. • He added that the grain and oilseed sector is expecting a loss of another $300 million for 2005. Outlawing standing water impossible, Huron East administration tells council By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor Outlawing standing water that provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes will not be done in Huron East since the municipality isn't able to follow its own bylaw. Clerk -Administrator Jack McLachlan told council last week that a bjlaw suggested by the Huron County Health Unit to prevent West Nile Virus from spreading locally is impossible to enforce. "We might be our own biggest violators," added Public Works Coordinator John Forrest. Forrest said roadside ditches in the municipality easily • fill up with water during rainy weather and might not drain before mosquitoes have been able to breed in them. He also pointed to the flat roof on the back of the municipal offices, which is designed to hold standing water. "It's quite an onerous thing to enforce. To tell someone to fix a low spot in their lawn is impossible when we can't prevent standing water on municipal property," he said. McLachlan added that a full-time enforcement officer would be necessary if the bylaw were enacted. He said Goderich is the only municipality in Huron County that has passed the bylaw. THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 18, 2005 - 5 MASSAGE THERAPIST and RE1KI PRACTITIONER Becky Campbell 527-2058 137 Market St. Seaforth • Evening Appointments • Spirit of imiummoLlew G ving Church Services You are invited to attend these area churches St. Thomas Anglican Church A Congregation o1 the Parish al The Holl' Spirit Jarvis St. Seaforth Fr. Michael Atkins Parish Office 527-1522 Sunday, May 22°d Worship at 9:30 a.m. Sacrament of Baptism Bethel Bible Church An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 527-0982 Sunday Worship Hour 11 am Sunday School 9:45 a.m. NORTHSIDE UNITED CHURCH 54 Goderich St. W. Sun., May 22, 2005 Sunday School Adult & Youth 9:30 a.m. Junior 11:00 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. Rev. John Gould What is Being A Christian Catholic Church St. James RC Church 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth 527-0142 Weekend Masses: Sat 5:15 pm Sun. 11:00 am St. Columban RC Church Saturday Mass at 7:30 pm Father Lance Magdziak Egmondville United Church Sunday, �� 10 Sunday 11 a.m. Worship Steve Hildebrand - Lay Pastoral Minister in Training Annual Pork Chop BBQ Wednesday, May 25 EVERYONE WELCOME First Presbyterian Church Goderich St. W., Seaforth Rev. Henry Huberts Sunday, May 22 Worship: 11:15 a.m. Sunday School & Nursery Provided _HEALTH ON THE HILL Seaforth Community Hospital Site: Member of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance The Seaforth Community Hospital Focus Group has completed a study regarding community healthcare needs and presented their findings to the Seaforth Community Hospital Local Advisory Committee (LAC) and the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance Board of Directors. The HPHA Board of Directors is pleased to provide the following update regarding the Alliance's deliberations and findings in response to the concerns and issues raised by the Focus Group. • LONG DISTANCE CALLING: The Alliance is exploring long term solutions for access at all four hospital sites. The Family Health Team for the Seaforth area is anticipated to have a toll-free line. • BRUSSELS SATELLITE CLINIC: The Seaforth Community Hospital Trust continues to evaluate re -opening the Brussels Clinic as medical resources allow. • EMERGENCY SERVICES: 24/7 Emergency Services are core services at all four Alliance hospital sites. An Emergency Department, and the clinical services which support it, are vital to responding to emergency needs and sustaining the primary care network in the community. • OUTPATIENT SURGICAL AND ORTHOPEDIC CLINICS: Outpatient surgical services are undergoing an intensive review across the Alliance; the Seaforth site's resources are an important consideration in this process. The only decrease in these services in the last year has been the discontinuation of the monthly orthopedic clinic for personal health reasons of the visiting physician. On a positive note, the internal medicine clinic is now weekly. • GOVERNANCE REFORM Stakeholder Representation: Provincially, Hospital Boards are moving away from "ex officio" appointments; elected officials are welcomed to apply for Board and LAC vacancies. We continue to welcome opportunities to engage municipal governments in Alliance activities. Policy Change: The Alliance is formalizing a longer-term strategic plan to allow the organization to plan in the best possible manner given our resources, funding challenges and the healthcare needs of our communities. At the same time, Ontario's healthcare system is undergoing significant reform; the impact on hospitals is still to be determined. While not a formal conclusion of the Focus Group, availability of physiotherapy services was noted in their survey results. Inpatient physiotherapy has continued, uninterrupted at the Seaforth Hospital; outpatient physiotherapy and occupational therapy have resumed. The Board and the LAC acknowledge the cooperation and efforts of the SCH Trust, the Seaforth Community Development Trust and Huron East Municipal Council with respect to the Seaforth Community Health Centre and physician recruitment. The Alliance Board and Seaforth LAC remain committed to working with the community to ensure the most appropriate access to local healthcare and that Seaforth Community Hospital continues to be a strong and viable site for primary care. LAC meetings are open to the public; please contact Grace Dolmage at 527-3001 for meeting dates and times. Membership vacancies are advertised annually with applications welcomed from interested individuals in our community. HURON PERTH HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE