Times Advocate, 1989-12-20, Page 1Don't
Drink
and
Drive
2.
ill
Gaiser- ' t eale
Insurance
Exeter 235-2420
Grand Bend 238-8484
Hensall 262-2607
Clinton 482-9747
North Middlesex & Lambton
Wednesday, December 20, 1989
75 cents
We'll be late
for next week
EXETER- Due to Christmas
Day and Boxing Day falling on
Monday and Tuesday, publication
of the Times Advocate will be de-
layed by one day next week.
Advertising deadlines will be
moved ahead to Friday at 4 p.m.
Correspondence and other news
items may be deposited in the mail
slot in the front door as early as
possible.
The paper will. be printed
Wednesday afternoon for delivery
Thursday morning.
The first issue of 1990 sched-
uled for Wednesday, January 1
will be printed and delivered on
the regular schedule.
Permits
set new
record
EXETER - Building in Exeter
this year will far surpass all previ-
ous records for the town.
Building official Dave Moyer
told council Monday evening the
total value of building permits for
November was $267,090, bringing
the year's total to $7,535,762. Last
year at the end of November, the
town had issued only S6.5 million
in permits.
November, however, showed a
definite slowdown in building starts
when compared with October's
S 1.3 million in issued permits.
When asked by council if
Exeter's construction would
reach the S8 million mark by
the end of December,
Moyer replied he • thought
it was unlikely.
December last year saw
permits worth only S116,345
issued.
Name head
of planning
EXETER - Bruce Eccles
has been named chairman
of the Exeter planning
advisory committee for 1990'x.,
Vice-chairman is Gaylan Joseph-
son.
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Teachers picket-Riddell's office
Protesting lack of dialogue from province over pensions
EXETER - Morc than 50 Huron
County teachers picketed MPP
Jack Riddell's office Wednesday,
protesting impending government
legislation that would put control
over the teacher's pension fund
squarely in the hands of the prov-
ince.
Georgina Reynolds, president of
the Huron Women Teachers Asso-
ciation, said the demonstration
was an effort to call. attention to
Teachers picket MPP Jack Riddell's Constituency office was be-
seiged by about 50 Huron County teachers Wednesday afternoon.
They were protesting proposed government legislation which would
take teachers' pension funds out of their hands.
Ontario teachers' demand that Bill
66 be scuttled before it is passed
in the next few days.
The teachers claim the bill al-
lows complete government control
over the pension fund, to the point
of being able to expropriate sur-
plus funds insteadof returning
those funds to the pension plan.
Estimates place the pension sur-
plus as high as $1.8 billion, but the
teachers are angered by minister
of education Scan Conway's refu-
sal to meet with the Ontario
Teachers Federation to negotiate
aii agreement on the pension plan.
The Federation is also catling
for the minister's resignation over
the matter.
Riddell's office was one of 15
picketed in Wednesday's orga-
nized action by the Federation, but
the demonstrators said they did
not expect Riddell to be in his of-
fice at the time. They were more
concerned with calling public at-
tention to their cause. The crowd
of 50 -plus picketers certainly
caught the eyes of passersby.
"On short notice like that, we
were quite happy with the the
turnout," said Reynolds. She add-
ed that public response to the dem-
onstration showed there was not
only public understanding of the
teachers' concerns, but support for
their position.
Reynolds said the demonstration
resulted in a Friday afternoon
meeting with Riddell, with the
hope the MPP would bring the
teachers' message with him to
Queen's Park on Monday.
The demands of. the Teachers'
Federation include a revised pen-
sion structure to allow for better
benefits while giving the teachers
a voice in future distribution of thc
funds.
"What we're worrcd about is run-
ning oat of pension funds in the fu-
ture," said Reynolds, referring to
the government's plans to siphon
off surplus funds.
"This is where we would like to
have a share in what is going to
happen to it," she said.
Delay decision on possible
new area fire agreement
EXETER - The Exeter and area
fire board has agreed not to hold
any more discussions about chang-
ing the joint agreement until as-
sessment rolls are received in Jan-
uary and clerks of all
municipalities have had a chance
to put together assessments and
calculate new percentage.
A proposal from Usborne town-
ship consists of removal of farm
land and vacant land assessment
for eight months of the year.
Another concern which bothered
Usborne was the response time to
the eastern part of the township.
Tom Tomes of Stephen thanked
Usborne for their presentation and
questioned the status of "farm-
land" assessment. 1t was learned
that this class of assessment in-
cluded the barns, silos, farm out-
buildings as well as the assess-
ment for the farm land. Vacant
land class had no buildings.
He stated that Stephen Council
had several concerns with the pro-
posal - it was feared that Stephen
and Hay would end up paying
more if each municipality paid for
its own fire calls besides the per-
cent share of the operating cost of
the department. He stated that if
Usbome felt they should have
more representation on the Board,
Stephen was willing to give up
their scat as five percent perhaps
did not justify a voting representa-
tive.
Tomes states that if the members
looked at the breakdown of assess-
ment and percentages for 1988
and then at the 1989 breakdown
Please turn to page 3
Redecorating - South Huron Hospital administrator Don Currell
holds up the blueprint devised by a colour consultant to brighten up
the patients' section of the hospital.
New colour scheme
Hospital
renovates
EXETER - South Huron Hospi-
tal has just had a rejuvenating
face-lift. The stately matron of
Huron Street was looking a bit
frumpy, still wearing the styles
and colours of a past cra.
"The place was in need.of a gen-
eral brightening up. A hospital
should have an environment con-
ducive to patients getting better.
Staff also need a place where they
arc cheered," administrator Don
Currell explained. .
A colour consultant was brought
in to design the changes. Currell
pointed out that many studies have
proven the psychological effect of
colours on one's environment, in-
fluencing attitudes and energy.
The colour scheme is based on a
palette of teal blue and rose.
All thc hard -surface flooring in
the hallways and rooms of the
wards and semi -private wing, and
the cafeteria, have been replaced
for the first time in 25 years.
The dark thresholds into pa-
tients' rooms that were sometimes
mistaken for steps have been elim-
inated. The new pattern gives an
illusion of more width in the hall-
ways.
Patients' rooms were repainted,
and each has one wall papered.
The rooms arc all outfitted with
new drapes and cubicle curtains.
Most of the chairs have been reup-
holstered.
Hallways and the nursing sta-
tion got new coats of cithcr paint
or wallpaper. The cafeteria was
transformed with a coat of paint
and new fuiniture.
The S80,000 total cost of the re-
decorating came from thc hospi-
tal's capital fund, built up primari-
ly from donations car -marked
exclusively for projects to en-
hance the facilities and equipment.
The Hospital Auxiliary made a
recent donation of S55,000. This
money will be spent for a hurt
monitor, an ECG machine, and lab
and physiotherapy equipment.
The amount of service provid-
ed by the Exeter hospital is in-
creasing rapidly: Most depart-
ments recorded about a 25 percent
growth in thc past five years. The
number of patient days has grown
from 9,777 in 83 to 11,145 in
1988. In that same period, the
number of x-rays taken expanded
from -8,353 to 11,435. In the first
tight months of this year, 8,5(X)
out-patients were treated.
As the arca population grows,
Currell anticipates more activity iri
all departments. The increasing de-
mand is straining facilities that
were designed to cope with fewer
numbers. Short-term and long-
range plans arc being drafted to
remedy this.
The next project in the immediate
future, straightening out the kink in
the basement, is in the last steps of
negotiation with the provincial min-:
istry of health. Anyonewho has
ventured through thc - winding cor-
ridors knows how easy it is to get
lost in the present lay -out.
The obstetrics and operating
room wing could he used to im-
prove geriatric care. A chronic
care wing should have its own rec-
reation and dining facilities.
Expanding thc x-ray dcparunent
and modernizing the emergency
room arc being considered. More
privady at the admitting desk is an-
other desk.
Currcll, the staff, the hoard and
the hard-working volunteers arc
united in their desire to have South
Huron Hospital renovate,, update,
and improve to continue to feet
the needs of the community it k
there to serve.
f'enovated cafeteria - South Huron Hospital staff members Tom
Bowen (left), Norma Cooper and Leroy Edwards take a break in the
hospital's freshly decorated cafeteria.
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