HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-12-02, Page 1Fresh Evergreen
Wreaths, soft pine or
deluxe mix
14
95
each
Cash wide -wry u.
COUNTRY FLOWERS
Exist tr
•
Serving S-outli Huron
Inside
Cutbacks
Municipalities dealt
new blow by province
page 3
Giving
Christmas Bureau
prepares for season
of need
page 5
Walpole?
What happened to
the Chiefs?
Second front
4-H awards
Annual ceremony in
Clinton
page 20
North Middlesex & Lambton
Since 1873
Grand Bend
man injured
in truck
collision
EXETER - A Grand Bend man
suffered major injuries after his
pickup collided with a tractor trail-
er on Highway 21 Thursday eve-
ning.
The Exeter OPP and the Zurich
Fire Department responded to the
accident call, in which a small
truck driven by Paul Janmaat of
Grand Bend became partially
wedged under the tractor trailer
driven by Mark Wallace of RR5
.Clinton.
In order to carry our the rescuer
the Zurich firefighters ended up us-
ing a four-wheel drive tractor to
separate the vehicles and free Jan -
meat, who was treated at South Hu-
ron Hospital for what police de-
scribed as "major" injuries.
The OPP say charges are pending
over the collision, but would not re-
lease further details at this time.
Candlelight
vigil to
remember
Montreal
massacre
GODERICH - A candlelight vigil
will once again be held in the Court
House Square in Goderich to re-
member the deaths of 14 women
killed in Montreal three years ago.
Stop Woman Abuse Now
(SWAN) of Huron County is orga-
nizing the third annual vigil to re-
member the deaths of the 14 female
students killed by a gunman at
Ecole Polytechniquc on the last day
of classes before the engineering
school's Christmas Holidays.
The vigil, to be held Sunday De-
cember 6, will run from 7:30-8
p.m. and will feature music and
speakers to link the Montreal kill-
ings to acts of violence by men
against women and children.
The vigil will be followed by mu-
sic and hot chocolate at the Livery
and organizers say all are welcome.
Annual
cookbook
included with
this issue
If you're planning on making
some special rec-
Mgipes for the holi-
day season you'll
want to check the
111110 annual T -A cook-
book which is in-
serted in all news-
papers this week.
Cheques are in the mail for this
year's winners: Jan Sedlak RRl
Centralia; Diane Kaak, RR2
Dashwood and Joanne
McKnight, hxeter.
fr
New equipment for /iospital
X-ray technologist Tom Bowen demonstrates the flexibility of the new x-ray equipment re-
cently purchased by and installed at South Huron Hospital. The larger of the two ma-
chines has a motorized bed, on which co-op student Cheryl Ballantyne is lying, which can
be rotated into any position from horizontal to vertical.
South Huron Hospital's new
$500,000 x-ray department
now up and running
EXETER - South Huron Hospital now has up and
running, $500.000 worth of new x-ray equipment
that gives the hospital a new technological edge in
providing health care to the community.
The new equipment not only allows the hospital
to maintain its emergency diagnoses for victims of
accidents and injuries, but also continues the shift
towards a more "out-patient oriented" form of
health care where patients can make a brief visit to
the hospital for an x-ray to keep a track on their
progress.
Tom Bowen, chief x-ray technologist, says the de-
partment handles between 30 and 40 patients a day
"which is alright for a so-called small hospital".
The equipment has completely replaced the hospi-
tal's previous x-ray system, which Bowen said was
purchased in 1976 for about $105,000 While the
new system may seem considerably more expen-
sive, Bowen explained that the costs cannot be easi-
ly compered because the new equipment has capa-
bilities far beyond what was available in 1976.
The Siemens equipment, made in Germany, is
also more efficient in its use of operator time
through the use of remote-controlled movements,
and more efficient in its use of x-ray radiation.
"This is 16 years after we bought the other one.
And the technology means that it uses a lot less ra-
diation to do the same thing. That's better for the
patient," said Bowen.
With no x-ray equipment made in Canada nowa-
days, the hospital board spent a year and a half eval-
uating equipme9t from German, Japanese, and
American mani facturers. The Siemens system
came out on top. Not coincidentally, it too was cho-
sen when the Clinton and Seaforth hospitals recent-
ly upgraded their x-ray departments.
"Right at the moment, this is the most advanced in
x-ray equipment in the world...this is it." said Bow-
en. who also notes the machine can be upgraded to
an all-digital system should the hospital wish to
eventually eliminate x-ray film entirely.
The board decided to purchase the current state-
of-the-art equipment mainly because they view it as
something of an investment. Canadian hospitals,
notes Bowen, upgrade x-ray systems only after 15
or 20 years, or "keep them until they break", unlike
American hospitals which may upgrade as frequent-
ly as every five or six years.
While the half -million dollar expense may seem
Continued on page two
In Goderich court
Parkhill woman pleads guilty to
defrauding Exeter bank of $200,000
GODERICH - A former Commercial Account Sup-
port officer for Exeter's Bank of Montreal branch
pleaded guilty in a Ooderich courtroom Friday, to
eight counts of fraud exceeding S1,000.
Leona Faye McIntosh of RR4 Paridtill, was original-
ly charged with four counts of fraud in November,
1991 following a two-month investigation by the Exet-
er Town Police into a bank fraud scheme.
After further investigation, four additional counts of
fraud were laid against McIntosh.
Although details of how the fraud was carried out
and exact amounts are unavailable until her sentenc-
ing, the charges involve a lots of over $200.000 from
1984-1991. However, that does not include interest
losses for that period nor the potential loss of income.
The Bank of Montreal assured all customer accounts
that may have been affected by fntudulatt transactions
have been reimbursed by the bank, although several
victims who sat in on the trial expressed their concern
at not yet being fully compensated in terms of interest
losses. Representatives of the bank were unavailable
as of press time for further comment.
The Bank of Montreal did submit a request to the
court for a compensation older, entitling them to resti-
tution from the accused.
The investigation, which began when bank officials
notified police of their suspicions, involved one full-
time town police officer exclusively dedicated to the
case, while the OPP Anti -Rackets Branch was also
brought in to assist.
The prosecution delivered a 25 -page summary of
their investigation to the court Friday, which will now
be scrutinized prior to Mclntoth's sentencing January
22. 1993.
Wednesday, December 2. 1992
iL
Gaiser-Kneale
Insurance
SerWce
itExperience
Value
235-2420
75 cents
Bean board will
ask government
for 'third line of
defense' subsidy
VARNA - When the Ontario
Bean Producers Marketing Board
meets with federal govemment offi-
cials -in Ottawa later this week, they
will be seeking the "third line of de-
fense" to help bean farmers hard hit
by the wet summer of 1992.
Charlie Broadwell, general man-
ager of the board, delivered that
news to local producers who met at
the Stanley Township Community
Centre Monday evening for their
annual district meeting. Broadwell
said the third line of defense, direct
government subsidies to farmers,
will likely be needed to make up
the difference between the bean
farmer's average return and 'what he
will end up with this year.
Broadwell said while the return
on an acre of white beans has aver-
aged to about $342 in past years, he
said a low eight -bag an acre yield
many farmers are getting is likely
only to earn about S200. Even after
crop insurance is added in, he said
a shortfall will still remain and that
should "fall into the third line of de-
fense".
Despite the bad Ontario crop,
Michigan bean producers did well,
producing over two million bags,
preventing bean prices from rising
above normal market values.
"You have to keep in mind the
price isn't going to run away,"
Broadwell told the farmers, and
added it will be hard enough to
convince Ottawa to boost the initial
payment on the crop to $14.00 a
bag.
Farmers were paid $10.79 when
they delivered their beans to the el-
evators this fall - an unrealistically
low price said assistant general
manager Marty Huzevka, since the
board is selling beans up to $30 and
$33. But Broadwell said holding
out for a payment of $3.21 a bag
will likely delay payment into the
new year.
"$3.20 in December is likely as
good as you'll get," said Broadwell.
A show of hands indicated the
members agreed and supported a
$3.20 payment if delivered in De-
cember.
A summer like 1992 hasn't been
recorded in Ontario for years said
Broadwell, and won't likely be seen
again for decades.
"It's probably once in a lifetime
that you've had such a mess and
you probably won't see it again,
and your children neither," he said,
adding that it is unfortunate this
summer fell on the Bean Board's
25th anniversary.
Crop insurance was another main
topic of discussion for the evening.
Some concern was expressed over
heir the crop price would be deter-
mined by the Crop Insurance Com-
mission, and it was argued that an
average harvest -time price as used
Continued on page two
Wet harvest means
Iayoffs at local
grain -mills
HENSALL - Poor weather has meant the local grain mills will have Lc
lay off some of their employees.
Friday afternoon, Dale Good, Branch Manager of W.G. Thompson and
Sons in Hensel', confirmed that due to the poor weather, the Hensel! mill
will be forced to layoff workers.
"We don't know at this point how many we're looking at it. We had the
boys together and asked anyone if they would volunteer to go on layoff.
You never know, some of the older ones may want to go south," said
Good.
He said there are 43 employees at the mill and added those who won't be
laid off will be kept busy.
"There are other things. There pre white beans to process and we've got
the seed operation which is more fortunate than some of the other facili-
ties.
The poor weather conditions have meant farniers have not been able to
get onto their fields and harvest the fall corn crop.
• "They're finding it tough and so are we," said Good who said the laid off
employees will be back in time for the spring harvest.
He said that Thompson's other facilities in Seaforth, Mitchell, Port Al-
bert, Granton and Ailsa Craig are in a similar predicament.
Other companies have been affected as well, at Cook's in Hensel!, Hank
Kraech, Chief Executive Officers said they will be laying off four or five
employees as well.
"We have to look at that at all our facilities," said Kraech.
Cook's has mills in Centralia, Kirkton, Parkhill and Walton.
Earl Wagner, General Manager at Hensall Co-op said the 20 employees
at their mill don't have to worry yet.
"We're okay for a while yet," he said.
Response to celebrity
Puncheon described
as 'overwhelming'
EXETER - While the totals aren't yet in, it is already clear that of-
ficials of Child Find of Huron County are elated with the response to
their fust ever Celebrity Luncheon held on Friday at restaurants
throughout the county.
Local "celebrities" took over duties as waiters and waitresses in
restaurants in Exeter, Clinton, Goderich, Wingham and Zurich. All
tips received and part of the price of the day's specials were donated
to the Child Find organization.
"Overall, everything went fantastic," said Julianne Varley of Child
Find Huron County, adding that the public gave the luncheon an
"overwhelming response".
"The celebrities I talked to had a really good time; they had fun,"
said Varley, adding that most of the restaurants liked the fundraiser
so much they are already asking when the next will be hold.
"It looks like it's going to become an annual thing," confirmed
Varley.
Varlcy said while some totals arc in from most of the restaurants
and communities, an overall picture on how much money the lunch-
eon raised for Child Find had not yet been tallied as of Monday eve-
ning. Even when the totals arc known, Varley said the Child Find
executive will be deciding Wednesday whether to break the funds
down by community, or to just release the overall figure.
Varlcy said the organization will certainly be sending written
thanks to all participating restaurants.
4