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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-01-29, Page 1SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 New Release Video Rentals 1.99 Ha dne 235.3535 SEIP'S valu-mart 4.& 83 Exeter 235-0262 Agent for Sketcbley qe,: itab• Cleans Inside Local reaction to preferred option See page 2 Johns' view on education reform See page 3 HCPPA supports single desk selling See page 9 Snowmobile Poker Rally See Crossroads Second front Livingston assumes role of Rec. Board chairperson EXETER - After bad weather postponed the South Huron Recre- ation and Community Ccntre Board meeting twice, the Board fi- nally met to vote in a new chairper- son and a vice -chairperson. Chan Livingston will assume the role of chairperson and Kathy Campbell was voted in a vice chairperson. - The position became available after Mike Soldan resigned as chairperson on January 9. after nine years of service. In a letter to the Rec. Board Soldan stated he was frustrated with the lack of ded- ication from some of the hoard members but said he felt uncom- fortable enforcing attendance at meetings and fundraising events because they were volunteers. As chairperson, Livingston said he has a special strategy to deal with the problem. "When you're dealing with vol- unteers you have to make them want to participate and I think if we keep everyone involved they will look forward to corning to our meetings," said Livingston. "Meet- ings have to be fun in order to en- joy them and I'm a fun guy." Livingston said his main objec- tive will be "keeping deficits away from the arena" and initiating an open door policy with board mem- bers. "I want any complaints to be open and referred to the whole board," he said. Chan Livingston Kathy Campbell Hospital no longer on critical list First step will focus on savings through reduction of administration and support services By Heather Mir Community hospitals including Goderich, Listowel and Wingham will add surgical and obstetrical services. Strat- ford will become the secondary or referral hospital to pro - MITCHELL - Move quickly. vide all basic and community services as well as special - That's the recommendation of the Huron -Perth District ized surgery, rehabilitation and paediatrics. Health Council in order to receive a favorable response The option "builds on the strenghts of the hospitals now" from the Ministry of Health for the establishment of a sin- and according to Bell, the service configuration is con- gle hospital system. sistent with the hospitals' proposal. Some "We need to move quickly to get this system modification has been made in the bed in place," said HPDHC Executive Director "There's a Fraser Bell during a press conference held good chance Monday. "It's somewhat unique." the commission Fraser added a quickly implemented approach before a commission is required will require a .will see the interim governance committee be established virtue in this." by June and a single senior management team be in place by September. The preferred option the DHC will recommend closely follows a proposal submitted by all eight Huron/Perth hos- pital boards. The option creates a single hospital system with a single board and one administrative team under the leadership of one chief administrator. The option provides all hospitals with 24-hour emergency services and inpatient medical beds as wellas chronic beds and outpatient clinics and various therapy services. These basic services will be provided in Clinton, Exeter, Seaforth and St. Marys. T -A Reporter ' distribution. South Huron Hospital will retain nine medicine beds and five chronic care beds, a reduction of 24 beds. A total of 406 beds will remain open throughout the system including 26 ob- stetric beds, 15 paediatric beds, 46 sur- gery/oncology beds, 114 medicine beds, 14 ICU beds, 133 chronic care beds, 20 rehabilitation beds and 38 psyciatric beds. Clinton, Seaforth' and St. Marys will lose surgical beds due to a decision to consolidate surgery. Rehabilitation beds will now be available in Huron County in Wingham where 5 beds will be established in addition to 15 in Strat- ford. No further public meetings are planned by the DHC al- though "constructive suggestions on the refinements to the preferred option are welcome." Send comments to the DHC office at 235 St. George Street, Mitchell, Ontario NOK I NO. "We feel we have been able to address those concerns very well through this proposal," said Task Force Chair Janet Hook of the issues raised at open houses. "There's a good chance the commission will see the vir- tue in this," added Bell. Although a financial savings target of 20 per cent was set by the Task . Force, the preferred option saves approximate- ly 13 per cent. The DHC describes this $10.4 million re- duction as a first step that finds savings primarily through consolidation of administration and support services. The DHC plans to work with' hospital•boards to create an interim governance structure that will hire a single CEO. A single financial structure must also be established and the structure of the system needs to be further defined. Monday's annoucement did not go into detail regarding where the administration would be centered or how many jobs would be lost in the restructuring. Prior to being for- warded to the Minister of Health, a final report will he brought to the DHC for approval in March A long-term goal of the DHC is to create an integrated delivery system for health care throughout Huron -Perth. This would encompass all health services including long- term care and health units. However, for the immediate fu- ture, all resources will be focused towards this first step in the process, a single hopsital system. Photo and comments on page 2 Homuth hats The Homuth brothers model their zany pointed "jester" hats while walking home from Exeter Public School on Thursday. The brothers say the hats have become popular among their peers. Jake, 7, rests his elbows on his brothers, from left Mitch, 10, Zak, 12, and Clint, 9. Live rodeo is comin The board will pay $16,000 to bring a rodeo to town in hopes of making it an annual community event By Chris Skaikos T -A Reporter EXETER - The rodeo is coming to town. The South Huron Recreation and Community Centre Board officially decided to bring a live rodeo show to town during a Recreation Board meeting on Thursday night. A Bar K Rodeo Productions, based in Corunna, will put on a sev- en -event rodeo from August 8, to10 featuring saddle hronc riding, bare- back riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping, ladies' barrel racing and hull riding. The act will be complete with clown per- formances and additional entertain- ment. The Rec, Board has discussed bringing the event to Exeter since rodeo representatives approached the Exctcr Business Association (EBA) a few weeks ago. After gauging interest from the com- munity, Rec. Board members agreed it would be a worthwhile event. "I think it's a great idea. I've talked to a lot of people and I see a lot of interest," said board member Dave Urlin. The board will pay $16,000 for the show and estimates it will spend $4,000 on promotion. Chairperson Chan Livingston said the rodeo will have to be pro - muted heavily in order to make a profit. "This is a big project and we can make some big bucks or lose some big bucks," said Livingston. "Eve- ryone seems enthusiastic about this but we're going to have to get a lot of people involved to make it work." The Rec. Board has struck up an organizing committee and hopes other community groups will get involved. Urlin said if the community em- braces the idea and the rodeo is fi- nancially successful, it could be- come an annual event similar to Dashwood's Friedsburg Days or +' Continued on page 2 Plans for elimination of cemetery board EXETER - Exeter Council has put the wheels in motion to dis- solve the Cemetery Board as part of an initiative to stream -line town operations. It has been suggested by re 'structuring consultants- that ce- metery operations be combined with Parks and Recreation to achieve efficiencies. The decision comes in reaction to a reduction of transfer payments from the prov- ince, as . well as downloading of roads to municipalities. Following last week's regular meeting, council passed a motion to • prepare a bylaw to dissolve the board. Members of the board re- ceived notice of this decision in the mail on Monday. Although council has offered board members the opportunity "to carry on as an advisory board with recommending powers during the restructuring program," (he board has not commented on this pro- posal. Board Chair Andy DcBoer and members Peter McFalls and Olga Davis expressed concerns with dis- solution of the board. In addition to maintenance, fi- nancial and service issues, board members seemed most upset with the thought of funeral arrangements being made without proper sen- sitivity through the municipal of- fice. "Would you like to Zinc up for fu- neral arrangements?" asked Dc - Boer. Davis, an 18 -year member of the board, added, "I have a lot of loved one buried up there...I would not like to sec it deteriorate." Communication has admittedly been a problem between council and the Cemetery Board. Ac- cording to some hoard, they were not consulted prior to the decision to shut down the greenhouses. A memo was instead sent to inform the superintendent. "You have to deal with the reality and that is we want to stream -line things. There aren't that many sales a year that you can justify somebody sitting in an office at the cemetery," said Mayor Ben Hoo- genboom. Town Administrator Rick Hun- dey explained dissolving the Ce- metery Board is part of a re- structuring plan that involves thy. 're -organization of town services expected to generate between $218,000 and $401,000 annually. Every town agency, board and de- partment will be affected in this re- structuring. Consultants hircd to complete the town's internal restructuring study rnet with members of the Cemetery Board who felt their voices were heard. The resignation of Cemetery Su- perintendent Harry Knip sped up the process to beginre- organization of the cemetery opera- , tions,and at present, Knip has been retained on contract to handle nec- essary funeral arrangements. air Continued on page 2 Charges laid in connection with fatal car accident HURON COUNTY - As a result of a single vehicle accident that oc- curred on Nov: 24, 1996, Sarah Le - Beau, 20, of Stanley Township, R1 Brucefield,,has been charged and will appear in Goderich court on Nov. 17. Charges include: four counts of criminal negligence causing death, four counts of impaired driving causing death, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing bodily harm and driving over the legal limit (80 mgs). The single collision occurred on Huron County Road 31, north of Varna, in which a 1995 Chevrolet Camero carrying six occupants was involved in a collision that killed Neal Atchison, 20, of Clinton, Brian Hill, 21, of Stanley Town- ship, Pamela King, 20, of Clinton and Mark Webster, 19, of Stanley Township. Severe injuries were received by Brandon Gardner, 19, of Vanastra. Financial advice you can count on! 1410 Poe George God bolt CLU, CPP 496 Main Street Exeter ON 235-2740 When it comes to investment and tax strategies, retirement and estate planning, and more, we have the expertise and technology needed to secure your financial future. Call me today for financial advice you can count on! Wonted with Mutual Lde of Canada/Mutual Investco Inc . two comparnea of The Mutual Group. aMate is utual affair The Mutual Group