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Times Advocate, 1997-07-02, Page 4ge 4 Times -Advocate, July 2, 1997 ublisher & Editor: Jim Beckett uslness Manager Don Smith roduction Manager Deb. Lord avertising Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy iews; Heather Mir, Craig Bradford Brenda Burke, Kate Monk, Ross Haugh 'roduction; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner •ransoortation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert • =root Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue•Rollings, Ruth Sjaght Tuthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple, Carol Windsor • The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers �C, I,M fOM ,) providing news, advertising and information leadership. EDITORIAL Finally, some guidance on hospitals he province has finally pro- vided some direction to groups working to restructure rural hospital services. It's beena long time coming.. - We finally have the Rural and North- ern Hospitals policy and it goes out of its way to recognize the distinct nature of rural Ontario. It's nothing we don't know out here, such as greater driving distances, problems with winter -trans portation and the need to have hospitals -to recruit -doctors and industry. But health case activists- shouldn't rest too. much ontheir laurels as while emergency care will be -maintained, some hospitals will end up with no in- patient beds. It's the first time Ontario has had a ru- ral health care policy and the province should he congratulated. Itshould also: be lauded for the reinvestment in corn- - munity care announced last Friday: The new money; which is' on its -way before, the hospital restructuring will .be com- plete. will go a long way to fill,the gaps created -by. having smaller hospitals..'- - The goal of linking area hospitals and making sure they work together more - than before is as good and has been called for by local residents There's hope that with more access to specialty doctors- through the use of telemedicine ' that more young physicians will choose to practise in rural Ontario. Most rural areas,coulduse more doc- tors, as Exeter could, as'we know. Hospitals in Huron andPerth counties appear to be moving towards the guide- lines already, with the closure of beds, and the formation of one.' administration and governance structrtre. , There's less to fear from the provincial : restructuring commission as well., as it Will follow the new guidelines. Health Minister Jim Wilson did.say that if local -communities wanted to close their,hospitals because there was another one close by, -they could, -but that worild be determined locally.: But the policy doesn't mean our`hospi= tats will stay the same asthey are now, oras they were a year ago, - , , The policy guarantees 24-hour access. to:emergency services, if the hospital is beyond a certain distance from a larger hospital, obstetrics and some surgery. Beyond that, as tong as those services'. are provided within the -system (groups of -hospitals working together). it needn't ' be provided everywhere. People: in this area can breathe a bit easier, butwe must remain vigilant. as changes certainly will continue to come as hospitals in the area are restructured. We must r.einember it was community" • action which helped create this policy. Winghuin rh•an(•;I-Tines. • Your Views Letters to the editor Alzheimer Tag. Day.Jeld "Thank you to odr volunteers and thank .you to each community for helping to raise awareness about Alzheimer disease" - Dear Editor: On Saturday, May 31. 1997, the Alzheimer Socie- ty of Huron -County held the fourth annual Alzhei mer Tag day.. This year vdlunteers collected dona- tions in eight locations, Goderich. Bayfield, Clinton, Exeter. Seaforth, Wingham. Zurich and Hensall. ,Through-the_special-effotxs_nf:our_yulunteers_ and - the .generosity• of: each .community. we raised $3279.!14. The looney we raise each year is used in various ways. 'Ten percent of our fund raising total is sent to laboratories to support ongoing .research into- the disease. .Weekly there .is news that provides hope • that a cause and a cure will be found for Alzheimer disease, - As well.. the Alzheimer Society ,uses the money raised to purchase the latest books. videos. and tapes for resource and educational purposes. This material is available free of charge at the Alzheimer Society office in Clinton. Thank -you to our volunteers and thank -you to each community for helping, to raise awareness absJat Alzheimerdisease.:_� Fragces Hook President Alzheimer Society'of Huron County.'' A View from Queen's Park By Eric Dowd Publications Mail Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One year rate for Canada subscribers - $35.00 + OST Two year rats for Canada subscribers -.S63.00 + GST OTHER RATES Outside Canada - S102.00 Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6 by 1.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-5192361331 • Fax: 519-235-0766 O.S.T. #R105210835 I JUST SAW SHEILA COPPS WALKINGDOWN 1HE HALL...101.PESS! Student Employment By Carrie McCone Preparing for the job interview The interview can either'make or break your chances of getting - a job.-. It is important to be well-prepared so: you can repre-• sent yourself in the best way • possible and help ensure -thein- terview will - be success- - fur.*Learn about the 'employer -- think. about why you want to work for the company. - . *Brainstorm some questions - you can ask during ,,the inter- view.such :is: - • - How large is your company'' - What are the main duties of the job? : . - What are the- hours of the job''How long has the company - been. in,business? - -Do you -have a training pro gran? -• -` .. _ Would I ' be -working alone -roost."of the -time: or with oth-. ers?When. will I get the results of the interview'' - *Think . about the' questions you might .be asked and how you would , respond. , . Prepare -a folder to'take with yoti;ihat contains:. . -a copy.of resume. '. • - letter(s) of .recommendation nrxeference sheet, -blank paper. and pen for - notes, - • -company information and.. a. list of questions you have pre - *Phone to confirm. your inter- view and the address. *Always 4ress one step above - what you would wear it you got the • job. - •- *Go alone to the interview .- leave your parents and • friehds . behind! *If possible, -check your ap- pearance in the rest room before arriving at the job interview. *Introduce yourself to the re-. ceptionist iif applicable), men- tion - your appointment. thank them and wait quietly . •- *While waiting fgr your inter- view. review : youk notes and read job-related material. - . - *Try. to:relax while you are Waiting for the interview to be- gin. [t is generally during the inter- view when an employer will de- cide whether - or _not you are- right. reright. for the job. Think of the 'interview as -an auditiorn:.: al ways be aware of how you are presenting yourself. . Here are sometips to help you make :a good impression during the• in- terview. Do: . ''project a positive attitUdr= : . -*shake hands firmly with -the interviewer. the offyie at 281 Main St. .- .*maintain eye contact with the - interviewer: • - *let, your 'sense of humor show, - - *show enthusiasm and energy: _ *•pay attention & think before you answer questions. , , - *be aware_'of your posture, • , yourtone,& energy level. - Don't: - *sit ;down until you etre asked to do so. . • *smoke or chew gum, *fidget or slouch. -*ramble - be concise ' *criticize former employers. - *joke around or initiate unre- • lated.conversation - *volunteer ;potentially nega-. • tive. information. This article should allow you - to better prepare'yourself for an interview. - By being better• pm - pared. you greatly increase your - chances of becoming- . �m- ployed. Next week I will.. be - - writing about fair working con- ditions. the- - Canadian Human Rights Act as well as health and safety laws. - Until then.. ooJ luck -on your job search. I I can be of any as- ' 'sistance to either employers or. "students please feet tree io-E,en -- tact meat 235-1711 or drop by - Toronto -- Premier Mike Harris and his Pro- gressive Conservatives are in trouble because they sometimes ask others to accept hardships they are unwilling to bear themselves. The latest example is that of the municipal af- fairs ffairs and housing minister, Al Leach, who tried to get a commission to reverse its decision to close two hospitals he said were important to his riding and has been rebuked by the integrity commissioner. • Leach is a high ranking minister in a Conser- vative government which keeps telling people they should learn to live with reduced services so spending can be cut and taxes lowered. Leach was unable to accept it, however, when the Health Services Restructuring Commission Harris set up to choose which hospitals to close decided to shut the two he felt important. Leach wrote to the commissio'. if health ex- perts, which Harris had gone out of his way to , say would operate at arm's length so politicians would not interfere with its decisions. The commission has already ordered 24 hospi- tals closed and Leach argued his two hospitals were unique and more valuable and new infor- mation was available and more time -should be given to consider it. Leach's intervention was made public when he boasted to a constituent he had secured more time. - The commission knew Leach had Harris's ear, was particularly powerful on municipal issues including taxation, even helped appoint its mem- bers and could be a forceful opponent. Opposition MPPs were upset because Leach tried to exert influence they could not match even if they wanted, because they have no min- isters, and might even cause other hospitals to be closed to keep his favorites open. - Leach scoffed Liberal health critic Gerard Kennedy was 'talking nonsense' when he threat- ened to take the issue to the integrity commis- sioner, former judge Gregory Evans, who has Need to suffer pain for gain not always been receptiverto opposition pro tests. • . .• But Evans has now ruled Leach's intervention• with the hospital commission was inappropriate and a flagrant breach of parliamentary conven- tion that ministers do not try to influence quasi- judicial boards set up to operate at arm's.length. This'is only the tip of the iceberg. Two more of Harris's ministers, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dianne Cunningham and Solicitor General Bob Runciman, have now been re- vealed as having written to the commission try- ing to prevent hospitals being closed. The commission has ordered hospitals closed in many parts of the province including the francophone Montfort Hospital in Ottawa de- spite pleas from such heavyweights as Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Quebec Premier Lu- cien Bouchard. But the Tories oddly have managed to open a hospital in the small community of Burks Falls, which just happens to be in the riding of Depu- ty Premier and Finance Minister Ernie lives, who hats final say on every cent the government spends. - ' - The government insists Eves did not use in- fluence, but someone on the local health centre board let slip that 'Ernie was very good in help- ing us with all of this. We owe Ernie a debt of gratitude.'' Health Minister Jim Wilson has assured con- stituents a hospital in his own riding.will not be closed, although the commission had not even studied it. The Tories have closed a host of bases for fighting forest fires but miraculously left un- tduched two in theridingsof Eves and Natural Resources Minister Chris Hodgson, where fire dangers are not as severe. The Tories also have won admiration for some of their cuts, but people will expect them to suffer pain for gain like everyone else.