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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-11-12, Page 26MMLINITY Times -Advocate, November 12, 1997 Page 25 Huron District Lodge #8 and #67 - Above The installing officers for Huron District # 8 are pictured from. back !eft Donald Dearing (GC), Harold Parsons (DDJPG), Charles Atthill (DDGS), Bill Rowe (DDGM), Lloyd Hodgins (DDJPG), Fred Delbridge (DOGS), Bob Glenn (DDGH), Lloyd Ferguson (DOGP) and Cecil Pepper (DDGFS). Bottom from !eft are installers Ray Cann (DDGM), Wilmer Adkins (DDIG), Bill Moses (DOW), Bruce Delbridge (DDGM), Bev Parsons (DDG$), Alex Miekle (DDGM). These officers install lodges in Stratford, Brucefield, Clinton, Brussels and Sea - forth. Below The officers for. Exeter Lodge # 67 for 1997/98 are from back !eft Donald Dearing (PG), Harold Parsons (RSNG), Charles Atthill (sec.), -Lloyd Hodgins (tres.), John Battel (Ward.),. Bill Rowe (Mus.), Bob Glenn (OG), Bruce Delbridge (DOGMC), Cecil Pepper (RSVG), Bob Coates (RSS), Bev Skilner (CB). Bottom left are officers Ray Cann (FS), Ben Fisher (Cond.), Bob Kerslake (. SS), Bev Parsons'(NG), Jack Brintnell (LSVG), Wilmer Atkins (1G), Sam Skinner (LSNG), Lloyd. Ferguson (VG). It's time to get your shot 70-80 per cent of 'people who. are untreated for influenza are at a high risk of'death By Chantall Van Raay T -A Reporter HURON COUNTY - Running a fever. suffering aches and pains and headaches can mean more than having a bug, it_ could mean you are suffering from • iniluenza. a respiratory infection which can put you out for.up to. two weeks and could ultimately_ cause death if pre,cautiuns are not taken. One of the' • most important pre ,cautions one should -take. according to the Huron County, Health Unit. is that individuals should receive a flu they can .be in bed cine. She said some people believe., shot in the tall. These shots are ad -that the vaccine lowers one's im- for up to two weeks , - ministered at alt health units as well munitysystem. • ' as by any family physician •with potentially clan- ' .. p. y There's nu scientific background. This is the time of year when flu •gerous symptom& that this is true." she said. "It actual- • shots are administered at a high rate. ly can stimulate the immune system Because of the colder weather and close contact by receiving the vaccine every year." with people. this communicable disease is at its' . -The vaccine only lasts six'to eight months.'so it is worst. : advisable for one to get the shot in November so Accdrding to the Ontario Nursing Home Guide= , 'that it lasts until spring. , lines for the prevention of influenza in- ping -term • Still. Farrell said that •not everyone can get the care facilities. 60 per cent of 'people in long-term shot. • . care.are at a risk oI contacting influenza. without the. ..., It you .al.ready.:hdye,.intluenza or 'a cold you •vaccine. 50-70 percent of these indi'iduals are hos="' shouldn't get the shot." she said. adding that those pitalized and 70-80 per cent of people who are un- with an allergy to eggs orthimersol should not get treated are at t high risk of death.. • the shot because the • vaccine contains egg protein Although everyone 'should receive the vaccine. . and a thimersol preservative.' Public Health inspector with the -communicable dis- ease team at the Huron County Health Unit Laura Farrell explained some people are at a, higher risk of contacting influenza. -Those individuals include chif- dren• and adults with heart and lung disorders:'any . age group residing in long-term care facilities: those over 65: children and adolescents ages six months to 18 years with ASA; those infected with the HIV virus: those who will be travelling to countries with high influenza cases and adults living or .working with the elderly. r • The symptoms of influenza include those similar to a cold. It, accommodates a cough: fever. head; ache. and aches and pains. But unlike the Cold. -.once . someone contacts influenza they can be in bed for . up to two Weeks with potentially Once someone dangerous symptoms.' ' • .Farrell 'said there are mis- COntaCtS' inluenza conceptions about, getting the vac - 'Bend United records looked "created" By Craig Bradford T -A Reporter SARNIA - Cheryl Sue Pearen didn't turn over financial records from 1987-1990 after she was re- lieved of her duties as Grand Bend United Church treasurer, a pro-' vincial court trial heard last week. Pearen, 52. is charged with steal- ing more ,than $ 1.000 from the church between '87 and '92. The Crown alleges Pearen stole more . than $150.000 in cheques made payable to cash on the church's ac- • counts and deposited it into her own account during that time. Fanner Grand Bend United stew- ard committee chairperson Robert Illman said he asked Pearen to hand over all church records and prop- erty on March 6. 1992. the day af- ter the church board voted to sus- pend her. Records for '87-90 were not included in document boxes and other material Illman received the next day when he visited Pearen at her home. He added an ac- counting ledger found in one of the boxes labeled '91 looked to be "something that was created." "It didn't look like it had been used for a year," Illman said, add- ing the writing looked to be"con- sistent" like the book had been filled in at the same time. Ellman said Pearen had' several opportunities to ,answer questions about reported discrepancies in church financial records, but when • he asked' her about fees not being paid on bine Pearen answered she would look after it. When Illman suggested in '91 that two signatures. be required on every church, cheque, Pearen (who had sole signing authority) said the added autograph would be "very in- convenient" and she "couldn't work under those circumstances." The trial continues this week. — With files from Scott Stephen- son of the Sarnia Observer. •1331 County delayed decision on zone landfills HURON CTY. - The decision to create a two -zone system for waste management in Huron County was put on the back burner Thursday by Huron County Council. County Waste Management co- ordinator Craig Metzger wanted the council to give notice it would soon make a decision on the Waste Management Master Plan which has been in the works for 10 years, hut the council did not agree. Council, in Tight of the Municipal election and on-going discussions between the host municipalities of the zone landfills, decided a deci- sion'could not be- made until the - new council had time to familiarize itself with the issue. The Municipal Act requires. 60 days notice be given before County Council considers a proposed Waste Management Plan. Metzger wanted that 60 day notice period to - begin Thursday,.but council deeid- ; ed to defer the decision to give notice untill their 'meeting in January. , Morris Township will host one of. the zone landfills and Reeve Bob Elliott asked why the county wants to proceed with the decision "so - quickly." Elliott said more preparation time is needed before letting a new Coun- cil decide on such an important and complicated issue. Reeve Bi -II Mickle of Exeter host of the other zone landfill, 'agreed with Elliott. He said county • . council membership is facing a dra- matic change in 'the upcoming elec- tion and a period of time will be needed for new councillors to • become familiar with the waste management issue which has:taiten 10 years if - - olve. He said there'is still much discus- sion.needed between Exeter and, Morris to come to a -consensus regarding differing "philosophies" and to develop a plan which• is workable for all municipalities con- cerned. That discussion and plan- ning, however, will take time -- more time than 60 days. "It's not a simple exercise," said Mickle. "We are looking way down into the future and a lot of work has to be done." . The key component of the new waste management plan is the des- ignation of two existing landfill sites in Exeter and Morris Township as long-term landfill sites for all the municipalities in the county. Then, as existing municipal landfill sites reach capacity. their municipal waste will he redirected to one. of the zone landfills: Reeve Tom Cunningham of Hullett Township agreed more time. is needed, but added once the zone agreement is reached, the county should remove itself from the! process and let the municipalities handle their own affairs in regards to'waste. "I hope the role of the county will diminish and be minimal," he said. Cunningham questioned one of the recommendations. of a draft waste management report Metzger distributed to members of the coun- cil. - The recommendation concerned . the establishment of • operating guidelines for existing landfill sites! -. The guidelines include monitor -11 ing programs. site supervision and schedt!les for seasonable sampling' of the sites. . , ' Despite ,Metzger's assurances' the guidelines- could be ignored,or,used '1 • by the municipalities., Cunningham said the existence of the guidelines would mean -continual monitoring - by the county and more work for the municipalities. "We need to revisit the recom- mendations to discover what will. work and decrease the bureaucra- cy," said Cunningham. Reeve Jack Coleman of Stanley Township asked about the possibili- ty of expanding existing municipal dump facilities. •Metzger replied the 'County's •. waste management master plan intended to' dear with .waste op a • general, county -wide basis, and as such is intended to save.the muhic'i - palities money and the bureaucratic ' concerns which come with operat- • •' ing a landfill.. ' He said Stanley Township is free to expand its landfill if it wants to. - hut noted' the 'township should be• prepared to face the inherent.risks • of geological tests and'environmen• - tal regulations and certification required to expand. , He explained the zone system will benefit the county by,ensuring the Morris and Exeter sites have the • capacity and the ,environmental: approvals in place. Then,' When existing municipal ,landfills reach ,capacity: the county need'only-pass a by-law. to redirect the municipal . waste IO the zone landfill. , - ' Reeve Mason Bailey of Blyth said tfle whole idea of acdepting' a ,zone system is' little more than "smoke and mirrors" being used to . ' •convince -council there isa,need for . such a system. "Municipalities are. capable of booking after their Owh affairs." said Bailey. ' ' - Reeves demand more information HURON CTY.. '- Over the. Iasi several years, county councillors have repeatedly`co--mplained ihey do not have enough information, to govern effectively. ,Thursday at .County Council. they demanded change. - Reeve Bill Vanstone of Colborne Township said council -should con •`?sider going back to the way .the vounty used ttrdu-business. ,- dis= cussing matters more fully at coun- ty council rather than at the corn: mince level. He said the council meetings he attended 10 years.,ago. before the current committee system was established. were longer hut far more meaningful. Vanstone said it may have cost money to conduct full-day rather .than half-day council meetings. but . it was money well spent.' He said paying for lunch for the council members was small money com- pared .to the big dollars put at risk - when council has to make deci- sions without facts. - "Maybe what we are saving is' costing."•said Vanstone adding the ..next council should. "Take a darned hard look at going back (to. the pre- ' vious system and not forward." The county operates through committees which meet each month and bring recommendations for- ward for County 'Council',s approval. Trusting the committees have discussed, matters fully before- hand, the council members are given agenda minutes from the • committees with brief summaries of the discussions. At council, the normal routine is quick and efficient. County Clerk - Administrator Lyn Murray reads cr ors cam m ittee recd endation the Warden asks for'questions. • usually there are no questions. ' the, motion is Carried. Murray reads another .recommendation, and the process begins again... The • committee' system was designed to save,time and money. The„county council meetings used to last alfday, but now usultlly wrap up before noon. The result is coun- ty, taxpayers don't have to provide lunch to the council members and only need pay them for a half-day rather than full-day meeting. - The whole discussion opened when .Reeve Tom Cunningham of Hullett Township noted how little -information was contained in'the ,council's agenda minutes for the Health and Seniors committee. Directing his comments at the Clerk -Administrator. Cunningham said the agenda summaries for all the committees have become increasingly ttiin and cryptic over the Last several years and, if” the trend continues he could see no need for thb founcil to meet.month- . ly. • • As it stands, he•said, county council would be just as effective if it met every couple months just to get an' update on how the adminis- tration has been running the county. "We must demand more informa- tion so we. can do our job better."said Cunningham. , Murray responded by saying. "I• believe these minutes are compre- . hensive.". She noted her office has never provided verbatim transcripts of committee meeting but tries to convey the general sense of the dis- a a place.' ' cussions and arguments which took . , ,, , ,-Reeve.. Carol Mitchell of Clinton disagreed..She, reminded Murray • council members have repeatedly ' complained about the lack .of infer- . ma'ti6n prdvided by rhe county administration over the last several �, years. "Obviously'they (the agenda minutes) are ndt comprehensive. - enough." said Mitchell. . F • ' Murray said the administration , wills try to put more in !future min- utes.: in-utes.: • Reeve Bill-Mickle of Exeter. agreed with Vanstone. and requested . an item be placed on the first agen- da of the new council to consider a review of county government aper- ations. . He said the efforttto save, taxpay- er's'money has gone too far.: "We (council) no longer under • - stand what's needed to represent the people." said Mickle.- "We need to • revisit: the- operations of.this -cham- ber." Reeve Mason Bailey, of Bly¢h . also supported the idea and outlined his disillusionment with how the cbunty government operates. He said he was proud to be elect- ed Reeve four years ago and was looking forward to the challenge of representing his piece of the county but soon realized the council had little to do -wityh how, the county - really operates. - "1 realized you don't have to, know much to be part of the county government." said Bailey. He agreed the committee structure needs to be re-examined in an effort to "change the involvement of -the minds elected involved." • Grand Bend Council 1M new Grand Bend Council rtsally isn't all that new. The only new council member to take a seat is Brian Knights (second left). Other elected councillors are Phil Maguire (left), Shirley An- draza and Robert Mann.