Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-01-29, Page 1rpp .0 2 16 $ " 32 3 r 1 33 .11 32. 4 14 0 35 26 30 4028 38 22 15,5" rain 1" snow 1" rain 1.20”., . be Worst that can `happen to any ' of tit County's general public hospitals. it they Will have a few beds closed, tOne will be closed, according to hospitalofficials. rTis paper had indicated the rossibility that Clinton and Exeter ns ►ital would be closed, but .new in - !nation supplied to us has indicated t, between 50 and 60 beds will lie closed in total in Huron's five hospitals. Presently, there are 290 active reattrnent beds. in. Huron County's five eperal hospitals, including"62 at Clinton ublic Hospital. The provincial government has said kbat there ` should he four activetreat ent beds per 1,000 persons, leaving a figure of 220 for Huron's approximately '000persons. Although Mr. Miller said at a meeting. with hospital officials at Wingham last Week that some beds in Huron would be .losing, the board of ' governors at ...,inten have not yet received any notification they are to close -any beds. The Clinton hospital has an extremely qcl track record in the pastseveral ears. Figures released by the hospital howed that Clinton compares favorably oa with any. hospital, in Ontario, or even Canada, 1fr instance, it cost only, 41ti4 per day to keep apatient in Clinton Public, compared to the provincial average of $111.51, and the national average of 5105.47. The average length of stay at Clinton Hospital by a patient was 8.08 days, toad tired to an 8.41 provincial average and an 8.84 national average, The Clinton hospital showed .a 74.24 per cent occupancy rate for the first six Months of 1975, compared to provincial. average of 83.39 per cent and a national average of 79.92 per cent. Statistics also show. that .1.975 was a " 44 tree group with the birth to 14 years, busy year at Clinton .hospital:. There tbe'5 to 55 years, and the 65 and over were 1,884 patients admitted tO the' group accounting for about 22 per cent hospital last year, compared to 1,944 in. each, 1974. There were 100 babies also born Nearly four out of every ten patients here: compared to 5&• the previous year. •,;..(37 -per cent) admitted to Clinton Public There were also 502 patients admitted come from the town of Clinton, while 15 for surgery last year, and 52 patients per cent corse from Tuckershtith were, admitted to the Coronary Care Township and 10 per cent come from unit, of which 38 were diagnosed as ' ullett'twp..Goderich Twp. and Stanley having: heart attacks. aecOunt for seven and five per cent So fir this year, there have been 140 iesp. tivety, and another ten per cent patientS. admitted in January and the coo from Blyth. The remaining 20 per storkhas visited the hospital. 11 times. cent come from other, towns and. villages Nearly a tbird of all the patients ad- \ e ► the surrounding area. raided to Minton Public are in the 15 to •. inter Carnival opens, may be last Clinton and district's 8th annual' Winter' Carnival gets underway this Friday night, and area residents are invited to join in the fun, as it may well be the last Winter Carnival in Clinton. Ruth Lombardo, who has been the chairman for the past two years, said she was very disappointed with the support the Carnival committee has received from the area this year and she budget may be cut Clinton's ambitious road recon- struction budget for this year may have be drastically cut if The provincial overnrnent doesn't come up with some more money. Clinton council at their regular meeting last Thursday night unveiled their reconstruction plans that include the complete reconstruction of three streets, the paving of another, and a second coat of asphalt on three others. The total plan is estimated by engineers to cost 5109.000, but the council fates several hurdles in coming up with the cash. Firstly. the town is only getting 545,400 grant from the province for new con- struction, about, 87 percent of last year's budget. The ministry of transportation and communication has said they are, f+011owing a policy of fiscal restraint even though Clinton has applied for more road grant. they are unlikely to receive it. If policy in the last few years holds true, the final tender price is usually much higher than the engineers. estimates which now stand at 8109.000: The snow clearing of recent weeks. if it continues to eat into the road budget. could cost as much as 515.000 before the winter is over. Council had planned to put the finish coat -of paving on the parts of Isaac. High. and Townsend Streets that were reconstructed last year. at a total cost of 511.500. They had also hoped to completely reconstruct Rattenbury from Shipley to Orange. Joseph from North to Orange Street. and Wellington from Orange to Strec Street. was also scheduled to be paved.y Shipley In other business, council agreed with the Township of Goulborn resolution asking that the province raise the maximum charge for a severance to 5100 from 550, and granted parking permits to Mason Bailey, Harold Workman. and nine to the ministry of agriculture. By Jim Fitzgerald Huron County residents were in for a big surprise on Wednesday, the sun was Out for the first time in what seems like a month. For all you poor folks sweating it out in Florida. it has snowed every day - for the last three weeks,, although some days we only received a few flakes. Someone suggested to us the other day that everyone who stayed home this winter and endured the worst of nature's wrath should be awarded a medal. The only consolation is that for the first time in five years we w0t't halve to pray for, snow for the Clinton and ristrict Winter Carnival which opens is Friday night. Our problem now is . much snow. , +++ Try and get out and support the Carnival this year as it may be o it last Like many volunteer organixatt0ns o organizers feel it• is just too tate, the workers to handle. uetti J work for a feyr Support of our local hockey teams is So very poor and it's becoming very who, ihe�►rtip3tfethig to the local clubs w.. entertainment to the live to� bring this etc:. hockey weekend itt Wit. This is minor hire � , tthl .......h, and 1 know both the {Minor �'ent� w ., , fCl sure the older players wow a fail hpue for a. change "mpty'a'4 They also agreed to advance the recreation committee 510.000 of their 1976 budget and promoted Constable Don Shropshall to a second class con- stable from a third class one. Councillor James Hunter said he was "upset" that there hadn't been a plan- ning board meeting since last September as he is council's representative on that body, and council will contact the board as they felt there were several important subdivision plans coming up. Councillor., Hunter will also write all the surrounding_municipalities to try and calla rrilktrffttiithe possibilities or setting up an area dog control council. Council also granted a building permit to James Baker for alterations, 51.000. t was' stepping down from the post before any successor could be groomed. So far. the whole Carnival has been co- ordinated ' by less than a half-dozen people, while local service clubs have been working hard on individual events. The Carnival-, which, runs from .this Friday, January 30 until February 8, gets underway with the crowning of the queen at Clinton Lions Club dance this Friday night. There are still plenty of 'tickets left for that one. • The Legion will hold a Carnival dance ' on Saturday night, and next Monday, the Legion Ladies Auxiliary will hold• their bingo. Next Wednesday February 4 is a busy day, with a senior citizens' card party starting off the day at 2 p.m. at the arena, followed by a family skate night at the arena at 6 p.m. At 8 p.m. a giant snowmobile tor- chlight parade, sponsored by the Clinton Snowmobile club. will farm at.the arena and wino its t+tw tt> - the Vanastra Recreation Centre where the ever popular #•ipspitatity Night will be held, starting at 9 p.m. • Thursday's events include a broom - ball tournament tVith eight teams playing and action starts at 7 p.m. Next Friday. February 6 sees a con- tinuation of the broomball tournament at .5:30 p.m. with a Junior "C' ' holey game at 8:30 and the popular Las Vel' night, sponsored by the Kinsmen and' Dinettes, slated to get underway at 9:30. A very busy day is planned for Sat. Feb. 7 with the Winter Carnival Parade to roll down main 'street at 1 p.m., followed by the Children's Day at the high school and a snowmobile poker rally, leaving from the Park. The• broomball championships start at 4:30 and two Carnival dances are starting at 9 p.m.. sponsored by the Fair Board and the Fish and Game Club. -' The .final day. Sunday February 8, will start off with a pancake breakfast in the arena. followed at 1 p.m. by the MOSRA sanctioned Snowmobile races. spon- sored by the Clinton Kinsmen. A hungrg monster strange looking, snow -gobbling monster appeared in the Clinton area last week for thee first time In five years. The monster; really a giant snowthrower owned by the department of highways, was in the area widening the roads. nearlyplugged the 80 inch snowfall that has hit the area this winter. i th ovor 200 hK scpive'r.. the machine' cuts into the nearly eight -foot banksand throws the snow back 2f10feet. (News-Bettirtiphotai- ,Storm causes several crashes Goderich OPP report that there were quite a litrw fender benders this past week due to the treacherous road con- ditions. +ti• 'HYthwIty 4 at the Brucefield tetsectl*nlast Saturday Gerald Bechler of kit l�'Zurich, . struck the rear of a vehicle driven by Allen Widrneyer of High Street Southampton. Both vehicles S , und. v�rrri�sct�rt�tr . The � ,,.e Widme er vehicle received $15)30 damage and,. Mr. Il chter . sustained t`oln+tsr illiuries and 61300 damage to his vehicle. The actidcnt oecurred about 9:36 "p4tfi tast' th` rsday'I r i"ternoon. 3 wary 2Z 0 :...L s.�d. ,id. rN,ro • A gold walk The Only way to get down many Clinton streets in the past several weeks was to walk down the middle of the road. as Mrs: Cerial Van Damme did last Friday on her way home from a visit to the hospital. Good warm clothes were also a necessity as record ,breaking cold temperatures also accompanied the snow. (News -Record photo) Miller says more beds will be closed BY JEFF SEDDON Goderich Psychiatric Hospital lost in a close vote with its counterpart in Owen Sound and more hospital beds in Huron )buoy will fail. under Health Minister rank Miller'iy budget -cutting knife. That was the news the provincial health manager gave to about 100 municipal politicians. health professionals and citizens who battled through snow last week to witness Mr. Miller's reasoning for cutbacks in the 1976 health budget. The meeting in W ingham, held in the wake of Ontario Treasurer Darcy McKeough's restraint announcements. was designed to allow Mr. Miller to reveal his 1976 health spending plans and then answer questions from the floor on what those plans meant to Huron. Bruce. Perth and Grey counties. Hazardous driving conditions. however. restricted the size of the audience at the meeting preventing what was expected to be a minor donnybrook with angry delegations from Chesley and Goderich present to dispute the reasons for closing hospitals in both communities. Mr. Miller echoed many of .Darcy McKeough's reasons for cutting back expenditures at the provincial level citing many facts. figures and 'prophesies to support health spending reductions. He said his ministry ex- pected to spend 5300 million in 1976, the highest the government ever spent in health. , He added that the $300 million w ill not fully meet the effects of inflation arid that some "selective pruning" will be done with no intention of "dip ngrading" health care in Ontario. "In short we shall still be able to meet all the needs of the people in this province but not necessarily all the wants;" said the minister. The procedures used in the Goderich Psychiatric Hospital . closing were wrong. according to Mr. Miller. He told the group that when he announced the decision to close GPH he was acutely aware of the political aspects of the move. as he was when he closed the Chesley and Timmins hospital. He said that as an elected represen- tative asked to direct the health care needs of Ontario he felt it was his responsibility to do what he thought was right despite the problems he created for his fellow politicians. He explained that he knew of the closing in early fall but delayed his announcement until he had more time after the election. "I 'realize this government is putting its future on the line." said Mr Miner. "We feel we •must do what we do. We don't close hospitals wjth glee. We close them because we believe we must... Mr. Miller told the audience the closing came down to a choice between the Goderich Psychiatric and the Owen. Sound Psychiatric. He said when looking at the two hospitals -the minister realized that several programs were being operated on a co-operative basis between .thtt psychiatric hitrspitai and the Owen Sound ,public hospital and the result was the closure of GPH "11 was that- close... he pointed out. The closing of GPH results in a direct saving to the ministry of $2.5 million and Mr Miller said. in addition` to that' hospital and Timmins being. closed. another 1.000 beds will he taken from the system. He said the 'total restrairJ,, package relative to psychiatric hospitals is ex- pected to result in a net saving of SO million The minister refused to reveal what .hospitals are up for closure but said that more beds in Huron County will be removed He said his list includes both small rural -urban based facilities and large hospitals in the province's cities. He said that up to 3.000 heds will come out of service in the restraint program leaving approximately 3.000 surplus beds in service He said that in many instance, the hospitals identified for closure have occupancy rates con- siderably lower than their peers and have an alternate facility within reasonable driving distance (s',ntinueit .►n page 12) Snow removal costing town $500 a day "You've got to have a thick hide and a weak. mind to be in this business." said Clinton councillor Ernie Brown at last week's Clinton o'un'cil meeting. Councillor Brown made• the comment during discussion on the problems the Public Works Department is having over the recent heavy snowfalls. It is estimated that snow removal is costing the town about : 5500 per day. every day so far this month. and winter still has two months yet to run. Councillor Brown. who is chairman of the public works. has been deluged with calls in the last several weeks. and most of them concern snow. He said he has received complaints ranging from the town filling in driveways, to pushing snow onto lawns. lint' t (Mum 0uiis w..N«.......... )las worked up to 12 hours a day nearly every day this month jest to keep the streets clear of the over four feat of snow that has been dumped on the area so far this winter. one of the worst since 1944. "Mother nature is not co-operating this year in helping us meet budget ,, restraints." said Mayor Don Symons in a transport truck jacknifed on Highway reference to the costly clean-up. 8. !, mile east of Clinton, causing -Clinton's roads are the best of another transport truck to run into the anywhere I've travelled.'" said Mayor ditch. The highway waocked off for n Symons. "I hope the citizens will bear few hours, while both trucks were with us." brought back into operational older. ' Several other councillors also ex - There and no pressed concern that the sidewalks There was very little damage weren't plowed and council willlook into one was injured. clearing the tanks along both highways. The same afternoon, on Highway 4 by all the way through town. School in Goderich. r also expressed about the Victoria Public . the Vanastra Road turnoff. ttnotfic concern was p , �u rtntendent of education thecars left asked on the street Bob Allem g pe trailer acknifad, due to nrttnbetr of parked thesaid Mondaythat tractor 3 ,. , for county board, onditiOfs.overnight,hampering snow clearingy tl'r and slippery iary. road a ; p , .. _ in the •ast month wraith pp pushing lost school -time p three hours. o ertiot s. and about personas pushing closing the hg�tway fC►t~ . t� a, , from , . the because of bled. weather prompted the �> were sttistoined and snow fromprivate property out onto Again,}+red �n�t�r>i�� � � . cancellation. very )illi@ dant gC wasincurred. roati"L in other business. council learned that the Huron County board of education won't reimburse the town for costs in- corred in operating crossing guards in the town last year for school children. Council had asked for the payment after they learned that the board subsidized similar operations in Goderich and Exeter in the past. The board has discontinued that policy Council endorsed a resolution from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo asking the federal and provincial gm, ern ments to revise their grant structures on grants such as LIP and W intario and spread them out over three years instead of two. Council also backed a resolution from medical staff of Alexandra Marine and General Hospital of Goderich asking for the resignation of Health mnister frank Miller over the closing of Goderich Psychiatric Hospital However, council permanently shelved a resolution from the Township of Stephen asking for their opinions on a nuclear plant in Huron . Schools lose up to six days Some schools in the Clinton area have missed up to one third of their classes since the beginning of the new year because of poor weather tip m five feet; of snow. which has been dumped on us so farthis winter. is the cause oftheschools closing. Treacherous road conditions caused by an ice storm last Sunday night forced the closing of most area schools again this past Monday` - Bad weather has also forced the postponement of a ptanned professional development day. which was to halve been held yesterday (Wednesday. .January 28) for Huron County elementary school teachers. The board's 320 teachers were to have attended lectures and seminars at 001, (i 4 000 0 ,:r :surd Mr A lien also said that severe snowstorms have resulted in the foss of up to nine teaching days in some rural areas of the county. The development day has been postponed to pi ovide an additional day of in4truction. 4 The board will det~ide about rescheduling the day at its February meeting. Efullett Central School in Londesboro was c used 611 days so far this month due to drifting snow which made the country roads impassable. Huron Centennial School in Brucefield was closed five days and Clinton Public School was chased hilt a day. altlioug the bus from Vana:tra couldn't make it in for five days. St. Jfseph's School in Clinton was closed five and one half days this month while CASS students have missed five days of school. Conestoga College in Vanastra had tat g close for . for one daydue to lmpassabfe roads. —1.01.100