HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-04-06, Page 12. • ••-•,•-•,` •
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By Stephanie Levesque
Huron County council ;brought in its 26
municipalities' share of 1983 budget at a 4.985 per
cent increase with the numicipalitieste, share in the
over $3 million in county costsi
Approved by county council„at its March 31 session,
"The provniciai government may not be as
generous in the future," commented Reeve Mickle.
The Exeter Reeve and Exeter Deputy Reeve,4ssy
Fuller did not vote in favor of the 1983 budget.
Huron Warden Grant Stirling said,, "It's a good
budget. We tried to keep the increase at under five
the county apportionment mcreased $165,000 from per cent and as you know it came in at 4.985 per cent
$3,310,000 in 1982 to $3,475,000 fpr tliik ye*. While the without cutting any services."
county's share went up by under five per cent, the"The county has done a very good job of maintain -
county's .total 1983 budget increased 14.8 per cent ' ing .the same level of service," added Warden Stirl-
over its 1982 budget. . . , jog.
$1,920,778' from the 1982 h „dget to bring it to
.depoPpo. outa,',. costs such aU. 'day care centres. ,
,
The largest portion of the, budget is for social ser -
The epurity's total 19&3 udget increased by vices in the . amount of $5,944,227. This includes
general assistante, HUronview, Family and
$14,902,378 forthis year. The trovince will be paying Children's Services, patriotic grants and grants to
PercentageS elAriede
roads, social serviCes and the rith unit for a total of over $5 million has
$8,392,364. 'The province's .s e le up from the 1982 been budgeted for the highways
department and other expenditures include $163,880
budgeted figure of$7,406,277. 41,.; .. for members of council, $754105 for general ad -
Other revenue will be oil ined from municipal. ministration, $1,601,459 for health services, $94,544
grants and fees in the =oink f $12,500, fees and ser- ' for plumbing and environment, $821,506 for recrea-
vice 'charges in the amount , of $2,305,494, V tion and cultural services, $389,627 for planning and
miscellaneous- revenue in the amount of $340,600, a development, and $47,030 for agriculture and
general surplunof $230,141.114 a highways surplus of Bothreforestation.elib
$121,279. 1,.' •rary and plumbing and environment
Exeter Reeve Bill Mickle 'suggested the county's budgets that were sent back by county Council at its
entire budget should have Corte in at a five per cent previous session Were reduced to ' come in at the
or less increase. He did ackno ledge that if the social recommended amount. The county's portion of the
services budget Is deducted ; in the total picture, hbrary budget was reduced from $551,781 to $528,281.
the county's total 1983 budge creases by about 8.56 The county's share of the plumbing and environment
per cent. The Exeter Reeve eeirpressed concern budget was reduced by $8,100 to $40,544. Both Changes
about future provincial grants; • are reflected in the approved budget.
,osboavvo. ,0„
Happy birthday Spring
Members of the Grade 2 class of Colborne
Central School think the spring season is kind of
special and on Thursday Mrs. Nakamura's class
took advantage of the excellent weather to hold a
birthday party for spring. Sort of a welcoming
after a long winter. Armed with helium filled
balloons, the children released dozens of the
multi -colored balloons into the clear blue sky and
afterward retired to the classroom for more
traditional birthday celebrations. Of course,
no
birthday party would be complete withouta
cake and candles and after a rousing rendition of
Happy. Birthday, the students devoured two
cakes with the help of parents. (photos by Dave
Sykes)
Conservative MPP - BOb Eato0ound himself,
defending a decisiordo close six regninal centres for
the developmentally handicapped at meeting in St.
Thomas Thursday evening.
Eaton appeared at a public forum at the centre for
the developmentally handicapped in St. Thomas
along with Liberal leader David Peterson, NDP
social services critic Richard Johnston and NDP
leader Bob Rae. The Conservative representative for
Middlesex South, Eaton was filling m at the public
forum for Community and Social Services Minister
Frank Drea and Premier William Davis, both of
whom declined invitations to attend.
Dorothy Potter, president of local 122 of the Ontario
Public Service Employees Union, attended the •St.
Thomas forum and explained that many parents are
seeking assurances their children will not be moved
without adequate consultation and until adequate
support services are available in the community.
Drea has promised consultation and assured parents
that no-one would be moved from an institution until
community services are in place.
At the meeting, each of the four speakerswas given
15 minutes to address the crowd and Eaton
apologized to the more than 300 in attendance for his
party's tardiness in initiating the consultation
process.
Potter said NDP leader Bob Rae raised an in-
teresting point at the meeting saying that if the
ministry's five-year plan can give a better life to a
small handfullof residents- it will be at the expense of
other residents who will be moved to larger in-
stitutions. Rae added that while it was noble to offer a
better life to some, it should not have to be at the
expense of others.
Potter sam she again questioned Eaton on the
number of retarded in the province who are waiting
for service of some kind from the ministry. While she
has raised the question at several meetings and been
promised answers, Potter said no-one has offered any
comments.
She estimated that over 6,000 retarded people in the
province are waiting for specialized services and
while authorities have promised Potter to check with
each association to determine the services required
and report back to her, the question remains unan-
swered.
Potter said the union will continue its fight to insure
the residents receive adequate care and she believes
that general concern about the issue has taken the
government by surprise.
"I think they figured they could close the six cen-
tres and not hear much from the public on the mat-
ter," she said. "But, because of public pressure, they
are not pushing so much now and I have a feeling that
• all six centres will not close."
There has been a great push by parent and union
groups to have •a moratorium placed on the closings
of the centres and Eaton told the group Thursday that
since the ministry will not place residents until
services are in place, it is, in effect, a moratorium.
He added that the closing dates of the centres remain
flexible.
The government expects to save $23 million
through the closure of the six centres across the
province but Drea has promised to inject an ad-
ditional $33 million into support services for the
developmentally handicapped. At the meeting in St.
Thomas, Eaton claimed the government is • not
concerned with saving money in this matter saying
"no one is playing with figures."
Medical staff takes strong
exception to new guidelines
The medical staff of Alexandra Marine and
General Hospital has taken strong exception to some
new guidelines which the Workmen's Compensation
Board (WCB) is trying to enforce.
The WCB, in a letter sent to hospital administrators
across the province, has expressed concern that
hospital out-patient facilities (emergency depart-
ments) are being misused both by patients and
physicians, putting an undue strain on facilities and
generating costs which are not warranted.
The letter reads, "When a patient presents himself
to the emergency •room whether for emergency
treatment or interval treatment, it is the obligation of
the attending physician to refer this patient back to
his own office for follow-up attendance when hospital
facilities are not necessary. If the hospital permits a
staff physician to use the out-patient facilities as an
office, the arrangement should be one between the
hospital and the physician, and charges so generated
are not the concern or responsibility of the Workers'
Compensation Board."
The letter then went on to list what the WCB would
be willing to pay for and what it wouldn't.
"Follow-up hospital out-patient charges • will be
rejected for payment where services should be
examination only; Minor dressing or suture removal;
normally performed in a physician's office, e.g.,
fracture Care (ohaerVatioil Only); or out-patient clinic
attendance at the convenience of the attending
physician or for teaching purPoses.
•
cAMonteStGhi'hig
Dr. Davi,d
,nWeedialkeespettycliefrulofe tahtheolViugheclitcalup bSytatjarAff ate
called the WCB letter "a senseless &hie
bureaucratic genius". He said the whole issue was
insulting.
"Doctors are already working flat out and when
you get this Mickey Mouse garbage, you react
strongly," Walker told the Goderich hospital board.
He also said the guidelines were "totally unen-
forceable" because it is the doctor's decision where a
person is most appropriately treated.
• He explained that WCB was simply trying to make
doctors absorb office Overhead, "We're not talking a
lot of money here. It's the principles involved that are
really at stake. We do a lot of WCB work in our offices
already. We go the extra mile for them (WCB) and
they're not all that generous with us to begin with."
The AM&G medical staff, in a letter to the WCB,
also criticizes the way in which the whole matter has
- been handled. The letter points out that the changes
which WCB plans to implement were' net discussed
with the Ontario Hospitals' Association or the Ontario
Medical Association.
"Secondly, the Workmen's Compensation Board,
having reached such a decision, should have had the
decency to write a shriller letter to the physicians in
this province thereby Worming them of their policy
changes,..physiciens give extra time to treat and„.,_
document cases for the Workmen's Compensation
Board. It would have been courteous to' Worm
physicians of your decision at thetame tittle that you
informed hosPitaladminish.ators. Realizing that the
physicians of Ontario are key personnel In dewing
the Woritmeh'S Cohipensetion Board to look after
•injured workers, considerable dialogue between
specialists and family physidans should have oc.
Turn to page 2
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Sirebate program.•
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land. A 50 per cent rebate will apply ori farm
farmers will be able apply for a 100 per ceit. rebate
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"Before we vote,. we 000 reirlibl_ imrsclveg that.
Reeve Steckle saidiarinland needs to contribute to
the services it receivessuchas roads and fire protec-
tpoiosan.iligeoessabeid311:dt.thoreilleareholefmfaogoislbe diPri°01ic province's payingPfrtr
education.
Thieves remove
cash from safes
The Goderich Police Department reports that a
number of break-ins took place in Goderich during
the past week.
The first incident occurred on either the night of
April 2 or the early morning of April 3 when the
Maitland Country Club was broken into. Although
nothing was reported stolen from the club, the in-
vestigating officer, Constable Ken Brownlee
discovered a stolen car. on the premises. The
automobile which had been reported missing in
London also had stolen license plates.
Chief Pat King reports that the incident is still •
under investigation.
At 1:30 a.m. on April 3 the front window and door
of the Bluewater Market, which 18 located at the
corner, of Britannia and . Bayfield Roads,were
smashed. Although no "suspects have been ap-
prehended a small Car, was seen driving away.
Also on the night of April 3 vandals broke two
large \windows at -Goderich District Collegiate
Institute. The damage is estimated at ap-
proximately $100.
On the night of April 3 or the morning of April 4
Maurice Gardiner Real Estate which is located at 34
Stanley Street was broken into.
Two safes were opened and between $1,600 and
$1,700 in cash was taken.
Chief King also reports that on the night of April 4
$900 in cash, a case of beer and a bottle of rye were
stolen from the Goderich Legion Hall. •
Upon investigating the case the police discovered
that there had been no signs of forced entry. It is
assumed that the thief, or thieves, Stayed inside the
Legion after the Sunday night bingo games had
finished and Waited until everyone had left before
they committed the crime. , • • •
. 4 ;;I• ' '"
SIGNAL -STAR
Local teams win
During the past week two Goderich teams
became Western Ontario Athletic Association
cluimpions. Both the Goderich Midget Bs and the
Goderich Optimist Senior ringette team beat their
•opponents to win their respective titles, The stories,
about the two series appear on the front page of the
Recreation section.
Manor musings
This week the Signal -Star is featuring a new
monthly column. Written by Shirley Little a
volunteer at Maitland Manor the articles are all
about life at the Goderich nursing home. The first
Maitland Manor Musings appears inside the first,
section.
Computer minds
Thirty seven Goderich high school students took
part in three national math contests and the results
show that the GDCI st'idents fared incredibly well.
One GDCI student in particular, Shawn Doherty,
will be given special recognition when he is placed
on the Canadian Student Honor Roll. Shawn has
been honored since he placed in the top one per cent
of all contestants. The story and picture appear on
page 10 of the Recreation section.
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