The Goderich Signal Star, 1976-04-08, Page 9•
syd.ie unit
o:pensat
Four inpatients andfive day-care patients. are now
receivingtreatment at the psychiatry department' of
Alexandra Marine and General Hospital at the former
Goderich Psychiatric Hospital on Highway 21 south of
Goderich. '
The 20 -bed, acute . psychiatric care facility has Dr.
Michael Conlon at its medical director. At present, there
are about 2.6 persons •on.staff with another 15 or 20 staff
members. to be. added as the .unit 'becomes fully
established. •
-With all the tumult that has hit 'the' health-care
community, of Huron County., the.progress of AM and .
;to meet the Ministry ell-Iealth's target date to open the
uiait has' been somewhat overlooked," commented, Jim'r
Banks, administrator of AM & GH:
The administrator claims' that AM &' GH is "intensely :
proud of , the work done by everyone" to get 'the
Bluewater Centre .•functionalin time for an'Apri;I 1
opening. .
Dr. 'Conlonsays he is looking forward'to developing
• new andresponsive ways to Meet the mental: health
needs of Huron C'ounty•residents. • He saysthe.erephasis
will be on preventative psychiatry and ,he is -making
plansoto use the facilities -of other Hurdn County hospitals
'as Welt for total community' involvement,
.The initialbudget for the psychiatric unit is li:lfely.to be
about $750,000, According to the Board of Governors at
AM & GH as well as the medical staff and administration
there,. the unit is a "necessary,ai d welcpme.addition" to
the county health care system as well as to Goderich and
AM&GH: • -
'The. vacuum created by the closing of GPH will be
somewhat offset by this.unit,';Mr: Banks said.
The facility for the retarded at the former.GPI- site is
still unopened, but etthe p-esent time staff is being
trained for residents expected to arrive later this month.
Ieav� the t o
Mayor Deb `Shewfelt cast a said. "I am told that the roots
deciding 'vote on a motion to. are causing no problems with
have •a tree in front of•Hayter the sewers and the sap only'
Chev-Olds On Kingston Str"e runs'fora short time so there
pruned rather than removed. is no urgent suffering.," •
Almost a;rnonth ago Hayter Councillor Dave' Gower •
made a ' request to council: said '.he was in favor) of
through a .letter explaining . .removing . the tree , and •
that sap from the tree dripped , regardless of the information
on the cars and the roots of that'Haydon had obtained he
the tree also ripped up the claimed that town worr��k•s
sidewalk. e • : foreman:Stan Meriam looked
'Council received a 'letter at the situation and found the
frern Dorothy Wallace urging -manhole- was almost Glo'sed� w:
• theiff To maintain one ""of the••;- wit r�roots: lie added"th rthe„-`
'few softening touches on that decision on the tree should be
'-1ra-i she:ta'nd cape Mrs. pprade-by--c'1--s-in-ee;t-kaere:
�"f
•
1 29 YEAR -i1•;5
THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1976 •
SINGLE Cop 25c•
•
Wallace :explained that it, was was no . decis1on . rom the
•the only tree on Kingston .• parks committee. He stated`
Street and could only serve td that the decision shouldbe to
brighten the main avenueof remove the tree:
'approach to the heart of -the - Hayter said he' ,couldn't
"prettiest Town in. Canada". • understand why council "was
• She suggested that' rather prolonging the -matter': with
than permit the=•t-ernev-a-V'ref----needless-a=rg-umettt.
the • tree, council should • Mayor Shewfelt broke a,tie
require the erection of high with a .vote ;to have the:tree
and decorative 'fences. bet- • pruned. •
• ween :the car lots and the ,
town's right ;of way on both •. • r t
• sides of the'street.
Princi al
Reeve Stan Profit thought
the .tree shouT'd be removed
immediately and- was , not
. Chan ��
convme.ed of :its aesthetic . g.,
'value to th'e street. • •
"It's an ugly, ugly tree, ' he'.. '
"i
in' Huron.
.- stated, We 'should. get , •
• someone knowledgable.about
trees to determine.if it is alive
Or dying . a slow, miserable
death: ..
• Profit added that the roots
were tearing up the sidewalk.
and a person could break an
ankle on that section *of the
street.
Councillor "Elsa Haydon
said considering alf the
circumstances -surrounding Public School. •
_ . - m--.� ll isvice-
-the—problem that a co Bt • Millson, who
•
promise was in, order. The principal at at C It on, becomes.
compromise was to prune the vice-principal • at Hullet.t.
branches to eliminate the Central School, and Bill Black
, •whowas on a year's sab-
batical leave, becomes the
new principal at Blyth. :
°•Alt-. appointments take'
effect August 1, 1976. •
The Huron County board of
education. announced•on
Tuesday several changes in
principals and vice -principals
in this area.
Don Tremeer, who . was
acting principal of . Blyth
Public School since the death
of Mrs. Michie, becomes the
new vice-principal at Clinton
nuisance' to Hayter and save
thetree.
- "It is one of the oldest and
biggest trees in town and is'
truly a landmarktree," she
The highlight of the summer for•the children iinAvonleais the annual church picnic where
fresh;mouthwatering-ice-eream-ismade.--I eat=t-he-llads_of-.t-he_eo:rrunu- nity_ft_oru-left Rpili
-Butler, Bob Veneer, Peter Farnsworth, Greg Ferris and Drew Gray, gather around to
watch the icecream being made. The scene is one front the Robertson Memorial -school
operetta production of Anne of Green Gables which was played Tuesday and Wednesday
frights in the °school•gymna' urn•. [staff photo],
a
Goderich town' c=ouncil
passed a : motion: Monday'
night tb give $375 to the
Celebration '75 Committee to •
help erase a deficit frorri last
year's activities.
Committee representatives
Brian Markson and keg Bell
approached'" council
requesting the -additional
funds since the committee
was asked to undertake an
additional two projects after
their budget had been
prepared. Those two projects
were Canada Week and -the
-1•ississauga Band and the
loss from the two activities
amounted to approximately
$375.
Mr.. Belt explained that .the
n e
town had originally: gra t d_
the committee, $500 to
organfie"their functions and.
an additional $3,000 wpuld be.
available as needed. He
reported that the committee
received only $1500 from the
° town for all the activities and
-noiv.. to meet payment of the.•
activities
bills ,an, extra $372. was
required -
Mr., Markson outlined some
of'-th&activities sponsored by,
the committee and .was
pleased with. the un-
dertakings of the committee:
reJ•ation to the money
spent. ' 'He praised his corn-
mittee members and town
-service clubfor their• efforts
in stagir-rg _ s: various functions
throughout the year.
Due to the success of
Celebration '75, • the. Arts
Festival and the
Acq'uacarnval he said it,. was
•important not to allowthe
level of the celebrations for
'76 to fall below par. He said
that events staged this year
would in fact be a dry runt for
Colebration'77 next year:
Markson did express some
-concern on the .nature of the
activities claiming •that
tourists in� rl areanxiousto
tou s. s tow a o
participate in ' special
celebrations that • involve
people but that the people .of
•Several students ofG•DCI( Were involved in a large display
ati Siineoast Mall for'Edu-a:tion. Week. Dave Holden Shows
•
two
fellow auto students Dennis Furst and Bill
operation of a two cycle engine, j staff photo j
41.
Durst
the
•
r
ol
oinstall r
Representatives of the
Action League of Physically'
Handicapped Adults
(ALPHA). urged' council.
Monday night, to-' consider
provisions for:ramping curbs
to aid the' e4lderly° and
physically • handicapped
,persons.
,A local branch of ALPHA
was just recently organized in
the areaunder the chair-
manship of Elaine Town-
shend. The group, consisting
of 2,500 members, is affiliated
With the March of Dimes and
hopes' to gain improvements
in the physical . and social
environment of the physically
disabled: -The brunt .of --the
groups : activ,ity centres on
transportation, accessibility
to public buildings. and -
recreation.
Miss Townshend ap-
pro'ached•council,on behalf of
the group claiming that the.
elimination of curbs at street:
intersections would permit- a
freedom of movement now
'denied to many people in the
'community..,•
She said it would be dif-
ficult for . those who climb
curbs and •steps ail,day
without thinking 'to' imgine
that others' may have
-'problems negotiating 'such
small' inclines. She expressed
concern _:for -the elderl..y,
.pregnant, heart patients,
mothers • pushing baby
carriages or pushing . shop-
ping carts and , the han-
ry—run
Goderich were not always too
willing to get involved.• •
"It seems that'unless there
is something to eat or
sonxething free the people of
Gnderich'are reticent to come
otit," he said:
Mr. Bell presented council'
with a financial statement of
the ' Celebration :'75 Com-
mittee and was pleased with
their eforts ,of last year. He
added t at praise should be
given te P
He arks c
o.mmittee`
l;
and public works for support..
Some• of the a=ctivities that
were sponsored by or under
the -•,•auspices of • the
Celebration. '75 Committee:
1.
dicapped using braces,
cr.•utches.or wheelchairs.
On behalf of those citizens.,
and members of the ALPHA
group she requested council
to adopt a policy of ramping
curbs throughout -the town.
A bf cel presented to cdundil-
called for a commitment to
include the installation of
pedestrian curb ramps in the
proposed construction of The
Square beautification
program andthat legislation
he proviaed to . enable the
routine,: installation of the
curb eats •in sidewalks for
normal maintenance and new
construction. °
She pointed out that Council
approval of the curb cuts as a . ,
standard ' ' for the
replacements of damaged
curbs at intersections and
otherwork on town sidewalks
Wouldpermit gradual ex-
pansion without an increase
in capital of areas 'accessible
(continued on page 11)
witholds
complex approval
The • Goderich Area Plan-
ning board'with'held approval
in principle df° :110 unit, four
building apartment complex
proposed by a Sarnia based
firm to be constructed.in the
east end of Goderich. Planner
Nick • Hill uriveiled the
Complex seeking approval for
his Sarnia -clients but the
board tabled any decision
until their next -meeting
askirig for time`to,re'vi.eW`the °
Proposal. •'• • '•
,' Maria e
merit'
Incorporated, represented by
•'lawyer Robert. Smithers and
developer Guy Vachon, both
of Sarnia, came•to planning
hoard to ask for an amen,
•dm'ent to -the •town's 'official
plan to rezone the property at
the corner of. Mill Road and
Huron Road to permit • con-
struction of' the apart menth.
The land is now slated for
industrial development and
would have to be -rezoned.
residential.
The• draft plans presente=d
by MI -Mill showed.four three
storyun;its to't'e Iayed- out Orr ..
the 5.2 acre site with a 1.2
-acre '.comMuni park in-
cluded. The buildings, two of
30 Units each and two of 25,
are • presently designed to
(continued on page.14)
included Canada Week, Lions
Club Giant Bingo; Festival of
the Arts,' Carnival Arts Ball,
'Ecumenical Service in The
Square and the Kinsmen
Carnival. _.
Markson commented that
'cooperation between the
tourist committee, ,the.
recreation board and' the
summer activities committee
is essential, He also felt that
.Goderich
a member, of the
h
Tourist Committee should: be
a member of the sum rn er
activities committee.
In another motion council
concurred with a request
from the tourist committee to
retain Rick Banks as a
consultant for Celebration '77
for the retainer fee of $25.0 per
month:
There -was some misun-
derstanding on the status of
.Mr. Banks between members
of the tourist' coinmitte and
• memb'ers of council and,.
council met with the tou.ist -
committee March .25. Most
councillors .agreed • that the
situation was now fully un-
derstood:
Councillor Elsa Haydon •
said:the meeting between the,
two :groups brought many
things tp light and that she
• was in support of the notion
to retain Banks.
Reeve Stan Profit said that
many of the plans laid out by '.
Mr. Banks were just beautiful
but he had not: changed his
mind about the matter and
would have to vote against. ft.
,Deputy Reeve Bill. Clifford
.said although he expressed..
some concern for the entire
project at the beginning he
waspr
pared to gcr,a long
with
the touristcommittee's
plans.
He added that he had -faith in
their judgment and they -
would be well -aware of the
financial re=straint upon
them "
duration costs may be reduced
y increasing teacher/student ratio,
A recommendation. to the
Huron board of .education by.
director of education John •
Cochrane on the pupil teacher
ratio for 1976-1977 was
referred to the salary com-
mittee on notion of vice=
Chairman Charles Thomas.
Thomas • said he felt ;PTR
should be given more study .
Cochrane's submission said
superint'endent•s' had
examined ' proposed class -
grade 'organization 'in each
school and recommended
that 313.4 teachers he
engaged ?or grades one to
eight.. This would, be a
reduction of 6.6 teachers from
the current terns. • •
The employment of 313.4
teachers would generate a
PTR of 22 to one. Thomas said
increasing the PTR would be
one way of cutting costs
during the ,current 'restraint
program.
-Cochf anc's statement said
the .elementray school
enrollMetat for the fall term
Would he down about 303
students.
Superintentlent Ralph
Smith said he has asked all
.principals not to hire any
mtwe teachers: lk added,
"We 'have to decide- on
transfers in order to ac-
commoda tc 'the: proposed
cutbacks.."
He was. supported by
•
/, • •
superintendent Jim Coulter,
who' indicated he had `.two
teachers in one school in his
area that must be tran-
sferred. Cochrane added that
all'transfers must he made by
May.l.
On the subject of spending
restraints, the board decided
to meet on Wednesday, April
21 -in an attempt to approve
the 4976-77 budget.
Representatives of all
municalities in. Huron will
-he invited to attend the
budget meeting. Chairman
herb Turkheirn suggested the
mayor or reeve, clerk and
finance chairman • of each
municipality be invited.
The trustees decided to
practice• spending restraints
themselves.. Nine indicated
they would be attending a
principals and vil=e -principals•
seminar in Michigan on May
6,7 and 8 -and they agreed to
pay their own expenses.
Enrolment in - Huron
secondary . schools .Erin the
1976-77 term is'expected to be
4,620 an increase of 63.
students from the present
attendance.
Cochrane's submission
• Suggested the nurnber: of
' teachers remain at 273. This
would be made up of 13.2'
teachers - for • special
education and 259.8 teachers
for other courses.
uron-. County F of A says
ih halm
•
Members who attended the
regular monthly, meeting of
the. Huron County Federation
of Agriculture, in Brussels
Thursday expressed dismay
and shtick• at the Winghan•r
Hospital Board of Governor's
apparent support of the
Provincial .Government. plan
to close Clinton Hospital.
•During.thc past month,'the
Federation has been actively
soliciting support for 'the
Clinton Hospital. A'brief was
presented to Premier William
Davis and , copies • sent to
Stephen Lewis and Stuart
Smith. The 'Federation has.
N7
hospita!isoIationist
been in contact with mem- working' together effectively..
bers of Huron hospital' boards
urging •them to adjust their
budgets' sufficiently to alio*
Clinton to remain open.
Federation president
°Adrian Vos said that. his
exeCutive and members, who
con -re from all parts of Huron
County, have been disap,
pointed by, the isolationist
approach taken boy the.
Wingha`m Hospital.
The Federation says this is
•;going•,to drown any"hope of
demonstrating to, . thf
provincial government tha't
Huron County is capable of
pn
to resolve county problems.,
The Federation members
haveconsistently supported
resolutions in favour of giving
the Huron County>CQuecil the
power to resolve the health
budget problems in Huron
County.
Othernew business
discussed at the meeting
included an announcement by
Doug Fortune, chairman of.
the education committee,
that a short course is being ..
developed by his Committee --
and would,s.00n be available
(continued on page 14)