HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-03-07, Page 1- e
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Wingham, WedDOOdAY, blarc6 7, 1978
liRB'f SECTION
Warns Council to look a,,h..ead
in providing 11 fire,protection
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Wingham had better start He also warned about a dollars and that the man in actual practice web 0 in is councils since he's alwaysAk
difficult to colled from the received good cooperation, but he r
looking ahead in terms of shortage of volunteers available responsible for keeping a 24 -tour homeowner or business being urged councillors to "get on her, r
changes to its fire department on weekends and holidays,,, watch on the fire hone get a
Y P inspected. fellows" in working out
before it wakes up one morning to saying he knows of times when raise to $20 a week from $15. He The $8,000 salary for 'necessary changes to the n
find itself without adequate the only firefighter in town was had no comment at thus time department. �►
protection, town councillors were the man on the fire phone; regarding pay for a deputy chief the chief isn't exorbitant, he told
council, emphasizing the point by He estimated later the changes
told Monday night.. ° Would you stay in town on a or captains. reading an advertisement from proposed for this year would add may'• 4 �,
Fire Chief Dave Crothers and holiday weekend rather than go Chief Crothers told council that another town looking for a fire about $12,000 to the department
HarleyGaunt a captain in the to our cottage or the beach, just budget, but noted this would be
� P Y g j for the past l0 years the town has chief and offering a salary of !�
department, attended the council on the chance there might be a had a fulltime fire chief at a nearly $30,000. divided among the five
meeting to give a yearend report fire? he asked councillors. salary of $1,000, a year. At one , municipalities receiving A
and present recommendations Similar problems are plaguing time he was a part time chief and He noted that when he attends . protection from the department.
for 1978. At the same time Chief other communities around the fulltime businessman, but now meetings or seminars he has Last year the town budgeted y f
Crothers repeated his warn count the chief said, noting that
Pea ng Y, those roles are reversed. He heal paying the cost out of his about $33,500 for fire protection.
that a°completely volunteer fire five fire chiefs in Huron have, reported he attended 154 "in- own pocket, as have others in the This compares to more than 6 t
department cannot continue to resigned during the past five cidents" as chief during 1978 and department, and the firemen $50.000 set aside for recreation �� �` y✓ -may y:
meet the town's needs in- years. 'his wages from fighting fires recently, completed renovations and $130,000 for policing. RNA. •��,
definitely. He said eventually the town amounted to only some $800 in to the upstairs of the firehall, Council referred the matter to
A serious situation exists will need a fulltime staff of six addition to the $1,000 salary. doing- all`the work themselves. its fire committee for con- s
regarding manpower and it will men or so at the fire hall. In the He is allowed to charge a fee The chief explained he has no sideration and recom b.so
continue, he said. It is getting interim he had a number of mendations. y M
for fire inspections but noted that beef with lite town or township ks �w�
more difficult to find qualified recommendations to improve -- % e
volunteers who can leave their fire protection, among them that ry '
jobs to .answer an alarm, the town agree to pay six firemen
especially when in many cases it $15 a day to stand by on weekends
isn't worth their while. They and hire a chief ataAwT
receives awards
could make more money at proposed salary of
off $8,000 per
something else and the little year.
extra they do get from fighting He also recommended that pay The Wingham Advance -Times excellence was won by The composition and layout, best LIONS' SPEAKING WINNERS—Mary Luanne Clare, left, won the annual Wingham
fires just serves to boost their for fighting fires be increased to won three major awards in the Midland Times, a paper sports page and best news and Lions Club public speaking competition Feb. 27. Aileen Underwood, right, was runner-up.
taxes, eight dollars an hour from seven competitions sponsored by the published in a much larger features. The Kincardine News Lions' public speaking co-ordinator, Russell Zurbrigg, is shown with the girls.
Ontario Weekly Newspaper market area. had the best local advertising in
Association. The prizes were Other winners from this area that category.
- received during the association's included The Mount Forest In category four The Exeter Lions'
winner to regional final
annual meeting, held at the Hotel Confederate, immediately Times -Advocate was in first
Toronto last weekend. behind The Advance -Times in place for general excellence, best
The Advance -Times laced third lace for general ex
P P g composition and layout, best Mary Luanne Clare was the can take place at night. preliminary talent contest will be
first for best news and features, cellence, and The Clinton News- photography and best local ad- better speaker in a class of two Fred McGee objected to the March 29.
first for best editorial page and Record, which received the, vertising. for the Wingham Lions Club proposal of lighting at the park Mr. Zurbrigg urged Lions to
second for general excellence in award for best local advertising. annual public speaking tom- and said the new ball diamond act as goodwill ambassadors for-_
- category two, for papers wit In category three The Goderich The Better Newspaper com p g W ham and resent small is
` circulations between 2,000 and Signal -Star placed first in petition is held annually by the petition for secondary school was meant to be just an auxiliary P
A students. diamond though some people now visiting hockey players during
3,000. First place for general general excellence, with best OWNA. the March 16-18, March 22-25
'She was selected the winner see it as the best diamond if lights
over Aileen Underwood for her were there. Wingham Midget Hockey
3
Tournament.
prepared prepared speech on the Total cost of providing lights
responsibilities and dangers of and fencing is estimated at about
p;
driving and her impromptu talk $45,000, but. much of that cost is
P171C finances lookinggood..on her most memorable holiday. expe®ted a to—be—covered. by �- � " m
' She now advances to the provincial grants. ran`'
The Wi ham Public Utilities total revenue of $171,024. The Mr. Saxton reported that he regional finals.
ng P eg In other business Andy Ritskes
Commission seems to be in a hydro surplus is $17,000, from hasn't heard any complaints Miss Underwood's poetic reported there is a good variety bed closures at '
healthy financial situation, Ken total revenue of about $1,079,000. about chlorine content in prepared speech was about the of acts for. the first of three
Saxton, PUC manager, told the Wingham's water in a long time. beauty to be seen in one cycle of preliminary talent shows leading public meeting
y commission at its March 1 fiscal fegures are for the 1978 The chlorine content of town the seasons and her impromptu up to the Wingham Centennial
meeting. Y water dropped to .01 parts per speech was about her hobby. Talent Show Aug. 2. The first A public meeting has been
Though the commission's The January, 1979, Ontario million from .02 parts per million Judges for the public speaking called for Tuesday, March 13, at 8
audited yet, it The
bill to the utilities com- where it was set to counteract contest were Ross Davies, p.m. in the auditorium of the
books haven't been ars there is a audited
0 surplus mission is a record, Mr. Saxton high bacterial levels discovered. Norma Coutts and Shirley _ Wingham Public School to learn
appears urp reported. The $102,000 hydro bill Kaufman. Man charged more about bed closures at the
in the waterworks division, from The weekly water samples are
marks the first time the tom- Lion public speaking chairman Wingham and District Hospital.
proving to be acceptable in �, P
mission's hydro bill has topped Russell Zurbrigg recommended • All interested le served b
the $100,000 mark. quality at the .01 parts per a public speaking program to with neglect the local hospital urged d be
• million level, he said. P g
In other business the, visitors from the Formosa Lions .present.
Fire causes Club who were present. He said of animals There will a panel at the
mission was informed that the public speaking competitions can meeting to discuss th:�Easil t
s commission remunerations • help young people develop A Bel rave area man has been problem and
100 damage recently approved by the com personal skills. g P possibleo.
g mission and town council must be Youth hurt in charged with neglect of animals The meeting is also inta
g Y stovepipes submitted for approval b On • following a recent investi ation letter -writing session so those
A fire ignited b hot stove i s g g ng
PP Y LIONS SET ASIDE
from a wood -burning stove tario Hydro. The last couple of auto aee�dent by Ontario Provincial Police involved in the closures are
$1,500 FOR LIGHTS from the Wingham ng
caused about $100 damage to the changes weren't approved by the gam detachment. aware of the feelings of the local
The Wingham Lions voted to
floor and ceiling at the Fred provincial utilit Steven Livingston of RR i, Charged is Robert Taylor, 31, of people.
P y. donate $1,500 for lights at the new
Reinink home at RR 1, Wroxeter, Dungannon, was admitted to RR 1, Belgrave. He is to appear The closure of beds in the local
diamond a
ball didjacent to the
Feb. 28, Fire Chief Dave Crothers The commission will look into Wingham and District Hospital Maitland Riin court next Wednesday, March hospital poses a threat to health
aanver.
reported. the cost and benefit of errors and for observation with head 14. care in this area. It is extremely
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l tao1 ball played A serious fire the previous day omissions insurance. The newly- lacerations and an ankle injury A toDuring their investigation urgent that something be done
destroyed the Bill Wheeler home available insurance would cover following an auto accident March out of Wingham last summer, police found 18 cattlebeasts dead now if residents of the area ex -
in Wroxeter. Loss of the house the errors and omissions of com- 4. Mr. Livingston apparently lost Primarily using the Josephine in barns on the Taylor property pect to maintain the kind .of
and its contents was estimated at mission members and employ- control of his car while driving in Street ball park because it is and two more animals sub- health care to which they have
$40,000. ees. Ashfield Township. equipped with lights and games sequently had to be destroyed. become accustomed.
�3
M
County MOH -speaks- out strongly
against hospital bed cuts here
G O D E R I C H — D r . Brian
be threatened by bed cuts and
( However Norman Hayes,
move "one of the most dreadful
Exeter or Seaforth. He said the
do this and claimed the ministry
x Lynch, Huron County medical
cannot be handled under home
director of Wingham and District
things this province can do",
two larger hospitals are at-
order was "not a very sensible
officer of health, recently warned
care as obstetrics and heart
Hospital, said a hospital's
Dr. Lynch said there doesn't
tempting to demonstrate to the
way" to deal with the matter.
county council that hospital bed
disease. Caring for these patients
referral population is based on
seem to be any single thing that
public that the beds left after the
He told council that when the
cuts in the county could come
could be difficult if there is no
the number of patients actually
can be done to fight the bed cuts.
cuts will not be sufficient to
present government was seeking
down to a life or death situation
room in hospitals, he said.
treated there and not necessarily
He said it appears the ministry is
provide adequate medical
election it promised universal
for some people.
on the population of a
not listening to municipal
treatment;
health care, but it now appears
There is "no substitute" for
He also noted that because of
geographical area.)
councils or to hospital boards, but
he felt certain it would listen to a
"Seaforth, Exeter and Clinton
that was only a promise aimed at
getting votes. He also said the
g �
hospital beds, Dr. Lynch
the severity of winters here a
doctor will often admit someone
WHAT CAN 'COUNTY DO^
public outcry. A grass roots
do not appear stressed whereas
Goderich and Wingham feel their
government should not be
declared, claiming hospitals are
"most
to hospital to avoid the risk of
Bill Elston, reeve of Morris
protest by the people who elect
hospitals won't be able to give
reluctant to listen to physicians,
the important .and most
weather conditions preventing
P g
Township, asked the MOW what
the government would probably
adequate service," Dr. Lynch
"who are looked on with
fundamental type of health care
them
them from reaching a hospital in
county council can do to support
get its, attention, he said.
said.
suspicion by the government", or
there is".
emergency. With limited bed
hospitals trying to fight the bed
He told council he had visited
T
people who work for hospitals,
The MOH told council bed cuts
space these people could not be
cuts. He said a meeting of people
the hospital boards of the five
. he MOH did not claim it is
but added it appears the only
in the five hospitals will mean
admitted, he pointed out.
in the Wingham area strongly
county hospitals and each is
impossible to save money in the
people to whom the government
more work and expense for the
supported opposing the cuts, but
dealing with the cuts in a dif-
hospitals, but he did say the way
will listen are "the people who
county -funded home care ser-
He added that a further
added there seems to be an at-
ferent way. He said the penalties
the minister chose to implement
elect governments".
vice. He said home care, a
problem could develop during
mosphere of futility in the
imposed on hospitals not com-
the bed cuts is wrong. He said he
Mr. Elston compared hospital
county -operated service offering
peak summer tourist seasons.
county, with people simply not
plying with the order left boards
feels hospitals are already
bed cuts to decisions made by the
some nursing care in people's
The bed cuts are based on a
knowing how to oppose the
with little choice but to develop a
operating on no -fat budgets, but
province in education matters.
homes, could be used to pick up
permanent population with no
ministry order.
plan to.fit the bed cuts into their
with an opportunity to sit down
The government planned to
some of the slack, but added
consideration given to the
Mr. Elston was critical of the
operations.
and plan how to better use
centralize education to improve
there are many things about
summer population, he claimed,
ministry, claiming bed cuts are
However he did say that two
facilities the bed cuts could be
it and then kept "taking and
which home care can do nothing.
and said an already serious
" 6ne of the last things that should
hospital boards, Goderich and
handled.
taking and taking until^ we had
He pointed out two major areas
shortage of beds could worsen in
he happening to us". He said the
Wingham, seem to be taking a
He noted there had been no
nothing left but big schools that
of health care delivery that might
the summer.
heds are needed and called the
more active stand than Clinton,
opportunity for hospital boards to
now, they can't operate".
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