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The Times Advocate, 2006-07-26, Page 3Wednesday, July 26, 2006 Exeter Times -Advocate 3 HealthKick Huron offers medical experience Two students are working locally in the health care field under the HealthKick Huron program, which exposes students interested in a career in medicine to rural health care. Laura Armstrong, above, is work- ing for the summer at South Huron Hospital, while below, Janine Knight is at the Hensall Medical Centre. (photos/Scott Nixon) By Nina Van Lieshout TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF LUCAN BIDDULPH — Lucan Biddulph Mayor Tom McLaughlin will once again run for mayor in this November's election. McLaughlin, the only candidate in the mayoral race so far has spent many years in politics including serving as reeve and councilLor for eight years between 1988 and 1996. McLaughlin was also warden recently for Middlesex County, end- ing his one-year term last December. McLaughlin has been mayor of Lucan Biddulph since 2003. Wayne Hall, Lucan Biddulph Ward#1 councillor, is also looking to be re-elected into his current posi- tion in this year's election. Hall is the former manager of the Lucan Community Memorial Centre. He now operates a travel agency, By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF HURON — A new program is providing students with hands-on training in the medical field. HealthKick Huron has placed students throughout Huron County working alongside various health care professionals, such as doctors, pharmacists, chiroprac- tors and administration. Locally, South Huron Hospital and the Hensall Medical Centre are hosting students as part of HealthKick Huron's rural health care work placement program. To qualify, students must be a resident of Huron County and must have a keen interest in a health care career. Seventeen -year-old Janine Knight of Goderich is work- ing in the Hensall Medical Centre, while Laura Armstrong, 19, of Brussels, is at South Huron Hospital. Knight started in Hensall July 4 and will continue until mid-August. She found out about HealthKick Huron while job shadowing Dr. Ken Milne in Stratford. After sending in her resume, Knight found out in May she was approved and has been job shadowing the medical staff at the Hensall Medical Centre. "It's awesome, I love it," Knight says of her experi- ence, adding she has been practicing taking blood pres- sure and observed people giving blood at a blood clinic in Grand Bend. She has also been learning about writ- ing charts, referral letters, how to sterilize equipment and how to put blood in a centrifuge. This is good training for Knight's future — she plans on becoming a doctor and either working in an emer- gency room or starting her own practice in a rural area. She has enjoyed her Hensall experience so much she would like to return there eventually. Knight has been interested in a career in medicine since about Grade 4. She attended last year's MedQUEST Camp, which confirmed her interest. She said HealthKick Huron is "a really good idea" because it gives students a good idea of what rural medicine is like. Knight is starting her first year of a bachelor of sci- ence degree this year at McMaster University. Armstrong started at South Huron at the end of May running for Mayor again Cruise Selloffs. Hall is the only person running for Ward#1 as of now. This is his second time. Lucan Biddulph council notes: Kent Street update The Kent Street construction has been delayed. It will begin Aug.1 and is should take a month. Canada Day tally No specific amount was mentioned but Lucan's Canada Day celebration was again under budget. Skate Park youths wanted Deputy Mayor Perry Caskanette is asking youths to come out for a Skate Park committee meeting in the near future. He would like to discuss the future of the skate park, including issues like vandalism. The skate park was constructed July 5 beside the Lucan Memorial Community Centre. Petro Can site A visit to the former Petro Canada site is planned. Councillors are still uncertain what they would like to see done to the site, but are unable to make an edu- cated decision without going inside. A key for the building is being requested. Development Committee Caskanette has followed up on ref- erences regarding ad agency Response Generators to see the Lucan Fanshawe project go forward. Caskanette found the references favourable. A funding grant to off -set the costs of the project was approved by the Main Street Promotion Committee for $1,000. Approximately $2,500 of the pro- posed marketing costs are related to the initial branding exercise. No charges in St. Joseph spill blockade attempt ST. JOSEPH — "No charges will be laid regarding the dam," says the acting supervisor for the Huron/Perth branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Mike Malhiot. After a thorough investigation by an officer at MNR of the St. Joseph manure spill July 13 that killed 1,000 fish, the MNR has determined that the blockade constructed with sand by residents around the St. Joseph beach area did not break the law. The blockade was built in an attempt to deter addition- al contaminated water from flowing into the lake. Malhiot says it is a practice used before by both the MNR and the Ministry of Environment (MOE) but was not used during the course of this spill because both the MNR and MOE did not think it was necessary and after several water samplings, the lake is considered safe. The blockade has also been removed. In a news release issued July 18 president of the Bluewater Shoreline Residents Association (BSRA) John Gillespie says, "BSRA has been working hard for many years to monitor and to help improve water quality in the ravines and in Lake Huron. "Now we are profoundly disappointed to fmd that the management of manure can continue to have such a devastating effect on the St. Joseph watershed. It is very unfortunate that the incident was not reported to the authorities until it was too late too contain the spill." In co-operation with the Huron County Health Unit, the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority and the Municipality of Bluewater, BSRA has been collecting and publishing data on contamination in the beaches and the ravines of Bluewater. The results are available on the BSRA website www. bsra. ca The BSRA says there are several sources of water con- tamination that need to be addressed. They support compulsory septic inspections and are urging the provincial government to help with funding necessary to clean up the Zurich lagoons. But, the BSRA says in the aftermath of the manure spill in the St. Joseph watershed, it is obvious of the urgent need for monitoring agricultural practices and ensuring regulations are followed and enforced. and, like Knight, will work until mid-August. In September she will start her second year of health stud- ies at the University of Waterloo. She is working on her minor in gerontology, but isn't sure what she'll major in. Armstrong isn't sure what kind of specialty she'll choose in the medical field, but she started sending her resume out to local hospitals in the spring when some- one suggested she should try the HealthKick Huron pro- gram. At South Huron, Armstrong is working on a variety of things — she helps with risk management, occupational health, research, finances, infection controls and inputting information into computers. As this is her first time working in a hospital, Armstrong says she is enjoy- ing learning new things such as the amount of work that goes on "behind the scenes" and the different orga- nizations that have offices in the hospital basement. "Everybody's very friendly," Armstrong says. "It's a nice hospital." In addition to exposing students to rural medicine and giving them hands-on experience, HealthKick Huron is also a positive for employers — grants of up to $3,000 are available towards the student's wages and the pro- gram gives employers the chance to assist in the devel- opment of Huron County's future health care profes- sionals. The program is intended to run again next year. FM coming to Bluewater By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF VARNA — Bluewater residents will have a new local radio station to listen to in the near future if a propos- al heard July 24 by Bluewater council goes ahead. Council members were briefed by Ross Kentner, general manager of Bayshore Broadcasting, assistant manager Deb Shaw and marketing and business development manager Rob Brignell on the application to the CRTC for an FM license that will be based in Goderich. Brignell said the application was filed with the CRTC June 30 with plans for a studio in Goderich and a transmitter in Bluewater at the corner of Highway 21 and County Road 13 on a two -acre site. Brignell said the station would be aimed at the 35 to 64 age market with a classic adult contemporary for- mat, an emphasis on local news and a broadcast area from north of Goderich to south of Grand Bend as well as stretching inland. The company, which Brignell said has been in busi- ness for 65 years, operates several other radio sta- tions in Port Elgin and Owen Sound and Brignell said it was logical to expand down the coast. According to Brignell, the last application process to the CRTC took 120 days to process and the company is expecting a hearing this fall for their newest applica- tion. The station will be broadcasting on 91.7, but if the frequency changes the location for the transmitter would also change, according to Kentner. Brignell said the area is currently dependent on print and television and the radio station will give the area its own voice. He added the company has done extensive research in the area and sees a lot of poten- tial growth. One of the advantages of the location for advertisers, according to Shaw is that they can reach tourists on vacation. Brignell said another application for the same fre- quency has been filed by Blackburn Communications for a regional FM station. 424 Main SL, S. 519-235-1331