Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-04-05, Page 22 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, April 5, 2006 Healthkick Huron placements program popular By Nina Van Lieshout TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF HURON — Healthkick Huron is receiving a lot of positive feedback from students in Huron County since starting their work placement program in the fall. Healthkick Huron is made up of five main components including, rural healthcare career exploration, rural health- care work placements, a nurse training program, a program which allows national and international medical students and graduates to come into Huron County and a com- munity ambassador pro- gram. Emily Zielman, a Grade 11 student at South Huron District High School is involved with the rural healthcare work placements component. Zielman has been work- ing in the pharmacy at the Exeter Shoppers Drug Mart for several months and is enjoying her time there. Above from left are Grade 1 1 student Emily Zielman helping Exeter Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy owner Eric Post check patients' prescriptions. Zielman is a pharmacy technician at Shoppers. She gained employ- ment through Healthkick Huron's workplacements program. (photo/Nina Van Lieshout) "I want to be a pharma- impressed with Zielman cist. It's been great, says and is pleased to be Zielman." involved with Healthkick Zielman, a pharmacy Huron's work placement technician works 10 to 12 component. hours a week and is "It's a chance as a busi- treated just like any other ness to give back to the pharmacy technician. community. A pharmacy Pharmacist owner Eric is challenging to get into," Post says he has been says Post. "This gives someone the chance to fmd out if they want to do this," he adds. Zielman who is also pleased with the partner- ship says her favourite part is helping customers and filling prescriptions. The work placement programs allow students to apply for different posi- tions in the medical field throughout Huron County. Rural Healthcare Work provides work experi- ences temporarily for youth in Huron County. The purpose of these placements is to allow students exposure within a healthcare profession. Laura Overholt runs the work placements pro- gram and says it's going well. Overholt says job post- ings for work placements will be available by mid April. "Students should check the website. "There are a number of employers looking for post -secondary level stu- dents across the county," South Huron budget sees slight increase Continued from front page owned, it would have cost $750,000 to $850,000 to clean it up. Brown said consultants assured South Huron that not cleaning up the property would lead to even greater costs down the road. He added the appearance of the entranceway to South Huron has been improved, the property can now be sold and property tax money collected from a future new business at the site will offset the cost of the cleanup. Coun. Ken Oke, who attended the meeting with the contractor along with Coun. Harvey Ratz, said the contamination on the site went from "bad news to really bad news." He said fuel tanks had to be removed from the front, rear and side of the property and contami- nated soil had been used for fill on other parts of the property, which also had to be cleaned up. Also, old oil had been kept in a tank, Oke said. If South Huron had decided to not clean up the property, and simply leave it fenced off, it would remain an eyesore and the contaminants would move farther into the soil, Oke explained. "Today is the cheapest day to do it," he added, further explaining that if the contaminants ever spread outside of the property, "there would be big expenses." He said once the municipality started the cleanup process, it had to fmish. Oke admitted he was shocked at the price, but he feels the munici- pality was charged fairly. Ratz added that once the munici- pality assumes ownership of a property, it also accepts all liabili- ties. At the end of the meeting during public questioning, Dean Ducharme of the South Huron Citizens' Association said he wasn't sur- prised at the high cost of the cleanup and called it a learning issue for council. He also pointed out that back in the fall when the Devon Corners property was becoming an issue, Ratz expressed concern about any expenses the municipality might be faced with if it took ownership of the property. As part of the cleanup, four wells will be installed on the property. The move is part of the process to have the property deemed clean. Once that is done, the municipality will sell the property. Other council notes: Slight tax increase The 2006 municipal budget will be brought forward at council's May 1 meeting for public comment and adoption. Brown reported Monday night that the proposed municipal tax levy of $3,805,780 is a 2.9 per cent increase over last year's levy, but the impact will be less than one per cent on the total taxes on a proper- ty. In other budget news, the munici- pality received a provincial grant of $425,779 as part of the govern- ment's roads and bridges strategy. That grant has been added to South Huron's transportation capital bud- get to fund capital work in 2006. Garbage talk Despite pleas from some mem- bers of the public, council will not change its mind on its decision to cancel the annual fall large garbage pickup. As previously reported, council decided in February to do away with the annual pickup, citing increasing costs and abuse by resi- dents. Instead, South Huron decid- ed to allow residents to drop off large items such as furniture, TVs, freon-free appliances and tables for free at the landfill site. The T -A received three letters to the editor from residents who dis- agree with the decision, and two more letters appeared in council's Monday night agenda (although one was written by someone who had also previously written a letter to the editor). All letters criticized council for the decision and asked them to reconsider. Council discussed the issue briefly Monday night, but didn't change its earlier decision. says Overholt. Healthkick Huron is also hosting a week-long MedQuest Health Careers Exploration Camp July 10 to 14. Students from Grade 10 and 11 in Huron and Perth counties can sign up. There are only 24 spots. The application dead- line is Friday. For more information visit www.healthkick- huron.ca Snider declares Continued from front page The most important issue for Snider is for the municipality to work together. "Having the town of Bluewater function as a town rather than as splin- tered parts...people need to be able to trust the people working for them." Snider says she needs to talk to residents of com- munities in Bluewater to determine what their needs are. "There is something wrong with what is hap- pening when part of the municipality would like to leave. There is a lot of distrust and unrest in Janet Snider Bayfield and the shore - 1 i n e people are not always s o happy either...I don't think it needs to be that way. "My belief is people aren't that different. I've taught adults from Somalia and from Southeast Asia and they all want the same things. So how can we be that different in a community of 7,000 people?" REGIONAL WRAP UP • Raise the Roof WALTON — Over $5,000 was collected at the "Raise the Roof" Auction recently at the Walton Hall, according to The Huron Expositor. The fundraiser will support roof repairs or replacement at Duff's United Church in Walton. Chairperson for the fundraiser Glenda Morrison says, "The roof is in rough shape and this will kick start some fundraising so we can repair or replace it. We don't know exactly how much we need yet." There have been no official quotes but Morrison says it could be as high as $40,000 to $50,000. Track campaign GODERICH — The auction included a penny sale for children, a silent auction and a live auction. The Goderich District Collegiate Institute (GDCI) track and field campaign is underway with organiz- ers looking to the community for support, according to The Goderich Signal -Star. GDCI principal Pat Senn says the 25 -year-old track is "disintegrating and falling apart." Senn explained the whole project is expected to cost about $200,000, but the Avon Maitland District School Board "has said they'll go ahead and put it in and we have two years to raise $50,000." Fundraising has started. The Goderich Scotiabank recently donated $2,500. Seeking sites in Huron HURON — oors Open Huron 2006 is seeking sites across Huron County, according to the Clinton News -Record. Significant buildings, natural heritage sites and other historic areas in Zurich, Seaforth, Goderich, Brussels and communities in between are wanted. These sites will be open to the public July 8-9. For more information contact Heather Boa at 519- 482-7078 or e-mail hboa@sympatico.ca by April 30. EXETER AUTO SERVICE HARD TO SEE EIT MIGHT? YELLOWED OR CLOUDY LENSES? IIEEIDLKijITS CLEANED $39.95 HEADLIGHTS AIMED $34.95 P235O16OEXT.CALL FOR YOUR #7 AMERICAN EXPRESS OD 100 Thames Rd. E. 235-0160 lan A. MacKenzie Limited PROUDLY CANADIAN OWNED AND OPERATED Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. • Fri. 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. AUTO SERVICE: Mon. - Sat. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY! 235-0160 Ext. #1