The Huron Expositor, 1976-04-01, Page 1IS THE TOWN HALL FALLING APART? -Those
, who work in the town halt were startled Monday
morning when the roof fell in. Well, not the roof
exactly, but a decorative brickwork Jae* at the 1
north side of the eave (Top Photo) gave way and fell
70 feet to the sidewalk below. Tqwn clerk Bob
Franklin is trying to get someone to pull out the
remaining loose brick but he's not finding a. lot of
.enthusiasm for the job. Clerk Franklin said that once
he persuades someone to take On the job the brick
will probably be replaced. Meanwhile barriers are up
`hid pedestrians would be wise to -keep their distance
from the front of the town hall. (Staff Photo)
Hope phonathon will
raise $20,000 for arena
'THE LITTLE GUYS - It was the "B ,Night" for, minor hockey-players in Seaforth
Saturday night when all the Saturday hockey teams played exhibition games, and
trophies were handed out. Some Of the smallest players in town, from left Jeff
Kennedy, Brad Beuttenmiller, Chris,Cardno, Danny Brown and Flay Lamont got the
cheers of the crowd and some awards. More photos and a story on the sports page
and still more photos will appear next week. (Staff Photo)
CAREFULLY POURING -- Maple syrup making is a
family affair at Jim Axtmann's bush, in McKillop
Township. The whole family helps Mr. AXtmann,
principal at Grey Central School, make syrup during
the March break. Little Michael Axtmann pours sap
from a bucket into e bigger pail. More photos on
page five. (Staff Photo)
Nhole No. 5641
117th Year in le
$10-09 Year Avaftce
coify2conts
4i*
SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1976 . - 20 PAGES
my council agrees it
would make health cuts
Huron County council is taking
its role seriously. When Warden')
Jack McCutcheon aske4,
councillors Friday at the March
session in Goderich if they were.:
ready to accept the responsibility
for the
in
of health care
costs in the county should the
government empower them to db
so, few member declined.
Warden McCutcheon told
council - that - Ontario Premier
William Davis and Minister of
Clive says amateur entertain-
ment of all sorts is needed
because campaign organizers
ope to have a ,show running all
day long at the high school.
will be the gym and cafeteria at
SDHS. While the broadcast is
going on vOlunteers will record
phoned in pledges.
A phonathon over CKNX in
Harriston raised $25,000 in a day,
he said. People were doing things
,like donating money to keep -a
friend sweeping the sidewalk in
front of phonathon headquar ters
for an hour. One man said he'd
cut his long hair if donations got
to a certain amount. Others
phoned in and said they'd donate
so much money if the man would
keep his Long hair.
The whole community has to
get involved, Clive says, and
•anyone who will volunteer to
entertain, to man one of the five
phones or to help organize the
phonathon is asked to call the
recreation office at 527-0882.
would be approved in 1976,
Administrator Chester Archibald
was pleasantly surprised when
some members of his staff came
to him with the suggestion that
the cost of meals for workers at ,
The hdme be doubled.
Mr. Archibald told council at its
March' session that at 50 cents
each, the meals were bringing in
$10,000 per annum. Huronview
staff reasoned that an additional
$10,000 could be added to the
budget if the cost of meals to staff
went to $1,
The Board of Management at
Huronview had been considering
the i cs'ise, but when the staff
volftfireered for the raised price,
.7boardsmeisibers felt compelled to
follow 'their example.They
decided that on meeting days,
each board member would forfeit
$1 for the meal that until this time
had been free.
"You mean the county will pay
for it," said Elgin Thompson.
reeve of Tuckersmith, hardly
believing his ears.
"No, my understanding was that
the committee members would
pay for the meals out of their own
pockets," said Mr. Archibald.
Several heads nodded in
agreement.
"And it is high time we paid for
our own meals, too," stated
Reeve Thompson, obviously
getting into the spirit of the thing.
Warden Jack McCutcheon
promptly brought the discussion
to a close.
Self restraint working at Huronview
, Saturday, May 15 is the date
Ind '$20,000 is the goal of a
shonathon to help *finance reno-
iations at the Seaforth arena.
::hairman of the. arena 'fund
:aising committee, ,,Clive Buist
;ays that the phonathon will be
aroadcast live on CKNX radio
from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The phonathon headquarters
Restraint has hit Huronview
:his year, and the administrator
here, Chester Archibald,
•emarked to Huron County
2ouncil at its',March session on
Friday that if handled properly ? it
las a' self-controlling influelice
that some feel has been lacking in
the past• in many places.
• Mr. Archibald pointed out that
at Huronview, there's' very little
way taht beds can be cut without
sacrificing a much needed service
to the people of Huron County. At'
any time, there is a long waiting
list of persons desiring to make
their home at Huronview.
For this reason, Mr. Archibald
has been cutting back in other
ways - like making use of a
provincial buck purchasing plan,
not replacing employees who
retire and - the big one - not
brining in replacements for
people wo are sick for one or 'two
days at 'a tithe.
This latter restraint , has a
"self-controlling influence",
according to Mr. Archibald, when
workers have to cover for a fellow
employee who is off sick,. there is
considerable pressure on the
employees who are sick to get
better quick and stay that way.
When the workload becomes
heavier for the ones left on the
job, there is a tendency to hurry
back that may be, lacking when a
part-time employee is brought in'
to do the work,
And you thought the restraints
weren't working'
Surprise, Surprise
When it became evident that
Huronview'S budget would have
to be tightened to accommodate
the government's announcement
that only a 51/2 per cent hike
Health Frank Miller had been
impressed with a Huron county
Board of Health presenation
which stressed the fact that
Huron is a "total county" that •
"sticks together".
He said the only argument to
which the premier and the
Minister of Health would listen
was the one which put forth the
claim that Huron County wants to
manage its own affairs even where
health cutbacks are concerned
and should be permitted to
co-ordinate meetings with the five
hospitals to work out 'airainiCable
settlement to achieve the results
desired by Toronto.
"Are we ready to accept the
responsibility to allocate bed
reduction proportionately across
the county?" asked Warden
McCutcheon.
John Jewitt of Hullett seemed
to speak for all of council when he
replied, "if we've got to be the
body drat takes the stand, then
we'd better be the body that
takes the stand".
Only Reeve John Flannery of
Seaforth voiced his concern in
accepting the responsibility. He
questioned whether council
should get into this kind of
administration, even if given the'
power to do so.
"HoW many beds will we b e
expected to cut back next year?"
asked Flannery. "Will this
become an annual event?"
While council waits to the
government's decision 'on
whether or not county council will
be empowered to allocate bed
reduction apportionments
throughout Huron, Dr. Frank
Mills Throught . forward some
shocking "stitistics- for council's
perusal.
• The ' county's brief to
government had noted that
$944,000 had to be cut from
Huron's health care budget.
Five. propOsals had been made by
the county to effect these savings
without closing Clinton Public
Hospital. These were:
1.. All hospitals should make full
and immediate use of Home Care
services to reduce hospital bed
days to a bare minimum.
should screen
admissions carefully questioning
the need for admission and
whether they could perhaps be
cared for under the Home Care
Program.
3. 'All hospitals
immediately discharge.
shoul d
their
long-stay patients wherever
possible to nursing -home, Home
Care, VON etc.
4. All h. ospitals should restrict
emergency rooms to emergency
cases only with no convenience
cases either for people or
physicians.
5. All hospital boards should
immediately meet and decide on
unitizing of the hospital scry ices
within the county so that certain
services may be centralized in
dsupepciiicfiaction hospitals avoid
of expensive
equipment and staff.
It was Dr. Mills' contention
that many Huron hospital beds
were heing utilized for chronic
long-stay patient s who could be
cared for in alternate facilities.
Seeking to substantiate his belief,
he contacted Stephen Skorez,
area planning co-ordinator for the
Ministry of Health to determine
the percentage of long stay
patients Huron had as well as the
number of patient days they
utilized in active treatment units.
Statistics show that there were
445 patients who accounted for
23,360 patient days in Huron
hospitals in the "30 days plus"
category. Wingham' hospital had
the highest number - 150 pending
7,0 28 patient days - while
Seaforth had the least - 49
spending 2,880 patient days. On a
percentage basis however,
Goderich had the best record: 3.6
per pent spending 24.6 per cent of
the total patient days.: Exeter
logged the worst record - 7.2 per
cent occupying 40.7 per cent of
the total patient days.
In the 15 day plus category, the
percentages told the story. Exeter
again held the lead with a record
of 18.8 per cent spending a total
of 65.2 per cent of the patient
days,
Clititon and Goderich were
neck and neck .for the best
performance - Clinton with 12.8
pdr cent accounting for 51.2 per
cent of the patient days and
Although Huron County will
pot be raising any additional tax
dollars this year, "some munici-
palities will face an increase in
their county apportionment for
1976. At the sme time, some will
have a pleasant reduction and it is
all because of a bell of that people
services should be paid by the
people who use them.
For some time, county council
has been studying the tax
structure in Huron by which all
funds were raised on an
assessment basis. At the' March
session of county council held
Friday in the council chambers at
Goderich, decision was reached to
that people services - Children's
Aid, Huronview, Social Services,
health and' library - should be
funded according to population of
a municipality.
"There's no doubt it is a fairer
way of doing things," commented
Warden Jack McCutcheon to
council.
Under the new scheme, which
involved passing a by-law in
accordance with the Municipal
Act, Section 507, Subsection 7,
four of the five towns will all pay
more. Some villages, too, will
have an •inerease in 1976.
The Town of Goderich, the
largest municipality in Huron,
will pay $370,297 in 1976 into the
county coffers. That's an increase
of $19,146.
The town of Exeter will pay
$163,959 , $8,115 more.
Wingham will pay $132,536,
down from $139,612, Clinton will
pay $123,124, $6,982 more.
that there will be funds available
in the future to build additional
accommodation.
Reeve McKinley further noted
that Huronview was designed
primarily at the ststrt as a home
for the aged. He said that in
recent months, it is fast becoming
a chronic bed care facility.
'Chester Archibald, adminis-
trator of Huronview was present
for some of council's delibera-
tions on FridayHe reported there
were 295 persons at Huronview in
1975. He admitted there was a
long waiting list with applications
considered according to their
date. He explained, however, that
When a normal care bed is open
and someone requiring special
care is the next application on the
list, the person requiring normal
care who may be down on the list
is admitted before the special
care applicant. Or, of course, the•
situation could be reversed.
"That',s really all we can do,"
Archibald told council.
Dr. Mills urged council to
consider the "bed at home". He
said that many times, with the
help of Home Care nursing,
physiotherapy and h omemakers
as well as VON 'services, people
Seaford' will pay $86,056, .. up
$3,778.
The village of Bayfield will
have a reduction, from $34,391
last year to $28, 607 this year, All
the rest face increases - Blyth,
$30,205 to $31.022; Brussels,
$35,211 to $35,587; Hensel',
$45,600 to $46,347; Zurich,
$30,401 to $30,998. •
Two townships will pay more in
1976. They are Stephen and
Tuckersrnith. The townships and
their apportionments are listed b
below, the 1975 apportionment in
brackctS;
Ashfield, $95,181 ($105,597);
Colborne, $67,779 (71,856);
Goderich $103,232 ($112,923);
Grey, $88,270 ($91,094); Hay,
$108,354 ($121,901); Howick,
After only, three weeks of
existence, a group organized to
aid the handicapped reports
action.
A verbal commitment has been
received to construct a. pedestrian
curb ramp at the Sun Coast Mall
in Goderich, that will provide the
handicapped with access to the
stores. The Sun Coast manager
said he foresees "no difficulty in
installing a curb ramp."
In addition, then ew group has
prepared .a brief regarding
pedestrian curb ramps. which
can get along in their own
homes.
The MOH did stress the move
was not on to "turn sick people
out of the hospitals" but merely
to take a long hard look the
alternatives already provided by
government which are not being
utilized by doct ors or their
patients.
The brief presented at Toronto
had four additional points of
interest to residents across
Ontario. The board of health has
urged the premier and the
minister of health to support
other alternatives to constraints
in health care spending. •
There were;
1. A users fee for, emergency
rooms when there is no
emergency(approximate savings
of 20 million).
2. A means test to- determine
the eligibility for free OHIP
(equals savings' of approximately
90 million)•
3. A means test tp determine
the eligibility for free drug
benefits (equals savings of about
25 million).
4. Incentive and dis incentive
programs for hospitals ' and
physicians to control use of
hospitals, OHIP, diagnostic
services etc.
$123,095 ($124,496); Hullett,
$84,183 ($87,398); McKillop
$74,485 ($79,108); Morris,
$68.983 ($71,828); s Stanley,
$87,225 ($89,830); Stephen,
$189,117 ($172,434); Tucker-
smith; $145,145 - ($134,765);
Turnberry, $62,950 ($60, 576);
Usborne, $80,599 ($80,499); East
Wawanosh, $ 5.7',628 ($53,531);
West Wawanosh, $49,241
$(49,327),
All municipalities will be
required to' pay their apportion-
ments in two equal instalments -
one June 30 and one December
15,
Clerk-treasurer Bill Hanly said
that municipalities which didn't
pay on time would be billed for
the interest on the money owing.
they 'will present to the Goderich
Town Council on april 5.
Interest in the *organization
has been expressed by people in
several communities, including
Brussels, Exeter, Wingham and
Kincardine.
The next meeting will be held
on Wednesday, April 7 at 8 p.m.
in the Holmesville Public School
library, Everyone is welcome.
For further information, call
Elaine Townshend at 482.335, or
Bert Soothyeran at 482.7671
(Clinton) or Ed SteegStra at
524-2369 (Goderich),
•
Goderich with 12,9 per cent
accounting for 47.7 per cent of the
patient days.
The totals showed that 14.5 per
cent of the patients in the five
county hospitals spend 15 days or
more and use up 52 per cent of
the total patient days.
Dr. Mills said the average
length of stay for patients in
hospital all across Ontario is 7.8
days. he feels too large a
percentage of Huron patients are
staying too long in hospital.
"It bears looking at," insisted
Dr. Mills. "There is good, reason
for hospital administrations to get
together and say what can we do.
Everyboyd has to tighten down a
bit. There should be a thorough
study. We must ask who were
these people? Why were they
there?"
Dr. Mills reminded council that
the Ministry of Health is firm in •
its order that 62 beds mu st 'be
cut from Huron's hospitals. he
also pointed out that Huron has a
large percentage of people, over
65; an additional 30,000 people
from May to October each year; a
number of high risk agricultural
workers who require nearby acute
health care facilities and a desire
to provide quality of health care
services throughout the county.
"You can cut hospital staff but
you haven't cut out the over use
of the hospital beds," Dr. Mills
explained."If you cut beds there
'will be a natural reduction in
staff "
"The hospital. The schools.
The arena. They're going,"
retorted Morris Reeve Bill Elston,
"Mark my words. They're trying
to kill these little communities."
"What will 'We do Witt( thts
people we move out of our
hospitals?" asked Reeve Stan
Profit of Goderich. He noted that
many persons require nursing
home care at least; and that
Huron just hasn't sufficient
nursing home, beds to care for
them. He also felt that Home
Care programs and VON services
cost money which had to be paid
by the taxpayers.
"B asically you are using the
same principles as the Ministry is
using," argued Reeve Profit.
"You are shifting the cost from
one place to the other. You are
not attacking the problem at all.
You are still talking about cutting
services to people."
Former Warden Anson
McKinley of Stanley Township
asked about alternat ive facilities
to the long waiting list at
Huronview and pointed out there
is n o indication from the province
From Seaforth
county needs $3,778 more
Handicapped group
gets results already