Loading...
The Lucknow Sentinel, 1983-01-26, Page 1SIN& uy 35c e ns _ L TM Golden Horseshoe designated possible waste disposal site Areas within the Golden Horseshoe at the western end of Lake Ontario were named today by the Ontario Waste Management Corporation as the immediate focus of the search for suitable liquid industrial waste treatment and disposal sites. The Golden Horseshoe is the highly industrialized area around Lake Ontario from Oshawa to Niagara Falls. The search for these facilities will be con- centrated within the Golden Horseshoe on specific hydrogeological zones classified by OWMC consultants.Th zones contain soil conditions which'WWr greater potential for the natural protection required for the facilities. They are located in areas begin- ning west of Oshawa, extending immediate- ly north and west of Toronto, and including much of the Niagara Peninsula. Dr. Donald Chant, Chairman and Presid- ent of OWMC, announced at a press conference today in Toronto that the decision to narrow the focus immediately to these Turn to page 2` Estimates I 7 per cent increase in Huron education mill rate By Stephanie Levesque Huron County Board of Education chair- man, Dorothy Wallace, e:.timates a 17 per cent increase in the local education mill rate, based on a projection by the personnel relations administrator, Peter Gryseels. A look at the mill rate shows the increase doesn't include the recent increase of employeer contributions to the Canada Pen- sion Plan and Unemployment Insurance of about 40 per cent. The projection was included in the chairman's inaugural address to the board at their January 10 meeting. Increased costs and a decreased student population are challenges facing the Huron County Board of Education as it maintains the present level of operation, said Wallace. The chairman said Gryseels projected the 17 per cent increase in the mill rate by making certain assumptions, including the grant increases from the Ministry of Education would be five per cent, the secondary enrollment would decline, as anticipated, so that the total grant revenue would increase by only four per cent. "He assumed an inflation rate of 10 per cent on our purchases, that the seven per cent sales tax would continue and there would be a mandatory five per cent increase in salaries," said Mrs. Wallace. "The net effect of these calculations shows an increase in expenditures approach- ing nine per cent, of revenue from the province of four per cent, with the resultant increase in the local levy of nearly 17 per cent. "Not included in that 17 per cent is the latest bad news. The federal government has increased the compulsary employer contri- Turn to page 9• Patient services unaffected by hospital bed closures The loss of 14 beds to Health Ministry cutbacks several years ago has not affected the quality of patient services at Wingham and District Hospital, board members were assured last week. After listening to a statistical report on hospital activities which indicated most areas of activity were up over the previous years, trustee William Newton had some questions for the executive director. Is anyone waiting for elective surgery, or has anyone been forced to wait, he wondered, or has the hospital ever had to turn anyone away because of lack of beds? Told that the answer to all those questions is "no". Newton commented, "So all that fuss four years ago, the loss of beds, hasn't made any difference?" Executive director Norman Hayes agreed that it has not. Another trustee, former board chairman, Jack Kopas, suggested perhaps that is because of a trend to more outpatient visits, but Hayes told him it is hard to say. Actually there were more people using the hospital last year than the previous year, he pointed out, but the length of stay was down. Newton commented that this is a trend across Ontario, and Dr. J. Chong Ping, hospital chief of staff, added it is a national trend. "it's a credit to your good doctors." Dr. Walter Wong reported that the large hospitals are even doing appendectomies and hernia repairs on an outpatient basis now, with the patient in and out the same day - "instant medicine". "As long as the supply of rippers holds out!" Kopas quipped. Hospital investments safe By Henry Hess Trust companies may come and go, but the Wingham and District Hospital's investments are as safe as -- well, at least as safe as the Government of Canada, members of the hospital board were assured last week. In response to a question from one board member, treasurer Gordon Baxter told the board that while he looks for good rate of return. he also chooses very safe vehicles of investment for the hospital funds. The last time. he said, the money was invested in Government of Canada treasury bills, which are about as safe as you can get short of buying and stockpiling gold. He said the hospital stopped dealing with trust companies after the collapse of Re Mor investments and Astra Trust a couple of years ago. and generally has bought term certificates through one of the local banks. As a consequence, unlike a number of municipalities, the Wingham Hospital does not have any money tied up in any of the three trust companies seized recently by the Ontario government. Dr. Don Jolly raised the question about the safety of the hospital's investments, commenting "we're not dealing with any terrible trust companies, but maybe we're dealing with some terrible banks". Turn to page 2* )ree Published in laclmew, Ontario, Wim, January 26, 1953 lb Pages Ross Errington, left, presented an Agricultural Service Diplom to Bab and IMitatlesie Struthers in recognition .f their active service to the LL.cka w Agriculharal Society. T presentation was made at the Society'. mama .seet6%g held Jamey 20.11Larle a has served as secretary to the ladles' division and Bob boa aged as a dhector on the Society's executive. Staff Photo] Receive service diploma The Lucknow Agricultural Society held their annual meeting, January 21 at the Lucknow United Church. Head table guests included members of the Society's executive, Don and Ruth Bell; Lorne and Hazel Hackett; Ian and Sheila Clarke; Bruce and Dale Skillin; Ross and Elaine Errington; Bob and Beth Aitchison; Norman and Eva Bolt; Phil and Gerry McCann; Leo and Imelda Murray; William Dickie and Ken Mewhinney. Also seated at the head table were Leonard Patterson, president district 10, Ontario Agricultural Societies and his wife, Ida; Murray Gaunt, Lucknow Fall Fair master of ceremonies and his wife, Pat and Miss Lucknow Fall Fair, Judy Ward. Presentations of awards and trophies included the presentation of the Agricultural Service Diploma to Bob and Marlene Struthers in recognition of their work in the Society; the Huron Veterinary Clinic award to Ray Forster, who was the top member of the Lucknow Calf Club in 1982, achieving 859 points out of 1,000 points; the Royal Bank award to Murray de Boer; the Lucknow Agricultural Society plaque to the log sawing champions, Bob Struthers and Bob Gilchrist: the Murray Cardiff tug of war award to Brookside School, presented to Ross Erring- ton who represented the school and the Rose Bowl to Austin and Joan Martin for the best red rose at the fair. $ Greetings were brought from neighbour- ing municipalities and the village of Lucknow by John Austin, reeve of Ashfield Township; Barry Johnston, reeve of Kinloss Township; Jim Aitchison, reeve of West Wawanosh Township and Ab Murray from the village of Lucknow. Miss Lucknow Fall Fair, Judy Ward, who also holds the title of Miss Midwestern Ontario, provided entertainment by singing for the assembly. She was accompanied by her father, Doug. President Don Bell reported that Miss Lucknow Fall Fair will be crowned at Jam- boree '83 weekend in July and will hold the title of Miss Lucknow representing the Jamboree and the fall fair in the Miss Midwestern Ontario pageant. The financial statements of the Lucknow Craft Festival and the Lucknow Fall Fair were received and Ian Clarke reported on the beard contest the Society is organizing for the Jamboree '83 committee. At the annual meeting which followed the business, retiring directors Arnold Camp- bell, William Dickie and Bob Aitchison were Turn to page 9• Apply for farm assistance Bruce County farmers ranked first in the province for the number of applications filed to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) under the Ontario Farm Adjustment Assistance Program in 1982. As of January 4, some 326 applications had been approved by OMAF, with a possible increase for applications dated December 31, but not yet processed. Under the program (to be extended into 1983) there are three options available to farmers, who are eligible. Criteria for assistance will be that a producer must have equity in the farm business of between 10 and 60 per cent, be paying interest and principal on money borrowed for farming purposes in excess of 20 per cent of the operating costs and have produced S12,000 worth of food or tobacco products on the farm 12 months preceeding the application. The first option, Option A, is a deferral of interest by the lender for a period of six months, backed by a provincial guarantee. During this period the lender would not compound the interest. This)option is designed to cover short -tern( problems where sufficent income is expected at the end of a six -Month period. Option B takes the form of interest reduction grants on floating-rate and short- term, fixed-rate loans for operating purposes of 12 months. The maximum interest reduction would be five percentage points, bringing down the interest rate to as low as 12 per cent. Option B is suitable for situations where a reduction of interest rates would improve cash flow and enhance the viability of the farm operation. Option C involves a guarantee by the province of a new line of credit, for operating purposes only, for up to 12 months. This new credit would be provided by the lender at the prime rate. This option would fit those cases where producers need additional credit to put in a 'crop or buy calves or feed. According to Don Pullen, Huron County agricultural representative ira Linton, there were 49 applications falling under Option C in Bruce County and in Huron County applications for Option C. in Perth County there were a total of 221 applications with 32 applying for Option C, the line of credit guarantee.