The Citizen, 1998-07-08, Page 1Adding the perfect touch
The creative artwork of Thomas Murray is gently guided by Blyth Festival Children's
Workshop Leader Jason Rumley as children from five-12 took part in classes June 29 to
July 8. With dozens of children registered, the popular class encourages creative play and
includes storytelling for the younger set. A special presentation of their talents will be held
for the families at 11 a.m., Wednesday morning (today) for the five to eight-year-olds and at
3 p.m. for the nine to 12-year-olds
OPP propose $6.2 million county service
Education
Area F.E. Madill students
among those named
Ontario Scholars
See page 6
Feature
Special section honours
the Grade 8 grads from 6
area schools
See page 11
Entertainment
See page 27
The North Huron
tizen
mileage cuts
VONs protest
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
The Ontario Provincial Police are
offering Huron County council a
county-wide police contract with
84 officers and a price tag of nearly
$6.2 million.
Sgt. Gary Martin and Inspector
Walter Trachsel headed a six-per-
son OPP team that presented its 47-
page proposal to county council
Thursday. Councillors had asked
for a proposal after the provincial
government said it would bill rural
municipalities and villages for
policing services.
All towns in Huron, except
Wingham, have already contracted
with the OPP for local policing.
Councillors felt there might be a
better deal for everyone if a county-
wide price was negotiated.
As well as the one-force propos-
al, the OPP also presented one that
would cover the entire county with
the exception of the town of Wing-
ham. This would involve an 80-per-
son force at a cost of $5.8 million.
There was no proposal to cover the
possibility some northern Huron
municipalities may opt to buy ser-
vice from Wingham as several have
discussed.
Both proposals would see the
province fund 12 patrol officers
while the county picks up the full
cost of 50 if Wingham was includ-
ed, or 46 if it isn't. Costs of an
inspector, staff sergeants, sergeants,
detectives and other support per-
Continued on page 28
Provincial Victorian Order of
Nurses (VON) staff have said
enough is enough after more than a
year of dealing with cost cutting
measures.
The VONs registered practical
nurses officially went on strike at
12:07 a.m., July 4. More than 600
nurses, including the five Huron
VONS, from 13 Practical Nurses
Federation of Ontario locals around
the province walked the picket line
beginning Monday.
Local 19 President Cathy Thom-
son said this year's concessions
asked were the last straw.
Last year, through negotiations,
VON workers took a one per cent
wage rollback, gave up two, 15
minute coffee breaks and uniform
allowances, she said.
This year, aside from cuts to
vacation benefits and changes to
job security language in the con-
tract, the VON were asked to
accept a 40 per cent cut to their
benefits and in the case of Huron
County a reduction of mileage
allowance from 28 cents per kilo-
metre to zero.
Thomson said the mileage num-
bers were randomly established
with some areas getting 15 cents,
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
As is evident from the crops on a
drive through Huron County, the
precipitation totals in June have
varied greatly across the region.
With the average rainfall for the
county at 90 millimetres for the
past nine years, Ag. Rep Bob
Humphries for the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs office in Clinton said, num-
bers for this year range from a low
of seven mm in Blyth to a high of
49.75 in Dungannon. Still far
below the expected level.
Though Blyth is exceptionally
low, records in East Wawanosh
Twp. show 38 mm.
Crops are being harvested in
Dungannon, said Humphries, but
not in Tuckersmith Twp. which has
received only 16 mm. of rain.
Aside from the tremendously low
precipitation, the heat units have
increased by 50 per cent. Accumu-
lated heat units are usually around
853, said Humphries.They now
range from 1215 to 1323.
However, as the rainfall has var-
ied across the county, so has the
weather's effect on crops.
Hay crops have had an average
first yield with the feed analysis
also average.
Humphries said some>farmers are
having to harvest the second cuts
already because it has begun to
others 17, while Huron County got
nothing.
"I drive 100 kms per day for my
clients," said Thomson, adding she
did not know how she could do that
with no mileage expense.
It could cost some VON any-
where from $5,000 to $12,000 per
year, depending on their clients,
she said.
The VONs were willing to give
up 40 per cent of their benefits if
they could be paid 25 cents per
kilometre, but management rejected
the offer, said Thomson.
Noting that the VON realize cuts
need to be made in many areas
because of government cutbacks,
she said the nurses have taken
enough. It was time to look at man-
agement.
While the VON registered practi-
cal nurses are on the picket lines,
registered nurses will be picking up
their duties so that patients do not
suffer.
Thomson said she disliked being
away from her patients but hopes
they understand and support her
position.
The VON will be picketing the
Stratford head office during the
week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thomson gave no indication how
long the strike may be as the union
is now waiting for an offer from
management.
flower, but the volume is not there
because it is short.
Farmers are relying on getting a
third cutting, he said.
Pasture lands are very dry with
producers looking at supplemental
feedings. They are also having to
watch water supplies as ponds have
begun to dry up and creeks are run-
ning at very low flow.
The corn crop was hit hard in
June, said Humphries, first with
frost then herbicide damage then
drought. However, it is a tough
crop.
Most is progressing well, he said,
but it will be watched over the next
few weeks when it may be expect-
ed to go to tassel.
The soybean crop is greatly var-
ied with some "not bad" and others
flowering at a height of less than a
foot.
In Goderich Twp., the beans have
just stopped growing, said
Humphries.
The yields for winter wheat,
which is currently being harvested
in some areas will not be known for
a few days, but producers are not
optimistic, said Humphries.
The dry weather has not just
affected field crops but market
crops and orchards as well.
Though the yields for cherries
and raspberries at Blyth Brooke
Orchards is good, the timing has
been shifted ahead by as much as
Continued on page 10
Vol. 14 No. 27 Wednesday, July 8, 1998
700 4 So GST 750
Crop yield varies