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Times-Advocate, 1987-01-14, Page 5The readers write Times -Advocate, Jonuary 14, 1987 Page 5 C•unty polities and administration come ander fire Dear Mr Batten Many thanks for the time and effort you put into my request to locate the Hunter family: ' 1 have been talking with Mrs. Hunter and comparing notes on the two girls. Although is was impossible to get them together over these holidays I am sure we can arrange it sometime. Mrs. Hunter and I plan to get to-gether in the summer when we are at our cottage in Grand Bend. Thank you again for your co- operation. Sincerely, Mrs. Elaine M. Reynolds Dear Editor: As a ratepayer in the village of Hen- sall, I am having difficulty in understanding the rationale of some who have suggested the spending of $500,000 to purchase the building formerly occupied by Agripress Ltd as an alternative to proposed renova- tions at the current town hall. Although I was unable to attend the recent public meeting at which the purchase proposal was pitched, I read with interest the newspaper reports of that heated session. In my opinion, to purchase that property would be a mistake not only for finan- cial reasons, but location and even aesthetics as well. No one who has had occasion to visit the municipal office in Hensall would deny the need for the suggested renovations. The confidentiality of in- dividual ratepayers deserves no less. Further, the nature and importance of the position dictates the need for a private office for the clerk -treasurer. Of all the municipal buildings I have been in, and there have been many, I can recall none where this was not the case. The building proposed for purchase is not centrally located, far too large for the municipality's requirements and does not even come close to pro- jecting the image of a municipal building. If, as some seem to feel, it is better to move to new facilities than renovate the present building, then I suggest investing the $500,000 toward constructing a complete new building to the municipality's specifications and needs --something that will at least look like a municipal building. However, I do - not think such a move is necessary, either. Instead, the decision of Hensall council to opt. for the renovations costing $60,000 was a wise one. The current town hall has a character that would be a shame to cast off when renovations will accommodate the changes that are now needed. If "fixing up" the Agripress building and renting it out can be such a profitable undertaking, then I sug- gest it be left up to private enterprise and not the municipality. Yours sincerely, Robert Murphy cc:village of Hensall Dear Sir, It is a sad and unacceptable fact that every year thousands of dogs suf- fer through long and harsh Canadian winters with inadequate shelter or no shelter at all. These dogs cannot ob- tain shelter and are forced to endure terrible weather conditions. Tremen- dous cold spells, vicious blizzards and freezing rain can prove fatal for even the hardiest of dogs. Most of us would not even consider being out in these elements, even for a short period of time, so how can we expect dogs to live in these conditions? What kind of existence is this anyway? . While winter, emphasizes the need for adequate shelter, "outdoor" dogs also need adequate housing the rest of the year to protect them from the intense heat of the sun as well as the rain. Under the Criminal Code of Canada all dogs are, by law, required to have "adequate" shelter. A doghouse should be large enough for the dog to stand up, sit down, turn around and stretch out comfortably to the fullest extent of its limbs. It should be insulated, have an interior wind- break, exterior door flap and be elevated 6 inches off the ground, fac- ing away from the prevailing winds. These are the minimum standards the Ontario Humane Society has set regarding a doghouse. Realizing that not all dogs are "in- door" dogs, the Ontario Humane Society has published a pamphlet detailing how to construct an "ideal" doghouse. The pamphlet, "ideal Doughouse for Ontario's Outdoor Dogs", provides the dog owner with all the necessary information to con- struct a "custom fit" doghouse that will, if constructed properly, provide an outdoor dog with good Shelter, Copies of this pamphlet can be obtain- ed by simply contacting the Ontario Humane Society at: 620 Yonge St., Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 4V8. Sincerely, N. Glenn Perrett Director, Humane Education Ontario Humane Society January 7, 1987 Dear Editor: - I would like to draw attention to the "Letter to the Editor" from Dr. Harry Cieslar which appeared in the Focus on December 9, 1986. If you happen- ed to miss it or didn't bother to read it 1 strongly urge you to do so, especially if you are at all interested in the future of health services in Huron County. Dr. Cieslar had been Medical Of- ficer of Health in Huron County for 5 years prior to his resignation in July 1986. After 5 years of experience, I am sure most would agree, that would provide him with a good understan- ding of the programs and services provided as well as the ones that are needed in the countyHe would also be knowledgeable abouf'the organiza- tion and functioning of the Health Unit and the provincial legislation that regulates this body. Any group, whether it be a business or a community group needs strong leadership and good organization. Without these basics, the services provided could be decreased and the morale of the providers could be diminished. I feel these things are slowly starting to happen at the Huron County Health Unit. It has been six months since Dr. Cieslar resigned and there is still no perma- nent Medical Officer of Health that has been educated in and who is com- mitted to public health. Possibly no one has been willing to put up with the present county situation. The Health Protection and Promo- tion Act, 1983, governs the function of the health Unit and county policy and practice, in regards to the Health Unit, has been in direct conflict with the Act since its inception. How can this be allowed? The Ministry of Health has known about this situation since at least the fall of 1985 when it carried out a pro- vincial organizational audit, but still nothing has been done to rectify the situation. The Minister even resides in this county which makes his lack of action even more difficult to understand! • I think it's high time that the peo- ple of Huron County speak out about their concerns. Nothing will ever change unless you do something about it! Please call or write your Local or provincial politician and let them know how you feel. Sincerely, Shirley Chalmers, P.H.N. I have enclosed a copy of the original letter from Dr. Cieslar. It is as follows: Dear editor, It is appropriate and timely for the people of Huron to be aware of the county politics and administrative issues that seem to be more impor- tant than Public Health programs. As former Medical Officer of Health for five years and having resigned from the post this past Ju- ly, I can no longer witness in silence the destruction of Health Unit_pro- grams and objectives for which Tand many of the loyal staff have worked so hard over the years. Health Unit Programs are numerous and complex, but very economical and very unnoticed. From immunization, home care, education, and disease prevention to environmental protection, these pro- grams potentially affect the daily lives of every one of the 56,000 plus residents of this county. This type of work requires skills and well trained professionals. By provincial statute the Health Unit is to be administered by Board of Health whose chief executive of- ficer is to be a physician trained in Public Health. Huron County has chosen to ignore this Provincial Law! A provincial organizational audit in the fall of 1985 recommended ad- ministrative and or anizational changes to rectify this long standing problem. Not only have these changes not been made, but increasingly regressive actions have been implemented. Before I resigned I found my job as Medical Officer of Health increasing- ly dominated by the county's clerk - treasurer. i was in the untenable posi- tion of being responsible by law, but having no control or authority. These issues did come to a full head, and I found that the board chose to take sides with the clerk -treasurer. Worse yet, major decisions were made outside the board meetings. It became a war of different philosophies and administrative styles. _ Without political support, in a stressed atmosphere not conducive to productivity or the 'goals of public , 'B' TROPHY TO ZURICH — Don Clarke pre3ents the 'B' champion- ship trophy of Tuesday's Huron Park novice tournament to Zurich cap- toins rian Denomme, Chad Ramer and Kris Schenk. T -A photo .t health, I chose to resign. I had hoped my resignation would pave the way for the hiring of a qualified physician who perhaps might have more patience and political skill in working with the ex- isting establishment. The new M.O.H. preferably should also be dedicated to public health goals and ideals. Finding such a person is not easy as there are only a few dozen qualified public health physicians in the pro- vince, most of whom are presently employed in health units. However, the events since clearly demonstrated how unimportant pro- grams are to some people. Apparent- ly, no trained and competent physi- cian has been willing to work in the present county atmosphere for the lowest salary in the province. However one might easily conclude that this may be what best suits the goals of the establishment. The physi- cian who in my opinion has been most critical of the Health Unit and its staff over the years, has been hired as ac- ting medical officer of health. He apparently is required only to work a 14-15 hour week at two -third salary which translates to over $40 thousand annually. With no ex- perience or credentials in public health he promptly is able to convince the board that certain programs are not needed and that certain staff are redundant. Perhaps it is only coin- cidental that the same physician is also rumored to be the personal physi- cian to the chairman of the board. He is also a Town Councillor in Wingham although that office in its own right is no contradiction to his post. The Minister of Health also lives in the same town and one can only wonder why he is so silent on this issue of which he is quite aware. Health Unit morale and communi- ty programs are suffering. The Coun- ty of Huron has the distinction of hav- ing the least number of social -and_- health programs in the province. Does that mean our own brand of local politics is at least saving us tax dollars? No! Id fact, close to 90 percent of the cost of these programs are from provincial funds. This means you are paying for all the additional programs across the province which are not pro- vided' here. Has this anything to do with our brand of politics and our ad- ministrative approach? The people of Huron County are able to boast not only two M.P.P.s but also that both these members hold the important posts of Minister of Health - and Minister of Agriculture. Historically this has meant extra pro- grams and funds would flow back to the members' constituency. For some strange reason this has not even war- ranted attention to help uscatchup in areas as alcohol and mental health programs, to mention only two. Do you have concerns about Huron getting its fair share of programs to prevent diseases as heart attacks, stroke, drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide and depression? Do you care about pollution of the environment and hazards in the home or the work place? I do and I know many other people do. I strongly urge you to demand the kind of responsible government that we pay for. I urge you to demand the kind of community programs that we are presently paying for but not receiving. Call or write your local and provin- cial politician. You deserve better!! Dr. Harry Cieslar, Goderich To the Editor: As an observer of the Huron Coun- ty political scene, I would like to share same thoughts concerning the Huron County Library Board. i am amazed at the ignorance of most people concerning the political process and their apathy towards local, municipal affairs. At various times I've heard comments such as, "Oh, well, as long as my library isn't affected," or ''what's the problem, do you need more space?" The County's position that they are perceived to be in control of the libraries by the local citizens is a fallacy promoted by the ad- ministrator and certain reeves. Mr. Murphy, the library board's solicitor las well as the county's) told the board emphatically that the board was a legal autonomous corporation which handled the day to day affairs of the library; and county council and the administrator legally had no authority in making decisions for the boards. In fact, as many of us know, county council's influence is not sub- tle and the board is comprised of a bare majority of reeves resulting in county policy often being served through the library board. Reeve Tom Cunningham expressed in amazement last fall that Council didn't realize that the board wasn't a committee and by asking for special powers under PR No. 7, they could legitimize a system they had worked under since the board's inception in the sixties. Imagine! The council is unwilling to admit to their own nakedness and failings; instead they choose to shoot the messenger! is it the board's fault that the reeves are ignorant of the law? Collectively arc they not mature enough to admit they didn't know and be humble enough to work within the confines of the Libraries Act. Apparently not, for they have struck out at various players. i was asked for my resignation at the November Board meeting by Mr. Tom Cunningham. He accused me of being an anarchist. i suspect the man doesn't know the meaning of the word t belief that the government should be abolished,. Ile said he thougt.t he liv- ed in a democracy but had wondered since 1 had gone against a Library Board decision and travelled to Toronto and spoke at the Standing Committee on Regulations and private Member's Bills at Queen's Park. Apparently Mr. Cunningham could not. accept individuals having opi- nions which differed froom his and Council's view. At ane Board meeting Mr. Cunningham informed me that 1 wasn't accountable to the taxpayer, as he was. because I wasn't elected to the position of reeve. I tried to argue that 1 telt 1 was responsible to the users of the library and that the Board's very existence was to main- tain minority interest of 26,000 residents who use the library system, and not only look out for the citizens whom 1 would represent as a result of an election. I've seen many games played these past few years. When we start discussing the closure of small low circulating branches the reeves would speak dramatically to save their own little redundant branch but never say anything in regards to another branch somewhere else in the county. Of course - you didn't dare criticize a branch from the Warden's or Chair- man's area; that was verboten, and wasn't a wise political move. The County paid approximately $500 to place ads inviting citizens to appear before the Standing Commit- tee supporting or opposing Bill PR No. 7. Mr. Cunningham may have thought only those who supported the Bill PR No. 7 had a right to go to Toronto but my definition of democracy allows all sides to be heard. It is interesting to note that at no time did any other reeve follow Mr. Cunningham's comments with a dif- fering viewpoint so 1 took the stance that all of the reeves agree with Mr. Cunningham, otherwise they would have been willing to speak their own mind and offer their opinion too. Any interested citzen wishing to read transcripts of the committee may write to Clerk Tannis Mannekel Queen's Park, Toronto and ask for October 22, October 29 and December 17 transcripts of the Hansard on the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Members .Bills. The reader will then be able to decide how well thw arguments loci,. both sides stood up in front of the ?ommittee. The irony of it all is that County Council forgets they gave up their right to decide by seeking a Private members Bill and the Provincial government is having a great old time playing games among the parties. I've been told that the opposition wanted this Bill debated in the House so Conservative members reduced their number on the committee allow- ing the vote to be tied again for the se- cond time having the chairman ( a Liberal) vote in favor of the appli- cant, Mr. Reycrafts's Bill. Where are the general citizens in all of this mess? Down at the bottom of the heap, I'm afraid. About all one can do now is write to Jack Riddell and tell him you are against Bill PR No. 7 and write- to Larry Grossman asking him to support the Act that his Government put into place only two years ago. The New Democratic Par- ty has shown remarkable maturity throughout the whole affair and ask- ed a lot of reasonable, intelligent questions. They are not merely a labour party but showed great con- cern for libraries. I apologize for the length of my let- ter but a lot has happened in the past BASKETBALL RECORDERS — The scorekeepers and timers for one of Friday's South Huron District High School basketball games against Mitchell were Christine Rose and Spring Cushman. year. 1 wish to lay blame at the feet of the library patrons as well. Without public attendance at our Board meetings the conduct of members can get very egotistical and things are said that would never be repeated if the press or public were present They Library Board needs a watchdog to ensure that everyone behaves proper- ly, that the chairman has control over proceedings and that the secretary takes minutes and doesn't interfere with his own opinions, and that the agenda is followed. At the December meeting, the solicitor suggested that we look close- ly at our responsibility to the book budget. Later in the day the secretary reminded us of the lawyer's sugges- tion and Warden Armstrong moved that the board approve all book pur- chases before we order the books. Mr. Ritter and myself fought very hard against such an idea. I got the impres- sion that the assistant Librarian, Sharon Cox, was not in favor of the idea as she asked members if we had three straight days to come in and choose or approve books before the ordering must be done. There was not one reeve who spoke against the mo- tion but as they could not get a seconder, the motion was not put to a vote and was not entered in the minutes. There is much to fear if the new Board or committee votes such a similar motion in the year to come. The board is not qualified to make such judgments; only a professional librarian. We have our likes and dislikes towards an author and when politics and books clash. that is often called censureship. The latest twist in library affairs is that the meeting for January has been postponed from its regularly schedul- ed date and put off 'til the end of the month. Why'? The new chairman didn't know why when Lealled to in- quire. I may not be sitting as a board member in February if the commit- tee is approved, but I've decided I will attend meetings. Anyone else. brave enough to sit through a storm and join me? Sincerely. Janis Bisback, Hensall Batt'n Around Continued from page 4 ning Canadian junior players who were kicked out of the world tournament. No doubt he sees their style as being just what the NHL needs to continue to be a poor example and perpetrator of intimidation and poor sportsmanship to which every young lad strapping on a pair of skates sets his sights. Has our game really reached the point where wandering over the centre ice line in pre -game warmups is cause for battle? PART-TIME AND CONTINU1NG EDUCATION CONESTOGA COLLEGE Clinton Campus, Box 160, Clinton, Ontario NOM ILO (519-) 482-3458 Offers Courses this Winter at the Exeter Hi h School TYPEWRITING $36 Tuesday, February 3, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m., 12 wks. FLOWER ARRANGING AND DESIGN $25 Tuesday, February 3, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., 8 wks. HOW TO START A SMALL BUSINESS $59 Tuesday, February 3, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m., 10 wks. FRENCH 1 $42 Tuesday , February 3, 7:00 - 10:00 pm., 12 wks. FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR INDIVIDUALS $26 Tuesday, February 3, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., 5 wks. To register please, complete the application form below and mail to the CLINTON CAMPUS. Continuing Education - Application/Registration Form NOTE: This Is not a sculpt' Campus: Clinton (Exeter) Course Day Starts Name Sex. Male [ 1 Last Name First Name Female Address: Apt. No. No. and Street City Postal Code Residence Telephone Employer Business Telephone Are you currently registererd through the Register's Office in a full-time day Pro- gram at Conestoga College? _ Yes No If YES to above, please enter your Student '1 D a Please check one of the following: (a) I am under 19 and have successfully completed Grade 12 [ ; or / (b) I am under 19 and hove not successfully completed Grade 12 [ 1 or (c) I am a Senior Citizen (Age 60 or over) [ ' or (d) 1 ani over 19, but not a senior citizen Cheque or money order enclosed for .$ (full course fee) payable to Con- estoga College. We o not accept post-dated cheques. Registration is limited to Canadian Citizens and or Permanent Residents unless special permission hos been grunted by Employment and immigration Canada. You moy apply.for a refund before the start of the third scheduled class. For oddijionol informotion please refer to the refund section in the front of the catalogue. We do not accept registrations or reserve spaces over the telephone. It is -ihe responsibility of eoch student to be enrolled in o Health Insurance Plan or OHIP. Applicant's Signature Dote t Note. Applications must be signed and doted. For further information, please contact the Clin- ton Continuing Education Office at (519) 482-3458 between 1,2:00 noon and 8:00 Km. Monday to Thursday and 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. i