Times Advocate, 1993-03-17, Page 2's2
Times -Advocate, March 17,1993
Tra.,
• 1
(
Shorter
hospital
staves
SEAR RTH - The transition
away from tong-temr hospital
stays and towards day surgery
should occur at Seaforth Com-
munity Hospital within the next
six months.
The usual five to seven night
stay for some procedures will be
reduced when the hospital up-
grades its surgical program with
new equipment, it was reported
in the Huron Expositor.
The equipment will be used
primarily for gall bladder sur-
gery, but in the future could be
applied to other procedures. Sur-
gical tools such as laparoscope
and a colonoscope will reduce
the size of incisions. The patient
will feel less pain and discom-
fort, so fewer post-operation
drugs will be needed.
The cost of the equipment
should not increase hospital
costs because shorter hospital
stays -will save the hospital mon-
ey.
St. Marys
station to
repaired
ST. MARY - .Mayor Jamie
Hatinaaysatawasaancil.endorse
efforts by She LA tOtganiza-
tion to -repair the i35 -year old
Junction Station.
According to the Journal Ar-
gus, repairs to the roof, chim-
neys and an interior partition are
needed to keep the station from;
deteriorating beyond repair.
Local contractor, Glen Mill -
son, has offered to help rebuild a
new roof. He said with volun-
teers doing the the repair work,
the only cost would be materi-
als. These could be purchased
for about $6,000.
The building was designated a
national landmark in 1982 and
has been given a second desig-
nation under the Heritage Rail-
way Stations Protection Act
which protects heritage railway
stations across Canada.
Crime
Stoppers
comes to
school
MITCHELL- After March
Break, the Crime Stoppers pro-
gram is expected to begin at
Mitchell District High School.
The program will allow stu-
dents to alert authorities of crim-
inal activity while remaining
anonymous.
Students will bring informa-
tion to Fred Kindler, the teacher
liaison, who will relay the infor-
mation to principal Terry Boyce.
The decision would then be
made whether or not to call the
police in to investigate.
The informants name will only
be known by Kindler, the Mitch-
ell Advocate reported.
Roger Dumas, Crime Stoppers
co-ordinator, said the pilot pro-
ject which began at Listowel
District Secondary School last
year is working quite well.
The Mitchell high school is
the sixth high school in the
county to introduce the program.
Goderich
pruning
fl o we r
budget
GODERICH- Budget talks
were stalled at the town's coun-
cil meeting last week when dis-
cussion of trees, flowers and
shrubs bloomed.
In an attempt to bring together
a budget with a zero percent in-
crease, 32,000 was to be taken
from the 38,000 budget.
One hundred hanging flower
baskets around The Square will
be eliminated and flower beds
around the town will have fewer
plants, it was reported in the Sig-
nal -Star, but the overall effect is
expected to be hardly noticeable.
r
Count wwo ltnct lors,
what the make
(Following are remuneration and expenses of' local Huron'eointty
cound 'leis for 1992...)
:PawwmMlkkn Convention Total
and Other
S 180.05 $6,395.05
1,316.86 9.093.86
2917.30
2,821.35
2,647.65
221.25
Lossy Fuller, Exeter
W.L. Mickle, Exeter
Murray Keys, Hay Twsp.
Lionel E. Wilder, Hay Twsp.
Cecil J. Pepper, Hensel"
James 11. Robinson, Hencall
Howard Armstrong,
Stanley Twsp.
Jack Coleman, Stanley Twsp.
Thomas, Tomes,
Stephen Twsp.
Wm. D. Weber,
Stephen Twsp.
Patricia Down, Usbome
Fisher, Robert W., Zurich
36,215.00
7,777.00
291730
2,821.35
2,647.65
221.25
3,775.10
6,185.15
8,067.85
3,916.90
5,971.70
43,699.90
505.50 4280.60
.1.339.04 7.524.19
1,541.70
.287.65
'•86.15
7,0319.39
9,609.55
4,204.55
6,757.85
51,019.29
Battle to be waged
over new county
planning fees
EXETER - A battle is brewing between
Huron County Planning Department.
At the core of the dispute is the department's fee structure that requires
$1,000 for severance applications processed by county planning. But
those municipalities retaining their "consent function" for severances and
doing their own planning and paperwork, the county would still require a
5750 fee for final approval.
These fees, approved by county council on March 4, were enacted to
help the county department better balance its budget through a "user pay"
fee system.
The fees, however, are beingaipposed by -the towns -and municipalities
which have their own planners. ?hey argue the only reason _the fees were
approved by the county was because the council is dominated byahose ru-
ral municipalities using the planning department.
Late Monday evening, Exeter town couucil were engagedinitt chin i -_Canadian
closed -doors session discussing their opposition of the new fees Wdtat
course of action could be taken to have them repealed.
A written report to council from town administrator Rick.Hwidey out-
lined his presentation to the Sewell Commission Hearing in London last
Tuesday. The Commission is reviewing municipal-provincialrelation,
ships and roles in planning.
iiundey reported that "there seemed to be agreement that..problems
with consents occer'even where full-time planners are present...landl ac -
:cess to qualified expertise is all that matters."
Hundey said he pointed out to the hearing that there is a definite differ-
ence in severance consents in rural and small urban centres. Severances in
towns and villages are more administrative and technical since official
plans and zonings guide the process. Severances in townships hinge more
on the issues and hand and policies "and are therefore more critical".
Council will likely be using these arguments in its efforts to convince
• the county that a 5750 administrative fee for severances with little or no
planning department involvement is unacceptable.
Other Huron municipalities have also vowed to fight the new fees, and
town council will be seeking out allies in this latest battle with the region's
government.
access mora
a just pantie up a sign
several urban council and the
EXETER - A blue sign -with a
wheelchair in it might mean handi-
capped accessibility to most of die
population, but it might not mean
much to those who actually use
wheelchairs or face other mobility
difficulties.
Diamonds, the Huron County ad-
vocacy group for the physically
handicapped, met Saturday after-
noon in Exeter at the Lions Youth
Centre. The misuse of accessibility
signs was one issue which the
group raised some concerns about.
Ron Airdrie reported to the 14
people who auended the meeting
that he had been asked by the Hu-
ron County Library system to en-
dorse wheelchair accessible signs at
a library that has installed a ramp.
Airdrie, who uses a wheelchair
himself, said the library in question
still isn't accessible to the handi-
capped because the corner at the
top of the ramp can be negotiated
and there isn't full access to wash-
rooms or all floors.
"She asked if there was a symbol
for being half accessible," said Air-
drie.
"How about half a wheelchair?"
joked another member at the meet-
ing.
Meeting chairman Glen McLach-
lan said he understood that library
budgets are tight and there isn't a
lot of money available to upgrade
facilities for accessibility, but he
said Diamonds can't endorse lesser
attempts as being accessible.
Airdrie said he was told the lack
of accessibility signs would upset
some people at the library board,
Future bright for libraries
GODERICH - "Do you have books on sibling rivalry.?"
"Wnat do I do if I think my neighbour is abusing a child.?"
'I -low much is spent on national defence."?
Those are just three of dozens of questions which came into the Huron
County public library branches in one selected day.
The county's chief librarian Beth Ross said that in 1992, the county's
branches had over 37.000 requests for information including the ones
mentioned above.
"In a vast majority of -cases, information was given to them that same
day," said Ross of her staffs efficiency.
Presenting her annual report on Thursday to county council, Ross ex-
plained that in times of recession, people use their libraries more just as
funding become scarce.
."1992 was a year of many challenges, but we weren't alone," said Ross.
Library boards across the province were hit with financial restraints. For
Huron County, it meant closing several smaller branches including the one
in Crediton:,'
But the future looks bright for the Huron County Library Board.
Ross said they are in the stages of setting up a new computer system
which will help local branches know where a certain book is and how they
can get it.
"This won't be immediately obvious in our branches but it will help keep
track of 30,000 books. Before this, it was done manually."
Over 26,000 county residents have library cards and they called or visit-
ed their branches nearly 250.000 times.
"We have one of the most heavily used libraries in the province," said
Ross.
Cancer
Society
workshop
for
volunteers
CLINTON - April is Cancer
Month and hundreds of volunteers
will embark on an extensive cam-
paign to raise funds for the Canadi-
an Cancer Society.
In an effort to : help make their
task easier, theHuron County Unit
of the Cancer Society will host a
volunteer workshop on Saturday,
March 27 at the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food offices in
Clinton.
The workshop will run from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature
guest speakers from the Cancer So-
ciety's regional offices in London.
All Cancer Society volunteers ere
invited to attend. Lunch will be in-
cluded and there is no registration
cost. For more information on the
workshop, call the Huron Unit of-
fice at 482-7832.
The Canadian Cancer•Society is
always happy to welcome new vol-
unteers. In April, volunteers can-
vass door-to-door and help to sell
flowers during Daffodil Days. Vol-
unteers arc only required to work a
few hours out of the month, but
their contributions are felt for many
years.
aummonai
Late pickups irks workers
Dear Editor:
The Zurich and District Optimist
Club started having Teen Dances
in 1990 so the area 11-15 year
olds could have a source of enter-
tainment of their own.
The teen dances were held
monthly but, because of decreas-
ing attendance, they arc now held
five or six times throughout the
school year.
The dances have always been
held from 7 to 10 p.m. on a Friday
night. One or
two Optimist
members remain
at the arena until
every youth has
left.
Since the teen
donee hours have been consistent
for tie last two and half years, why
do Optimist still have to stay at the
arena until 10:30 or 11:00 p.m.
waiting for parents? Why are par-
ents not accustomed to the type
hours?
Optimist members are. not baby-
sitters. We arc not responsible for
any youth once he/she walks out of
the arena doors after a dance. But
we have a conscience. We cannot
just go home and leave your youth
unattended.
All we ask of parents, is to be
the arena to pick up your kids at 10
p.m. so we can go home to ours.
Chris Littlechild
Optimist president
ABCA REFORESTATION ASSISTANCE PROQItAM
The Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority his
trees for sale suitable for sprang '93 windbreak
and roadside planting on rural lands.
�1Jturcbase �eae trees You must:
1. own a minimum of 2 ha (5 acres) of land
within the jurisdiction of the AICA
2. purchase a minimum of 25 tries
Teves will be sokl on a first-come, fust -se
- To order trees, c
PECII S
Black Cedar
Norway Spruce
Austrian Pune
White Ash
Norway Maple
fijEl UHT
2 feet
2 feet
2 feet
8 feet
8 feet
COSTTfit
35
36
38
38
rued basis Some species will be an'ailabk in wtidaklonch,
antaet the 41CA at 235-2610
While the Exeter Monk
has received Diamond's
stamp of approval for access-
ibility, the group is concerned
some put up signs without
testing their validity.
but agreed the group can't allow the
signs to misrepresent a building.
"You can slap a sign on any
building. and there's no law against
it," noted Airdrie.
"Where do the signs come from?"
asked Bill Jones, who was told the
familiar blue and white signs can
be bought at any health store.
"If you think your building's ac-
cessible, you can put up a sign,
whether it is or not," said McLach-
lan.
McLachlan said one financial in-
stitution in Clinton had set aside a
parking space for the handicapped,
not considering that space was on a
slope. A wheelchair set beside a
car would roll away before its own -
r could get in, he said.
-At the advice of Diamonds, an -
father space will be designated for
tan dicapped use. McLachlan said
.it cyoesn't matter if that space is
halfway down die lot, just so long
as it isn't on a grade.
McLachlan reported that he sat in
with the multi -county group meet-
ing with the Ministry of Housing.
He said the goal is 40 get a physi-
cally handicapped person on the
board to make sure public buildings
do meet real accessibility stan-
dards. McLachlan said a similar
program in Alberta is running well.
"1 think we got some points
across to the Ministry of Housing.
Hopefully they'll follow up on it," Vis.
said McLachlan. 1
Perhaps the biggest project yet
undertaken by Diamonds is a pro-
gram to get a transportation system_
forthe elderly and handicapped up
and running in Huron County. Air-
drie reported that a pilot system is
hoped to be put into effect in Sea -
forth soon, modeled on the one
used in St. Marys.
Airdrie said the transportation
committee is currently looking at a
budget for the Seaforth program,
and the possibility of co-operative
funding from service clubs, before
taking a final proposal to Seaforth
Town Council.
The board of health are support-
ing in principle, said Airdrie, and
noted that if Seaforth works, then
maybe Exeter, Goderich and Clin-
ton will fall in line.
The transportation program
comes out of a county -wide survey
(five percent of which were re-
turned to the organization) seeking
gut idea of how many people would
use- a transportation system based
on a S3 16 kilometre one-way fare.
Paul Henderson, of the 1972 .Canada -Russia hockey series,
spoke to a crowd of 180 last Thursday night in Exeter about
life -andtimes in :-and out of -hockey. The evening was spon-
sored by 'the Emrnnnuel $aptist Church.
Lung Association meeting
GODERICH - Every breath can
be a struggle for someone who suf-
fers from emphysema, asthma or
chronic bronchitis.
The Breathe Easy Program,
sponsored by The Lung Associa-
tion, Duron -Perth Counties, is de-
signed to help patients breathe
more easily, to.help then develop
lifestyles that accommodate their
disease and to help them.live:their
lives as fully and pleasurably as
they can.
The program will start on
Wednesday. April 7.in •the meeting
room at MacKay Centre for Sen-
iors, 10 Nelson St. E., Goderich,
and will run for Jive consecutive
Wednesday's from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The cost of the program is $10
and spouses are welcome to at-
tend. For further information or to
register call The Lung Association
271-7500 (collect).
•
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