Times Advocate, 1996-12-18, Page 1,�,.3� 4:,,d i+;;;di�4'.d��i.'„d� �•.;di '..d�'i �;.d.�•.. yam,
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4-H awards
presented
See page 14
Cemetery
manager
resigns
See page 15
Sober driving
See Crossroads
Second front
Exeter
resident
killed in
single vehicle
accident
TAVISTOCK - An Exeter wom-
an was killed as a result of a single
vehicle accident that occurred on
Sunday at approximately 2:30 p.m.
on Perth County Road 23, 2 km
east of Tavistock.
Sybil Lodge, 60, of 53 James St.,
was driving eastbound when the
vehicle left the road and entered the
north ditch, striking a tree. Lodge
was taken to Stratford General Hos-
pital where she was pronounced
dead.
According to police, the accident
occurred on a straight stretch of
road. Weather and road conditions
were not a contributing factor in the
accident. The driver was the sole
occupant of the vehicle.
Men arrested
in connection
with robbery
BAYFIELD - Four men have
been arrested in connection with
the theft of $55,000 worth of jack-
ets, stolen from Davidson West
Trading Co.
Charged with break, enter and
theft are: Steven Kirk, 20, of Us -
borne Twp, Christopher McClin-
chey, 19, of Exeter, Mark Morgan,
20, of Centralia and James Wein,
21, of Huron Park. Additional
charges have also been laid.
Carol sing
and food
drive fills
bare Food
Bank shelves
EXETER - More than 100 scouts
and members of the Exeter guiding
movement participated in a carol
sing and food drive Friday night
from 6:30p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
A variety of non-perishable
foods, totalling at least 800 items as
well as cash, were donated to the
Exeter Food Bank, filling the some-
what bare shelves.
"We were definately pleased,"
said organizer Kim Dawe. "A lot of
shelves were bare. We stocked
.them up."
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Citizens committee fights back
with plan to save all hospitals
MITCHELL - After being taken by surprise ,With the an-
nouncement South Huron Hospital would be 'thematically
downsized or possibly even closed, a concerned citizens . Mlitten;
group is fighting back. witould'aint
An ed with a detailed proposal refuting the District Shaw ' ,
Health Council's plan to reduce the hospital services per- possibility
formed at SHH aswell as Clihton, St. Marys and either ondaiy
Wingham or Listowel hospitals, Exeter's response was de- pitals as
liveredloud and clear Monday morning at the Crosswinds
Restaurant In Mitchell.
Brut `Shaw ***non for the concerned citizens com-
he called a "fottrt1 option" which
close.
ore, very carefully, the
Ire to have one sec -
Jig 5 maintain the other hos-
emergency care facilities with some beds.
"Through reduced beds, amalgamation of services and a
reduction in administration the task force's financial target
can be met," Shaw stressed.
"All our communities will remain viable by providing the
essential health services our citizens need and demand.
Just as important, you will have the support of the people
in the necessary fight to cut costs and restructure." he con-
cluded.
r•
\I rc • u%(•i •I ', ••111).1'.!.t 2
Exeter pitches
fourth option to
Health Council
MITCHELL - Exeter was first in
line to present what Concerned Cit-
izen's Committee spokesperson
Bruce Shaw described as an al-
ternative to slow things down yet
meet the financial targets.
"This group, through the process
it's taken, has antagonized tens of
thousands of people in Huron and
Perth," said Shaw. "There's got to
be a better way."
Members of the DHC Task Force
questioned the need for acute care
beds as well as the likelihood of
Exeter area residents travelling to
Stratford for secondary care.
"We know people from Huron
County go to London. They prefer
it," said one task force member.
„Stink Huron Hospital physician
Dr. Peter Englert clarified both is-
sues. He said without some beds,
doctors would be uncomfortable
treating patients who may need ob-
servation. He cited Petrolia as a
case where no beds remained and
said "the public didn't buy it for
one second."
Englert also said there is a need
for more flexibility in providing ru-
ral hospital beds that may be tran-
sitional-, but still •necessary,
"I think they have to be flexible
and meet the community needs," he
said of the 10 to 15 beds the hos-
pital estimates it requires."
You just can't have a hospital
without beds," said Shaw. "A doc-
tor is not going to take a residency
in a community unless he's got a
hospital that is, to a certain extent,
fully functional."
He added although some people
do travel to London for secondary
and tertiary care, if specialists such
as orthopods are available, people
may decide to seek treatment in
Stratford.
Shaw and his co -presenters,
Grand Bend Mayor Cam Ivey, Eng-
lert and Town Administrator Rick
Hundey were given 15 minutes to
make their presentation. Another
15 minutes Was dedicated to ques-
tions and answers. Other com-
munities were scheduled to present
throughout the day at 45 minute in-
tervals.
Although the task force schedule
initially called for a preferred op-
tion to be released on Tuesday, it
was debated if this deadline would
be met, given the amount of in-
formation to be processed.
The Exeter Legion donated $1,506 in new Toys to the Huron County Christmas Bureau on
Wednesday. Rick Smith, his wife Karen, and children Kendra and Allison had the honor of
shopping for the toys and clothing for children of all ages. The Smith family said the local
stores they purchased the items from offered discounts when they lamed they. were .shop-
ping for the Christmas Bureau. Posing with the Smith family Is. organizer Conrad Sitter.
Grand Bend. makes
move t I resume
amalgamation talks
By Brenda Burke
T -A Reporter
GRAND BEND - Third party
intervention.
According to Grand Bend
Council, that's what is needed to
get amalgamation talks rolling
again.
Council passed a motion at its
meeting Monday night to request
intervention of the South Huron
- North Lambton amalgamation
process by the Minister of Mu-
nicipal Affairs.
Following Exeter's recent
withdraw! from talks in early No-
vember and a well -attended pub -
tic meeting held on Dec. J7 to as-
sess the current amalgamation
situation, Grand Bend's aim is to
get talks going and if necessary, a
commission will deal with the sit-
uation.
Council has prepared a brief
draft to present to the minister,
just in case a commission needed
to be appointed.
"Exeter's withdraw) does not
constitute an elimination of the
process," said Councillor Bob
Mann. "We can't say 'Here's a
beautiful dream and we have to
give it all up now because some-
body in Exeter got scared."
Although council was unable
to disclose details on a time-
frame for the intervention pro-
cess, it was certain that would be
an integral part of a plan to re-
sume talks.
At its sheeting Monday night,
Exeter Reeve Bill Mickle said he
was "astonished Grand Bend
would consider moving ahead,"
"It will be very interesting to
see how a commission handles
it," he added.
Wednesday Open !louse
ospital fight
has emotions
running high
Many believe the
outcome of the study
was predetermined
By Heather Mir
T -A Reporter
EXETER - "The wrong locations
have been chosen," said Exeter res-
ident Bill Purdy, summing up the
sentiments of more than 1,200 peo-
ple who attended five sessions dur-
ing Wednesday's public meeting
held by the Huron -Perth 'District
Health Council.
Many of the people the T -A
spoke to felt the public meeting
was organized in a manner that
kept people moving from one sta-
tion to the next without being
heard or having their questions an-
swered. When asked if verbal
questions and statements would be
recorded and included in further
deliberations, the DHC said ques-
tionnaires provided allowed for
such feedback.
"We weren't recording them, but
the themes we keep hearing are the
same," said Kelly Gillis, HPDHC
health planner. "We were listening
very closely."
As peopled entered the doors of
the Rec Centre, they watched pro-
ceedings on a television screen.
Groups then sat through a DHC
presentation that explained the cri-
teria of the study and why re-
structuring of health care is nec-
essary. A few questions were
permitted before the group was
ushered into the display area where
general questions could be asked Of
task force members and DHC
re Continued on page 2
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