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Clinton News-Record, 1978-02-09, Page 1r tl Clinton, Ontario 30 cents Thursday, February 9, 1978 41'78279 budgets cut ANW Weather 1978 1977 NI l0 Ni l0 JANUARY 3? 19 6 16 6 FEBRUARY 1 19 9 23 15 2 20 3 24 11 3 16 -16 28 17 4 8 -24 24 1 5 15 8 16 2 6 8 -8 13 -15 r Snow 6" • Snow 10" 113th Year No. 6 Hospital. may have to do some trimming Dennis Timbrell, Minister of Health said Tuesday that Ontario hospitals may have to make changes in their operations which may include closing some beds and amalgamating some services with other hospitals to meet the new 1978-79 budget figures. On the average, large public hospitals will receive a 4.5 per cent increase while smaller hospitals with budgets less than $1.7 million a year or fewer than 50 beds will be allowed six per cent. . Doug Coventry, administrator at the Clinton Public Hospital noted that last year the hospital's budget increase was just over 7.4 percent. "We might have to do a little trim - *ming," he explained. However, Coventry noted that he has not received specific figures, but presumes that with a budget of $1.5 million, Clinton Hospital will probably only receive the six per cent increase this year. Timbrell also announced that a new active -treatment bed ratio will be set with 3.5 beds per thousand rather than the present four -bed ratio. Currently, the Clinton Hospital serves approximately 12,000 people in the town and the surrounding area and Coventry noted, "According to ministry figures, Huron County has too many beds." Timbrell also noted that overbedding was evident in Southern Ontario and the •w:n.�w. ���a�.x�we w�^c.�vuau c� ��r�..iw actual provincial ratio of beds per. thousand is 4.7. Although the government isn't or- dering the cutback in the ratio at the present time, the 3.5 ratio will become a new standard for hospital services. Timbrell explained that the cost of operating Ontario's hospitals, accounts for more than half of the total budget allotted to the ministry of health and by lessening the amounts given for the operations of hospitals, health costs will be kept from rising too much. The budget for the health ministry this year is close to $3.8 million. Timbrell also noted that smaller hospitals will be the least effected by the cutbacks while larger hospitals will have to deal with only a 4.5 per cent increase. He noted however that the smaller hospitals will have to take a close look at administrative cots and may have to look at amalgam4tion of services with other hospitals, such as laundry and laboratory. Coventry noted that the Clinton Hospital board has discussed the idea of central services with other hospitals, including Seaforth and Goderich and may have to deal with the idea again. Bus laws are still ignored Batter up! Elaine Judge, 13, (left) looks on anxiously, Jeannie Brand, 12, (right) looks a little skeptical and cook, Laura Mill, 13, (centre) is concentrating hard on the job of flipping pancakes. The girls, all students at St. Joesph's Separate School in Clinton were preparing and eating the pancakes that were made for Shrove Tuesday. (News -Record photo) It isn't the type of weather to be �anding around outside . doing nothing it waiting, but that's what may happen several thousand Clinton and area car owners. if they don't get off their butts. According to local licence sticker issuer, Mrs. Lloyd Butler of Rattenbury Street, only about three people in ten have renewed their sticker so far, and with only three weeks left, there could be some long line-ups - out in the cold. Truck and van drivers have until the end of March. +++ Although the cold snap that has en- veloped the area for the past two weeks shows no signs of abating, the nearly continuous sunny clays are certainly a welcome respite from the dull, stormy days of the past two months. The ter- mometer hit a new record low for February 4, when it bottomed out at -30 degrees C (-24 degrees F) at the Brucefield recording station. The coldest the Bairds have measured in their 66 years of record was a -37.8 degrees C sometime in the 30's. +++ We had a report on Friday from a Linton trapper, who wished to remain unidentified, that he spotted a ground hog in Goderich Township last Thursday morning looking at his shadow. Oh well, we would have likely got six more weeks of winter anyway. +++ But on the brighter side. all this wintery weather has certainly been a real asset to outdoors types who snowmobile, cross country ski, or skate on natural ice. The folks at Varna are actually praying the cold stays with us at least through the weekend to ensure success of their second annual Ice Carnival, that features, among other things, a hockey game in ono of the last indoor natural ice arenas in Ontario. 1 BY JEFF SEDDON The Huron County Board of Education supported a petition Monday to have the province of Ontario adopt "more em- phatic and continuous educational ad- vertising" with regard to motorists passing stopped school buses. The board endorsed a petition circulated by the Dufferin-Peel Separate ' School board asking that some positive steps be taken to ensure the safety of school children riding buses. The Dufferin Board circulated the petition after a driver in that board's area ignored the flashing lights of a stopped school bus and caused the board's first fatality relating to school bus transportation. The Dufferin Board surveyed its bus drivers after the in- cident and discovered motorists ignore the stopped school bus law at an alar- ming rate on a daily basis. The Huron Board endorsed the petition but did not agree to circulate the petition amongst its drivers. The survey asked how often other vehicles pass a bus when the flashing lights are operating. It asked if there was a specific location that was a problem and if it were possible for the driver to recognize the vehicle, driver and licence number. It also asked if the drivers pass from the rearof the vehicle or the front. Ralph Buffinga, a Blyth area school bus operator who has six vehicles under contract to the Huron Board, told the board that his drivers complain regularly that motorists, ignore the flashing lights. He said he couldn't give the board any figures but said it is a daily problem and occurs most often on paved county roads or provincial high- ways. Buffinga said the driver has his hands tied when he witnesses a motorist passing his stopped bus. He said the police must be there to witness the crime in order for the motorist to be charged. He added that he felt the driver should be able to write down the license number of the vehicle and give it to police to handle accordingly. Buffinga explained that bus drivers normally check traffic in front of and behind the stopped bus before opening the door to discharge children. He said if a vehicle is approaching and appears to have no intention of stopping they driver will wait until it has passed before opening the bus door. Once the children are out of the bus the driver usually checks traffic to ensure it is safe for the children to cross the road and then signals them to go ahead. The survey done by the Dufferin Board indicated that the board's 120 buses are being passed 227 times daily. Most of the passings occur in the morning (96 percent) when students are loading on the same side of the street as the bus pick-up. The board felt that if students had to cross traffic in the morning the board's record would be much worse than it is. Indications are that police forces are doing their utmost to prevent accidents involving motorists ignoring stopped `'bt4'es but simply can't patrol the hun- dreds of miles of bus routes tra'veIled daily by the board operated buses. YM -YWCA official Novel still upsets parents The Diviners is back haunting trustees of the Huron County Board of Education. The board learned Monday that several complaints over the Canadian novel by Margaret Laurence have been made by parents of senior students in the Huron county system. Clinton Trustee Dorothy Wallace asked the board when trustees would have an opportunity to decide 'if the novel is acceptable for English literature instruction in county secon- dary schools. She said she had received a complaint from a parent who found the book stuffed under her child's mattress along with copies of Penthouse and Playboy. Education director John Cochrane told the board that he had received similar complaints about novels being used in English programs. He said the con- troversy last summer about the novels used in classes was still a topic of con- cern to some parents. Cochrane said the novel is a board approved book for use in senior secondary school English classes. Superintendent of education Jim Coulter told the board that the novel had been approved by the board in August and that the board would get an op- portunity to review the situation this summer. He said a list of instructional books will be brought to the board in August of 1978 for approval for use in the new school year. Williams said the student who had the book hidden under the mattress was a Grade 12 male. She said she advised the parent to take the matter to the director of education and was merely bringing the matter to the board to find out when and how the board could act on the subject of novels opposed by parents. Police investigate several accidents Icy streets in Clinton caused a two car collision on Saturday, February 4 that resulted in $800 damages. Ena Cook, 52, 264 Ontario Street was eastbound on . Princess Street and Thomas Burley, 56, 205 Rattenbury Street was northbound on Percival Street and attempted to turn left onto Princess Street and due to the icy streets the two cars collided. Damage to the Cook vehicle was set at $600 and damages of $200 was suffered by the Burley vehicle. Nelson Caldwell, 19, of Blyth hap been charged with failure to remain at the scene of an accident and failure to yield after a two vehicle accident which oc- cured at the intersection of King and Cutter Streets on Tuesday, February -3. - August De Groot, 50, of RR 3, Goderich was southbound on King Street when thr' Clinton native dies Edward Jenkins, a Clinton native who went on to become the secretary-general of the London YM -YWCA and a member of the founding committee of Carleton College in Ottawa died, Tuesday, February 7 at the John Dearness Home in London. He was 93 years old. Along with his other ac- complishments, Mr. Jenkins also helped to organize night school programs in Toronto for tradesmen early in the 1900's. He is predeceased by his wife the former Elizabeth Reed and survived by his son, Dr. George E. Jenkins of Lon- don. He is also survived by two grand- children and two great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 10 at the Logan and Sons Funeral Home in London with Rev. Garth C. Nelson officiating. Interment will follow in the Clinton Cemetery with Rev. John Oestriecher in charge. Dr. F. G. Thompson Oldtime country doctor dies One of Clinton's ,most beloved and respected citizens, Dr. Fred Greene Thompson, died in Clinton Public Hospital on Sunday, February 5 after a two month illness. The 80 year old doctor will be remembered by many area people as "Doc" Thompson, the last of the family doctors. He practiced in Clinton for 50 years and delivered over 800 babies. Doc Thompson came to Clinton in 1899 at the 'age --.of two with his parents Charles Walden Thompson and the form r Mary Greene. The elder Dr: Thomson operated a medical practice in Clinton at the turn of the century. In 1903, Doc Thompson started school at Clinton Public and also attended the Clinton Collegiate Institute from 1911 to 1916. Deciding to follow in his father's footsteps, Doc Thompson entered the University of Western Ontario and he graduated in medicine in 1924. His education was interrupted for a few years when he enlisted in the army during World War I. Later his medical Power failure hits practice was to be delayed again while he enlisted for World War II and again Little England was sent overseas. In March 6, 1925, Doc Thompson married Alice Crookes in London. Miss Crookes had been a student nurse assigned to Doc Thompson while he was a patient in Victoria Hospital when he contacted diphtheria. She later was the one who encouraged Doc Thompson to complete his courses and worked by his side when their medical practice was set up in their Ontario Street home in Clinton. The young graduate couple moved back to Clinton in 1925 and along with setting' up a medical practice, raised a family of two girls and one son. Their daughters, Alice Lloyd of Weston and Mary Kirby of Sarnia, like their mother, both became registered nurses. Doc Thompson is also survived by his son Charles of Ottawa and eight grand- children. Along with his children, Doc Thompson is survived by his wife and sister, Marion Ayline of Westport. Besides his profession, Doc Thompson was well known throughout Clinton with his work iv the:teornanimity,- He was a former member of the- Ontario Street United Church choir, the Royal Canadian Legion, the AF and AM, the Orange Lodge and the Oddfellows. In 1976 Doc Thompson became a life member of the Ontario Medical Association. Funeral services were held at the Ball Funeral Home, Clinton on Wednesday, February 8 with Rev. Norman Pick in charge. Interment will follow in the spring in the Clinton Cemetery. A tree that fell the wrong way, and cut hydro wires, is blamed for a power failure that blacked out most of "Little England" in the south end of Clinton last Friday. Guss Boussey, PUC manager, said a group of men working on a tree cutting program in town were cutting an old rotten maple tree down on Matilda Street, near Sterling Fuels, when the rotten trunk split at the wrong end, causing the tree to fall on a five thousand volt feeder line, instead of on a near -by vacant field. Caldwell vehicle entered the intersection at King Street, colliding with the side of the De Groot vehicle. The De Groot vehicle suffered $800 damages while the Caldwell vehicle received $200 damages. The Clinton Police recovered a 1973 Scorpion Snowmobile on February 4 from behind Wiseway's on the Balyfield Road after it was reported stolen from Ray Potter and Son Ltd., on Huron Street. The snowmobile, valued at $300, was at Potter's with the key in the ignition when ii was stolen January 27. Leona Lockhart of James Street reported that on February 1 an attempt was made to steal the battery from her car. She reported that her car was parked Turn to page 2 • Well groomed look. Bill }Ioggarth, Bill Chowen and Barry Young b'xamine the new groomer that was bought by the Clinton and District Snowmobile Club. The groomer, costing $400 was paid for by the Poker Rally held on Saturday at Ray Potter and Son Ltd., in Clinton. The groomer, attached to a snowmobile Is used to smooth out the trails when they get rough. According to Ray Potter that after going over the trails a few times with the groomer they become "as smooth as a highway." (News. Record photo)