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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-04-28, Page 1a' oaerich 134 YEAR -17 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1982 50 CENTS PER COPY Ray Cook of Goderich was awarded a life mem- the Goderlch Club. District One secretary, Brian. bership by the Kinsmen Club at a special ceremony Fischer of Cambridge made the presentation of the Saturday that also marked the 35th anniversary of plaque. (photo by Dave Sykes) Board will appeal Health Ministry for to BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Alexandra Marine and General Hospital presently has a $96,965 ,deficit in its 1982-83 budget but the hospital board hopes to offset this with $9,000 to be recovered from its ambulance service budget and a $42,000 appeal to the Ontario Ministry of Health. Total expenditures for the 1982-83 hospital year are estimated at $6,216,623 with total income estimated at $6,119,658. Of this total income amount, 87.7 per cent (or $5,365,12(')) comes from the Ministry of Health. Those hospitals with 50 active beds or less receive an additional funding from the ministry of one per cent. In Goderich's case, this additional one per cent means an extra $42,000. However, since the addition of 20 extra psychiatric beds at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital last year, the ministry is treating it as a hospital with more than 50 active beds and is withholding the additional one per cent. The nospitai board is appealing this on the basis that it is unfair. During talks with ministry officials prior to opening a psychiatric wing at AM&G, the board was assured that the additional one per cent funds funding would not be withheld because of the extra beds the wing would cause. "It's not right. We were encouraged to relocate the psychiatric unit in this hospital to save the ministry money and now they are penalizing us because of the extra beds," said board member, Bob Dempsey. The board is also hoping to recover a $9,000 am= bulance service deficit from the Ambulance Services Branch of London. Huron board approves budget Hospital administrator Elmer Taylor says with the recovery of these two amounts ' `dre're almost talking a balanced budget". He explains that $20425,000 is a reasonable deficit within a six million dollar budget. Such a deficit could be substantially reduced with proper planning of equipment purchases, staffing, etc. Taylor says AM&li nas peen able to balance its budget for the past three years. Over those three years, it has actually been $4,000 under budget. At Monday evening's meeting, the hospital board agreed to apply interest accumulated from the ICU fund toward ICU purchases and not other areas of the hospital. CLINTON -- The Huron County Board of Education approved a 13.8 percent budget increase, from $28,748,562 in 1981 to $32,712,999 in 1982. At a special meeting on April 26, the board presented its budget. Theamount to be raised locally is $10,530,161, an 11.5 percent increase over the 1981 requisition of $9,441,824. The remainder is paid by the Ministry of Education. The average mill rate will increase 10.36 mills from 105.93 mills in 1981 to 116.29 mills in 1982. This represents a 9.8 percent increase. The taxpayer with an average assessment of $3,110 will pay $32.22 more this year. The average education bill- in-1981-was$,329:44-and--this-year w ll-incr-ease-to $361.66. "I am very pleased that we have been able to keep the increases as low as we have," said board chairman Dorothy Wallace. She said when the surrounding boards come out with their budgets, the Huron board will "look pretty good". She complimented the "dedicated and hard working" administration staff for their part in put- ting the budget together. "We're trying very hard to keep quality programs, without penalizing the taxpayers as much as we can possibly help," Said Mrs. Wallace. There was considerable paring of the proposed 1982 expenditures at an executive committee meeting on April 21. The total budget at that time was $33,203,044. A psychologist, at an estimated cost of $19,200, and a special education reserve fund of $430,845 have been deferred. An expected need for five secondary school teachers was reduced to two for a further $40,000, leaving the final board approved figure. ELEMENTARY The total elementary school budget increased 13.7 percent, from $13,441,462 to $15,278,163. The largest single expenditure is insalarjnd benefits, including teachers' salaries, for a 123 percent increase, from $10,581,663 to $11,887,135. Transportation for elementary schools, increased 21.9 percent, from $987,743 to $1„204,467. Operating the board's .own buses has been budgeted at $202,742, up from $165,506. Contracting of school buses has been budgeted at $983,678, up from $803,653 in 1981. Capital projects have been budgeted at $614,030, a 197.4 percent increase over the 1981 expenditure of $206,471. This includes the budgeted replacement of eight board -owned school buses estimated at $240,000. Other capital projects include a new roof at Hensall Public School, estimated at $68,0001 a new roof at Clinton Public School estimated at $218,000; and new boilers at Colborne Public School, estimated at $28,600. SECONDARY The total secondary school budget increases 13.2 percent, from $13,353,709 in 1981 to$15,120,010 in 1982. Salaries and benefits, including teachers' salaries, increases 11.7 percent, from $9,920,481 to $11,080,225. Transportation has been budgeted a 22.3. percent increase, up from $1,173,707 in 1981 to $1,435,270 in 1982. There are no board owned school buses for the secondary school level. Capital projects have been budgeted at $527,464, an 87.7 percent increase over 1981 costs of $281,006. Projects approved by the board include an estimated $70,000 for a new roof at Seaforth District High School, a new roof at South Huron District High School, Exeter, estimated at $135,000 and asbestos hazard repairs at $235,000. Estimated expenditures for the board ad- ministration centre increased 18.5 percent, from $1,953,391 in 1981 to $2,314,826 in 1982. Administration and trustee salaries and benefits increased 29.6 percent from $1,166,966 to $1,512,955. Wingham. councillor Jim Currie (at the special meeting along with other municipal representatives),' asked to have the administration salaries and benefits explained to him. By his own calculations, he. • Turn to page 3 40 G�thTrkWdbthrsTstrike BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Goderich doctors participated in a province -wide walkout yesterday and today, closing their offices and withdrawing . all but emergency services at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. Walkouts will also take place here next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday if no progress is made in talks aimed at ending the doctors' fee dispute between the Ontario Medical Association and the Ministry of Health. At a local hospital board meeting Monday evening, Dr. Mario Cauchi, vice-president of the medical staff and Dr. Michael Conlon, chief of the medical staff assured the board that Goderich doctors would attend to all emergency cases during the walkouts. However, non -emergency cases will not be seen and elective surgery has been rescheduled. Hospital administrator Elmer Taylor say the hospital board is trying to maintain a neutral'pton in the dispute between the doctors and the province. However, he says it will become an escalating Queen of the Prom. Brenda Lode, a 19 year-old Friday at midnight by list year's queen, Stacey included, san Thompson, Patti Hots, Debb Grade 13 student was crowned queen of Goderlch Ward. The other contestants (trona left to right) Squire and Lori Hassall. (photo by Dove Sykes) and District Collegiate Institute's At Home Formal problem unlessit is ,settled soon,and':the board will have to make a' decision about bringing in more nursing staff to handle the increased workload in the emergency department. Taylor says the local . hospital really can't afford additional staffing and he doesn't want the emergency department turning into 'one big doctor's office for the whole town.' The doctors began a series of job sanctions after the medical association and government failed to agree on a new fee schedule when the previous one expired March 31. Health Minister Larry Grossman then imposed the government's final offer of 34 -per -cent increase over three years. The association's demand at that time was for 72 per cent over three years. Grossman says the government has upgradedits offer several times but all offers have been rejected. He now says Ontario will have to consider other options, including legislation, to get the doctors back to work if progress on a settlement is not. reached soon. Heritage groupholds meeting here The interest in the preservation of historical sites and buildings has increased in recent years with an emphasis on restoring and maintaining part of Ontario's rich past. A driving force behind this revived interest is the Ontario Heritage Foundation, which held its annual meeting last week, in Ben - miller. The Heritage Foundation, working with local historical societies, is particularly interested in several sites in Huron County, which include the Bayfield core area, Goderich square, Livery Theatre and the Tiger Dunlop tomb. According to John White, chairman of the foun- dation, the theatre received a $30,000 grant from the OHF to help with the restoration of the building. The OHF has also helped the Goderich Heritage Com- mittee with repairs to the Tiger Dunlop tomb. Robert Bowes,, director of the Heritage Administration Branch, said that he hoped that the Goderich square will be classified as a heritage conservation area in the near future. "The reason we are here in Goderich is because of the interesting layout of the square from a heritage view," he said. . During the two day conference, foundation repesentatives discussed regional planning and policy. The aim of the foundation is to assist local groups in restoration plans. It also hopes to get more aggressively involved in a youth education policy to inform young people on the local history of their community. "The conference gives the representatives the opportunity to inform themselves of the regional heritage that exists and carry that message to the local councils, White said. With the foundation increasing its efforts to aid local heritage societies in preserving local historical landmarks, Ontario's past will have a place in the future. Town in good financial shape The financial position of the town of Goderlch may be°enviedby other communities Nancy Easel of MacGillivray and Company, town auditors, reported to council that the town's finances are again in good shape and she commended council and administration for their diligent efforts in keeping the mill rate at an acceptable level. Council has been able to defray major expenses through reserve accounts but this year almost $100,000 of the consolidated $227,000 reserve account was used to reduce the mill rate. Exel explained that council should attempt to reduce the amount com- mitted to reserve. One dist1uting aspect of the town's finances is the increase in tax arrears. This year the percentage of taxes in arrears is 11.3 per cent and Exel said the figure was high and that Ministry guidelines call for arrears to be kept less than 10 per cent of the total. -- Administrator Larry McCabe said that while the percentage of arrears has grown, the figures only represent about six people. `'The arrears are high and we intend to do something about it," he said. "Maybe it's just a sign of the times because we , are not unique in that respect. We intend to collect and are working on it but we are not here to put people out of business." The town is applying 18 per cent interest on overdue accounts. Move tourist booth to park The curator of the Huron Historic Jail claims the . town of Goderich tourist information booth is in a poor location and has recommended it be moved to the park on Gloucester Terrace. Harry Bosnell told council that many people use the park on Gloucester Terrace when they arrive in town , a,&4ndicated it-seemed-Iike-a-logical-place-to-Iseate- __ the tourist information booth. "The tourist booth, in my mind, is in a terrible location," he said. "And people have told me they have difficulty finding it." Bosnell's comments followed a submission to council by Joan Van den Broeck of the Huron Historic Jail Board, who told council that people us- ing the park across from the jail are' using the facilities of the historic site free. "People coming from the north use the park for a picnic and they use the jail to get water or go to the washroom," she said. "It happens on a regular basis and puts us in an awkward position." The public, naturally, does not want to pay to use the facilities in the jail but Van den Broeck said they get a grand tour of the place in the process. The board has suggested the 'site would be suitable for the. location of the tourist booth and washroom facilities. The matter was referred to the parks and tourist committees of council for review and recom- mendation. Police get tough with bicyclists -'- o ericb-police-have-conurmeed-a--crackdown-en bicyclists in an attempt to reduce the number of complaints received from motorists and pedestrians. Police will be checking on such infractions as riding double, riding at night without lights, disobeying traffic signs and signals and riding on the sidewalks (especially around The Square). Written warnings are presently being issued by police but if Cyclists 'are known repeating offenders, then charges will be laid. During the past weekend, nine warnings were issued for various bicycle in- fractions. "Cyclists are reminded that STOP signs and traffic signals apply to bicycles as well as automobiles," says Sergeant Gerry Hilgendorf. Sergeant - Hilgendorf hopes that stricter en- forcement and a continuous check of bicycles will also help reduce the number of bicycle thefts in the area as well as the complaints received from motorists and pedestrians. INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR The kids loved it Bob Schneider entertained a capacity crowd of young and old during a concert held at GDCI, on Monday night. Schneider, a children's performer in- corporated the helpof the audience for many of his songs. The story and picture appear in the second section. First play .of season Goderich Little Theatre will be presenting the first play of the season, on Thursday, April 29, at 8:30, at Mackay Hall. A sneak preview of the play, titled "Solid Gold Cadillac" is in the first section of the paper. Trophy pictures Bowling and Minor Hockey trophy picture's are featured in the recreation section of the paper.