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The Goderich Signal Star, 1976-03-04, Page 131 Dec. `i 0 9. 7 ? ub1 o Library) a, 52 14nttreal St G.ode.rieb., 0 . _ N7A 2G4 r 129'YEAR.. 1 •H.ron.councflfrs • THURSDAY, MARCH.r"# �•r1' 1' isc'uss hospital .c►o; c7ECOND SECTIO##r The Queen of the -l976 Ntardi Gras -was Crowne. . 1975queeq. as pact of festivities at the annual Kinette"Mardi 'liras dance. Queen Diane Melick is fitted with her tiara by her predecessor Carole Brintnell. (staff -photo) . 1�h e' Goderich • Police Association said this. week that their contract proposals made to the •town's police, commission: in' November were submitted' prier to wage and price 'controls ' being .imposed by the federal' government •and • will :not necessarily be adhered to by .the association. • ' The association, of which the Goderich ' Pollee are members, submitted a list. of contract , proposals last •November to the commission . which amounted to about a 30 percent increase over the 1975 contract between the two parties. sso'ciation spokesman George Lonsbairy' Said the proposals were :•rade ,before the anti inflation;board was set', up and' thug were, .beyor%d: the'guideliries. setup by that board.r. M.•' Lonsbury said that nb negati.atrons•had .taken place between the association and. the'cornmiss.ion.. He said that. the association.had submitted the •list. •of , proposals to the corninissi©ri prepared to .bargain and had,received no • irivitaticin to dome to a -bargaining-table. • Mr: Lonsbary solid. e - association had received the • commission's proposal for an eight percent, increase • in • salary under the tcri5):s of. the • •1975 contract . but wanted., to discuss some 'terras'of the contract .to •be changed for Mud slide- ha fd. Children • A fairly large section of the Lake , Huron shore . was reclairned by the Jake sometime- last week leaving an arm of thud about 30 yards .long extending out into the lake 'as witness to,er.os,ion of the Lakeshore. The section of• hank just aSKe� north 'of • ,the. Goderich • pollution Control 'plant slid away unnoticed hist 'week taking- with it some, trees, • fencing., a• television aerial and about 10 foot, section of " Mr.' and • :Mrs. 2 Wilfred Rci.nhai-t=s backy- rd". • The slide, not uncommon• Early spring 410 Y 19 /6. He' idded that,the 4ri17 meeting of the commission 'was to include • contract negotiation far this; year "We (the association) linow that we are bound by the federalguidelines'.the same. as'eyeryone else and intend -to stick • by them,': .said Mr. Lorisbary, "But we. have a few' bugs' to, work out on the contract. The association pointed out •an error in•last week's' Signal. Star account'of the proposals' listed by the pence for their 1976 contract. The story said that:the pol'ic'e wanted $25 per clay to attend police courses. throughout the year. The $25 is .a, five dollar increase over the 4975 contract :but is' not a per day rate but per'w'eeK• to T5tii' along the •high clay banks of the lake, is the biggest one, Muriel Reinhart has' seen in her Years as a resident of the shore area. She said the bank dropped away in the 1960's but that slide 'was, "a baby" coinpared°to this one. She explained that every spring- same of the hank, is' or dubirds Goderich will dither enjoy an early Springthis year or there are some dumb birds flying .around town. Two. robin sightings this week have encouraged optimistic residents of town• who firmly lleffev.e that the recent warm spell en- joyed here is a sure sign that the flowers and trees will be sprouting in the near future. • Pessimists on the other hand claim the birds are not a'sign of spring but only proof that a lack of intelligence is not -limitedto humans.,"The pessimists claim that. j•f uron County will receive 'another piece of winter before the weather warms and the buds begin to expand on,. the trees, - The.bird sightersnre optinii.Atic on the . future weather. Mrs. Frank Carrel of Bluewater Beach sighted her' robin: "a nice: fat one that looks like he lived well over `the winter" __- . on Friday and repor'ted happily that it "sure 'oohs like • • .Mol Ilrt;,,- Bea Aberhart sighted her bird every cl<txsince Saturday, "a fat. fluffy. fellow • preening his feathers" and claims that ..sprang is not far off. The nature watcher pointed out that the pussy willows- are. out, the crows are cawing and the sap is running so spring can't be far. away. Whatever•.the future brings in the way bf weather, one thing is for sure and that - is that Clic robin is going to have to live through tt with the rest of us. He will not he. in the warm, sunny south listening to the gloomy weather forecasts for. Goderich while he sits in a'COOL shady tree: Maybe what the robin*°heeds is a' good snowstorm to• keep him froni bringing • false- hopes to winter haters. Maybe if he had to sit in a tree during a •snow storm he wouldn't come early and get people's hopes up. • Mr. Robin; if it snows it looks good on you. B'Y;IIAVE.SYKES -Jack Riddell, Liberal°MPP for Huron -Middlesex, told the monthly sessionof county council 'Friday , that. the closing •of hospitals in the county is setting rural • - Ontario back 12 to 15 years. •"The closings of hospitals in• Huron is a..slap in the face to rural Ontario," he said. "What we face now is setting rural. Ontario back 12 to.15 years:" He explained that -Huron ' was now foro.ed to bear the brunt of the Health Minister's restraint program . and the closing, of, hospitals was 'drawing from the lifeblood of •the com'm'unities. He also added, there• ig evidence of ' •po'or planning and con- sideration :should have 'been given tea cefitralied hospital in the county. Despite poor planning .he believed there • were viable • alternatives: •tocomplete closure .of.. hospitals in the • county. He •claimed - there were: too many hospital beds in Ontario and.Huron,County and -suggested that' every • major hospital . could have sections closed.- ' •He :..ixtsistecL that the .governmertt has ' priorities' ,mixedup and funds could be . raised • from other sources rather than closing hospitals. "If : there. was •a • seven .percent tax on tobacco the .government could•raise $40 $50 million per year," hesaid; "If 'we • can afford .-luxuries then. we .c'ertarniy can afford• epi tapay for th' • He added that —a TO percent tax on"tobacco- would mean a $70'million reyenue.anrually. Riddell —questioned' the government's priorities claiming the province didn't need McMaster University Hospital in...•Hamilton and. University Hospital in • London • • "I 'could „name several more hgs,pitals we didn't need 'but now the community hospitals' eu•e Lierng saerifrced,' . lie 'Said.. "We do • have problems.., and need restraint but the government has it's - priorities mixed up• Riddell 'explained that it' • was just furtherevidence of '.` the centralizing tendencies of -the goyeintirent and the province4wouid only be in- viting trouble through cen= tralizatiion.. Riddell was 'also incensed at the • hospital closings in , • 'view of the needless spending •of other government agen- cies.: He disagreed with the , • Wintario Lottery as a source of, revenue but questioned why the •' more than $20 million in revenue couldn-t be used ` for hospitals. r ' • He pointed out that $24 million was spent on the extension ' of -the Spadina Expressway, a project the. :.people of Toronto really didn't w int. The government is• also spen'din'g, th_mom. snown)iihrle trails, he said.•' • • errs. off • set • • Clinton Hospital board vice- chai°rman viewed, -the economic 'impact of the • 'Clinton Hospital boardvice ' chairman ' • viewed the economic impact 'of the Clinton Hospital closing as monstetous.'•He added that the only alternative for health care' was London sinc.e Wingharn hospital was' operating over 90 percent. occupancy and Exeter could not satisfy the .needs of the" eople: • "We must -deplore the techniques of the Minister in the closing and as .l:ong. as, • Clinton is there, health ,needs Will have to be met,- he said:.. "There must' be ,alternatives and 'Clinton Hospital would certainly' consider, a • the .more logical approach woial`d beto cut out inefficient • units in county 'hospitals and-- adamantlystated the :tOwn had a good case against the -closure of the hospital. "The closure of the hospital would be a tragedy to the hey-f-er-.--rhallenge_io.cet the budget.' Mr. Menzies suggested that the course of their action and: jurisdiction' • on' the matter. Clerk -treasurer. Bill Hanly... • toldWand! the'iounty has no jurisdiction over the hospital and can. only support the efforts -of otl•Ter groups: • community if the decision is Council passed - two not.` reversed,'' he' said: "If. motions; one,•that the council there was " sufficient cooperation from all the hospitals in the county we wouldn't•have toclose.' Mr. Menzies said that. Health Minister Frank Miller has not made it. clear that his `'liriisl�ry Can only 'withdraw funds,since it does' not ownthe• hospital and the services of Huron County hospitaisi spills_ into other counties. County. councillor's debated for-mcrre n• an--hotir.as :-t-- support the hospital board and the town of Clinton •in • their '-'efforts to keep the hospital open and two that the •,-• Medical•crfficer of Health and the County • Health ' Unit present a .brief .t6.. the government • giving; reasons'. not to' close health institutions in Huron County -and • the hoard suggest" alternatives to closing in consultation with the hospital planning council;• • Goderich roads superintendent Stan Meriam and Muriel. the lake shore: Mrs: Reinhart told the superintendent that Reinhart check what used to be about. 10 feet of the last week the bank edge stretched nearly straight across in Riinhart's back yard on Lakeside Drive but is now part of . it line with the tip of grass on ;the far•'left of the picture. Photos by Jeff Seddon Lakeshore claimed by, the lake and residents of the area•'have put fill along the edge and planted trees along the bank top to try to .prevent the slides' but, they all seen) to fait as they are now all at the bottom of the 'hank: Mi -s.' Reinhart said she iS not only concerned about the erosion eating away at her back lawn but she is con-. cerned • about the hazards created by ,the weak bank. • She said quite oftenhiidren play along the Lakeshore duringthe• spring and - the danger of a slide 'worries her to the point of Chasing them "We.keep a 25.0 foot. rope in the garage in case we have to' ,go over the—bank after. 'someone," . said ' Mrs. Reinhart. "We've had to use it before but luckily no one was around when this slide occurred.'' Neighborhoodresidents. were antaze'd at the size of the • 'slide, They said they had been Foul• fuir•ly regularly checking the !Sank for any signs of a slide hut had seen none. Mrs. Reinhart said her husband' decided to cheek early this • week and• discovered the slide. "There were.some children. .playing, down there a , few days ago and-•.: we sent them • off," • she- said. "They never would have got oul of the way a • • • of that. • • Police chief Pat King said, he 'was • concerned about the. hazard and had public schools in Goderich announce during school that children were, to ' stay away,from the Lakeshore area. He said tae checked the • ground at the top of the hank • 'and could' see no signs of' a Slide but added that this slide • was undetected. • . The chief said he hoped tthe warifing did not". .have a reverse effect on the children arousing• their curiosity. sci' they would go over to•see the slide: He said the slides were not usual and could happen- any time along the whole arca. Slides are ,caused by a - combination • ;rf running ground water and 'wave ac - 'tion of the lake. A Ministry of Natural- Resource spokesman 'said ;about half the problem' is caused by waves' eating awify: at the. bottom of the hank weakening .the soil pattern 'while the other hail is caused by ground water running through the soil. and over the bank at virridiis heights. • . He said if possible: correction of. the hazard would be ,the cOnstruction of• erosion gabions• on the snore and the systematic drainage of the land over the hank. . The edge of grass at the •bottom of this• picture repre.sents:What, is now the edge•a"f•the lake bank while tons of;earth extend hi a point about ;10 yards into the Lake Huron Just north of the town's pollution control _plant after the 'batik slid away sometime last week. The sectionof•arth is about 100 foci wide..(staff-photo)