The Goderich Signal Star, 1976-03-04, Page 9Clinton hospwon t-clos
` four hospitals . help
Ontario Health -Minister present, and no action •wus .
Frank Miller said Wednesday taken-.
• morning'that.he will not close Another meeting is set for
the Clinton PublicHospital"i.f ' Fr.iday. and Clinton Hospital
the other hospitals in Huron administraito'r Doug Coventry
agreeto take budget cuts. was confident something
Jut before this paper went could be worked out.
to press „Wednesday, Jack Jack • Riddell and: local •
Riddell; ;MPP for Huron-: hospital. officials •will meet. 1 29 YEAR
Middlesex, said that 'he had with Premier William Davis
been 'talking -to Mr.=• Miller and : Frank Miller . next --
'Wednesday morning and Mr: Wednesday March 11 in.
Miller . had Said, •he, was Toronto, when an -appeal will
flexible' • on the ` Clinton 'be presented •
Hospital•closing. Mr. Miller said: that the:•five
Mr: Miller said that if the hospitals in -Huron have until ..
five' zhospitals ,,in .1-Turon, then. to come 'up -with an
`Ceurityr could decide among alternative plan to closing
themselves how• to- cut- their Clinton: ' r.
budgets enough to total the- .: Twa- • 'other' hospitals ' in
$800,000 that wouid.be. saved Huron County havebeen told
by closing just .Clinton,: then by Ontario 'Health .Minister
Clinton would stay open," Mr:.
Riddell said.
"•Thea five.' hospitals in
Huron must be prepared to
co-operate on this matter. We off 9.2 percent of its $1 million
have to"work together," Mr. budget of 1.975, or $68,000.
Riddell said. In Goderich, which has
pRIZE
G�N�RrN COMAi N R °'A
`.%t
PERS ASS�CMv0'OP CNA 0
�~��
HrWSPAPIws cA
Frank Miller that they must,
cut their budgets.
Seaforth Community,
Hospital has been told to .cut •
A closed meeting between already =had its' psychiatric
the hospitals was ,heldhospital; closed, .the $2 million
Tuesday night,: but because of . budget of the Alexandra to establish community
the 'ice' storm, Seaforth and • Marine ,and Genera•1 Hospital' programs for the mentally
Exeter were unable to be e (continued on page'16) • retarded throu'g.h . 'the
Ministry of Com.munit,y and
Social Services.
. 'The .program would be an
extension of :the summer
program offered through the
OFY grant including winter
projects and the intent would
be learning for involvement.
The emphasis would be on
developing and; maintaining
skills through programs of
recreation.:_ .--It would even-.
tually lead to .a utilization of
°community services and
resources by the retarded.'
10
.4
THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1976
The Goderich Recreation,
Board has applied fora grant
Ball players change dates
Trotters to race:.
Thursday. nights
The Goderich Recreation
Board endorsed a inoti.on
Thursday night granting the •
Go -clef -fah' • Trotting
Association use . .of
Agriculture Park for . nine
nights .during July -and
August. • " '
h2 a r_I i,e r this .,__y..ea-r•- - the
Trotting ,Association • was -
informed by the Ontario
Racing Commission that they
had . received nine .racing
dates on, consecutive Thur-
sdays through July and
August. A • conflict arose. as
the _Industrial .Softball League
'had use of 'the park for its
league•games. .
- At the' January • meeting of
the ' Recreation.' Board, Dori
McKay of the Goderich
'Trotting •' Association. told .
members that: if they could
not race on Thursday nights
they would have to fold,. He
added that:their racing dates
were given to them by the
Racing Commission and
there was little they could do
to change them:. .
I5•
oug Currie of the
Goderich Industrial Softball
League said, the league was
' willing "to. compromise but
they were upset to learn of the
racing dates second hand.'
Currie argued that the
Trotting Association 'should
have informed the league :of
the• • day change to ac-
commodate • .�eheduting: not
Only of ?the softball 'league but
other- minor baseball and Mrs. "-Bonnie - Graham,
`softball teams. coordinator' of ' Queen
The Recreation :•Board. Elizabeth School in Goderich
granted' the 'Goderich Trot- was optimistic _about the
ting Association the use of institution of the program.
Agriculture Park on , nine Programs have been offet•ed
consecutive 'Thursday nights . for the retarded for the, past
through July and August arid three years under a summer
left all other scheduling of the OFY „;rant . and last year the.
use:.ofThe park to'recreation program was integrated with
director MlkeD.•3Lmsn-d., the- 'town's reOre-a-46-ii '
"` D:ymond met with the department. .
.:concerned groups hriday and Mrs. Graham explained
set up a 1976 schedule use of they attempted to cover the
Agricu•Iture. Park. The . in- • whole area but ran into
dustrial softball`: league used trouble with transportation
the, park facilities three . costs,
nights :pe'r, week-- including:
. Mrs.. Graham -pointed -out
Thursday and will- now there was a three-year
change . that third night: to limit on the OFY project and
.Wednesday. Their games will the' association Wouldlike to
be held on Sunday and set.up_a program through the;
Mondayni hts for the' -entire -_.._
g town: It was decided that the
season arid. W ednesday nights recreation board could• best
thr.ough'Ju'ly and August. The oversee. the function of the •
• league' will continue its project and .staff from a
Thursday night games prior policy standpoint.
to and following' the. racing • The goal of the year-round
season; 'program Fs .ultimate in-
: The girl's , softball teams tegration through ' the
will play Tuesday nights for development of skills until a,
the "entire season ':and 'also,' person is.capable of 'font Lewis told the Committee of responding in the wake of the from the'politiciens.togetthe • the government had arrived
Wednesday set hts until the unit on Concerned Citizens in government decisions and "community.'s questions an- at the conclusions they -had
y g boning inthe;comm Y Goderich to personally ap- how Goderich. was' reacting to swered in the legislature. He .,and had been• unsuccessful.
racing seasonbegins. At that their•own.
"11 b b 'led peal to politicians of all three; the dGcis.i•
on here to maintain said the politicians are He added that he was hopeful
recreation opportunities as
independent citizens:
A report prepared;by
members of the school for the
mentally retarded,, the
workshop and •the recreation
board indicate that as many
as 60 people have need of such
a program. The progras
would have to prepare the
retarded for the community
thus.' stressing recreational
skills, self care, reading,
beauty skills and manual
dexterity. ' From' this. -point
the retarded could be .in-
ere
munity programs and ser,
vires. .
• The need will be deter-
mined' by direct,- interview
and observation' and a con
tinuing_ informaf assessment
of each individual. It• is hoped •
that employers in Goderich '
may be willing to offer part-
ti:ne ,employment to increase
the Community and lea! ting'.
experience.
Such a program would be ••
fended,;,by the Ministry • of
Community and Social
Services •for a period of two, '
troduced to 'existing corA ftPr the time. .If _the:
• program.,had merit it would
be left to the community or a
group -within the .community
te• continue the .program and
its funding,'
In the submission for the
campaign for funds grant the required toal was
begins Monday, March 842,200. The amount included
and continues until _' salaries e for a program 'co -
..Saturday, March 13. .. ' ordinator and a full time staff.
Donors missed in.the • person; three summer part=
tune employees :&s.•,we_il as
fns,idental part-time. ern-.
Red Cross
campaign
The annual Red Cross
door_ -to --:door:... canvass
• can: ` forward their
489Yattiuns-
Howey, Apt. 17, 15 ..
Pieton Street,.East., or '
drop them off at any of
the -local banks. •
The canvass this year
is co-ordinated by the
Maple 'Leaf Chapter
I,ODE. •
•
•
The grant would also in-
clude the cost •o.f ' ad-
ministratidn .supp,lies,
transportation and- equip-
ment:. T-Iowever it was an-
ticipated that service •clubs
might offer.som.e assistartce
for food and health:supplies,
•
SINGLE COP!•::2:
Opposition:Leader Stephen Lewis was in Goderich Friday to try:to. understand how. the
' community is reacting to health minister F'riank Miller's hospital' closings, Mr. Lewis met
I. with the •.Concer..ned'Cit.iz,ens Committee here to offer them his party's fall support in any
way -the; could help- •(staf-Fplrotor
a s Huron suffered most b av'tcuts
. vie s
personal.
.
Opposition leader"Stephen their hospitals were secure moral obligations `announcement to find out how
Ppp
ti theI th t
me y wi e pr vi b f eo
with -alternate facilities. They could .be served through' the
will also have use of the park program • will simply be.
on Sunday afternoon from 1 to limited,to the amount that
4 p,m. for the entire season, can• 'be. accommodated but
All rained out games will season.,
'there is ,he possibility of
• worked out. on Friday and expansion as the 'need
Saturday ' evenings and, 'the. requires. •, Some may leave
-.girls will 'also practice on the program as they are able
(continued, on page 16) to utilize services, work and.
- ent .1 of -0.•W.N.A.
R.G. Shrier vice—president p
Signal -Star Publisher R.G:
Shrier was 're-elected to the.
boardof: directors and named
vice-president of the Ont rro�
Weekly. • Newspaper.
Association. last week -'during.
. . ion held in
•$°"'"theannual
v,Je.y.+
Ottawa: h...
•
for its member newspapers. '' always felt themedium was
strong, Mr. MacDonald.said,
'Strength of . the weekly :• but' they now have proof that -
—p-ress i -n--9- Mini o--was-r-ep.or_ted-•.•. two-putt-af•-=•three-people-o tt:.-
to the convention by side the major. metropolitan
Inc.,
•
WNA ..to. ascertain the' Th ,,
isT makes the weekly
medium's strengths or. :' pressone of the strongest
Board administers "a $2i/Z. weaknesses. mediums ih the cauntry,'the•
Materials ublishers h ve spea er sa.i.. •
duction relate W kl to k 'd .
on pro ee •y p
m
11
parties in ' an effort to con-
yince the Ontario,government
to reverse its decision to close
the Goderich Psychiatric
Hospital and the Clinton
Public Hospital.•
.In a- special meeting late
Friday afternoon Mr. Lewis
told the CCC members to go
to. Toronto to attendcaucus
meetings of the three parties
to make their -arguments
heard prior to the legislature
reconvening later this month.
a 20 bed Unit atGPH,
Mr. Lewis promised 'the
concerned citizens all the
support he could give them
but added that he did not
expect to bring down the
government 'over the health
controversy..' .He said he, did
-not think there was enough
unanimity in Queen's' Park to
force the government to ,
reverse their orders nor to
The New Democrat was in-••-
Goderich as part of a tour
through -the• pro -v i'nceze.e eti n
with citizens -and hospital
boards who have lost their
hospitals under- health
minister Frank Miller's
recent restraint program: He.
said'he was hoping to find out
how. the communities losing
ke Dymond,. Goderich rec director, was clearly disap-
pointed that more people did not take advantage of last
Saturday's 'community- conference on recreation: The
theme was Involvement - but.vvith only 17 persons there; the
amount ofinvolverhen,t was minimal. The purpose of •the'-
alerting was to get from those in attendance some direction
forplanning recreation services in Goderich for the next
' few _years. Mr: Dymond said he was hoping to see at the
conference 'all those people W+'ho are "screaming the
loudest about the lack of recreation in town and about then
rec director himself, The erpty•chairs, however, attest to
the fact that God rJch' citizens simply weren't interested
1:1t'Saturday. (sta f'phota)
force ari election.
The opposition leader
advised the citizens to con-
verge on Queen's Park not in
a re-i-li-ta-nt f-ash.ion-b.ut-wi.th..tlae..
intent of. seeking -out
politicians from all three
parties and'personally stating
the community's case to
He said t'he personal action
had value in .that they would
Cut 1% from education budget y.
human and have emotions,
adding 'th'at they are not ,all
inflexible but just enjoy
thinking they are.
"Come down with your.
arguments to thecaucus,"
suggested Mr. Lewis. "By:.
gaining a moral obligation,
from the politicians you will
provide a climate for'debate.
• tfr"at ' will he conducive - to
• getting things done:',.
Mr. Lewis warned the;
citizens that the push on the
politicians may not be as
successful as- they want but
----eniph.asized•that the3_nAt give
up hope. '
•
direct 'questioning in. the
Icgistature would produce the
desired results. '
"You • don't- know how •
maddening it is not to be able
fo'
:confront • any of the
ministers on any: of . these
decisions," he
. • Mr. Lewis sympathized
With the _CCC and • said he
wished he could: offer' more
substantial assistance. . He
said very .Little of the sub-
stance the government based
their decision- on had been
shared and that the .overall
-hea-lth costs in th•e pee.e.M.ci=ct.
budget seemed to he minor..
Mr. Lewis explained that a
very -small percentage of.the
budget goes to health and that
the- percentage had • not been
increasing with any alarming
speed. ' -
He said he Understood the
frustrations since he had
undergone the same emotions
trying to find the reasons for
the closings. .He said he had
hcen trying since the first
Hope for only 30%
After • considerable
discussion Monday afternoon,
the Huron County hoard of
education. referred recom-
mendati•ons from the budget
committee • to a special
meeting to .be held. Monday,
March 1... . •
The budget committee'
suggested a number of ways
in w•h.ich costs can he
reduced. Superintendent of.
'business affairs Rciy Dunlop
said the proposed cuts would
reduce the overall budget by
Only about one percent.
Dunlop said he anticipated
the gross -budget would be up
about 30 'percent from last
year. He said although the
provincj,al gtiver•nment- had
put a •ceiii'ng of eight percent
on expenditures, "it's I'm-
post;ihle to stay-a.t th rt figure.
We -had 1eiichcr contracts go
' up last year by 30 percent and
this carries through unlit this
year.
lit drti('il`,Nlori t)f the
proposed • cutbacks, board
chairtn-an Herb Turkheim
said, "We don't.want to•let the
quality" -.• of education
deteriorate, but we want to
assure our taxpayers that the
mill rate"will be held as much
as orissiblc:" . .
` Turkheim said he hoped'a
proposed increaiSe in jevies to
• the Municipalities. of about50,
percent could be reduced.to 30
• percent. •
Budget c.,k)l-nmitt.ee
chairman John Elliott said
the budgetary restraint would
remove all extraordinary
expenses and a 10 percent
Outback in ordinary ex,
penseS. - • Dunlop' said it• was almost
impossiblc.to estimate at this
time what> sayings -would
come about from • .the
proposed, cutbacks. He . said
formula decreases would,
save about "$230,000, and ad-
d.itipnal savings w"c-uld come
frlim driver education sU,500.
•.
"Those. .that think that
health'represents.major costs .
n the provincial .'hud•gets
have been conned," claimed
Mr. Lewis. •
The • opposition. .leader told
the citizens that, the province
Was closing hospitals. as part
of a restraint program that. •
enjoyed public support. He
said restraint now has
'overwhelming public.support
that dwarfs th'e.protests and
',problems of individual .._
communities that are victims
of restraint programs.
He pointed out that., the
government• is establishing a
political • theme • in the
province that dells for the
• cOmmunity to rally behind
. the gaernment•hecause the.
government - seems 'to -be.
showing: courage. in . their.
efforts'to curb spending.' He
.-• said it is fashionable for the
government: to come into a
community. and .close. a
• (continued on page 16)
hike in Huron
possibly $10,000 in 'u-taities•
and a sizable amount in the •
cutback of about five from the
secretarial staff. '
Elliott saidi•the .secondary
school principals in the
county ;had . agreed to a 10
percent cutback 'on. expenses
and •although it wasn't
.unanimous there' was a
.feeling that they - Could live
With another JO percent drop.
• A delegation of elementary
school :principals headed by
Bruce' Robertson of Howick
Centrala~;ked to he allowedto
discuss the .budget restratl5ts',-
before t"hey beca.meofficial.
The brief said, -"We note
that some, of the proposals for -
budget cuts are -very close to
the -students and day to day
operation c>t; the. schools.. We
wish to express Oir concerns
and request the Opportunity
to "contribute some input -arid.
suggestions. Since there is a
management • factor in our
role. we suggest we should
have some in.volvenient in°the
,decision making process:--
"We believe that -the Huron
County board of education is•
approaching the budget
'decisions in. a very cot--
scientiotis •manner—and we
• would.hope •that no sources of
information would be
overlooked in • establishing
priorities. thatsatisfy all
levels'of the system.".
Exeter Public School
principal .Juni Chapman
added, "What we are asking
for is. more inside information
and a chance to give input 'r
The board agreed 10 i:ave
:he • budget coinittee
chairman and other members
meet with the principals
Wednesday afternoon.
The proposals from the'.
budget committee. for cut -
hacks included grass cutting,
custodial supplies; budget
formula items; tran-
sport at lon, driver education,. .
(continued on page 16)
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