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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-02-01, Page 1County council turns deaf ear Huron MtH, warns bed closin BY JEFF SEDDON Warnings that bed cuts in Huron County's five hospitals will cost county ratepayers more money in the next few years did not seem to bother Huron county council Friday. Dr. Brian Lynch, the county medical officer of health, told council on several occasions that dollars saved by the province through proposed bed cuts will not necessarily be dollars saved by taxpayers. Dr. Lynch said the bed cuts will mean extra work for the county health unit adding that the extra work will require more money....money provided by Huron County ratepayers. The MOH told council that proposed bed cuts may mean that many services now provided for patients in hospital beds will have to be provided for them in their homes. He said the home care services for those people will be provided through the county" health unit and that the extra work will be at the expense of the county. Dr. Lynch said he had attended several hospital board meetings in the county to try to learn how hospitals planned to cope with provincial cutbacks pointing out that he felt he could probably awnser a few questions council members may have. He said the hospitals appeared to be trying to make the best of a bad thing and were in the process of budgeting within ministry of health guidelines. F'I He said the future of some hospitals was cloudy because of the cutbacks adding that some may even end up closed in the next few years. He said -there was no of telling now what the next two or three years had in store for the hospitals but said there was concern amongst some hospital board members that the smaller facilties in the county could end up closed. "If they each (the five county hosptials) make straight bed cuts they can keep their budgets down but some hospitals will end up with less than 50 active beds," said Dr. Lynch. "Those smaller hospitals may be deemed financially inefficient in a few years and be closed." Dr. Lynch said many of the hospitals had no choice but to cut beds. He said there was very little room to cut labratory or maintenance staff from the hosptials which left them no alternative but bed cuts. CO-OPERATION :The MOW` told council that a co-operative effort amongst all health care deliveryservices in the county may get the hospital's through the bed cuts. He said the bed cuts were going to make demands on all other health services in the county but with planning the added demands may be handled efficiently... "We can help the hospitals get through the bed cuts," he told council. The concerns of Dr. Lynch appeared to fall on deaf ears. . His comments that hosptials could become inefficient and end up closed, that patients may not be able to get proper care s will cost from county hospitals and that the provincial - savings will end up costing the county more money did not even stir council. No one asked any questions or appeared upset at the prospect of losing half of the hospital beds in the county. Dr. Lynch said later he could not understand the apathy over the hospital bed cuts. He said he hoped the public as well as the politicians had simply not had time to have the impact of the bed cuts sink in. He said on the surface the bed cuts appeared sensible and would save money but said there was more to be con- sidered than just dollars saved. He said he felt there was not enough information or time allowed for the issue to "sink in". "I don't think the general public knows the impact of the decision by the province," he said. He added that if no public reaction creates a stir politically and the bed cuts come about all that the hospitals, health unit and medical professionals will be left to do is -"'give the services we can with the resources we have". Jim Moore rec. director BY DAVESYKES The Goderich Recreation Board was unanimous in a decision to hire a recreation director at its monthly meeting, Thursday. . The board was in full agreement to hire Jim Moore the present recreation director for the town of Palmerston at a salary of $17,000. The appointment must be approved by town council and the matter will be on the agenda for the February 5 meeting. Councillor Elsa Haydon said council's ap- proval should merely be confirmation adding that it was peculiar that the entire interviewing. committee was automatically and instinctively in favor of hiring Moore. Moore 29, is married with tWo children ,and has been the recreation director in Palrrferston since 1973. He isa graduate of the Recreation Leader- ship and Facility Management Program at Mohawk College in Hamilton and workedpart- time at the Hamilton Mountain Arena for six ;years. During his employment in Palmerston .they constructed a new $1.1 million recreation complex and established an elaborate creative playground.. -Moore also has a type B Per– manent ermanent Recreation Directors Certificate. Town clerk, ' Larry McCabe, received 83 applications for the job from across the country after placing ads in the Globe and Mail, London Free Press and Signal -Star. The recreation board met to rev w the ap- plications and selected 14 applicants ut of the 83 •to be interviewed by the interviewing committee. The interviewing committee consisted of John Doherty, Elsa Haydon, Mary Donnelly and Randy Smith. All were in agreement to hire Moore and Smith commented that he was a " very per- sonable man with good ideas." Moore's starting salary is $17,000 with provisions for a $500 increase after a six-month probationary period. Former recreation director, Mike Dymond, was earning $16,546 when he resigned. Moore is expected to begin work in Goderich sometime in .March. J 132 YEAR -5 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1979 35 CENTS PER COPY ron hed BY JEFF SEDDON By a slim two,'vote margin Friday Huron • County council agreed to take a second look at a requestfromthe town of-;Goderich for a $7,000 - increase In the county's shareof the operating costs of Sky Harbour Airport in Goderich-. Ina recorded vote council agreed by a 27-25 margin not .to accept a property committee -recommendation4t� :turn --down the Goderich request and agreed to investigate the need for the county t6'thip in the extra money asked for by the town. The . county already has an es on air agreement with the Crown to pick up half of the operating losses of the airport to a maximum of $16,000. The town asked that the ceiling paid by the ---county be increased to $23,000 and the property committee recommended to council that the county share remain at $16,000. Goderich reeve Eileen Palmer told council that the town planned to purchase three lakefront lots bord"erin"g --the airport to permit the construction of a new paved runway. The three lots are to be purdhased over three years and considering that additional expense the Watch out for funny money BY JOANNE BUCHANAN If anyone attempts to pay you for anything with some strangelooking currency, beware. That currency could be part of what was stolen from the Huron County Pioneer Museum last Wednesday evening. Three young boys were reported running away from the museum about 10:10 p:m. on Wednesday, January 24. Updn investigation, the Goderich Police Jewell is officially named community centre manager BY DAVE SYKES The Goderich recreation board agreed to appoint Chuck Jewell as manager of the Goderich and District Community Centre in a unanimous vote at its regular monthly meeting, Thursday. .. Jewell had been labelled as the acting . manager in the absence of Bill Lumby, who was officialy retired from the job January 1,1979. Lumby has been off the job for months following surgery and although he will not be 65 until April was 'retired at the beginning of the year. He was unable to work after the operation last year but was inelligible for disability. pension. Clerk Larry McCabe baid the.town has Terrorism afoot? BY JOANNE BUCHANAN A school terrorist movement may be afoot at the Goderich District Collegiate Institute if some notes left by a person or persons who broke into the high school over the weekend are df to be taken seriously. ' The vandal or vandals broke a window to gain access to G.D.C.I. on Sunday about 10:50 a.m. 'Several of the school store rooms were then broken into, some bottles of pop were taken, paper towels in one of the girls' washrooms 'were set on fire and the notes about terrorism were left. A teacher who was doing some work at the school smelled smoke in the hall -coming from the washroom and the small fire was , ex- tinguished. The incident is still under investigation b Goderich Police Department. been -paying Lumby his salary from November 7 to December 31 although he was not working. Due to Lumby's length of service with the town they agreed to pay his salary when he was not eligible for benefits with London Life. Board member John Doherty pointed out at the meeting that when Jewell was hired as assistant arena manager it was also implied that he would take over as manager when Lumby retired. Doherty said that should be m ade clear to avoid conflict over the job not being advertised. Jewell was making $14,000 as acting manager and his salary will be reviewed along with other town employees. The finance committee has prepared a salary grid that will .be presented to council for perusal February 5. The grid would adjust salaries according to qualifications and job description so Jewell's new salary has not • been set. The finance committee will also meet with the recreation board before the February 5 council meeting to discuss salaries of the other arena employees. In other business the board will ask council's approval to proceed with renovations .to the community centre canteen at a cost of $4,400. The board had the firm of Hill and Borgal investigate the possibility of expanding the canteen and the cost was estimated at $4,400. The canteen. would be expanded into the existing managers office at the entrance to the arena for more efficient service. The board passed a motion -for council to approve the changes so that the work could be completed in time for Young Canada Week in March. Board iabera agreed that revenues were lost bei use of crowds at the canteen which 'often discourage potential customer- s. During 1978 the canteen showed profits of nearly $40,000 and board members agreed the figure could be raised substantially with im- proved canteen services. _The matter will be dealt with by council at thej February 5 meeting. The cost enlarging the canteen would be included in the 1979 recreation budget. M , Department discovered that these boys had probably gained entrance to the museum through a window and had probably also taken some coins and bills from a display there. The currency taken has a historical value only. It dates between 1900 and 1945 and comes from China, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Japan, Belgium, ,France, Holland, Argentina, Mexico and Korea as well as Canada. People in the area are asked to watch for anyone trying to exchange this currency for cash or merchandise and ante to. contact the Goderich Police Department which has the serial numbers if they are suspicious. The incident is still under investigation by the police. Goderich Police are also investigating a theft of about $3,495 at Worthy's Esso Service Centre on Victoria Street. The money was taken from a safe there on Sunday evening or Monday morning, January 21 or 22. There were no visible signs of forced entry into either the building or the safe, reports Chief King. ort issue _ town asked that the county be prepared to up the ante to cover any financial losses incurred at the airstrip. Palmer told council that the increase should not be considered a favor to Goderich pointing out that Sky Harbour is a boon to the entire county and is one of the main encouragements the county has to'offer industry being coaxed to Huron. The'ree'e added that the agreement the county has now' to pick up $16,000 of any losses is not a pact with the town of Goderich but with the Crown. She said the county is under obligation to assist in the maintenance of Sky Harbour. She added that. if the county did not increase its portion of operating losses the town of Goderich could find itself in a position where it has no choice but to have "entire respon- sibility for the airport revert back to the county". Bob. Allen, deputy -reeve -of • Goderich, told council that Sky Harbour can only be con- sidered as an industry in the county. He said 65 people are employed at the airport and it is destined to grow. He added that the decision to purchase land was made because the airport is now at a point where it either expands to permit the safe landing of larger jet aircraft or it reverts back to the size it was before the town began developing it several years ago. Exeter deputy -reeve Donald MacGregor did not agree that the Goderich airport was as important to the county . as Goderich representatives -indicated. ' "We have a beautiful airport in the south end of the county (Centralia) with all kinds of buildings sitting there doing nothing," said MacGregor. "It can handle medium size jets but not large jet aircraft." Exeter reeve Eldrid Simmons agreed claiming the county was being "more than generous" giving ,$16,000 each year to Sky Harbour. Simmons said the benefits to the county may be noticeable around Goderich but he "couldn't see any benefits to the south end of the county". Allen pointed out to council that the county was not doing anyone municipality a favor but was abiding by an agreement it had with the Crown. The Goderich deputy -reeve said it was up to the county to maintain SkyrHarbour as an airport until 1985 under the agreement it had with the,Crown. Murray Dawson, Usborne township deputy - reeve, said the decision council faced was whether or not it wanted to actively encourage industries to locate in Huron County. Dawson told council that if it wanted to lure industry to Huron he "can't see where helping this airport could be harmful". Colborne township reeve Bill Bogie said he was sympathetic to Goderich because of problems it faced operating the airport in harmony with other land uses bordering Sky Harbour. Bogie said the town was tied up in a legal knot over some tree trimming at the west Turn to page 20 • Youth dies on snowmobile Paul Lloyd McClinchey, 17, of R.R. 1 Auburn was killed on Saturday evening when the snowmobile he was driving collided with a car at the crest of a hill on a township road 14 kilometres east of Goderich. A passenger on the snowmobile, 15 -year-old Donald McIntosh of Brucefield, was, treated for a broken leg at Wingham and District Hospital and is in good condition. Reginald Schultz,71, of R.R. 3 Blyth, driver of the car, was uninjured. OPP and town police set up road blocks on area roads and highways as far away as Dublin and Wingham following a bank hold-up in Londesboro on Tuesday afternoon, in which two men got away with $2,000. Here Constable Bruce Crew of the Goderich detachment questions motorists while Constable John Phillips mans the radio in the cruiser. (photo by Steve Cooke) Story on page 20