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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-02-08, Page 4DEAR READER BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER I spent Thursday morning going through the other county weekly newspapers to see what- people in Wingharn, Clinton, Seaforth and Exeter are saying about the closing of hospital beds. I must agree with the Huron County" Medical Officer of Health. In general people are very apathetic .... and I worry that apathy is going to cost us a bundle. I'll just give you a sample of the kinds of things I've been finding as I glean the county weeklies and talk to county newspaper people. In Clinton for instance, the board isn't at all upset about the bed closings. And when you get right down to it, I suppose one can understand the feeling there. As the Clinton News -Record put it, 'At least we still have our hospital." And that seems to sum it up in Clinton. As long as the hospital con- tinues to receive patients, the number of patients or the kinds of services that are available for them doesn't seem to matter much. In Exeter it is somethilg the same. South 114urot 'Hospital is the smallest of the five hospitals in Huron and is able to provide the fewest number of ser- vices. For the most part, it tends to minor emergencies, cares for chronic patients, provides facilities for ob- stetrics . and offers an operating room that handles some surgery. Exeter has the advantage,too,of being close to the major medical facilities in London. And according to the editor of The Exeter Times -Advocate there is another plus -for South Huron Hospital. It has plenty of money .... money from community bequests and donations that make that hospital a little more independent than some others. In Seaforth, the board at the Seaforth Community Hospital has decided to immediately close 13 active treatment beds in addition to the three that were, closed earlier. And according to hospital ad- ministrator Gordon McKenzie • of Seaforth, that will actually save money._.. and it won't result in any layoffs. It's really very simple. The Seaforth hospital is presently running at about a percent occupancy rate with 40 beds. But for the last several years, the hospital has only been staffing, for 30 beds ... so losing 13 more beds won't cause any reduction in services or any layoffs. When they reach 24 active treatment beds in Seaforth Hospital, the hospital will berate at 90 percent occupancy' for the"most part, fluctuating to maybe 110 percent in peak periods. "We'll have to. operate 24 beds with the same amount as we operated 40," McKenzie was quoted as saying. In Wingham,the hospital is facing a deficit in 1979 .... and this seems to be the main concern there. The Wingham and District Hospital received no increase in the 1979-80 budget because there was a surplus of 14 beds at that hospital over and above ministry guidelines for this year. The penalty of $12,000 per bed was invoked which cost $168,000.Increased operating,costs stacked against a lower than expected operating budget add up to a deficit reported- to be nearing $200,000. ., Administrator Norman Hayes, says this will result in bed closures and staff layoffs. But that seems to be the major worry. Reduced patient care and a risk of an unsafe level of patient services doesn't seem to be worrying Wingham folks at present. +++ So what's all the uproar in Goderich? Why is everyone here getting so all- - fired excited about the situation? Surely Goderich people aren't the only citizens who can see trouble brewing down the road! Perhaps 'Dr. Bruce Thomson put it best. He said the majority of people in Huron County probably . won't un- derstand what's happening until that terrible day when someone near and dear needs medical attention and isn't able to get it in time. And then the howling and the complalining will deafen the Ministry .... when, it i§ simply too late to change things. A sad commentary, Rut perceptive: PAGE 4—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY; FEBRUARY 8 , 1979 *CNA Godench` SIGNAL-STAR The County Town Newspaper of Huron founded In 1848 and published ovary Thursday at Godorlch, Ontario. Member of the CWNA and QWNA. Advertising rates on request. Subscriptions payable in advance '14.30 In Cando, '33.81 to U.S,A., '79.011 to all ether countries. single copies 33•. Display advertiiIng rotes ovallable on rogues,. Pleats eek for Rote Cord,Nee 0 effective Oct. 1, 1978. Second close mall Registration Number 0719. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that In the event of typographical error. the advertising space occupied by the erroneous Item, together with reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the avant of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price. goods or service may not be sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Slgnol•Stor Is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. • Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. ROBERT G. SHRIER — president 'and publisher SHIRLEY J. KE .LER — editor DONALD M. HU ICK,- advertising manager Mailing Address: 13.0. BOX 228, Industrial Park, Goderich Second class mail registration number — 0716 Business and Editorial Office TELEPHONE 524-8331 area code 519 Something to think about If you were one of the thousands of Canadians watching the figure skating competitions in Thunder Bay last week, you must have been thrilled, by what you saw. It would be difficult for. any red-blooded Canadian to sit by the television screen very long without feeling that national pride swell up inside and manifest itself in one huge lump in the throat. The Canadian figure skating championships are over for another year. Champions have been named and among them are, some truly talented young people for whom the years and years of hard work and financial sacrifice have paid off. They will go on to the world championships and represent Canada admirably. There is little doubt of that. But looking down the road a way, there's an even more exciting future for Canada. A glimpse of some of the novice skaters provided some •of the most stirring moments for viewers. It wasn't difficult to see the level of professionalism these children have reached at age 11 and 12 ... and it isn't hard to imagine that in five or ten years from now, Canada is going to have plenty of excellent world champion material. It doesn't seem long ago that a triple jump was only a dream. But in the Thunder Bay competitions, triple jumps .were commonplace ... and every once in a while the audience would be told the triple had been "over -rotated" making one wonder how long it will be before a quadruple spin in the air will be the thing to achieve. For armchair skating enthusiasts, there's lots to look for in the years,ahead. For the up and coming skaters, though, it is a long, gruelling road that could be made much smoother and easier if Canadians demonstt'tated ,their pride in hard, .cold cash to keep more and more skating hopefuls on ice. It's something to think about.—SJK Sisters for St. Paddy's It may still be early February but •it really isn't too soon to begin thinking about Goderich's Sister Community, Bay City, Michigan, where the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is the big attraction each winter. You don't have to be Irish to enjoy Paddy's Day. You don't even have to be from Bay City. In fact, two busloads of Goderich's best non -Irish St. Sn'ow kidding? The most reliable (?) weather forecaster at this time of year is the well known Mr. Groundhog and last Friday, he made his annual prediction for six weeks more of winter. . -- But there was a bright hopeful note this year, unlike some others. According to some close ob- servers, these next six weeks will be mild and pleasant. Wouldn't that be great? A few oldtimers concur with Mr. Groundhog. Thereare rumors that winter will end promptly about March 15 and spring in all its warm sunshiny glory will arrive about March 1'6. Let's hope those rumors are right-SJK •- - Patrick's Day enthusiasts will be making a trip to Bay City in mid-March to help the good folks across the lake celebrate properly. That kind of friendly exchange has been going on since Sesquicentennial Year .... and it is hoped it will continue for some time to come. '" The Goderich Tourist Committee is anxious to help anyone who wants to get involved in the fun at Bay City. Just get in touch with Mac Campbell or Bert Squire or any other committee member. Your group may want to charter a bus and make the trip to Bay City .... or you may simply want to know more about the event, how to get there and what to expect. It doesn't matter. Committee members should be able to help you make your plans. Having a Sister City is fun. And it can be more , fun. There's lots more the two communities could do to extend the hand of friendship .... and expand the growing goodwill between them. A letter from Les Arndt last fall reveals, -for instance, that the Bay City Lions Club would be interested in developing an exchange program with the Goderich Lions. What about it fellows? If you have any ideas to spark new interest in Goderich for Bay City ... or vice versa .... won't you tell them to your tourist committee? They are -anxious to build on the relationship already begun. Why not .think about it this week and get in touch with them soon?-SJK Health care curtailed The recently announced cut in hospital beds is tantamount to admission that the hospital in- surance plan which has been serving the people of Ontario for over 20 years is a semi -failure. It was setup as a universal scheme of health care which would serve all citizens who needed it. The arbitrary chopping of beds without thought for local conditions in any area is an admission that the plan has failed. - It cannot, in fact, care for all the sick people. It is a plain statement that some of the sick will have to make out as best they can without hospital service. There is no consideration for areas in which older people -represent a larger than average segment of the population; there is no allowance for seasonal upswings in the illness rate. There is nothing but a cold formula which states. there will be no more' than 3.5 hospital beds for every thousand residents. The famous "user fee" will be applied, not to the short term patients whose daily bill for service 'would seldom amount to a•serious burden; no, the special fee is to be charged to the old folks who have chronic illnesses and usually limited incomes. The -abruptness of the bed cut announcement and the lack of consideration for individual cir- cumstances is reminiscent of former Health Minister Frank Miller's announcement that several hospitals would be permanently . closed. That decision was apolitical bombshell and the Ministry never did make it -stick. The repercussions of the bed cut measure may be just as far-reaching.—Wingham Advance -Times Disappointed Dear Editor, With all due respect, I. am very disappointed in your article •on Cable television and think it's a cop-out. It seems you are satisfied with the poor reception on Cable TV. I am not. You stated, "This seems to be an annual problem and one that has no real solution." Poor recepti,00,, .it seems to me, occurs every day of the' year on six of the 11 channels available. Not a ver good percentage. You didn't menti what the technical problems were, nor when viewers can expect them to be corrected. We also pay a good monthly rate and I think we should expect much better and more varied viewing. After all, we are not living in the Arctic wilderness. A statement from the cable • company ex- plaining their reasons- ex'cuses would be in or- der, also a forecast as to when good reception and a greater selection of channels will be in- troduced: Yours sincerely, John Dicks Goderich Good job Dear Editor: The members of Exemplar .Chapter Sorority have been busy the last' two `33eeks organizing the March of Dines campaign in G.o derich. • Captains for this yearlt campaign were Barb Matthews, Barb Moss, Norma Clayton, Barb Alcock, Sally MacEwan, Marg Evans, Marg Eadie, Rollie Leggatt, Roberta Machan, Jane Kerr, Jean Coughlan, DEAR EDITOR Pam Hassel, Sharon Moore, Susan' McKay, Joan Vanden Broeck, Ruth Gower and Sandy Rompf. The girls did a fantastic job along with about 125 volunteer canvassers. So far this year's campaign brought in approximately , $2,600 with still more expected from business in town and also coin collectors. •, I'm sure with everyone's help, disabled adults will be able to live a little more comfortably. On behalf of Ontario March of Dimes and Exemplar Sorority, we would like to thank all the .captains, canvassers, and people who donated time and money for such a worthwhile campaign. Thanks again. Helene Alcock Exemplar Chapter Sorority Campaign Chairman Amazed Dear Editor, The January 18, 1979 edition of the Signal -Star contained a rather prominent article con- cerning a special meeting of the Town Council and Public Utilities Com- mission to deal with a "PUC -Council feud", to use the words of the headline. The article went on to indicate that representatives of the Ministry of Inter- governmental Affairs would be present to assist in the meeting. The meeting mentioned in the newspaper story was held on Monday, January 22, 1979 in Council chambers, 'with all members of both parties present, including the press. It was with complete amazement that -I realized that two editions of the Signal -Star have been printed since that meeting, with not a word of, its outcome having. been mentioned. To read the Signal -Star, one would be left to conclude that the meeting never. took place. In the light of the tremendous advance publicity given to the issue by the newspaper article, with its sup- positions and editorial asides, it is incumbent upon the newspaper to report the follow-up. TO this end, I enclose the following report of the meeting and ask that it be used as a straight news - story to inform the citizens of Goderich of what transpired when the PUC -Council meeting took place. This copy is not only a report of the meeting but is a report that has been verified by the representatives of the Turn to page 5 • joie 25..15,111d Core* L W.,,. J"ne lit ive t apeaveh 111111E Q9,.. (Cg fn iplc KIM aff4 m 11,55 AIWA 12'30 F 4` °730 O•3010t5 pa, .., . ,and, Dear Editor, I know things are quiet in Goderich but are they really this bad? This prominently displayed bulletin board on The Square has not had an up -date for seven months. Yours truly H. W. McCreath 75 YEARS AGO A special meeting of the Public School Board was held last Wednesday,,, evening, at which tenders were opened for the delivery of 75 cords of wood. . This week Mr. Dan McIver, who has been in charge of C.C. Lee's hardware branch for some time; severs his connection to take a new position, that of travelling representative in Manitoba and the Territories for the Consolidated Plate Glass -Company. On Sunday a train of 14 cars reached this town and as they were all loaded with freight for delivery here', our merchants were busy on Monday unpacking boxes, many of which had been on the road three weeks. LOOKING BACK During the week, a party of men were engaged off the mouth of the harbor trying, to cut through the ice to test the depth of the entrance channel. The Harbor Mill Company have bought a good many logs and their receipts would have been the highest in the com- pany's history had not the deep snow prevented farmers moving them out .of the bush. The Star Flour'Mill ras been running full time so far but the small marl5etings of wheat may cause the mill to stop on flour orders. 25 YEARS AGO Goderich Town Council last Friday night set up a police committee of three members of council, Mayor J.E. Huckins, Reeve 'LH. Graham and Frank Walkom. Town Council will petition the Department of Highways for approval of spending ' $45,000 on town roads this year. In a by-law passed last Friday -night 'by town council, decision was made to sell 26 lots for new rental houses in the south end of the town to Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation at $700 per lot .or a total of $18,200. Goderich Town Council's special and public works committees will meet with . the beautification committee of the Junior Chamber of Commerce to discuss the possibilities of erecting street signs in town, it was decided at last Friday night's council meeting. Any arrangements for Goderich Public School Board to obtain dc- commodation at the old collegiate building will not likely be made until after town council meets with' County Council's property committee next week to determine what the agreement will be to provide county office space there while the new Court House is being built. 5 YEARS AGO The contract dispute between the Huron -Perth Roman Catholic Separate School teachers and board which saw 19 schools in the two counties closed on Friday and Monday was settled Monday evening when the board ratified "unanimously'` ^ a compromise contract for 1973-74 and 1974-75. Agriculture Minister for Ontario, William Stewart; seems to agree with some members of Huron County Council that the wolf should not • be on the protected list. In a recent speech to the Meat Packers Council of Canada, he spoke of the declining sheep population citing wolves and dogs as the main predators. The Goderich Kinettes collected $2,168.74 on Tuesday night from Goderich and area f.7 residents for the Ability Fund (March of Dimes). Domtar Ltd. reported today that net earnings for 1973 amounted to $40.6 million or $2.70 per common share. The comparable figures for 1972 were $17.4 million or $1.14 per common share before extraordinary items.