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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-05-31, Page 1Want report confidential This addition at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital will house a work is being sent to, London. The new storage facility will co st ap- new laundrystorage area as well as being used for dispatch and proximately $150,000. (photo by Dave Sykes) receiving. The old laundry facility was condemned and now laundry Sheardown send for assessment BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER The board of directors at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital voted Monday evening to retain the services of management consultants Woods,Gordon and Company .... but will ask $p-resentatives of that firm to keep those reports confidential until the board has been able to accept or reject them. The -bc -r --has- receive proposa s from six different management consulting firms, and selected Woods Gordon's cost containment study proposals because board members felt it best suited the hospitals needs and desires. "It was partly because of their experience in the hospital field, and partly because they .make any changes as they go," said Chairman Jo Berry. She claimed the Woods Gordon study would be a bit more expensive than some of the others because it will cover all areas of hospital operation. "When they are through, it is complete," said Doug McNeil of Colborne Township. "It's finished, where with some of the others, they would make recommendations and it would. be up to the staff to carry out those recom- mendations," One of the major concerns of the board members was that the management con- sultants would report directly to the ministry of health with their findings and their recom- mendations. , Administrator Elmer Taylor said this wouldn't happen. He said the hospital retains the consultants and the consultants will report only to the hospital board. Chairman Jo Berry agreed. She said her understanding was that the consultants would confer every step of the way with local hospital staff and board members. Taylor did feel there would be no harm in suggesting to Woods, Gordon that any contract with the hospital would include a clause en- suring that no rpeorts would be sent to Toronto without the board's knowledge and approval. Taylor said he had checked with hospital officials in Petrolia where the services of Woods,Gordon were used. "They were very satisfied," said Taylor. "Staff moral was good throughout. The staff was involved and felt they were contributing." The newest member -of the board, -Deb- Shewfelt, was assured the Woods, Gordon approach would include a close liaison between consultants and a committee of the board. 0.P.P® could turn to plain cars "We'll lie out working." That was the comment of Cpl. Morley Leeking of the Goderich detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police this week after receiving word to begin an immediate crack- down on traffic violations. An alarming increase the number of traffic deaths has prompted the province -wide call for stricter enforcement of traffic laws. While Huron's statistics al;.e,,,,•,s.omewhat better this year than in previous years, the Goderich detachment will become much more visible in the coming months. CpI. Leeking says the provincial police now have permission to use plain cars for traffic patrols. He says unmarked vehicles have been used in police work in the Goderich area on various occasions in the past, but never for traffic control. "We will begin to use unmarked cars to en- force traffic laws now if we feel it is necessary," Cpl. Leeking told the Signal -Star Wednesday morning. The local detachment will also he enforcing seat belt legislation from now on, with much Tess emphasis on warnings. s nut `Sit`'i) Timothy L. Sheardown was remanded to the Ontario Mental Health Care Centre in Penetanguishene for intensive psychiatric assessment Thursday when he appeared before justice of the peace Karen Sturdy. Sheardown went to provincial court Thur- sday afternoon facing charges of , intent to wound using a firearm, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace and use of a firearm while committing an indictable of- fence. The charges stemmed from a 12 hour drama that began Wednesday around one o'clock and ended at 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning. Sheardown was originally charged with attempted murder after the 12 hour standoff ended but that charge was changed to intent to wound: The 27 year old was sent to Penetanguishene for a period of not less than 30 days and notmore than 60 days. A tentative court date of July 16 was set. Hospital turns, the other cheek The board at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital on Monday evening gave approval for the Town of Goderich to hook into the hospital's emergency generator to supply the necessary auxiliary power once the town 'has completed its sewage pumping station in the north-east corner of the municipality. The town, under the ongoing Neighborhood Improvement Program, is preparing to offer sewer hookups to several homes in the area that are presently still operating on septic systems. When the pumping station is complete, emergency power will be needed in the case of an electricity supply failure. Board members learned this co-operative venture with the town should not cause any overload on the hospital's emergency generator. Board members remarked this goodwill gesture should save the town something like $25,000. "Maybe now they'll feel better about their .$12,000 they gave to the hospital's building fund recently," quipped one board member. Front end loader. went on rampage BY JOANNE BUCHANAN There was some more vandalism in Goderich over the'weekend and this time some of it oc- curred right at the Goderich police station. About 3:30 a.m. Sunday a front end loader (with the keys left in it) was taken from the arena. It was driven over a lawn at 84 Waterloo Street., destroying two small trees, two lilac bushes and a child's swing set causing about $200 worth of damage. It was also used to knock down a stop sign at the corner of Waterloo Street and Elgin Avenue. . It was then driven into the front wall of the police station on West Street causing about $75 damage. It was abandoned at the station with a damaged track. Police have the incident under investigation. Also, late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, three outboard motors were stolen off three boats at the Goderich marina. Two of the motors stolen were 7.5 horsepower Mercury long shaft outboards and the other one was a 4.5 horsepower Mercury long shaft outboard. The motors have. all been recovered by police and charges have been laid in corection With the incident. 132 YEAR -22 GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MAY 31, 1979 35 CENTS PER COPY imbrell backs out on his promise BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER After waiting for well over a month, the board of directors at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital has received a letter from the Hon. Dennis Timbrell, Ontario Minister of Health ... but the answer isn't what the board members hoped to hear. Timbrell made no mention in his recent correspondence to the board about returning to AM&G the $60,000 penalty charged to the hospital for having in use five beds over the approved number of beds set out in the Ministry's guidelines. When board members met with the health minister in Toronto earlier this spring, Tim- brell had specifically promised to agree to the conversion of 10 active beds to 10 chronic beds, bringing the total' number of chronic beds at AM&G to 20 - and returning to the AM&G budget the $60,000 penalty. In his letter received. Monday by the board, he reiterated his concession that the hospital Put county planners to work The Huron county Planning department will proceed with changes to, the town's official plan after receiving direction from council, Tuesday. At a special meeting council decided to utilize the services of the county department rather than pay a private firm. Council supported a motion by Elsa Haydon to have the update tt, "'69. official plan done by the county planners. Haydon said that time and money were major factors in not hiring private planners. "To have . outsiders do the work is• just duplicating and we have no money in the budget," she said. "The update of the plan is a number one priority for Goderich and the quality of work of the county planning depar- tment was never in dispute." County planning director Gary Davidson said his department had allocated time for town of Goderich work this year and was looking for some direction from council so he could utilize inclallocate his manpower resources. He,said that work on the plan could begin immediately. Goderich planning board chairman Tom ta,sper said the updating of the official plan was a ma•br concern for his board and suggested that council make a decision and get the planning department working on the project. Although existing zoning has hampered some development Jasper cautioned that am- mendments to the plan would not solve all the problems 'aced by planning board and developers. He also told council that private firms would not act on the project until November and costs would easily exceed $20,000. would be allotted 10 extra chronic beds, but indicated that funding for those extra beds would have to come out of savings the hospital is expected to achieve through hiring management consultants. • Timbrell did acknowledge there would be some interim funding necessary until any savings were put back into the budget, but he felt this could be worked out. "It's a typical politician's letter," hoard chairman Jo Berry told her associates Monday evening at the regular May meeting. Mrs. Berry reminded the board it had been evident to board members at the Toronto meeting with the health minister, that civil servants from the health ministry were not at all happy about Timbrell's concession regar- ding the penalty to the Goderich delegation. "It. makes you wonder who. is 'running things," the chairman went on. . TO TORONTO AGAIN A delegation from AM&G including Mrs. wo biocks-22 ,986 The Square sidewalk project will be phased over two years as council decided to proceed with the resurfacing of only two blocks this summer. Council had set aside $38,000 in the 1979 budget for the Square sidewalk project and although the tenders asked for prices on two blocks of interlocking red brick as well the completion of four blocks, councillors decided not to exceed the.budgeted amount this year. At a special meeting Tuesday, Con Pave Construction Ltd of Woodstock was awarded the contract to_re_place two blocks of concrete sidewalk with the interlocking brick at a cost of $22,986. Four blocks were completed last summer and that will leave two blocks to be completed next year. Original estimates by works commissioner Ken Hunter indicated two blocks would cost $29,000 and four blocks, $60,000. When Con Pave bid $51,290 on four blocks a motion was presented to complete the project this summer but was defeated. Council is completing the lighting and sidewalk project in co-operation with the businessmen with the town paying 60 per cent of the cost and the businessmen 40 per cent , through a special tax levy. Deputy -reeve Bob Allen was ready to proceed with work on the four blocks claiming the cost of the work on two blocks next year would be higher,., The Con Pave tender price also in- cluded $3,000 for work on the People's store basement that extends u"n'derneath a portion of the sidewalk. Before the motion to complete the four blocks,• was voted on, councillor Jim Searls said that council had clearly discussed the matter earlier and decided to complete only two blocks. "Council has discussed this matter clearly and it would be unfair and would embarass this council to go ahead with four blocks," he said. Only councillor Elsa haydon opposed the motion to proceed with work on two blocks this summer. Tour the grandstand Open house is Friday night The Goderich Sports Com mitte announced this week it will hold open house at the Agriculture park Sports Complex this Friday evening. The committee extends an invitation to all citizens to come and view the new and existing facilities at the sports complex and has an evening of entertainment planned. The sports facility will be` used to its maximum Friday with softball, baseball and soccer games scheduled as well as exhibition races. The public is invited to Agriculture Park from 5 to 10 p.m, to view the playing fields and new grandstand. Tours will be conducted through the grandstand and refreshments will be served. Citizens will be invited to tour all the facilities and answer a questionnaire giving their comments, criticisms and suggestions on future fund raising endeavors to retire the debt on the grandstand and lights in the park: The town officially accepts the grandstand June 1 and soon thereafter the recreation department will be relocated there. The grandstand also features a community meeting room, judges stand, canteen and a view of the complete park. If you have any comments on the sports facility at Agriculture Park the sports com- mittee would like you to attend the open house Friday evening, a, a Berry, hospital administrator Elmer Taylor, board member , Gerry Zurbrigg and Dr. Michael Conlon, president of the medical staff, went to Toronto Tuesday, The Goderich group had been invited by Murray Gaunt, chairman of an all -party committee of the Ontario Legislature looking into the repercussions of therecent closure of Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, to attend the meeting. The terms of reference for that select com- mittee had been expanded to include the problems encountered by small hospitals throughout the province because of recent budget cutbacks imposed by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Members of the board instructed the Goderich delegation going to Toronto to keep asking for the $60,000 rebate. "We were hoping any savings as a result of management consultants' work would not be used to run those chronic beds," said. Administrator Taylor. "The minister definitely said the . $60,000 would be returned to be used toward those extra 10 chronic beds," Mrs. Berry said. Board member Bruce Potter said the- board Turn to page 20 $500 fine and six mos. in slarnmer During the past weekend, two Stop signs at Beniniller were stolen and one at Saltford was broken off. None of the incidents were reported to police. CpI. Morley Leeking of the Goderich detach- ment of the Ontario Provincial Police, said this kind of occurrence is becoming more and more common. He feels the person or persons responsible for the weekend activities don't realize the seriousness of their actions. "There could have been a fatality because of the signs not being there," said Cpl. Leeking. "This kind of thing isn't a sport. It is a serious business." Crown Attorney Gary Hunter said this week ..the maximum penalty for removing road signs is $500 or six months in jail ... or both. The severity of the fine depends, of course, on the damages that result from the removal of the signs. As well, the crown attorney noted, the per- sons who remove signs without reporting it .... and who have been found guilty in court of such an offense ... will be required to restore the signs to their proper position. Such costs can run as high as $100 per sign including the cost of the sign, the post and the labor to install same. The Goderich OPP detachment would ap- preciate any information any citizen can give when signs are knocked over or stolen... acidentally or by design.