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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-09-27, Page 1The Judith Gooderham Pool was not excluded from the Neighborhood Improvement Project currently underway in the northeast corner of Goderich. Workers tore the pool deck up Lack of power could be crucial Board members at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital Monday evening discovered a ','very serious problem" in;,the building when Dr. Michael Conlon and` Dr. Ken Lambert advised them there is no auxiliary power available in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in case of a hydro interruption. The inadequacy was initially pointed out only recently by newcomer Dr. Jim Rourke, Conlon and Lambert said. They warned that if a patient is on a monitoring machine, for in- stance, when the hydro -goes -out, and the heart fails,,it could be a potentially critical situation. "You wouldn't even be able to zap the patient," Dr. Lambert told the board. There is enough auxiliary power available in an emergency to comfortably handle the requirements of the ICU, but no one knows why the unit was never hooked into it. Th -e building committee will investigate the matter immediately and either correct \the situation in the .present ICU or recommend its relocation. Asked if ..there are other potentially dangerous situations because of no backup power supply;- Administrator Elmer Taylor says the ICU is, to his knowledge, the only area of major importance not serviced now. All corridors are hooked into the generator as well as the emergency and other vital areas in the hospital. However, the whole system will be studied by the building committee in an effort to avoid surprises similar to the one in ICU. On a calmer note, the board was reminded that power failures are rare and are usually very short, meaning only very minimal danger to any patient anywhere in the hospital at any time. :a :3 Tuesday to start the biggest renovation job the pool has had since it was installed. The deck of the main pool and the wading pool will be replaced as well as some work on the pool walls and the change room. Cost of the work is ex- pected to total about $24,000 and of that $18,000 will be paid by the provincial government. (photo by Jeff Seddon) Enlarged room for public BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER The board at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital isn't certain that its meetings will be opened to the public in the near future, but it is looking at ways the board meeting facilities can be enlarged. At present, the board meets in the L-shaped office of hospital administrator- Elmer Taylor. It means that board members sitting at one end of the L-shaped table cannot see board mem- bers at the other end. As new board member Deb Shewfelt said upon sitting down at Monday evening's session, "It is really unnerving." The bulding committee brought forth a suggestion that the board consider knocking out a wall between Taylor's office and a room to the east of it now used for pediatrics. The pediatrics department is moving into new quarters in the hospital soon, and will leave the present location empty. The building committee claims the enlargement could be provided ata minimal cost and that the additional meeting room. space would 'be' welcomed by many hospital- based groups who require meeting space from time to time. But not all hospital staff agree,,according to administrator Taylor. Some staff favor using the space as a sitting room while still others feel it should be kept open for patient care. Dr. Ken Lambert admitted the board meeting room could be larger for most efficient operation, but warned against using money for "lavish lovely things" such as fine panelling, furnishings and carpets. "The medical aspects of this hospital are working very cheaply," he told board mem- bers. "Fifteen thousand dollars worth' of things need to be done in a medical way." Lambert argued for • starters, that the operating room had "second hand lights" that are inadequate and that the intensive care unit does not have auxiliary power in the event of a power failure. He charged the hospital has "pinched pen- nies" for necessary medical services while a year or two ago, the board "saw fit to buy all sorts of beautiful things" in an administrative sense. • Dr. Lambert suggested holding board meetings in the cafeteria, for instance, rather than spending great amounts of money right now to renovate the board room. No estimate of the cost was available, but Taylor promised the work could be ac- complished very cheaply. He said the wall removal would be a major portion of the cost, with a coat of paint on the walls about the only other expenditure. Former chairman Jo Berry said there are furnishings elsewhere in the hospital that could he pressed into service in the expanded board room if it was approved. "If you can avoid lovely carpet and panelling, okay," agreed Dr. Lambert, "but if not, by golly, I will make noises." . Board member Bob Dempsey said he agreed with Dr. Lambert. He said he was not con- vinced there is a need for expanding the ad- ministrator's ' office to house the board. He Turn to page 6 • 132—YEAR 39 THURSDAY, -SEPT -EM -B -ER -27, 1979 - - 35 CENTS PER COPY_-_ tudy backs up Livery Theatre BY JEFF SEDDON Any doubts the Goderich Performing Arts Foundation had about the need for a centre for performing and visual arts in Goderich were removed recently when the results of a feasibility study on The Livery Theatre were released. An independent study completed by Bailey Consulting Associates Ltd., convinced the 16 members of the Goderich foundation that its proposed use of the former Polley's Livery Stable on South Street was needed. The studywas commissioned by the Goderich foundation for several reasons. The group wanted to know what groups wanted a facility like The Livery Theatre in Goderich, what groups felt they would or could make use of the building once it was completed and last but not Don Sowerby of R.R. 4 Goderich received a Medal of Bravery in a speical ceremony at Government Blouse - in Ottawa over the weekend. Ne received the medal for rescuing his neighbour, Robert McCabe, from a fire in Mr. McCabe's house on July 6, 1978. The victim was taken to hospital but died of injuries a few days Ilate"r.. There is more on Mr. Sowerby's trip to Ottawa inside in Gertrude Kaitting's Colborne Corner news. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) least how much revenue the theatre could -generate to help support itself. Foundation .chairman Dorothy Wallace said in a press conference Monday the study was necessary for the survival of the project. She indicated that not only did government agen- cies in charge of grants for the project require a feasibility study but private investors did too. She said several government agencies ad- minister grants for projects like The Livery Theatre and all required thorough needs studies before any grants will be approved or even looked at. She added that it quickly became obvious to the foundation that 'before any local funds could be raised for the project Goderich citizens had to be convinced the project was wanted and needed. Heather Lyons, fund raising chaixman for the foundation, said it was gratifying to have the study bear the foundations' feelings out. She said much of what the report said had been the "gut feeling" of foundation members that supported- the concept of a performing arts centre when the livery stable was purchased early in the year. Wallace said one thing the study made clear is that to meet the needs of the community and organizations that may use the theatre the finished building must be "versatile". Wallace said interviews done for the study clearly showed what many groups felt was lacking in the community. Spokesmen for most of the groups were, not only prepared to say, what- Goderich lacked for their purposes but were quick to offer opinion on what The Livery Theatre could incorporate. Wallace added that the foundation "can't afford to limit the use of the building". Lyons said research that went into the theatre has been detailed. She said she didn't think any similar projects had as much "front end planning as went into this". She added that the whole aim of the foundation was to develop a building that did not—duplicate" other public buildings while staying within the physical dimensions of the livery and the wants and needs of the community. She said the report indicates that the project should be developed in stages as the need arises. She conceded that grandiose plans unveiled earlier by the foundation may have been premature. She said the first proposals for the project involved a shopping concourse, an addition that would house a foyer and a 450 seat theatre. She pointed out that many people think that the foundation is still working toward that end. "What we're concentrating on now is a 300 seat auditorium that can be used for per- forming arts and special occasions organizations in town have from time to time," she said. The $5,000 study, half of which is paid for with provincial grants, also outlines how much it will cost to keep The Livery Theatre going once it is built. Based on the support shown for the project by groups and organizations in town Bailey estimates the building can be operated the first yCCU wWI a ueliCitot lust unuer $3,000. The study estimates use of the' building for 36 weeks jyst to meet the present needs of the community and puts revenue from those weeks at $7,765. Costs to operate the building, assur;ng the town continues its $1,500 grant in lieu of taxes and insures the building under its own policy," will be $10,700, leaving a deficit, before grants, of $2,935. • Pleased the report showed so much positive comment toward the project both Wallace and Lyons it was only a matter of time until the project was completed in some form. Both said the • theatre would go ahead but neither could say When. Wallace said the foundation is just now beginning to explore sources of revenue and did not even know how much money was needed. When asked if it was possible the building would be open by, next summer she said she could not make that committment. "It would be beautiful if it could," she said, "but we can't make that kind of committment now." Heather Lyons, fundraising chairman for the Goderich Performing Arts Foundation, made a feasibility study on The Livery Theatre project public Monday and outlined options the foun- dation may take in the near future to turn the former Polley's Livery Stable on South Street into a combination visual and performing arts theatre and public meeting place. (photo "by Jeff Seddon) Davidson in...conflict of interest and all BYJEFF'SEDDON Goderich town council never did find out if county planner Gary Davidson would serve as an advisor on the Goderich Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee so in Na strange turn of events Monday night council left Davidson as that committee's chairman. When council finally voted on a bylaw removing Davidson as chairman of LACAC it ended up not only leaving him on the com- mittee, but left him as the chairman. Council decided at its first meeting in Sep- tember it wanted Davidson removed as a voting member of 'LACAC preferring to have him serve as an advisor to the committee. Citing a potential conflict of interest council, after three bouts of bantering and name calling, was asked to vote Monday on the third and final reading of a bylaw changing Davidson's role. The bylaw was defeated by a 6-3 margin an council was back to where it started, What developed into a major iss-rhe begap harmlessly earlier in the year when, according to some members of council, town solk►tor Dan Murphy told council the county plafiner had a potential conflict of interest as a member of LACAC. Some members of council felt that David - son's connection with the town as county planner gave him the conflict. Unable to cite any facts proving the conflict council instead decided to remove any doubt by removing Davidson as a voting member of the com- mittee. To do that council had to rescinds the bylaw naming Davidson to the committee•and pass Turn to page 6 • Crabb .replaces McCaul BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER Gordon Crabb, Goderich's representative to Thg. Board of Governors -of Alexandra Marine, ana General Hospital, was named chairman of the board at Monday evening's regular meeting. Crabb, who has served three years on the board and was vice-chairman for only two months, was appointed to the post following the resignation of Jim McCaul, who was elected chairman at the June meeting. Also resigned from the board is Mrs. Gerry Zurbrigg who last year served as community relations chairman during the bed closing problems. Replacements for McCaul and Zurbrigg will be named at a later meeting. A vice-chairman for the board has not been named. The board agreed to review all the committees and the entire workload of the hoard before naming someone to this important post. It is hoped that by the October meeting on the fourth Monday of the month, a vice-chpirman Will be appointed • i +.