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The Times Advocate, 2004-04-14, Page 22 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday,April 7, 2004 Regional wrap up Hospital board fuming GODERICH Alexandra Marine and General Hospital board members are taking a stand against the provincial government's new health care bill, calling it a "back -door to regionalization." The Goderich Signal - Star reported Mary Lapaine, a former Ontario Hospital Association chair and incoming Canadian Healthcare Association chair, warned board members Bill 8 could be the first step in the elim- ination of Ontario's vol- unteer hospital boards. Seaforth loses doctor SEAFORTH Seaforth is back down to six doctors after Dr. Vince Tong left the Seaforth Medical Clinic for Vancouver recently. The Huron Expositor reported Seaforth Medical Clinic manager Mary Fisher said Dr. Tong and his wife have left for Vancouver after close to two years practising in Seaforth. Fisher said Tong's patients will not be taken on as patients by the other doctors at the clinic but will be seen on a walk-in basis both during clinic hours and during the Tuesday night walk-in clinic from 6 to 8 p.m. County tax increase CLINTON — It may have been approved on April Fool's Day, but Huron County's 2004 budget isn't a joke. The Clinton News - Record reported coun- ty councillors approved the 2004 budget with a taxation increase of 9.3 per cent. Through numerous deliberations in March, councillors cut more than $4.5 million from the initial budget, which showed an increase if 54.3 per cent in spending. Surprise bill BL H — Just as Huron County council- lors struggled to reduce their budget, they received a sur- prise $355,000 bill from the Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services. The Citizen reported the bill covers costs for the Ontario Drug Benefit retroactive to January 2002. The ministry billed the county monthly based on its estimated costs, but actual costs showed they badly underestimated. South Huron to vote on budget Monday Continued from front page The budget report includes municipal expenses, tax dollars needed and proposed 2004 projects for each department. By ward, $1.65 million in municipal taxes will be collected from Exeter, $1.36 million from Stephen and $539,000 from Usborne. Exeter pays 55 per cent of the policing contract, with Stephen and Usborne kicking in 45 per cent. Other South Huron council notes: Signs, signs ... Council made an amend- ment to its new sign bylaw, allowing business- es to place sandwich boards on municipal prop- erty in front of their busi- ness. The signs must be placed "as close to the building as practicable," according to the bylaw. The municipality had received a petition includ- ing 25 signatures request- ing the amendment to the bylaw, which stated signs could not be placed on municipal property. The amendment helps busi- nesses whose property line ends at the front of their building. Signs can't be more than .75 metres wide and can't exceed 0.56 square metres. In other news involving the South Huron sign bylaw, council will give notice to the owners of Lifetime Home Products and Glenn Haven Apartments to remove their permanent signs from municipal property at the corner of Main and Victoria streets. The issue had been left unresolved since discussions in the spring of 2002. Mayor Rob Morley then wondered if the munici- pality would have to remove its sign for the South Huron Rec Centre on the east corner of Main and Victoria, but building and development manager Wayne Dale said the municipality has the right to post signs on its own property. Coun. George Robertson suggested having munici- pal staff remove the Glenn Haven and Lifetime signs the next morning, but council eventually decided to give the owners of the businesses until April 20 to remove them. If the signs are not removed by the owners, the municipal- ity will remove them. CBO quits Dale was named the municipality's interim chief building official (CBO) after the resignation of Jeff Jilek, who held the position since last August. The municipality is now accepting applications for a new CBO. Planning fees up Council passed a bylaw to increase several plan- ning fees 15 per cent. As Dale explained, the 15 per cent is an interim increase and there may be addi- tional increases. New fees are: official plan amendments, $2,760; secondary plan amend- ments, $2,760; zoning bylaw amendments, $1,065; combined official plan and zoning amend- ments, $3,295; combined secondary plan and zoning Students participate in fundraising project Above: Grade 1 1 student Tracy Henry works on her collage which takes on the theme of opposites.Below: Hendrikus Bervoets helps out Grade 9 art student Jerry Rundle with his collage during a session April 8. (photo/Mary Simmons) By Mary Simmons TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — Students at South Huron District High School (SHDHS) are partici- pating in an art pro- ject to raise money to help chil- dren in Africa affected by HIV and AIDS. Students from Grades 9-12 are making col- lages under the instruc- tion of artist Hendrikus Bervoets, who is the co - Artists Direct America are aware of the pandemic most of the southern hemi- sphere is dominated by." Each student in the project has to come up with title and state- ment for their collage. Bervoets said students involved in the project in the past have done some good pieces, which are available to view at www.artistsandkids- foraids.com. Students from Grades 9-12 are making collages under the instruction of artist Hendrikus Bervoets, who is the co- founder of Artists International Direct Support. founder of International Support. SHDHS is one of 10 schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board taking part in the project. Three are com- pleting the art projects in the spring while the rest will begin in the fall. Fifty pieces will be dis- played at Gallery Stratford, included in a portfolio and sold for $25 a piece. Bervoets was at SHDHS for a second workshop session April 8 where he worked with the students on their pieces. "Play with the pieces of paper," he told them. "Move them around and if they aren't working, put them aside and come back to them later. "You can do whatever you want with them." Bervoets said he and co-founder Rudolf Bikkers got involved in the project because they felt as artists they need- ed to help raise money and awareness. "Every day 8,000 peo- ple die of AIDS and they leave children behind," he said. "It is so impor- tant that people in North amendments, $3,295; minor variances, $750; consents, $695; and plan of subdivisions/condomini- ums, $4,025. Building report Dale presented his build- ing permit report for March, which included seven building permits and one demolition per- mit. Building permit values were $360,000, with per- mit fees totalling $2,714.50. The municipal- ity collected $25 for the demolition permit. To date, the municipality has issued 20 building permits in 2004 for a total value of $890,059. Permit fees totalled $6,905. Two demolition permits have been issued in 2004. POLICE BRIEFS SOUTH HURON — On April 7 an OPP officer was stopped as they were pulling into the Exeter OPP office at 7:30 p.m. over an impaired driver. The citizen told the officer a white 1998 Chev pickup truck was being driven all over the roadway and the driver was suspected to be impaired. The officer came across the vehicle on Highway 4 and stopped the truck finding the driver showing signs of impairment. The per- son was arrested and taken for breath tests that indicated the person to be three times over the legal limit. Benjamin Bjerg, 33, of Central Huron has been charged with impaired driving and driving a motor vehicle with over 80 mgs. He will attend court in Exeter June 24. Zurich Lions Club Sports & Leisure Show Free Admission April 23, 24, 25, 2004 Friday 4-9 p.m. • Saturday 12 noon - 6 p.m. Sunday 1-4 p.m. FISH FRY Friday Night - April 23 - 5-8 p.m. Fish Fry Tickets $10.00 each New Bluewater Community Centre in Zurich Come out and support the Lions and the show For more information call: John Becker - 237-3628