VON calls for more funding to heal sickly deficit The brunch of the Vic torian Order of Nurses with ser vices that grew by per cent in Hills last year is operating at a deficit that could triple next year if provincial funding is not in creased The VON was short in its 198889 fiscal budget If present financial constraints con tinue the local VON will be in the red next year Nurses with the VON presently get 80 per cent of a 90 hourly rate making them the lowest paid professional nurses in Halton according to executive director Carolyn Milne Mrs Milne said the hourly rate applies to sing care documentation of charts and communication with other health care members But she add ed that the hourly wage is really a fiat rate Nurses often work beyond the hour for free she said Although the provincial Ministry of Health promised to kick in million to clear up the deficit in the VON s branches across Ontario Mrs Milne said the increase would not meet operating costs The VON is asking for a 9 3 per cent increase to meet with its growing list of patients and their growing needs The VON e that will meet with Health Minister Elinor next week will ask for a seven per cent increase for its 33 branches The need for VON services has grown faster in Hills than any other part of the Region last year There were 5 visits in fiscal year 1987 88 There were visits in The VON is a labor intensive service that has been in operation nationally for the past 92 years While the costs across the Region are presently per hour the VON projects a needed increase to by the end of January Needs for services in Halton Region have increased by 50 per cent in the last two years said Mrs Milne The average care time has increased by two minutes and tn labor in the last 10 years The base increase has to be adjusted to reflect the complex care and the acute care that has come to the community said Mrs Milne It is important to note that not only has the absolute number of home nursing visits grown at a rapid pace but the care needs of individuals have also increased complexity and acuity Mrs Milne said that the cial government has been under funding the VON since In creases to the branches have bare ly met inflation she said The Halton VON will not cut ser vices presently offered to its patients if financial needs are not met but will stop taking more complex cases that require more and greater care Mrs Milne said a funding base for the VON Is the most important issue facing the nurses group In Business For Business GSS OFFICE SUPPLIES Georgetown Secretarial Services 4348 St Georgetown 8772282 8771 485 Florists MOTHERS DAY MAY 14th OPEN SUN FROM A TO P Guelph St Georgetown NORTHVIBW CENTRE I nth PAGES Worker for handicapped killed in auto accident A year old handicapped worker in Georgetown was killed in a car crash west of Hornby early Tuesday morning Margaret McCandless a direc tor with the North lion for the Han dicapped was killed Tuesday ning after a truck with apt arently failing brakes struck her car at the intersection of Steels Avenue and the James Snow Parkway around 30 am She wah p dead later thai day at Sunnybrook Medical Centre in Toronto Mrs McCandless a Milton resi dent spent the last three years working at the centre for the developmental handicapped on Park Avenue in Georgetown She began there 1986 as a team residential leader and became In Children s Service Director in August 1988 She also spent years working at a now closed developmental in Milton and worked is a volunteer at the Tinker Bell Nursery for Physically and Men tally Handicapped Children in Milton She was very involved said Etta Mills executive director at the Georgetown centre for the nan She was very popular and a very caring person She will be badly missed by her friends and staff Mrs was a single parent with Ave children In addi tion to her work with the handicap ped she worked with young of fenders and participated in sports events in Milton with her sons A date for the funeral had not been set as of Thursday The driver or the truck that struck Mrs is a Niagara Falls man S3 Regional Police say an in vestigation into the collision that also involved a third car continues with the Regional Traffic Bureau On the road again Willow Park residents seek relocation OK Residents of the Pai k trailer homes in Nerval are seek ing public support for a new loca tion in Acton The park on Highway lies in a flood plain protected by the Credit Valle Conservation Authority Last year the CVCA gave the group until September to move The eietion date has been extended until next November Trailer park operators and Chris Mills announced Thurs day that Willow Park residents are pleased with a potential location at he Nor Park on Regional Road 12 southwest of Acton on land owned by Merv and Dons Barber The trailer park residents will hold a public meeting May 23 at the Town oi Halton Hills council chamber to get public input on the new park location We like to get the new proper ty on the go butt nothing can be done until the public heanng said Mr Mills The Nor Halton Park location is the one brought before town council although other locations were suggested said the Mills Willow Park has sal the valley between Normal and Georgetown since 1954 saj We want people to realize there are families living here said Mrs Mills We re people like exsryoneelse Although the present trailer park is located in a flood plain the Mills say there have been no major flooding problems They say seven years ago there were inches of water when Mountain view Road collapsed near Cedarvale Park but that began at a m and was over by 12 clock Mr Mills The new property proposed for the trailer park is not treed and does not have a running through it but the Mills say they are prepared to call it home if public opinion allows Watchtower work delayed On the Road again Kindergarten to Grade two students surround Acton Village Constable Riddle who was at the St Josephs School May 11 to give the kids some helpful hints on bicycle safety The se cond annual event is pat on by the Roman Catholic School Boards Parent Teacher Association as a way of preparing the for the upcoming bike season Besides learning the rules of the road the children had their bicycles thoroughly inspected They then par ticipated in a pylon course complete with yield and stop signs Children in Grades five to eight were taken on a four hike ride through Acton To participate the children needed their pare approval and about half of the school took part in the event Berate photo by Ben Dummett Appro for the expansion of a acre Watchtower Bible and Tract Society property wilt face delays uniil Region tests the site for adequate water The society located on Highway Georgetown applied to the Town of Hills recently for a rezomng bylaw that would allow expansion its residential and ad ministration facilities The Watchtower group plans to expand their existing zoning from to acres of the property And although complaints from surroun ding residents have been dealt with by the society there is a holding bylaw on the property until water can be tested The Region has identified a reserved capacity town engineer Bruce He said that while the Region is testing on site at Watchtower the society could use water on a borrowing basis But Georgetown Coun Anne Cur rie said the towns review of the application shows the town favors approving the tion It sort of a tentative approval based on finding the water said Coun suggested the town forget the whole thing until water studies are conducted But a lawyer representing the Watchtower group said the society wants to get on with our building There s water in the area said Glen How He added that the group would like to have the bylaws proposed approved The Watchtower application will be handled with other appl ations for water hookup submitted to the Region said Mr Mayor Miller said the water is available for the site it s just how we go about getting it he 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