i | Miele TIL 0S i S - '1 ps fl ; | | TE Got an Itchy Green Thumb? Has this weather made your green thumb itchy? It has mine. I see all those patches of brown grass showing up through the snow, black earth in the garden, little shoots in the perennial beds, the spikes of daffodils coming up in front of the house and I want to start filling the window with flats of plants-in-waiting. 1 must order the sunflower seeds for the bed against the fence and while I'm at it, I might order a pretty lettuce and some of that super sweet corn. Yes it's hard not to get excited about gardening when the weather is so pleasant, some of the spring birds are back and the creek is just gurgling away beside the house. It makes one realize that even in the bleak, cold, nastiness of winter there is the promise of spring. ly I Speaking of nastiness, daughter-of-the-house had her first brush with a bit of worldly nastiness. She was staying in Toronto over,.night with friends. We had let her take the little truck back with her to carry all her stuff and it was parked on the street. She went out in the morning and the tires had been slashed and some of her stuff stolen. Now that is nastiness. Steel the stuff if you must, but what was the point of slashing the tires? There were other cars on the street with their tires slashed as well so someone just thought it was fun to use their shiny knife for something so pointless and stupid. She has returned to Waterloo with a desire to never stay in Toronto again but a good opinion of the police who came when she needed them and the tow truck driver who helped them put the spare on the back so he wouldn't have to charge them so much for towing the truck to a service station for new tires. When last spoken to she was making muffins back in the house in Waterloo that she shares with two other students and sounded as if she was going to survive. And the word "survival" brings to mind another tale of travelers. On a Tuesday, a couple of weeks ago, two or our cattle disappeared. We have searched on foot and four wheeler, by truck and snowmobile, but no sign of Continued on page 2 7 I ne 10. I To WE il ; Hii jE hi iil Hospital Services to be Severely Cut Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Board of Governors expressed "extreme disappointment" Monday as the Ontario Hospital Restructuring Commission announced directives that will severely cut services at the local hospital. The Commission outlined two scenarios for PECMH. In the first, Picton Hospital would lose all its chronic care beds, but retain some acute care beds, ambulatory and day surgery and its emergency department. In the second, it would lose its acute care beds as well. The final decision is being left in the hands of the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties District Health Council. The Hospital Board of Governors expressed "deep concern" about the impact of these hospital cuts on the community, but their biggest problem may be with the ordered merger with the Quinte Health Corporation, which consists of Belleville, Trenton and Bancroft Hospitals. The move would see the four hospitals under one administration, with one board of governors. We don't know what kind of representation we'll have on the Corporation Board", says June Surgey. currently Chairperson of the PECMH Board. "We don't know if we'll have any control over what happens at Prince Edward County Memorial. We do know that this reduction of services is going to make it very hard for us to attract : | ee : ill Continued on page 12 | l Hl = Ee Ep ie, nimi mil] i ® Circle Notes 3 ® Milford Olympics? 5 ® Thin 7 ® Druella Acantha Malvina 9 ® Apple Dreams 10