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lu 10 - Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, February 17, 1999' Communîty association steering committee Assoc. urges action to fund increased access toservices Communfity Association Steering Committee, left to right - Linda Gasser, Jennifer Robertson, Mervyn Russell, Isabelle Challice, Bill Tomlinson and Glenn Legault. The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) welcomes the recommenda- tions of the- provincial Nursing Task, Force announced on February 15, 1999 by Minister of Heýalth Elizabeth Witmer. "The task force report accurately repre- sents the urgent need to take immediate action on a num- ber of fronts to ensure con- sumers will have access to high qualitY nursing care now and in the future," says Judith Shamian, -RNAO's president. "RýNAO- urges government to move immedîately to Impie- ment the, full $375 million reinvestment ta create per- manent nlursing positions," says RNAO's president. "We are in a Chronic crisis situa- tion and cannot wait. Thereis a desperate shortage of per- manent positions for regis- tered nurses. Over 50 per cent of registered nurses are working on a casual or part- time basis. The public Is gravely underserviced by the inability to access nursing services- across ail sectors of health-care." Accordlng ta the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Ontario has the worst nurse-per-population ratio in the country. Prom 1992 to 1997, access ta nurs- es has declined by 9.7%., Dr. Shamian explains: "Insufficient registered nurs- es means cancellations of surgeries, patients denied hospital admission, familles hiring private duty nurses ta be with their loved ones in (continued page 14)_ Orono (cantinued fram page 1) Willy Woo brqught greetings from the Newcastle Ratepayers Association, of which hie is the past president. Woo explained that the Newcastle group was formed after efforts by som-e Newcasle residents were not enough to save the aid Newcastle Public School from the wreckers bal, just months before it's centennial. Trim stated in his opening remarks that if there bad been an orga- The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board bas been awarded a grant of more than $32.000 from the provincial gaver-mment to help increase apportunîties for students at rural schools ta participate in ca-aperative education placements. The $32,700 grant was awarded by the Ministry of Education and Training under the Rural Youth Jobs Strategy Tra-nsportation Assistance f or Co-operative Education. Il will allow the Board to initiate new place- ment opportunities for stu- dents at rural schools, as wel as provide greater trans- portation services f'or stu- dents ta access placemnents outside their areas. ."This grant pravides us wlth an incredible opportuni- ty ta Improve the co- operative education and work place- ment program for aur stu- dents," sýays Richard Windalf, Educat ional Services Resaurce Teacher, Co-opera- tive Education. Guidance and Partnerships f'or the Kawartha Pine Ridge District Schaol Board. -With greater transportation services, mare students will be able ta par- ticipate in ca-ap placements previously inaccessible ta nized residents association in place at that time, "this would not have bappened." Clarington currently hias six ratepayers associations, two of which are in Newcastle. The Newcastle Bond Head Association formied out of seri- ous concemns withi developmnent by the Kaitlin Group in that area. The Newcastle Ratepayers Association has a broader perspective and have addressed council on several issues. The group took stand against charity casinos and the them." Increased transportation services for stuidents will also open the door for many new employers ta become part of the ca operative education proagram, Windcolf says. -MWe have miany employers in commut-nities just outside the reach aof aur current tranisportat ioni range who have frequtently requested stUuents,"he says. "For the first t imie, wve will niow be able ta have stuidents takeadvan- tage of those placement apportunrities."* To inicrease thie number of work placements. the Board will a-lsa de-velap new cam- munity partnierships and determine ways ta increase awareniess amang rural em"ployers of the availability af ca-ap studenits. Current partnerships wvith local busi- niesses. !induIstrý, past-sec- ondlary inistitu-tions, and gav- ernmenit agencies, will be uitilized t ldettfy stra-,tegies and potential emploers, in the community. As wel.a cammunity outreach forum wvill be organized ta survey community needs and solicit feedback from residents and business awners. RECYCiLEr recent municipal counicillor pay increases. The list of concerns coming from the floor included the state of the sidewalks in the village, farmn communities and their economnic impact, library hours, unwanted newspapers, emner- genicy health services, youth issues, policing, the boundaries of the group, and upcamning cel- ebrations. One of the first tasks of the newly for.med committee will be ta prioritize the list to determnine which issue ta tackle first. Just-Moved? Bride To Be? New Baby? For free information and gifts... 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For more-facts about seniors, and the increasingly important role tbey play in our society, visit the International Year of Older Persons Web site on the Internet at http:/I iyop-aipa.ic.gc.ca or Health Canada's Divisýion of Aging and Seniors at lbttp:Ilwvww.hc-sc.gc.calseniors-aines News Canada Attention Sift Workers and "Night Owls"!1 VOLUNTEE RS NEEDED AT DISTRESS CENTRE DURHAM' The next 2-part training workshop tobecome a vol- unteer heipl ine worker with Distress Centre Durham's 24 hour telephone heipline will be: Sunday, Marc/i 7, 1999 and Sunday, March 14, 1999. *Training wlll take place from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. To be eligible for training, you must be 18 years or older and complete a telephone screening interview and a face-to-face registration meeting. You must be able to commit to 2 overnight shifts (12-8 a.m.), from ourcentral Oshawa location, for a period of one year. We carefully select empathetic, non-judgmental, responsible individluals and provide intensive training in active istening, crisis intervention and suicide preven- tion techniques which are of benefit personally of pro- fessionally, not just on the phone lines. Here's how some callers feel about DCD heipline workers: "Very caring, very supportive and helped me to realize that I needed to talk to someone. 1 just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart"; "A sincere thank you for saving my life. Words can't say enough"; "Just a few words of thanks for people like (your volun- teers), who gave ma a lighter heart and some purpose to go on the next dlay". If you are interested in joining a vibrant team of vol-' unteers and staff dedicated.to helping callers through- out Durham Region to find their own solutions to their problems, stressors and personal conflicts, caîl us now at 723-4461 for an application. TRAINING REGISTRA- TION IS LIMITED, so please have completed applica- tions submitted as early as possible. Contact: Victoria Kehoe, Administrator of Vlunteer Resources.