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Acute active care bed shortage Just eight months after the opening of 18 additional long term care beds, Huronia District Hospital faces an acute shortage of active care beds. According to information received at a Nov. 23 board meeting, the bed shortage is serious and is affecting the scheduling of some out-patient day-surgery. So far, little major surgery has had to be re-scheduled, but this is seen to be a distinct possibility if the bed shortage problem is not solved. Chief of Medical Staff, Dr. M.J. Moore, reported an overflow of 24 non- active patients into the active treatment beds of the hospital. These non-active patients are awaiting nursing home accomodation. Dr. Norman Grieve told the board that the bed back-up was a serious problem. 'Last October we held a total of approximately 150 patients Overnight in the emergency ward," he said. "That's an average of five a night, and some of these were acutely Chamber Past President Ernie Cowden, left, and _ ill." directors Des Carpenter, middle, and Herb Dr. Grieve added that while there Henderson, right. Harron was in Midland to might be beds in the pediatrics, ob- promote his books and his calendar at HOS. stetrical and gynecology areas, ad- mission to these departments was beds in this area. Secondly, the board felt that our community would benefit from home care programs which would enable many chronic care patients to be maintained at home instead of in hospital. The Ministry of Health has in- troduced pilot projects in home care programs in some areas of Ontario. The HDH Board has sent a letter to the Ministry outlining the acute bed shortage problems at MHuronia District. ti A grand exit An unexpected visitor to the Budd Watson Gallery, , Monday, during the annual meeting of the Midland : Chamber of Commerce was entertainer Don Harron, better known as Charlie Farquharson, the rustic wit. Applauding the departing Harron are At the November board meeting, Mrs. Jennifer Chalmers presented the Board with a check for $6,000, a gift deme ~ sae ee It's official Downtown revitalization project clears last hurdle Midland Town Centre has received final ap- proval from the Ontario Government to proceed with a $205,000 downtown revitalization project. The project submitted to the Ministry of Housing Community Renewal Branch by the Business Improvement Area's Downtown Revitalization Committee in July of this year, was officially approved late Tuesday by the Hon. Claudé Ben- nett, minister of housing. In.announcing this approval, the Ministry has committed $150,000 to Midland's renewal program in the form of a low interest loan repayable by the B.I.A. over 10 years. The balance of the $205,000 project has been promised by Midland council following municipal and B.I.A. approval of the project this past June. Plans call for the widening of King Street sidewalks by five feet between Elizabeth Street and Bayshore Drive, the construction of pedestrian nodes in the middle of each block, installation of colorful banners across King Street within these pedestrian nodes and the laying of interlocking brick to add colour and variety to the pavement surface. In addition, several new trees will be planted and an integrated system of planters, benches and garbage receptacles installed. The plan is largely the result of the creative efforts of the B.I.A. revitalization committee's design team of Bryan MacKell, Midland's plan- ning administrator, Wallace Cunningham, ar- chitect and general manager of the chamber of commerce, and Percy Ehler, Midland's com- missioner of public works. The team approach to the project was conceived just short of a year ago with the bulk of the work being carried out during the first six months of this year. The project was approved locally in June with submission of the draft plan presentation to the Ministry completed by mid-July. Approval means that implementation planning can now begin in earnest. Completion of preliminary plans leading to tendering of project components has been scheduled for Feb. 1, 1982. Tendering will begin around March 1 with tenders closing in late March, construction beginning, hopefully, in Mid-April and finishing by the end of June. Minimal disruption is expected during the construction phase since only one side of the street will be worked on at a time. If all goes well, the "new look'"' downtown should be ready to usher in the Dominion Day weekend. Z. a It's official William Orr, left, is shown taking the oath of office following his nomination and election to the position of reeve to complete the unexpired term on Midland council of Reeve Catherine Dion who recently resigned. At right is town solicitor Douglas Haig who administered the oath(s). restricted. "Only kids can go into pediatric, and gynecological areas are oul of bounds to male patients and to patients with in- and obstetrical fections," he said. The board discussed two possible solutions to the problem. First, there is a real need for more nursing home Just one of 13 last Friday An RR 1, Midland, man, Josef Foitzik, was in One of the 13 traffic accidents totalled by the Midland OPP last Friday. Foitzek, 45, was southbound on the Old Fort Road, Ap kilimeters south of Highway 12, when his car skidded across the road going onto the shoulder. His car stopped on its roof in the east ditch. No charges were laid. Sally Ann kettles Another sure sign Christmas is just around the corner is news The Salvation Army's' Christmas cheer kettles are being set up today at Zellers, AS ands Pp yand . 'at Woolworths. Lt. Ray Braddock also reports, there will be two 'tin can shows" before Christmas. The one at the Odeon Theatre in Midland will be held on Saturday morning, Dec. 5 well in advance of the annual Midland Civitan Club's Santa Claus Parade. The other show will be held at the Pen Theatre on the Saturday before Christmas, Dec. 19. It will be a matinee. Those who plan to attend one or both of the shows will be allowed in free if they bring along a can-of food. The Salvation Army will use the can goods in their Christmas ham- pers they plan to distribute again this Christmas to the needy. from the Women's Auxiliary to Huronia District Hospital. Chief of Staff Dr. M.J. Moore added his thanks to those of Board chairman Elaine Nicholls. The board also expressed warm appreciation to members of the Midland Horticultural Society for their plantings on the hospital rounds. Bylaws unveiled Composition of parks board to change BY DOUG REED A pair of important bylaws received first reading Monday night at a regular Midland council meeting. Bylaw . 81-65 when finally approved will provide for the composition of a board of park management, Ever since the civic centre board and the parks board united, the "new"' board had not been legally constituted under provisions of the Public Parks Act of Ontario. Alderman Richard Platt stated, that contrary to what some people think is the motive for reducing the board's numbers, it had nothing to do with current talks regarding the sell or lease of a certain portion of T.M. McCullough Park. : Earlier Deputy-reeve Bev Day had in- dicated he thought both were related since "nothing had been said about the board's composition until it rejected the idea of selling park land to a private developer."' Platt countered by noting the initial intent of having the civic centre board and the parks board meeting as a unit was to have the civic centre board act in an advisory capacity. In any event, effective Jan. 1, 1982, the new board of park management will be comprised of seven members, two of whom are to be members of council while the remaining five will be appointed by council from ratepayers in the town. The other bylaw which also received first reading, in connection with the above, once it too is approved, will provide the necessary legal authority for the carrying on of a community program of recreation within the meaning of the regulations under the Ministry of Culture and Recreation Act. Friday, November 27, 1981, Page 3