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a et Abandoned school could re-open for handicapped Seven severely handicapped area children who are unable to attend public schools, may have a school of their own if the Simcoe County Board of Education and the Huronia Association for the Mentaliy Retarded can agree on terms. The Association will be requesting the use of the Mountain School when it meets with the SCBE on November 14. Abandoned since the late sixties, the school, on concession two in Tiny Township, would be an "'ideal" set- ting for a developmental day care program, nd The 68 pages Penetonguishene Citize Wednesday, November 2, 1977 TV Guide of Colour Comics Vol. 10, No. 44 20 cents Newsbriefs The Town of Penetanguishene has received a grant of $4,500 from the Ministry of Natural Resources, for help pay for work to be done in the Waterfront Park. Simcoe Centre M.P.P. George Taylor said Tuesday the grant, made available under the Parks Assistance Act, will help pay for work on a boat launching facility, land filling, parking facilities, and straightening road entrances. He said the grant brings to $75,125 the amount of money made available so far to the town under the act. Town clerk Yvon Gagne said the grant is given to the town with the condition that the town match, dollar for dollar, the amount of the grant. He said the town can collect grants under the act up- to a total of $100,000, so there is still about $25,000 which the municipality can expect to get from the province. Gagne said the town has actually spent over $300,000 on the park since the first land was bought in 1968. At that time, 30 acres were purchased, and since then the park has expanded to include 47 acres. He said the town has been able to spend as much as it has because it only uses the Parks Assistance Act money when it cannot make use of other programs, such as the Local Initiatives Program, run by the federal government, and the federal-provincial The Simcoe County Health Unit will con- tinue to operate its pre-natal instruction program from the Huronia District Hospital. | The decision to maintain the present system of pre-natal instruction was reached at Monday night's meeting of the Hospital's Board of Directors. Whether or not Huronia District Hospital would operate its own pre-natal course has been the focus of some controversy during the past three or four months. In the past some medical staff at HDH had expressed a desire for the hospital to im- pliment its own course, on the grounds that | instruction services provided by the SCHU were at the time inadequate in some areas. This call for a self-contained pre-natal instruction course caused some SCHU of- ficials to express deep concern that if im- plemented, the hospital administered program would result in duplication of ef- Town gets grant for waterfront park Neighbourhood Improvement Program. He said the area being worked on at present includes the land between sewage treatment plant and the town dock. VES George Taylor, M.P.P. Pre-natal instruction to continue forts and an unnecessary expenditure of tax dollars. However, since the controversy first arose, several changes have been instituted in the pre-natal course offered by the Health Unit. The most significant of these, in the eyes of medical staff, has been the shifting of the course's location from Midland Secondary School to the Hospital itself, where hospital personnel now take an active role in the teaching of the course. At its Monday night meeting, the Hospital Board decided that the present system of pre- natal instruction is now operating in the spirit of the suggestions put forth by the medical staff some months ago. The Hospital Board resolved that it would continue its program of co-operation with the SCDHU regarding pre-natal classes operating out of HDH. | Local Liberals to attend federal conventions Simcoe North Liberals met October 26 in Midland to make plans and arrangements for coming federal Liberal party conventions. At the meeting, held at the Athenian Hall, the date was set for the Simcoe North's Liberal Association federal nomination fs meeting. To take place in Midland, the | Officials from Huronia District Hospital will meet in the near future with represen- tatives from Georgian Bay Township and Christian Island, in an effort to receive | concrete indication from the two municipalities that they intend to provide the hospital with financial support, based upon the extent to which it is used by their residents. In 1973 when plans for the funding of the then yet to be constructed hospital were under way, it was necessary for hospital Officials to obtain support in principle from meeting has been scheduled for February 18. The Liberals also discussed the federal Liberal convention, to begin February 25. Local delegates to the convention were selected, among which are Dick Platt, Frances St. Amant, Gil Robillard, Elinor Bingham and Rod Ferguson. ~HDH seeks financial support municipalities who would be serviced by the new facility, before the Ontario Government 'would lend its support to the project. All municipalities in the region gave notice of support in principle, and all but Georgian Bay Township and Christian Island have subsequently come through with financial contributions. Hospital officials said that although numerous letters have been sent to each of the two municipalities, no firm commitment has yet been received, and they feel that the time has come to approach them in person. according to Eunice Buck, director of the Huronia Developmental Nursery. The Ministry of Community and Social Services has given HAMR '"'almost certain approval" to start a day care program for severely handicpped children of school age. However the only facility the association has at its disposal in 'v'.ch to set up such a program is the rented St. Mark's Parish Hall. It would only be available for the afternoon and HAMR is hoping to operating a full day program. If the ministry grants their approval, the program will be 100 per cent government funded. "Once we get this (program) established," said Claude Buck, HAMR president, "the ultimate goal is to have our own facility which would be on a first floor level so handicapped children don't have to go up a flight of stairs." Buck said neither the Ministry of Com- munity and Social Services nor the Ministry of Education wants to take responsibility for these children. Who will spend? Al Gardhouse, area three superintendant for the SCBE, elaborated--"You've got two ministries and each would like the other to spend the money." "But the school board recognizes the fact that if we don't do this somewhere along the line they'll have to," said Claude Buck. "What we'll be screaming for is to take these kids into the school and they can't do this."' Eunice Buck said the roominess of the building makes it ideal for the program. "And there's not a lot of traffic so we won't have to put up fences," she added. "It's not going to look like we have people that have to stay behind fences." There is only one small step at the front of the school, making it easy to accommodate children in wheelchairs. Gardhouse emphasized the school wouldn't be offered to the association rent free. "There would have to be some type of reimbursement because of the cost of the taxpayer." A similar situation exists at the Silver Crest Public School in Wasaga Beach where the Christian Reform School rents from the SCBE. They pay $100 per month. The school is home base for the area three maintenance man and is used to store sup- plies. "Old sinks, pipes and lumber,"' said Gardhouse. An examination by the Midland Times showed the main building of the two room school was all but empty. Kenny Leroux, a kindergarten student at Ecole St. Joseph, displays the witches his mother made for the Hallowe'en party at A 'super' Halloween party Kenny's class. All the students dressed up in their spookiest attire for a trick or treat party Monday--a sort of dress rehearsal for the real thing that night. Staff photo Irving Harris to speak and answer questions at St. Joseph's school The Chairman of the Internal Evaluation Team of the Cooperative Evaluation of the Penetanguishene Family of Schools, Irving Harris, will be visiting Ecole Publique Saint- Joseph tonight. Harris will be speaking to parents of children attending the school, and answering questions about the evaluation, which is being carried out by the Simcoe County Board of Education with the assistance of the provincial Ministry of Education to in- vestigate the needs and desires of the people of this area with respect to the educational system." Harris said Tuesday he is interested in Two deaths in six months Local physician concerned about drug abuse problem by Dave Wilson A Port MeNicoll physician has expressed concern over what he sees to be a "serious drug abuse problem" in the area. Commenting to reporters Monday night following a Board of Directors meeting at Huronia District Hospital, Dr. Robert Besley stated that drug abuse incidents have had tragic consequences in recent months, and that the public should realize the extent of the problem so that further tragedy can be averted. Besley said that in the last six months, two drug related deaths have occurred in the area. As coroner in the most recent of these, Besleystated that both deaths were a result of serum hepatitis, a form of hepatitis almost always communicated by injections with unsterilized needles. The ages of the deceased Besley said, were 17-years and 19-years. Besley said that for a number of. years, it has been common knowledge that Midland and the surrounding peninsula area have experienced "significant" use of alcohol and marijuana. Harder drugs used "These two drug related deaths, however, indicate that there are lots of harder drugs being used. It seems curious to me that we've had two deaths from this kind of hepatitis in the last six months," he remarked. Besley noted that hypodermic needles, capable of transmitting serum hepatitis are used for injecting amphetamines, or 'speed', and heroin. "Although we don't have any conclusive evidence of heroin in the area, we do know that amphetamines are being used by some people", said Besley Dr. Peter Watson of the Simcoe County District Health Unit agreed that the Midland area has experienced a significant degree of drug abuse in the past, and noted that a comprehensive program to educate younger citizens to the dangers of hard drug abuse is sorely needed. He also remarked that two deaths from hepatitis in the last 6 months is an unusually high mortality rate for the area. Dr. Besley said he has found through ex- perience and consultation with colleagues that the hard drug abuse problem is par- ticularly acute in Victoria Harbour. RCMP sources in Orillia declined to comment on this, but did note that both the hepatitis victims were residents of Victoria Harbour. Dr. Herman Jileson of Victoria Harbour admits that "there is definitely a problem here"'. "I probably only see a tip of the iceberg', he noted. "When I do see them (hepatitis cases) it usually has happened that the illness has developed to the acute level". Dr. Jileson, with the support of Dr. Besley is in favour of educating local youths to the physical dangers of using drugs by in- jection"'. "Kids will use drugs--we can't stop that. What we wish to do is to press home the dangers of using needles, so that we don't have any more fatal cases of hepatitis," he explained. Reportable telling as many people as he can about the study. "I'm accepting all the speaking engagements I get on the cooperative evaluation," he said. "I'm anxious to get the public word out all I can." He said he has already addressed the Club Richelieu, and the Catholic Women's League at St. Ann's Church, and he is expecting more invitations to speak from local service clubs. Harris said work on the cooperative evaluation is becoming more concentrated, with the internal evaluation meeting every week. The questionnaires, which will be circulated to teachers, students, parents and ratepayers within the area served by Penetanguishene Secondary School, will be distributed soon, and Harris said more news on that will be available within a week or ten days. The meeting at St. Joseph's School gets underway at 7:30 p.m. An interesting sermon... for most Bishop Allan Read was just one of the visiting dignitaries who took part in the centennial service for Penetanguishene's All-Saints Anglican Church on Sunday. The church has been a landmark in the town since 1977. So Dignitaries attend Dr. Besley pointed out that the di is classified, along with others such as gonorrhea and meningitis, as a reportable disease. Under the Public Health Act, doctors are required by law to report any cases of hepatitis to Public Health officials. The problem with this, says Besley is that infected people tend to be uneasy about contacting their physician until the disease has developed to an acute stage, at which point it is sometimes too late for effective treatment. Dr. Besley said that both deaths were a result of this tendency. The Simeoe County District Health Unit has experienced a certain reluctance on the part of practicing physicians to report cases of hepatitis, says its Director Dr. Watson. Acknowledging the complicated position occupied by practicing physicians when dealing with such cases, Dr. Watson main- tains that it is nonetheless important that they report them. "The only way we can become aware of a hepatitis problem is if cases are reported to us. If we know there is a problem we can set up an education program," he said. Although he describes some doctors as "'a little complacent" in reporting diseases such as hepatitis, he said that he respects the physician's desire to maintain confidentiality with his patients, and can understand why doctors might be somewhat reluctant to report them. many people turned out for the service that a special television hook-up had to be run between the church and the parish hall where' the overflow crowd gathered. Staff photo by Chris Knowles All Saints celebrates its 100th anniversary All Saints Anglican Church in Penetanguishene was filled to capacity last Sunday, for its centennial service, with an overflow in the parish hall. The overflow crowd saw the service with the aid of video tape supplied by general manager Meb Spence of Huronia T.V., and monitors supplied by Don Beatty of Penetanguishene Secondary School. Participating clergy were Conon. Robert McLaren, Canon Beverley Brightling, Reverend John Barclay, Reverend Sidney Maddock, Reverend Robert Sinclair, Reverend Harvey Markle, and Reverend Allan Kirk of Elmvale, Regional Dean. A very colourful sermon was delivered by Bishop Alan Reed of Toronto. Dr. P.B. Rynard, M.P., and George Taylor, M.P.P. were in attendance, along with for- mer parishioners from all over Ontario. The congregation enjoyed music by the combined choirs of St. James-on-the-lines and All Saints, as well as a solo by Miss Noni Thompson. After the service, a buffet luncheon was served at the Canadian Legion, by the Legion Auxiliary. A beautiful centennial cake was cut by Mrs. Robert Dwelly, the wife of a former rector. Mr. Alvin Gropp, the chairman of the Centennial Committee, acted as M.C, for a short program, with greetings from all dignitaries, including Mayor Vince Moreau of Penetanguishene, and Mayor Moreland Lynn of Midland. George Taylor presented a scroll on behalf of the premier, the Honourable William Davis. Mrs. Alma Vaillancourt was the fortunate person who had her name drawn by Mrs. Alan Reed for the centennial quilt and pillow, which was made by the ladies of All Saints Anglican Church, and quilted by the ladies of the St. Ann's Catholic Women's League. Organizers said the event was a huge success.