New initiatives get United Way funding
Two locally-based programs have earned venture grants from the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton.
Lambton Public Health is getting $25,000 to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for student nutrition programs in Sarnia-Lambton schools.
And a Community Living program that hires college and university students for the summer to job coach clients aged 16 to 29 with a disability is getting $20,000.
Venture grants help new and innovative programs get off the ground for up to three years.
SCITS puts history online
Sarnia Collegiate is making more 100 years of its yearbooks available online.
Computer Studies teacher Caleb Courtney began the project in 2012, and with support from students, businesses and organizations it has grown into a Sarnia Centennial project.
“Instead of having a single, fragile copy of the books locked in a back room, everybody can easily access them,” he said.
The oldest known edition dates to 1902.
To see Sarnia Collegiate yearbooks go to http://www.lkdsb.net/scits/ and click on “SCITS Vault.”
Police get pay raise
A contract agreement has been reached with Sarnia Police.
The new contract provides 109 uniform officers and 70 civilian personnel 1.5% wage increases every six months, from Jan. 1 of this year to July 1 of 2016.
It also provides some benefit adjustments.
The additional cost to the city will be $414,000 this year, $566,000 next year and $584,000 in 2016.
Parks and rec staff settle
Sarnia has settled with its unionized parks and recreation staff.
The new contract gives 34 full-time CUPE Local 2713 members pay increases of 1.5% a year for three years, and includes some benefit adjustments.
Total cost to the city is an additional $124,184.
Ostomy support group available
A local support group is now available to help anyone adjusting to an ostomy, a surgical procedure that diverts body waste into an outside pouch.
The Sarnia-Lambton Ostomy Support Group has 12 trained visitors who can visit individuals in home or the hospital to talk one-on-one and provide practical information.
The volunteer-based, non-profit group can be reached at 519-332-6669 box #678, or email [email protected]
Hospital adds four doctors
A Sarnia native is one of four new physicians joining the staff at Bluewater Health.
Dr. Allison Crombeen is a palliative care physician who completed her medical degree at McMaster University and family medicine residency at Western University.
"I'm excited to come back to my hometown to practice,” she said. “I have received some wonderful training over the past few years during my rotations at Bluewater Health.”
The other new doctors are general surgeon Dr. Andre Rudovics, radiologist Dr. Frederick W. Coop and hospitalist Dr. Kapil Kohli.