MLA: Health CEO must go
By BRIAN MEDEL Yarmouth Bureau
The Chronicle Herald
Sun. Nov 29 - 4:45 AM
MLA Harold (Junior) Theriault
Nurse practitioner Karen Snider
FREEPORT — A Nova Scotia Liberal MLA is demanding the resignation of the head of the Southwest Nova district health authority over an alleged attempt to discipline a nurse practitioner.
Harold (Junior) Theriault told 80 people packed into a community hall Saturday on Long Island that Blaise MacNeil, CEO of the district health authority, must step down because of the controversy involving registered nurse Karen Snider.
The Digby-Annapolis MLA also said Health Minister Maureen MacDonald needs to be on Long Island by Monday evening to deal with Ms. Snider and put her back to work.
Ms. Snider lives in Freeport on Long Island. But she hasn’t been employed by the Southwest Nova district health authority since October.
She recently built a home on the island and told residents she wanted to stay. She’s the first nurse practitioner to put down roots.
There was no problem with her clinical or medical skills, said Andy Moir of the Islands Health liaison committee
"We know that she was disciplined for speaking out about reduced hours at the clinic," he said Saturday.
"She was disciplined again for telling her collaborating physician that hours would be reduced, and disciplined again for discussing the hours of operation with fellow nurse practitioners. . . . We are all going to suffer because of this action."
Ms. Snider attended Saturday’s meeting and, for the first time since she was dismissed, spoke briefly.
"I enjoy this community. I enjoyed the work that I did and the people that I worked with," she told a hushed room.
"I can’t speak highly enough of the support and the confidence that all of you have exhibited to me. It’s still my goal to want to try and stay down here . . . and I really do appreciate all of the efforts."
Some in the community let their MLA know that the clinic’s clerical employee was overwhelmed with work.
"In the middle of September, I had some calls . . . saying, ‘The nurse practitioner needs a little help down here. She can’t deal with 1,500 people and do (the clerical employee’s) work too,’ " said Mr. Theriault.
He said he mentioned the concern in the legislature on Sept. 22, and the health minister said she was unaware of any such needs.
Mr. Moir said talks to have the nurse practitioner return to work seemed to have been proceeding.
He said Kevin McNamara, the province’s deputy minister of health, indicated recently that residents were close to getting her back.
But when Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union representatives arrived at a meeting, which included representatives of the district health authority, they were presented with a "confession" letter, said Mr. Moir.
"This came out of the blue. The union didn’t know it was coming," he said.
It was an apology to be signed by Ms. Snider before further talks could take place.
It was said at Saturday’s public meeting that the deputy health minister told Jim Thurber, warden of the Municipality of Digby, that he was unaware of the letter.
Mr. Moir said it appears to be the brainchild of someone in the district health authority.
"I know you all want to see it, and unfortunately I can’t do that for a couple of reasons," he told the crowd.
Mr. Moir said the letter was to be signed by Ms. Snider, then published in three newspapers and posted on the door of the community clinic.
He said the dispute was fuelled by an article Ms. Snider wrote in Passages, a community newsletter.
"In that article, what she said was true," he said.
"We’ve got a fine practitioner. Let’s get her back on the job."
( bmedel@herald.ca)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Public Reaction to Turbines is Key...in Michigan
Study says large wind turbines to be local decision
By Dave Alexander | Muskegon Chronicle
November 29, 2009, 12:48AM
WEST MICHIGAN — Anyone seeing a blade from one of Michigan’s 83 utility-sized wind turbines being transported on the highway understands how “big” wind power can be.
Blades in the 150-foot range moved on special truck trailers are impressive sights. But how “big” wind will become in Michigan’s energy future is still an unknown.
Whichever way the industry turns, it will be up to local governments to decide where and how the big turbine towers will be built, a university research group concludes.
AP file photoA Grand Valley State University wind energy study says local governments will manage the building of wind towers, like this turbine in Huron County. It is one of 83 utility-scale wind turbines operating today in Michigan.A group of Grand Valley State University researchers has begun a wind energy study on the potentials and pitfalls of renewable power production in a four-county West Michigan shoreline region. The three-year study comes on the heels of a state mandate that 10 percent of Michigan’s electrical generation must come from renewable sources by 2015.
“The demand for renewable energy, and wind energy in particular, is growing rapidly,” the first report of the GVSU study states. “The challenge will be to supply the quantity of renewable energy needed to meet this demand in a manner that is economically, socially and environmentally appropriate.
“Though state government issued the renewable energy mandate, managing the deployment of wind energy facilities is left to local governments,” the report states.
Many township governments in the four counties — Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa and Allegan — have responded with ordinances regulating utility-scale wind turbines. Thirty-seven of the 73 townships in the four counties have wind tower ordinances, with the highest percentage in Oceana County.
Grand Haven Township planners will hear from city of Grand Rapids officials at a public meeting Monday on a plan to put two 300-foot wind turbine towers on the city’s Lake Michigan Water Filtration Plant property on Lakeshore Drive.
GVSU researcher Erik Nordman — head of the Natural Resources Management program and chief wind study investigator — said public reaction to plans such as those in Grand Haven Township are key to the technology’s future in West Michigan.
“While one wind turbine might be viewed as a curiosity, the deployment of thousands of wind energy facilities required to meet various renewable energy targets will bring changes to the nation’s landscapes, communities and economies,” the initial GVSU wind report states.
As GVSU researchers continue to work on their wind study, public opinion will begin to be collected. The study team will have workshops and public meetings throughout the region next summer.
The wind study team has a Web site at www.gvsu.edu/wind and will establish social networking outreaches through Facebook and Twitter, Nordman said.
The wind study is supported through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Sea Grant award through the state of Michigan. The next report is scheduled to be released in November 2010 and final reports in February and May 2011.
E-mail Dave Alexander at dalexander@muskegonchronicle.com
By Dave Alexander | Muskegon Chronicle
November 29, 2009, 12:48AM
WEST MICHIGAN — Anyone seeing a blade from one of Michigan’s 83 utility-sized wind turbines being transported on the highway understands how “big” wind power can be.
Blades in the 150-foot range moved on special truck trailers are impressive sights. But how “big” wind will become in Michigan’s energy future is still an unknown.
Whichever way the industry turns, it will be up to local governments to decide where and how the big turbine towers will be built, a university research group concludes.
AP file photoA Grand Valley State University wind energy study says local governments will manage the building of wind towers, like this turbine in Huron County. It is one of 83 utility-scale wind turbines operating today in Michigan.A group of Grand Valley State University researchers has begun a wind energy study on the potentials and pitfalls of renewable power production in a four-county West Michigan shoreline region. The three-year study comes on the heels of a state mandate that 10 percent of Michigan’s electrical generation must come from renewable sources by 2015.
“The demand for renewable energy, and wind energy in particular, is growing rapidly,” the first report of the GVSU study states. “The challenge will be to supply the quantity of renewable energy needed to meet this demand in a manner that is economically, socially and environmentally appropriate.
“Though state government issued the renewable energy mandate, managing the deployment of wind energy facilities is left to local governments,” the report states.
Many township governments in the four counties — Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa and Allegan — have responded with ordinances regulating utility-scale wind turbines. Thirty-seven of the 73 townships in the four counties have wind tower ordinances, with the highest percentage in Oceana County.
Grand Haven Township planners will hear from city of Grand Rapids officials at a public meeting Monday on a plan to put two 300-foot wind turbine towers on the city’s Lake Michigan Water Filtration Plant property on Lakeshore Drive.
GVSU researcher Erik Nordman — head of the Natural Resources Management program and chief wind study investigator — said public reaction to plans such as those in Grand Haven Township are key to the technology’s future in West Michigan.
“While one wind turbine might be viewed as a curiosity, the deployment of thousands of wind energy facilities required to meet various renewable energy targets will bring changes to the nation’s landscapes, communities and economies,” the initial GVSU wind report states.
As GVSU researchers continue to work on their wind study, public opinion will begin to be collected. The study team will have workshops and public meetings throughout the region next summer.
The wind study team has a Web site at www.gvsu.edu/wind and will establish social networking outreaches through Facebook and Twitter, Nordman said.
The wind study is supported through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Sea Grant award through the state of Michigan. The next report is scheduled to be released in November 2010 and final reports in February and May 2011.
E-mail Dave Alexander at dalexander@muskegonchronicle.com
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