Valley
East Industrial Park Receives Community Enhancement Award
Shirley Taus-Plexman, on the
left, received a Certificate of Merit on behalf of the Valley East
Industrial Park from Jack Braithwaite, Chair of the Greater Sudbury
Chamber of Commerce during a recent ceremony in recognition of the work
the businesses have done to enhance the park this summer. John Lindsay,
seen in the background on the far left in the photo, Chair of the
Community Enhancement Awards Committee,
explained that the awards were created to recognize the positive
contributions to the Sudbury area’s business, institutional and real
estate image. A total of 151 community groups, individual residents,
businesses, institutions and municipal agencies that have enhanced the
appearance of properties in the City of Greater Sudbury have received
awards during the ten years the committee has been in existence.
The local Economic Development
Committee was a driving force behind the clean-up campaign at the Valley
East Industrial Park, making it one of the most attractive options
available to businesses from out of town looking to set up shop in the
area.
Local
Insurance Company Representatives State That Inco’s Drug Benefit
Program Is The Way Of The Future
Inco has been taking a lot of
heat lately from local pharmacies, employees and retirees for changes
the company has made to its drug benefit program. In a discussion with
several insurance agents in the area, who asked to remain anonymous, it
was revealed to The Vision Paper that what Inco is doing is going to be
the norm rather than the exception in the future.
One rep indicated, “When a
company has a drug plan, the cost of benefits for the year must be
covered by the premiums collected.
If not, the premiums will be raised in subsequent years to cover
the shortfall. The premiums for drugs often increase by more than 20% in
any given year, due to the increase in the cost of drugs from
pharmaceutical companies.”
Another rep pointed out that,
“Cost containment measures are constantly being considered by larger
companies like Inco. Some plans have no deductible for drugs. However,
when the company moves to a $2.00 deductible plan, the usage actually
goes down. Another measure is that of forcing a person to accept a
generic drug instead of a name-brand drug when there will be no
difference in the outcome to a patient. Generic brands cost much less
than name-brand drugs and so the overall cost of the plan is controlled
somewhat.”
“Inco has decided to implement
three cost-containment measures which are quite common in the
marketplace today,” explained a third rep. “Using cheaper generic
drugs when possible will control the increasing costs. Setting a cap of
$6.50 for dispensing fees will save a great deal of money. Finally,
forcing people to take a three-month supply of drugs will eliminate two
of the dispensing fees and save even more. By putting all of these
measures in place, the premiums for the plan will be kept from
escalating beyond reason.”
A preferred provider system is
designed to reward pharmacies which are willing to work with a company
to help control costs. It means that employees will be directed to
specific pharmacies. It does not mean that an employee cannot go to a
pharmacy of his/her own choice, however, if it is not a preferred
provider, the company will usually only pay the amount of the dispensing
fee that is paid to the preferred provider. If the cap on the dispensing
fee is $6.50 and an employee goes to a pharmacy where the dispensing fee
is $10.50, the extra $4.00 is paid for by the employee.
The final alternative, which is
the one chosen by most small businesses, is not to provide benefits of
any kind for employees. These people must rely on coverage through
private plans which always have some form of cost containment built
in.“While change is never popular, especially in a unionized
environment, employees are being advised that as long as the cost of
drugs continues to increase at the rate of 20% or more every year, we
had better become accustomed to this type of thing as companies try to
balance their books with cost containment measures which will sacrifice
convenience for expenses,” concluded another rep.
If any of our readers wish to make
comments on this article or on the whole issue of preferred providers,
please fax in a letter to 969-4490 or email us from our web site at www.thevisionpaper.com.
Body
Contact Training An Important Part of Atom Program in NOHA
If the Valley East Tim Horton Minor Atom Rebels
have a successful season this year, the Mitron hockey program
instructors may have to be given a bit of credit for introducing the
players to body checking. In the photo, two unidentified members of the
Tim Horton Minor Atom Rebels go through an introductory drill under the
watchful eye of a Mitron instructor. This particular drill was designed
to help the members of the team learn how to effectively take out the
body during a recent practice. It is the first year that the young, 10
year old players, will have to play with body contact, and for many of
them it is an experience that will result in several bumps, bruises and,
yes, tears. Body checking seldom causes any injuries, if given and taken
properly. Learning how to “take a check” is just as important as how
to “give a check”. Spinning away, staying close to the boards,
balancing on your feet, falling properly, and “going with the check”
are very important skills which must be developed in order for players
to cope with the rough action on the ice. The next step now is to give
the parents some training on how to react when their little child is
“hit” by another on the ice. Yelling obscenities at the referee;
climbing over the glass shaking your fist; fighting with the fans from
the other side; and running to the bench to give your child a loving hug
are not recommended courses of action for parents. Hitting is part of
the game. Learning how to hit and be hit at a young age is good for
players. Hitting with the right attitude is the next lesson.
Unfortunately, as one gets older and plays at a higher age level, the
game often turns into one in which the real score is the number of body
checks that have been thrown and the team that is the winner is the one
with the fewest number of injuries - not the team with the highest
score. The Vision salutes the Valley East NOHA for their efforts at
helping players develop a very important skill which will ensure for
them a long, safe and enjoyable career in hockey.
Want
To Tell People About Your Event?
The Vision’s Calendar of Events Can Be Your Best Promotion
It has long been known that
Valley East and Capreol have a lot to offer residents when it comes to
entertainment and recreational activities. But historically, it is also
a known fact that finding out about these activities is very difficult.
At The VISION Paper, we want to
offer you the use of our weekly publication plus our web site to let
people know what you are doing. If you are planning a special event this
year, please let us know.
Our web site makes it very
convenient to post your activities. Simply go to www.thevisionpaper.com
and select the Calendar of Events. There is even an email connection so
that you can communicate directly to us without even picking up a phone.
We will put a full description of your event on the site and leave it
there so that others can know about it well in advance.
So, whether you are a Church
group; a school council; a sport team; an art club; a bar or tavern; or
anyone who is planning something for the public to take part in, let us
know today!
As mentioned in the beginning of
the article, there is a lot to do in Valley East and Capreol. Residents
should be proud of this. All we have to do now is make sure that
everyone knows what is going on.
Whether by phone; by fax; or by
email - let us know so that we can let our readers know and ensure that
your activity will be a huge success.