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.