HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 01-23 Councilman criticized for views on Ramsey Home DISPATCH O w . 3iq --
Councilman ëi1'icized
Maplewood City ANTON Wicklander,
Councilman Burt Mur- 1884 E. County Road B,
dock was criticized at a said remarks by Mur-
c o u n c i l meeting last dock and other council-
week for calling living men at a Jan. 9 council
conditions at the Ramsey meeting were out of or-
C o u n ty Home "atro- der.
cious." "They (the remarks)
Thurs.,Jan.23, 1975
for views on Ramsey Home
h u r t me and my this inspection, the main Wiegert's remark was: to focus attention on the
friends,"he said. problem seemed to be "I hate to go in there be- pro b 1 e m s," he said,
Wicklander, w h o inadequate , facilities, cause I just cry." "and maybe that will get
worked for 47 years at rather than he adminis- "I had a few phone them some help.'
the home, 2000 White tration. calls on that subject," he
Bear Ave., as building ""I h o p e everybody reported.
superintendent, said the gets over there and takes "Oddly enough," he
home is "a solid institu- a look," he told the added, "when I said it I
- tion,well built." tried to phrase it so I did
But Murdock told not insult anyone. Ap-
Wicklander that the Maplewood parently . . . I did sue-
home'
uc-home' needs substantial ceed in insulting quite a
physical improvements. council. "Then we will few people."
"IN ONE wing over talk more about it." He said the statement
there," he said, "57 peo- Mayor Robert Bruton was construed as though
ple are using five toilets also said he understood p e o p I e were being
and three urinals. Do the intent of the coun- "abused and neglected."
you call that adequate?" cil's discussion to be to INSTEAD, he said he
He also told'of "15 ex- point up "the dilemma meant: "When I see peo-
its," enough to make se- of the people (the resi- ple with their handicaps
curl ty difficult. dents) and the age of the and I know there is darn
MURDOCK has corn- facilities." little I can do about it,
plained earlier that road- The council has "sym- that is when I cry."
equately clothed resi- pathy for the people at He said that he found
dents from the nursing the home,"he said. , the home "quite clean,
1 home have been found MURDOCK, m e a n- orderly and apparently ,
wandering aimlessly while, thanked•Adminis- well run."
along White Bear Ave- trator Kent Hawkins and But he said the build
nue. Head Nurse Violet An- ing itself leaves some
He also said he wel- derson for their "sincere • thing to be desired.
corned publicity over'his efforts in showing me . "If they had a mo
concerns. what their p r o b l e m s adquate building, mc
"Those people (resi- are." suited to the care of pe
dents of the home) are . Hawkins said the en- ple, then the staff a
finally getting some no- tire council and con- volunteers could do ,,
toriety,", he explained. cerned citizens are wel- heck of a lot better ion,'
"People -can find out come to visit the home. he stated.
what problems they have Councilman Don Wie- Like Murdock., he said
at the home. Our Ram- , gert also tried to clarify publicity about the home
sey County commission- his published statement may prove helpful.
ers have bags over their about the home. "Maybe that is going
heads when it comes to
that thing."
Wicklander said some
of Murdock's observa-
tions about the home
were based entirely on
hearsay.
Murdock admitted
this.
But he also said that
last week he spent four
h o u r s inspecting the
home and talking to
some employes.
, HE said that based on
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