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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-11-02, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, November 2, 2016 Going 90 years strong, Lions still maintain the status, knights of the blind Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor The Lions International filled Seaforth Public School's library with various vision and hearing screening tools in their annual event for the jun- ior and senior kindergarten grades. Entering their fourth year, the examination concentrates on providing vision screens like visual acuity, stereo acu- ity, colour blindness and auto refractor. And on the hearing end of it, which is a simple procedure wearing a headset, children listen to speech prompts and point to pictures that relate to the direction specified. The program has come a long way from when it first launched, said Charles Liddle, the Lions International co -committee chair of vision and hearing. The first pilot project allo- cated 10 schools with the next year doubling to 20 schools. From the time when Ameri- can author and one of the 20th Century's most notable blind and deaf humanitari- ans, Helen Keller challenged the Lions in 1925 to be knights of the blind; Liddle said since then, his organization's most focal projects are notably vision. Out of the 55 examined at SPS, the program had already seen at least 600 students by only its second week "Our goal is for these kids to go to the optometrist and have a complete eye exam," stated Liddle outside the SPS library, who also said the information collected is not a replacement from a health care professional. To assist in the financials if a child does find out their eyes are not the norm, arranged by the Ontario Association of Optometrists, they are entitled to a free Shaun Gregory Charles Liddle from the Lions International shows some of the reading material they use to examine children's vision in the Seaforth Public School's library. pair of glasses. According to the OAP, 80 per cent of learning is accomplished from vision. From a study, they revealed that most parents are una- ware that vision complica- tions lead to behavioural issues and can be misdiag- nosed with ADHD. By the end of fall, the Lions will have travelled to 30 schools and by next spring Liddle mentioned 40 schools will have booked appointments. Some of spaghetti dinner proceeds for HPWA will go towards reversing numerous acts of vandalism Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor KINBURN Ont. -To give a boost in financials for the Hul- lett Provincial Wildlife Area, the annual spaghetti dinner was held at the Kinburn Hall, a more than necessary effort seeing as the 5420 -acre site has been dealing with heaps of vandalism lately. Propelled in the late 1970s and early 1980s the HPWA was formed, a joint project from the Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Friends of Hullett (anon -profit assemblage of volunteers). Currently there are two employees responsible for the all around up keep of the lot, which is an "expensive" responsibility, said Dale Ann McKichan, one of the HPWA board managers. Compounding the difficul- ties of maintaining the area on the already scarce amount of funds are the numerous acts of sabotage surrounding the location that's open to the ATIENTION ADVERTISERS! DEADLINES Our Weekly Deadlines are ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL Friday @ 2:00 pm OFFICE HOURS: Mon. - Thurs. 9am - 5pm • Fri. 8am - 4pm CLOSED TUESDAYS Huron Expositor 46 8 Main St., Seaforth PH: 519-527-0240 w ww.seaforthhuronexpositor.com IJ int 'Ya'. ea ort uronex s ositor.co public 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, free of charge. The HPWA has been forced to purchase cement barri- cades to keep the mud truck drivers off the property. The area is a destination for numerous species of wildlife including deer, owls and one of their most popular species - bald eagles. McKichan cited people are not respecting spe- cific signage concerning the mystical creatures. "We had to replace different signs, we had a bald eagle sign," explained McKichan, and while most vandals usu- ally spray paint or damage these specific items, instead, "they just stole it," she said. One of the "privies" needed to be replaced, according to McKichan, as well someone decided to take a hatchet to one of their doors. "It's frustrating, I guess it's the sign of the times, I don't know what joyyou get out of it,' stated MclOchan October 27. The event welcomed the community with spaghetti, Caesar salad garlic bread and home made cakes by the Trailblazers. The Trailblazers are a group of routine walkers who travel all throughout HPWA with binoc- ulars and cameras, McKichan said there are about 15 people on the regular, but sometimes that number grows to 30. The event welcomed the community with spaghetti, Caesar salad, garlic bread and home made cakes by the Trailblazers. The Trailblazers are a group of routine walkers who travel all throughout HPWA with binoculars and cameras, McKichan said there are about 15 people on the regu- lar, but sometimes that num- ber grows to 30. The dinner commanded by the Trailblazers, McKichan being one as well, had more than 60 businesses sponsor the event this year. Shaun Gregory The Trailblazers of the Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area hosted their annual spaghetti dinner at Kinburn Hall October 27.