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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-02-19, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, February 19, 2014 Clinton News Record PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 53 Albert St. P.O. Box 39 Clinton ON NOM 1L0 (519) 482-3443 www.clintonnewsrecord.com SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company L 1107411. NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca GERARD CRECES Editorial clinton. reporter@sunmed ia.ca MAX BICKFORD Advertising Manager max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DAWN JOHNSTON Sales Representative clinton.ads@sunmedia.ca CHRISTY MAIR Front Office clinton.classifieds@sunmedia.ca SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) SENIORS 60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous Cern together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged but that balance of advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographic error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Clinton News -Record is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing purposes. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 53 Albert St., Clinton ON NOM 1L0 (519) 482-3443 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada ppcna Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and the Ontario Community Newspapers Association www.clintonnewsrecord.com Occupational forces invade my temple iolent, powerful and V plain gross - the battle has begun for conquest of my body. It's an age-old struggle, involving malignant evil and large quan- tities of mucous. Yes, I have been invaded by hostile forces, and need to share my story with the world. As both a victim and a reporter in the field, the follow- ing account may be considered bias, but it is important the truth as I see it be known. While I am unsure of when the insurgent germs crossed the border into my internal ter- ritory, they quickly made themselves known early last week. The offensive started with a scratch in my throat, which I attributed to poor life choices. However, even after a few days of relative inactivity, it soon became a full body ache. From there, the violence escalated quickly. On the lung front, each individual cough shredded Column Gerard Creces innocent soft tissue like broken glass. In the sinus peninsula, pres- sure has been mounting from all sides. Now it is to the point where standing or sitting up quickly sends painful shock- waves hockwaves through the head. Despite repeated attempts to clear the air, no amount of blowing, sneezing or other evacuation tactics seem to work. Meanwhile, bones and mus- cles continue to resist attempts to move freely, making me a prisoner of war, trapped both in and as the battle zone. Reports came in as early as last Monday that enemy germs had occupied the narrow stretch of throat between my mouth and my chest. Special forces were sent in to take down the source of the inva- sion, including oregano oil and vitamins, but they proved inef- fective against the enemy's superior powers of multiplication. Suppression tactics were then employed, with large gulps of NyQuil and Neo -Cit- ron, as well as over-the-counter capsules designed to mitigate the damage. Sadly, they only sedated the host and did little to stem the tide of destruction. Now, I'm trapped in a world of hand-sanitizer and tissues, greasy eucalyptus salve and chicken soup - all trying to stop the offending germs from invading others like me and liberate myself in the process. Only time will tell if I am successful. The question is - why now? Why, with nearly four months of snowy weather behind us, am I being invaded? The germs have nothing to gain by it, except to make my life miserable. Truly, this is ter- rorism in its purest, vilest form. But, I am a freedom fighter. I will not rest (mainly because I can't) until my body is free of this occupational force. Others in my situation have suffered greatly for about a week before being freed again. But in this rock and roll world we call local news, one week is a long, long time. Say a prayer, lock your chil- dren inside, do not touch any- thing and wash your hands until they are raw. Slather your- self in salve and dress in layers. Eat raw garlic if you have to - anything to keep the terrorists at bay. Once they find a foot- hold, there is no turning back until they run their course of devastation. As the warm/cold cycle intensifies the terrorists will redouble their efforts. I urge you all to be prepared. Be sterile. Be safe. CHSS teams up with United Way on mental health Gerard Creces For the News -Record Central Huron Secondary School is teaming up with the United Way of Perth -Huron to address student mental health issues head on. On Feb. 21, 20 -year old writer and comedian Kevin Breel will be speaking at a school assembly, advocating for mental health awareness. CHSS is doing this in partnership with Listowel District Secondary School. Staff advisor for CHSS student council, Julie Hohner, said the stu- dent council came up with the idea of promoting mental health aware- ness, as it is a "huge concern for teachers and young people these days." Last year, a former CHSS graduate committed suicide, and the students behind next Friday's assembly want to take preventative steps to ensure nobody has to deal with a worst- case scenario. ""We chose this project because depression and mental health is a serious issue and impacts the lives of students at CHSS", said student council vice president Nick McGregor in a United Way press release. "Students with depression should not feel the stigma that goes along with it. Other students need to understand that depression is a medical condition and shouldn't judge other students or bully (them)." There has been a brighter light shone on the issue of teen mental health in the media in recent years, much of which a result of widely reported teen suicides, like Amanda Todd or Rehtaeh Parsons. As more cases of mental illness make headlines, more people understand how serious it is, Hohner said. "There is definitely more awareness and understanding that it is a legitimate illness," she said. "Students are more open- minded about it. It's good to have (Breel) here as someone who has been through it." The United Way is funding the cost for the speaker through a 2014-15 Youth Grant. During the assembly, there will also be community organizations present to help educate students and answer questions. Hohner said the Canadian Mental Health Organization is confirmed, and they are also looking to Huron Perth Mental Health Crisis Intervention to attend as well. This is the first year for a mental health consultant at the Avon - Maitland board, and the school does have guidance services and addictions counseling available to students. The hope, Hohner said, is for teens to be open to talking about mental health issues and for adults to understand teens need a safe place to go, talk and get help. The assembly begins at 1:30 p.m. Call 1 rna? We can help THE LUNG ASSOCIATION' When you can't breathe, nothing else matters.T""