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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-04-19, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012. Central Huron joins wind group Influenza ‘B’ hits Huron Writer wants resolution, new fire agreement Rhythm and Shoes Rhythm & Shoes, an amalgamation of the Huron County Steppers and Seaforth-area musicians, took to the stage to entertain a packed house during the Women’s Day Out event in Blyth on April 14. (Denny Scott photo) Central Huron will be a part of the Multi-Municipal Wind Turbines Working Group, assigning two councillors to be part of the group. Councillors Brian Barnim and Alex Westerhout volunteered their services as members of the group, saying they would alternate meetings. The request to join the group came from the Municipality of Aran- Elderslie, requesting that two councillors and one member of the public be appointed as members of the group as a committee of council, which means councillors will get paid mileage and meeting fees for attending the meetings. The decision was made to appoint the two councillors, but not a member of the public. Councillor Burkhard Metzger said his major problem with the group is that the vast majority of the meetings are held in Chesley, which isn’t exactly convenient for councillors from Central Huron. Metzger said he would like to see the group rotate its meetings around to member municipalities, which would make it easier for everyone. The motion to appoint Barnim and Westerhout to the group was then carried by council. Huron County is in the grips of Influenza type ‘B’ – a serious disease that typically attacks individuals from birth up to age 30 – and it’s a disease people need to be aware of. “We’re in the middle of our flu season,” Huron County Health Unit Public Health Manager Christina Taylor said. “It runs from the fall to the spring, although it is running later this year.” This year’s flu season is being characterized by type ‘B’ Influenza which is the less virulent cousin of type ‘A’ . The county has been facing Influenza ‘A’ for several years. It primarily affects older individuals and causes outbreaks in long-term care facilities and retirement homes. “Influenza ‘A’ is a serious illness that can cause severe illness and death,” she said. “Influenza ‘B’ typically presents with milder symptoms, however it is still not a disease to be underestimated.” Influenza and other diseases are cyclical according to Taylor and as Influenza ‘A’ has been the disease of prevalence for the past few flu seasons the area is now back to ‘B’. Taylor said there is some confusion as to what influenza can be and how it manifests. Other diseases are often misdiagnosed at home as the flu, but those who suffer from influenza know it according to Taylor. “We talk to people who believe they have influenza and I think the best way I’ve ever heard it described was it ‘hits like a Mack truck’,” she said. “One patient said her hair and skin hurts.” Influenza, both ‘A’ and ‘B’, are very dangerous illnesses that can lay people out for as much as a week “We have lost people to Influenza ‘B’ because people think the flu is something they can always beat on their own,” Taylor said. Dealing with outbreaks of any disease can be frustrating according to Taylor, but influenza is especially difficult because it can’t really be predicted. “Every year is different and there is no way to tell how hard we will be hit during the flu season,” she said. “This year seems milder as far as flu season is concerned but it’s also far more widespread due to the mild winter.” She said there have been increases in both the schools and emergency rooms in what they call Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI). A number of other illnesses are also surfacing according to Taylor who said a higher number of cases of strep throat, ear infections and tonsillitis are being reporting as well as other illnesses which cause diarrhea and vomiting. While the mild winter may not have had people facing as much cold weather and confined spaces, Taylor said Huron County residents especially like to travel and that tendency has led to illnesses being transferred. “During the winter people are more likely to stay in if they’re sick since the snow and the illness keep them in,” she said. “With the mild winter people were travelling providing more opportunities for communicable diseases to be transfered.” Even snow days at local schools play their part in keeping illnesses down according to Taylor. “Snow days provide an opportunity for students to be cut off from the illnesses that can be spread at school and provide a chance for the schools to be cleaned,” she said adding this season the schools have been helping to try and control the diseases by cleaning the buildings from top to bottom with disinfectants to kill the germs. She said schools and the health unit share a great relationship in Huron County and it has made working to try and diminish this flu season easier. A lot of the responsibility in keeping these illnesses under wraps comes from parents according to Taylor. “We’re urging parents to keep their children at home if they’re not feeling well,” she said. “Vomiting or diarrhea, paired with the general forgetfulness of children when it comes to hand hygiene can create an atmosphere where the illnesses will spread. If a child has symptoms we suggest parents keep them at home for 24 to 48 hours from the last time they were showed those symptoms.” She said it was also important for anyone who is sick or who is living with someone who is sick to avoid exposure to the elderly and new borns. Once of the most frequently asked questions Taylor said the Health Unit faces is when should someone seek medical attention? She said a doctor should be seen as soon as someone isn’t functioning normally or having trouble breathing. At the same time, Taylor said it is normal for children to get sick and that it is when the illness lingers or affects the children more than the parents are comfortable with that medical attention should be sought. The Health Unit monitors three different channels to determine whether or not diseases are affecting the community more than expected or more than they should. On a daily THE EDITOR, A surprising message that comes repeatedly from the Morris- Turnberry municipal office is that there has been very little dissent to their plans for new fire halls. This message is inconsistent and at odds with many of the discussions which are taking place on the concessions. Let this be the public record that this ratepayer refuses to give consent to such an ill-advised use of our tax dollars. The reason for the Municipality of Morris-Turnberry’s drive to build its own fire protection capability is not a lack of available service. The municipality has long benefitted from very adequate fire protection service from surrounding municipalities, although at an increasingly excessive cost. North Huron, it appears, wants to protect its ratepayers at the expense of Morris-Turnberry residents, although they claim otherwise. Thus, it degenerates into a shameful, public caricature of head- butting. What must be recognized is that building new fire-protection facilities is an outright, unjustifiable duplication of services. Please explain – if the existing fire protection service is apparently financially untenable, how will doubling up service on the same tax base help reduce operating costs? While it is a lose-lose situation for both Morris-Turnberry and North Huron ratepayers, ending in higher taxes for both, North Huron will suffer the greatest injury. Therefore, the populations of both municipalities must exert extreme pressure on their councillors to act responsibly and work out an agreement. Pick up your phone and call them! While compiled with good intentions, the costing figures provided by Morris-Turnberry are strongly suspect. Historically, there are reams of evidence showing that what starts out as a low-cost, shoestring budget has a way of morphing into obscenely bloated costs. The reason? Because without stringent oversight, private interests invariably trump practicality on publicly-funded projects. Is a council which offers duplication of service as a cost-cutting measure qualified to give such oversight? It is clear – since the existing services see a relatively low utilization, the only reason new capacity is being added is because two parties cannot come to agreement on providing cost- effective service to our communities. Therefore, if constructed, these new buildings wil forever be seen as a great and lasting monument of a few people who were too obstinate and disingenuous to reach agreement on a matter that should have easily been decided in the best interests of all taxpayers. This stigma alone should keep anyone from wanting their name on a plaque of such a tarnished edifice, or be remembered by it. In the simplest terms, everyone on council for both municipalities must remember that they work for those who cast the ballots and are responsible and liable to the ratepayers. Thus, they need to remember that difficult negotiations are not a licence for irresponsible action. This means finding ways of cutting costs – eg. – why the need for this volunteer service to employ costly, full-time personnel? Humans possess great ability to reach solutions to challenges that face a community, if the will to succeed triumphs over personal ambition. We are mature adults – let us find that capacity! If a suitable agreement cannot be reached by those responsible for the process, it would be in order to appoint a mediator or, failing that, hold a referendum on replacing both current councils with new members who can reach a fiscally responsible working agreement. This is drastic indeed, but so is the unnecessary step of foolishly spending two dollars to save one and carrying that tax burden for the rest of our lives and those of our children. John Schwartzentruber, Brussels. Attach a War Amps confidentially coded key tag to your key ring. It’s a safeguard for all your keys – not just car keys. If you lose your keys, The War Amps can return them to you by courier – free of charge. When you use War Amps key tags, you support the Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program. The War Amps 1 800 250-3030 waramps.ca Charitable Registration No. 13196 9628 RR0001 Didn’t get your War Amps key tags in the mail? Order them today! DRIV E S A F E 12345 6 7 8 9 Letters to the Editor By Denny Scott The Citizen Continued on page 7 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen