The Citizen, 2010-10-07, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010.
MS research needed: writers
Successful event for Legion
New dental program for eligible children
Chief says “do the drill”
THE EDITOR,
As Ontario’s representative to the
Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs,
I am proud to acknowledge the
efforts of fire departments and
elementary schools across the
province during Fire Prevention
Week from Oct. 3-9.
I’m appealing to all parents to
support their youngsters when they
come home excited to help make
your home more fire safe by
participating in the “The
Great Canadian Fire Drill.”
Throughout October, children in
Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be
taught how to create and practise a
home fire escape plan. Plus,
classrooms and families can win
valuable home safety prizes from
our public education partners
Scholastic, Duracell and Kidde
Canada.
Help Ontario be a leader in “The
Great Canadian Fire Drill” please
register your support at
www.safeathome.ca/drill
Complete your family escape plan,
practise it, then print out your
personalized “We Did The Drill”
certificate.
Remember these family fire safety
tips:
• Install smoke alarms on every
storey of your home and outside
sleeping areas.
• Install fresh batteries in smoke
and CO alarms at least once per year.
• Replace all smoke alarms over
10 years old – battery operated and
hard-wired.
• Never tamper with smoke
alarms.
Thank you for helping prevent fire
tragedies in Blyth, Brussels and the
surrounding areas.
Do the drill!
Fire Chief Tim Beckett
Ontario Representative of the
Canadian Association of Fire
Chiefs
THE EDITOR,
The Wingham Royal Canadian
Legion, Branch 180 would like to
extend a very big thank you to
everyone who contributed to the
very successful “Fundraiser Dance”.
Where to start … we sold 24 cases
of wings at supper and our 50/50
draw was very successful – $10 for
an arm’s length, who knew some
arms were so long. Speaking on
behalf of the house band, No
Expectations, we had an absolute
ball providing the music for the
evening. By 10 p.m. there sure were
a lot of people tripping the light
fantastic (or something like that) out
on the floor.
The donations at the door far
exceeded our expectations, with
donations still coming in, a total is
still not available.
A big thank you also to the Legion
members who helped at the door,
prepared lunch, worked the bar and
listened to Andy’s jokes. Needless to
say, with support like this, we are
quite sure the Legion will be an
important part of the Wingham
community for many years to come.
Keep watching our Legion sign at
Valu-Mart and posters for upcoming
Saturday night entertainment,
Legion “wing nites” and breakfasts.
Thanks once again,
Legion Executive, Gordon Kaster.
A new no-cost dental program iscoming to Huron County, which willhelp ensure that eligible kids canestablish and maintain good oralhealth.Accessing dental care for children
can be a challenge for some Ontario
families, particularly for those
families without dental benefit
coverage. The new Healthy Smiles
Ontario program will ensure that
kids can have regular visits with adentist or dental hygienist. Thisprogram is anticipated to benefitabout 130,000 kids throughout theprovince.Administered by the Huron
County Public Health Unit, the
program will provide preventive
dental care at no cost to kids
who are 17 years and under, are
members of a household with an
Adjusted Family Net Income of$20,000 per year or less or don’thave access to any form of dentalcoverage.By making regular trips to adentist or dental hygienist, kids will
be able to prevent cavities and other
dental problems that can contribute
to diseases later in life.
The program will start in January
and will be offered across Huron
County in Wingham, Clinton andHensall. Services that will becovered include regular visits to alicensed dental provider, cleanings,fillings, X-rays and scaling.The Healthy Smiles Ontario
program is part of the province’s
Poverty Reduction Strategy to
reduce the number of children
living in poverty by 25 per cent
over five years, and supports thefive-year Open Ontario Plan toprovide more access to health careservices.“It is important that we give ourchildren the best start in life – this
program will ensure that children
have access to preventive dental care
when they need it most,” said Huron-
Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell.
THE EDITOR,
Interesting comments in the Sept.
23 “Frustration Grows” editorial.
I’ve learned over the past several
months that politicians at all levels
of government, the “expert” advisors
and bureaucrats, must all study from
the same “explanation and
clarification” manual and more often
than not, “speak in tongues”. No, not
the biblical kind, but in a more basic,
garden-variety, everyday “Baffle-
gab” kind. I mean, how else could
you explain “Bafflegab” kind. I
mean, how else could you explain
the federal Minister of Health’s
explanation of not being even
willing to look into funding
research, or clinical trials, for the
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) liberation
therapy; and the provincial ministers
of health who followed suit?
It’s been said by some, that
politicians live in a bubble, and once
elected, forget the concerns of real
people.
If politicians could see what a
person with MS sees everyday,
perhaps they would be less inclined
to “bafflegab.” Here’s what a person
with MS, Blyth’s Lorie Falconer,
says about the subject, “it is very
hard … as a person with MS to look
at this issue as one of dollars and
cents, or as a political issue.” There
is “understanding and patience about
the importance of proper study to
progress treatment, however, as
someone who deals with MS
everyday, the very smallest of
improvement in the quality of life, or
reduction in symptoms would be a
huge advancement in MS treatment.
With the progressive form of MS,
time is very important that treatment
happen before the symptoms
advance.” If nothing else, we “do
have faith that our federal Health
Minister will understand the
importance of moving ahead, and
making his research and treatment
available in Ontario ASAP. Perhaps
it’s time for those … with MS to
bring some attention to this
overlooked disease,” and create a
bigger voice.
If I understand correctly, the
government refuses to provide
research, or clinical trial, funding
because there is no anecdotal
evidence correlating MS and the
twisted vein research of Dr.
Zamboni.
So, there is no government-
assisted research funding which
could affirm, or deny, the efficacy of
the treatment because there is no
anecdotal evidence; there is no
anecdotal evidence because there is
no research to develop the it,
because there is no government-
assisted funding to fund the research
to develop the evidence.
University of Buffalo researchers,
while cautious, indicate that
there is a significant link between
narrowing neck veins and MS,
but our Canadian experts
indicate that the diagnostic
issues need to be understood. One
wonders if this is just more
bureaucratic inertia, the fiefdom
syndrome, or the Peter principle at
work. Or perhaps all three.
“Bafflegab”.
Lorie Falconer,
Greg Sarachman, Blyth.
Letters to the Editor
BBLLYYTTHH
PPRRIINNTTIINNGG IINNCC..
BLYTH 523-9211
PRINTING
IS OUR BUSINESS
• Colour • Business
Printing Forms
• Posters • Brochures
• Letterheads • Flyers
• Envelopes • Carbonless
• Business Forms
Cards • Labels
WE CAN DO IT ALL!
Large
Garden Mums
3 for $2000
Located 500 yds. west of Londesborough on County Road 15
519-523-9781
Fl
o
w
e
r
i
n
g
F
a
l
l
S
a
v
i
n
g
s
Beautiful Fall
Planters
On Sale NOW!
FALL SALE
All perennials, shrubs and trees
30%off