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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-08-16, Page 5Polio clinics abandoned Polio immunization clinics in surrounding counties have been cancelled because of a limited supply of vaccine and also officials believe that polio carriers have been confined and the disease is under control. Dr. Lorena Vincente, Bruce County Medical Offic- er of Health, said Tuesday there will be no further immunilzation clinics in the county. Dr. Vincente stated that the Ministry of Health will only now make the vaccine available to eight counties in and around the Oxford County area. Six cases of polio have now been confirm- ed in the Norwich area and a number of other residents are still quarantined awaiting laboratory results to see if they are carriers of the disease. Counties that are still conducting immunization clinics include Lambton, Ox- ford, Middlesex, Elgin, Hal- dimand-Norfolk, Brant, Wat- erloo and Perth. Dr. Vincente claimed that because of mass immuniza- tion clinics held in these counties, there is little vac; cine available. The Ministry of Health is making the bulk of the vaccine available to these counties. Dr. Vincente said that areas outside the above men- tioned counties are consider- ed low risk and there is 'little concern over the disease spreading. Some doctors have limited supplies of the polio vaccine and people are urged , to see their family doctor for shots if the vaccine is available. The Bruce County Health Unit has received a barrage of telephone calls about the vaccine in the past week but Dr. Vincente said the con- cern is diminishing now that the disease seems to be udder control in the Norwich area. Also this week the Ontario Ministry of Health began limiting the vaccine to per- sons under 18 years of age but some doctors have ignor- ed the restriction and offer their supply of vaccine until it is gone. {' Although there is little vaccine available for Bruce and neighbouring counties, Dr. Vincente urges everyone to update their vaccination once the vaccine is available. July 25, 1978. Lucknow Sentinel. Thank you very much for sending me the Lucknow paper. I really appreciate reading about all the 'news from home'. When someone moves away from their local area, they like to hear about all the activities that they are missing and your paper presents these events , very well. I would like to continue my subscription so please find enclosed a cheque. Thank you very much, Jan Bowland, Montreal, Quebec. Stratford, Ontario. Dear Madam: Enclosed please find my cheque for one year's renew- al for my old "hometown paper", the Sentinel_ I have taken this paper since mnay years before the Thompson family took it. over. Sincerely yours, Howard I. McGuire. • R 4. Lucltnow Senthiel, Wednesday, Angast Ilb, 978—page 5 BY D. A. CAMPBELL Drunk driving, and failing to remain at the scene of an accident, are serious charges. When young Norman Parker, our local spoilt rich boy, appeared in court on these two counts, I wrote a full story on the proceedings in the Grunt and Thunder. By doing so, I gave the local gossips a birthday and deprived myself of a weekly full page advertisement from Parker's Silver Dollar Grocery Store. My financial position at that time was desperate and the future of my little newspaper in jeopardy. It seemed as if I were travelling down a one way street to disaster! "Yer worry too much," Angus told me, as he watched me battle with• my fears. "A man can only do 'is best, an' most things,yer worry about never 'appen!" As if to fight back at my dilemma, I worked harder than ever to improve the appearance of my dying publication. One sentence sticks in my mind to remind me of those. days - a piece oiit of the church news, written by a local minister. "When God closes a window, He opens a door!" I had just read those words, when a shiny Lincoln Continental pulled up outside the office, and a well dressed man with an official looking brief case, stepped out of the care -- "This is it," I told myself. "This has got to be the end. I figured it v .as somebody with the authority to put a lock on the door. A peculiar feeling gripped my stomach; a combination of fear and relief. The face which greeted me did not have the look of the human vultures who prey upon financial misery. This face was a picture of warmth and understanding. "Hello Sir! I'm Chuck—Bedford and 1 represent the Diamond Supermarkets. Could you spare me a few minutes of your time?" Of course I could. This man was all confidence and good humour a cloudburst in a desert wasteland. I smiled . and nodded. "We'd like to place a weekly ad in your newspaper. We have just opened a new store in Pantown and expect to draw quite a lot of business from Redtrees and the surrounding area." He opened his brief case and took out a sheet of reproducible advertising copy. "How's this for size?" I took the overall measurements with an old ink stained ruler. "This wilt be a double page .spread on my tabloid - centre fold. What do you expect to pay?" He checked my circulation against his cost listings and came up with a figure about twenty-five per cent more than I usually charged. At that moment, all advertising prices in the Grunt and Thunder jumped accordingly! "You got yourself a deal," I told my visiting angel. "When do you pay?" He gave my debtors' den the once over, andno doubt also saw the dollar hungry look in my eyes. "as soon as we get the tear sheet. We usually pay monthly, but rules are made to be broken I guess!" It was all too good to be true. We shook hands on the deal and he breezed out of the office just as quickly as he came. When I had recovered sufficiently to continue editing the church news, I felt as though I had experienced a day dream. "When God closes a window," I read again; "He opens a door." There was a message here, and Somebody had just opened a double door for me! The fact that Pantown was becoming a built-up area, brought the possibility of more advertising for the Grunt and Thunder, but I couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness, as more rural land surrendered to commerce and construction. A new aircraft plant, heavily subisized by the government, was providing thousands of jobs with ridiculous' rates of pay. A man who swept the floors could earn more than the average farmer! The company grew like a weed on a manure pile, thriving on sheer waste of labour and materials and forced to grow like topsy on the empire -building dreams of foolish men. The goose which laid the golden egg is now dead, executed by greed and stupidity, but this is another story! The prosperity of Pantown spilled over the countryside and many of the hitherto poverty stricken residents of Redtrees, wallowed in the government sponsored bonanza. Parker's grocery "tick" business dwindled to a mere trickle, and the supermarkets of Pantown took an increasing amount of the Redtrees business. Parker had to bring down his grocery prices and offer numerous weekly "specials" in an attempt to retain his trading position. This. meant he had to communicate his prices to the public and there\was only one way of doing that! Like a dot with its tail between its legs he returned to the Grunt and Thunder. "I have been doing a little thinking," he told me, trying to soften his utter defeat. "I have to admit I was wrong when I stopped advertising in your paper." This was a different man to the one who, only a few weeks ago, had threatened to exterminate me. At that time, I had been forced to take his low blows and swallow my pride. It was a new ball game now, and this time, I was holding the bat! "1 don't need your patronage, Parker," I told him angrily. "Sure, I can always use more advertising, but I don't need handouts, especially from you!" The man who thought he could buy everything and everybody, received my words like a bucket of ice water in the face. I had burst his egotistical balloon..and his eyes avoided me as I continued to lash him. "What do you think I run this newspaper for - the money? If all I lived 'for was money, I'd be working for that white elephant they call an aircraft factory. I'd be just another parasite feeding on the taxpayers. There are more important things in life, like pride and self respect, but you wouldn't know about that, would you?" "I'm sorry," Parker mumbled, "and I have already said I was wrong." He looked at me and almost appealed. "Will you take my advertising?" "I'm a newspaper man," 1 told him, "I believe in free speech, a free press and fair competition. You know darned 'well I'll take your ad, but it's going to cost you twenty-five per cent more, and you'll have to pay me after each edition! By strange circumstances beyond my control, I had ridden out the financial storm. "Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small. Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all." (Longfellow) Listen to others and don't be a bore If you are 50 or more years old you can easily look and probably feel 5 to 10 years younger than you are. Your attitude is the most important thing. • If it is poor you won't bother much with the way you look but with a good attitude you can do wonders for yourself. Be thankful for what you have. Many are worse off than you and if you love your neighbour as yourself then you will love yourself.. Listen to others. Don't be a bore and above all show consideration and appreciation; don't complain or critic- ize. Try to think young and you won't condemn the young folks. Neither should you- engage in self-pity or make childish demands on others. Communicate. Circpplate. The past is past so talk about *l at's happening today. Think Positively; try to look good. Your problems are not the fault of others and while many will be pleased to help you solve them, you yourself, must first accept them, then work to improve your situation. Maintain your independence as long as possible by taking care of yourself. Don't fall into taking the easy way out. Eat right. Dress as well as you can and above all, don't start letting things slide. How about trying something new. Food you've never eaten before; new hair style; a change in the route over which you habitually walk or ride. Read a lot. Ask your librarian to help you in the selection of a good reading program. Take care of your health; maintain it if you can't improve it. Maybe your smoking, drinking and eating habits are helping to incapacitate you, Set a weight limit in consultaion with your doctor then try to attain it by sensible means which are within your power. Stand tall and walk erect. A lot of stooping is simply the result of a long habit of slouching because it seems less tiring. The opposite is probably true. Make your steps longer and as brisk as possible. Take stairways two steps at a time. It requires no additional effort really and you'll get a kick out of doing it. There is a price to pay for achieving physical goals bit it is well worthwhile. Don't look old. Keep up your appearance. Throw away old baggy and wrinkled clothes which you have no need for and which you may just be keeping for old times sake. OK if you're going to. masquerade but apart from that --- Look all around you. See hdw some people look old, even when they are quite young. Then contrast these with those who look much younger even when you know they are getting along in years. If your means permit don't stay with a faithful old automobile on which you brag of having put on more than 200 thousand miles. Get a new one and then, if you like to drive ten miles an hour under the speed limit do so where you won't interfere with others. You really don't enjoy those looks you get from passing motorists if you do this do you? Attend functions which are an attraction to the young as well as old. Have a good physical hobby, walking is one of the best, and make yourself useful. Help others; make yourself needed. Get excited and enthusiastic about something; sports, gardening, anything. You don't like the way the country is being run?, Then get interested in politics. Attend meetings, work for someone you believe will help improve things but, above all --- don't just sit there! Do something.