HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-04-06, Page 3ROUND & ABOUT
Walkerton's .fire
chief resigns
WALKERTON - Chief Frank
Koebel, of the .Walkerton Fire
Department has resigned, effec-
tive the first of April.
Deputy Chief Jack Maschke
has ' been appointed to the
position until Sept. 30, 1994.
PUC will pay
for thawing
KINCARDINE - The Kincar-
dine Public Utility Commission
has agreed to pay for the
thawing of residents' water
pipes. •
Directors made the decision to
cover the cost of the first thaw
out as long as residents have a
receipt or a cancelled cheque.
The commission will also pay up
to $25 for , the cost of water
hoses for those residents who
hooked up to neighbor's water.
Town may get -
Senior A team
.CLINTON - If 'enough players
can be found to start up. a squad,
Clinton could be.playing host to
a Senior A hockey team next
season.
Bill McGregor is currently
working to see whether there is
,enough interest to get a team
started, and he explained that he
has heard from a few players
who would be interested in
getting a Senior A team •started.
"I thought it was a good idea. If
we have some push, maybe we'll
get more interest," he says.
Players must be 20„years old.
The draw for a Senior A team
covers areas with populations of
1,500. to 15,000, and players
come from within a 40 km
radius of the centre hosting the
squad. . •
Mitchell asks
for OPP costing
MITCHELL - Labelling it the
best move for the future of the
Town. of Mitchell, council will
formally ask for a cost to change
the town's police., service to
OPP.
Once it happens, and the OPP •
changeover is later approved 'by
council, Mitchell could be ser-
viced by OPP officers within
.two years.
Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, April 6, 1994 — Page 3
AIDS/HIV Awareness
Searching for light at the end of a tunnel
by Tracey Doerr
"I'm always looking for hope --the
light at the end of the tunnel.”
Ten years ago Rodger MacGilliv-
ray saw his doctor in Vancouver
about his swollen lymph glands. He
knew virtually nothing about a new
disease called AIDS.
For years they ran tests, tests that
confirmed nothing, or so he was
told.
In 1988 Rodger became ill with
shingles. His doctor told him it was
caused by the same virus that
causes chicken pox.
Recently Rodger had lost friends
to this new disease and he was
curious about it.
"Does this have anything to do
with HIV?" he asked.
"Yes it does. You've been
positive for a number of years
now."
He was stunned. All this time he
was HIV positive and he wasn't
told. He could have been treating
himself, he could have been prac-
ticing safe sex.
The, doctor had decided Rodger
would be better off if he didn't
have to deal with the stress of
knowing he had an incurable
disease.,
After the shingles had gone
Rodger decided to pick up his life
where AIDS left him.
He confided in his sister and
brother about his coddition and they
all decided it was best not to tell
his parents until he became ill.
It was his last day of college
when he ended up in the hospital
and he , had to do just That. His
father asked if Rodger would move
home to the Bruce Peninsula so
they could take care of each other.
Coming from a father who
Rodger was always afraid of, he
said it made him feel "rich."
Two years ago AIDS took over
Rodger's body and he developed
PCP (Pneumocystis carin'il
pneumonia), a lung infection that
causes severe shortness of breath
and a heavy cough. PCP is the most
common disease that causes death
in AIDS patients.
But Rodger was one of the lucky
ones. Tubes that were placed
through his nose to his lungs had
flushed out most of the infection.
Since that time Rodger has beep
unable to -work or do many of the
things he used enjoy.
"1 don't have the energy anymore.
I find now I'm sleeping half the
day, when I was younger you
couldn't get me to sleep."
Now, a good-looking. man in his
30's he appears to be in great
shape. In high school. he weighed
250 pounds. Slimming down is the
only good thing that's happened to
him because of AIDS.
"One of the ironies of this illness
is that you can look fairly good and
get an infection through the night."
Rodger speaks openly about his
feelings dealing with AIDS. Last
Wednesday night. he talked to
students at Saugeen Central School
during an awareness night or-
ganized by the school association.
The students were encouraged to
ask Rodger questions, and they did,
questions only a child would feel
comfortable asking.
"What did you feel when •you
were first told you had HIV?"
"Dread. There's fear, there's
anger inside. All your hopes and
dreams for the future are gone.
There are days I've gotten out of
bed and I couldn't see the end of
the day. And there are flights when
I go • to bed and I don't want to
wake up."
"Are you afraid of dying?'
Rodger isn't fearful of death.. He
thinks of it as a "luxury."
But while he's here he wants to
look at the positive side of things
and the fact that there ar '12 -year
HIV infected people out there who
have yet to develop AIDS.
"If I can reach out to one of 'you,
that's why I'm here. Something
tells me that I've yet to do what
I've been put on this world to ac-
::omplish. That's what gives m8 the
;irive to keep going."
Estimates 50 in Bruce -Grey have AIDS
by Tracey Doerr
Statistics tell us there are 13
people who• have been diagnosed
with AIDS in Grey and ,Bruce
County.
No one knows for sure low
many people are HIV positive or
how many people were diag-
nosed elsewhere but live in Grey
and Bruce and therefore not a
number in those statistics.
Monica Stewart,' director for
the AIDS committee said she
' figures there are 50 people who
have AIDS in Grey and Bruce.
Up until last year there were
no children affected by the
disease. But now a baby has
been born in one, of thetwo
counties to HIV infected parents,
a statistic Stewart said is "sad."
"A baby has no choice and.
that's.what really hurts me," said
Stewart.
But AIDS hurts everyone
involved not just the ones.strick-
en with the disease.
Not everyone knows this like
Cherie and Kelly Duhaime of
Port Elgin.
Over a year ago they lost a
'dear member of their family
because of AIDS. Greg Duhaime•
was a track runner who ran at
two Olympic games. In 1991 he
was diagnosed with, !`full blown
AIDS." .
•
Four years before his death
Greg moved to Dallas to coach
track and field.
"He wanted to hide it from us
but there was no hiding this
disease," said Cherie.
The/ couple brought Greg to
Port Elgin to care for him. They
had a tough time of 'it and there.
were nb manuals, to tell them
how to care for , somegne with
AIDS. .
"We were very ignorant on the'
subject of AIDS and we had to•
learn very quickly," said Cherie.
She said they couldn't have
done it without the support of
their friends. People 'cooked for
them, cared fortheir child and
did their laundry.
• "I didn't have to think of
AIDS until three years ago.. I
. have a. six-year-old son and I
can't stand thinking my little boy
could grow up and be affected
by this disease."
' Education and making the right
choices. is what will prevent
' AIDS from spreading.
"If you're going to abstain, we
applaud you. If nbt, go into the
situation with as' much education
as you can." said Stewart.
Children in Bruce County
schools are getting that education
not only in health class but,
science, mail in society, law and
history as well.
"It's pretty hard for any
student to slip through the , sys-
temwithout knowledge of HIV
and' AIDS," said Earl Farrell,,,
Bruce County .. Board of
Education.
The students attending the
I-IIV/AIDs Awareness Night at
Saugeen Central. School: last
Wednesday made it apparent that
they did know .a lot about the
disease:
Even Marion Steele of the
Grey -Bruce AIDS committee
was impressed.
"I couldn't have said vaginal
secretions at your age if my life
depended on it," said Steele.
• Now, Steele said females bet-
ween the ages of 1:8 and 25 are
the . ones contracting - the HIV
virus and in 10 years, they will
be the ones with AIDST
"We know that for teens the
risk is very high. It's got to stop
somewhere •and that's by you."
• 1
Will begin search, fr new director this month
It will be later in April before
trustees for the Bruce -Grey Separate
School Board begin to talk about'
how to replace their director of
education.
Dr. Joseph Waters resigned sud-
denly. March 21 and is now on paid
leave of absence. Waters had been
with the hoard for only 14 months.
•
•
LAST CHANCE
Baseball
(Hardball & Rec Ball)
and
Soccer
yviRegistration
•
Lucknow - April 7th 7-9 pm
At The Lucknow Arena
Late registrations subject to additional charge
Board chair `Bill Zettel, at the
board's March 29 meeting said a
meeting' in April will be trustees'
first chance to brainstorm on how
to deal with the vacancy.
When and holy to hire a new
director or whether to share that job
with another separate board are
among the range of options that
Could be considered.
Also on the agenda for the special
meeting in April'is a review of the
board's busing policy.
The edification services committee
has gathered information on
walking distaiuees and • attendance
boundaries for all its • schools,
including. secondary and French
immersion.
Trustees will go over the infor-
mation with an eye to any neces-
sary changes.
The board regularly gdts requests
for exceptions and amendments to
established bus and attendance
boundaries. It is also faced with
continuing cuts in the province's
grant for transportation.
71/11117711
3/8 (lO mm)
CORDLESS DRILL
.& CHARGER
With the, purchase
of any DOLMAR
Chain Saw
valued at over $50,00 .
*()fifer available while supplies last
#60400W
Modern chain saw
technology from
DOLMA"; "'; i
SPRING
SPECIAL
PRICING!
E.c. SD 102 - 39cc 16" Bar
List
No Trade Price
'368.$5 . $343.95
EG. SD 116 - 60 cc 20" Bar.
List
No Trade Price
'669.95. • '619.95
Savings on, all other models
as well!
Specials In Effect till April 10.199.1.
REPAIR 1'l) 11.1. t.VP E\(!L\f
Nc)w at
IRWIN SMALL ENGINE
R. R. #5, LUCKNOW, ONTARIO) NOG 2H0 357-4360