HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-02-28, Page 1•
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Inside this week
Blyth girl takes top
Pg. 3 awards in Legion
contest
Pg' 6 Support for living
independently
Pg. 8 Blyth skaters
present carnival
D, a Brussels PeeWees
. S. 7 lose to Drayton
Pg. 20 Blyth Scouting
honours leaders
Steady on
As the weather turned nasty outside, inside the Brussels arena was a busy spot on Saturday
as some 80 curlers, local and from further afield, turned out for the club's annual mixed
bonspiel. There were two draws at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. After a day on the ice, participants from
out of town had a treacherous trip home due to weather conditions. (Results on page 9) (Vicky
Bremner photo)
e Citizen B ssE
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 17 No. 9
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST)
Health Unit reports one case of flu
Gals team
challenges
Habits in
fundraiser
. It is a challenge game between
rookies and retired veterans, women
against men when the ABC Double
D Gals take on the Nasty
Habits/Lions members to raise funds
for the Blyth Community Centre
building fund.
The Nasty Habits, a familiar group
in Blyth and surrounding area, will
come out of retirement .for the
charity match and will have their
ranks boosted by Blyth Lions Club
members.
The ABC Double D Gals, in their
first full year of competition, draw
members from Blyth, Brussels,
Belgrave, Goderich, Seaforth,
Bayfield and Dungannon.
The family event, planned for 7:30
p.m., March 3 promises to be a fun-
filled evening with entertaining
hockey, great prizes and maybe even
a few antics and tricks by the two
squads.
Attendees will haVe the
opportunity to win a 50/50 draw or
compete in the chuck-a-puck
challenge. Tickets will be available
for purchase in a draw which will see'
the top two lucky winners each win a
pair of tickets to the last regular
season maple Leaf game.
The Gals/Nasty Habits hockey
match is sponsored by the Blyth
Lions Club as a fundraiser for the
community centre expansion
project.
Anne Elliott of the Gals
emphasizes the importance of the
fundraisers held for -the community
centre. "An expansion will benefit
all those who use the (facility). If the
community wants to keep the centre,
'we have to come together and work
for it. This is the Gals' way of
helping."
Tickets for the match are $3 per
person, $10 for a family and children
under five are free.
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
Influenza was officially identified
Feb. 19 in the Bluevale area of
Huron County. This is the first case
isolated and confirmed here this
influenza season.
With no increase in absenteeism at
schools and no confirmed cases at
area institutions, Marlene Price
Community Health Division
Manager for the Huron County
Health Unit, said, "Numbers are low,
but we are not out of the woods yet.
Influenza (flu) can last until the end
of March. We just may not have been
hit yet."
It was an incident parents fear and
communities often believe will never
happen at home.
North Perth OPP officers were
called to Listowel District Secondary
School last Wednesday morning
when they received -a report of a
student with a pellet gun shooting at
other students.
Two young males were taken into
custody and are facing several
weapons-related charges after a
CO2-operated pellet gun was
recovered from a locker.
The two students were later
released into the custody of their
parents, on a promise to appear in
court in Lisfowel.
One young offender was charged
with possession of a weapon
dangerous to the public peace while
• the other was charged with four
Criminal Code offences of assault
with a weapon, careless use of a
firearm, pointing a firearm and
possession of a weapon dangerous to
the public peace.
Responding officers expressed
concern over the realistic appearance
of the handgun, an exact duplicate of
Man dies
in farm
accident
Funeral services will be held
today, Wednesday, Feb. 28 for a Grey
Twp. man killed in a farni accident
Friday afternoon.
Police said Nicholas van Nes, 27
was one of two men repairing a feed
dump wagon at property on Brandon
Road just north-east of Brussels. The
victim was underneath the wagon
using a cutting torch. He had cut one
cylinder and was two-thirds through
the second one when the cylinder
snapped causing the two sections-of
the wagon to slam together crushing
his upper body.
The Grey Fire Department assisted
at the scene.
Visitation was held on Monday
and Tuesday evenings. Funeral mass
for van Nes, who was the son of Bill
and the late Margaret van Nes will be
at I p.m. from St. Ambrose Roman
Catholic Church, Brussels.
The Health Unit will continue to
monitor the situation, but Price said
she would like to think the increased
number of residents obtaining the
free flu shots this fall as well as the
school programs have helped reduce
the risk of spread.
"If all the doses we distributed to
the hospitals, nursing homes and
schools were used, 55 per cent of
residents received shots, a
comparable figure to neighbouring
counties."
In long-term care facilities, Price
said 95 per cent of residents had
shots as well as 75 per cent of staff at
hospitals and homes. That number is
up from 56 per cent last season.
When the flu season hit last year
a Glock 40-calibre semi-automatic.
It would easily have be mistaken for
an actual handgun if the officers had
encountered the student in the hall
with the gun in his hand, said the
OPP press release.
According to a report from the
police the gun was purchased
through ariAmerican website via the
just after Christmas, Price said the
hospitals were very busy. "It has
been quiet (so far) this year."
The predominant strains of
influenza in Ontario so far appears to
be the same as those strains covered
by the influenza vaccine.
The flu usually presents with a
high fever, headache, sore throat,
cough, muscle aches and pains. It
can lead to pneumonia and other
complications especially in the
elderly or in persons with chronic
health problems like heart or lung
disease.
Influenza is one of the more
serious of a number of respiratory
viruses that circulate each winter:
Many people confuse these other
intemet.
The schotil administration had
responded immediately after
learning a student had been shot in
the back with the pellet gun.
The OPP were contacted and an
information letter was sent home to
all parents. The letter reassured
parents there was, and is, no threat in
flu-like illnesses with true influenza.
The annual flu vaccine people are
encouraged to get in the fall protects
against influenza but not these other
respiratory viruses.
Remember, it's still not too late to
get a flu shot so if you haven't
already, don't put it off any longer. If
people are feeling ill with influenza,
it . is important for them to stay at
home to.avoid infecting others.
Influenza should not be confused
With the "stomach flu" which has
been circulating in Huron County
this year. Viral gastroenteritis or
"stomach flu" causes symptoms of
vomiting and diarrhea, which are
different from the respiratory
symptoms caused by influenza.
general to students at LDSS and
assured them the efforts regarding
this case will continue for the safety
of the staff and students.
Police say the two students
charged in the incident have been
suspended.
The victim of the shooting was not
injured.
Pellet gun incident at LDSS