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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-07-21, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2005. Water tower upgrades will cost $85,000 By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor It's not an immediate concern, but North Huron is going to have to consider costs in the $85,000 range to fix and upgrade the Wingham water tower. At the Monday night meeting of council Mike Knul of Landmark Tank and Tower Inc.'s service division, outlined some of the findings from their recent inspection and cleaning of the standpipe. The roof hatch is corroded and the sheet metal cover is flimsy. "Because of its location, workers need io climb over it so a new hatch is recommended." said Knul. The rooftop vent. (hough substantially larger than some others, is s-till too small. An upgrade should be done at some point A vent vacuum relief unit which eliminates open holes that allows birds and other possible contaminants to enter the tower, is a standard feature now. This is easily installed said Knul in the exact location ol the existing vent. A repair to the overflow pipe is also required. "We have said in the report, to address the failure the solution is a stainless steel pipe that would not be attached to the ladder Because of the installation of a communications antennae, lightning protection is another upgrade that should be done. Knul suggested that costs could be shared with the users ol the antennae. I'his includes the police services. The cost ol this component would be $14,500. One ol the major concerns w as the patch work repair, which was done in 1984. However, said Knul. "the repaii is surprisingly good. It's still very strong, actually in great condition." Clusters or pinpoints in the lining arc an introduction to deterioration Three clusters eight to 10-inches in width will lead to delamination, he said. The worst part ol the lank was the floor, said Knul He recommended that it be power biased then given two ci>ats of apoxy. Safety is a big component ol the upgrades In the 1990s five deaths were reported in the held, said Knul. so the principals began developing a system lor a safer working env ironment "One ol the regulations required is that anyone exposed to lulling more than three feet or into water had >o have full lall arrest or the ability to be rescued.” Working with the Ministry ol Labour. Landmark's system has been CSA approved. For Wingham, the access hatch is loo narrow, and should be moved. A fixed rail running the length ol the ladder is recommended and the ladder cage should be removed. A safety rail from the hatch lo lhe roof should be installed. Councillor Arnold Taylor questioned how long lhe upgrades and repairs would take. With curing time, then testing, Knul suggested just over two weeks. Noting the financial constraints under which council operates. Knul stressed that he did not expect they would do the work right away. To satisfy any concerns of government agencies, Knul said, at this point, “out recommendation is that you say yes. this needs lo be done. We are looking at n. we are aware of it." Blyth water meeting in Wingham, Aug. 2 By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor The public meeting to discuss the increase to Blyth water rates, which have not gone up since 1992. will be held prior to the Aug. 2 council meeting in Wingham. At Monday night's meeting, director of finance/treasurer Donna White told councillors that she had A personal floatation device can save your life For years the messages about wearing your personal floatation device or PFD have been delivered by the boating safety community. Boat Safe. Boat Smart - Wear It and It's Your Life....Preserve It are familiar to all who enjoy time on the water. So why continue to ignore the message? Research tells that while the majority insist that their children wear their PFDs. adults are not as careful about their own safety. The willingness to wear a PFD drops from 85 percent for children under five, to a low of 37 per cent by they time they reach their teen years. So what's the result of this complacency? Across Canada, 89 per cent of recreational boaters who drown each and every year were not wearing a lifejacket or PFD. Most of these drownings occur in small open power boats, accounting for 60 per cent of these preventable deaths. A majority of these victims were males between the ages of 19 and 35, out for a day of fishing. An average of 140 unnecessary drownings occur every year, but even more startling is the fact that this figure is estimated to be 43 per cent below the estimated actual figure due to misclassification of drowning information when the statistics were compiled. Many boaters who drown believed Aggregate strategy meetings drew big interest says planner By Keith Roulson Citizen publisher Two meetings held to discuss a Huron County aggregate strategy drew huge interest, senior planner Scott Tousaw told Huron County councillors at their July 7 session. The meetings, held June 8 in Wingham and June 9 in Holmesville drew more than 250 people. Tousaw said he thought those in attendance appreciated having lhe chance lo discuss the strategy. However Ben Van Diepenbeek, councillor for Ashficld-Colborne- received one call to date regarding the $10 per month jump. This ratepayer suggested that if a change was going to be made, why not build in the cost of installing meters. "This is the fair way to go. It's certainly more user pay. The problem is the outlay of capital costs. No doubt it will come at some point." said White. Councillor Murray Nesbitt they are good swimmers, so having a PFD on board and within easy reach when lhe unexpected happens, might seem good enough. But what good is a PFD stored under a seat or under the bow going to be? Most drownings happen when small boats capsize or someone falls overboard. The PFD that you leave behind is not much use. especially in cold water. In Canada, many boaters like to extend their boating season as long as they can so the water temperatures at the beginning and end of season can be very chilly. There are also parts of this country where water temperatures remain cold all year around. Hypothermia can lead to many problems such as disorientation and rapid incapacitation, but the real shocker is found in the new research on sudden cold waler immersion. Death from sudden cold water immersion happens very, very quickly. Research by Dr. Michael Tipton, a leading expert in cold water immersion has shown that the “gasp reflex” from sudden immersion has led to more deaths than previously known. The reaction causes a sudden uncontrollable gasp, followed by one to three minutes of hyperventilation. The initial gasp can cause you to inhale up to two litres of water, causing drowning. This volume of water will cause an individual not Wawanosh said people had commented to him that they were worried their concerns wouldn't be heard. “Is there a process when people can raise their concerns?” he asked Tousaw. Tousaw said 2,000 letters had been sent out in advance of the meetings to owners and neighbours of aggregate extraction opera­ tions. “This is a strategy,” he explained. “It will be implemented in local official plans.” When local official plans are being revised or amended people will have an opportunity to comment at the local level. wondered why (he public meeting was not being held in Blyth. White said that it had been discussed at the public works committee meeting and the decision was lo hold it in Wingham. Reeve Doug Layton added. "We have had public meetings in Blyth before and there is a poor turnout. If they had been good we certainly would have held the meeting in wearing a PFD to sink and not re­ appear. If lhe first gasp of waler is not fatal, hyperventilation will lead to the rapid onset of seveie hypothermia and death. So if the “gasp reflex” doesn't get you initially, you still face the effects of hypothermia. In cold waler your extremities will quickly numb making it very difficult to swim or to don a lifejacket in the water and rescue yourself. The onset of the second set of symptoms leading to death by hypothermia can occur even if we end up in water as warm as 60°F. Being in cold water for an extended period of time can result in severe hypothermia, which causes your body lo begin shutting down, resulting in death from cardiovascular failure. So lhe message is clear. Having your PFD on before you end up in the water will greatly increase your chance of survival. Things have changed and there is WANTED Dead Crows and Blue Jays West Nile Virus is transmitted to birds and humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms in birds manifest as neurological signs such as convulsions, tremors, head tilt, wing droop, and paralysis. Huron County residents are urged to report all dead crows and blue jays until the first of October. Crows and blue jays are particularly sensitive to West Nile Virus, so sightings will assist the Health Unit in mapping out possible West Nile Virus activity in Huron County. Report dead crows and blue jays to the Huron County Health Unit West Nile Virus 24 hour info-line at 519-482-3416 Ext. 2001, or if calling long distance, 1-877-837-6143 Ext. 2001. All other dead birds should be discarded in the following manner: • place in a double plastic bag, using rubber gloves, a double plastic bag, or a shovel; • do not touch dead birds with bare hands; • place the bagged bird out with regular household garbage; and • wash hands thoroughly. To find out more, visit www.huroncounty.ca or call the Huron County Health Unit at 482-3416 Ext. 2001. If calling long distance, dial toll free 1-877-837-6143 Ext. 2001. Blyth. but it’s an inconvenience lor council, especially on a regular meeting night.” The increase will result in a monthly charge of $23.50 for residential and $25.50 for commercial. "The worst of this is. it still doesn't cover the capital costs (of upgrading the system).” said White. She also mentioned that down lhe a new generation of PFDs and inflatable PFDs that are much more comfortable than lhe old standard lifejackets. In Canada there are three common types of approved flotation devices for use by recreational boaters: lifejackets. personal floatation devices (PFDs) and inflatable PFDs. Lifejackets when worn properly will turn the user over face up, due to the use of frontal flotation and collars. All approved lifejackets are available in youth and adult sizes and must be red orange or yellow. Approved PFDs are lightweight, comfortable and available in a wide range of styles and colours, designed for lhe type of boating you do and conditions you face. There are PFDs for paddling, sailing, fishing and high impact PFDs for waler sports and personal watercraft. Whatever your activity, there is a PFD suited for it. The most comfortable lightweight road, once the Belgrave upgrades have been completed, council may want to consider one rate for the whole municipality. However. Belgrave would have to be co­ ordinated with Morris-Turnberry so there would be several options to consider. White encouraged councillors to have people with questions contact her. approved PFD or lifejacket you can wear is one of the new inflatable PFDs, available in vest or pouch styles. Both of these types are manual inflation PFDs, but a few models are available with automatic inflation which instantly inflates the PFD when you hit the water. The pouch style requires the wearer to be conscious and to place the inflated vest over their head to be fully functional. To meet Canadian Small Vessel Regulations, inflatable PFDs must be worn at all times when aboard and underway and may not be worn by person under the age of 16, or weighing less than 36.3 kilograms. When choosing a lifejacket of PFD follow these simple guidelines. Choose one that is suitable for the activity you are involved in and check the label to make sure that it is Canadian approved and is of the correct size. And lastly, make sure it fits snuggly and is comfortable.