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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2017-02-01, Page 2626 Signal Star • Wednesday, February 1, 2017 Trump stop -of -mind' among winter campers Scott Dunn Postmedia Network OWEN SOUND - When they weren't building fires, tying knots, sawing logs or pulling sleds in rescue drills, Scouts talked a little politics at the 54th annual winter Scout camp in Harrison Park this weekend. There were 19 groups, including a couple of troops from Ohio taking part. Ohio Scouts have been coming up to the campouts for perhaps 30 years. In all, 210 Scouts, Ventures (older teen Scouts), leaders and organi2ers from southwestern Ontario arrived Friday. With United States Presi- dent Donald Trump a polar- izing daily figure in the news since he was sworn in Jan. 20, and during the long elec- tion campaign before that, some Canadian Scouts couldn't wait to ask their American visitors about him. The campout offers Scouts a chance to share experiences as they all intermingle, said Scout master Steve Allaire, who lives in Miamisburg, Ohio, an official sister city of Owen Sound's. His Miamis- burg Troop 103 attends the Owen Sound carnpout every other year. International discussions included talk of their favour- ite candy bars, then James Devine changed the subject. "I said, uh, do you like Trump?" the 12 -year-old from the 10th Barrie/First Foresters Scout troops in Barrie recounted. "We can understand parts of what he is saying, right?" Allaire said in response. "And then other parts we're still trying figure out, understand, learn. Ask questions." And ask questions the young Canadian Scouts did, Allaire said. "They were kind of surrounding nie," once they detected his American accent. "Are you from American?' I'm like, yeah. Right away. Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump. Like all sorts of ques- tions. It's really top -of -mind for sure," Allaire said. James and Allaire were at the log -sawing station; one of six events the Scouts were rotating through during their weekend of fun which runs until Sunday afternoon. The pauses between troop visits at the station provided a handy opportunity for Cana- dian campers to quiz their. visitors. Allaire lives in a fairly rural area which for the most part votes Republi- can, he said, while the cit- ies of Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus are home to more Democrat -leaning support. The economy was a clear election issue, he said. Miamisburg, a city of 20,000 people, is doing really well" economically, he said. The city celebrates its 200th anniversary next year and "things are actu- ally on the upswing for sure. Miamisburg in partic- ular has a lot of strong eco- nomic development around light to heavy industry and services. Employment's actually pretty strong right now." But it's been through eco- nomic trials following the recession ten years ago, added James Dillon, another Scout leader from the Miamisburg troop. "We lost a lot of Scouts because they moved, because they (Scouts' par- ents) lost their jobs. We've had a lot of job loss. There has been some pick up, cer- tainly. But there certainly it has been a lot of job loss in that area." I le's familiar with the security and computer sectors "and they outsource everything" to places outside of the country, like the Phil- ippines, he said. The Scouts from south of the border were curious about Canada too and were excited to come, said Dillon, whose 11 -year-old son, John, is on the trip. "He's been looking for- ward to this trip. The boys were talking about their trip up to Canada and how fun it was and he was sold at that moment, honestly." Laurie Watt, whose son James asked about Trump, joked that just as she was helping Syrian refugees newly arrived in Canada, she'd help any Americans who wanted to come now too, given the election result. But then she said the beauty of Scouting is its members come from all over but still share com- mon values and interests, meaning they're never strangers. Organizer Jim Finnigan called the Owen Sound campout the longest run- ning international winter camp for Scouts and Ven- tures. They all went bowling Friday night and a "snow- ball" outdoor dance was to take place Saturday night in the parking lot outside the 1larrison Park Community Centre. Finnigan said about 60 per cent of the campers came from beyond Grey -Bruce, including from Barrie, Oran- geville, Keswick, Guelph, Stayner and Kitchener areas. Local troops hailed from Port Elgin, Hanover, Luc - know, Mildmay, Chesley, Owen Sound and Flesherton. Lower the volume ■ and avoid hearing loss When your son or daughter is listening to their iPod with earbuds, can you hear the music? It might be annoying, but it might also be dangerous for your child. Hearing special- ists have noticed an increasing tendency toward temporary or permanent hearing loss in young people who listen to music on iPods and MP3s at volumes that exceed safe levels. Sound levels are measured as A -weighted decibels (dBA). Below 70 dBA, sound is not a risk factor in hearing loss, even with exposure over an extended period of time. At this level, the volume of sound can be compared to the noise heard in a car travelling on a highway, with the windows closed and the radio switched off. But when sound reaches 85 dBA or more, the risk increases with the length of the period of exposure. That is why many companies use this figure as a reference level when limiting expo- sure to noise in the workplace. In concrete terms, that means that listening to hard rock for 10 minutes at 102 dBA or being exposed for 6 hours at 86 dBA can lead to serious hearing loss, possibly permanent. In order to . reduce these risks, music has to be kept at a safe volume. Keep in mind that if a person one metre away from you has to shout to be heard, the sound level is probably higher than 85 dBA. Now, there's a statistic that everyone should hear! Are young people listening to too much loud music? Consult a specialist if your teenager shows signs of hearing loss. Good for the morale ■ Are you feeling down? Try raising your spirits by choosing healthy foods that boost your serotonin levels and get you feeling good again. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates several body functions, including the gastrointes- tinal system, and that also holds the key to our mood. Flax seed, wild fish, free range meat and eggs, buckwheat, and bananas are good ways to naturally boost your serotonin levels. Some say that foods with high carbohydrate content, such as pasta, rice, potatoes, and couscous can also help fig, the blues — especially if combined with exercise. Women who suffer from the discomforts of premenstrual syndrome are often advised to take vitamin B6 supplements. Research has proven that a B6 deficiency is associated with a decrease of serotonin in the brain, resulting in a feeling of depression and irritability. In order to get enough of this vitamin, women's diets should include plenty of meats, fish, nuts, grains, as well as wheat germ and legumes. Stress, which increases magnesium loss, can also lead to mood sen- sitivities. That means that hav- ing fun, laughing, and exercise can help you feel better too. Good old comfort foods are also great quick -fixes for your mood. Some of your grand- mother's pancakes with maple syrup or your aunt's homemade chicken soup might help you to feel better for a while. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure your portions of cook- ies and cakes are small and that they're eaten at mealtimes instead of as snacks. Add sunshine &your day by choosing foods known for their anti -depressant qualities.