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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2002-12-25, Page 1- :"4'1PS. • 1..83: '" -: Dec. 25, 2002 Si (includes GST) Oast O.I.C. Rates 30 Day... 2.55% 1 Year... 3.05% 5 Year ...4.45 96 In brief No Norwalk virus yet in Seaforth By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor While Seaforth doctors, both at the clinic and the hospital, have not yet seen any evidence of the Norwalk virus in town, Dr. Shawn Edwards says there's a high probability that they will eventually this winter. "We've all seen cases o vomiting and diarrhea but we haven't seen anything that identifies as Norwalk yet. it's generally more intense but a shorter duration than stomach flu," he said Friday. Clinical Site Leader Mary Cardinal said signs have been posted at the Seaforth hospital asking visitors to wash their hands before seeing patients. "That's the most effective prevention they can do," she said. The Huron County Health Unit issued a press release last week saying that Huron physicians are reporting an increased number of patients with Norwalk symptoms. Norwalk virus is a common cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the winter and has been linked to outbreaks in childcare centres, hospitals and longterm care facilities across Ontario, including outbreaks this year in London, Toronto and Kitchener. Norwalk spreads easily from person to person and can survive on hard objects like door knobs and stair railings. Symptoms usually appear one to two days after exposure to the virus. Most people will experience one to three days of nausea, vomiting and watery diarrhea as well as fever and stomach cramps. Prevention of the spread of the virus can be done by thorough hand washing for 15 to 20 seconds after every use of the toilet and before preparing and eating food. Those with symptoms should not prepare food for others, get plenty of rest and stay home for 48 hours after you no longer have any symptoms. Hospital more than hallway to Christmas =Or - .P096 g 9. Cdurrban and %Rid& Chrliknas 001101113 .. PO. •, 13 9. Wird cat rrusidtsss play Walk rtxkband ..Page 12 Sleigh bells were the sound of Christmas Seaforth seniors remember the most memorable Christmas holidays of their past By Jennifer Jackson Expositor Staff The more things change, the more they stay the same. Last week's Christmas edition of the Huron Expositor featured artwork and writing from Seaforth students about their best Christmas memories. And although the modes of transportation have changed and people are spending more money, Seaforth residents young and old agree that spending time with family is what makes their holidays special. "Christmas was always lots of fun because we'd have a party at home with family," explained Seaforth Manor resident Freda Bradshaw, who said her best Christmas ever was the year after World War II ended. "I made a Christmas pudding and put sixpences in it and my son was getting upset at me for putting all of them in grandpa's side. He kept saying `oh I've found another one,' but he was pulling them out of his pocket." At that time Bradshaw was living on the Channel Islands between England and France. She hosted the Christmas celebrations because her mother was recovering from an operation. Bradshaw also recalled spending Christmas with two Canadian soldiers during the war. "We were asked to invite two soldiers to join us," she said. "One of them was from Alberta and we kept in touch for many years after he'd gone home." Maplewood Manor resident Elgin Nott still continues his family tradition of a musical Christmas with his grandchildren. As a child he remembered standing beside the piano singing and playing his violin while his sister played carols. "We used to hitch a team Elgin Nott an• •a`Mcllwaln of horses up to the sleigh, with lots of bells and go to my sister's house to celebrate with lots of music on Christmas day," recalled Nott. "It used to be great fun to pile the whole family in the sleigh and bundle up with rugs and blankets ,over our knees."• - Ida McLlwain, also a resident at Maplewood, remembered riding a sleigh in the winter and hearing bells "from a ways off" along the side roads. "Sometimes you could tell who it was, just by the sound Susan Hundertmark photo Mayor lin Steffler and webpage designer Glen Hall officially launch the new Huron East website on Friday at town hall. New Huron East website has official launch Friday By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor With the push of a button, Mayor Lin Steffler sent the new Huron East website into cyberspace during an official launch at, town hall last Friday. 'This is only phase one, the base model to grow from and take off from. There's a lot more to come," said website designer Glen Hall, of the internet development company OSIM in Caledonia. Hall said the goal of the Huron East website - at www.huroneast.com - is to establish a strong presence online with instant access to documents normally found elsewhere. As well, he said the website will promote Huron East to potential new businesses and residents. Steffler's Message from the Mayor online welcomes visitors to "the best part of Huron County." "As you explore our new website, you will find we have just about everything you could want 'in a community, whether it is a place to raise your family, a place to start a new business or a place to retire and put up your feet," says her message. "Above all, Huron East provides that quality of life that is unique to rural Ontario - quiet and safe. It is that quality and the friendly people of our area that are our key assets," it says. So far, the website contains a large section on the Huron East council, with information about each councillor, copies of council agendas and meeting minutes along with 135 bylaws so far. "If anything's going on, people can easily get their councillor's phone numbers online. And, the minutes will be archived and stay on line year after year," said Hall. Documents such as marriage licences and building permits will also be available online. Hall said he is still adding information to SN HEW, Page 2 of bells," explained Nott. "I always enjoyed my horses and made sure to put on lots of jingle bells." For Maplewood resident Gladys Leiper, Christmas was more of a . religious affair, than a celebration. "We always went to church for Christmas," she explained. "There were always lots of carols to sing and school concerts were the highlight of the holidays." All four seniors remember going out to a bush and cutting down their own ,Christmas tree to decorate each year. "When it came to house decorations, my mom bought white, red and green tissue paper and we used to cut it into strips and make a chain that went across the kitchen," McLlwain recalled. "But there wasn't the buying of toys and the stores weren't full like they are now." Leiper said that children usually received a main gift such as a homemade doll or game, with a few little treats like oranges, nuts and candy. "We spend a lot of money today on Christmas as opposed to when I was growing up. It's much more commercialized now," she commented. But regardless of the fact that they're not sure what to buy their toy -laden grandchildren, Bradshaw, Nott, McLlwain and Leiper agree that Christmas for them is still about spending time with family and friends. Bradshaw is spending her holidays with her daughter in Bayfield, Nott will be heading down the road to his son's farm near Clinton and Leiper will be staying in Seaforth with her sister. And although she's not quite sure where, McLlwain will be celebrating with her five children, 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. "I'll just go wherever they invite me," she laughed. Sixteen Iranian delegates tour Huron East's farms, industry By Jennifer Jackson Expositor Staff' Sixteen Iranian delegates toured Seaforth's downtown, municipal offices, industrial park and an area farm recently as part of a rural development exchange with the University of Guelph. • "We hope to get some information about agriculture organizations in your country and take them back to our country and adapt them to the conditions of Iran," explained Dr. Ali Yadghar, advisor to Iran's Deputy Minister of Agriculture, during the group's tour of Bill Wallace's jersey farm, just east of Seaforth. "We also want to form a good base for future cooperation between our country and yours." Guelph University professor of rural planning and development Harry Cummings, who is originally from Clinton, helped to organize the Dec. 17 tour. "They were very pleased with the day and impressed with the warmth and friendship of the people of Huron East," Cummings said. "What impressed them most was the Wallace's farm operation and how much Bill and his wife Rowena are doing." Wallace said after the tour that the delegates seemed to be most interested in the economic aspects of his farm. "They were also very interested in how much the government was involved and were very surprised to hear that it wasn't," the former Huron Federation of Agriculture president explained. "I got the sense that they experience a lot more government involvement in their farming. They thought there would be a government person telling us what to do." Cummings spent two weeks in Iran in 1999 as part of the exchange. He said that Huron East was chosen for the tour because of his previous connections with Huron East economic development officer Bonnie LaFontaine and its abundance of agriculture. Yadgharsaid that he noticed both similarities and differences between the business of agriculture in Iran and Canada. "Iran is a developing country and Canada is developed, so there are many differences," he explained. "Only some of your people live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture, but most of our people live in rural See DELEGATES, Page 1