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Huron Expositor, 2005-03-02, Page 1Diacouut MUnlififeC Catlin la lac. Joy Finlayson & Sharon Medd Mortgage Consultants "Finally, a company that starts with a discount" I-0 \Iain ',L.... 1c:clurlh (5 19 ► 5;27-O56II arae. Sharon Medd, Associate Broker KV,A. Appraiser Visit: mis.ca for Information of listings in Huroo/Perih Wednesday, March 2, 2005 si ■25 includes GST SOW, CFP, B.Math Fhendd Flamer GiCa esrat Muth', 2016 Ar Nos NEM ad Yµt udsre s+u ass rmyO Best O.1.C. Rates 2.% 333.4- 3: % •DUNO II : iI I:I!�litlII 26 Main St., Seaforth 527-2222 lit brief Huron County in the middle of 'confirmed Influenza A activity' By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor If you're coughing, sneezing, achy and feeling under the weather, you could well be part of the "confirmed Influenza A activity" going on right now in Huron County. Along with the flu, Huron County Health Unit public health manager Laura Farrell says county residents are also reporting the diarrhea symptoms of Notwalk virus and various other respiratory ailments, Including a few cases of whooping cough. "There's a whole bunch of things mixed together going on out there," she says. Farrell says that it's a typical flu season in Huron County this year with "significantly less" numbers of Influenza A than last year. "Flu season's often later in Huron County than in other places and it's not over yet. We have had some cases reported in the last few weeks," she says. While none have been confirmed, Farrell says she's wondering if some cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - a less severe form of the flu - might also be present in Huron County. "That's total speculation on , my part but from the symptoms being reported, I think there might be some out there," she says. So far, Maplewood Manor in Seaforth has been the only flu outbreak .in a nursing home in Huron County. Maplewood was closed for several days during mid-January. Seniors encouraged to return old prescriptions... ,Figure skaters hold carnival Monday... Pole ll Susan Hundertmark photo Winter driving conditions Darcy Williamson, 10 and Eric Ryan, 8, both of Seaforth, enjoy the snowy weather by creating some challenges for their remote control four-wheel drive truck in the local snowbanks. Municipality, farmers welcome return of provincial municipal drain funding By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor While he's glad the province is returning a $6 million program to fund municipal drains, Huron East Mayor Joe Seili says he's worried that a cap on the program might mean municipalities still have to foot the bill for some drains. "We had something good, they took it away and this is better than not having anything at all," he says. Seili says Premier Dalton McGuinty spoke recently at the Ontario Good Roads convention in Toronto and admitted the provincial government made.a mistake when it abruptly ended the Municipal Outlet Drain program last August. The program is being reinstated with a $6 million cap. "There's no guarantee with that cap that we'll get our one-third funding if our application goes in late. We'd have to decide then whether to go ahead and pay the whole amount ourselves," says Seili. Local farmers and small municipalities protested the move to cut the drainage funding last summer. Of the $5.5 million the province spent on municipal drains last year, Huron East received about $100,000 during an average year, Huron East Deputy -Clerk Brad Knight told council at the time. Knight says he hasn't received any official notice from the province that the municipal drain program is being reinstated, but he says he's also concerned about what he's heard about a cap on the program. "What happens if it's a busy year for drains?" he says. Huron Federation of Agriculture president Nick Whyte says he's happy to see a municipal drain program "coming back in a similar form to what was cut six months ago." "I have to believe they actually listened to us and they brought it back to us," he says. In a press release from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Agriculture Minister Steve Peters says the new model, now called the Agricultural Drainage Infrastructure Program, is "recognizing the importance of a good drainage system to the infrastructure of our rural communities and our agricultural operations." "We are meeting the commitment we made to rural municipalities and farmers to provide new solutions for enhancing rural infrastructure," says the press release. Steckle gives thumbs -up to federal budget By Cheryl Heath Clinton News -Record Editor Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle is giving a thumbs up to the federal government's recently unveiled budget, though he also acknowledges there is still a lot of work to do within the agricultural portfolio. Overall, says Steckle, the budget is a "good news" one with highlights that include enhanced benefits for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), an allowable increase of up to $22,000 per person to Registered Retirement Savings Plans, $5 billion, over five years, for daycare and $85 million for a Great Lakes fund, which the MP notes is something he has been lobbying for nearly nine years. Steckle acknowledges the elimination of the foreign content limit for investors has attracted some criticism given that it will allow investors to put more money into foreign operations, but he notes "people generally like to invest where they want to invest. Other perks of the budget include the elimination of the corporate surtax and luxury taxes. "On balance, I think the budget has done Canadians proud," he says, noting the Liberal -led government has retired $61 billion in debt since entering. office 12 years ago. Indeed, Steckle says Canada was operating at a $3 billion deficit in 1993 and now shows a surplus of See STECKLE Page 3 Anti -bullying message helps St. James meet school -wide goal to fight bullying By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor A London music teacher was inspired to take an anti -bullying message across Ontario after watching one of his students cope with bullying. Using music and drama to help students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 understand bullying and how to respond to it, Bruce Langford visited St. James School in Seaforth last Monday. Performing as a disc jockey on a "live radio phone-in program," Langford sang anti -bullying songs and answered questions about respect, self-esteem and bullying in schools. "I felt frustrated by situations that I saw happening when 1 was teaching. I felt helpless," he said, following the performance last week. Langford said one particular. Grade 7 boy, whom he saw in 2002 standing against the wall of his school after being excluded from the other children, inspired him to take action. "Kids were making fun of him because of a slight speech impediment and he was so upset. I decided 1 had to do something to help and I wrote this program that summer," he said. The boy is featured in a video used in the presentation where he talks about how much he hated going to school while he was being bullied. "I told him he could make a huge impact if he shared his feelings in the video," said Langford. Langford's anti -bullying presentation has been toured across Ontario during the past two years and it's tackling a huge problem in schools acorns the province, he said. "Bullying has always been around but when you add the internet to what we already had, it becomes more than some kids can handle," he said. "Parents don't realize the time their kids are spending chatting on the internet and they don't realize the power and the danger of the internet," said Langford. He said cyber -bullying, where rumours and insults and attacks on students are spread through chat rooms, takes verbal taunts to a new. level. "When children read things on the screen, they believe it to he true. And, they don't think it's attacking a person, like actually punching them would be," he said. Langford said he hopes his presentation is helping both children and parents become empowered and, speak up whenever they see bullying occurring. "The people who are bullied usually feel so isblated and feel they can't talk about it. In many cases, a child who is bullied tells no one," he See STANDING, Page 2 15usan Hundertmark photo St. James student Wade Barker tells a bully, played by London teacher Bruce Langford, to back off during a music and drama presentation on bullying last week.