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Times Advocate, 1997-07-02, Page 13SPRING CLEANINGL SUCKS!! DUST KILLS DATA... LET US HELP. DONT FORGET TO CLEAN YOUR COMPUTER ALL-INCLUSIVE COMPUTERS r 235-2132 r Children of Chernobyl visit Exeter area By Heather Mir T -A Reporter EXETER - On Monday, 12 families from St. Marys, Exeter, - Zurich, Ailsa Craig, Grand Bend and Stratford welcomed 15 children suffering from the effects of the Chernobyl Nuclear accident. The children -arrived at London Airport to begin a six- week visit program arranged by the St. Marys Children of Chernobyl. Committee. Thanks to the generosity of several major corporate sponsors, the children flew directly from Mirabel Airport to London Airport, avoiding a long drive following the overseas flight. The children, including nine-year-old Taniya who lives in • K.ostukovichi, Belarus, arrived in Canada as part of the program that provides children with nutritious food, fresh air, donated dental care, clothes and personal items for the entire family as well as lots of love and support from .family and friends. Taniya will be staying in Exeter with hosts - Murray and Dianne Waun who are looking forward to sharing typical Canadian summer experiences with their - young visitor. Dianne- explained she has taken two Russian language lessons offered by the St. Marys Committee and says she knows a few basics. Taniya knows very little English. An - Exeter Public School teacher, Dianne plans to label many household items and expects her home will soon look like a Grade 1 classroom. • With the Wauns' children grown and out of the house„ Taniya's visit will temporarily fill an empty nest.- The couple learned of the program by reading the T -A and it was something in which they wanted to participate. "It jumped out of the Exeter paper at me," said Dianne who explained Taniya will get together with the other 11 children once a week during her stay. - - Taniya will celebrate her. 10th birthday in Canada .on July - 25. She has a younger sister and brother, her mother stays at home to care for the children and her father works in a technical school. Thanks to the -sponsorship of St: Marys Children of Chernobyl, the expenses of the 12 children and one interpreter are paid for. Some of the items Taniya's family has requested include clothes, medicine, shoes and foodstuff.. Even basic first aid supplies and medications such as aspirin, Tylenol, antacids, antibiotics, decongestants and vitamins are unavailable to average Belarus families. Due to contamination in. their environment, children • living in the area of Chernobyl -have depressed immune systems, even 1i years.after the disaster. Previous host families tell of how children who visit Canada -return home'_ .with significant weight gain,•improved overall health and are better able to resist the effects of radiation. - A group of 15 children from the village of Chist, in Belarus, arrived Monday at the London Airport for a six-week visit program ar- ranged by the St. Marys for Children of Chernobyl Com- mittee. The children will stay with area families in- cluding n- clu ding the Wat,Uj family of Exeter who will host Ta- niya (Tatsiana) Havaruno_ va. The children suffer from the effects of the Cherno- byl Nuclear disaster that occurred nearly 11 years ago. They will benefit from nutritious fresh air, donated dentalcare and a typical Canadian summer • • experience. Many local residents and businesses have donated itemsinclud- ing shoes, clothes, vita- - mins and nutritional sup- plements. Lambton Museum's Ceilidh a success SO much so that museum curator Bob Tremain said the Celtic celebration might become an annual event. • Lambton Museum's Ceilidh a success GRAND BEND - Though the • heat and hdmidity kept numbers down, Lambton • Heritage Mu- seum's Scottish Celtic Ceilidh (pro- nounced `kaylce`) has been dubbed a success. Museum' curator Bob Tremain said .about 1,000 people attended the weekend event that included Celtic music, historical battle and way of life re-enactments. High-• land dancing and authentic Scottish food. Tremain expected 2,000 to at- tend the Ceilidh, but the lower turn- out didn't dampen anyone's spirits. "Everybody came and had a good time," Tremain said. . The Ceilidh ties in with the mu- seum's year-long exhibit that high- lights the contributions of Scots in southwestern Ontario's develop- ment since before Confederation. Included at the exhibit is the vid- eo 'The Scots Pioneers of Lambton and .West Middlesex'. The video, showings of which sold out the Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia three times in one day (a first in its 110 years), book and exhibit is in the museum's Lambton Gallery. 4, 14, . " .it 14 Scots young and old. Jim Lochead and his 11 -month-old daughter Peyton soaked up as much Celtic goings-on as they could during Lambton Heritage Museum's Scottish Celtic Ceilidh on the weekend. - Setting the Scottish tone. Above, the Forest Pipe Band was one of many bands and musicians that set the mood during Lambton Heritage Mu- seum's Scottish Celtic Cei- ,' lidh on the weekend. Right, An historic volley. The First Regiment of Foot Royal Scots First Battalion (played by members of the Upper Thames Military Re- enactment Society) executes a musket volley as a part of the same celebration.