Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-04-19, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate; April 19,1995 46 Publisher 8 Editor: Jim Beckett 11011 Business Manager. Den srnl h Production Manager: Deb Lord 6islllg: Barb Conant News; Heather Vincent, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn , Jransoortation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Mace & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Mita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple V - ./ .M 1 M Om*, M, f., Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newsOepers providing news, advertising and information leadership . • . pinion ----MEMEUE111111-- Deserves your support 1 teve and Audrey Skinner's fifth and final community Walk for Sick Kids with a goal to raise over $20,000 will take place this Sunday, April 23 in Exeter. In memory of Stephanie Skinner who died of a rare liver disorder, the walk is organized by her parents Audrey and Steve Skinner and in four years they have raised $80,000. This money has been used to purchase much needed equipment by the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario where Stephanie spent 80% of her life until her death, only two weeks short of her first birthday in April 1990. The purchases have included a porta- ble ventilator for the Pediatric Critical Care Unit, an electro cardiogram unit for the emergency department, a colpo- scope in the Pediatric Emergency De- partment for the sexual assault centre. "The contributions by the Skinners' WALK FOR SICK KIDS has been a tremendous gift for the Children's Hos- pital and the results have proven to be vital to our ongoing efforts to bring more hope and care for southwestern Ontario children in need", says Laurie Smith of the Hospital's Foundation. The Skinner family is proud to have made a significant contribution to the hospital which has been such an impor- tant part of their lives. "In some way, the equipment purchased from the walk keeps Stephanie's memory alive and gives our friends, family and the com- munity a chance to celebrate her life", Audrey Skinner responds "and we hope that this year will prove to be the biggest and best effort yet". The Children's Hospital of Western Ontario helps more than 35,000 children and their families each year and offers one of the best facilities available in Canada for the treatment of young chil- dren. For more information on the walk or how to contribute, contact: Steve and Audrey Skinner 235-2164 or Dan and Donna Overholt 235-1463 Buckle up - save $105 and your life pril is Seat Belt Month, and area police services will be conducting seat belt checks. About 84 percent of Ontario drivers do wear seat belts, but that's one of the lowest compliance rates in Canada; the national average is 88 percent. Statistics prove that increasing seat belt use is the most cost-effective safety measure by which severity of injury can be reduced. But resistance continues. Ask some people why they don't wear a seat belt and you'll likely be met with a number of time -worn myths, assumptions and plain old excuses. Here are some point -by -point rebut- tals courtesy of police offices from around the province. Myth - In a burning or submerged car, you can be trapped by a seat belt. Fact - Less than one half of one per- cent of all collisions involve fire or sub- mersion. In both cases, a seat belt gives you the best chance to remain unhurt, conscious and able to escape. It takes only seconds to undo a seat belt. Myth - It's safer to be throyvn from the car. Fact - The chances of death or serious injury decrease if you remain in the car. If ejected, you could be thrown through the windshield into trees or traffic, scraped along the ground or crushed by your car. Myth - Air bags make seat belts un- necessary. Fact - Air bags are only effective in frontal collision. They don't protect against side, rear or roll-over collisions. Combining air bags with seat belts pro- vides your best chance. Myth - Seat belts aren't needed for short trips at relatively slower speeds. Fact - Meeting another car head-on doubles the speed, so 60 km/h becomes 100. Motorists can suffer serious head or chest injury by hitting the windshield, sidepost or steering wheel, or by being thrown around in the car. Myth - an unbelted person only endan- gers him or herself. Fact - That person could slam into oth- ers, crushing them. Being belted gives the driver the best chance of maintaining control of the vehicle, thereby reducing harm to others. Myth - An infant is best protected in an adult's arm. Fact - Tests with male and female vol- unteers holding an 8 kg. (17 pound) dummy representing a baby provided it is impossible to hang on to a child dur- ing a collision even at speeds of only 24 km/h. Some children have been crushed by their parents in collisions. St. Marys Journal -Argus A View From Queen's Park TORONTO - Can a woman who most people can't even recognize win an election? News media have been reporting that few voters can identify Liberal leader Lyn McLeod since the day she was chosen in 1992 and im- plied this is a giant obstacle to her winning -- it has become almost an obsession with them. But the Liberal party has remained far ahead in polls, usually with 50 percent or more, which calls into question the assumption drawn from her lack of fame. McLeod had held only second -ranking cabi- net posts under former premier David Peterson and polls quickly said that only 17 percent could indentify her as Liberal leader compared to 80 percent who recognized new Democrat Premier Bob Rae and 25 percent who knew Mike Harris, leader dare Mealier Progressive Conservative caucus. The polls in the past year have driven home By Eric Dowd that only between 19 and 30 percent of voters know McLeod while 90 percent know Rae and 45 percent know Harris. McLeod is still being called Another Joe Who? and The Anonymous Leader. Rae is recognized because everything a pre- mier says affects people and is reported and he has gone out of his way to drum up extra atten- tion by such gimmicks as piano -playing. Hams has forced voters to notice him by an- nouncing more concrete policies, talking tough and stunts, not always successful, as when he trotted out a woman who quit her job for high - paying welfare and was seen as endorsing her. Rae and Hams also are known because they have led in election campaigns, Rae in three and Harris in 1990. McLeod is partly to biame'for not being known beuusse she has held back policies until meetly, is mostly uninspired as a speaker and «:1 Publication Mall Registration Number 0388 °.Pt S4JBSCAIPTION RATES_ CANana Within 40 mulls (GO km.) Midmost to nes War *anise addresses 033.00 plus 82.31 OAT. 111 Outside 40 ad bs (6s sun.)Pr. *anise address 033.00 aIle 830.00 ( 4.31 O.S.T. Outside Canada piss OM OST (Includes $.40 postage) Puhist id taste Ontario, NOM WM ay 33Malars at 424 Mss ff.. Il . lady PaNcatioas Ltd. T 1.61$23&1331 • Vac 511.23647066 a s.T. at101210136 Noise is a hazard On Saturday, April 8 we at- tended a seminar in Coldsream sponsored by the Middlesex Farm and Home Safety Associa- tion and found some of the in- formation very interesting, espe- cially the session on noise. Poor Hearing - A natural con- sequence of growing old? Such is the case with many farmers. Studies have shown that some farmers experience substantial noise induced hearing loss by the age of 30. Many types of modern farm equipment emit noise far in ex- cess of recommended levels. Prolonged exposure to excess noise levels can result in perma- nent hearing loss, unless some type of noise control measures are utilized. Sound is radiant energy that is transmitted through space by longitudinal pressure and is the objective cause of minute inten- sity as well as extreme intensity. Noise is best described as un- wanted sound of sufficient den- sity to damage hearing. The measurement of sound or noise is related to pressure, frequency and duration, and is commonly measured in units called deci- bels. Noise -induced hearing loss seldom involves total hearing loss or deafness. However, the damage cannot be repaired and hearing aids can do little good. Constant exposure to noise af- fects the inner ear. The first sign of hearing damage is an inabili- ty to hear higher pitched sounds; with continued exposure to noise, the ability to tell musical tones apart becomes impossibie. Eventually, with continual ex- posure to excess noise, the abili- ty to hear normal conversation is impaired. Noise is too loud when your ears ring after pro- longed exposure to noise, speech and other sounds seem muffled after exposure. You lose the ability to tell musical tones apart and you fail to hear high pitched sound. Next to eyesight, hearing is the most important asset hu- mans have. Noise can lead to fa- tigue and reduce work output. Loss of hearing means that/one of our most important warning devices is impaired. The softest sound audible to • humans is zero decibels; normal conversation measures approxi- mately 65 decibels. Noise in ex- cess of 120 decibels causes acute pain to the ear. Even brief exposure to noise levels of 120 decibels can result in short lived hearing loss called temporary threshold shift. The ringing sensation that is sometimes experienced after op- erating a diesel tractor is a good example of this temporary shift. Normal hearing will usually re- turn over a period of a few hours. However, continual expo- sure to noise at high decibel lev- els over a period of time may lead to permanent hearing loss. The decibel measurement, similarly the ear, follows the in- verse square law and as the dis- tance from the source of the noise increases, the decible level decreases as the square of the distance. For example if you were located five feet from the noise source and moved 10 feet from the noise source, the noise level would drop to one-fourth of the level at five feet. What did you say? To know politicians not necessarily to love them appears to have neglected to learn a musical in- strument. She has said her low profile is a disadvantage and she is trying to become known. If voters read all the reports that few can recognize her, she would be the best-known politician in On- tario. But the alarms do not take account first of the record that a leader can become known instant- ly in today's high-tech elections when huge at- tention is focussed on all parties. Peterson was recognized as opposition leader by only 25 percent in a Gallup poll two months before the 1985 election hi which his party got more votes than any. Tory premier John Roberts was recognized by only 32 percent in a poll shortly before an election in 1967 which he woo by a landslide. A leader also needs to be liked as well as known. The fact that voters recognize politi- cians does not assure they will vote for them. In 1985 Tory premier Frank Miller was rec- ognized by 65 percent of voters, but a few months later was out of office. About 90 percent of voters know Rae be- cause he has been an interventionist premier who has had a wide impact on people. But no-one would seriously suggest that any- where near this number will vote for him and the wider expectation is that the NDP will get closer to the 19 percent it had in the most re- cent poll and wind up a poor third. Voters often remember politi .:ans precisely because they are annoyed at them. They may know Rae and Harris and have decided not to vote for them. To know politicians is not necessarily to love them -- the Liberals eaa win even if their leader is not a household same. Is.