Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1996-04-17, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, April I7, 1996 Publisher & Editor. Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager. Deb Lord Advertising. Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy !News; Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership • • pinion Publications Mall Registration Number 0388 SIiBBSSC-RIPTION RATES: CANADA Within 40 miles (65 km.) addressed to nos Isttar carrlor addresses $33.00 plus *2.31 a.1.T. Outside 40 mess (65 km.) or any letter carrier addrssa $33.00 plus $30.00 (total 63.00) + 4.310.1.T. Outside Canada $99.00 plus $6.63 OST (Includes $88.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Winkle at 424 Mata $t., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 136 by J.W. Eedy Pub8catlons Ltd. Telephone 1.518.235-1331 • Fax: 519-2330T66 e.1.T. IR10s2101131 • • Off the couch he Progressive Conservative provincial government is close to mak- ing true one of their many election promises: workfare implementation. Of course, the idea of replacing the burdened welfare system with any con- cept that involves having to actually do something for social assistance is a popular idea. It's popular because a great many Ontarians honestly believe that welfare has become a too easy al- ternative to getting off the couch and putting in an honest eight hours of la- bor per day. And while we have frequently en- dorsed the plans of the current govern- ment, and endorse this concept in prin- ciple, there are still problems with the very idea of workfare. Forcing people into labor situations can be an awkward dilemma. First off, what kind of labor can the government put people into? Replacing civil servants, those who hold most of the government positions already? Or how about community works projects: painting, cleaning, etc., potentially crossing areas of responsi- bility held by municipal employees. You see, it can be a difficult task identifying just where to put the origi- nally targeted 450,000 fo work. Thankfully, Community and Social Services Minister David Tsubouchi has abandoned his original plans and diluted the concept of workfare to a more rea- sonable point of initiation. Some 300,000 people on welfare will be re- quired to put in 17 hours per week com- pleting projects such as painting seniors' homes, clearing clogged waterways and feeding northern deer. Those required to put in time are the able-bodied, single, under 65, without dependents group. If they refuse, they are cut off from weI- fare. This target group - if carefully defined in practice - is exactly those who should be prompted to do some community good. There really can be no excuse for able-bodied young people to simply rely on social assistance because they do not want to work the menial jobs, or con- form to acceptable employment stan- dards. Workfare may be a controversial route, but without doubt, a necessary one. On- tarians, for some reason, seem to have lost their pride in honest work and are generally breeding a generation that knows more of how to beat the system than write a resume. It's time has come. Wingham Advance -Times • r THIsWiNIER JUST VioNTGo AWAY f! 0 0 J 0 0 • r 0 • i • r raVAN HARRIS GONERNMEIC 0 fel Protect yourself from hantavirus Hantavirus is a deadly virus that killed 58 people in the southwestern United States three years ago and is now being tracked in Ontario deermice by University of Guelph researchers. The virus is carried by ro- dents that shed the virus in their urine, saliva and drop- pings. " Deermice, which are pale .grey, with white fur on theirstomachs, often carryThey live mainly; final and semi -rural wood - areas. In Canada there have been ven reported cases - three n British Columbia and four in Alberta. Two of those sev- en people have died. Health Canada found the virus in two of 43 deermice collected in Algonquin Park in the summer of 1994. Although according to the Ministry of Health, most peo- ple in Ontario will never be exposed to hantavirus, spend- ing time in areas were deer - mice live may increase chances of exposure. Hiking trails, vacant buildings or cot- tages, barns and fields are some of the places people may come in close contact with deermice, increasing their chances of getting the disease. People are exposed to the virus most often by breathing in infected dust from deer - mice droppings or urine but they are rarely infected. The virus can also pass by touch- ing broken skin after contact Discrimination in bingo hall There are no rules stating chil- dren are not allowed in bingo halls... Dear Editor: There are many things in life that don't impress , , me and discrimination is one of the biggest things. It is pretty bad when discrimination takes over and rights are lost. I am a mother of three, a two month old, a two year old and a six year old. My daughter was with my first husband and my other two children were with me and my new hus- band. I have a complaint with the Centralia -Huron Park Lions Club and their bingo which takes place the last Sunday of each month. Instead of telling me as I walked through the door that I would have to leave they waited until just before the bingo started. We sat in a non-smoking area so we would not in- terfere with others even though two out of four adults smoked. My two month old lay sleeping in her stroller and my two year old sat quietly in his seat drinking his pop. Neither child interfered with anything. Two men out of the Centralia -Huron Park Lions told us to leave. The others told me we could sit at the back and play. But if we had have won even five cents the older ladies or men that laid the complaints would have argued with us winning. I could understand if my children were screaming. Why not bring some kind of care for children as the bingo is on, so more women and children can go also. There are no rules stating children are not allowed to be there. The Huron Hall is incapable of holding very many people. As crowded as it was it must have been a fire hazard. As Canadians I thought we were free and had rights. It is bad enough smokers are losing their rights now young mothers are now losing their rights as well as their children. If I allowed my children to play bingo that day, it would have been illegal but they were just sitting there. Any rights we had we lost all in one day sitting there. Thank you to the nagging complainers, you achieved what you set out to do. I will never attend another bingo hosted by Centralia -Huron Park Lions Club or donate or accept anything from them again. Thanks for nothing. Rules should be placed so peo- ple can see them and signs should be posted about children not being allowed in bingo halls if that may be the case. Yours truly Noreen Hill TORONTO -- Police in Ontario have broken a long tradition and served notice that they can- not always be counted on to side with the boss. This is despite a dominant image from the civil servants' strike of a provincial police riot squad clubbing pickets to carve a path to the legislature for Progressive Conservative minis- ters. A public inquiry should have no difficulty finding that it used violence not justified by the level of provocation. But police generally, and particularly those in municipal forces, have been much more tol- erant of strikers and the many demonstrators against the government for its reductions in funding for public services, and avoided seri- ous incidents. These police also are annoyed at the govern- ment, specifically because of its cuts for polic- ing, which they never expected from Tones whose unvarying philosophy in opposition was that cops are tops. Police also are seeing themselves more as un- uee;n"ark ionists who have to be politically active to get what they want. The Ontario Police Association warned the government that its members are stretched thin- ly by lack of funds and forcing them to provide security at the legislature and other public buildings would divert them from normal po- lice work that was more essential. The Metropolitan Toronto Police Association president, Paul Walter, went further and said police resent being used to help the government fulfil its political agenda and would not risk be- ing injured on picket lines merely so it could defeat the public servants' union. Several municipal police forces also ex- pressed reluctance to get involved in strikes. The Toronto police, in fact, remained unusu- ally hands-off toward civil servants. Strikers are allowed by law to picket so they can inform those wanting to enter workplaces of the pur- pose of their strike. But Toronto police stood and watched them with infected material or be- ing bitten by an infected deer - mouse. The symptoms of HPS in- clude fever, chills, headache and muscle pain. As the dis- ease progresses, it become difficult to breathe. Symp- toms usually start within two weeks but they can begin as early as three days or as late as six weeks after infection. See a doctor immediately if these symptotiis' are present within six weeks of exposure to deermice. To protect yourself from HPS outdoors, the Ministry of Health suggests storing food, water and garbage in metal or heavy plastic con- tainers with tight -fitting lids. Don't leave pet food or water out overnight. Seal holes around doors, windows and roofs with steel wool or ce- ment. To discourage digging and nesting, place gravel around the base of the build- ing. Remove abandoned vehi- cles, old tires or furniture from property. Cut back thick bush and keep grass short. Woodpiles, hay and trash cans should be kept off the ground and away from the home. Use a ground cover when camping and try to avoid areas where there are visible rodent burrows or droppings. It's also wise to use bottled or disinfected wa- ter. Indoors, set traps and douse dead mice, used traps and nests with household disin- fectant or diluted bleach. Al- ways use rubber or plastic gloves when cleaning up signs of mice or handling dead rodent. Discard dead mice or droppings inside a sealed plastic bag or bury them. Open windows or doors for a half-hour before and after cleaning to air out the area. Wet floors to minimize dust. and -Wash' teen with soap, water and disinfectant. Do not vacuum or sweep bare floors before mopping. Wear a breathing mask if the area is poorly ventilated. Wash countertops, drawers and cupboards with disinfectants. Wash any clothing or bed- ding contaminated with drop- pings and dry them in the sun or a hot dryer. After cleaning up after rodents, wash your hands and face well before eating, drinking or smoking. Finally, don't attract mice. Always clean up spilled food and wash dishes right away. The virus can live in deer - mice without causing any signs of disease. According to the University of Guelph, hantavirus usually can't be transmitted to other species. "This is why researchers are so puzzled as to why it broke out in humans three years ago and caused fatal respiratory disease (Hantavirus Pulmo- nary Syndrome)," states a re- cent University of Guelph press release. delay people going into the legislature to work, at times for hours and once for a whole day. One Tory MPP, Steve Gilchrist, complained that when he pleaded to pass through picket lines, Metro policemen replied, "not with our help. Walter also broke ranks to say he was "disgusted" by the OPP's use of clubs and that many Toronto police officers who saw it were "shaking their heads in disbelief." Police usually have not shown such concern for strikers. Because their role is to keep law and order in strikes, they inevitably are seen as helping employers, but sometimes they have gone further in taking sides. • Some police had a pattern of ging strike leaders, charging them with obstruction, hold- ing them in jail unless they undertook to stay away from picket lines, then withdrawing charges when they came to court months later, depriving strikers of their leadership when most needed. Police often were quick to lay charges on the word of managers and strike-breakers, while a picket knocked down by a strike-breaker's car was likely to be told she "should have walked faster." Police knew throughout one long and bitter strike that management had planted an agent . provocateur among the strikers who urged them to explode bombs and set fires, but never re- vealed it until afterwards, a practice for which the Ontario Labor Relations Board had harsh words. Police have arrested strike leaders and ad- vised surviving pickets that they had no chance and might as well get back to work. Police went in one plant where employees were con- sidering striking and warned them not to use threats and violence, but forgot to mention they also had a right to picket peacefully. Police used to photograph politicians who marched on picket lines, as if to intimidate any who help strikers. Now they are not as con- vinced that management is always right.