Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-06-22, Page 3534 Exeter Times–Advocate Wednesday,June 22, 2005 Students of the Month SQA • HURON DISTRICT Student of the Month honours were handed out at South Huron District High School last week as the school prepares for the summer break.Above from left are School Council chair Karen Brown, March winner Jessica Brown (Grade I0),April winnerVicki Hartman (Grade I2), June winner Greg Thompson (Grade 12) and prin- cipal Jeff Reaburn. Brown won for her extra effort at her homework which led to growth and improvement in her grades, Hartman was honoured for her work as a mentor to other students, while Thompson was named student of the month for excelling in the Co-op program.Absent is May's winner, Jessica O'Brien, who was recognized for her contribution to the sciences.The Student of the Month awards are sponsored by the School Council. (photo/Scott Nixon) Stephen Central retirement An open house was held June 17 at Stephen Central with family, firends and co-workers to celebrate the retirement of secretary Mary Ann Bender (middle), who has been with the school since 1972. From left are grandsons Mike and Matt Bender, sons Tim and Terry and husband Don. (photo/Pat Bolen) Mystery pest fancies Manitoba Maples By Stephanie Mandziuk TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — There's a new pest on the move and it could cause problems across our area. Kathy Hodgins, of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, says webs were spotted three weeks ago, on Northville Road at Ravenswood Line, near Thedford. Fifteen small trees in a cluster were affected. Authorities realized the webs were not consistent with the eastern forest tent caterpillar which is active this time of year. Linda Tucker, an MNR forest health specialist, investigated further and samples of larvae were taken from the site and sent to the Canadian Forest Service lab. The results suggest the lar- vae feed exclusively on Manitoba Maple, a native species also known as box elder. Manitoba Maple at the infes- tation site were completely defoliated and some larvae appeared to have starved to death even though there were other trees, shrubs and vines in the same stand. Similar attacks on Manitoba Maple in the Peterborough area have been reported. At this point investigators are unable to positively identify the insect. It's not known if it is native or exot- ic. Hodgins encourages anyone who comes across unusual insect activity to contact the ABCA or the Ministry of Natural Resources. She says if there's a new pest outbreak, the key to controlling it is early detection. Hodgins encourages anyone who comes across unusual insect activity to contact the ABCA or the Ministry of Natural Resources. She says if there's a new pest outbreak, the key to controlling it is early detection. A mystery pest could become a potential problem across our area. (photo/Linda Tucker, OMNR) Stephen Lewis on HIV/AIDS inAfrica By Stephanie Mandziuk TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF GRAND BEND — "She was tied to a bed and Stephen Lewis is the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on HIV/ AIDS in Africa. In 2003 he became a Companion of the Order of Canada, our country's highest honour. (photo/Stephanie Mandziuk) used as a perpetual rap- ing machine for three months. Whether in a field or at home she can never get the smell of semen out of her nos- trils." It's a graphic descrip- tion but for Stephen Lewis, the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa, it describes the real-life horror of one woman, out of hundreds of thousands. Lewis, who's 67, has experienced first hand the ravages of the pan- demic in Africa. He shared his experiences June 15 at a conference sponsored by Victim Services of Huron County. "I have spent the last four years watching peo- ple die. I've heard the wails of mothers as their babies die. I've seen four to five kids in one cot. Kids are frantic for atten- tion and love. They become orphans while their parents are dying. They look after their dying mothers." Lewis has also watched children become street kids, prostitutes or heads of households at the ten- der age of eight or nine. He has observed grand- mothers bury their adult children and then take on the responsibility of car- ing for their grandchil- dren. Witnessing these life - altering experiences has propelled Lewis into a tireless campaign. He continues to spread his message around the world: 25 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have HIV/AIDS and 2.3 million are dying every year. To put it into per- spective, it's the equiva- lent of one tsunami a month. The pandemic is hitting African women the hard- est, a total of 58 per cent. Generally, they're in the childbearing age group between 15 and 54. For every 10 young men liv- ing with HIV, there are about 36 young women. "How can we allow these women to die? says Lewis. "I've seen women lying on a mat or fetid earth floor. I offer some banality, should be sooth- ing. The children are standing around watching their mother die." HIV is more prevalent in married women than sin- gle, sexually active ones. Married women exer- cise fidelity and are not empowered by their cul- ture to ask their hus- bands to use condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS. Many husbands work in distant villages and take on several sexu- al partners. At one point Lewis spoke about a request that came to his founda- tion, which he started two years ago. So far, $3 mil- lion has been raised by the Stephen Lewis Foundation. A centre caring for AIDS patients requested fund- ing for a latrine. When he asked for further details, Lewis was told diarrhea is a common side-effect for people in the latter stages of AIDS and a latrine would be beneficial. Lewis says the request was granted and he attended the official rib- bon cutting ceremony. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to see his name on a plaque over a latrine. Lewis, a former leader of the Ontario NDP, says Canada isn't doing enough to set specific tar- gets for foreign aid fund- ing. Canada has failed to set a target to commit 0.7 per cent of its gross national product to foreign aid by 2015 or sooner. Lewis says, "It's extremely embarrassing when we are the country that fashioned the target and now country after country is saying, 'We will reach the target by a cer- tain year." Money is desperately needed to distribute drugs to people infected with AIDS and to prevent its spread. Lewis says one million patients will be on a new treatment regimen by the end of this month. He expects that number will grow to three million by the end of next year. However, Lewis points out, "You can just imag- ine the numbers who will die while they are waiting for treatment to be rolled out." Lewis is optimistic next month's G-8 summit will bring forth more discus- sions and more funding to fight the HIV/AIDS situa- tion world-wide. For more information on Lewis and his work check out: www.stephen- lewisfoundation.org