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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-02-01, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, February 1, 2006 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 explain the route, and answer your questions. Price $10 PP. Tickets available at the door. For more information contact: Jackie Martens at (519) 227 1197, E-mail martensjcp@hotmail.com or Sheila Hodgins (519) 227 1812 What's Happening in Grand Bend for February 2006? Feb. 3 "Alzheimer Caregiver Support Program" 7 p.m. Grand Bend Area CHC, 69 Main St East Grand Bend. Everyone welcome! Feb. 6 "Healthy Lifestyle Exercise programs" every Monday and Thursday in Grand Bend at the Grand Bend Area CHC and every Tuesday and Thursday in Port Franks at the Community Centre 9 a.m. Everyone welcome! No charge. Call Cindy at 238-1556 ext. 6 Feb. 14 "Living with Cancer Support Group NEW TIME" - Now from 2-4 p.m. at the Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre, 69 Main St East. Please join us for support, guidance and an opportunity to share with others. Contact Pat for details 786-5290 Feb. 14 "Grand Bend Women's Probus meeting" starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Grand Bend Legion. Guest speaker Constable Luke George OPP discusses "Women Traveling Alone" Feb. 14 "Lambton County Genealogy Society Meeting", topic "The Edison Line" LDS church 1400 Murphy Road, Sarnia 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 "Mystery Night & Spaghetti Dinner" starting at 5:30 p.m. Port Franks Community Centre. Cost for family of four is $20, 16 years & up $8 per plate. Everyone is Welcome! Call Mickey at 243-1136 or Bev. at 243-2297 for more details. Feb. 25 "Huron Country Playhouse Ladies Guild Lunch" starting at noon at the Grand Bend Area CHC. Guest speaker will be Lynda Rapley on the history of Grand Bend and area. Feb. 26 "Bowl for Kids Rodeo Days " will be held at the Lucan Lanes for Big Brothers Big Sisters South Huron. Pledge sheets and Information available by con- tacting 235-3307 or www.shbbs.on.ca Share the Magic! 1-4 p.m. Health Section: People living with diabetes seek government support! People in Ontario who live with diabetes (706,500) are asking that we write to our provincial MPP, Carol Mitchell and other Ontario Cabinet Ministers - Premier Dalton McGuinty, MPP Health Minister, Hon. George Smitherman, and MPP Minister of Finance, Hon. Dwight Duncan. We are asking them to support Bill 15 that has passed second reading with unanimous consent by Ontario MPPs. Michael Gravelle introduced this Bill - an act to amend the Health Insurance Act. This Act specifies that an insulin pump is the best way to control glucose levels in individuals with Type -1 dia- betes, and its supplies should be covered under OHIP. Both Type -1 and Type -2 can lead to costly complica- tions such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness and limb amputation. There are more than two million Canadians who have diabetes. While the insulin pump is not necessarily appropriate for all Ontarians, the Canadian Diabetes Association believes it should be available with a doc- tor's prescription. An insulin pump is a pager -sized microcomputer worn seven days a week, clipped on a belt. It delivers a continuous supply of base -level insulin to match the esti- mated amount of carbohydrates, which the person with diabetes requires. An insulin pump costs $6000 and $300 a month with associated supplies. The direct cost of limb amputation with hospitalization is $72,000. This does not include rehabilitation or lost wages. The direct health care costs to treat people with diabetes in Ontario will be over $2 billion this year. Aggressive management of diabetes may delay or avoid costly complications, save quality of life for the person and save costs for the health care system and Ontario taxpayers. Every Ontarian deserves fair and equal access to appropriate treatment as prescribed by their physician. Don't Fret Dear; It's Only Old Age: Is your tummy uptight? Having trouble sleeping at night. Don't fret dear; it's only old age. Is it sports that excite him? Not you with the light dim, Don't fret dear; it's only old age Is his hairline receding? You need glasses for reading. Don't fret dear; it's only old age. Does your body give you pain, Especially when there is rain, Don't fret dear. It's only old age Does your tub have a grab bar? And your teeth a jar. Don't fret dear; it's only old age. Is it pills you keep popping? And things you're always dropping. Don't fret dear; it's only old age. Is your blood pressure high? And they can't find out why. Don't fret dear; it's only old age. So don't get upset THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS Thanks to former board member The board and staff of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Huron (BBBSSH) would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Barbara Bloch -Gower for her involve- ment in the programs and activities or our agency. Barb has submitted her res- ignation to our board and her absence will be felt. Barb was the initiator, headline chef, and driving force behind 'A Taste of Huron in black & white", as well as an enthusiastic board member for the past five years. `Taste of Huron' is one of two fundraisers which support BBBSSH and we are very grateful to Barb for her initial start up of this event. 'A Taste of Huron' - 2005 provided $15,000 of financial support for our programs. As a registered charity operating with a very limited budget, BBBSSH receives no government funding and relies on community support to offset 100 per cent of operating costs. Despite the loss of Barb as an organizer and headline chef, "A Taste of Huron - 2006" planning is now underway. If you would like to be involved, please contact our office at 235-3307, or go online and visit our website at www.shbbbs.on.ca BOARD AND STAFF BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS SOUTH HURON Not so new method Your reporter should look into the history of home building products before making such a bold statement, Exeter Times -Advocate, Wed., Jan. 25, 2006, page 8, "New method of homebuilding" (photo/Pat Bolen). Concrete home building has been around for some time now, going back 40 years (+/-) and innovative builders have been installing these foundations throughout Ontario during that time. In the last ten years their popularity has grown to the extent that we are now seeing complete homes constructed using I.C.F. (Insulated Concrete Forms) from the footings to the underside of the roof trusses and including concrete floors on all levels with in -floor hydronic heating. Ever since insulated concrete forms were introduced, their popularity has grown. According to the National Association of Home Builders, ICFs grew from less than 0.1 per cent of the above -grade residen- tial market in 1993 to 3.8 per cent in 2002 — a 3,700 per cent increase in mar- ket share. Now in 2006 concrete homes using I.C.Fs are quite com- mon place. ICFs are the third most popular building system for residential construction. The benefits of ICF buildings are many. For example, they are: • Energy efficient; • Low maintenance; • Environmentally friendly; • Quiet and comfortable; • Solid investments; • Beautiful homes; • Built to last. I would like to congratulate all those pioneers in the ICF industries that were in the trenches in those early years and learned by trial and error. When we take credit for something new and innovative remember that it's quite likely that someone else took risk before you... RANDALL S. OKE, Oke Woodsmith Building Systems Inc. P.S. Oke Woodsmith Building Systems, a Custom Home Builder in South Western Ontario located in Hensall, Ont., has been using the Lite -Form® ICF sys- tem in the majority of their homes for 15 years. 'No' to tax -funded abortions Former Prime Minister Paul Martin, in recent election ads, boasted that his party supported a woman's "right to choose." He failed to finish that phrase which, truthful- ly, should be "choose to end her unborn child's life." Every year Canadian taxpayers pay for over 100,000 women who make the choice to abort their children. Very few abortions are performed for medical reasons, as identified by doctors. Most are performed for personal and socio-economic reasons at the request of the mothers. Why then are taxpayers forced to fund the $80 million in health care (and more each year) being spent on these non -medically necessary choices? While provinces must provide "medically necessary" services, they have the power to decide what services will be covered by their health care service, as evidenced by Ontario's recent decision to remove eye exams and chiropractic treatments. No court has ever ruled that provinces are required to pay for all abortions. PEI requires a specific medical reason for abortions to be publicly funded. New Brunswick does not pay for private clinic abortions, unlike Ontario where all abortions in both private clinics and in hospitals are paid for with taxpayers' scarce health care dollars. In a 2005 Environics poll, 50 per cent of Canadians stated that abortions should be paid for only in medical emergencies, such as risk to the mother's life, rape or incest. So why are taxpayers picking up the tab for these deadly decisions? Go to www.end- taxfundedabortion.com to send letters to your provincial and federal politicians telling them to end tax -funded abortions and asking them to use that $80 million (and more each year) for legitimate health services. CARLA REVINGTON, Lucan Voter reform needed Once again, Canada's cock-eyed electoral system has distorted the will of the voters and nullified millions of votes because the number of seats awarded each party does not accurately reflect the numbers of those who voted. Under a proportional representation system, for example, the NDP, with 17 per cent of the popular vote, would have been awarded 59 seats, not 29. The Bloc would have 31 seats, not 51. In Alberta, the Conservatives, with 65 per cent of the popular vote, won 100 per cent of the seats. In Canada as a whole, the 650,000 voters who chose the Green Party elected no one. With proportionality, there would have been no need for strategic voting. Voter turnout would have been even larger, because people would have had real choices. The conventional objection to proportional representation is that, with so many diverse interests represented, no one party would have absolute power, and would have always to compromise. But, as Lord Acton said, "absolute power corrupts absolutely" One need look no further than the George Bush Republicans to see proof of that. The Paul Martin Liberals didn't even need an absolute majority to get caught with their hands in the till. It is time the media started to reflect public interest, instead of trying to manipulate it, and put pressure on our politicians to change the system. Yours truly, Douglas Frame Letters to the Editor The Times -Advocate welcomes letters to the editor as a forum for open discussion of local issues, concerns, complaint, and kudos. By mail: P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 By fax: (519) 235-0766 By e-mail: editor@southhuron.com Please include your name , address and phone number. Anonymous letters will not be