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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2007-11-28, Page 2424 Times–Advocate Wednesday, November 28, 2007 Regional wrap up OPP seek info after girl hit GODERICH — Police are seeking a silver SUV after an 11 -year- old girl may have been bumped by the vehicle. The girl was crossing Victoria Street at East Street in Goderich Nov. 20, around 11:15 a.m. She was crossing west- bound at the traffic lights. The silver SUV was facing north on Victoria Street. The child suffered minor injuries and police are seeking the driver of the motor vehicle involved to determine what may have happened. The driver was described by the child as a female, possibly between 30 and 40 years of age and wear- ing glasses. If you have any infor- mation regarding this, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1 -800 -222 - TIPS (8477) or the Huron OPP at 1-888- 310-1122. Promotes county HURON — "Huron County: Ontario's West Coast" is a new book celebrating the geography and charac- ter of Huron County. Authors Dr. Wayne Caldwell, Cindy Fisher and Laura Weir have created the 90 -page book, providing a colourful catalogue of locations in the county showing the legacy of the rural landscape, charming towns and villages, shoreline vistas and natural areas. "We wanted to pre- serve the authentic character of Huron County for residents and visitors alike, to share the wonderful diversity of the region, capturing the landscape as it appears four sea- sons of the year," says Caldwell, also a Huron County resident, raised on a farm near Blyth. Proceeds from the sale of this book will support ongoing com- munity development projects in Huron County, in association with the University of Guelph and the Huron Tourism Association. The book is found at several book shops in the county, including the Village Book Shop in Bayfield. It retails at $29.95 and can also be bought by visiting www. ontarioswest- coast.ca and www. waynecaldwell. ca Youth across Huron encouraged to challenge HURON — A pig's lung was just one of the ways Rebels with a Cause showed Huron County high school students the devastating effects of smoking last week. Last week was ACTION Week — Advocates Challenging the Tobacco Industry in Ontario Now. Youth across Ontario held events to take a stance against the tobacco industry. Last Friday was Fresh Air Friday and Rebels with a Cause asked students to join them in taking a deep breath of fresh air to inhale the truth about the tobacco industry. Over 2,500 students at South Huron District High School, Central Huron Secondary School, St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School and Goderich District Collegiate Institute took part. Peer Leader Tymen deWeerd from Central Huron Secondary School says, "We want Big Tobacco to know that Huron County youth will no longer listen to the lies of the tobacco industry. Every day 130 Canadians die from using tobacco industry products. Big Tobacco needs to replace those customers. Since 90 per cent of all regular smokers start before the age of 19, they are targeting us." Rebels with a Cause spread this message in their schools all week. The youth organized announcements, skits and displays. They also used pigs' lungs to show the difference between healthy lungs and smokers' lungs. "Young people listen to their peers," says Lyndsay Snowe, youth advisor of Rebels with a Cause. "It is important for us to stand unit- ed against Big Tobacco." Rebels with a Cause is a group of 10 youth employed by the Huron County Health Unit. They are part of the Youth Action Alliance initiative of Smoke Free Ontario. Its aim is to prevent smoking in youth and to expose how the tobacco industry directly targets youth to use their products. Lung Association in partnership with Canadian Hockey League Lung Association Unveils 2007 Christmas Seal, Partnership with Canadian Hockey League (Toronto). The Canadian Lung Association unveiled its 2007 Christmas Seal "Holiday Ice" as well as this year's campaign part- nership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). As part the campaign, former NHL stars Ron Ellis (Team Canada '72, Toronto Maple Leafs) and Yvan Cournoyer (Team Canada '72 and Montreal Canadiens) will act as the official spokesmen for "Lung Champions" - for the season. Additional activities include: •Offering Canadians the oppor- tunity to purchase the limited edi- tion print of the seal done by sports artist Shirley Deaville; •Lung Nights with CHL teams in their communities across the country. *Presenting the seal to Prime Minister Stephen Harper at an opportunity later this fall. "The annual Christmas Seal campaign is a way to inform Canadians across the country about the need to tackle lung dis- ease," said Nora Sobolov, presi- dent and CEO of The Lung Association, "This exciting part- nership with the CHL, and two of Canada's Hockey Legends, is a real boost to Canadians who struggle with COPD, asthma, sleep apnea and other respiratory ill- nesses. It underlines the need for strong partnerships as we move forward on improving the lung health of Canadian families." "Nearly 70 per cent of Canadians are hockey fans and appreciate the challenges the sport of hockey demands," said Ron Ellis, Holiday Ice 2007 Spokesperson, "Unfortunately, six million Canadians and their fami- lies are also challenged by lung disease. With this campaign, we aim to educate people across Canada about the work of The Lung Associations, while at the same time giving a whole new generation of Canadians a better understanding of the scope of lung disease." "Holiday Ice and The Lung Association's Annual Christmas Seal Campaign is about highlight- ing the continuing fight against lung disease," said Yvan Cournoyer, Holiday Ice 2007 spokesperson, "Much has been accomplished in improving the lung health of Canadians, but still more needs to be done to ensure that people of all ages from chil- dren to older adults do not suffer from such lung diseases as asth- ma, COPD and lung cancer." The "Holiday Ice" Seal features a group of children getting set to play a game of shinny on an out- door pond. Canadians will see an instant connection between hock- ey games of old played in the bit- ter grip of winter played on a makeshift rink on the farm, and today's games when a whole new generation are apt to drop the puck anywhere from a street, to a yard to the local arena. By ordering a copy of the "Holiday Ice" print, Canadians will be supporting the Christmas Seal campaign and helping to improve the lung health of their friends, families and neighbours. Prints can be customized to reflect the logo and team jersey of participat- ing CHL teams, and will be signed and numbered by the artist. For more information on the 2007 Holiday Ice Campaign, please visit www.holidayice.ca. Protecting our brain can help us prevent strokes We protect our eyes with sun- glasses, our teeth with fluoride toothpaste and our skin with sun- screen. But is it possible to protect our brain? It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of strokes may be preventable. Take the time now to save your brain one step at a time. 1. Keep it on low High blood pressure can speed up the plaque buildup on the inside of arteries (atherosclerosis), and cause thin, fragile balloon - like bulges, called aneurysms, to develop in blood vessels. Check your blood pressure regularly and if elevated make sure you bring it to normal through lifestyle changes and medication. 2. Don't let it build up When your bad blood choles- terol levels go up, so do your chances of developing narrowed arteries (atherosclerosis). If the wall of the artery gets damaged, a blood clot can form, blocking the blood flow to the brain, or the clot could break off and travel to the brain. The result, in either case, could be a stroke. 3. End couch potato days Physical activity is proven to lower blood pressure for hours, even after just one session. It also increases the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol in your body that helps to flush out the bad cholesterol. A good, brisk walk can also reduce your stress and improve your mood. 4. Drink responsibly More than two drinks per day results in a 1.5-2 fold increase in hypertension compared to non- drinkers. Limit yourself to one or two drinks a day, to a weekly maximum of nine for women and 14 for men. 5. Cut the fat and salt Saturated and trans fats increase your blood cholesterol levels so choose products that are low in these fats. Also, choose food with lower sodium levels. Make heart -healthy shopping easy by checking for the Heart and Stroke Health Check' symbol on packaged foods. 6. Shape up Excess weight and extra body fat around the middle 'an apple shape' can cause high blood pres- sure, high blood cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. These conditions are all linked to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease. 7. Butt out Smoking contributes to the build-up of plaque in your arter- ies, increases the risk of blood clots, reduces the oxygen in your blood, raises your blood pressure and makes your heart work hard- er. It also nearly doubles the risk of ischemic stroke, so take action and quit now. 8. Bust your stress Long-term stress can contribute to high blood pressure levels, potentially increasing your risk of heart disease or stroke. 9.Talk to your family The best protection from a stroke is knowledge. Get informed on your family history of stroke or heart attack. Having close rela- tives with this history puts you at higher risk and makes it even more important that you protect yourself from modifiable risk fac- tors. 10. Learn the five warning signs of stroke Weakness - Sudden loss of strength or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if tem- porary. Trouble speaking - Sudden diffi- culty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion, even if tem- porary. Vision problems - Sudden trou- ble with vision, even if temporary. Headache - Sudden severe and unusual headache. Dizziness - Sudden loss of bal- ance, especially with any of the above signs. Call 9-1-1 or your local emer- gency number immediately. If stroke -like symptoms occur and disappear after a few minutes, don't ignore them. This can be a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), also known as a mini -stroke. It must be treated to avoid a bigger stroke. Visit www.heartandstroke.ca for more tips on managing your risks and information on stroke. 25% Off Home of the White Squirrei. TWE S ADVOCATE 424 Main St., S. Exeter