The Citizen, 2007-11-01, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2007.
A local woman is holding a
potluck dinner to raise funds
for the Canadian Landmine
Foundation.
On Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
a special Canadian Night of
a Thousand Dinners,
in commemoration of the
10th anniversary of
the Ottawa Treaty will be
held at the home of Mary
Thomas in 429 Burgess St.,
Brussels.
The guest speaker is Lt.
Colonel William Adcock,
who has served as a
peacekeeper in Bosnia and
will soon be serving in Sierra
Leone.
Each year, people across
the county and around the
world come together to help
end the global landmine
crisis.
The Canadian Landmine
Foundation is a registered
Canadian charity formed in
1999 to assist in the
elimination of landmines and
the human and economic
suffering they cause.
The Foundation is
recognized as the country’s
foremost fundraising
organization for humanitarin
mine action.
Any gathering that is
held, whether it’s an
office party or formal
dinner, can be transformed
into an event of global
significance.
All of the funds raised
through the dinners goes
to eliminating landmines
so that people who walk
in fear can begin to
hope.
With cold and flu seasonupon us there are many
practices that will help keep
you healthy.
But, the ones that need the
most protection depend on
others to provide it.
Dr. Beth Henning, medical
officer of health for Huron
County said that one of the
best ways to protect babies
under six months of age is by
breastfeeding. “There are
protective factors in the breast
milk, plus the best nutrition,
which of course is also
needed for good health.”
Another way to keep the flu
at bay when a baby’s in the
house is for the adults to
receive a flu vaccination, said
Dr. Henning. Also, she
stressed the importance of
hand washing. “Everyone,
babies, toddlers, adults need
to wash their hands,
particularly when there is a
sick person in the house. It’s
one of the most important
things to keep from
transmitting disease. It’s key
to keeping people from
catching colds and
influenza.”
Dr. Henning also said
absenting one’s self when ill
will be welcomed by others.
“Sick people need to distance
themselves from others. They
need to stay home and not go
to places where they may
infect someone else,
especially a baby or older
person.”
Inevitably there will be
babies under six months who
get sick. “If an infant does get
a old, do the usual things you
do to keep people
comfortable, like cuddling or
sponge baths whick provide
symptomatic relief.”
Also, she said, ensure that
they are receiving enough
fluids. “Make sure they have
wet diapers and are hydrated
enough.”
Every parent looks for away to ease a sick infant’sdiscomfort. However,medications that may soundlike they would bring relief
should be avoided in most
cases. “There have been
warnings about medications,
particularly for children
under the age of two,” said
Dr. Henning.
The reason is that there is a
risk that a caregiver can
unintentially give too high a
dosage, as the labels are not
specific to children under the
age of two.
Instead, paying attention is
integral to getting them the
help they need. “If a baby
begins to have difficulty
breathing, if they’re
coughing, looking very
fatigues or have a poor suck
reflex, high fever these are
signs that the infection is
more serious than a cold.
They should all be red flags
to see a health provider.”
Then if medication is
prescribed follow the doctor’s
advice carefully.
Even when a child is older,
Dr. Henning said a visit to the
doctor is a good idea.
“Whenever in doubt, I don’t
think there’s a downside to
contacting a health care
professional.
While administering
medications to older children
can be done without medical
advice, Dr. Hennings reminds
caregivers to read the labels
carefully.
Also, be careful about
mixing medications, such as a
painkiller and antihistamine.
“It’s not a good idea, because
medications can often have
similar ingredients.
Humidifiers can offer some
relief, she said, but again,
care must be taken to ensure
that the equipment has been
properly maintained. “If not,
they grow things in the water
that are transmitted in the air.”
Seeing any child suffer,
even a little, is difficult. Dr.
Henning reminds that the bestway to prevent illness isthrough prevention. Fluclinics are being heldthroughout the area this
month.
“Young babies are more
susceptible to serious
infections. Keep an eye on
prevention, but if your baby
does become sick get them
the care they need. Be aware
and if they’re getting sicker,
don’t try to treat them
yourself. Take them to a
doctor.”
Breastfeeding protects babies from colds
Driver loses licence,
vehicle for 7 days
after being charged
Doherty chairs meetings
Continued from page 1
not safe.”
When a driver is charged
under the stunt driver
legislation police
immediately seize their
licence and impound their
vehicle for one week.
“It has put teeth to what our
options are,” said Van Mierlo.
“One whould hope that the
risk of losing their vehicle
and licence would be a
deterrent.”
At this point, it does seem
to be younger males who are
the number one offenders.
With that in mind, Van
Mierlo notes that it doesn’t
matter who owns the vehicle.
“If they’re driving Dad’s car,
then Dad will lose that car for
a week. You’d like to hope
that would get some reaction
at home.”
In addition to paying the
fees attached to towing and
storage, the driver will also
have to face the charge in
court where they face a fine
of $2,000 or a jail term of not
more than six months.
Should the reckless
behaviour result in an
accident, an additional bonus
comes with the loss of
insurance. “In the event of a
crash,” said Rick Elliott of
Elliott Nixon Insurance in
Blyth, “you have no
coverage, not for the driver,
not for the owner. This could
be hugely serious.”
Van Mierlo re-iterates that
the OPP are not going to be
treating the new law
frivilously. “We don’t want to
lose this legislation, so we
will be walking the line, but
firmly.”
“It all comes back to
reducing injuries and saving
lives.”
Since the legislation came
into effect, just over 1,000
drivers have been charged in
Ontario, an average of
approximately 30 a day.
Continued from page 1
Non-voting members
include the trustee
representing the area, the
superintendent of operations,
the education superintendent
serving that area, and the
principals of each school.
Doherty will act as chair of
all ARC meetings, unless
there’s a conflict; in those
cases, education director
Geoff Williams will chair.
The Nov. 6 meeting,
Doherty suggested, will put
the ARCs in the position
“where they’re ready to have
real dialogue at their first
local meeting, instead of
having to go through a lot of
rudimentary work
beforehand.”
All ARC meetings are
public.
For information, visit the
board’s website at
www.yourschools.ca
Fundraising dinner
in Brussels, Nov. 11
Documentaries can be borrowed
free-of-charge or purchased
at cost-recovery prices.
To see a listing of our Canadian
Military Heritage documentaries,
visit our Web site at
www.waramps.ca,
or to order a pamphlet
contact The War Amps.
E-ZEE ACCESS:
Tel.: 1-800-250-3030
Fax: 1-800-219-8988
Charitable Registration No.:
13196 9628 RR0001
Through the
CHAMP Program,
child amputees
receive financial
assistance for
artificial limbs,
specially designed
recreational devices,
peer support
and more.
Graduates of
CHAMP will
continue
TheWarAmps legacy
of “amputees
helping
amputees.”
The War Amps
What
about
the
future?Comfort and care
Moms like Jenn Robinson (with son, Ryder) offer the best protection for the
infants against colds and the flu by breastfeeding. Medical officer of health
for Huron County Dr. Beth Henning said mother’s milk is not only the best
for babies nutritionally, but it also has “protective factors”. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
By Bonnie GroppThe Citizen
(NC)–Do any of the following
behaviours seem familiar?
• Forgetting things more and
more
• Asking the same question over
and over
• Having increasing trouble with
language
• Difficulty performing familiar
tasks
• Disorientation of time and place
• Poor or decreased judgment
• Problems with abstract thinking
• Misplacing things
• Mood or behaviour change
• Changes in personality
• Loss of initiative
If you or someone close to you is
experiencing some of the signs
and symptoms above, it could be
Alzheimer’s disease. You should
speak to your physician soon.
Further information can be
obtained by calling 1-888-370-
6444 to speak to a registered
nurse.
- News Canada
Alzheimer’s
disease:
Signs to look
out for