Daycares trying to prevent spreading the flu

Charlottetown daycares are following the increasing trend of using hand sanitizers to help prevent the spreading of germs.

The Eastern School district began installing hand sanitizers in their schools early this year and daycare centres appear to be doing the same.

Staff and students of Parkdale Sherwood Head Start Kindergarten and Childcare are using  sanitizers as well as a lot of hand washing, said education co-ordinator Carrie Marshall.

“However, we send them home if they do get sick.”

Little Wonders Child Care Centre also uses hand sanitizers, to an extent, said owner-operator Elizabeth Jeffery.

Parents can use the ones at the front door and the teachers use them rather than keep running to the bathroom to wash their hands.

The children use anti-bacterial soap, because the sanitizer dries out their skin, said Jeffery.

Little Wonders also uses a sanitizer used in resturaunt kitchens called D 10 on the toys, chairs, tables and doorknobs. They also put some toys in the dishwasher to disinfect and wash them.

Both daycares say they have very few students out with the flu.

Little Wonders has three out of 50 students sick and it is still taking preventitive measures, such as making the children sleep head to foot, so fewer germs are spread.

“We are taking all the protocalls for H1N1,” said Jeffery.

Camp Gencheff in need of more renovations

A local camp has received money help pay for its roof repairs, but more repairs need to be done.

Camp Gencheff was given $37,000 of the $50,000 needed for its roof by the Canada P.E.I. Infrastucture program on Sept. 29.

But while the money helped repair the roof, there are still many repairs that need to be done, said camp counsellor Elysia Hickox.

The technology to help take care of the campers also needs updating. There have been many advancements since the facilities were last updated in 1992.

The camp needs new doors. They can’t afford automatic ones and must hold current ones open with bungee cords, said Hickox.

The camp also needs new plumbing and windows.

Camp Gencheff can re-apply to the infrastructure program next year, but the program will only pay up to 75 per cent, so the camp must fund the other 25 per cent, said Arsenault.

This means the camp will not be able to do the renovations unless it can come up with its share of the money.

Camp Gencheff is a non-profit organization. It costs the camp about $900 per child during the summer. The campers pay $50.

Money they receive from the government goes towards debts from taking care of the campers, so there isn’t much left over to put toward repairs.

And now, Gencheff has even more campers than ever before, which means more debt.

In the past year, they added an extra weekend because they were turning away about 15 people a month.

It would be nice if they could get more funding in the future so they can start upgrading and repairs, said Hickox.

“We definitely don’t get enough attetion from the government, being one of the only special needs facilities and summer camps on P.E.I..”

Camp Gencheff was one of 34 projects approved through the recreation funding of the infrastructure program.

Programs qualifying under this part of infrastructure Canada are required to involve some physical activity, but because Gencheff is a camp for the disabled it was not so simple, said spokesman John Arsenault.

“Gencheff was looked at carefully, as they are special circumstances.”

Canada P.E.I. Infrastructure program is part of the federal stimulus program in the Building Canada fund.

The program has put hundreds of millions of dollars into sewers and recreation, with two-thirds to three-quarters paid, said Arsenault.

Hand sanitizers installed in the Eastern School District

New hand sanitizers dispensers are being installed in schools across the Eastern School District this month.

The  dispensers are being added to cafeterias, lobbies, computer labs and some classrooms.

Classrooms in elementary schools will be the first to get the sanitizers, because it is harder to teach younger grades how to prevent spreading germs properly.

They cannot go to the bathroom to wash their hands everytime they sneeze, said Sandy Macdonald, superintendant of the Eastern School Board.

“They wouldn’t get anything done.”

Two dispensers have been installed in Colonel Grey, but there are a number of privately owned bottles, said Kevin Whitrow, Colonel Grey’s principal.

Charlottetown Rural has a similar situation.

“Many teachers have sanitizer in their classrooms and have this for some time.  It is available in offices and in the cafeteria,” said principal Susan Willis.

Using hand sanatizers and other methods of germ preventions seems to be helping attendance records in the Eastern School District.

The absentee rate, as of Oct. 7, was .30 per cent due to influenza like symptoms. It has been more than 20 per cent rate in the past, said MacDonald.

But the school board is not going to turn a blind eye to the possibility of the flu hitting schools.

“We’re prepared if anything happens”

Still, there have been rumors of students drinking the hand sanitizer, and lighting it on fire.

It may be suburban myth and there have been no reports of that happening here, said MacDonald.

“We have not had any problems with hand sanitizers being misused,” said Willis.

Colonel Grey hasn’t had any issues either, said Whitrow.

But the school board is prepared to deal with the situation if it does arise.

“If we do catch a student doing this, they will be suspended,” said MacDonald.

Businesses protect parking lots from Holland College students

There may be a problem with parking once the winter comes, says a local business about Holland College students parking in non-designated zones to be closer to school.

Jamie Smith from Sterns Launderers and Drycleaners  says the parking situation this year is no worse than usual, even though the student parking lots are father away.

However, Sterns is taking measures to prevent students from parking in front of the store.

“We are in the process of making it permit parking only,” said Smith.

Sterns isn’t the only business relying on parking permits to keep students out of their parking lots.

The Best Western Charlottetown is about a block away from Holland College, and it isn’t having any difficulty keeping students from parking in their lots either.

However, in the event there is no space for customers, they will have someone patrol the parking lot for cars without Best Western parking passes and they will be towed.

“Our parking lots are private property and for guest parking only,” said Jennifer Blanchard, a Best Western employee.

The only people allowed to park in the lot who aren’t guests are the tenants of the apartment building next door. This is only because there is a deal worked out with the owner of the building, she said.

Students responding favorably cameras in in schools: MacDonald

Students are responding positively to the video cameras in the schools, says the Eastern School Board superintendant.

Sandy MacDonald said the cameras installed in junior and senior high schools over the summer make the students feel safer.

Already, the cameras have helped catch someone who broke into Charlottetown Rural twice and found someone who stole money from a locker.

No one is sitting and watching the students all day, said MacDonald.

“They just look back on the tapes if there is a problem. ”

The district plans to put cameras in the elementary schools as soon as the resources are available.

They are still unsure of the costs, but the government will foot the bill, said MacDonald.

The Western School District put cameras in its high schools three years ago.

There are semi-perminant cameras that go from school to school if there is any vandalism, but there aren’t too many issues, said Dale Sabean, the Western School Board superintendant.

They have no immediate plans to install permanent cameras in the schools, however they may decide to in the future.

“It’s all subject to funding. If we had the money, we’d get them,” he said.

Stars for Life annual car draw underway

Adam Bateman has autism and struggles to speak.

He sits on the couch with his aide, Elysia Hickox, typing on a small keyboard on his lap, talking about the Stars for Life car draw.

“The sales have been great,” says a voice resembling scientist Stephen Hawkings coming from his keyboard.

However, Carolyn Bateman, president of Stars for Life and Adam’s mother, said ticket sales for their annual draw are down this year.

The tickets are $100 each, or three for $250.

“Most people are just buying one ticket this year, when they would usually buy three. The economy is hitting,” she said.

Every year, Stars for Life has an annual draw for a Mustang or $25,000 cash.

The prize comes out of money raised from ticket sales and the profit goes to Stars for Life.

This year, they have already paid for the prize and are just trying to make as much profit as possible, said Bateman.

Profits go to their housing project. It will be a resource centre for families and a place to teach social skills to autistics.

Eventually, with the help of the government, Stars for Life hopes to have young autistics living there, said Bateman.

The costs would be high. They would need constant caregivers, and the residents would have to pay out of their government funding.

The Stars for Life foundation works with high functioning adults with autism. They are paired with aides who take them to class while they earn degrees.

This shows the public that people with autism are academically equal and can function properly. Their problems tend to be in other areas, such as social behaviour, said Hickox.

Tanning bed owners don’t want restriction

It isn’t right for the government to take away informed consent, says a Montague tanning salon owner about The Medical Society of P.E.I.’s suggestion to restrict tanning by minors.

Susie Kemp, owner of Susie’s Sunshine, is one of many tanning bed owners who don’t want to see the change.

Many tanning bed owners today are better educated and will limit and regulate exposure, especially for minors, Kemp said.

“I require parental consent from everyone under the age of 18 that walks through my door,” she said.

Kathy MacKinnon, owner of Kathy’s Beauty Salon in Charlottetown, agrees.

Tanning bed regulations aren’t something the government should be sticking its noses into, she said.

“The government shouldn’t tell people how to run their businesses.”

Even if the motion did pass, it would be hard to regulate, MacKinnon said.

However, Marla Delaney the prevention and public issues manager at the P.E.I. branch of the Canadian Cancer Society disagrees.

Regulating the tanning bed laws would be no different for the department of health to regulate than salons and tattoo parlors, said Delaney.

P.E.I. has one of the highest rates of skin Cancer in Canada, and Atlantic Canada has a higher exposure rate than anywhere else in the country, according to a recent survey, she said.

Because of this, the Canadian Cancer Society favors banning the use of tanning beds for minors and wants to increase regulation and licencing for tanning bed owners.

“We’re hoping to see the support of the government and we’re willing to work with tanning associations to make it easier,” said Delaney

Art books donated to Holland College library

Erica Rutherford never passed a book store without buying a book.

Year after year, her collection grew to hundreds.

Now, a year and a half after her death, over 300 of those books have been donated to the Holland College library.

Gail Rutherford, Erica’s life partner, said Erica used to always reference the books, but now that she’s gone no one looks at them.

“I didn’t use them, and I knew they could be put to better use,” said Rutherford.

She knew the college could use more books and gladly donated them in honor of the Erica Rutherford Estate.

Andrea Stewart, former manager of library services, was at the launch of the donated book collection. She was working at the library when the collection was first donated.

“We are greatful to Gail and her family for donating these books to Holland College,” she said.

The books will be used in programs such as fundamental arts, graphic design and video game design, but Stewart stressed they are open to all students, staff and the public.

The books are in the art section of the library and have orange stickers on their spines.

Locals at a Legislative Assembly Committee meeting criticize IRAC

IRAC has been a leech, not a hero, said a small mechanic repair shop owner at the Legislative Assembly Committee meeting, yesterday.

Gary Ellis was one of four speakers at a meeting about the importance of IRAC to the Island. This meeting will help decide if IRAC’s future will be a topic in the Legislative Assembly this sitting.

Ellis said IRAC was a noble effort gone wrong. By cutting warnings of gas price changes, they are being insensitive and indifferent to the people they are supposed to be protecting.

“IRAC has failed to serve Islanders individually and completely.”

Joe Gillis from Norray Properties was also present to protest the usefulness of IRAC. He said, as a landlord he has been forced to put many necessities for his properties on hold, because the needed rent increase wasn’t met.

IRAC only has renters in mind. Helping them find loopholes in their leases and in the renting system in general. At the same time, they give landlords little to no security, he said.

“Why should companies be forced to sit back and take it?”

Consumer and individual Margaret MacKay said IRAC does nothing to help keep the price of electricity low. They should ask more questions as to where the prices are coming from.

Robert Henderson represented IRAC at the meeting.

He said by setting the regional price of fine oil, IRAC is protecting rural gas stations from a gas price war they won’t be able to win, which he said isn’t fair for many rural dwelling Island residents.

Many people have been scrutinizing IRAC recently, since it has stopped giving warnings about gas price changes, allowed an increase in rent and there has been a rise in the cost of electricity.

More information is needed about youths with cancer: Binns

About 10 young people on P.E.I. are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, says the executive director of the P.E.I. Division of the Canadian Cancer Society.

Dawn Binns presented the CCS’s newest statistics on youths with cancer. There are about 2075 young people in Canada between the ages of 15 and 29 who have been diagnosed with cancer. In these cases, about 326 are expected to die.

Binns said the survival rate for young people is about 85 per cent, which is higher than the 62 per cent survival rate seen among adults.

While the survival rate is good, more information about youths with cancer is needed, as well as information on the challenges they face after diagnosis, said Binns.

She also added melanoma, or skin cancer, is becoming increasingly common and provided some suggestions for Islanders to help make prevention easier.

Tanning beds are very dangerous and they should be limited to people under the age of 18. Shade trees should also be planted in the middle of parks where people play, so shade is more easily accessible.

“Stratford has done a great job of doing this in their parks,” she said.