Radon testing, VIP, property standards, FREE meals, shelter donation

Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Thursday, October 26, 2017

A frost advisory is in effect for Chatham-Kent.

Temperatures have dropped to near or below the freezing mark and patchy frost is likely in most areas.

Take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees.

Frost advisories are issued when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, leading to potential damage and destruction to plants and crops.

Today – Mainly sunny. High 12. UV index 3 or moderate.

Tonight – Partly cloudy. Wind becoming south 20 km/h overnight. Low 6.

Wind meeting tonight in Wallaceburg

The Wallaceburg Area Wind Concerns group, who has concerns about the upcoming Otter Creek Wind Farm project, is holding a public meeting tonight.

It will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the UAW Hall in Wallaceburg.

Three guest speakers are lined up for their meeting:

– Keith Benn, P. Geo, is set to present ‘Climate Evolution is Normal’ and ‘Never Believe a Model when it Contradicts Facts.’

– Warren Howard, Wind Concerns Ontario executive, is set to present ‘Wind Turbines 101’ and share his experiences dealing with communities, the Ministry of Environment, noise and health concerns.

– Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, is set to discuss the topic and outline his community support.

Read more about the group, here: Wallaceburg group concerned about Otter Creek Wind Farm

Radon gas testing

Have you heard about radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that happens naturally when uranium in soil and rock breaks down.

It is invisible, odourless and tasteless.

When radon is released from the ground into the outdoor air, it is not a health concern.

However, in a confined space like your home it can sometimes build up to high levels, which can be a health risk to you and your family.

Radon gas can seep in to your home through dirt floors, concrete-block walls, cracks in foundation walls and floors, sumps, drains, and gaps around pipes.

Exposure to high levels of radon gas indoors results in an increased risk of developing lung cancer.

Science links radon gas to about 3,200 lung cancer deaths a year in Canada.

Radon is responsible for 10 to 15% of lung cancer cases in North America.

Radon is considered the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking.

It is impossible to predict if your house will have a high level of radon.

Testing is the only way you can determine if a radon problem exists in your home.

Heath Canada recommends you use a long-term radon test in your home for a minimum of three months.

The best time to do this is between October and April.

Various companies can test for radon, but you can purchase a do-it yourself kits from local retail stores.

If you choose a do-it-yourself radon test kit, follow the instructions closely.

If you find your radon levels are high the good news is that your home can be retrofitted for radon removal.

Radon professionals can help you reduce the radon in your home.

With a little effort, harmful exposure can be prevented to protect you and your family from the threat of radon gas.

For more information visit the Health Canada Web site at www.healthcanada.gc.ca/radon or call the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit at 519-352-7270.

Property standards committee members sought

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is seeking five individuals to serve on its Property Standards Committee.

The committee meets on an as-needed basis to hear appeals made by citizens who received orders to comply with the Property Standards Bylaw. The committee’s full terms of reference can be found here.

Paper copies can be found at municipal service centres.

In September of this year Chatham-Kent Council voted to alter the committee structure to reflect the trend across Ontario in which such committees are comprised of citizens rather than council members.

A survey of 17 Southern Ontario municipalities showed that most committees were comprised of 3 to 5 residents.

Committee members will receive a $50 per meeting remuneration fee as well as mileage from their place of residence to the meetings which are held at the Civic Center in Chatham.

Residence are invited to submit an application by following this link and may also provide a bio/resume highlighting relevant experience and qualifications.

Paper applications may also be found at municipal service centres.

Applications must be received by Friday, November 10th at noon.

Demers appointed superintendent of education for Catholic Board

Lisa Demers, Principal of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Chatham, has been appointed to serve as St. Clair Catholic’s next Superintendent of Education.

Demers’ appointment fills the vacancy that will be left as Deb Crawford assumes the role of Director of Education, following Dan Parr’s retirement at the end of December.

“Lisa of course needs no introduction to our staff and I am very pleased to announce her appointment to this important position,” stated Dan Parr, Director of Education, in a press release.

“Her dedicated professionalism and demonstrated experience, both at the system and the school level, will make her an asset to the senior team at St. Clair Catholic.”

Demers began her teaching career in 1993 with the former Kent County Roman Catholic Separate School Board, as a classroom teacher at St. Vincent Catholic School in Chatham.

In 2004 she was appointed System Resource Teacher – Special Education Behaviour for St. Clair Catholic and in 2007 became System Program Resource Consultant.

She led the Special Education department for six years beginning in 2009 and in 2015 she was appointed Principal of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School.

Demers also has a wide breadth of system committee, provincial and community experience. She was a member of the Community Violent Threat Risk Assessment Protocol development committee, along with local police services, community partners and our coterminous school boards.

She also served on the Ontario Special Needs Strategy Directive and was a system level Co-Instructor and Facilitator with the New Teacher Induction Program.

She has also served on the Board of Directors for Chatham-Kent Children’s Services and this year was appointed by the Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario to lead the Principals Qualifications Course in the St. Clair district.

She obtained her Supervisory Officers’ qualifications in 2016.

Mrs. Demers’ appointment is effective December 1, 2017, which will allow for some transition planning. A further announcement regarding her replacement as Principal at Our Lady of Fatima will be made in the coming weeks.

Educational drug safety initiative for kids returns to Chatham-Kent

The Chatham-Kent Police Service is once again leading an educational drug safety initiative for local Grade 5 V.I.P. (Values, Influences and Peers) students.

Dedicated to helping young people get the facts they need to make informed decisions, this is the 14th time the organization has brought an award-winning safety resource to area kids.

Each Grade 5 student participating in the V.I.P. program will receive a copy of Drug Safety: Smart choices for LIFE, a comprehensive 112-page handbook geared toward young people, which is full of useful information about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.

The materials are produced by Community Safety Net, and are widely used to educate and increase awareness of substance abuse.

In addition to educating youth, Drug Safety: Smart choices for LIFE is a comprehensive family resource.

It teaches children effective ways to resist peer pressure, while parents receive tips for helping their kids stay away from drugs.

A free downloadable app for smartphones and tablets is included, which is customized to provide local safety contact numbers — along with safety tips, videos, and other important safety information.

This valuable safety resource was made available to the kids through the generous support of local businesses and organizations.

Across the country, law enforcement groups and community organizations are implementing youth education programs in an effort to prevent drug abuse before it starts.

Free meal calendar for November in Wallaceburg

Photo of the day – Animal shelter donation

The new Chatham-Kent Animal Shelter is a $100,000 closer to its goal thanks to a donation from the Ridge Landfill Community Trust.

‘Friends of the new Animal Shelter’ committee co-chair Art Stirling accepted a cheque from Ridge Landfill Community Trust’s, Julie MacDonald and Waste Connections Canada, Cathy Smith and Wes Belanger.

Lynn McGeachy Schultz, project coordinator for the new facility says this donation has come at a perfect time.

“This is an excellent example of how corporate and community groups can support long standing needs and at the same time build for the future,” she said in a press release.

“The dream of a new shelter to care for animals within the Municipality will be a reality.”

The capital campaign is still underway with $250,000 outstanding.

The Friends group is confident that this can happen with donations like this one.

The Trust was created to support needs in Blenheim and the surrounding area.

MacDonald said this seemed like a great investment.

Smith added: “We believe that we have a role to support community needs and this project gave us the opportunity to do so.”

McGeachy Schultz says the group has raised $1.25 million of the $1.5 million needed to build the new shelter.

The shelter is being built adjacent to the current facility on Park Ave, Chatham.

Municipal officials say that building has outlived its usefulness.