Letters: Week if April 9

All too easy when self-isolating to pack on the pounds Sir: Could COVID 19 become the new Freshman 15? The well-known phenomenon of the Freshman 15 suggests that first-year university […]

All too easy when self-isolating to pack on the pounds

Sir: Could COVID 19 become the new Freshman 15?

The well-known phenomenon of the Freshman 15 suggests that first-year university students have the potential to gain 10 to 15 pounds of extra body weight.

Causal factors include stress, loneliness, an abundance of unhealthy foods, late night snacking on junk foods and consuming excess alcohol.

The current pandemic has resulted in a national lockdown forcing most Canadians to isolate at home indefinitely. With all the related stresses of these uncertain times, many of the newly sedentary homebound may turn to excess junk food and/or alcohol for comfort.

Our nation’s citizens could emerge from isolation in a few months’ time fatter and unhealthier than ever! Hence, the Covid 19 (a weight gain of an extra 10-20 pounds) could become the new Freshman 15.

Self-isolation within a junk-food, couch-sitting environment could result in the self-desolation of our overall health; this can and will put a further strain on an already over-stretched healthcare system.

We all have a responsibility to protect our health – not only from this virus, but also from the ravages of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. This imposed home isolation provides a perfect opportunity for all of us to experiment with cooking nutritious, delicious meals from scratch using wholesome ingredients. (Our supermarkets still have an abundance of fruits and vegetables.)

Parents now have the time to teach children how to cook. What a novel thought!

I suggest letting the junk foods remain on the otherwise empty grocery shelves. Avoid the COVID 19.

Yours in Health,

Sheila Kozmin

Sarnia

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The financial hit from virus will be huge and long lasting

Sir: I’m writing this on April 1, the day the poop really hits the fan for many Canadians. They’re not working. There is no money coming in.

Earlier I lit up my PC and entered “Canada’s Economy And Household Debt How Big Is The Problem?” and learned the average Canadian owes $1.70 for every after-tax dollar earned. The food banks have been struggling for years. Normal vacancy rates and affordable housing are a fading memory. It seems many of us were already full of bullet holes before the world tossed the Covid-19 grenade.

Listen up! How many of you work a career that will last 30 years and has some kind of benefit plan and a pension fund you can contribute to? How many of you have a savings account that will support you for three months? I would say not many.

Canada is a gig job/contract worker place. In many cases tips help pay the rent.

At this moment governments are borrowing money as quick as they can to help the people I just mentioned and the small businesses they work for.

Fast-forward 40 years. The same workers mentioned here suddenly have no income because they’re too old to work. No doubt they will have little savings and will be carrying debt. Canada Pension and Old Age Security won’t pay the rent on a tiny $4,000 a month apartment.

Ed Williamson

Sarnia

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Pandemic has taught us: It’s a small world after all

Sir: It would be a great blessing if after this global virus fades away into history that the world could stay as united as it has been during this time of crisis, country helping country, to the benefit of all, ironing out our differences to make this world a better place.

This pandemic has proven just how vulnerable we really are.

Something to think about.

James Muxlow Sr.

Courtright

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During this stressful time of social distancing, let’s stay connected

Sir: As far back as the Peloponnesian War, nearly 25 centuries ago, humanity faced a pandemic.

But the world survived.

As recently as one century ago, humanity faced a pandemic, the Spanish flu.

But the world survived.

Now, across this world, we are all in the midst of another pandemic, the result of COVID-19 novel coronavirus. But the world will survive as long as each one of us, community by community, concentrates on preventing the spread of this virus by social distancing.

Our greater community is the world. But our more important community is our families, our friends, our immediate neighbours. In this stressful time, each one of us, especially those who live alone, will need to have some human contact even if it is at a distance or over the telephone.

I would urge each one of you to find the phone numbers (if you don’t already have them) of the person(s) who live on each side of you and talk to them by phone at least every second day for as long as this crisis continues.

It will be good for you, and it may be the only verbal contact some people may have during each long day.

Stay healthy. Stay safe. Stay in touch. Stay at a distance.

We will survive.

Bob McCarthy

Sarnia

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On a wing and a prayer

Sir: It seems the coronavirus is spread primarily through the respiratory system.

We are encouraged to practice social distancing.

How is it then OK to stuff a few hundred passengers into an airplane without providing them with a simple face mask?

No wonder the virus went global so quickly.

Michael Lester

Sarnia

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Allowing only large retail stores to stay open unfair to all

Sir: Does anyone else not find it disturbing that during this pandemic, when all non-essential businesses including clothing stores, shoe stores, gift stores, etc. are ordered closed, that large department-type stores and super stores are allowed to remain open.

They are permitted to sell many “non-essential” items solely because they also sell food and/or drugs.

This practice should be stopped immediately, and the sections of such stores selling non-essential merchandise cordoned off to customers, as it was done during the days of the Sunday Shopping brouhaha.

Not only would that reduce the number of people shopping, it will reduce the exposure to vulnerable staff and customers.

I recently watched from the parking lot of one store and saw people coming out carrying new televisions, bicycles, etc. in 10 minutes.

These large stores are profiting on the backs of closed retailers, and further putting their staff and everyone else at risk. And only because they sell food, which when you look at it, may account for less than 50% of their total floor space.

Sincerely,

Pete Kelly

Sarnia

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The Boomer generation has never faced real hardship

Sir: In the North we had the cold war. Sirens screamed; we crouched under desks, thin arms covering thinner heads. We were post-Pompeii petrifies waiting for a future dig. We never left an atomic shadow.

This sums up all life-threatening fears of the Boomers, the Echoes, the A’s through Z’s. Of course, Boomers then were too young to worry.

We’ve never had planes or bombs fall from our skies (there was the Arrow disaster).

We’ve never had a crop blight, famine or drought.

Food has never been rationed.

Hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons or tornados don’t happen here;

We get snowfalls we plow through till they melt.

We’re non-tsunami. Flooding is seasonal, geographically isolated, and dealt with.

We’ve had no great fires or earthquakes like San Fran or London.

We’ve never been drafted, and only go to wars of our own choosing.

We have not been invaded or occupied;

P.E.I. has no extermination crematoriums.

We avoided Inquisitions, Salem witch hunts and Small Pox blankets.

We’ve had no Race Riots, but a few barricades have gone up and down.

Death comes to us as to all. Car accidents, dumb-ass accidents, and even murder. Though never expected, always anticipated. We grieve, some longer than others. It’s not easy, but we manage the shock.

When the glaciers glide past the coast of Nova Scotia, on the way to New York, my generation (and probably yours) will have been replaced.

But now! We’re asked to Social Distance and wash with soap and water. In Canada we have plenty of both. I’ll occupy my three square feet of space for several weeks (knowing there are only 52 in a year).

No complaints. No asinine TP runs. Just behaving myself, HUMANELY.

Francis Lynch

Sarnia

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Feeling burned over insurance coverage

Sir: I read the two recent letters about unexpected increases in insurance rates.

I had my riding lawnmower catch fire in my shed. I pulled it outside and called the Sarnia fire department. The mower was burned up, as were the doors on the shed.

My insurance company told me it wasn’t covered because it happened outside the building. Had I left the burning lawnmower inside it would have been covered, but with a $2,500 deductible.

If I’d left the mower inside, the fire would have burned up two sheds, two cords of wood, and other lawn equipment.

They said they would pay for any damages over $2,500, but then my insurance would go up 20% a year for three years.

Ken Keeling

Sarnia

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Councillor says full disclosure needed from Public Health

Sir: In a pandemic, FULL information disclosure is needed. There can be no selectiveness on what is released! Crucial information, essential for isolation, must be made available immediately.

The statement “We’re all in this together” implies we all have complete access to COVID-19 information and daily updates, but we do not. In my experience, Lambton Public Health Unit is being very selective in what it releases.

In my not so humble opinion the health unit should state the municipality in which each case is suspected or confirmed. That would allow people, in those specific areas, to self- isolate, immediately, as a precaution.

If the health unit doesn’t give location information, precious time is taken up carrying out their own investigations. And, how many people do they interact with to find out who was in contact with who?

If we don’t know where the infections are coming from how can these areas be avoided? Withholding information is the quickest way to spread this virus. Time is of the essence!

Case in point — an individual worked at Shell Canada for three days in March and, only after he’d been back in Quebec eight days, did he receive a COVID-19 diagnosis confirmation.

This probably means he worked here during the incubation period and, yet, we heard about it via social media, and the newspaper, BEFORE the health unit!

And every source produces different data — no consistency at all.

My constituents have many questions and I’m doing my best to answer them. I’ve asked three specific questions of Lambton Public Health’s chief medical officer and, after a four-day wait, still no answer.

Lambton County Social Services staff answered, but not with the specific answers required to address the problem.

Let’s really work together during this pandemic and share all information with the public.

Councillor Margaret Bird

Sarnia

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Poop Police needed in Heritage Park

Sir: Heritage Park has had responsible dog owners for over 10 years now who clean up after their pets.

Not so lately!

To our neighbours who don’t follow suit, please, bring some bags on your walks. Let’s keep our great neighbourhood clean for everyone who walks, rides a bike, has kids using the playground, and walks their dog!

Folks, it is getting disgusting. Please do your part!

Bring an extra bag and if you see someone “in need” you can offer it.

Thanks to everyone.

Joan Hall

Sarnia 

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Local sportswriter will be missed by many

Sir: I would like to comment on the passing of Dave Borody, the former sports editor of The Observer.

Dave grew up tough in the south end and loved to play sports, whether in his backyard, Tecumseh Park, Errol Russell Park or the Sarnia Arena, and he loved to be around athletes: the Frasers, Crombeens, Mattinglys, Neelys, Merrick, Butler, Archers and the McKegneys.

Plus the ghosts of Blue Bombers past who walked the hallowed halls of SCITS.

Dave’s love of sports led him to the Sarnia Observer, where he was mentored by the unique and legendary sports writer Freddie Wheeler.

Dave’s writing coincided with the rise of the Sarnia Bees Junior B hockey club. He covered every game, travelled with the team, and loved to talk and listen to the players. He didn’t just write about the events, he let the reader into the dressing room and the players’ lives. Never a mean word was written.

Everyone felt comfortable in Dave’s presence, as everyone knew he was a good listener.

These qualities followed Dave into radio, where he worked with his friend and play-by-play caller Murray Vosburg as the voices of the Sarnia Sting Jr. A hockey club.

Dave took up golf and once again was surrounded by a wide variety of athletes, past and present. He was in his element, and he had a pretty good game himself.

Mary (Smith) Borody, Dave’s loving wife, knew marrying this sports nut would lead to many nights alone, but she also knew he’d always come home with another great story.

Dave will be greatly missed, but his life lives on in his stories.

Jeff Allen

Sarnia

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