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OId fas-ýhîoned hymn sing Orono WeelyTlmes, Wednesday, May 26, 1999 il 101, i 2 * eWedding Cakes e Cakes for ail Occasions ~ ~ e Pastries - Donuts- Pies Il ý)p *Bread &Buns r& Tea Room Closed Sunday & Monday Proprietors: Gary & Carol Vreeker 983- 9779 Main Street, Orono The Bowmanville Salvation Armny Band lead the rousing hymn sing in the Orono Unlited Church on May 2nd. The singing was interspersed with solo singing by Rev. Mervyn Rugseli and Nancy Chisling. Proceeds from the afiernoon activity were in aid of the Central American di§aster Relief and Toronto Out of the Cold Program. Annual war on dandelions by Janiet Banting The aninual war on dande- lions Is once again underway. 1 wonider if people would con- inue to spray their lawnis -i purs-uit of the so-called -per- fect lawn" - if they kniew the following: 1. The seeds for the miod- emn pesticide industry were planted during t-he second World Wr when soine of the chemnicals developed for chemical warfaqre were dis- covered to be lethal to insects. The conversion to (so-called) peaceful uses was for the benefit of the cheiÉcal com- panles, -which wianted to cap- italize on what was - for them - a good thing. For them, it has become VERRY bi-g busi- ness. 2. Environment Canada admits, "Pestcides are poi- sons. Otherwise, they wouldni't work." Poisons are indiscriminate ln their effects (L.e. what Is poisonous to plants and bugs is also dan- gerous to pets, wildlife and human beigs). Children are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of these chemiÉcals, given their imma- Lure immune systems. Small chldren and pets do not read, so they don't understand the slgns used on recently- x~sprayed lawns and may wind up rolllng on the grass, then transporting the toxins ito their homes. Children whose parents use garden pesticides have a seven times higher risk of developig childhood leukemia, for just one shock- ing statistic. 3. Pesticides are made up of an active igredient and a so-called "lnert". The latter can. comprise as much as 90% of the product, and the manufacturer need not declare its contents, which are protected as a "trade secret" Problem? Many of the lnerts used are known or sus- pected carc-inogens (e.g. ben- zene and toluenie.) You can ask your friendly neighbour- hood lawn sprayer what is in the product he uses, but the truth is, he probably does flot even know this information lmself. What a paradox that cookie manufacturers miust declare their ingredients, yet those wiho seli poisons need not! 4. Many pesticides in com- mon uise (for farm and lawn applications) are now known to be hormone disruptors. Thlis means that they can dis - rupt normal hormonal func- tion in both wîIdlife and humtans. Developing fetuises can~ be negatively affected! 0f the approxlmately 50 chemi- cals considered to have hor- mone-disruptingc effects, 39 are pesticides registered for use li Canada. 5. The most com.monly used herbicide îs 2,4-D, which Agriculture Canada admits is contaminated with dioxin (one of the world's most toxic and carclnogenlc chemicals). 2,4-D, wlch bas beeni banned for use in Sweden, was one of the ingre- dients ln Agent Orange in Vietnam, where children con- tinue to be bom wlth severe birth defects more than 20 years after their parents' exposure. 6. Dandelions have many therapeutlc uses, and have been in constant use as both a food and a medicine for at least 1000 years in various cultures around the world. As Rachel Carson - the sci- entist whose work led to the bannlng of DDT - said li the early I 960's, "Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poi- sons on thesurface of the earth wthout nfialcifg It unfit for aIl life?" 1 can only hope that people who stubbornly continue to spray poisons around their neighbourhoods willlsoon realîze that, unliÈke dangerous chemnicals, dandlelions do flot cause cancer! For more ilormation on the da).ngers of and alterna- tives to chemical lawn care methods, feel fi ee to cail me at (90.5) 985-32,25, Your mnom wos ripht when she îold you flot t0 rubh your eyes! Eye injuries coni be very seri ous. If a particle ii the eye is obviously loase, ffie a moist- ened tissue ta carefully remnove it. For more seriouis eye injuries, where a n abject is stuck to or embedded in the eyeball, cover the eye lightly with a clean dressing and get medical help. St John AmibulanÈe always hos an eye on first aid training. Coli your local 0ffie for more information on firlt cid, CPR and hieailhpromiodiofl 0 St. llhn Ambulance NC Re-Elect.. Johnl o'T-ol IN DURHAM RIDING A Strong Economy for Improved Health Care & Quality Education The Patients Bill of Rights wiiI include: " Emergency room assessmenitwithin 15 minutes " Minimum 60 hour hospital stay for new mothers " Guaranteed radiation for cancer within 4 weeks... and more. We ask for your vote Camipaigni Offices -877-25-3-JOHIN (5646) 75ý King ,Street West 52 Water Street Bownmnville LIC IR- Port PerryL9L1J 2 (90 5) 697-.101HN (56-46) â (905)985-4277 Authorized by the CFO in the John 0'Toole campaign,