By Cathy Hird and Peggy Moulaison
What is the measure of a healthy society? Sometimes we use GDP, but for me that hides the way the money is distributed. We can use unemployment figures, but those numbers mask the people who have stopped looking for work and the large number of older and younger people who cannot get work.
Some theologians argue that the measure of a community is the way we care for the poor and vulnerable among us. One of the ways our community serves is the meal provided by OSHaRE. It is not a good thing that this service is needed: hungry people are a reminder that there are significant economic inequities in our area. But OSHaRE (Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort) grew out of broad based co-operation between churches and community services. It provides food for people who would otherwise be hungry. It provides community for those who come to eat as well as for those who volunteer. Because so many people are involved, the meals help to break down the barriers between haves and have nots in our community.
I asked Peggy Moulaison, the OSHaRE Director of Operations, to describe their service.
Is everything you see, read and hear in the news 'true'? Does the news simply 'reflect' the world as it is? Or is our 'view' of the world shaped by it? Does it matter? In a special lecture entitled "Is Perspective Everything? News, Bias, Reality – From Telegraph to Twitter", Dr. Herbert Pimlott addresses these questions as he explores a relationship that has been at the core of how our society works: the relationship between journalism and democracy.
By Jon Farmer
A couple of weeks ago, when our city's name could be found in news articles around the world, I asked my Owen Sound friends a question over Facebook. I wanted to know why we leave, stay, and come back to our city. The responses were typical of small towns across Canada. We leave for education and work. We stay away when the work and lifestyles we aspire to can only be found in different places. We come back for love of people and place. As much as Owen Sound's latest tag line -- "where you want to live" -- has been ridiculed, there's truth in it but we need to ask why exactly that is before we can spread the word...
The importance of early and regular visits to the dentist is the message for Oral Health Month this April. It is a misconception that children don't need to see a dentist until they have all their teeth, or are getting ready to go to school. By the time there is a problem, such as a cavity or toothache, it is too late.
Good oral health starts at birth. Cleaning of children's gums should begin before they develop their first tooth. Once teeth start to appear, brushing at least twice a day with a soft wet toothbrush should be routine.
In Grey Bruce, only half of mothers clean their baby's teeth and gums daily and a quarter of mothers NEVER clean their baby's mouth at all. Lack of oral care can lead to cavities, gum disease and early tooth loss, which can affect speech and language and healthy child development.
Just over 10 per cent of preschool children in Grey Bruce have cavities. Our goal is to reduce this number by educating and promoting First Visit by First Birthday.
For more information, call Public Health at 519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456, or visit us on Facebook.
Source: Public Health media release
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