Anyone who has been following stories in The Observer in recent weeks about the bed bug epidemic that is sweeping our fair city should be concerned.
The buzz started when city police issued a press release on a call to a medical assist where a city man emerged from his apartment literally crawling with bed bugs. Police and EMS personnel had to take special precautions to prevent from the infestation spreading back to the office and their homes. Readers emailed us and wondered if anyone stepped forward to help the poor man whose apartment was overrun with the critters.

Apparently the problem is a huge one in Sarnia, as it is in many urban areas. The Observer has tried many avenues to find out where public health has been called in to investigate bed bug problems in our city but we have had the door shut in our faces with every attempt. As a tenant in an apartment building in our city, wouldn’t you want to know if your building was dealing with a bed bug infestation? Or better yet, if you were looking for a place to leave, wouldn’t you want to know about a possible bed bug problem before moving in?
Readers have contacted us looking for answers. , Out-of-town parents have emailed us looking for a list of places to their college kids should avoid. Is the college running into the same roadblocks in trying to find bed-bug free accommodations in the city for their students?
Kudos to Mayor Mike Bradley for grabbing the bug by the tail, so to speak. He wrote a letter to the County Warden outlining the dramatic increase in bed bugs in this community. In his letter, the mayor wrote about the emotion, psychological and financial distress that can be caused by an infestation. He said the most vulnerable are those who economically and socially do not have the means to deal with the issue. The mayor is calling for County Council to have staff report there strategy for handling the issue as it provided 1.100 housing units for those in need. He wants a two-prong strategy developed to deal with the issue. He is asking that Community Health Services report back to council on what other health services in Canada are doing, beyond education and information, to assist people who are vulnerable for financial and social reasons with infestations of bed bugs.
Have you had a bed bug infestation? What have you done to rid your place of the problem? We love to hear from you.

I have just returned to work after being off two of the past three weeks on vacation. One thing has become painfully obvious – I hate getting up early in the morning.

It’s funny how we change as we grow older. I’ve always considered myself a morning person and the most productive hours of my working day are always between 7 a.m. and noon. But lately it seems I have to kick start myself into gear to get going before the sun rises.

Maybe my love of mornings has disappeared because of our new-found responsibility of pet ownership. Lord knows the 20-year-old stepson isn’t a problem in the morning since he is usually just getting home from his social engagements when I am getting up for work. Oh to be young and foolish again!

I awake each morning to the gentle scratch at the bedroom door from our one-year old German Shepherd. Hercules is a 100-pound bundle of energy who greets me with wagging tail and a healthy appetite. He is on a special diet which requires me to be a part-time butcher in the kitchen. Using sharp knives at 5:30 a.m. requires me to wake-up a little sooner than I would like. I’d hate to add fingers to Hercules’ breakfast serving. If we could all wake up as happy as our dogs in the morning, wouldn’t life be sweeter?

Unfortunately a bowl of dog kibble and a pound of raw meat isn’t enough to make my tail wag in the morning. And life just isn’t as blessed as those breakfast cereal commercials would have you believe.

As we grow older, we can develop morning routines that can be tough to break. This is the first week in a 30-year working career that I have not joined the race to the drivethru’s for breakfast. No morning coffee for me. No donuts. No turnovers. I quit it all cold turkey. Before you all rush to congratulate me on my new healthy lifestyle, I’m only two days in. And I’m not feeling very happy about the change. My stomach is growling and I ache for something sweet.  As I write this blog, I have just snacked on some fruit, a few crackers and am sipping on a bottle of mineral water. In case you’re wondering, I’m pretty miserable and I desperately miss my sugar fix. And oddly enough I miss the camaraderie of the drive-thru ladies on Vidal. But here I sit, alone with my nuts and berries, a man on a mission to live a more healthy lifestyle.

My chair just started shaking and the door is moving as I write this blog. Is my head growing woozy from a lack of junk food or was that an actual earthquake?

Being a desk jockey all of my working life, it has become obvious with every extra notch on my belt, that I spent far too much time behind a computer screen. My daily routine takes me from my car to my desk with the occasional stroll to the washroom. Not exactly a fitness regime for the fit and healthy. I do on occasion venture down to The Observer lunchroom to grab an unhealthy snack. But at least the act to feed my sweet tooth forces me to climb the stairs.

Last year I bought one of those fancy treadmills for the basement. It is an impressive piece of technology with all the bells and whistles for running inclines and long distances. So far the only one enjoying it is the cat who likes the feel of the rubber track on her paws. It also makes a good clothes rack for the hard to dry items. I dust it off occasionally so it at least looks like it is used. I have a dozen excuses as to why I haven’t used it when my fitness-conscious spouse broaches the subject. Truth be told, I sweat even looking at the treadmill. And its blinking electronics are very intimidating to a factory-trained couch potato.

I’ve got a few years until my next milestone birthday. I’ve vowed to get myself in better shape. If you have any tips to share on how to return to a more fit and healthy lifestyle, drop me an email. I’d love to pass on your suggestions for our readers. Email me at rhilts@theobserver.ca

My hat goes off to the Manor Park area residents who thwarted an attempted break-in to their car early Wednesday morning. The couple held the 16 and 18 year old suspects until city police arrived.

I know police would not advocate such actions because of what can go wrong when you are dealing with criminals, but I applaud the couple for protecting their property. You only have to be a victim of crime once to change your view on taking this kind of action.

Last year I was a victim of a house break-in and the feeling of having your personal space violated will never leave you. I have zero tolerance for the low-lifes who choose to steal their way through life. Unfortunately, the endless cycle of break-ins in our community and others does not seem to be declining. Drug addiction fuels a lot of crimes as the desperate turn to break-ins in order to collect valuables they can pawn for drug money. It’s a sad vicious circle that never ends. I don’t envy the police in their fight to apprehend these burglars.

The whole experience of having my home broken into was a wake-up call . After the incident I immediately had an alarm system installed. I also purchased a pure-bred German Shepherd pup as another layer of home security. Hercules, seen in the photo below, comes from a line of police dogs and has brothers working in penitentiaries.

My spouse and I fell in love with German Shepherds after getting to know my cousin’s dog Chevy. My cousin came to the rescue of the German Shepherd after it was hit by a vehicle. He paid the vet bills and adopted the dog. I’ve never seen a more loyal pet than Chevy. It’s like the dog knows he was rescued by a kind soul.

Hercules is now a year old and more than 100 pounds. He is the most lovable pet we have ever owned, but his is also fiercely protective of my spouse and other family members. I’d love to have an open house for that criminal who trashed our home. I’m sure Hercules would give him a warm welcome. But having the dog attack an intruder would likely land me in legal hot water in today’s warped legal system. Sometimes justice never prevails!

Would you attempt to stop someone breaking into your house or car? Share your thoughts with me……

Congrats to Dave Brown, Managing Partner of Bridgeview Marina and GM of Sarnia Bay Marina, for the great job he did in organizing the inaugural Sarnia-Port Huron International Offshore Powerboat Races on the St. Clair River this past weekend.
My stepson was fortunate enough to have a great view of the races thanks to his summer job at Sarnia Bay Marina. Nothing excites a 20-year-old more than speed. Jay seems to get excited about anything that goes fast (but he can’t have the keys to our Camaro LOL) While working the docks on the weekend he fueled a couple of the boats and got a chance to see the speed demons up close. Can you imagine peeling down the river at 185 kilometres per hour? Just seeing those rooster tails coming from the back of the boats is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!

If you know Dave Brown, you wouldn’t be surprised that he was the guy who spearheaded such a huge worldclass event. Thanks largely to his efforts, he was able to secure $100,000 in sponsorship to bring the races here. Unbelievable, considering more money was raised in Port Huron in a very challenged U.S. economy.
Here are a few of the photos Jay took at the docks.

These races were exactly what our city needs. The event brought in between 30,000 and 40,000 people to Sarnia and Port Huron and made our beautiful waterfront come alive.
Hats off to Brown for landing these races for the next five years!