UPDATE The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Finance Committee voted 6-3 tonight to recommend restoration of $13,793 cut by the Board of Finance from the 2010-11 requested budget of the Westport Weston Health District.
Mark A. R. Cooper: cuts will affect emergency response. File photo

The vote followed a warning from the District’s director that unless there is restoration of funds cut from its budget, there will likely be a series of health-related repercussions affecting Westport beaches, schools, farmers markets, septic systems, and the District’s response to emergencies.

Mark A. R. Cooper outlined the possible effects in a letter to Michael Rea, chairman of the RTM Finance Committee.

Cooper said the cut will actually mean a hit of $19,115 to the District budget because by state statute, the District would have to simultaneously reduce Weston’s budget contribution by $5,323.

By Roy Fuchs

Two cancer specialists told the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club today that researchers are gaining ground on identifying molecular abnormalities that are cancer and increasingly treatments are tailored to the individual patient.
Drs. Andrea Ruskin and Jeffrey Franklin said the war against cancer is far from won. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

But Andrea Ruskin and Jeffrey Franklin said the war is far from won.

Ruskin, a hematology and oncology specialist at the Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital, said that 15 years ago the medical community knew far less about the mechanisms of cancer. 

Consequently, large numbers of patients with what were then common symptoms were treated similarly, she said. Since then, researchers have identified many molecular abnormalities that enable oncologists to implement individualized tumor therapies, she said.

By Monique Bosch

Spring is coming. That means lawn care companies across the country are gearing up to spread more than 90 millions pounds of pesticides on our lawns. 

These companies are also fighting legislation to study the effects of these pesticides on our children.

They’re worried that the results may lead to a ban of the chemicals they can now spray all over our yards at rates two to four times greater than amounts used for agriculture.

Luckily, we now have organic alternatives to the dangerous “chemical lawn” approach, which is proving hazardous to the health of our children, pets and drinking water. 

Connecticut residents fall in the middle of the pack when it comes to economic confidence and satisfaction with their standard of living, according to a new Gallup compilation of 2009 survey data, despite ranking near the bottom in terms of job creation.

Other findings of the “State of the States” report:

  * The state scores relatively high in some key components of physical well-being, including healthy behavior and access to good food, medicine and other factors, but only slightly above average overall.

  * State residents are more likely to describe themselves as conservative than liberal; the proportion saying they are moderate-40.8 percent-is fifth highest among all states.

By Mark Pazniokas

The Westport Weston Health District (WWHD) said today it continues to schedule appointments for the H1N1 flu vaccine.

Parents of children under the age of 10 years are reminded that a second dose, administered at least 28 days after the first, is recommended to provide full protection, the District said.

H1N1 vaccination at WWHD clinics is free. There is no charge for the vaccination and no co-pay.

As the supply of H1N1 vaccine is no longer limited, the restrictions for vaccination have been removed.

The Westport Weston Health District today began accepting appointments for anyone over six months to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine.

Previously because of limited supplies, there had been restrictions on those eligible to receive the vaccine.

It also announced availability of seasonal flu vaccine.

H1N1 flu clinics were scheduled for Wednesday as well as Dec. 29 and 30.