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MAJOR GAPS APPARENT IN CLARENCE- ROCKLAND INFRASTRUCTURE

Sleeping in dentures doubles risk of pneumonia in elderly, study says January 26, 2016 | FoxNews.com Published October 08, 2014 A new study on oral health and hygiene has found that elderly patients who wear dentures during sleep are at a higher risk for developing pneumonia than those who removed them. The study, published in the Journal of Dental Research, focused on a group of more than 500 adults over the age of 85.The volunteers were screened for oral health status and hygiene as well as medical issues, and reexamined each year until first hospitalization or death from pneumonia, according to a news release. period, researchers recorded 48 deaths and hospitalizations associated with pneumonia, and found that among the 453 denture wearers, 186 who did not remove them before sleep were at a 2.3-fold higher risk for pneumonia than those who did. Over a three-year Researchers also found overnight denture wearing was likely to lead to tongue and denture plaque, gun inflammation and other oral issues. The researchers concluded that clinical physicians should discourage their geriatric patients from wearing dentures through the night. Nicholas Fournier, DD N’oubliez pas de sourire

Des dégâts importants se trouvent sur rue Baseline près de la rue St. Jean. - photo Joseph Coppolino

the blunt numbers in the report. Despite the city’s continued growth, over the last five years spending on the more than 250-kilometre road network has declined year-over-year. Based on historical averages, the plan forecasts the city will need to spend just under $6.5 million annually on its roads. The 2022 city budget, however, allocates $6 million to the roads, representing nearly a $500,000 funding gap. Roads, both paved and gravel, are in particular turmoil, according to the plan. 8IJMFUIFDPOEJUJPOPGUIFSPBETJTSBUFE as fair, only 22 per cent of residents were satisfied with the city’s maintenance efforts. Paved roads are reaching the end of their 25-year life cycle, with nearly a third of collectors and local roads having passed 80 per cent of their usable life. i8FIBWFNBEFUSFNFOEPVTJNQSPWF - ments, but we aren’t able to keep up with the roads,” said Lalonde. “There has been seven, ten, fifteen years of underinvestment. It’s as simple as that.” Roads are not the only concern. Stor- mwater and wastewater infrastructure is considered to be in “very poor” and “poor” condition, respectively. Investments in these

assets is critical as the city’s population and businesses continue to grow, and as the frequency of five-year and 100-year weather events increases. Historically, Clarence-Rockland has spent an average of $12 million annually over the past 5 years on its core services, in addition to $4.3 million in renewal and enhancement expenditures. The forecasted amount in the AMP puts the annual cost of renewal and enhancement at more than $6.5 million annually. “It’s like turning around a cruise ship,” said Lalonde. “It’s going to take time, but we will get there.” The report indicates funding for roads must increase significantly to curtail their declining condition. One option considered is increasing the one per cent tax levy allocated to roads along with other sources of funding. The city is set to present a revised 10-year plan for paved roads later this year. By July 2024 the municipality is also to provide a more comprehensive asset management plan to include buildings, fleet vehicles, and equipment in addition to transportation, wastewater, stormwater and water services.

JOSEPH COPPOLINO joseph.coppolino@eap.on.ca

An asset management plan report pres- ented to Clarence-Rockland city council paints an unfavourable picture of funding gaps impacting the quality of the city’s core services. The Asset Management Plan (AMP) is an accounting of the city’s core services, such as water, stormwater management, sewage and transportation infrastructure. The AMP analyzes investments made and funding required for upkeep of the related infrastructure and community satisfaction with the delivery of those core services over the next two decades. Overall, Clarence-Rockland’s core assets are estimated to be midway through their lifecycle. However, according to the AMP, approximately one quarter of city assets is “near or beyond its end of life.” On average, the condition of the city’s infrastructure is considered fair, which means there are signs of deterioration and some deficiencies that require attention. “I think it’s a wakeup call for everyone,” said Councilor André J. Lalonde, reacting to

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