Trotwood Reacts To Swine Flu Reports

Montgomery County Combined Health

District officials conducted a pandemic

outbreak response practice at Hara Arena

in 2006 by offering drive through

flu shots. (Photo by Totally Trotwood)

By Bruce Kettelle

Trotwood Fire and Rescue Chief Gene Lutz said Trotwood residents needn’t be overly anxious about the Swine Flu reports inundating the news this week. Currently there is only one case confirmed in Ohio.

Nonetheless he encouraged residents to understand what symptoms to look for. “I’m a little worried that local emergency rooms may get overwhelmed by common cold symptoms which might make it difficult for them to handle other emergencies such as accident victims,” said Lutz. Residents are encouraged to visit the city's web site for a list of precautions and local contacts.

All the US cases surfacing this week are related to recent travel to infected areas in places like Mexico. Residents that have traveled to Mexico or have been in contact with friends and coworkers that have traveled there should vigilantly monitor any health changes. See our Swine Flu symptoms page for more.

Lutz is watching the situation closely. As a precaution he is adding some respiratory distress treatments to the area’s ambulances and updating the training for those personnel.

The Combined Health District of Montgomery County coordinates disease outbreak response locally. Their web site contains regular updates and background information. http://www.chdmc.org/

Health district staff has conducted several practice responses to pandemic disease outbreaks during the past several years including one at Hara Arena in Trotwood. If this disease were to spread to Trotwood and Montgomery County they have several plans that can be put into action.

Swine Flu Symptoms

With the first case of Swine Flu reported here in Ohio, Trotwood residents should be aware of what to look out for. If you know anyone that has recently travelled to Mexico or another infected area be especially watchful for these symptoms.

This information is directly from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does swine flu spread?
Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?
People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

How long can viruses live outside the body?
We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:
-- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
-- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
-- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
-- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
-- If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water. or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. we recommend that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
-- If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
-- If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.
-- In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
-- Fever with a rash In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting

How serious is swine flu infection?
Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death.

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

New Signs Dot Bike Trails

By Bruce Kettelle

Brand new color coded signs have been installed this spring on most of the area’s bike trails. Each trail has it’s own color code to make it easier to get around. Soon every trail in the region will be outfitted with the signs as the unique wayfinding initiative gets all the trail districts to adopt the new plan.

The Wolf Creek Rail Trail signs between Trotwood and Verona bear a distinctive bright purple. Each sign provides the name of the trail and lists a few points of interest ahead with the mileage to each.

“There are six signs between Trotwood and Verona,” said Jeff Green. Green is the dedicated Wolf Creek Rail Trail Technician that keeps the bikeway maintained. He is also responsible for many of the little improvements like several new benches installed along the trail recently.

Green said, “Riders should take a minute on their next ride to inspect the new prairie we installed behind Pete’s Station.” The abandoned station is located between Brookville and Verona. The prairie is one of several nature features accessible to riders from the trail.

The trail is operated by Five Rivers MetroParks. Planning to connect the trail southeast into Dayton and the Miami River trails network is underway but no timetable has been announced.

Hans Landenfeld of the Miami Valley Conservancy District is coordinating the sign initiative. It encompasses Five River Metro Parks, Montgomery County Parks, Green County Parks and Miami County Parks.

“His (Landenfeld’s) concept is to make the signs flow for trail users as they pass from county to county, “ said Greg Brumitt Five River’s Director of Outdoor Recreation. “We have one of the better trail systems in the state and want to make it easier for people to use it.”

The new signs will be found on all 70 miles of trails in the tri-county area. The sign colors will match the trail color on the regional bike maps.

Salem Av/Shiloh Springs Rd Reconstruction Awarded

By Bruce Kettelle
After considering multiple designs the city of Trotwood recently settled on a more modest modification to realign the sharply angled intersection of Shiloh Springs Rd and Salem Avenue. The construction contract was awarded to RB Jergens for $2,329,277.

Work is expected to begin in June that will get the crossing to be closer to a 90-degree angle. The concept for the realignment arose out of earlier plans to make the former Salem mall site more accessible from Salem Avenue. It should also improve safety at the intersection.

Earlier ambitious plans called for a large traffic circle while another suggested permanently closing Shiloh Spring between Salem Avenue and Denlinger Rd. Those ideas proved to have too many complications and costs, which led to the current configuration.

The plan will create a new road tentatively called Landmark Drive that will intersect with Shiloh Springs Rd about 600 feet east of Salem Av. Planners at the city believe that this new permanent connection with the vacant mall property will help generate new interest from developers.

In addition to the intersection work Jergens also won a $995,560 contract to improve Salem Av from Turner Rd to Salem Bend. That phase includes new sidewalks and stormwater drainage improvements.

Trotwood City Manager Mike Lucking said the construction costs will be paid for through state grants and a federal budget earmark. City leaders worked hard to lobby with US Representative Mike Turner to gain approval of the earmark.

Mayor Darreyl Davis pointed out the council’s travel budget including trips to Washington DC have really paid off.

Greyhound, RTA - Confront Misconceptions

Greyhound Says People Have Misconceptions
By Bruce Kettelle

A Greyhound spokesperson fears that opponents to a possible Trotwood location may have some misconceptions about their ridership. A local opposition group raised fears last week about preliminary discussions to locate the Dayton Greyhound Bus terminal at the Northwest RTA Mini Hub. Abby Wambaugh of the company’s Dallas headquarters said the company has had several successes with relocating stations from downtown locations to suburban sites.

“These stations prove to have a positive economic impact in the areas where they are located,” said Wambaugh.

She said people are often surprised to find that 1/3 of their ridership make over $35,000 annually, 30% are students, and over 50% have additional education beyond high school. A majority of their riders are traveling for pleasure or to visit family and friends.

“Dayton is a big station for us with 282,944 inbound and 282,565 outbound passengers in 2008,” she said. That works out to about 775 riders a day through the hub that serves north/south routes on I-75 and east/west routes on I-70.

Of those total riders 86,568 started or ended their trip in Dayton.
Greyhound operates a capacity flexible schedule on their routes. If enough tickets are sold they can add a second bus to a scheduled trip. On Friday’s for example there are 15 scheduled buses. During peak holiday travel that may increase to 30.

Wambaugh stressed that security is important to the company and they employ security in their stations as needed. “We want our employees, passengers and surrounding community to be safe,” she said.

Greyhound is already involved in more than 100 intermodal hubs across the country. Those include pairings with air, rail, and regional bus terminals like Trotwood. To bring their service up to speed with the new millennium some of their New York based buses are being outfitted with Wifi and other modern conveniences. Those improvements will gradually be implemented nationwide.

RTA executive director Mark Donaghy also senses that opposition community members are responding to misconceptions. “We want to do our best to answer concerns,” says Donaghy.

As of this week they are still in discussions with Greyhound and there is no timetable in place. He said the site will require modest renovatins to host the interstate bus traffic in Trotwood. Currently there are about 294 RTA buses in and out each day. He describes the impact as a 10% increase in the existing RTA bus traffic currently flowing through the facility.

“The earliest would be the summer of this year,” he said but Greyhound apparently does not need to vacate the downtown location until 2010.

He believes Trotwood is the best site because of its easy access to both 70 and 75 with connections to transportation throughout the region.

Although he admits he is not an economic development specialist he said there has already been interest from one business wanting to locate at the site if the Greyhound terminal becomes reality. “After discussions with the daycare next door our sense is they don’t feel it would impact them negatively.”

He also reports that 40% of Greyhound’s Dayton customers come from Trotwood.

Wambaugh said that Greyhound wants to work with the city. “We would love the chance to speak with city officials and community groups.” She is looking forward to those calls.

Some Residents Oppose Greyhound Plan

Residents Build opposition To Greyhound
By Bruce Kettelle

On Saturday about 20 residents gathered by the Government Center protesting a proposed Greyhound Bus Station that may be located in Trotwood. According to Trotwood officials the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority is in discussions with Greyhound to relocate their downtown Dayton station. The Northwest Regional Transit Hub on Shiloh Springs Road is one of the sites under consideration by Greyhound.

If that location is chosen about 20 intercity buses a day would stop at the hub. The RTA would combine that operation with the existing regional buses.

Resident Mattie Clay waived a "No Greyhound Station" sign to passing traffic on Olive Rd. She like many of the others at the impromptu protest is concerned about what the out of town buses might bring to Trotwood.

"Why bring 20 more buses through Trotwood when we can't even afford to get our local streets fixed," asked Clay. "I'm also worried about their customers causing trouble in the surrounding neighborhood."

Flora Northern one of the organizers for the picketing questioned why would they choose Trotwood. "I would like an answer for that." She said the terminal is on the edge of a large residential area and is bordered by two childcare centers.

The downtown Greyhound station site is owned by the City of Dayton and is being considered for a different use by the city. The United Concerned Citizens of Trotwood (UCCT) fear that those same troubles would follow the move to Trotwood.

"If you look at the calls for service the Dayton Police have, you wonder why we want that in Trotwood," said Trotwood city council member Ron Vaughn. Council members Vaughn, Bettye Gales, and Mary McDonald addressed the protesters supporting their right to demonstrate.

City Council member Rap Hankins did not attend the protest. He is waiting for more factual information to be collected before deciding how to react to the concept. He said, "It's important that our council members answer community members with facts based on reality not fantasies based toward re-election."

Trotwood's city staff is taking a more measured approach to see if the proposed station might generate safety concerns and other impacts for the city's safety services departments.

"The city manager has asked me to look at how this might impact the community," said police chief Quincy Pope. "I am reviewing that information now." Pope is analyzing Dayton police reports generated at the existing Greyhound station downtown.

Trotwood's existing RTA hub averaged 56 annual calls for service over the past two years. "Most of those calls were medic calls," said Pope. He said other calls included suspicious vehicle, trespassing, and intoxicated individuals. "For instance the intoxicated calls average about four a year, that's a small number considering how many people ride the transportation system."

Pope is reserving his opinion on the proposal until he finishes his research.

The UCCT is the same group that opposed the proposed landfill in Trotwood in 2004. Members have already spoken out at a recent council meeting and are planning other actions to show their opposition to the plan.

Trotwood City manager Mike Lucking reported to the city council that the RTA already has the proper zoning for the facility and will need no further approval from the city. The decision to add Greyhound service at the hub rests solely with the RTA and Greyhound.

See pictures of the protest at http://www.totallytrotwood.com/home_4-17-09.htm