The Sudbury Star is conducting a search this summer for the best slo-pitch players in the Greater Sudbury Area. Valley East's, Natalie Raymond-Marois has received one of the nominations.

Natalie is a 30-year old life-long resident of Hanmer who plays in three slo-pitch leagues this summer. She also plays for JAFT, a travelling team with whom she went to the Nationals last summer.

She has played slo-pitch for over ten years and according to one observer, "is very athletic, drives for balls, leaps like a frog, runs like a deer and hits a ball so far that when you look at her small size you wonder where she gets all this power. She can play any position on the field and truly enjoys the game."

According to her mother, Monique Grenon, who has played on the same team as her daughter for the past eight years, the ability to play ball is something that has been handed down to Natalie through the generations. "When I watch her play I am so proud of her, She is truly a star in my eyes. She has baseball in her blood.  Her grandmother and grandfather were very good fastball players in Hanmer many years ago. I played fastball first and now have moved to slo-pitch. She also had an aunt who played slo-pitch."

Natalie is Vice-President of the Valley East Ladies' Slo-Pitch League which  features a total of ten (10) teams for the 2006 season, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Natalie and her good friend, Mandy Hnatiuk, who is president. 

The Ladies play at Centennial Ball Park every Monday and Wednesday evening, with games at 6:30, 8:00, and 9:30 p.m. Valley East Today is pleased to introduce the First Annual Valley East Ladies' Slo-Pitch Photo Album with this issue. Below is one of the teams, sponsored by Chico's. We will be posting the rest of the team pictures as they are provided to us by long-time Slo-Pitch member, Monique Grenon.

  With all the different contributing factors of bad breath one thing is certain, good oral hygiene is imperative in helping to control your breath.  If you think you have bad breath seek treatment, once you can pin point the cause or source of your bad breath the success is more attainable

Part One: Bacteria and Oral malodor

There are numerous bacteria present in the mouth.  

The different species of bacteria are essential in keeping the oral flora balanced in the oral cavity.  It is important to have some bacteria in the mouth although not all bacteria are good.  Once the bacteria break down and die they produce gases called Volatile sulfur compounds (VSC).  If not removed,  these compounds continue to accumulate and combined with the air from the mouth will cause a malodor.  

VSC’s are toxic to oral tissues and can cause periodontal disease, irritation to oral tissue, and bad breath.  Bacteria can accumulate anywhere in the mouth.  The teeth, inside of the checks, and gums are some places bacteria can accumulate therefore it is necessary to keep these areas clean by brushing and flossing. Due to its rough surface and crevices, the tongue is the most common place for bacteria to be deposited.  Thus creating large amounts of sulfur compounds causing bad breath.  Simply brushing the tongue with a tooth brush will not dispose of the bacteria imbedded deep into the crevices of the tongue but will only move the bacteria around.  As Dr. Mel Babot DDS. States: the key is mechanical removal by using a “rake like” tongue scraper to reach in and remove the debris from the tongue.

The absence of saliva can also cause bad breath by promoting more anaerobic bacteria to accumulate in the mouth.  Read more about this topic in the following section entitled, “Oral dryness and bad breath".

Part Two: Oral Dryness And Bad Breath

One of the leading causes of oral malodor can come from xerostomia.  Xerostomia better known as dry mouth is a common occurrence in many people.  One of the contributing factors to dry mouth is medication such as certain heart medication, antidepressants. Some of the most common types of drugs that can cause dry mouth are-Decongestants, Diuretics, Antidepressants, Antihistamines, Antispasmatics, and Puffers.  Stress, smoking, and age are also things that can cause xerostomia. 

Saliva is a very important bodily function.  Saliva washes out the mouth of food debris, sugars, and bacteria.  Without saliva food cannot be easily washed away therefore staying on your teeth longer causing possible plaque build up, thus leading to tooth decay and possibly gum disease and ultimately causing a foul odor from your mouth.  Bacteria need to be constantly washed away.  Without saliva, bacteria will stay in the gums, between teeth, and on the dorsal surface of the tongue.  These bacteria will then break down and produce volatile sulfur compounds resulting in irritation of the tissues and bad breath.

The first step to try and teat bad breath is to eliminate the source. Although sometimes the answer is not that easy if the cause of xerostomia is age or medication.  Therefore keeping your mouth clean and using mechanical techniques for getting rid of debris with a tongue scraper and toothbrush are of the utmost importance.  Using alcoholic based mouthwashes like scope or Listerine are detrimental with someone with dry mouth; it can cause further xerostomia and even further irritation.  Ask your Denturist for what is best for you to use.  Some examples are Biotene and Oxyfresh.

Part Three: Are My Dentures The Source of My Bad Breath?

As we know, bacteria that accumulates on the tongue or in other places in the mouth produce sulfur compounds which leads to bad breath.  Bacteria can also accumulate on the surface or even within the denture.  Microscopically, dentures have a porous surface allowing bacteria to enter and therefore, dentures must be cleaned everyday and rinsed between every meal to minimize the accumulation of bacteria.  Scratches in the denture are an ideal place for bacteria to accumulate.

Toothpastes like Crest or Colgate are made for use on natural teeth, and they are much too abrasive for dentures, thus producing scratches. To try to avoid scratches in your denture, use non-abrasive cleaning products such as liquid soap, polident denture paste, Oxyfresh non-fluoride toothpaste, soaking tablets or liquid denture cleaners such as Dentanet. With time odors can  stay strapped  in the denture causing it to smell and giving the denture wearer bad breath.

Here is a little test to see if it is your denture that is causing your bad breath.

Remove your denture, rinse them under water, and place it into a zip lock baggie.  Let it sit for five minutes and then open the bag a little and smell.  The odor you smell is what other people can smell.  Sometimes the odor is impossible to remove and a new denture is needed.  The average life of a denture is between 5 to 7 years.  Call your denturist for an appointment if you think your denture is causing your bad breath.

If you would like to find out more about Beswick Denture Clinic or the Beswick Footcare Clinic, simply go to their comprehensive web site at the following link>>>>

Laurna Lynn Mills, Manager of the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre location of Sole Mates Family Footwear, took time from one of her busy days to explain a few interesting things about cowboy boots.

“Cowboy boots are very much in fashion this year,” explained Laurna. “Canada West is our primary supplier of western-inspired footwear, and this year their catalogue is filled with some exciting styles and colours.”

Laurna explained that many people are discovering that cowboy boots are the best footwear for dancing. “The sole is slippery, but the heel is made of rubber. So when you dance, you slide on the ball of your foot and use your heel to stop. They are absolutely the best type of boot for dancing.”

Indeed, to the naked eye, cowboy boots may at first appear to be rather slippery and hard to walk in, but the construction makes them one of the most comfortable and versatile types of footwear around.

“We still get a lot of riders buying our boots for durability they get from the top quality leather. The leather is good for use in stirrups and also for everyday chores around the farm,” Laurna commented.

“There are so many different styles to choose from, and each of them are for specific uses. When a customer comes into the store, we take some time to find out what they want to use it for so that we can recommend the right kind of boot,” explained Laurna. “For example, if a person intends to use the boot for riding a lot and working around the farm, we recommend one that has good leather on the sole as well as all around so that it stands up to the hard use. If a person just wants it for style, then we can recommend different colours and material that is more fashionable. You wouldn’t wear a bright coloured cowboy boot to work around the ranch.”

Cowboy boots also come CSA approved for safety and can range in price from $139 to $299. Most of the boots fall in the $169 range. The nice thing about cowboy boots is that they can last for years because of their high quality construction.

“Shania Twain is given a lot of credit for making cowboy boots so much more popular today,” Laurna went on. “She wears them all the time and with so many fans adoring her, they are picking up on the boot as a fashion accessory.”

Sole Mates Family Footwear also sells a wide range of accessories for the boots, such as metal toe-caps and chains.

Visit the web site at www.solematesfamilyfootwear.ca 

   When VoIP (Voice over Internet Technology) was first introduced to Sudbury , Edgar saw this as the future of communication and immediately jumped on board; studying everything there is to know about the technology. As a result, he formed another division of his company, called VCCNet.ca Internet Solutions, which deals with long-distance discount calling and the use of the internet for communication purposes.

   Edgar has joined forces with another locally owned firm, Infocom Canada Business Consultants Inc. which operates Valley East Today, a marketing & public relations company which publishes a community web site and weekly online news magazine.

    “The cost of long distance calling has always been a detriment to people living in the north,” Edgar explained when asked why he feels so strongly about the communication services he now provides to the community. “I know so many of my friends and acquaintances who have children or parents living in other parts of Ontario . They would love the chance to talk to them more often by phone, but long distance charges really cut into the budget; especially for seniors who would love to talk to grandchildren, or parents who have children away at university or college.”

   “Once people find out how easy it is to switch over to my plan, and they realize that there is absolutely no risk or long-term commitment – that all they get is the freedom to talk on the phone to anyone in Ontario for as long as they want for one low price of $15.95 a month, they are sold,” Edgar went on.

   Edgar also repairs and programs individual computers for both commercial and residential use. You can drop in and see him at his office in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, or he will come directly to your home or office.

   Whatever you are looking for, give Edgar a call at 670-4039 or you can go to his web site at www.vccnet.ca and see how he can meet your needs.