Two local physicians took time out of their busy schedules to tackle some students' questions about bones.
The Group of Five and friends, a local group of women that holds various events to raise funds for items at Royal Columbian Hospital, recently purchased two full-size skeletons for use at the hospital. The women - Shirley Piper, Gerda Suess, Mary Lou Chesman, Alana McIntyre, Marion Osterman and Helen Bodner - consult with hospital staff to determine what needs to be purchased and then raise money to buy the needed items.
Piper recruited students in Alexandra Piper's Grade 6/7 class at Fraser Wood Elementary in Surrey to name the skeletons and to explain their choices to Dr. Michael Lemke and Dr. Darius Viskontas. They also posed questions to the physicians about Royal Columbian Hospital, how the doctors became interested in bones (a.k.a. orthopedics), the most fun thing about their jobs and the equipment used and the purpose of the skel-tons.
"We have one in the cast clinic, where we see patients before and after their operations, and the other in the operating room," wrote the doctors. "We use them to show patients what is wrong and what we will do to make them better. We can also show the nurses and other staff what we are trying to fix. They are also used for teaching medical students and residents to help them in their studies."
Students questioned how many bones the doctors have studied (all 206 in the body) and the biggest bone (femur - the thigh bone). They also wondered if the doctors had ever seen rotten bones.
"Some bone is very soft because of age; some bone is infected and kind of rotten looking; some bone has cancer in it which makes it soft - but I've never seen actual rotten bone in a live human," wrote the doc-tors.
The students worked together to come up with names for the skeletons.
"You should name these two skeletons Otzi and Lucy because Lucy was one of the first hominids that was found almost complete and Otzi was the oldest human mummy ever found preserved by freezing," said a letter to the doctors from students Sam and Jacob.
The physicians liked the names proposed by the students for the two skeletons.
"We want to thank you again for all your interest in our hospital and the work we do," they said in their letter to the students. "We greatly appreciate your help in naming Otzi and Lucy. If you are ever in the cast clinic, then look around. Otzi might be watching you!"
CITY ON THE MOVE
The City of New Westminster helped a lot of folks get moving in time for summer.
The city recently wrapped up its Biggest Mover challenge, which saw 476 people signing up to take part in weekly challenges over 12 weeks.
"We feel that it was a great success," wrote active communities programmer Sandy Earle in an email to The Record.
"We've heard lots of stories about people becoming more active - many losing weight as well."
In addition to improving their health and fitness, participants also had a chance to win prizes given out in random draws at the conclusion of the challenge. The lucky winners were: Steven West (a $200 Thrifty Foods gift card); Angela Post (a $150 Thrifty Foods gift card); Jeff Danroth (a $100 Thrifty Foods gift card); Eva Hall (a $200 New Balance gift card); Valerie McRae (a $150 New Balance gift card); Maria Delivuk (a $100 New Balance gift card); Valerie Fodor and Kate Rexin (a three-month aerobics/ swim pass); John Parsons (a one-month aerobics/ swim pass).
MASONIC HISTORY
The Masons are the topic of this month's New Westminster Historical Society evening.
The Masons of New Westminster have celebrated their 150th anniversaries in 2011 and 2012. The society's meeting, which is being held on Wednesday, June 20 at 7: 30 p.m. in the auditorium of the New Westminster Public Library, will look at 150 years of Masonic lodges in the Royal City.
"This presentation will look at the history of Freemasonry in the Royal City, stories of the lodges and the buildings they have occupied, as well as a glimpse at the former Masonic Cemetery, now part of Fraser Cemetery," said a press release about the event. "All of this will be accompanied by photographs with local Masonic connections. Archie Miller, who has been talking to various lodges for many years about their place in local Masonic history, will lead the presentation. A part of the presentation will note the importance of such groups both to an early community and to people today working on their family histories."
The program is free and everyone is welcome to attend. There's no need to pre-register.
Do you have an item for Around Town? Email Theresa, tmcmanus@royalcityrecord. com. You can also check out her blog at www.royalcity record.com or follow her on Twitter, @TheresaMcManus.
