Increased swine flu precautions in Tri-Cities area

An increasing level of caution marked activity in the Tri-Cities area Thursday as public events and public places reacted to both new and existing cases of swine flu. Yet, not everyone expressed plans for the same level of caution.

The Batavia Loyalty Day Parade will still take place Sunday, said VFW Post 1197 Cmdr. Bob Zeman.

"No way" are they canceling, nor has anybody asked them to, he said.

Of the 100-plus groups scheduled to take part, only the Batavia High School and Rotolo Middle School bands have dropped out.

While Rotolo students won't be in the parade, don't be surprised if they are still among the spectators. Batavia Unit District 101 Superintendent Jack Barshinger said although a Rotolo student has a probable case of swine flue, students have not been told they can't attend the parade. The main reason Rotolo will not participate is because students do not have access to the school building to prepare for the event. The school is receiving a special cleaning, with particular attention to drinking fountains and restrooms, Barshinger said. Following the cleaning, Barshinger said he expects Rotolo to reopen Monday, though he stopped short of guaranteeing it. Batavia High School also shut down on Thursday following the discovery of a student with probable swine flu. District staff expect to also reopen Monday.

"We are not the medical experts," Barshinger said. "We will continue to work with the health department to make such decisions."

That's the same boat St. Charles Unit District 303 finds itself in regarding Haines Middle School. School officials made the decision to close Haines in the middle of the school day Thursday after the probable case of swine flu in a female student led the health department to recommend the building be shut down. District 303 Superintendent Don Schlomann said the school is closed indefinitely, as are all extracurricular activities involving the school or its students, until the health department gives the district the green light to reopen. That may not come for several days as all parties await a final confirmation from the Centers for Disease control on whether or not the student even had swine flu. Meanwhile, Schlomann said the student has already recovered after first displaying symptoms while at school Monday. No other students at Haines or anywhere else in the district have exhibited signs of the swine flu since the student and her siblings were removed from schools as a precaution.

But even that isn't necessarily making everyone feel any safer.

"I feel really scared," Haines sixth-grader Quentin Clehouse said. "It's scaring the crud out of me. I don't know who has it. I don't know pretty much anything. I'm very confused and pretty freaked out."

Some parents said all the school closings amounts to paranoia and overkill.

"I personally think this is craziness," said Kathleen Darling, parent of a Haines sixth-grader. "I was doing a little research (Thursday) and there are young people every year that just die from the regular flu. I think that we're really overreacting."

Other groups are being cautious and canceling activities.

Batavia Youth Baseball has canceled all games and practices through Sunday, and the Batavia Park District has canceled activities involving middle school and high school students.

Batavia Youth Baseball Commissioner John Oroni said the cancellations will act as a rainout, with games to be made up at a later date.

"Basically it was a conservative and safe decision we made with the health of kids in mind," Oroni said. "You might get some criticism for canceling some stuff, but that's better than something bad happening."

Marmion Academy's 65-member Flannigan Rifles drill team was due to leave after school Thursday for the National High School Drill Team Championship in Florida. The contest takes place today through Tuesday.

"Nationals is the culmination of our year and what we worked for as a team," said Nate Valaik of Naperville, a senior at the Aurora school and a commander of the team. "We had practiced hard ... it's a tough pill to swallow."

But he trusts Headmaster John Milroy's decision.

"He's doing what he thinks is best for the school, and we support him in it," Valaik said.

Michele Martzel, promotional services coordinator for the Batavia Public Library, said there was no noticeable uptick in attendance by middle school or high school children through midday Thursday.

The library does not plan to cancel any programs, although few for those age groups were scheduled for Thursday.

Meanwhile, in keeping with its mission of providing information to the public, the library has added links to the Batavia school district and Kane County Health Department Web sites to its Web site, placed informational fliers about influenza at its circulation desk, and posted "How to Be a Germ-Buster" hand-washing posters in all its restrooms, Martzel said.

• Staff photographer Laura Stoecker contributed to this story