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Hey, “We” Survived To all the kids who survived the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate bleu cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes. Then, after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored, lead-based paints. We had no childproof medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags; riding in the back of a pickup on a warm day was always a special treat. We rank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren’t overweight because we were always outside playing! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day and we were okay. We would spend hours building our go-karts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms. We had friends and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our tenth birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house, knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This (above mentioned) generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past fifty years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all! And, “you” are one of them! Congratulations! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives “for our own good.” And, while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how “brave” their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn’t it? Sincerely, Submitted, Author Unknown 100 Degrees In Minutes Now that hot summer temperatures have arrived, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) wants to remind you that when the weather is hot, your pets are better off at home! It’s certainly important to spend time with your pet, but on hot summer days, home is the place to be. Summer is the season for flea markets, outdoor concerts, fireworks and picnics, but your pet may not always be welcome at these events. Owners may be tempted to leave their pets in the car, but this scenario can quickly turn deadly. On a warm day, the interior of a parked car can reach 100 degrees in a matter of minutes, even with the windows partially open. Even a quick stop at the grocery store can have dire consequences. If you do spot an animal in a parked car, you should notify the local police as soon as possible. You don’t need to wait until the animal shows symptoms of heatstroke, but if this does occur, you may want to offer first aid. Signs of heat stress include heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid pulse, unsteadiness, staggering, vomiting, or a deep red or purple tongue. You must lower the animal’s temperature immediately. Move you pet into the shade and apply cool (not cold) water all over her body to gradually lower her body temperature. Apply ice packs or cold towels to your pet’s head, neck, and chest only. The HSUS offers flyers to warn other motorists about the danger of leaving pets in hot cars. To obtain a supply, send a self-addressed business-size envelope (affix 37 cents postage) to The HSUS “Hot Car,” 270 Route 206, Flanders, NJ 07836. The HSUS urges you to make this summer a happy, safe and healthy season for you and your pets! Sincerely, Nina Austenberg, Director Thanks For Supporting Taxpayers Hats off to the Blue Ridge School District board of directors for its recent conditional "opt in" vote on Proposition 72. Unlike surrounding (and most state) districts, the Blue Ridge group put taxpayer relief (down the road to be sure, but nevertheless in the pretty near future) before itself. It was a brave decision to make. We recently read in this paper about a director in another district who would prefer to raise school taxes than support Proposition 72's occupation tax. That translates into an additional $20 a year for taxpayers who earn $20,000; $30 a year for those earning $30,000 (or the equivalent of a few super-sized fast-food meals) and so on. I can't quite get why other districts would prefer to raise taxes by a couple hundred or more dollars a year than to get the benefits of Proposition 72. I understand that for some, the issue came down to opposition to gambling. The fact is that people who like to gamble will continue to do so, as they currently do, by many tens of millions of dollars at Turning Stone and in Atlantic City. Any time a person puts down money in anticipation of winning something against the odds – and this includes local bingo games in community or church halls, raffles and scratch-offs – they are gambling. Some of this gambling, some would say, is for a "good cause." Well, funds for education and trying to relieve taxpayers' already heavy burdens are pretty good causes, and I thank the Blue Ridge board of directors for supporting them. Sincerely, Sandra Kazinetz Great Bend Township
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