Archive for April, 2011

The annual Lions Club Dinner and Auction will be held on Thursday, April 28, at 6:30 pm at Der Dutchman Restaurant in the banquet rooms. Besides a hearty, homestyle meal, which includes two meats, sides, salad, dessert, and a beverage, there will also be tons of cool items that will be auctioned off.

Dinner will begin at 6:30 pm, but attendees can arrive at 6 pm. Please don’t arrive any earlier than 6, as the Lions members and Der Dutchman staff will be setting up for the evening. The auction itself usually starts around 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $15 per person, which includes your meal and admission to the auction, as well unlimited jokes and entertainment by the Lions members. Tickets can be purchased here at the drugstore, at Schrock Automotive, and at True Value Hardware.

Some of the auction items that you can bid on include a one week use of a Florida condo, four Michelin tires, a 3-piece luggage set, and a one day fishing trip on Lake Erie with Captains Murray and Weeks. Jim Converse’s carved birds, a male and female blue jay, will also be featured in the auction.

Please come for an enjoyable evening. And, remember, bid high and bid often. All of the money made is used to support projects and organizations in the Plain City community.

Spring means more than flowers and warm days for many. For those that suffer from seasonal allergies, Spring means sneezing, a runny nose, congestion, and itchy/watery eyes. At least 10% of the U.S. population has seasonal allergies. The most common causes of seasonal allergies are grass, weeds, and trees.

Here are some ways to prevent allergies:

–       Shower and change clothes after being outdoors

–       Try to stay indoors on dry, windy days

–       Avoid lawn mowing, weed pulling, and other activities that stir up allergens

–       When planning outdoor activities consider checking your local pollen count first: http://www.weather.com/activities/health/allergies/

If preventing exposure to allergies is not possible, there are several products that can be purchased without a prescription to treat seasonal allergies.

Anti-allergy or antihistamines

These medicines help with sneezing, runny nose and itchy/watery eyes. The most common antihistamines include: Claritin® (loratadine), Zyrtec® (cetirizine), Allegra® (fexofenadine), and Benadryl® (diphenhydramine). Newer medicines such as Claritin® and Allegra® cause less drowsiness than older medicines such as Benadryl®.

Decongestants

Decongestants can help relieve stuffy, congested noses. The most common decongestant is Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine). Common side effects of nasal decongestants are insomnia and increased blood pressure.

Afrin® (oxymetazoline) is a nasal spray that relieves congestion. It is useful to reduce congestion, but should only be used short-term (3 or less days).

Saline nasal rinses

Using saline nasal rinses can help reduce nasal congestion and nasal irritation. Pre-mixed saline is available in nasal sprays and drops.

Some medications used to treat allergies should not be taken if you have certain medical conditions. Just give us a call or stop by the pharmacy and we will help you pick the right product for you!

A few years ago someone dumped a tame rabbit in my parents’ yard. Although Dad tried to catch it, the little guy was scared and refused to be nabbed. So we had to pull out the humane trap and catch him the way we do feral cats.

Jackson Jefferson (J.J, for short) was very sick when we caught him. He had an inner ear infection that caused him to hop in circles and he was not neutered. After months of medical care and a neuter surgery, J. J. was ready for his own family. Don’t ever let someone tell you that rabbits are easy to care for. I spent more time with J. J. than most of the cats I had nursed to health. I also spent a great deal on his vet bills (not to mention all the “green” that went for organic dandelion greens at Whole Foods–yes, I spoiled this rabbit).

J. J. did find a wonderful home where he rules the roost and leads two big dogs around to do his bidding. But he is one of the lucky ones.

At this time of year, unfortunately, many people think it would be cute to buy children a live “Easter bunny” or a baby chick or duckling (sadly, a family member bought me a baby duckling when I was a child and our dog killed it on Easter–talk about being scarred for life). While these animals are cute in their baby stage, they do grow up and they do require care.

After the Easter holiday, many rabbits end up in shelters, “set free” outside (a definitive death sentence for a tame rabbit), or even dead following accidents with small children who may not know how to hold them or other pets that may act on instinct and attack the defenseless creatures.

The Columbus House Rabbit Society started a campaign a few years ago that has gained national attention. Called “Make Mine Chocolate,” the program asks people to forego live rabbits in favor of chocolate ones. You can read some of their “Easter Bunny Stories” HERE to discover why they are pushing so hard for the chocolate alternative.

Make Mine Chocolate has recently partnered with Rescue Chocolate, a candy company that produces 100% Vegan products, insuring that no animals are harmed in making their delicious treats. In addition, 100% of net profits are donated to rescue groups nationwide.

Check out their vegan bunnies for the Make Mine Chocolate campaign HERE.

Rabbits, baby chicks, and ducks deserve responsible, caring homes. They are not novelties for a child’s Easter basket. Stuffed or candy animals are the best alternatives, so please think before buying a living, breathing, feeling being this Easter holiday.

If you do make the decision to bring a rabbit in to your life, please do it responsibly by adopting (not buying from a pet store or obtaining from the FREE animal sections in newspapers or on Craig’s List) from a shelter or rescue. The Columbus House Rabbit Society offers a wonderful web page that lets people decide if a rabbit is truly the right companion animal for them. You can visit that page HERE.

Please download the flyer below by clicking on the link. Print it out and hang it up to let those who see it know that you choose chocolate rabbits (and marshmallow peeps) over the living, breathing animals.

mmcflyer

Dr. Neal Barnard, who advocates for a vegan diet and lifestyle, is the president and founder of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). This group pushes for alternatives to animal research and testing, as well as promotes healthy diets for all people, including those battling obesity and diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Dr. Barnard will be in Columbus on April 20 at 7 pm at the Holiday Inn, 7007 North High Street, to promote his new book, The 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart. Chef Del Sroufe, from The Wellness Forum in Columbus, will be preparing recipes from the book for attendees to sample. No reservations or tickets are required to this free event.

Dr. Barnard has written books on diets for reversing diabetes, turning off fat genes, and surviving cancer. To see a complete list of his books, go HERE.

Joe has read several of Dr. Barnard’s books and followed many of his guidelines, including a plant based diet and a reduction in dairy products, to lose 50 pounds over the past year and a half. Because of his change in eating, Joe’s cholesterol and triglycerides dropped to normal levels and he feels better than he has in a long, long time.

Besides writing his own books, Dr. Barnard was a consultant for Alicia Silverstone’s book, The Kind Diet, which explains how to convert to a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle and why this way of living is better for the animals, the environment, and YOU. Additionally, as a companion to her book, Ms. Silverstone’s web site, The Kind Life, introduces lots of products and ideas that promote healthier ways of living.

Dr. Barnard’s talk is a must for anyone interested in their health, while also making kind choices for animals and the planet.

And if you can’t attend the lecture by Dr. Barnard, visit The Wellness Forum for more information on classes concerning diet and health that could change your life!

A 2.9 mill Fire and EMS levy will be on the ballot for Jerome Township residents on May 3. In order to get the facts out to all those who will be voting on this levy and encourage a YES vote, informational sessions will be held on Sunday, April 17 and Sunday, May 1 at 2 pm at the Jerome Township Fire Station on US Route 42. These sessions will be informal and should last about an hour. There will be time for questions.

Cuts to the Fire and EMS budgets of nearly 30% have already occurred. If the levy on May 3 does not pass, additional cuts of 30% or more will greatly effect services for residents.

To read more about what kind of cuts were made to the Fire Department budget after the voters turned down the Levy in November, go to the Jerome Township web site HERE. There is also a complete explanation about what the 2.9 mill Levy funds will be used for.