LISA RAINSONG: SWAMP TRIOS PERFORMING AT A SWAMP NEAR YOU

American Toad  Old saying:  You can’t judge a singer by its warts.

There’s more to nature than meets the ear.

And when the calls of birds, insects and amphibians are recorded and translated by noted musician, educator and naturalist Lisa Rainsong, I promise that you’ll experience the calls of the natural world in a new dimension.

Here’s the link to Lisa’s

http://listeninginnature.blogspot.com/2013/05/springtime-trio-in-swamp.html

 

Lisa is an interesting and entertaining speaker; you can contact her through her website.

MENTOR MARSH: OUR COMMENTS re. DEVELOPMENT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

We, the people have spoken and have been heard.

The Northeast Ohio Sierra Club chair of the Water Committee talked to William Smith, the point man at the US Army Corps of Engineers, then followed up the conversation with a strong letter, which she’d sent me a copy of.

She also had this to say about her phone conversation:  “I also called him and left a message, and he called me right back.  He said they’ve been getting a lot of comments, and that they are early in the process of review themselves.

“They have already issued their first round of comments to the applicant, and the applicant is working on making changes to the permit.  He said that there is a good chance that there might be a public hearing, so we should definitely keep the pressure on for that, and I think a position letter signed by a lot of groups would be a very powerful statement.”

Even if you were one of the first-rounders, please review the link below to see what new requests we need to make to assure that the Mentor Marsh returns to good health.  The requests are those considered priorities by the Mentor Marsh Board, by the City of Mentor and by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Let’s give the applicant a few more changes to make in the permit application.

You can find the issues, the requests and the contact information for the USACE below:

http://mytakeontoday.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/mentor-marsh-more-help-needed-to-protect-this-gem-of-lake-county-2/

Deadline for information is May 30^th.

IF IT ULTRASOUNDS TOO GOOD/TOO CHEAP TO BE TRUE . . .

Ultrasound scan of human liver

Perhaps you’ve seen ads or brochures offering packages of diagnostic ultrasound screening tests that offer “high quality” tests that may “save your life” in a nearby location at bargain prices.

The package usually includes ultrasound tests for stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and even ovarian cancer.

The ads and testimonials claim you have nothing to lose, but so much to gain.

What can you lose?  Plenty, says the Editorial Board Chair of the UCB Wellness Letter, John Swartzberg, MD.

From this point on, I’m going to quote, rather than edit and paraphrase, the good doctor’s precise and succinct explanation of the dangers of consenting to ultrasound testing of the non-symptomatic general public:

“What could be wrong with getting tested, just to be on the safe side?

Let me count the ways.

False-alarm factor:  One drawback of any diagnostic test is that it may suggest there is disease when, in fact, there is none.  When low-risk people are screened, the odds of such false-positives increase dramatically.  If an ultrasound screening test finds something “abnormal,” you’ll have to undergo further tests, which may be invasive and expensive.

False-assurance factor:  The tests can fail to discover real problems, and thus give you a false sense of security.  Why bother controlling your cholesterol, you might think, if your arteries look fine on an ultrasound?

Money factor:  Insurance seldom pays for this type of indiscriminate screening.  A few hundred dollars may seem reasonable, but it’s likely to be money wasted.  Also, companies offering “bargain” tests often urge you to repeat them, sometimes yearly.

Quality factor:  The tests may not be good quality or be carefully administered by licensed sonographers.  Results may be reviewed by unqualified technicians.  Some centers take time to talk about results, other simply hand out reports with no explanations.

Emotional factor:  A round of follow-up tests that turn out to be needless can cause weeks of worry.  Even if some small problem is detected, the right course of action may be hard to determine.

Some incidental finding may cause you months or years of anxiety and then prove to be nothing.  Overdiagnosis and overtreatment are nearly as big a problem as underdiagnosis and undertreatment in our health care system.

These “packages” promise a lot, but are far more likely to deliver anxiety and even suffering than the “peace of mind” they promise.

The pitch advises you to take charge of your health care.  Sometimes that means resisting the siren call of scattershot testing.

Rather than going to some screening center, talk with your doctor or other primary care provider about which tests you really need.  Our online guide to preventive services (WellnessLetter.com/screening) presents the basics.”

Source:  University of CA, Berkeley Wellness Letter, May 2013

SATURATED FATS AND SIMPLE CARB DIETS INCREASE #ALZHEIMER’S RISK

Studies and trials of specific foods for defense against dementia have proved inconclusive.  A new approach, one that advocates overall dietary changes, may provide the answer to finding an effective dietary modification to lower the risks of developing Alzheimer’s.

Interestingly, the dietary components advocated to promote a healthy brain are the same as those that promote a healthy heart:  low intake of saturated fats and simple carbohydrates, those carbohydrates found in white bread, white pastas, pastries and sugary foods and beverages.

“A more promising approach to the study of dietary factors in Alzheimer’s disease might entail the use of whole-diet interventions,” said Jennifer L Bayer-Carter, MS, from Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System.

“Our study supports further investigation into the possibility that consumption of a diet high in saturated fat and simple carbohydrates may contribute to pathologic processes in the brain that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Conversely, diets low in saturated fat and simple carbohydrates may offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease and enhance brain health.”

Bayer-Carter and her team of researchers analyzed the results of two different diets in 20 healthy older adults and in 29 unhealthy older adults who had amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a precursor of Alzheimer’s disease involving some memory problems.

One diet, LOW, consisted of low saturated fats and carbs; the other, HIGH, emphasized foods high in saturated fats and simple carbs.

After 4 weeks, cerebrospinal fluid in healthy participants on the LOW diet had decreased amounts of biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s and lower total cholesterol counts.

Cerebrospinal fluid in those on the HIGH diet had higher amounts of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, such as the levels of amyloid-beta protein in cerebrospinal fluid.

Both the healthy and unhealthy participants showed improved performance on delayed visual-recall tests of memory, but not on other cognitive measures.

These results may show that dietary interventions are not as effective in later states of cognitive impairment.

Sources: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, April 15, 2013   Study published in Archives of Neurology    

SANTOLI SNAPPING TURTLE HOLDS MENTOR WOMAN HOSTAGE

 

That’s the ugly critter that took possession of my deck this morning, preventing me from enjoying my morning cuppa on the deck.  Snapping turtles are extremely aggressive and surprisingly fast-moving on land.  And don’t let the foreshortened view fool you about its size.

Here it had conveniently lined itself up with my deck’s 5 1/2” boards. This one’s carapace is about 12” in length.  His tail is another 6”, and when he extends his distinctive serpentine neck, that adds another 6”.

Altogether I had 24” of aggressive, bone-crunching critter to deal with and wisely shot the photos through the patio doors & waited till the turtle lumbered off before I set (bare) foot outside.

The carapace of a full-grown Snapping Turtle grows to about 20”, and I’ve had 15 inchers around the deck before.  Happily, not often.

MENTOR MARSH: MORE HELP NEEDED TO PROTECT THIS GEM OF LAKE COUNTY

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead   To Mead’s point:  In 2000, a nursery near Sheldon Marsh in nearby Erie County, Ohio, petitioned the US Army Corps of Engineers to dig an 8’ wide drainage ditch; permission granted.   When the citizens of the area learned of what the impact and real purpose of the ditch was, they bombarded the USACE with letters of protest and won a public hearing.  The result was that the USACE rescinded their permit.

After receiving 9,000 emails, the USACE recently denied a permit that would have endangered Florida’s manatees.

More to our point:  The USACE extended the May 14^th deadline for comments to May 30^th because enough of us asked.

And now we have to keep on asking for what needs to happen to protect the Mentor Marsh.  Please help!

Shamrock Business Center (SBC), Ltd., applied to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on April 15, 2013, regarding further development of land that is the headwaters of Blackbrook Creek and upstream of the Marsh.

Being upstream, the Diamond Center development has had a negative impact on the fragile Mentor Marsh ecosystem.  Further development will mean a worse and increased impact.

The Mentor Marsh Board believes that SBC’s development of Phases II and III and the Mentor Marsh can prosper side by side if SBC’s development plans include options that lessen the negative impacts on areas within the Mentor Marsh watershed.

ON-SITE MITIGATION

To that end, the Mentor Marsh Board requests, as its Number One priority, that wetland mitigation occur on-site of Shamrock’s property.

Instead, Shamrock proposes to fill 14.9 acres of its on-site wetlands and asks for authorization to maintain a .74 acre site of wetlands it filled (stories high) without USACE authorization.  Additionally, to offset that destruction, it offers to create equal wetlands acreage off-site in Leroy Township.  Off-site mitigation is legal, though ineffective in preventing the increase in the volume and velocity of stormwaters as they’ll flow from Shamrock’s development into Blackbrook Creek and the Mentor Marsh. 

The City of Mentor addresses mitigation:  “We note that the compensatory mitigation for the Diamond Shamrock project is outside the Mentor Marsh watershed.  Why is this so?  The Museum and partners are currently engaged in on-site environmental remediation efforts within the Marsh itself.  Does it not make sense for any proposed offsite mitigation to come as a result of the proposed Phases 2 and 3 of the Shamrock project to be applied towards efforts within the Blackbrook Creek watershed itself—the watershed that will be most affected by the Shamrock project?”

 The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) argues against the removal of further wetlands from Shamrock property:  “I am writing to express concern about the removal of more wetlands and alteration of the stream channel within the Shamrock Business Center.  The greatest threat is the increased risk of further failure of the culvert beneath the Black Brook Creek salt fill, downstream from the development.  Removal of additional wetlands and increased volumes of water in Black Brook Creek Basin, due to the proposed alteration of the channel, will increase the likelihood of failure of this culvert beneath the 255 ton salt mine spoil that was deposited at the mouth of Black Brook Creek in 1966.   At the time the salt fill was deposited, Museum Board of Trustees Chair Kent Smith attempted to convince the owner of the salt fill to use a better grade of culvert, but the owner refused.  Unfortunately, over the past 45 years, sodium chloride and lime kiln waste has leaked through the culvert, killing the unique swamp forest and shrub swamp communities that covered more than 89% of the Mentor Marsh Basin prior to placement of the salt fill at Black Brook Creek.”

The City of Mentor addresses the salt tailings’ damage to the Mentor Marsh:  “ In 1966, an estimated 255 to 265 thousand tons of low-grade salt ore were dumped into, or near the mouth of Blackbrook Creek at a site owned at that time by the Osborne Concrete and Stone Company.   Increased levels of salinity within the Marsh, largely from leaching from the tailings site, had a fairly rapid and pronounced impact on the Marsh ecosystem.”  The comment continues to explain that the increased salinity poisoned the extensive woody marsh forest ecosystem and encouraged the flourishing of Phragmites australis.  It also mentions the failure and collapse of the culvert cited by CMNH.

 The City of Mentor addresses another problem if Shamrock does no on-site mitigation: “Based on prior experience, it is a source of concern for the City of Mentor as to whether the diameter of the replacement pipe at the mouth of the Blackbrook Creek, and the pipe just upstream under SR2 and SR 44 . . . can safely accommodate any significant increases in stormwater volumes.

“We request that, as part of the proposed project, that an analysis be performed of stormwater pipes immediately downstream from the proposed Diamond Shamrock site, with particular attention to areas where said pipes run underneath State Route 2 and State Route 44.  Can these pipes handle the increased water volumes that may result from redevelopment of this proposed size at the Diamond Shamrock site?  It appears no plan for on-site infiltration at the Diamond Shamrock site has been provided thus far.  The development of more than two hundred acres at the Diamond Shamrock site into largely impervious surface areas . . . has the potential to contribute to downstream flooding events in the future.  Any new proposed phases at the site have to responsibly manage stormwater volumes.”

An individual asks a question about mitigation:  “Why is mitigation taking place outside of the Mentor Marsh Watershed? This area is being impacted, not property in Leroy Township.  Mitigation should be undertaken in this area, not on cheaply purchased lands outside the affected area “

 FILLING IN WETLANDS WITHOUT A PERMIT

The Mentor Marsh Board strongly objects to Shamrock’s having filled in wetlands without a permit and asks that any fines levied be applied to Mentor Marsh mitigation.

The Ohio Environmental Council comment on the matter:  “In regards to the 0.74 acres that SBC Ltd. filled without permission, we urge the USACE to properly fine SBC Ltd and require the appropriate remedy to this unauthorized fill. . . .  To not properly remedy this unauthorized activity would send the message that such activity is acceptable and would encourage further disregard for CWA laws and regulations.”

An individual’s comment on the matter:  “By filling .74 acres of a known wetland earlier without permission, the applicant has shown itself to be a poor steward of the land.  As such, the applicant should be looked upon as a potential risk for non-compliance on future projects.

CONCLUDING STATEMENTS

The Mentor Marsh Board believes the steady degradation of the Marsh shows that if you tug on one string of Nature, you’ll find it connected to everything else in Nature.  The Board urges the USACE to implement the request  from the City of Mentor:  “We now respectfully submit to the US Army Corps of Engineers that on-site stormwater management at the Shamrock site and potential downstream impacts, moving forward should not be viewed solely from the perspective of on-site conditions.  Furthermore, any potential or proposed off-site mitigation is better served if it were to address ongoing environmental restoration efforts proposed and underway further downstream within the Marsh and Nature Preserves.” 

If you want copies of the complete documents cited above, please email clement@ncweb.com.

 Shamrock Business Center’s application + pertinent maps are at  http://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/Portals/45/docs/regulatory/publicnotices/April2013/PN1997-5010004Oh.pdf

NB:  The above comments from organizations are not opinions; they’re facts based on science and empirical observations.  They’re part of the public record.  Feel free to refer to them and augment them in expressing your own comments.

Please contact the US Army Corps of Engineers at the address below by May 30, 2013, with your comments on SBC’s proposed development plans.

Michael W. Smith                                                OR     michael.w.smith@usace.army.mil

US Army Corps of Engineers,

Buffalo District, Regulatory Branch

1776 Niagara Street

Buffalo NY14207-3199      (716) 879-4262

MUST INCLUDE:  Re. Application #1997-5010004

SUGGESTED INCLUSIONS:

Please support the Mentor Marsh’s requests and include your own requests and comments.

Please thank Mr. Smith for having extended the deadline for comments to May 30, 2013.

Because a public hearing isn’t a given, please request a public hearing re. the above Application #.

Because some comments slip through the cracks, please state that you want your comments to become part of the public record re. the above Application #.

Please direct questions to the Mentor Marsh at 440 257-0777.

7 TIPS FOR SAFE, EFFECTIVE STRENGTH TRAINING

Strength or resistance training involves using your muscles against a progressively stronger or heavier counterforce, such as pushing against a wall or floor, lifting a dumbbell or pulling against a resistance band.

Strength training increases your muscle mass, tones your muscles, and strengthens bones—they need the pull and tug of muscles against them to absorb calcium.

It also helps maintain strength for your everyday activities—lifting and carrying groceries, climbing stairs or getting up out of a comfortable chair.

Currently, the national guidelines recommend strengthening exercises at least twice a week.

One set of 8-12 repetitions per session is effective; some evidence suggests that two to three sets may be better.

Your muscles need at least 48 hours to recover between sessions.

Here are the tips as recommended by Harvard Medical School:

1.  Warm up and cool down for 5-10 minutes.  Walking is a good warm up, stretching a good cool down.

2.  Focus on form, not weight.  Poor form prompts injuries and slows gains.  Align your body properly, and move smoothly through each exercise.

At first, start with no weight or little weight and concentrate on slow, smooth lifts and controlled descents.

3.  Work at the right tempo.  Using momentum in lifting or lowering weight negates strength gain.  Use a count of 3 while lowering a weight, hold, then use a count of 3 while raising it to the starting position.

4.  Be mindful of your breathing.  Exhale as you work against resistance by lifting, pushing, or pulling, and inhale as you release.

5.  Slowly increase weight or resistance to keep challenging muscles.  Choose the right weight for you; it’s the weight that tires the targeted muscles by the last two repetitions but still allows you to maintain good form.

If you can’t do the last 2 reps, choose a lighter weight.  Once it feels too easy to complete the reps, add 1-2 pounds for arms, 2-5 pounds for legs.

Or you might add another set of reps, up to 3 sets.  After adding weight, you should be able to maintain good form, and the targeted muscles should feel fatigued after the last 2 reps.

6.  Stick with your routine, performing each component set of exercises 2-3 times per week.

7.  Most importantly, give muscles time off.  Strength training causes harmless but important tiny tears in muscles that require 48 hours to recover/heal between strength training sessions.  It’s the knitting up of the tears that grows stronger muscles.

My Take on the tips:  Form is of extreme importance.  During the 80s, I had my own exercise studio and a Cable TV exercise/wellness program.   Prominently displayed was a little poem I’d written:

Exercising precisely

Trims you very nicely.

The poem was inspired by one of my piano instructors, the late Dr Harold Fink of Lake Erie College, who taught me that practice didn’t make perfect; only perfect practice made perfect.

The same is true of any exercise routine.

Source:  Harvard Medical School Healthbeat, April 13, 2013