Report: Township News Impacting North Ridge

The following is a report from North Ridge Buzz Political and Regulatory Affairs Editor Trish Calzada. Calzada covers North Middleton Township.

Tax Collection Issue
The issue with the Constable and tax collecting has many individuals fired up. A board member from South Middleton Township was at the meeting last night petitioning to have all school districts, townships, and municipalities drop Capital Tax because of their very poor record of customer service. A representative from Capital Tax is on the agenda for the April 6th township meeting. Additionally, South Middleton brought a report from Capital Tax stating they had a 7-10 year backlog of tax reporting and they have $ 20 million dollars sitting in an account because of the backlog. All of Capital Tax’s clients, including North Middleton, have been receiving merely estimates of the taxes owed them.

Cross Creek Phase F & G Final Subdivision
The Cross Creek phase F & G issue was only a clarification on final work.

Cross Creek – Jumper Property Sketch
If I remember correctly the “Jumper” sketch is in regard to an adjacent piece of property between Cross Creek and North Ridge. The Jumper family has accepted an offer from a developer and this developer, performing due diligence in his investment, brought the sketch to the table to determine if the board would consider the plan and move it on to the next phase which is the Planning Commission. The Board did and these 10 homes are planned to be in the half million dollar range.

Creek Road Recreation Site ... click here for story.

Pine Tree / Line of Sight / Fast Cars
The pine tree on the corner of Skyline Drive and Crains Gap has been addressed and based on the triangle line of sight regulation this tree is in compliance with the existing township regulations. Please don’t quote me on “triangle line of sight”; however, I do believe that is the terminology they used. The regulation requirements would need to be changed in order to remove and/or trim the tree. Bill Meyers stated if you pull up far enough you can see the crest of the hill; however, the issue is more the speed of the vehicle coming up the hill. Mr. Bucher inserted that the school buses will not use the entrance because of the sight problem and if they won’t use it there must be a valid issue.

The next township meeting is Thursday April 6th at 6:00pm.

Aeromodelers Attempt To Cut Off Public Access

North Ridge Buzz has learned from sources attending yesterday's North Middleton Township supervisor's workshop that the Carlisle Aeromoders Club attempted to block public access to the Creek Road Recreation Site, a recycled landfill, next to North Ridge; however, the majority of township supervisors disagreed and the motion did not move forward.

Two representatives from the Carlisle Aeromodelers Club attended the meeting, and Rodney Painter, a township supervisor, was one of them. Club member McCrea brought to the table a new exclusive lease form with the anticipation the township supervisors would agree to the terms. The general consensus from the full board of supervisors was that one group could not be granted exclusive rights to public property.

Since last fall, Supervisor Painter has insisted that only club members be allowed to use the field. Many have questioned the conflict of interest. During the township meeting he recused himself from voting.

At the same time last year that Supervisor Painter was insisting only club members be allowed on the field, North Middleton Township's Recreation Board passed a recommendation to open the field to full public use by developing a schedule to allow flying hours and open hours. Unfortunately, the club felt no need to share; thus, presented the township with their demands last evening.

In 1983, the aeromodelors club reached an agreement with the township to be able to fly model planes at the Creek Road Recreation site; however, exclusive rights were never granted. As of last night, the agreement between the township and aeromodelors club was officially terminated.

According to North Ridge Buzz Political and Regulatory Affairs Editor Trish Calzada, the tract of land being debated is a 50-acre parcel which has some environmental issues. "I have not been able to pin down what those issues are however," she said.

North Ridge Buzz will continue to press for answers to these questions and raise awareness to the members of both North Ridge and Northview communities.

Supervisor Richard Bucher is chairing up the newly formed township recreation board and North Ridge neighbor Linda Castle is a newly appointed member. The recreation board will now determine how to address the request of use from the Aeromodelers club. The request entails maintenance of the field and use for the summer fair in July.

For past articles on this neighborhood controversy, click here, here, or here.

Poll Has Swann Ahead Of Rendell; Large Numbers Undecided

A new IssuesPA/Pew poll shows one-third of Pennsylvanians are undecided on who they’ll vote for in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

Among those polled, 29 percent said they were likely to vote for Governor Ed Rendell, a Democrat, and 35 percent likely to vote for presumptive Republican nominee Lynn Swann. That leaves 34 percent of voters categorized as swing voters who are open to voting for either candidate.

To read the rest of this IssuesPA/Pew study, click here.

(Source: IssuesPA)

Food Advertising - Separating Fact From Fiction

To get the most nutrition in your grocery cart, you need to be an educated consumer. You need to be able to figure out what's actually in a product -- not what it's advertised to contain.

Beware of big, bold claims on product packaging. They are designed to get you to buy the item, not necessarily to be an accurate representation of the item's nutritional content.

The March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers common examples of misconceptions that may arise from food advertising:

• Reduced-fat products: Reduced fat doesn't necessarily mean a product is low in fat. One ounce of reduced-fat mild cheddar cheese still has 6 grams of total fat and 4 grams of saturated fat. While it is less fat than in regular mild cheddar, it still provides a fair amount of total and saturated fat.

• Whole-grain products: The packaging on bread and pasta often indicates the product is made with whole grain. Even though the product may contain some whole grains, the total amount of whole grains may be very low. Other ingredients may still provide plenty of fats and sugars. Look for the words "100 percent whole grain" or "100 percent whole wheat." Look for products that contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

• Natural ingredients: The word "natural" may have a healthy ring to it, but there's no standard definition for the term. And natural doesn't always mean nutritious. After all, an orange is a natural product, but the same could be said for butter.

• Food additives and preservatives: Just because a product is advertised as having no additives or preservatives doesn't mean that the item is healthy. It can still be high in sugar or fat, as well as low in overall nutritional value.

• Light or low-salt: Even light soy sauce has large amounts of salt. Light means, by definition, 30 percent less than the standard product. If the standard product is extremely high in sodium, such as soy sauce, the light version will still contain a large amount of salt.
  What's a shopper to believe? Read the Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists. This information, not the banners on the front of the package, will help you make nutritious choices.

(Source: Mayo Clinic media release)

Fulton Opera Announces 2006-2007 Season

Artistic Director Michael D. Mitchell Offers an Ambitious Slate for Historic Theatre's 154th year

The nation's oldest continuously operating theatre announced its upcoming 2006 - 2007 season schedule. Standing before a crowd consisting of the Fulton Theatre Board of Trustees, Producer Circle and special invited guests, Artistic Director Michael D. Mitchell - who is entering into his 8th season with the company - gave a sneak preview of what the coming season has in store for Lancaster audiences.

The 2006 - 2007 Fulton Theatre season is:

Grease
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.
September 7 - 24, 2006
The 1950s rock 'n' roll musical. Rydell High's spirited class of '59: gum chewing, hubcap stealing, hot rod loving boys and their wise cracking girls in bobby sox and pedal pushers - capture the look and sound of the 1950s in a rollicking musical. While the chronically cool Danny Zuko and wholesome Sandy Dumbrowski resolve the problems of their mutual attraction, the gang sings and dances its way through such nostalgic scenes as the pajama party, the prom, the burger palace, and the drive in movie. Songs including the hits Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted to You and Greased Lightning recall the Buddy Holly hiccups, the Little Richard yodels and the Elvis Presley wiggles that made the music of the 50s a gas. Grease's eight-year run made Broadway history and its recent long running revival put it among today's most popular musicals.

Dracula
A World Premiere by Mark Healy
October 19 through November 5, 2006
He senses the fear coursing through your veins, and it smells delicious. Just in time for Halloween, one of the world's most seductive and terrifying creatures finds new life in a world premiere adaptation by internationally acclaimed playwright Mark Healy (The French Lieutenant's Woman). Based on characters created in Bram Stoker's classic nightmarish thriller, Dracula: Lord of the Undead takes the story of the notorious Count to new frightening, apocalyptic and wildly entertaining levels.

Oliver!
Music, Lyrics and Book by Lionel Bart
November 30 - December 31, 2006
The musical that has audiences around the world saying "please sir, I want some more." Based on the Charles Dickens novel, Oliver! is a perennial favorite among audiences, engaging them with its pathos and drama, while delighting everyone with some of the theatre's most memorable musical numbers, including Food, Glorious Food; I'd Do Anything; Where is Love?; Consider Yourself; As Long As He Needs Me; Who Will Buy and Reviewing the Situation. Some of Dickens' most colorful and unforgettable characters - the guileless orphan Oliver Twist, the loveable criminal Fagin, and the streetwise Artful Dodger - will steal your heart as they pick your pocket.

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap
January 25 - February 11, 2007
A group of strangers are stranded in a boarding house during a snowstorm - what's the worst that can happen? Ok, so one of them is a murderer. Is it the newly married couple who run the house, the spinster with a curious background, the architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, the retired Army major, the strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift, or the jurist who makes life miserable for everyone? A policeman, traveling on skis, arrives just in time to solve the mystery. To get to the rationale of the murderer's pattern, the policeman probes the background of everyone present, and rattles a lot of skeletons. Another famous Agatha Christie switch finish! Chalk up another superb intrigue from the foremost mystery writer of her time. The Mousetrap is the world's longest running play - the original London production is now in its fifth decade!

Around the World in 80 Days
A World Premiere Musical
Music by Ron Barnett
Book and Lyrics by Julianne Homokay
Additional Material by Barry Kornhauser
March 15 - April 1, 2007
Gentlemen start your balloons! This World Premiere production is a fun-filled musical by Fulton Resident Composer Ron Barnett and playwright Julianne Homokay based on the Jules Verne classic. On a wager with his chums at the Reform Club, Phileas Fogg and his trusty manservant Passepartout set out by land, sea, and air on a frantic, heart-pounding race round-the-world. Is their quest purely sport or are they escaping their past... and will the overzealous Inspector Fix foil their future?

Old Wicked Songs
By Jon Marans
April 26 - May 13, 2007
What secrets lie locked away inside the human heart? Hoping to reconnect with his music and break the artistic block that's plagued his career, a young American piano prodigy ventures to Vienna during the 1986 campaign to elect a former Nazi as president of Austria. He is surprisingly assigned to an elderly voice teacher. Although he resents being forced to study singing and condemns his professor's seemingly anti-Semitic history, he gradually realizes that emotionally connecting with music is as difficult as connecting with life's intricacies. Filled with wit and surprising revelations, Old Wicked Songs shatters the facade of its characters' pasts, demonstrating that perceptions often skew from reality.

Thoroughly Modern Millie
Book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan
New Music by Jean Tesori
New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan
June 7 - 24, 2007
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a high-spirited musical romp that will have Lancaster dancing the Charleston. This singing, dancing, romancing musical takes place in Manhattan, 1922, with all the jazz-age razzmatazz you want in a big, bright, brand-new Broadway blockbuster. It's the story of eternally optimistic Millie Dillmount, who has just moved to the big city in search of a new life and love. It's a New York full of intrigue and jazz - a time when women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing forever. Filled with frisky flappers, dashing leading men and a dragon-lady of a villainess audiences will love to hate. Based on the popular movie, the stage version of Thoroughly Modern Millie features 15 songs, including two from the 1967 film, four standards from the 1920s, and nine brand-new showstoppers.

Subscriptions are now available through the Fulton box office. This season, the Fulton will be offering a variety of subscription options starting with some special event subscriptions called FULTON FABULOUS FRIDAYS. These three different subscription packages occur on the three Fridays of each production's run. The Friday performance in the first week will feature Single Theatre Lovers Night - you don't need a date to come to the Fulton! Before the show, enjoy a "happy hour" atmosphere with free munchies and cheap drinks while mingling with other Lancaster singles. For the second Friday, nothing pairs better than wine and theatre so we've created the Wine and Theatre Night! An hour before the performance, the Fulton will host a wine tasting. Both novices and connoisseurs will find this event fun and informative. On the final Friday of each run, the Fulton will host a Cabaret Night. After the show, join members of the cast and special guests for an exclusive performance in the Fulton's 4th floor Studio Theatre for music and fun.

For the first time, the Fulton is offering "mini" subscription packages before the season begins. These packages are: Thrills and Chills (includes Dracula, The Mousetrap, Around the World in 80 Days, and Thoroughly Modern Millie), Fond Memories (Grease, The Mousetrap, Old Wicked Songs, and Thoroughly Modern Millie), Classics - like you've never seen them before! (Dracula, Oliver!, The Mousetrap, and Around the World in 80 Days), and the Fulton Family Fun Pack (includes four mezzanine tickets to Oliver! and Around the World in 80 Days for the family and two mezzanine tickets to Grease and The Mousetrap just for the parents. So, there are two dates for the entire family and two dates just for Mom and Dad). A great way to introduce kids to live theatre, the Fulton Family Fun Pack also includes vouchers for complimentary sodas and candy at the Fulton concessions with the children's tickets.

This past December, the Fulton introduced the Fulton Flex Pass. The program proved to be enormously popular so it is being expanded to the entire season this year. The Fulton Flex Pass subscription starts with a minimum of six passes that may be used in any combination for Fulton Theatre mainstage productions (two passes for three performances, all six for one performance, etc.). Packages start at $210 for six passes. Additional passes are available for $35 per pass.

For subscriptions call (717) 397-7425

For more information, click here.

Poll Shows Support For Official English At New High

Americans overwhelmingly want English to be declared the official language of the United States, according to a recent poll by Zogby International and commissioned by ProEnglish, an Arlington, Va.- based national organization that backs official English.

ProEnglish Executive Director K.C. McAlpin said, "Eighty-five percent of likely voters incorrectly think English already is the official language of the United States. But when informed that the United States does not have an official language, virtually the same number -- 84 percent -- agree that we should make English the official language of governmental operations."

McAlpin added, "Eighty-four percent is the highest level of support we have seen for official English in a national public opinion survey. The last Zogby poll on official English conducted in June 2005 found 79 percent support, which indicates public support may be rising."

Demographic and political breakdowns showed overwhelming support across the board with 86 percent of whites, 71 percent of Hispanics, and 77 percent of African-Americans agreeing. By party affiliation 82 percent of Democrats, 91 percent of Republicans, and 77 percent of self-identified Independents agreed with making English the official language of the United States.

Ideologically, 86 percent of moderates, 87 percent of conservatives, and 78 percent of liberals and progressives, favored making English the official language.

McApin commented, "This is a huge boost for the English Language Unity Act, H.R. 997, a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that would make English our official language and which now enjoys the bipartisan co-sponsorship of more than a third of the entire House of Representatives. If congressional leaders want to find ways to improve Congress's standing with the voters," added McAlpin, "they could do a lot worse than to pass legislation that enjoys 84 percent voter support."

The Zogby poll of 1,007 likely voters was conducted March 14 – 16, with the firm employing sampling strategies in which the selection probabilities are proportional to population size within telephone area codes and exchanges. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percent (higher in sub-groups).

(Source: US Newswire)

Township Responds to North Ridge Buzz Question regarding Creek Road Recreation Site

Nearly two weeks after first being asked, North Middleton Township responded to a request for information regarding the Creek Road Recreation Site (aka flying field) next to North Ridge.

On March 13, North Ridge Buzz editor Chuck Moran noticed that the gate entrance to the field had been chained and locked, despite being open nearly all of 2005 and most of 2006 until recently. The field has been a matter of controversy since township supervisor Rodney Painter, who is a member of the Carlisle Aeromodelors Club, declared at a township recreation board meeting last fall that only club members had access to the field owned by the township. A June 2, 1983 contract between the township and the aeromodelors club gave club members the ability to fly model planes at the "Creek Road recreational site;" however did not give them exclusive use.

Since its original request to the township on March 13, North Ridge Buzz sent two more requests -- both unanswered -- before receiving a response today.

In response, township manager Deborah Ealer wrote, "The gate has been locked since the landfill was closed back in the 70's (sic). It is unlocked periodically for access by the Township."

However, the township response leaves more questions unanswered than it answers. North Ridge residents know that the gate was left unlocked for significant periods of time in 2005 which allowed access for members of the Carlisle Aeromodelors Club using the field to fly model airplanes.

Furthermore, recent photos of the field clearly indicate use by the aeromodelors club. It's unknown at this time if flying model airplanes would be considered official township business. If not, unlocking the gates for club member use is questionable. Currently, the aeromodelers club is not owned or sponsored by the township.

In a follow-up question today, North Ridge Buzz asked the township when it would consider opening the field to full public use since the township recreation board recommended the action last October.

Township supervisor Richard Bucher immediately responded to North Ridge Buzz, stating "I expect that this subject will be discussed at the next workshop meeting."

Details of that workshop were not provided.

For past North Ridge Buzz stories on the controversy surrounding the Creek Road Recreation Site, a recycled landfill, click here or here.

North Ridge Buzz will continue to monitor this situation.

Ballroom Dance - It's Good for You!

Every few months, another research study comes out proving the benefits of ballroom dance. Some studies focus on ballroom dance as a means of slowing down the onset of dementia, others focus on the body conditioning that results from a regular ballroom dance program and a recent study measured the attractiveness of men who dance well compared to those who dance badly.

"By watching the quality of life of our studio owners, teachers and students over extended periods of time, we have long known that ballroom dancing supports and promotes good physical, mental, and emotional health. We've known all of this without the studies," says Thomas D. Murdock, vice president, marketing for Arthur Murray International.

Founders Arthur and Kathryn Murray lived long into their 90s, as do manyArthur Murray Dance Studio owners and employees. Part of this is because they are more physically active; the business of dance also includes a lot of social activities and fun. Why retire, when you enjoy what you are doing?

We know that people who love to dance are usually more outgoing, social and have a greater zest for living than their non-dancing counterparts. Individuals who start out by taking lessons to boost their social life often find themselves a part of a community that goes out dancing after lessons, travels to competitions as a group, and generally enjoys their lives. Increased confidence comes from knowing that when you step on the dance floor, there's no hesitation about whether you know what to do or might appear silly.

The celebrities in "Dancing with the Stars" offer high-profile examples ofthe benefits of ballroom dance. While the stars undertook highly concentrated,short-term programs, the results -- toned bodies, increased stamina and anappetite for more dancing -- are what beginners all experience. And the beautyof ballroom dance as an exercise form is that it works so well for people of all ages and all stages of physical abilities.

(Source: PR Newswire)

When it Comes to Keeping Your Trees Healthy, Nature's Best Defense Can Sometimes Be Nature Itself

Extreme weather, pests anddisease are just a few of the threats trees face on a daily basis. Sometimes, they need a little help defending themselves. That's where professional arborists come in, many of whom are now using nature's own defense systems to preserve trees on residential properties.

One key way is by using beneficial insects, such as ladybugs that feed on harmful aphids and spider mites, and praying mantis, which feed on nuisancepests like flies. Careful, monitored introduction of these biological predators can help sustain a balanced ecosystem, according to Dr. Bruce Fraedrich, director of the research laboratories at tree care provider Bartlett Tree Experts.

"On residential properties, many factors including the lack of plantspecies diversity can limit naturally occurring beneficials," says Fraedrich. "In these situations, we can help nature out by releasing insects that reduce damaging pest populations."

This type of sustainable care typically involves more than biological controls to manage tree health. It is a joint effort where an arborist worksclosely with the homeowner to ensure he or she is comfortable with theproducts used. An ongoing relationship enables the arborist to monitor the property so that problems can be identified early and treatments timed appropriately.

Other treatment options include organic mulches to improve soil health and the use of naturally derived products such as horticultural oils to suppress pests. According to Fraedrich, who holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, researchis essential to using these products effectively. In fact, all of the products Bartlett employs must pass a rigorous series of evaluations before use on a customer's property.

Finally, arborists can also help homeowners select plants based on their ability to resist problems. For example, deer aren't as fond of some plant species like western red cedar, which is an excellent replacement for arborvitae. Plantings like these can reduce deer damage without the need for ongoing treatments. The same theory applies to many common tree pests and diseases.

"As consumers have become more 'green,' the tree care industry has responded with a number of innovative services," says Fraedrich. "While these types of practices can't necessarily solve every problem, they are a great alternative for customers that want to maintain naturally healthy landscapes."

(Source: Bartlett Tree Experts media release)

Central Pennsylvania International Wine Festival Tickets Now On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for the Third Annual Central Pennsylvania International Wine Festival.

More than 100 wineries from around the world are expected to participate in the VIP and Grand Tastings, which will be held Wednesday, May 3, at the Hilton Harrisburg. Tickets can be purchased online at www.centralpawinefestival.com, or by calling The Central Penn Business Journal at 717-236-4300. The event is presented by the Central Penn Business Journal, Très Bonne Année and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Targeted to please wine novices as well as the most experienced palates, the Central Pennsylvania International Wine Festival will feature VIP and Grand Tastings, a Trade Tasting for members of the hospitality industry and a marquee event.

"Just a few years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine an event like this taking place in Central Pennsylvania," said David Schankweiler, publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal. "The success of the past two years shows that Central Pennsylvanians appreciate fine wine, and we’re confident that the 2006 festival will be even more exciting."

"Whether you’re just learning about wine or have your own cellar, this is THE event for a wine lover to attend," said Bill Kohl, chairman of Très Bonne Année. "This is an opportunity to sample some of the finest wine in the world and meet the vintner or owner who helped to craft it."

The Central Pennsylvania event is part of Pennsylvania’s Wine Festival Week ’06, which also includes international wine festivals in Philadelphia on May 2 and Pittsburgh on May 4.

"In a Gallup poll last year, more Americans said wine is their drink of choice than ever before," said PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman. "It’s not just a national trend – we’re seeing the results right here. Retail wine sales in Central Pennsylvania are up 8.5 percent compared to the previous year."

The Grand Tasting will feature more than 100 leading wineries from around the world, more than half represented by winemakers or proprietors. Vintners from as far away as Chile, France and Italy will join winemakers from California, Oregon, Washington and Pennsylvania’s own expanding wine industry. Throughout the evening, Très Bonne Année will conduct a silent auction of rare wine in oversized bottles and other items. The PLCB will operate an on-site Wine Store so that guests can purchase the wines they have sampled on the spot.

Tickets for the Central Pennsylvania International Wine Festival go on sale on Tuesday, priced at $150 for VIP admission and $90 each for general admission to the Grand Tasting. The Marquee Event Package (which includes admission to the Marquee Event, the VIP Tasting and the Grand Tasting) is $200.

(Source: Central Pennsylvania International Wine Festival)

Vacation Show Coming To Camp Hill

Join AAA Central Penn on Sunday, March 26, at the Radisson Penn Harris hotel in Camp Hill from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a free, annual Vacation Show!

Enjoy special supplier savings, travel presentations, and travel merchandise; listen to local radio remotes, see live animals from Anheuser-Busch, learn how to pack with Anne McAlpin, and meet representatives from scores of travel vendors.

2006 VACATION SHOW PARTICIPATING VENDORS*

Discoveries by AAAAAA Travel
AAA Insurance
AAA Financial Services
AAA Membership
Show Your Card & Save
TripTik
The AAA Touch
Aero Corporation
American Orient Express
Anchorage Enterprises
Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks
B&O Rail Museum
Brennan Vacations
Cape May County Tourism
Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises
Crown Plaza Williamsburg
Couples Resorts
Delta Queen Steamboat Company
Disney Cruise Lines
Elegant Resorts of Barbados
Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance
General Tours
Grand Canyon Railway
Harrisburg International Airport
Hertz
Hilton Hotels / Caribbean
Holland America / Windstar
Hyatt Regency Baltimore
IcelandAir
Insight Vacations
LTD Management
Lumberton Visitors Bureau
National Aquarium in Baltimore
NCL
Niagara Parks Commission
NYSTVA
Pleasant Holidays
Princess Cruises
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
Sandals Resorts
Southern Maine Coast Tourism
Star Clipper
SuperClubs
Tauck World Discovery
Trafalgar Tours
Travel Guard
Travel Health Program
Travel Impressions
Virginia Tourism Corporation
Intimate Caribbean Resorts
Walt Disney Parks
Walt Disney Resorts
Whitewater Challengers
Williamsburg Area Visitors Bureau
West Virginia Tourism

*subject to change; accurate as of Feb 27

(Source: AAA Central Penn)

Politically Uncorrected: Circling the Eight-Year Circle

By G. Terry Madonna, Ph.D., Professor of Public Affairs and Director of the Keystone Poll at Franklin & Marshall College, and Michael L. Young, Ph.D., Managing Partner of Michael Young Strategic Research

The ubiquitous public polls tell the story, and if you are Governor Ed Rendell, it’s a stark story indeed. Up for re-election for a second term, the governor’s job is in jeopardy. In the vaunted "horse race" between him and Lynn Swann, he is barely ahead of a candidate who has never sought government office before. Worse perhaps--in the polls' fine print--the percentage of voters who have a favorable opinion of him are just above 40 percent, his job approval hovers around 45 percent, and his "re-elect" scores (the proportion of voters who thinks he deserves re-election) are about 40 percent.

Perhaps most problematic for Rendell is the timing: it is happening at precisely the point in the political cycle it is not supposed to happen. Under Pennsylvania’s celebrated "eight-year cycle," Rendell, as a first-term incumbent, should be entering the re-election period as a prohibitive favorite destined to win a second term just as incumbent governors or incumbent parties have for more than half a century.

Why Rendell is not now the runaway favorite is worth trying to unravel--not only because it provides insight into the political career of one of the nation’s most fascinating politicians, but even more important for what it reveals about Pennsylvania’s politics and policy in these strange times.

The theory of an eight-year cycle in gubernatorial politics is critical context here. It is based on an almost clockwork-like pattern established during the past half century of elections in which Pennsylvania voters have ousted the incumbent party from the governor’s mansion every eight years. The cycle began in 1954, and since then, we have consistently had a pattern of eight years of Democrats followed by eight years of Republicans.

Since the 1970s when governors could succeed themselves, the typical re-election in the eight-year cycle, with one exception, has been a cakewalk. Milton Shapp easily dispatched Drew Lewis in 1974, Bob Casey clobbered Barbara Hafer in 1990, and Tom Ridge easily beat Ivan Itkin in 1998. The only tough race was Dick Thornburgh’s 1982 squeaker--that occurred during the most vigorous recession since the Great Depression.

The alternating pattern of eight years in and eight years out has been now elevated to the status of an iron law used to predict the outcome of gubernatorial elections in Pennsylvania. Under its assumptions, the Democrats should win the 2006 governor’s election.

And they well might. But just now things seem iffy and for the first time in modern times the much ballyhooed eight-year cycle could be in danger, and with it, Rendell’s re-election.
Several reasons best explain the competitive nature of this gubernatorial election:
Mood of the Electorate--Rendell faces a growing anti-incumbency mood, fueled in part by last year’s legislative pay hike and reinforced by a drumbeat of negative stories about the culture and lifestyle in the state capital. Nationally, Bush’s low approval rating could help Democrats, but the anti-incumbency sentiment in Pennsylvania might prove to be an even bigger liability for the Governor.

Rendell’s Base in the East--The seeds for the closeness of the race lie in the way Rendell won the 2002 race. He did so despite losing 49 of 67 counties, pulling off this feat of legerdemain by winning 60 percent of the vote from the Lehigh Valley and Southeast where 40 percent of the voters in the state live. Rendell is still "Beast of the East," but he has largely been unable to extend his base beyond the eastern part of the state.

Weakness in the West--In 2002, Rendell convinced voters that he had the leadership to move the state forward on the basis of his extraordinary success as mayor of Philadelphia. But that claim has become a double-edged sword for him. He’s so identified with the City of Brotherly Love that he’s alluded to facetiously by some as the "Governor of Philadelphia." At the same time, his approval rating in the western part of the state remains weak. This is potentially a huge problem for him, given the still vigorous anti-Philadelphia sentiment alive and well in many parts of the state.

Some Policy Failures--It is true that Rendell has delivered on much of his agenda, but some of it has been controversial, such as the slots gaming law and Act 72, the ill-fated effort to get school districts to accept gaming money for property tax relief. Conversely, the political credit he claims for increased economic development monies and education funding has been undermined by failure to get property tax relief enacted into law. Then, too, the pay hike fiasco--in which Rendell was intimately involved--continues to damage him politically. Both property tax relief and the pay hike are huge issues in the southwest, where the political damage to the governor is the greatest.

A Viable Opponent--Rendell has an opponent who arguably is more formidable than any gubernatorial challenger in modern times. Moreover, in Lynn Swann, he has drawn a candidate very popular in the region of the state that Rendell is the weakest. The race is now virtually even--something unprecedented in earlier eight-year cycles. The Swann-Rendell contest--a match up of heavyweights--is both attracting enormous state and national attention. With each candidate's ability to raise millions of dollars, this election will be like no other in the eight-year cycle.

So, is the venerable eight-year cycle about to be retired? The answer to this question must be a firm maybe. Rendell is probably facing one of the toughest elections of his career. But Swann has some weaknesses of his own. And Rendell is a superbly skilled politician who has demonstrated winning ways, honed in the rough and tumble of Philadelphia politics.

Certainly the eight-year cycle will be tested like never before; its amazing 50-year streak may end. State politics may never be quite the same. But there are caveats not to be ignored by the prudent or wise; Pennsylvania’s unbroken string of party changeovers has been no fluke or quirk --- the eight-year cycle has worked for a very long time. And for an even longer time, Pennsylvania politics has been confounding those who would try to bring change to it.

**********************

Politically Uncorrected is published twice monthly. Dr. G. Terry Madonna is Professor of Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College and Dr. Michael Young is Managing Partner of Michael Young Strategic Research. The article can be used in whole or in part with appropriate attribution. The views and opinions found in this article represent the authors’ views and opinions, and not those of any institution or organization with which they are affiliated.

Burning Ban In Effect

According to news reports and the township website, North Middleton Township has established an outdoor burning ban, effective March 20. No outdoor burning will be permitted until further notice.

Weight Training Can Help As You Get Older

Getting "old and flabby" does not have to happen -- at least the flabby part.

Some loss of muscle mass and strength is common as you get older. The medical term for this is sarcopenia. Your muscle strength generally peaks in your 20s and starts to slowly decline in your 30s. A rapid decline then begins after age 60.

Lack of muscle tone and strength can lead to increasing difficulty with everyday tasks, decreased balance and increased risk of falls, and decreased bone density. It may also lead to slower metabolism, leading to weight gain.

It's never too late to fight flabbiness, according to the March issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Much, if not most, of the decrease in muscle mass that occurs with age appears to be related to reduced physical activity. If you exercise, you can maintain significant muscle mass well into your later years.

Your doctor or a fitness expert can provide exercise options to strengthen all muscle groups. At home, exercises with elastic resistance bands, small dumbbells or even cans of vegetables can be effective. Weight training using equipment at a health club is beneficial, too.

In addition to exercising, aim for nutritious, well-balanced meals. Don't forget to include sources of protein -- lean meats, legumes and nuts -- which are key to building strong muscles.

(Source: Mayo Clinic media release)

Spring Tire and Appliance Recycling Day Is March 25

The Solid Waste Authority of Cumberland County will hold its Spring 2006 Tire and Appliance Recycling Day this Saturday, March 25, at the Cumberland Valley High School Complex. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to all Cumberland County residents.

For more information on this recycling opportunity as well as directions to the recycling location, click here.

Pennsylvania House Member Will Gabig Holding Town Hall Meetings In North Middleton Township

Will Gabig, Member, House of Representatives, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, will hold two Town Hall Meetings in North Middleton. The meetings will be held at the North Middleton Township Building, 2051 Spring Road, on Thursday, March 30, and Thursday, April 27. Both meetings will commence at 7 p.m.

Bring you commendations, grips, suggestions, ideas, and questions concerning our state government and its relationship to our township. For government to work, citizens must be involved. Please try to attend one or both meetings.

Carlisle Mile Announced

This year's Carlisle Mile, sponsored by the Carlisle YMCA, will be held on May 11.

As in past years, the starting line is at the intersection of Route 11 and Route 641, while the finish is at the Town Square at the intersection of High Street and Hanover Street.

Heats are ...

• 6 p.m. -- 8 and under boys/girls and all walkers
• 6:15 p.m. -- 9 to 11 boys/girls
• 6:30 p.m. -- 40 and over men and 12 to 15 boys/girls
• 6:40 p.m. -- 16 to 19 boys and 20 to 39 men
• 6:50 p.m. -- 16 to 19 girls and all women

As in past years, a Family Fun Team Division will be held. Pre-registration is $10 per person, while race day regisrtion is $15.

To learn more about this race, click here.

Or to learn more about other local races, click here.

Who Was St. Patrick?

There's no better place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than in Ireland. The country is filled with rich history and traditions. This history of St. Patrick comes from the beautiful city of Cork and its festival.

Terrified the Irish raiders would spot him, the youth hid at wood's edge as he watched eager flames consume his family's house. Suddenly powerful hands jerked his arms behind him. Coarse ropes burned his wrists. He and dozens of others were herded to boats grounded in the cove. He was now a slave.

The 16-year-old watched his whole way of life slip away as the rhythmic oarbeats pushed the boats steadily west. A British nobleman's son, he'd had it easy enough. He hadn't cared much for school, preferring to go off with his friends. Christianity didn't mean much to him either. His father was a deacon in the village church, but Patrick knew he held that office more for tax advantage than out of love for God.

The sound of pebbles crunching beneath the hull signalled their arrival. Yanked from the boat, he was thrust into a guarded pen to await sale.

To read the rest of this story, visit the Cork St. Patrick's Festival Website.

North Middleton Township Crime of the Week

BARN ENTERED, PROPERTY DAMAGED - ARSON

06-000824
Police are appealing to the community for information regarding an arson at a barn in the 3400 block of Waggoners Gap Road. Police began an investigation on Wednesday, March 8, 2006, after the owner discovered that someone broke into his barn and damaged items inside. The perpetrators also set fire to some papers inside, but the fire was put out before causing damage to the building or other property. Police believe the subjects entered the barn between 1400 hours on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 and 0900 hours on Wednesday, March 8, 2006. Based on forensic evidence collected at the scene, police believe the crime was completed by more than one person. Anyone with information is asked to phone police at 717-243-7910.

(Source: North Middleton Township Police Department Crime Stoppers Wanted)

Swann, Rendell Even According To Latest Poll

Several news sources including Harrisburg Online, a Greenlee Partners e-publication, and News Max.com are reporting that a poll by Strategic Vision, LLC, shows Republican Lynn Swann tied with incumbent Democatic Governor Ed Rendell in the upcoming Pennsylvania governor's race.

According to the Atlanta-headquartered public relations and public affairs agency, the results of a three-day poll of 1,200 likely voters in Pennsylvania has both Swann and Rendell tied at 44 percent each. Two percent of those polled preferred another candidate, while 10 percent were undecided. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The poll also asked if they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the two candidates. For Rendell, 43 percent said they had a favorable opinion, while 34 percent said they didn't. Twenty-three percent were undecided.

Regarding Swann, 51 percent said favorable; 26 percent said unfavorable, and 23 percent were undecided.

Some newspaper columnists are suggesting that Rendell has been showing signs of desperation lately. Recently he was accused of strong-arming one Democrat out of the race for lieutenant governor. He's also been criticized for swiping the tape recorder out of the hands of a Harrisburg Patriot-News reporter.

A Great St. Patty's Day Dessert: Guinness Ice Cream

For the past two days, North Ridge Buzz with help from celebrity chef Suzanne Goin, who is promoting her new cookbook Sunday Suppers At Lucques (Knopf) have provided recipes for Irish suppers. Now it's time for the dessert recipe.

And, certainly when one thinks of Ireland, you've gotta think about Guinness. Now, let me say that I would be willing to bet that this would taste better in Ireland. As a bartender from Clonmel, Ireland, along with a lady from Dublin told me during my trip to Ireland last summer, Guinness doesn't travel well. And, trust me, it taste so much better across the pond.

So, tonight, North Ridge Buzz with help from Chef Goin recommends the following dessert ...


Chocolate-Stout cake with Guinness Ice Cream

2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
Guinness ice cream (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg together into a large mixing bowl.

Pour the beer and molasses into a medium pot, whisk together, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda. Don't be surprised when it foams up.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and both sugars, mixing well to combine. Whisk in the oil, and then the beer mixture.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Pour in the liquid ingredients, whisking slowly until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or the cake will be tough.

Pour the batter into a lightly buttered Bundt pan and bake 30 minutes. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and the topsurface is just starting to crack. When you insert a skewer into the center, it should come out mostly clean. To keep the cake moist, cover it with a dry kitchen towel as it cools. After 30 minutes, invert the cake onto a platter.

Serve slices of the cake with scoops of the Guinness ice cream.


Guinness Ice Cream
(makes 1 scant quart)

1/2 vanilla bean
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Guinness stout
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons molasses
3 extra-large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, scrape the seeds and pulp into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla pod, milk, and cream, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, andallow the flavors to infuse for 30 minutes.

While the cream is infusing, whisk the beer and molasses together in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Whiska few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another 1/4 cup or so of the warm cream, whisking continuously. At this point you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream,whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the pot, and return to the stove.

Stir the beer mixture into the cream and cook the custard over medium heat, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken and when it's done will coat the back of the spatula. Strain the mixture, and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. When the custard is very cold, process it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

(Source: PR Newswire)

Haines Is Back in the Ridge

Haines, the Susquehanna Service Dog that lived with the Moran Family throughout 2005 during his initial training, is back in North Ridge for the next week plus.

The nearly two-year-old yellow lab graduated from his service training college in December after living with the Morans and has been living near Harrisburg since February with his next trainer and keeper.

Haines will be vacationing at the Moran house until March 25. Friends and family are welcome to stop by and say hello to Haines as part of his continued training.

For a past story and photo on Haines, click here.

Part II: A St. Patty's Day Recipe For The Traditionalist

As a follow up to yesterday's North Ridge Buzz feature on celebrity chef Suzanne Goin's recommendation for a satisfying St. Patrick's Day feast, yet another recipe is offered.

As mentioned in yesterday's edition of North Ridge Buzz, Chef Goin is promoting her new cookbook Sunday Suppers At Lucques (Knopf), and through a media release offers the following Irish recipe for the traditionalist.


Corned Beef and Cabbage with Parsley-Mustard Sauce

One 6-pound corned-beef brisket
2 onions
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
1/2 bunch thyme
2 chiles de arbol
6 small carrots
9 golf ball-sized turnips
1 1/4 pounds yellow potatoes, peeled
1 medium green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
Parsley-mustard sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the corned beef in a large deep pot and cover with cold water by 6 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cut the onions in half lengthwise, peel them, and poke one clove into eachhalf.

When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, and chiles. Cover the pot with plastic wrap (yes, it can go in the oven), aluminum foil, and a tight-fitting lid if you have one.

Cook the corned beef in the oven 4 to 4 1/2 hours, until it's fork-tender. (Carefully remove the foil and plastic and pierce the meat with a fork. If the fork doesn't penetrate easily, the corned beef is not ready.)

While the beef is cooking, peel the carrots, leaving 1/2 inch of stem. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise. Trim the turnip tops, leaving 1/2 inch of stem attached. Cut the turnips in half through the stems. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Remove any tough outer leaves from the cabbage and slice it in half through the core. Cut each cabbage half into three wedges, leaving the core intact to hold the leaves together.

When it's done, remove the meat from the oven, let it cool a few minutes, and transfer it to a baking sheet.

Turn the oven up to 375 degrees F.

Return the meat to the oven for about 15 minutes, until it browns and crisps on top. Let the corned beef rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing it.

Meanwhile, skim the fat from the broth. (There probably won't be verymuch.) Taste the broth. If it tastes good -- not too salty but nicely seasonedand meaty -- set half of the liquid aside in a medium saucepan. If the broth is salty, add a little water before setting half of it aside.

Add water to the broth in the large corned-beef cooking pot until you have enough liquid to poach the vegetables. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to medium, and add the potatoes to the pot. Simmer 5minutes and then add the cabbage, turnips, and carrots. (If your pot is notbig enough, divide the broth into two pots, adding more water if needed.) Simmer over low heat 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender. Test each type of vegetable occasionally, and if one is ready before the others, use tongs or a slotted spoon to take the vegetables out of the broth.

Taste the reserved broth and the vegetable-cooking broth. Combine them to your taste. If the vegetable broth tastes best, use it for the finished broth. If the vegetable broth is watery but has good flavor, add a little of it to the reserved broth, to your liking. Or, if you like the meat broth best, use it by itself.

Place the cabbage on a large warm platter. Slice the corned beef againstthe grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the meat over the cabbage. Scatter the other vegetables over and around the platter. Pour over a goodquantity of your chosen broth, and drizzle with the parsley-mustard sauce. Pass the extra broth and sauce at the table.


Parsley-Mustard Sauce

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, for juicing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the shallots, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, and let sit 5 minutes. Pound the parsley with a mortar and pestle and add it tothe shallots. Whisk in the mustard and olive oil, and season with a squeeze oflemon juice, a pinch of pepper and a pinch more salt, if you like. Be carefulnot to overseason, since the corned beef may be on the salty side.

Coming March 15 ... Chocolate-Stout cake with Guinness Ice Cream

(Source: PR Newswire)

Celebrity Chef Offers St. Patrick's Day Menu

Celebrity chef Suzanne Goin says you don't have to be Irish to enjoy a satisfying St. Patrick's Day feast! And, to promote her new cookbook, Chef Goin issued a media release that included several sample recipes.

One year, researching ideas for a St. Patrick's supper at her restaurant LUCQUES, Chef Goin discovered for herself that the Irish obsession with potatoes is not just a myth. Page after page of old Irish cookery books revealed endless formulas for the tuber! And soon enough, Chef Goin fell in love with a recipe for champ, an Irish version of mashed potatoes flavored with finely sliced scallions (Chef Goin uses garlic in her recipe).

But the Irish don't live on potatoes alone; seafood is actually the backbone of the Irish diet, she says. In creating her St. Patrick's Day menu, Chef Goin decided to celebrate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle with something from the sea. The result was an elegant dish of steamed cockles with white wine andbutter spooned over green garlic champ. And what more Irish way to sop upthose briny juices than with a savory brown scone?

Today, North Ridge Buzz with the help of Chef Goin offers ...

Buttered Cockles with Peas, Pea Shoots, Green Garlic Champ, and Brown Scones

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced spring onions plus 1 cup thinly sliced spring onion tops
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
3 pounds cockles, or small Manila clams, well scrubbed
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 3/4 cups peas (from 2 pounds in the pod)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 lemon, for juicing
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 ounces pea shoots
Green garlic champ (recipe follows)
Brown scones (recipe follows)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large wide-bottomed saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute. Add the spring onions, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are just wilted. Add the cockles to the pan, and stir well to coat them with the onions and oil. Cook 2 minutes, add the white wine, and cover the pan.

Steam the cockles 3 to 4 minutes, until they open. Remove the lid and pour in the stock. When the stock comes to a boil, add the peas. Cook 1 minute and then add the butter, stirring to incorporate. Season with a squeeze of lemonjuice and taste for seasoning. Discard any unopened cockles.

Quickly toss the parsley, pea shoots, and spring onion tops into the pot. Stir just until the greens begin to wilt, and transfer to a warm large shallowbowl.

Serve with the green garlic champ, and pass around the warm brown scones.


Green Garlic Champ

1 1/2 pounds fingerling or small yellow potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water for about15 minutes, until tender. (The cooking time will depend on the size and type of potato.) When the potatoes have just cooled, crush them slightly on acutting board with the heel of your hand or the back of a large spoon.

Heat a medium pot over high heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, and when it foams, add the green garlic, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the green garlic has softened.

Add the potatoes, stirring and mashing them to incorporate all of the ingredients. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave the pot on the stove. When you are ready to serve the champ, make sure it's hot, and then stir in the cream. Taste for seasoning.


Brown Scones (makes 12 scones)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the flours, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor, and process 30 seconds, until well combined.

Add the butter and pulse about ten times, until the mixture is a coarse meal.

With the machine running, quickly pour in 1 cup of the buttermilk. Stop the machine as soon as the dough comes together. It's important not to overwork the dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and bring it together with your hands into a large ball. Divide the dough into three pieces, and shape each of them into a 5-inch-wide disc. Cut each disc into quarters.

Brush the tops of the scones with a little buttermilk. Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet and bake 25 minutes, until the scones are golden brown.

Coming on March 14 ... For the traditionalist: Corned Beef and Cabbage with Parsley-Mustard Sauce

(Source: PR Newswire)

Who Locked North Ridge Out Of Local Recreation Site?

North Ridge Buzz has learned that the access road to the North Middleton Township's Creek Road Recreational Site (aka the aeromodelors flying field) was gated, chained, and locked this weekend, limiting public access to the grass field.

This site has been quite controversial with one township supervisor insisting at a September 2005 township recreation board meeting that only members of the Carlisle Aeromodelors Club could use the field. Rec Board members contested those statements and passed a resolution in October to guarentee full public use of the field. Township supervisors have not taken up the issue; however, in an email to Chuck Moran, Supervisor Richard Bucher wrote that the matter was being handled by Supervisor Rodney Painter, who is also a member of the club.

North Ridge Buzz did contact North Middleton Township earlier today regarding the field being recently gated, chained, and locked. Specifically, North Ridge Buzz asked the township who was responsible for locking access to the field. As of 6:oo p.m. tonight, the township did not provide a response.

In a Harrisburg Patriot-News story on January 29, 2006, Supervisor Painter was quoted as saying that the park may someday be open to the public; however, there was an issue of public restrooms not being available.

Currently, North Ridge Buzz is contacting state organizations regarding Supervisor Painter's comments about public restrooms at parks. To date, one state organization contacted said they are not aware of any regulation that would require a public restroom be available before a park can be opened to the public.

For more on this situation, visit an earlier North Ridge Buzz story.

(Photo: North Middleton Township's Creek Road Recreational Site, directly next to North Ridge, has been gated, chained, and locked. Township officials are yet to respond to request for information regarding who locked it. Photo taken Saturday, March 11, 2006)

Chesapeake Bay Sewer Issue Meeting

In the Sentinel Monday, March 13, 2006 Local News front page:
Vance, Nailor to host Bay meeting
Wednesday March 15, 6:30pm
Mechanicsburg Middle School
1750 S. Market St
Mechanicsburg
A quote from the paper, "Some municipalities have said significant sewer rate increases will be needed to meet pollution reduction requirements. Others are concerned the strategy could prevent future economic growth and make development impossible".
I am planning on being there, if anyone would care to join me please let me know.
Trish

Facts for Irish-American Heritage Month and St. Patrick's Day 2006

Although not an official “federal” holiday in the United States, St. Patrick’s Day has a long history of being celebrated with parades and general goodwill for all things Irish. The day commemorates St. Patrick, believed to have died on March 17, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. Because many Americans celebrate their Irish lineage on St. Patrick’s Day, March was picked as Irish-American Heritage Month. The month was first proclaimed in 1995 by Congress. Each year, the U.S. president also issues an Irish-American Heritage Month proclamation.


Population Distribution
34.5 million
Number of U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (4.1 million). Irish is the nation’s second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only those of German ancestry. (The ancestry estimates exclude people living in group quarters.) (Source: American FactFinder and here)

3
Number of states in which Irish is the leading ancestry group: Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Irish is among the top-five ancestries in every state but two (Hawaii and New Mexico).<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/census_2000/001870.html>


The Mother Tongue
25,870
The number of U.S. residents who speak Irish at home. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/lang_use.html>


Coming to America
128,000
Number of U.S. residents born in Ireland. (The estimate excludes people living in group quarters.) (Source: American FactFinder)

4.8 million
Total number of immigrants from Ireland lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence since fiscal year 1820, the earliest year for which official immigration records exist. By fiscal year 1870, about half of these immigrants were admitted for lawful permanent residence. Only Germany, Mexico, Italy and the United Kingdom have had more immigrants admitted for permanent residence to the United States than Ireland. (Source: Department of Homeland Security. See Table 1.)

1,518
Total number of immigrants from Ireland lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence in the 2004 fiscal year. (Source: Department of Homeland Security. See Table 2.)


Trade With the “Old Sod”
$24.0 billion
The value of U.S. imports from the Republic of Ireland during a recent 10-month period (January-October 2005). Meanwhile, the United States exported $7.5 billion worth of goods to Ireland. <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>


Places to Spend the Day
4
Number of places in the United States named Shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland. Mount Gay-Shamrock, W.Va., and Shamrock, Texas, were the most populous, with 2,623 and 1,821 residents, respectively. Shamrock Lakes, Ind., had 162 residents and Shamrock, Okla., 126. (Statistic for Mount Gay-Shamrock is from Census 2000; the other statistics in this paragraph are 2004 estimates.) (Source: American FactFinder and <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005268.html>)

9
Number of places in the United States that share the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin. Since Census 2000, Dublin, Calif., has surpassed Dublin, Ohio, as the most populous of these places (36,995 compared with 34,301, respectively, as of July 1, 2004). (Source: American FactFinder and <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005268.html>)


The Celebration
41.5 billion & 2.5 billion
U.S. beef and cabbage production, respectively, in pounds, in 2004. Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. The corned beef celebrants dine on may very well have originated in Texas, which produced 7.3 billion pounds worth of beef, while the cabbage most likely came from California, which produced 558 million pounds worth. <http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp>

21.6
The number of gallons of beer consumed per capita by Americans annually in 2003. On St. Patrick’s Day, you may be able to order green-dyed beer at one of the nation’s 48,050 drinking places, some of which may be Irish pubs. See Table 201, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006 <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-06.html> and<http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/03cbp/cbp03-1.pdf>.

389
Number of breweries in 2003. The nation’s breweries are the source for the domestic beer that is often an integral part of St. Patty’s Day celebrations. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/03cbp/cbp03-1.pdf>

$75 million
Value of potted florist chrysanthemum sales at wholesale in 2004. Lime green chrysanthemums are often requested for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. <http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp>
8 millionNumber of St. Patrick’s Day cards Americans exchanged last year, making this observance the ninth-largest card-sending occasion in the United States. (Source: Hallmark research.)

93.3 million
Number of people who reportedly planned to wear green last St. Patrick’s Day. (Source: National Retail Federation, via Hallmark.)

(Facts courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau)

Nutritional Friend Or Foe? Vitamin E Sends Mixed Messages

One of the most powerful antioxidants is truly a double-edged sword, say researchers at Ohio State University who studied how two forms of Vitamin E act once they are inside animal cells.

In the past couple of decades, a slough of studies has looked at the benefits of vitamin E and other antioxidants. While a considerable amount of this research touts the advantages of consuming antioxidants, some of the studies have found that in certain cases, antioxidants, including vitamin E, may actually increase the potential for developing heart disease, cancer and a host of other health problems.

This study provides clues as to why this could happen, say Jiyan Ma, an assistant professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry, and his colleague David Cornwell, an emeritus professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry, both at Ohio State.

The two men led a study that compared how the two most common forms of vitamin E –– one is found primarily in plants like corn and soybeans, while the other is found in olive oil, almonds, sunflower seeds and mustard greens – affect the health of animal cells. The main difference between the two forms is a slight variation in their chemical structures.

In laboratory experiments, the kind of vitamin E found in corn and soybean oil, gamma-tocopherol, ultimately destroyed animal cells. But the other form of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, did not. (Tocopherol is the scientific name for vitamin E.)

“In the United States we tend to eat a diet rich in corn and soybean oil, so we consume much greater amounts of gamma-tocopherol than alpha-tocopherol,” Cornwell said. “But most of the vitamin E coursing through out veins is alpha-tocopherol – the body selects for this version. We want to know why that is, and whether the selection of the alpha-tocopherol confers an evolutionary benefit in animal cells.”

While the study doesn't get into the possible effects on health, the researchers raise the point that there is still a great deal that isn't known about how antioxidants act in the body.

Cornwell and Ma explain their findings in this week's Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They conducted the study with several colleagues from the departments of molecular and cellular biochemistry and chemistry at Ohio State.

The researchers conducted laboratory experiments on cells taken from the brains of mice. They treated some of the cells with metabolic end products, called quinones, of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol.

When the body breaks down vitamin E, these end products are what enter and act on our cells. However, Ma said that our bodies get rid of most gamma-tocopherol before it ever has a chance to reach its quinone stage.

Still, some nutritional supplement companies make and sell gamma-tocopherol supplements, promoting this version of vitamin E as a good antioxidant source. In theory, taking a vitamin supplement – a concentrated form of the vitamin - increases the amount of that substance in the body.

Using laboratory techniques that allowed them to detect the activity of the quinones inside the cells, the researchers found that the gamma-tocopherol quinone formed a compound which destroyed that cell. It did so by preventing proper protein folding in the cells, which causes a cellular response that is involved in a variety of human diseases, including diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

However, the alpha-tocopherol quinone did not kill cells, nor did it interfere with protein folding. The researchers repeated their experiments on kidney cells cultured from monkeys and on skin cells cultured from mice and found similar results.

“We think that gamma-tocopherol may have this kind of damaging effect on nearly every type of cell in the body,” Ma said.

While the study doesn't get into the possible effects on health, the researchers raise the point that there is still a great deal that isn't known about how antioxidants act in the body. In order to get to that point, scientists must study how antioxidants and cells interact on their most fundamental levels.

(Source: Ohio State University media release)

Reducing Teens' Intake Of Sugary Drinks

In randomized trial, a simple beverage-focused intervention led to weight loss

Children's intake of sugar-sweetened drinks -- sodas, sports drinks, "juice drinks," iced teas, lemonades and punches -- has surged in recent decades, in step with the rise in childhood obesity. Now, in the March issue of Pediatrics, researchers from Children's Hospital Boston report that a novel intervention to limit consumption of sugary drinks -- home deliveries of noncaloric beverages -- had a beneficial effect on weight loss.

The randomized, controlled trial, led by Cara Ebbeling, PhD, and David Ludwig, MD, PhD, in the hospital's Division of Endocrinology, enrolled 103 children aged 13 to 18 through a Boston area high school. The teens were offered a $100 mall gift certificate if they stuck with the six-month study, and all did.

Half the teens, picked at random, received weekly deliveries of noncaloric beverages of their own choosing -- bottled waters and artificially-sweetened drinks. They were instructed to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and advised on how to choose noncaloric drinks outside the home. Monthly phone calls and refrigerator magnets ("Think Before You Drink") provided reminders. The remaining teens, serving as a control group, were asked to continue their usual eating and drinking patterns.

At the end of six months, the group receiving beverage deliveries had an 82 percent reduction in consumption of sugary drinks, while intake in the control group remained unchanged. The heavier the teen was initially, the stronger the effect on body weight. Among the heaviest one-third of teens, the beverage-delivery group had a marked decrease in body mass index (BMI), while the control group had a slight increase -- a group-to-group difference of almost 1 pound per month. Other factors affecting obesity -- physical activity levels and television viewing -- did not change in either group.

Ebbeling calculates that a single 12-oz sugar-sweetened beverage per day translates to about 1 pound of weight gain over 3 to 4 weeks. "Sugary beverages have no nutritional value and seem to make a huge contribution to weight gain," she says.

Comprehensive weight-loss programs often do not have a substantial effect on body weight, Ebbeling adds. "People often get overwhelmed by nutrition advice and give up," she says. "We opted to study one simple, potentially high-impact behavior, and made it easy for adolescents to replace sugary drinks with noncaloric beverages."

Although the intervention targeted only the home environment, previous research suggests that home is where adolescents get the majority of their food and beverages. "It should be relatively simple to translate this intervention into a pragmatic public health approach," the authors comment. "For example, schools could make noncaloric beverages available to students by purchasing large quantities at low costs."

The study was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Charles H. Hood Foundation.

(Source: Children's Hospital Boston media release)

Fly Fishing Show Piggybacks With Cycling Show

Earlier this month, North Ridge Buzz reported that a Cycling Show was coming to the Carlisle Expo Center on March 11 and 12. In addition to that show, the Expo Center will also host a Fly Fishing Expo at the Expo Center on March 11 and 12.

The Carlisle Sentinel reports that around 4,000 people are anticipated to attend both events. Admission is $10 for adults, and $2 for those 12 and under. The Expo runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The Expo Center is located at 100 K Street, Carlisle.

For an earlier North Ridge Buzz story on the Cycling Show, click here.

For more information on the Fly Fishing Show, click here.

U.S. Consumers Give Cork the Seal of Approval; Nine Out of Ten Customers Think Non-Cork Closures Cheapen Wine, Survey Says

Consumers still love cork according to the results of s recent survey of the United States wine trade. Nine out of ten consumers - a stunning 94 percent - think that non-cork closures sometimes or often cheapen a bottle of wine according to those questioned in the study.

Cork closures are still popular too with those in the trade who work directly serving wine to customers. Of those questioned who worked in a restaurant or other wine serving setting, the majority (71 percent) still preferred to open wine bottles with cork closures above screwcaps (26 percent) and synthetic closures (3%.) They felt their customers were not well informed about the issue of wine closures, with 48% of them feeling customers had very little information, 35 percent with some information and 9% with no information about which closures protect wine best.

The survey was carried out by Napa-based Balzac Communications on behalf of the Portuguese cork association (APCOR) to launch the International Campaign for Cork in the U.S. During the week of December 12 to 18, 2005, Balzac Communications and Marketing sent out a survey on wine bottle closures to members of the U.S. wine trade to determine their opinions of cork closures. Survey participants included members of the US Court of Master Sommeliers, restaurateurs, retailers, wine buyers at hotels nationwide and members of the wine media.

There were 327 responses to the 20 question-survey. According to respondents the bulk of consumers (69 percent) preferred cork as a wine closure because of its tradition. Cork performance was a factor for (11 percent) of consumers according to the wine trade, as well as sustainability (1 percent.) A further 19 percent felt consumers liked cork for all these reasons.

"Wine lovers still love their corks," says Elisa Pedro, Director of Communication & International Relations for APCOR. "This survey shows consumers trust cork and see it as a sign of quality in wine."

Half of those questioned felt the cork industry was making progress toward solving the issue of off-odors associated with TCA (2,4,6 trichloranisole). Of those in a direct wines sales setting in restaurants, around 41 percent of those surveyed said they experienced about one customer per month sending back wine for quality issues. A further 25.4 percent said one customer a week sent back wine, 21.3 percent said this happened two to five times per week. Around 6.6 percent said 10 customers per week would send back wine, while 5.7 percent had never had a customer send back a wine.

For their at-home wine enjoyment the bulk (50.7 percent) of wine trade respondents still preferred cork as a closure for their wines, followed by screwcaps (42.6 percent) and synthetic closures (6.7 percent.)

APCOR is a consortium of more than 280 cork companies, representing approximately 80 percent of the Portuguese cork business volume and 85 percent of all cork exports from Portugal. APCOR stands for "Associacao Portuguesa da Cortica" - Portuguese Cork Association. It was founded in 1956 and is based in Santa Maria de Lamas, near Porto in Portugal. Its mission is to represent and promote natural cork and all products made of cork. Companies involved in the production, commerce and export of cork-based products are members of this association.

(Source: Balzac Communications)

Lung Cancer: A Simple Test Can Save Your Child’s Life

Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking, says Debra Holtzman J.D, M.A, an internationally recognized safety and health expert and author of the award winning book, The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety (Sentient Publications, 2005). In fact, it is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States.

What is radon?

Radon is an invisible and odorless gas that occurs naturally from the breakdown on uranium. It can be found in soil, rock and air. When breathed outdoors, this gas poses a minimum health risk, but when it becomes trapped in buildings, concentrations build up which can be cause for concern. If the radioactive decay products of radon get trapped in your lungs, they can damage the live cells lining the lungs. Years of this damage can lead to lung cancer.

How a home was built and what construction materials were used can effect radon levels. Local geography is another contributing factor. Every state has pockets of high radon levels. Because levels vary from one area to another, the only way to know a specific home’s radon level is to test it. It is also possible for your home to have an elevated radon level while a neighboring home does not.

Radon can enter your home through openings around water pipes, sump pumps and drains, It can also enter through cracks and holes in the walls and foundation.The water supply is another possibility.

Test the Air in your home.

Because of the serious health threat posed by radon, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that all residences, except those above the second floor in multilevel buildings, be tested. Fortunately, testing is easy and inexpensive. There are a number of radon kits available on the market that you can purchase through mail order or at your local hardware store. The price range is $10 to $45. It is important that you use detection kits that have passed the EPA’s testing program or are state approved. Your can perform your own test or you can hire a radon tester in your area that is state certified or proficient with a national radon program. Your state radon office can supply you with a list of testing kit companies and radon testers that have met those standards. Insist that your child’s day care center or school be tested.

Test kits are either short or long term. Short term kit: 2 to 90 days: the most common is a charcoal canister.Long term kit, 90 days to a year: the most common is an alpha tract detector. Radon levels tend to vary, not only from day to day but also from season to season. For that reason, a long term kit–which takes in consideration seasonal variations–is a better test.

Don't despair if testing indicates elevated levels of radon in your home. Your state’s radon office can provide you with a list of state certified contractors and those who are proficient in a nationally radon program. The cost for reducing radon levels typically range from $800 to $2,500. The average cost to install radon-resistant features during new home construction is $350 to $500.

(Source: NewsReleaseWire.com)

Are We Happy?

Americans have always had a thing about happiness. We all have certain unalienable rights, declares our Declaration of Independence, among them "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

So then, a couple of centuries into the chase, how are we doing?

A February 2006 social study from the Pew Research Center takes a look at different groups -- conservatives vs. liberals, marrieds vs. unmarrieds, religious vs. non-religious ... etc. -- and discovers which groups tend to be happier.

To read this report, click here.

(Source: Pew Research Center)

Younger Internet Users Are More Likely Than Older Ones To IM, Play Online Games, And Create Blogs

Teens and Generation Y (age 18-28) are significantly more likely than older users to send and receive instant messages, play online games, create blogs, download music, and search for school information.

WASHINGTON - Internet access is the norm for most Americans, up to age 70, and all age cohorts of internet users (ages 12 and older) are equally likely to use email; about 90 percent of all internet users send or receive email. Given the many other variations in internet use among different age groups, it is notable that this basic communications tool is almost universally used.

Internet users ages 12 to 28 years old have embraced the online applications that enable communicative, creative, and social uses. Teens and Generation Y (age 18-28) are significantly more likely than older users to send and receive instant messages, play online games, create blogs, download music, and search for school information.

“Many of these trends seem to be rooted the different needs and interests of each generation,” said Mary Madden, co-author of the data memo, “Generations Online.” “While it may appear that carefree teens and Gen Yers are simply having more fun online than the more practically motivated older generations, the communicative and social skills they are developing during these formative years may, in fact, prove to be practical tools that will serve them well in the future.”

Internet users ages 29 to 69 years old are more likely than internet users in other age groups to engage in online activities that require some capital: travel reservations and online banking. Buying a product online is equally popular with all internet users except those at either end of the age scale: teens and internet users age 70 or older.

“Seniors are not only less likely to go online, but are more cautious about what they do once they get access,” said Susannah Fox, co-author of the data memo. “Email is the one online activity that is attractive to all groups, including people over age 70.”

(Source: Pew Internet & American Life media release)

Free Medical Advice Through Pennsylvania Medical Society's Doctors On Call on WGAL TV

Local residents will have the opportunity to discuss their medical concerns with physicians, anonymously and free of charge, on March 8, as part of a program from the Pennsylvania Medical Society called "Doctors on Call." The televised special will air as a part of News 8 broadcasts from 5-6:30 p.m. that evening.

For this program, the Medical Society draws on hundreds of physicians across the state who donate their services to help make a difference in the communities where they live and practice.

Locally, Medical Society member physicians will volunteer to answer health-related questions on Wednesday, March 8, when Susquehanna Valley residents can call a toll-free number that will be displayed on the screen beginning on "News 8 at 5 p.m." In addition to listening and guiding callers in managing their health care needs, doctors also will offer information on free- and low-cost health clinics to those without medical insurance or without access to personal physicians.

While the doctors will provide guidance to callers, the phone sessions are not meant to replace office visits. Physicians answering the phones will not diagnose conditions or prescribe specific treatments.

"The Pennsylvania Medical Society strongly believes a good relationship between patients and doctors is essential to the healing process," says Mark A. Piasio, M.D., president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society. "The 'Doctors on Call' program, which is entering its fourth season, offers a wonderful opportunity to help build connections between doctors and patients who might otherwise avoid or have no access to a physician. Last year we answered nearly 2,500 calls between shows in five cities and thus helped many Pennsylvania residents obtain medical guidance or find free clinics."

The Pennsylvania Medical Society is partnering with WGAL-TV to broadcast this public service program. WGAL president and general manager, Paul Quinn, believes the program provides a much-needed community service. "We've been broadcasting "Doctor's on Call" segments for several years," says Quinn. "Every year, all we need to do is mention the number to call, and the phones light up. We regularly hear from our viewers about how much they appreciate this opportunity to talk with a doctor about their medical concerns. 'Doctors on Call' is another way we can offer a meaningful, maybe even life-saving, service to our viewers."

The physician volunteers of the Medical Society view the call-in show as a supplement to their everyday responsibilities and another chance for them to help patients. "This event is something I look forward to each year. It gives me an opportunity to touch base with a wide variety of patients, some of whom wouldn't otherwise seek medical attention," says Lancaster-based ophthalmologist Jeff Chaby, D.O. "Our hope is that the time we spend on the phone will help people realize there is medical help available and will encourage them to seek that help."

Local Pennsylvania Medical Society member physicians volunteering as "Doctors on Call" on March 8 are: Cumberland County, Camp Hill, Keith Haidet, M.D., radiology; Lemoyne, Francis Janton, M.D., neurology; James Yates, M.D., plastic surgery; Dauphin County, Harrisburg, John Bart, M.D., family medicine; John Goldman, M.D., internal medicine; Rex Herbert, D.O., orthopedic surgery; Michael Rutberg, M.D., general surgery; Robert Wolf., M.D., plastic surgery; Hershey, Robert Harbaugh, M.D., neurosurgery; Lancaster County, Ephrata, Ann Bybel, M.D., obstetrics and gynecology; Lancaster, Paul Carroll, M.C., orthopedic surgery; Tony Castle, M.D., obstetrics and gynecology; Jeff Chaby, D.O., ophthalmology; Chris Kager, M.D., neurosurgery; Anthony Mauriello, M.D., orthopedics; Gerald Rothacker, M.D., orthopedic surgery; Chris Woodard, M.D., urology; Lititz, Dave Simons, D.O., anesthesiology; Millersville, David Emmert, M.D., family medicine; Willow Street, Allyson Thatcher, M.D., family medicine.

The patient-doctor relationship has been the priority of the Pennsylvania Medical Society since its founding in 1848. The Medical Society listens to concerns of both patients and doctors to improve the delivery of health care services. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Medical Society, visit its Web site at http://www.pamedsoc.org/.

Americans and Venezuelans Lead the World in National Pride

When it comes to being proud about their country, people in the United States and Venezuela lead the world, according to a new report produced by the National Opinion Research Center.
Among 33 nations surveyed, the United States was the nation with the leading score in pride over specific accomplishments and Venezuela was the leading nation in the general national pride portion of the survey.

Although the countries have been at odds recently over a variety of issues, they do share a common trait with most of the top 10 nations in the national pride survey – they are both relatively new nations that once were colonies.

“These countries formed their national identities through conflicts that bound their people together and created a national story that resonates with citizens,” said Tom Smith, Director of the General Social Survey at NORC. Smith co-authored the paper, titled “National Pride in Comparative Perspective: 1995/96 and 2003/2004,” with University researcher and graduate student in Sociology Seokho Kim.

The paper was published Wednesday, March 1 in the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, and it is based on surveys conducted by the International Social Survey Program, a consortium of survey researchers throughout the world.

To read the rest of this media release and learn how other countries did, click here.

(Source: University of Chicago media release)

Women's History Month Facts: March 2006

In 1981, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women’s History Week. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women’s Day, March 8. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women’s History Month, and the U.S. president has issued a proclamation.


149.1 million
The number of females in the United States as of July 1, 2004. That exceeds the number of males (144.5 million). Males outnumbered females in every five-year-age group through the 35- to 39-age group. Starting with the 40- to 44-age group, women outnumbered men. At 85 and over, there were more than twice as many women as men. <http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC-EST2004-sa.html>


Motherhood
82.5 million
Estimated number of mothers of all ages in the United States. (From unpublished data.)

1.9
Average number of children that women ages 40 to 44 had given birth to as of 2004, down from 3.1 children in 1976, the year the Census Bureau began collecting such data.<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/fertility.html>


Education
31%
Percent of women ages 25 to 29 years who had attained a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2004, which exceeded that of men in this age range (26 percent). Eighty-eight percent of women and 85 percent of men in this same age range had completed high school.<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html>

85.4%
Percent of women age 25 and older who had completed high school as of 2004. High school graduation rates for women continued to exceed those of men (84.8 percent).<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html>

25.4 million
Number of women age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2004, more than double the number 20 years earlier.<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html>

26%
Percent of women age 25 years and over who had obtained a bachelor’s degree as of 2004. This rate was up nearly 7 percentage points from a decade earlier.<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html>

845,000
The projected number of bachelor’s degrees that will be awarded to women in the 2005-06 school year; women also are projected to earn 350,000 master’s degrees during this period. Women would, therefore, earn 59 percent of the bachelor’s and 60 percent of the master’s degrees awarded during this school year. <http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005074.pdf> See tables 27 and 28.


Businesses
6.5 million
The number of women-owned businesses in 2002, up 20 percent from 1997. (The increase among all businesses was 10 percent.) An estimated 916,768 such firms had paid employees, with receipts of $804 billion.

$940.8 billion
Receipts for women-owned businesses in 2002, up 15 percent from 1997.

7.1 million
Number of Americans employed by a women-owned firm in 2002.

117,069
Number of women-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more.

7,240
Number of women-owned firms with 100 or more employees, generating $275 billion in gross receipts.

Nearly 1-in-3 women-owned firms operated in health care and social assistance, and other services such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. Women owned 72 percent of social assistance businesses and just over half of nursing and residential care facilities.

Wholesale and retail trade accounted for 38.3 percent of women-owned business revenue.

43%
Rate of growth in the number of women-owned firms in Nevada between 1997 and 2002, which led the nation. New Hampshire, however, led the nation in the increase of sales and receipts of women-owned firms, at 53 percent.

Nearly 30%
The percentage of nonfarm businesses owned by women in 2002.
Source for the statements in this section:<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/business_ownership/006351.html>


Earnings
$31,223
The median annual earnings of women ages 15 and older who worked full time, year-round in 2004. After adjusting for inflation, earnings for these women declined by 1 percent between 2003 and 2004. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>

77 cents
The amount women age 15 and older, who worked full time, year-round, earned for every $1 their male counterparts earned in 2004. This amount is up from 76 cents for every dollar in 2003. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>

91 cents
The amount women in the District of Columbia, who worked full time, year-round, earned for every $1 their male counterparts earned in 2004. D.C. led all states or state equivalents in this category. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>

$56,585
Median earnings of women working in computer and mathematical jobs, the highest for women among the 22 major occupational groups. Among these groups, women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s earnings were about 90 percent or higher in installation, maintenance and repair; community and social services; construction and extraction (such as those drilling for oil); and healthcare support.<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>


Voting
65%
Percentage of women citizens who reported voting in the 2004 presidential election, higher than the 62 percent of their male counterparts who cast a ballot.<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/004986.html>


Jobs
59%
Percent of women 16 and older who participated in the labor force in 2004. Men in this age range had a participation rate of 73 percent. <http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat2.pdf>
72 millionNumber of women age 15 and older who worked in 2004. Of this number, 59 percent worked year-round, full time. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>

37%
Percent of women 16 and older who work in management, professional and related occupations, compared with 32 percent of men. (Source: American FactFinder)

20.4 million
Number of female workers in educational services and health care and social assistance industries. More women work in this industry group than in any other. (Source: American FactFinder)


Military
212,000
Total number of active duty women in the military, as of Sept. 30, 2004. Of that total, 35,100 women were officers and 177,000 were enlisted.(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Table 501.)

15%
Proportion of members of the armed forces who were women, as of Sept. 30, 2004. In 1950, women comprised fewer than 2 percent.(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Table 501.)

1.7 million
The number of military veterans who are women. (Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Table 510.)Marriage 63 million Number of married women (including those who are separated or have an absent spouse). There are 54 million unmarried (widowed, divorced or never married) women. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2004.html>

53%
Percent of unmarried and single Americans who are women. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2004.html>

5.6 million
Number of stay-at-home mothers nationwide. <http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/shp1.pdf>


Computers
84%
Proportion of women who used a computer at home in 2003, 2 percentage points higher than the corresponding proportion for men. This reverses the computer use “gender gap” exhibited during the 1980s and 1990s. Women’s Internet use at home also exceeded men’s (83 percent versus 81 percent). <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/miscellaneous/005863.html>


Sports and Recreation
2.9 million
Number of females who participated in high school athletic programs in the 2003-04 school year. In the 1972-73 school year, only 817,073 females were members of a high school athletic team.(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Table 1237.)

162,752
Number of women who participated in an NCAA sport in 2003-04.(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Table 1239.)

83%
Among those who purchased aerobic shoes in 2003, the proportion who were women. Women also comprised a large majority (61 percent) of those who bought walking shoes.(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Table 1242.)

57%
Percentage of women who participated in gardening at least once in the last 12 months, compared with 37 percent of men. Women were also much more likely than men to have done charity work (32 percent versus 26 percent), attended arts and crafts fairs (39 percent versus 27 percent) and read literature (55 percent versus 38 percent).(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Tables 1226, 1227 and 1228.)

(This report comes from the U.S. Census Bureau)

Cycling Enthusiasts Ready For Carlisle's Bike Show

BIKE SHOW at Carlisle. "A cycling show for everyone who rides" or would like to start cycling. Carlisle Expo Center. Carlisle, Pa. Saturday, March 11, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, March 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Check the website, http://www.bikeshowexpo.com/ for programs, exhibitors, & attractions.

Independent Could Enter U.S. Senate Race

According to Harrisburg Online, March 3, 2006, a service of Greenlee Partners L.L.C., rumors are floating around that nationally known pro-choice leader Kate Michelman is contemplating filing as an Independent candidate to challenge both incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and his Democratic opponent Bob Casey, Jr.

Santorum and Casey hold similar pro-life views on the abortion issue. Allegedly, Michelman has asked Democratic pro-choicers not to vote for Casey.

To read a January 2006 Washington Post story on Ms. Michelman titled "Kate Michelman, The Public Face Of a Woman's Right to Privacy," click here.

Townhall also reports on this developing situation.

(Source: Harrisburg Online, March 3, 2006)

Read Across America Day: Great Reading Tips Lead to Success

National events in March and April focus on the importance of reading: March 2 is "Read Across America Day," which celebrates the birthday of Dr. Seuss while promoting reading year-round, and April 12 is "Drop Everything and Read Day," in honor of Beverly Cleary's 90th birthday. Her Ramona Quimby character has been beloved by generations of children. Parents and caregivers are being urged by the National PTA, HarperCollins, and the NEA to "drop everything and read" with their children for 30 minutes.

The University of Maryland is a leader in reading education. The Reading Center, within the College of Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction, has the mission of preparing scholars, researchers, and teacher educators to serve as leaders in the field of reading education. It also trains highly-qualified reading teachers and reading specialists to work successfully in all levels of elementary and secondary schools.

Prof. Peter Afflerbach offers his best tips to help parents ensure reading success for their students:

1. Find ways to create enthusiasm for reading.
2. Encourage your child to read different types of texts, including books, magazines, newspapers, and the internet.
3. Ask your children questions about what they read - don't let what is learned by reading just "sit there!" Most children relish the opportunity to tell us about what they're reading.
4. Help your child find reading materials that are suited to individual interests and reading achievement levels. Libraries and bookstores are good places to begin.
5. Talk with your children about how reading is important in your life and ask them how it is important in their lives.
6. Try not to communicate any anxiety related to your children's reading.
7. Ask your child to recommend a book for you or a friend.
8. Engage your children in writing. Young authors learn from the authors they read, and young authors relish the opportunity to share their ideas.

(Source: University of Maryland Newsdesk)

Optimism Month: March 1-31, 2006

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you often expect bad things to happen? “Pessimists are like the fairy tale about Chicken Little. In the fairy tale, Chicken Little kept shouting, ‘Help, help the sky is falling.’ In contrast, optimistic people expect the best,” explains Dr. Michael Mercer, co-author of the book and audio-book SPONTANEOUS OPTIMISM: Proven Strategies for Health, Prosperity & Happiness. Drs. Mercer and Troiani are founders of OPTIMISM MONTH, which runs from March 1 –31.

“If you’re a pessimist don’t worry. Optimism is not a disposition you are born with or without. It’s a learned skill, and a very important ingredient determining your level of happiness,” clarifies Dr. Mercer. The Optimism Doctors suggest practicing these tips each week of Optimism Month:

Week 1: De-tox Your Mind

To get rid of negative or intruding bad thoughts remember this “Rule of Optimism”: You can only keep one thought in your mind at a time. You can focus your thoughts on either pessimistic or optimistic thoughts. It’s your choice. Pessimistic people focus on gloomy thoughts of how they could fall down and not get up. They expect the worst to happen. Optimistic people expect the best. So, houseclean your head. This week, when setbacks or problems pop-up, immediately focus on finding a solution. Pessimistic people focus on complaining, but happy and optimistic people focus on solutions.

Week 2: Optimism and Happiness by the Numbers

Are you obsessed with negative thoughts? A simple way to become optimistic is to count your way to more positive thoughts. It’s easy to become an expert at switching your negative and bad thoughts to more positive and upbeat thoughts and feelings. So, this week your assignment is to focus on counting and switching your bad thoughts to upbeat and uplifting thoughts. Each time you have a negative thought, immediately switch to a positive thought or solutions to your woes. Write a tally mark on a pad of paper each time you switch like this each day. Your goal is to decrease the number of times you need to switch. For example, at first you may need to switch 50 times. In time, you will decrease it to 30, 20 or 10 times a day. If you are obsessively negative, you will become obsessively positive using this technique.

Week 3: Avoid Emotional Vampires

Are you a loser magnet? Do you attract emotional vampires or losers into your life? To become more optimistic -- avoid emotional vampires. Pessimistic people allow “emotional vampires” to suck their positive feelings right out of their skulls. Emotional vampires include people who put you down, criticize you or mock or sabotage your dreams and aspirations. This week, take survey of your life by making a list of people and situations you are exposing yourself to. Then, discard or limit people, habits or situations that keep you from feeling optimistic and happy. In other words, “burn your bridges” if needed. Remember: Happy and optimistic people hang around with personal cheerleaders. Unhappy people surround themselves with emotional vampires.

Week 4: Act Like An Optimist

To begin acting like an optimist yourself, you need to learn what they do. Optimistic people act and carry themselves in certain ways. First, they use certain words. The words people use can effect their mood. Changing your words can actually change your attitude and feelings. The Optimism Doctors recommend using “upbeat” words instead of “upset” words. For example, you can say, “I feel overwhelmed.” Or, “I feel challenged … nevertheless I can do it”. Second, optimists and happy individuals take big steps, walk faster and stand taller. In sharp contrast, pessimistic and unhappy people shuffle their feet, take tiny steps, walk slowly and slouch. This week, use upbeat words and watch how you carry your body. Use the word choices and body posture of optimistic people. “Using each of these techniques during Optimism Month will help you become happy and optimistic. They are easy to carry out and will create a positive domino effect with people in your life,” encourages Dr. Troiani, co-author of SPONTANEOUS OPTIMISM.

(Source: News Release Wire)