Gratitude Nov. 29

1. Photos from and of Barbara and Sacha
2. Chinese take out especially broccoli
3. Spinach dip and hummus
4. Whole wheat pita chips and organic blue tortilla chips
5. All good food (am repeating myself probably here)

6. Melatonin and seratonin and what they do (as described in YOU book)
7. Well drilling should be moved to a tree-free spot
8. A good night's sleep
9. Yoga and meditation
10. Tomatoes and tomato products, especially salsa
11. Visit to Avanti on Nov. 29

The latest from Sacha, for which I am grateful, is that she went to a conference for South African tourism. It was at a resort in South Africa and her boss was one of the speakers. She says sh is working non-stop and up till 2am working on one of her reports. "It feels like I'm in school with all this work. I keep saying that once I submit this, I will be less stressed, but after that there are mounds of other projects I have to finish." She promised herself not take work with her to Cape Town this weekend.

safari pics

http://picasaweb.google.com/sacha.sachaevans/Safari

Iraq war cost

$20,000 for every family of four per year
3.5 trillion dollars a year
12 billion dollars a month out of us treasury
$390,000 for one soldier per year, per taxpayer
from Brookings Institute

Important dates

Monday Nov 26, 8:00 HH P&Z meeting at City Hall (Bass NOT there. No need to attend.)

Tuesday Nov 27. 7:30 to 8:00 HH Council of the whole meeting at City Hall (Council and Mayor WILL discuss gas wells. Public can listen but can't speak.

Tuesday Nov 27. 8:00 to 9:30 (right after Council of the whole) HH regular City Council meeting at City Hall - - public can speak at point when opened for public comment. PLEASE VOICE YOUR OPINION TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

Friday Nov 30, Not a meeting date but I just want to note this is last day according to Bass that they have lease on tree-clearing large equipment.

Tuesday December 4, 6:30 to 9:00 at Mayfield Village Hall - - A special holiday party and fundraiser for Friends of Euclid Creek. I want to personally ask your support of this event. The Friends of Euclid Creek have been a tremendous help to us behind the scenes on the gas well issues. And they are the organization that made it happen that the Mayfield BOE property abutting the baja path to the north has been bought with CleanOhio grant money and established as a long-term nature conservancy. I'll send more information in a next email.

Monday Dec 10, 8:00 HH P&Z meeting at City Hall (we have to keep following the gas well issues...)

Tuesday Dec 11. 7:30 to 8:00 HH Council of the whole meeting at City Hall

Tuesday Dec 11. 8:00 to 9:30 (right after Council of the whole) HH regular City Council meeting at City Hall.

Gratitude Nov. 26

1 Email and other correspondence included Christmas cards
2 Cards and wrapping paper including cat paper
3 Walgreens and their digital print service
4 Chocolate and the decaf mocha at work
5 Tea and decaf coffee

6 Cabbage soup both vegetarian and not
7 Movies (Borat, Helvetica, Electric Car come to mind)
8 TV (The Daily Show, Colbert, The Office, SNL)
9 Carpet in basement from Home Depot
10 Hope for a better world including 01.20.2009 birthday

11 Charities (Humane Society, Hunger Site, Komen, others)
12 Inspiration from people who keep trying to do good
13 Triumph over evil like Hitler and polio
14 Good health care
15 Nature

Gratitude journal

The new YOU book recommends keeping a gratitude journal. So, here goes at least some of it. I am grateful for these things.

Nov 22
1. God helping me get through everything
2. All the people who help me get through a day
3. This blog
4. Today and the fact that I am still alive
5. Thanksgiving and all food in general


Nov. 23
6. Good books like the Oz book, The Kite Runner, and the bios I recently read
7. The Mayfield public library
8. Trees, including, especially, evergreen trees at this time of year
9. Cats and all other living things both animal and vegetable
10. Our Prius, Honda CRV, Accord, and Cirrus

Nov 24
11. My nice Canon digital camera
12. The Plain Dealer (the Marlboro Man story and how I did not go to Iraq)
13. My house and the heat and other stuff in it
14. The History Channel and report about the Kennedys
15. The Cleveland Orchestra and their playing of Russian composers

Nov. 25
1. Christmas trees including Barbie's two trees
2. Sacha's telephone and Skype calls, plus emails
3. Rick's chili both vegetarian and turkey
4. Russian icons as in Russian Orthodox
5. Wikipedia and dictionaries, including the Scrabble dictionary

Pie and Safari

More unrelated items, well, loosely related since the all concern Sacha.
Sacha made a pumpkin pie for her coworkers in Pretoria. This I will consider Sacha's celebration, in part, of Thanksgiving, sharing with others. She says -

Pie is fluffy and delicious. Combined eggs, sugar, flower, salt,
vanilla, pumpkin puree, evaporated milk and [a secret ingredient!]. Put it in a pie crust and viola! I will send pictures tonight. I am making a second tonight as well!

Ivy treated, gifts, books

This is another blog entry of unrelated items from the hodge-podge of my own mind hehe. Poison ivy treatment was yesterday.

From Sacha (P.S. Barb would like donations to Geauga Humane Society, zoo, history museum too) -

Why don't you donate to the Nelson Mandela Children's fund on my
behalf?
http://www.justgiving.com/mandelachildren

Or a microfinance charity:
https://www.kintera.org/site/c.erKPI2PCIoE/b.2639775/k.9172/Donate_Online/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=erKPI2PCIoE&b=2639775&en=8fLLJROnEcIMLNMnGcLHIRPFKpLOLRNuGcIQJZPAJkITK4NME

I would also be happy if you donated to a Russian orphanage or to
Iraqi refugees on my behalf.


In no particular order
1 Geauga Humane Society
2 Zoo
3 Microfinance
4 Nelson Mandella
5 Russian orphans
6 Natural History Museum

The latest YOU book from Oz is the first I have read. The illustrations are especially good. There are side bar factoids. What is a factoid? That is something that I have asked myself before. American Heritage gives two definitions.
1. A piece of unverified or inaccurate information that is presented in the press as factual, often as part of a publicity effort, and that is then accepted as true because of frequent repetition: "What one misses finally is what might have emerged beyond both facts and factoids—a profound definition of the Marilyn Monroe phenomenon" (Christopher Lehmann-Haupt).
2. Usage Problem A brief, somewhat interesting fact.

The New Yorker did a good job reviewing in the June edition (I'm way behind in reading those) - Her Way and A Woman in Charge, which I found on the NEW! shelf at Mayfield about 6 months after they were released (better late than never). I agree with the review that the first is more sympathetic. I can't get over how two biographies can focus in on such different items. Bernstein points out that there was support for health care coverage when Hillary proposed it during her husband's first administration. If her proposal had been less comprehensive or had been scaled back, people today would have at least more health care coverage than they now do.

The Klein book mentions Marvin Kalb as one of three examples of great traditional journalism of the past. This is in contrast to the entertainment journalism of today. Klein (who I understand concentrated on the past in writing bios about the Kennedys) included many interesting stories about how decisions are made at the major networks and how various anchors and newspeople get along, especially at the Today show. You have to wonder who were the sources for the book. I don't want all sugar coating in a bio, but I don't want pure gossip either. Should I be reading bios like this? Does it bring harm? It certainly is interesting, especially when you see the twists and turns that come in a person's life and how in a lifetime there is both good and bad - trite but true.

Barbie Thanksgiving

I don't care if it sounds trite. I have a lot to be thankful for. Included are Barbie's mashed potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, stuffing, and pumpkin roll as well as turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, with Simpson's Clue, Scrabble, and poker, including Texas Hold 'Em. Was it Bart in the power plant with the saxophone? Ziti, fez, java, and joe were some of the highlights. The web version of the Scrabble dictionary was so nice to have.

Kennedy, Sina, kites

So much to blog about... so little time... more unrelated stuff..
Nov. 22 is anniversary of passing of Sina and Kennedy.
Kite Runner reminds me of how incredibly good fiction can be and how it can take over.

И вот вновь, я думаю o бaбyшke.

Sac courtyard

Well, well, well

Latest update is that mayor Coleman is unable to meet with us after invited to do so by Frank Skala. Frank says Coleman explained how the City proceeded from the beginning and how the sites were selected.

Coleman said the first site discussed was by the upper ballfields and he said definitely not to that site. He said the next site was off the new parking lot and another site could be near the communications tower. He said he was surprised to see the drawing showing the site by Hawthorne. He said the Hawthorne site is definitely out, and he doesn’t want the park to lose a lot of trees. He said in his opinion it will probably come down to only one well site in the park, and the site will probably be somewhere between the sites along the edge of the open area and the woods.

Coleman apologized that he couldn’t meet personally this week and asked if Tim Paluf could meet with us. He said Tim would be representing him completely. So far, there is no date when Tim can meet with us. But, Tim planned to keep us posted.

From Frank -

Monday Nov 26, 8:00 HH P&Z meeting at City Hall (Bass there, and public can speak)
Tuesday Nov 27. 7:30 to 8:00 HH Council of the whole meeting at City Hall (Council and Mayor discuss gas wells. Public can listen but can't speak)
Tuesday Nov 27. 8:00 to 9:30 (right after Council of the whole) HH regular City Council meeting at City Hall - - public can speak at point when opened for public comment.
Friday Nov 30, Not a meeting date but I just want to note this is last day according to Bass that they have lease on tree-clearing large equipment.
Tuesday December 4, 6:30 to 9:00 at Mayfield Village Hall - - A special holiday party and fundraiser for Friends of Euclid Creek. I want to personally ask your support of this event. The Friends of Euclid Creek have been a tremendous help to us behind the scenes on the gas well issues. And they are the organization that made it happen that the Mayfield BOE property abutting the baja path to the north has been bought with CleanOhio grant money and established as a long-term nature conservancy. I'll send more information in a next email.
Monday Dec 10, 8:00 HH P&Z meeting at City Hall (we have to keep following the gas well issues...)
Tuesday Dec 11. 7:30 to 8:00 HH Council of the whole meeting at City Hall
Tuesday Nov 11. 8:00 to 9:30 (right after Council of the whole) HH regular City Council meeting at City Hall.

Outside S. Africa

Sac's room photo

Microsoft TV Dinner

http://www.joke-archives.com/microsoft/microdin.html

Stewart and Bombeck

http://www.joke-archives.com/seasonal/marthastewartslettertoermabombeck.html

St. Theo and letter

3PM Christmas Concert Sun., Nov. 22
http://www.sttheodosius.org/

Christmas letter -

I hope this card finds you making the best of the
holiday season or at least surviving it ok. We are
doing ok. Healthwise, we cannot complain.

Rick and I are still working at Rockwell. Barb is
still down the street living in my mom's house,
employed at Avanti, and going to Cleveland State,
working toward her bachelor's in biology. Sacha
completed her year at Harvard Shorenstein and is now
with Media Tenor, having trained in Bonn, completing
field research in Pretoria, and planning to relocate
to NYC in January.

Cats Ivy and Chester are ok at our house as are cats
Chloe and Mischa at Barb's house. Chloe and Mischa run
the house for Barb like Ivy and Chester run our house.

Some high points for us this year were a visit to
Europe to see Sacha, a Prius hybrid, and involvement
in the Komen Race for the Cure in Cleveland. I organized
the Komen activities for Rockwell. It was my second race.
Over 90 people were on the Rockwell team. I would like to
do this again.

Wishing you good health, love, and peace. What did I
miss?

Jeanette
(Rick, Barbara, Sacha, Chester, Ivy, Chloe, and
Mischa)

P.S. I am looking forward to something that happens on my birthday on Jan. 20, 2009.

More from Sac

Last night I went to go see a musical called "Africa
umoja." It traces the social history of black
Africans though music. It was really
great. There was a lot of traditional tribal dancing
from the Zulu tribe. I finally felt like I was
in Africa.

I will try to go on a mini safari next weekend.

Today I am going to drive to downtown Pretoria
(I got an upgrade in my VW rental car!)

I am also going to try to find a pool to swim!

Sun Mess

The gas well issue was the front page story for the Sun Messenger. Must have been a slow news week.

One of the letters submitted to the editor -

I was more than a little shocked and outraged to hear a representative from Bass Energy state at last Monday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting that Bass intended to begin clear-cutting several undeveloped, forested areas of Highland Heights park on Friday, November 16th.

Highland Heights residents were never told that the city had authorized Bass to put gas wells in the city park.
City council agreed on Tuesday night to hold a public hearing on the matter. I just hope it’s not too little, too late. Here are a couple of issues that they need to consider.

First, fiscal responsibility. Mayfield Heights is in discussions with several different energy companies. If Highland Heights wants to put gas wells on city property, it should use a competitive bidding process, not engage in secret negotiations with one company. It also needs to conduct a realistic cost/benefit analysis. Gas wells are a short term proposition. The Bass representative stated that wells produce most during their first year and are usually capped within eight. Restoring the park will take a lot longer than that.

Second, there is a tradition and commitment in Highland Heights to preserving undeveloped green space in the park. Twenty six acres of parkland were bought in 1994 for that very purpose. The city’s decision to allow gas drilling and clear-cutting of wooded areas flies in the face of long-standing community values.

Finally, the city is the landowner here. It gets to decide whether--and where--to allow gas wells on city property, and it has to obey its own laws in doing so. Highland Heights Ordinance 733.20(d) specifically states that no person, firm or corporation shall drill a gas or oil well within 500 feet of a residential property line, a public park, or a playground. I don't think the law could be any clearer than that.

xx

Here is another.

The proposed plan to construct gas wells in Highland Heights Park is proceeding too quickly and requires further study. It is reasonable to request that Highland Heights City Council and Mayor Coleman support the idea that no decision be made about gas well drilling in the Highland Heights park for the time that it takes to look at options and inform residents.

I have seen petitions with many signatures of Highland Heights residents who support the idea of delaying this decision on gas well drilling to allow for further study.

Thank goodness I did not wake up one morning, at least of this writing, to find over 100 trees down in the park area behind my back yard and not know why the trees were coming down. While I personally do not oppose gas well drilling in all cases, I at least want to know why we need to drill in our park and take down so many trees. Could we drill in another location? Could the city buy other treed property to replace the green space lost? What is the most environmentally friendly way to approach drilling? These are some of the questions we need to debate before the work begins.

xx

Rumor has it that Bass will drill unless there is a court order to stop. They want to drill before the lease is up on their expensive equipment. Permits shmermits! We don't need no stinkin' variances!

We will have to see if the city will get extra money if Bass pays fines due to illegal drilling.

The opinion was expressed that ORC 1509 does not supersede city ordinance 733.00 et. seq. when the City itself is the lessor. 733 applies because the City is the landowner.

Going forward may violate several sections of the lease contract. Section 8 of the lease requires the company to obtain written approval of the location of the well...prior to commencing operations. It states this requirement twice. Needless to say written approval has not been given. Further Section 17 of the lease gives the city the right to remove company workers for good cause--not having approved well sites would be "good cause."

(And, speaking of Ord. 733, since it applies has anybody considered the other requirements contained there?
First there are the procedural requirements--public notice and hearings, P & Z approval, council approval etc.--then there are setback requirements; and finally there are construction requirements for roads, and well sites etc. None of these have been complied with. Clearly the city has recourse.)

All is not well with this deep subject. he he.

Someone on our street said they called the mayor's office and spoke with his secretary. She said that the mayor is still out of town. She said that she faxed a notice to Bass Energy to not proceed and also talked with the president of Bass who said he would not proceed.

More from Africa

Sacha writes this, with her sense of humor :-) -

In other news, I got a South African car rental and am not proficient in driving on the wrong side of the street. I can't wait to try it back in the States.

Well update

About a dozen people from our street met with council reps Ed Hargate, Cathy Murphy, and Scott Mills on Saturday at the home of Marybeth and Frank Skala. Many people on our street, while not against gas wells in general, were concerned that Bass Energy was moving too fast on drilling. Some even suggested that this was being done on purpose so that residents could not voice opposition and stop the drilling. There were more questions than answers from this meeting.

The planning and zoning commission meeting on Monday was very interesting. In addition to the Bass Energy part of the meeting we heard about the new Crostados restaurant at the end of our street. Someone said they were very happy to see this investment in Highland Heights.

At the meeting, the Bass Energy representative said Bass Energy was preparing to drill at the end of the week. Mr. Mastrangelo spoke for the planning and zoning committee and said that Bass Energy did not have approval to drill. The Bass Energy rep said they were not aware that they needed this approval.

The Bass Energy rep said that some drillers were good and some were bad. Some just go in to get a quick buck. Hmmmm, which one is Bass Energy? Did they really not know they needed approval? Will they really start drilling this week? Was it the mayor who told Bass Energy they have the ok to drill, not mentioning Highland Heights has a law stating City Council approval is needed before drilling can begin?

The Bass Energy rep said his company has leased very expensive equipment and needs to start the drilling before the lease runs out.

We drafted a petition asking that council get details before giving approval to drill. Over 100 people signed this petition. This is what the petition said.

We believe that the decision to proceed with gas well drilling in the woods in Highland Heights Park is proceeding too quickly and needs further study.

We request that Highland Heights City Council make no decision concerning gas well drilling in the Highland Heights park for one year.

If I wake up this week with a hundred trees down in my back yard, at least, I will know why. More later. Lots more.

Sun Mess One

I went to the library and saw and article on the front page of the Sun Messenger about plans to halt drill. I copied it and read it later. Then, I realised the article was not for Highland Heights. It was for Mayfield Heights. Looks like more than one city around here is haveing this problem.

Here is the actual HH article.

HH boards block drilling plan
City tells Bass Energy, 'Follow approval process first'
Thursday, November 15, 2007
By Susan Ketchum
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS
Bass Energy's plan to begin preparing drilling sites in City Park by Friday ran into opposition Monday night from the Planning and Zoning Commission and members of City Council.
Ed Repasy, of Bass Energy, came to the meeting with plans to drill two wells in the wooded area of the park, 5905 Wilson Mills Road. The proposed sites are at opposite corners of the wooded area, one near the end of Hawthorne Drive on the north west corner, the other on the southeast corner by Kennelwood Drive.
"We don't need any permits or variances. We have a signed lease from the mayor and city council, and a permit from the state," Repasy said, "House Bill 278 supersedes this board." Council did vote unanimously in March to allow Mayor Scott Coleman to sign a lease agreement. However, the resolution "is contingent upon the approval of the three sites by the City of Highland Heights."
P&Z Chair Robert Mastrangelo told Repasy approval of the sites was to follow the normal progression through P&Z. The board had just received the projected site plan Monday.
"House Bill 278 does not say anything about the approval process. It doesn't tie our hands, because Highland Heights owns the land," Mastrangelo said. "Friday would be a stretch."
Repasy said Bass originally wanted to drill the wells closer to the baseball field, but council did not want that and suggested moving them into the woods.
"There are a lot of trees. Those trees will have to come down, and the stumps taken out and plastics put down," Repasy said.
Bass would also need an access road to drill in the woods, and a pit 150 feet by 150 feet to collect water. The trees would be replanted and the site restored after the drilling.
Several council members protested they had never seen or discussed the proposed sites.
"I take issue that approval was ever obtained. You never came back to council," Murphy said.
"You said council said you should go into the woods. That's simply not true. We did not say that."
About 25 residents also showed up to protest the wells. Some are totally opposed to wells at the city park. Rose DeFranco lives on Blakley Drive, behind the park.
"They shouldn't be putting gas wells in a community park. It is a recreational area. I don't care where they put them, I'm against gas wells," DeFranco said.
Frank Skala is concerned the projected wells will destroy more of the woods, and are on or near some wetland areas of the park.
"I appreciate that city council is helping to keep us out of the red financially and put us in the black, but we also need to be in the green. We're in a period of global warming, and we have to keep our trees," he said. "Lets keep all the trees we can and find some other place to locate the gas wells."
At one point Repasy said he would return with the company attorney. At another point, he apologized.
"I didn't know what the rules were. We'll do whatever you people want us to do," he said.
Bass Energy will be invited to a future council meeting to discuss the proposal.
Contact Susan Ketchum at sbketchum@yahoo.com or (216) 986-5861.

Hospital talk

I have always wanted to keep favorite jokes around where I could get at them. This one is so cute.

Did the Respirologists blow a lot of "hot air" about the matter?

* _NEW HOSPITAL WING_*

When a panel of doctors was asked to vote on adding a new wing to
their hospital, the Allergists voted to scratch it, and the
Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.

The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but
the Neurologists thought the administration had a lot of nerve, and
the Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception

The Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted; the
Pathologists yelled, 'Over my dead body', while the
Pediatricians said, 'Oh, grow up!'

The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, the
Radiologists could see right through it, and the Surgeons decided to
wash their hands of the whole thing.

The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the
Plastic Surgeons said, 'This puts a whole new face on the
matter.' The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the
Urologists felt the scheme wouldn't hold water.

The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas, and the
Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists left the decision up to some
a....... in administration.

Karl Cats

Friends, E. Creek

http://friendsofeuclidcreek.nhlink.net/

I recently went to the web site of this group as someone at our block party mentioned the group was looking at working to preserve some of the vegetation in our neighborhood.

The site is hosted courtesy of a community service affiliated with CSU. I learned from the site that the Cleveland Metroparks Euclid Creek Reservation includes rare rock chestnut that supports a renewed wildlife population. Making a comeback are the bald eagle, wild turkey, coyote, beaver, and red fox.

The upcoming fundraiser is to include a silent raffle.

Gas wells, etc.

Monday, Nov. 12 the HH planning and zoning committee is to meet. On the agenda is a public hearing on the gas well proposal for the park. The subdivision plan for Bishop Rd is NOT on the agenda.

Our council person says that notices will be sent to adjacent property owners. Details on this are to come.

Bass Energy is the company to drill the two gas wells.

Out of Africa

Sacha's first email from Africa has arrived. She writes -

I arrived in Johnnesburg at about 10:30 local time. I slept like a rock on the plane...all 9 1/2 hours solid. I did not even wake up when dinner and breakfast were being served.

It sounds like she was exhausted after leaving Berlin. What an adventure. She says that South Africa is very interesting and explains -

The head of the office Wadim (who is half Russian) picked me up from the airport. We then picked up his 4-year-old son from school (who is unbelievably adorable and fluently speaks 3 languages - German, English and Afrikaans!) and the three of us went to lunch.

She describes the area in Pretoria where she is staying as kind of posh and says -

We stopped at a shopping mall to get me a cell phone, and it felt like we could have been in America. I am staying at the most adorable guest house in a really nice neighborhood. Right now I am in the piano room. It has taxodermied animals all over the walls, and there are cats everywhere! It is a very homey place. I can't wait to send you pictures. There is a lot more I could say, but I will stop here.

She says that she is staying in a gated community with jacaranda trees, gardens, and Victorian style homes and decor. She is not allowed to leave on foot outside the hours of 11am and 4pm.

Voting

Voting at Highland Heights Community Center was on a Diebold machine that lets you view a paper printout. I did not see any problems when I voted.

I read that a recount might be needed in City Council race, in ward 2 . (In unofficial results for Ward 2, Leo Lombardo, 67, of Coldstream Drive, got 185 votes to 178 for incumbent Rocco Dolciano, 48, of Diana Court. )

For the at-large seats, the incumbents won. The unofficial tally found Scott Mills of Wilson Mills Road (WHO CARES A LOT ABOUT HAWTHORNE) getting the most votes, with 1,242, while the other two seats went to Ed Hargate, with 1,218, and Frank Legan, with 1,209 votes. Current Ward 4 councilman James Austin gathered 572, while newcomer Sol Chalhoub earned 181. Cathy Murphy ran unopposed. She cares a lot about Hawthorne also.

halloween

Everyone looks good except for me in that ridiculous hat. Next time I want to wear black.

Einstein, faith, wells

In reading Her Way (off the NEW! shelves, again, at the Mayfield public library), I came across these two things I love.

Politics is harder than physics. This is a quote from Albert Einstein.

Faith means that when you fall off a cliff you either land safety on your feet on firm ground or learn to fly. This is something that the authors claim Hillary heard in her church in Park Ridge (which by the way is where I lived when I was in grade school - though not at all in the same neighborhood as Hillary).

Now, on to another unrelated item, the gas drilling going on in our neighborhood. This involves reopening the old well and proposed new wells in the park area near Hawthorne.

What impact will this have? Will areas in the park be cleared? What is the down side involved with drilling operation of wells in this neighborhood? Will be interesting to see if Cathy Murphy or anyone else in city counsel brings this up for discussion at counsel meetings.

Poison ivy

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/796_ivy.html

Getting Rid of the Plants

Poison ivy, oak and sumac are most dangerous in the spring and summer, when there is plenty of sap, the urushiol content is high, and the plants are easily bruised. However, the danger doesn't disappear over the winter. Dormant plants can still cause reactions, and cases have been reported in people who used the twigs of the plant for firewood or the vines for Christmas wreaths. Even dead plants can cause a reaction, because urushiol remains active for several years after the plant dies.

If poison ivy invades your yard, "there's really no good news for you," says David Yost, a horticulturist (specialist in fruits, vegetables, flowers, and general gardening) with the state of Virginia.

The two herbicides most commonly used for poison ivy--Roundup and Ortho Poison Ivy Killer--will kill other plants as well. Spraying Roundup (active ingredient glyphosate) on the foliage of young plants will kill the poison ivy, but if the poison ivy vine is growing up your prize rhododendron or azalea, for example, the Roundup will kill them too, he says.

Ortho Poison Ivy Killer (active ingredient triclopyr), if used sparingly, will kill poison ivy but not trees it grows around, says Joseph Neal, Ph.D., associate professor of weed science, Cornell University. "But don't use it around shrubs, broadleaf ground cover, or herbaceous garden plants," he says. Neal explains it is possible to spray the poison ivy without killing other plants if you pull the poison ivy vines away from the desirable plants and wipe the ivy foliage with the herbicide, or use a shield on the sprayer to direct the chemical.

If you don't want to use chemicals, "manual removal will get rid of the ivy if you're diligent," says Neal. You must get every bit of the plant--leaves, vines, and roots--or it will sprout again.

The plants should be thrown away according to your municipality's regulations, says Neal. Although urushiol will break down with composting, Neal doesn't recommend that because the plants must be chopped into small pieces first, which just adds to the time you're exposed to the plant and risk of a rash. "It's a health issue," he says.

Never burn the plants. The urushiol can spread in the smoke and cause serious lung irritation.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that whenever you're going to be around poison ivy--trying to clear it from your yard or hiking in the woods--you wear long pants and long sleeves and, if possible, gloves and boots.

Ash tree, candy

Forest City tree service treated ash tree.

Unrelated item - order for this year (several tied for first, several tied for second) for Halloween candy favorites -

1. Hershey's mildly sweet dark
1. Hershey's mildly sweet dark nugget
1. Peeps chocolate cat/ghost
1. Jelly Bellies
2. Whoppers
2. Rollos
2. Candy corn
2. Hershey's milk chocolate

Beary Merry

http://www.craftlister.com/e1070215/Beary+Merry+Christmas+Show

This benefits the Komen NEO Affiliates, November 28-29 at newly remodeled party center.

Normandy Party Center 30310 Palisades Parkway, off Euclid Avenue Wickliffe, OH 44092