Concert in the Park Videos – June 29
courtesy of Guven Witteveen
Tom and Beth Webb kicked off the showcase of home-grown talent in the first half. This clip is from Beauty & the Beast title song.
Fiddler on the roof was the source for the skit and the featured song, “Match Maker” with Maria and Anna Biewer, and Eliana and Elyse Nurenberg; Jeff Richards accompanying.
Later Anna did the title song from The Sound of Music. Her sister Maria did “That’ll Be the Day” with John Kelly on guitar.
St. Johns this Week – an album
by Maralyn Fink
This week’s Mystery Photo
Where is this?
Can you tell us where this is located? Drop us a line at mail@sjindy.com.
505 S. Clinton Ave. – St. Johns, Michigan
The current owner is Sarah Welton Trust. Previous owners include Cora Price, David Curtis, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Gregory Hunt.
A Look Back – Fire Fighting Demonstration
Barry Clark Bauer
Fire fighting procedures were demonstrated in 1968 at the Sealed Power Corp. (now Mahle) plant located on W. State St. Sealed Power Corp. employees at St. Johns got an opportunity Friday afternoon to receive a little training in fire fighting with different types of extinguishers.
Phil Albers, chief fire inspector for the City of Lansing (pointing in foreground), directs one worker to the best spot in a pile of blazing scrap lumber.
Benny and Jessie’s Pet Info – Is Your Perfect Lawn Killing Your Pet?
Pesticides accounted for more than 32 percent of lawn and garden supply sales in 2014. As Americans strive for the perfect green lawn, they are using a wide array of chemicals to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, this has a detrimental effect on the environment and the animals who live in it.
But “animals” are not limited to wildlife. In fact, many pets are susceptible to falling ill as a result of exposure to lawn chemicals. Pet owners also happen to carry many pesticide chemicals with them, on clothes and shoes, as a result of regular exposure. Research has revealed that after pesticides are applied outdoors on lawns, they often make their way indoors and onto surfaces.
How much exposure do cats and dogs experience when they are close to the ground on a regular basis?
A study published in July 2013 looked at urine samples of dogs from 25 households to determine whether chemicals entered their systems after they were applied to lawns. Chemicals were detected in the urine of dogs from 19 of the 25 households examined following pesticide application. However, it’s worth noting that pets from 14 of the 25 households had chemicals in their urine prior to application.
“Lawn chemicals can vary widely in their safe use around pets,” said Dr. Tina Wismer, medical director of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center. “Some items, such as fertilizers, may only cause mild stomach upset, while others, such as insecticides, can be deadly.”
Wismer goes on to state that insecticides and snail bait tend to be the most poisonous to pets. Luckily, safer alternatives, such as pyrethrins, have been developed as of late.
“There has been a greater awareness [from insecticide developers] that people have pets, and the labeling reflects that,” Wismer continued. “The products used today are much safer around pets than the ones we used 20 years ago.”
Some experts believe that it isn’t just insecticides that pose the biggest threat—herbicides and fertilizers can be just as dangerous. Disolfuton, for example, is a pesticide commonly used to protect roses. It’s extremely toxic to animals, causing everything from diarrhea to seizures.
“With more pressure from pet owners, the large lawn care companies may be looking for ways to accommodate safety concerns,” said Dr. Avi Adulami of the Smiling Pets Veterinary Clinic in Florida.
However, the key to improving safety may not just lie in the hands of fertilizer and pesticide manufacturers. There is plenty that pet owners can do to maintain their lush, green lawns while keeping their furry friends safe.
“Most lawns need very few supplemental chemicals beyond nutrients applied in fertilizer products,” said Dr. Frank Rossi of Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science.
“When fertilizing your lawn, be sure to water the product off the leaves after application. Then, it is safe for pets to enter.”
The dryness of pesticides on plants after application may also play a role in how they impact animals that come into contact with them.
“Pesticide use is different if it’s allowed to stay on foliage,” Rossi continued. “This is only an issue with some weed control products that have to dry on the leaves. Most other lawn pesticides are watered in like fertilizer and once watered in will not pose a risk to pets. If a product must dry on the leaf, avoid the area with pets until it has dried.”
Rossi goes on to state that as pesticide and insecticide manufacturers move to make these chemicals safer for humans, they are inevitably becoming safer for animals, too.
Of course, it helps for pet owners to be savvy about what they buy for their lawns. Warning labels on lawn care items may list specific hazards to animals, as well as precautionary statements. All of these warnings should be taken into consideration before using a product throughout a yard.
Maralyn’s Did You Know? – Radagast recalls four lots of Frozen Rad Cat Raw Diet
Radagast Pet Food, Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, is voluntarily recalling four lots of frozen Rad Cat Raw Diet products, sold in 8oz., 16oz., and 24oz. tubs, and free 1oz sample cups, due to the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes.
According to a company release, the recall was initiated after an FDA third party contracted lab found two lots of Grass-Fed Beef tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, one lot of Free-range Chicken tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, and one lot of Free-range Turkey tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
As a precautionary measure, the company is voluntarily recalling three products produced in these four lots.
All affected lot codes 62384, 62361, 62416, and 62372 and Best By dates are located on the lid of all products packaged in tubs, and on the bottom of the sample cups.
The following recalled products were distributed in western Canada and all U.S. States except in Hawaii and Mississippi.
Please do not return any of these recalled products to the retailer and dispose in a secure garbage receptacle.
For refund claims, fill out all sections of the consumer claims form provided by the manufacturer, found on www.RadFood.com and return this form only to the retailer where you purchased the product for a refund. Consumers may call Radagast Pet Food, Inc. at 503-736-4649 for assistance.
Letters – Beware of Fireworks
Dear Animal Friends:
As we approach the big 4th of July weekend, please keep your pets in mind. A lot of celebrations are going on, so please take your pet into consideration that party foods, etc are not good for their tummies.
But the big thing is the fireworks alone. Please leave your pets at home inside for the fireworks as this can cause severe damage to their hearing and is very frightening to the animal.
Your pets cannot speak for themselves to tell you that they would rather not be there and would prefer to be in a quiet setting so that you and your family can enjoy the fireworks.
Your furry friends and I thank you for considering this.
Maralyn Fink
maralyn@sjindy.com