Homecoming Parade lineup – an album
by Maralyn Fink
Celebrates 100th birthday
On October 25, 1917, Louis Frederick (Fred) Mayers was born in DeWitt, Michigan to Louis and Ethyl Mayers. The family moved to St. Johns and resided in Clinton County from then on.
Fred married Claribel Wilkie in 1940 and they remained married 73 years until her death in 2013. Fred was a dairy farmer and raised 3 children on the farm.
David (Carolyn) Mayers of Fairfield, New Jersey, Phyllis (Steve) Thornburg of South Bend, Indiana, and Darlene (Howard) Bowers of Luther, Michigan, will be hosting a birthday party to celebrate his 100th year of birth in Lakeland, Florida, where he presently resides. The celebration will be held at the clubhouse annex at Citrus Woods on November 4th from 2 PM to 4 PM.
If you will be in Florida, join the children to help celebrate Fred’s special day. If not, you can send a card to wish him well at: 1610 Reynolds Road #294, Lakeland, Florida 33801
Benny and Jessie’s Pet Info – How to Stop Your Dog from Rolling in Poop
Your dog comes running up to you covered in mud. Then you take a closer look—and smell—and realize that mud would be preferable to what’s all over your dog. Yes, your furry best friend has rolled in poop, and it’s everywhere—even trapped in the folds of her collar. It’s not just time for a bath, it’s time for a decontamination.
So why do dogs like to roll in smelly things like animal carcasses and waste? While there’s no concrete evidence that points to a single reason, there are a number of theories as to why dogs anoint themselves with bad odors. It’s suggested that dogs might do it to mask their own scent in a throwback to their hunting ancestry, or as a way to bring the scent home to the rest of the pack to allow others to track back to it. But the most likely reason is that they like the stench. Remember, dogs are fascinated by things that we consider disgusting, like urine on the mailbox post and the nether-regions of other dogs. Much like humans wear scents that we enjoy, like rose or sandalwood, it’s possible that dogs like being associated with the smell of fox poop.
Preventing Poop Rolling Behavior in Dogs
It’s not easy to prevent poop rolling, particularly if you have a large yard or you allow your dog to hike off-leash. Wild animal waste can be well camouflaged, especially rabbit and deer droppings, which tend to be pellet sized and spread out. That said, most dogs have a few obvious “tells” that they exhibit right before they get ready to roll. The first step to preventing poop rolling is recognizing what happens right before it begins, and then short-circuiting the behavior.
Most dogs hone in on the odor before they dive on, so if you notice your dog focusing on a patch of ground with greater than usual intensity, it’s possible that a roll is imminent. Some dogs will even do a pre-roll pose, meaning, they rotate their face to the side and gradually descend down to the pile, almost in slow motion. (Although animal poop can end up anywhere on a dog’s body, most dogs start their roll by putting the side of their face and neck in it, which results in a very messy collar.) Once you see the signs of a potential poop roll, you need to act quickly with a strong “leave it” cue.
“Leave it” means “move away from the item of interest,” and is helpful in a number of everyday situations. If your dog picks up street garbage like chicken bones during your walks, you can ask him to “leave it” before he has a chance to put it in his mouth. If your dog wants to “help” on laundry day by grabbing socks and taking off, you can tell him to “leave it” rather than chasing her down to retrieve the contraband. And when it comes to poop rolling, a well-timed “leave it” will prevent a very messy clean-up.
Teaching Your Dog to ‘Leave It’
Before you can use “leave it” to prevent a poop dive, you need to train it in a variety of controlled situations. To begin the process, take a dry treat and present it to your dog at nose level in a closed fist so that he can smell it but can’t get to it. Your dog will likely nose and nibble your fist thinking it’ll make you open your hand, but ignore all interactions until your dog backs away from your hand. (It might take a few minutes the first time.) As soon as he moves away from your hand, say “yes!” or click with a clicker to mark the behavior, and give your dog an extra special treat like chicken or cheese from your other hand. The treat in your fist represents the contraband you want your dog to move away from, so never reward her with it.
When your dog is reliably backing away every time you present your closed fist, you can begin to name the behavior by saying “leave it” right as your dog moves away. It’ll take about 20 repetitions before the phrase is anchored to the behavior and your dog understands what it means. At that point, make it more challenging by placing the dry treat on the floor under your shoe. Your dog will probably go through the same nibble-lick-paw process initially, but the second she backs away, say “yes!” or click and reward your dog from your hand.
Repeat this process a dozen times, rewarding each success and work up to adding the phrase “leave it.” Once your dog is consistently moving away from the treat under your foot, try a few repetitions where you move your foot away from the treat so your dog can see it (but be ready to cover it back up again if your dog makes a dive for it). Reward your dog for the same movement away from the treat. You can also try a few surprise training sessions by dropping something your dog finds intriguing, like a crumpled up paper towel or sock, and asking her to “leave it.” These unexpected sessions help to generalize the behavior.
Finally, take your training outside. Set up a gauntlet of mildly interesting items a few feet apart like toys, used napkins, socks, and food wrappers. (If you’re concerned that your dog might grab the items before you have a chance to cue “leave it,” put her on a leash, and consider revisiting the initial training steps.) Stroll with your dog toward your planted items, and right as your dog starts to zone in on it, say “leave it.” At this point, the cue should have such a strong and positive association that your dog will quickly orient to you in order to get the reward. Don’t forget to praise your dog lavishly.
To finalize the training, envision what a preempted poop roll will look like in your yard or on the trail. More than likely, your dog will be at a distance from you, so practice this critical part of the process by cuing a “leave it” when your dog isn’t right next to you. Praise her when she looks up from the object of interest, then kneel down and encourage her to run to you for a goody. Because rolling in poop is so rewarding, preempting it is a big deal, so give your dog lots of love for a job well done, and try to find a poop-free zone to hang out to avoid further temptation.
Letters – Street millage and more from Sam Coffman
Improved Street Condition Reduces Clinton Transit Repair Costs
Clinton Area Transit System (Clinton Transit) needs good roads and streets to operate efficiently. There is a higher cost for repair and maintenance with poor streets and roads. As public transportation, we have no choice but to fix our buses and pay these higher costs. Clinton Transit services all of Clinton County with public transportation service, so it is difficult to determine the exact cost of maintenance due solely to the poor condition of streets in the City of St. Johns.
I am pleased that the City of St. Johns is continuing to repair their streets. Investment in maintaining good repair for the streets will not only help Clinton Transit, but also the homeowners and businesses in St. Johns. Good transportation and good streets encourage growth in our community.
I encourage voters to support the St. Johns Street millage on the November 7th ballot.
Sincerely,
Dawn Benson, General Manager
Clinton Area Transit System
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Taxes. No other word causes moans and groans from citizens like that one. Most of what we pay in taxes is spent in ways that we cannot easily see.
On Tuesday, November 7th we will be able to vote on something we can see – our streets. The modest (actually reduction) millage will continue the work to make our St. Johns streets safe and smooth. The money will be spent on the streets and related improvements and only for that. Ultimately it is a small price to pay for big improvements that benefit all of us.
Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 7th and join me in voting “Yes” for our streets.
Terry Clarke
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I attached a picture of myself speaking to 30 students in the SJHS auditorium last week. Teachers Kathy Heystek and Jaclyn Charneski had their classes attend my one hour talk on October 4.
Sam Coffman
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – 5 Ways to Help a Hiding Cat
It’s hard to say if Garfield started the stereotype of the mischievous, anti-social cat, but he certainly reinforced it, and to be fair, there’s some basis in truth.
While some cats are friendly and cuddly, many others spend their days in dark enclosed spaces and prowl the house at night.
“A lot of cats lead nocturnal lives,” says Myrna Milani, DVM, an author and veterinary scholar in the fields of pathology and anthrozoology.
If your cat usually spends its day hidden, that’s generally fine and normal, Milani says. The problem arises, however, when social cats suddenly start hiding. This behavior is often indicative of stress, fear, a medical issue, or some combination of these.
Continue reading for tips on identifying problematic forms of hiding behavior in cats and what you can do to resolve the underlying issue.
Allow Your Cat to Warm Up to Visitors
One of the primary causes of stress in cats is a change in their environments, and one big change that often induces hiding is the addition of a new person to the household.
Whether this is in the form of a temporary visitor or a permanent resident, cats are naturally inclined to assume a new person is a threat to their territory. (The same goes for the addition to a new animal.) As such, you might find your feline hiding or marking areas with her scent.
Milani says it’s important to give a cat time to adjust to the change and accept the new person on her own terms. “The worst thing you can tell the new person to do is play nice and ‘kissy face’ with the cat,” she says.
Instead, short-term visitors can sit near the hiding spot and let the cat come to them, maybe coaxing her out with a treat or a toy that will boost her confidence and make her feel more like predator than prey.
Milani suggests longer-term visitors or new permanent residents rub themselves all over with a dry towel or washcloth. Then, leave the towel in the middle of the floor overnight and allow the cat to explore the scent on her own time and at her own speed.
The cat should start feeling more comfortable the next day, though if the towel has been peed on, “That’s a message, and you need to keep being patient,” Milani says.
Try to Normalize a New Environment
Another cause of this type of stress is a move. It might take your cat a while to adjust to the new house, and that’s made worse, Milani says, the more you change things around. Trying to give your cat normalcy in a new house—whether that’s setting up her cat tree by a window or avoiding clutter with empty boxes—will help your cat adjust.
“I know it’s not what people who move want to hear, but the best thing you can do for a cat after a move is to unpack everything and settle in as quickly as possible,” she says.
Give Your Cat a Safe Space
It’s not uncommon for cats to be fearful of visitors or changes in their environments or routines. Fear in cats is often marked by prey behavior, which includes running away and hiding.
Dilara G. Parry, a certified cat behavior consultant, says “safe spaces” are an easy way for the owner to make sure that the hiding that’s taking place is healthy and safe.
“A sturdy cardboard box, turned on its side with a nice blanket placed inside, can be an alluring hiding space that is safe,” Parry says.
Milani adds that cutting a cat-sized hole in an upside-down cardboard box is another great DIY safe space because the cat can face the opening and know nothing is coming up behind her.
Monitor Your Cat’s Behavior Changes
Hiding behavior in cats could signal an illness or serious medical condition, and owners need to pay attention when this behavior emerges and is out of the ordinary.
Milani says if a cat begins hiding, it’s paramount that the owner monitors the cat’s eating, drinking, urinating, and defecating. She recommends blocking off the bathroom to the cat and marking his water dish with a marker so you know exactly how much water is being consumed every day.
Other easily observable signs of an illness or condition that’s forcing hiding are discharge from the eyes or nose, limping, and non-specific diarrhea.
Make an Appointment With Your Vet
If your cat is suddenly hiding, and seems more antisocial than normal, a visit to the veterinarian is recommended to rule out any medical issues. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Sometimes, the first indication to the guardian that their cat is sick is hiding behavior,” Parry says. “I have seen this in cases of urinary blockage, which can quickly turn fatal if untreated, so I definitely urge guardians to take hiding behavior seriously, especially if it is not ‘par for the course’ for that particular cat.”