Browsing: Commentary

Cold and damp weather marks the beginning of the cold and flu season. The average adult will get two to three colds each year. Children can get even more. Our respiratory system is designed primarily to exchange gases. Each time we inhale, oxygen is brought into the lungs to be absorbed into our blood stream and distributed throughout the body for energy production. When we exhale, carbon dioxide, a byproduct of normal metabolism, is eliminated. The components of this system, the nose, pharynx, larynx, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli of the lungs, are all lined with specialized cells that aid in…

With two days near 80 degrees last week, winter is not on most people’s mind. Yes, fall so far has been mild but cold temperatures are not far away. Now is the time to ensure your trees and shrubs are mulched and mulched properly. Think about trees and shrubs in the forest. They shed their leaves which provide protection to the soil. Roots are protected, erosion is reduced, moisture is conserved, and organic matter is added. So what benefits does mulch in your landscape provide? Roots are protected, erosion is reduced, moisture is conserved, and organic matter is added. Pretty…

So after 19 years on C-shift and most of that on an engine company, I was transferred to the Fire & Life Safety Division. My new roles would be titled Community Programs Coordinator and Public Information Officer. In other words, I would now spend the next two years leading the public education section of Fire & Life Safety, and spend a great deal of time working with news agencies in our area. Can you say culture shock? One of our first assignments when I arrived was to revamp the Juvenile Firesetter process for our organization. The first order of business…

Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. If we know anything about this little world of ours, we know that “change” is always in the wind. I have mentioned in the past that my company has their own little gym, located downtown, up three flights of stairs, and there it is. Surprisingly it used to be a skating ring – has a wood banked floor and everything. I never did find out why they decided to build one on the third story of this old building (many years ago), but they did and it was pretty nice…

You have heard the rumors and now a county zoning sign goes up on the vacant property behind your house. What is going on here? Neighbors start to talk and you check at the planning department at the county offices. It is a shopping center, you tells your neighbors. As you and a few of your neighbors pass out flyers, you discover that only one person in your 49-home subdivision does not care about the proposed development. Some widen their complaint to many things that have already happened near them and you have to keep them on topic. Not in…

Campaign ads, debates, whiny politicians; and we have not even begun 2016 yet. As I write this, our local elections will be held tomorrow. We have several candidates for the Board of Supervisors and School Board who have no one running against them, does this mean we are happy with the status quo, or that we just do not pay attention? I am going to go with the latter. We are a nation of head buriers. We are; we love to bury our heads as far down as they can go, it is amazing that any of us can breathe.…

I have been taking my readers through my fire service journey, but I feel like I need to step back and share some life-changing or life-altering moments in my life. I am going to give you a brief snapshot of my life-journey. 1976 – I became a Christian and a volunteer firefighter at Fire Station No.1 1977 – I was voted volunteer firefighter of the year at Station No.1 1978 – I graduated from Thomas Dale 1981 – I enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard 1983 – I became a husband, married to the most amazing woman 1985 – I…

Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. One of the things I like about this part of the year is college football. As I have stated in past articles, I was born and raised in Ohio – the middle of high school and college football country, and of course the home of the Buckeye Nation. With that being said I try to watch the Buckeyes play whenever I can, and I also root for the other Big Ten teams when they are playing teams from another division. On occasion I catch a major match-up within the Big…

A recent Kaiser poll showed that most Americans agree that medications cost too much. In fact, the majority of Americans are more concerned about the cost of drugs than any other health issue facing our nation. While about three-quarters said they could easily afford their medicines, about 20 percent said they have difficulty footing the bill. One in four said they did not fill a prescription within the last year because they couldn’t afford it. The cause of high drug prices is somewhat complex and hotly debated. While most blame the pharmaceutical companies, there are other players in the mix…

Dear diary, today I fertilized my azaleas. For many of you reading this, the phrase dear diary has not been heard in years. Many famous quotes start with “timing is everything in ….” Timing may not be everything in gardening, but it is more than a passing occurrence. A diary or garden journal is an excellent way to keep track of your lawn and garden activities. Activities such as planting, fertilizing, pruning, days between pesticide application and days to harvest are just a few examples. Garden journals can be a simple spiral notebook where you keep notes and dates. Journals…

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