PAGE 4 PRESS PERSPECTIVES FEBRUARY 16, 2011
FROM THE
EDITOR'S DESK...
BY ALLISON OLIMB
EI)ITOR, WALSH COUNTY PRESS
I don't know if you know this,
but it is tough being
overshadowed by one of
America's tallest and most
influential men. Once a year,
federal offices across the
country are closed in his honor.
Kids are made to learn about his
policies and ability to look good
in a hat. His face is even on a
mountain. How is a kid
supposed to compete with that?
That's right, I share a birthday
with the 16th president of the
United States, Abraham Lincoln.
In elementary school I began
my rivalry with the man who put
his pen to the Emancipation
Proclamation. It may have been
due to the fact that teachers
would have us wear paper
beards and top hats while we
read the Gettysburg Address and
that motif really clashed with my
birthday party dresses, or more
likely, I was just a strange child.
We shared the same hair
color, a fondness for America
and the theater.., we probably
could have gotten along just fine
had his birthday been say on the
Feb. 13 or something.
As my imaginary rivalry with
a dead man grew, so did my
fascination with the history
surrounding him. His speeches
were quite articulate, his policies
were compassionate, and his
assassination rocked the world,
as he was the first American
president to be subjected to such
a fate.
I forged a bond with my old
pal Honest Abe over sheer
fascination. We still had the
major height issue with him at
6'4" and me never clearing 5'4"
even at my current age, but I
figure we could look past all
that.
History turned into a hobby.
Timelines and back stories
amazed me.
Throughout the different eras
and the problems that came with
them, humans were able to
adjust to the needs of the times
and ordinary people would step
up to do what they thought
needed to be done, not
necessarily for the fame of it all,
but because someone had to
speak up.
Kids end up with the oddest
heroes sometimes. While there's
probably nothing wrong with
having "Bieber fever" or
wanting to be like the Green Bay
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, but
Johannes Gutenberg, Thomas
Paine, Nellie Bly, and
Woodward and Bernstein were
pretty cool, too.
A number of faces throughout
history may never register on the
average kid's radar screen, but it
is because of that person in
history that they are able to
Facebook their friends or watch
the Super Bowl on their super,
jumbo, big screen TV.
Many of the things we have
today are sheer magic. We can
fight wars 140 characters at a
time via Twitter, ask Egypt. We
can do anything -- freedom at
its finest.
For the freedoms he paved the
way for that allowed the country
to become the entity that it is, I
salute him -- even though he
stole my birthday.
"'Like" the Walsh County Press on
Facebook and check out our new blog at
hto://walshcountypress.wordpress.com
Hello,
There is a movie out called
"I'm Just Not That Into You". I
haven't seen it. Most likelY
won't. Still plan on going to
"True Grit", but that's about as
far as my movie desires go. Or
maybe I'I1 just wait until it is on
TV.
But, as I reflect on the Super
Bowl, I guess you could say that
I just wasn't that into it. Unlike
hundred of millions of people
across the globe, I didn't really
care who won. Sorry. But, it was
a pretty good game, and
someone won. The ads were
alright, but mostly I was waiting
for the half-time show. The
Black-Eyed Peas. Really, some
singers called the Black-Eyed
Peas.
Now, I guess I must be more
of a recluse than a lot of people.
I wouldn't have known the
Black-Eyed Peas from black-
eyed Susans or split pea soup.
But all' week people had been
raving about the Peas being the
half-time show. So, I anxiously
awaited.
Oh, it was quite a production.
Hundred of dancers. Some kind
of singers. Nothing that kept me
Hat
glued to the screen. I'm just not
that into rap or whatever it was.
I did kind of like the song about
"it's going to be a good night".
At some bull ridings I announce,
they play that before the bull
riding. I can even sing along a
little, except for the high notes.
But that was about it.
Maybe it's just that I'm not
much into music concerts. The
last concert I went to was Buck
Owens (I've Got a Tiger By the
Tail) in the early or mid sixties
at the Municipal Auditorium in
Minot. Now that was music.
They just don't make them like
that anymore. But I don't
remember the dancing like this
show had. But then again, there
is a lot I don't remember about
the past fifty years. Or even the
past fifty hours.
Oh, yes, and the dancers. I
could never decide if they were
dancers or acrobats. And they
were really well lit. But I tell you
Tips
what; they couldn't hold a
candle to Milo and Julie doing
the polka in the Bahamas. Or the
waltzing on the Lawrence Welk
show. In fact in the middle of
Split-Pea Soup, I switched over
and watched the Lawrence Welk
show. Lawrence even shook a
leg with Sissy, or Missy, or
whatever her name is.
I guess the best dance I ever
saw was in the late eighties in
Shawnee, Oklahoma. At the
National High School Rodeo
finals. The BeUamy Brothers (If
I Said You Had a Beautiful
Body Would You Hold It
Against Me). Boy, they don't
make songs like that any more.
At the Finals, one night they
have live entertainment for the
contestants and parents at the
arena. And it had rained a
tremendous amount. The arena
looked like a lake. A lake of red
Oklahoma mud. They had a big
tractor pull the flatbed trailers
for the stage into the arena. It
was a red, muddy mess. And the
Bellamy Brothers were the act.
Now, the Bellamy Brothers are
cowboys and ranchers from
Florida. You know them. "I'm
an Old Hippie" and classics like
that.
The high school contestants
are required to wear white shirts,
blue jeans, and their back
numbers at these special events.
The Bellamy Brothers began
their first set of songs. A couple
of exuberant youth crawled over
the fence and started dancing in
that arena mud. A couple more
brave souls scaled the fence. The
other 1200 high school kids saw
that nobody was going to get
tasered or tear gassed, and the
stampede was on. 1200 kids
clambering down the grandstand
steps, piling over the fence, and
dancing in foot deep red mud to
the songs of the Bellamy's! With
parents and chaperones
laughing, clapping, and enjoying
the sight. It was wonderful. A
lasting memory.
So, you fans of String Beans
and Lentils, sorry, I'm just not
that into it.
Later, Dean
Happenings at Our
Good Samaritan
Monica Simon ADC
Thursday afternoon the Park River American Legion Auxiliary
hosted our Monthly Birthday Party. We had a wonderful time as bingo
was provided and a delicious lunch was served. Friday afternoon Matt
Hodek performed and we thank the family ofEmest Bina for providing
that for us. The Mennonite Singers we here on Friday evening. Other
activities included the Senior band, Bingo, devotions, Bible Study,
hymn sing, exercises, current events, baking, men's time, nail's time
and more.
Devotional leaders for the week were Lois Ydstie, Amanda Daley,
Rev. David Henrichs, Monica Simon, and Jan Novak. Accompanists
were Monica Simon and Jan Novak. Father Lutein led Mass and
Sunday Services.
February Events:
Feb. 24 Auxiliary Program and Lunch hosted by Federated Church
Park River
MARCH 16 STAR Committee USED BOOK SALE 2-4 used
books can be dropped at the center at anytime.
WHAT IS BLOOD
Publte Walsh County Health District
, ..... t.,,°,°,.,,,,,c,. Short Shots
Blood Pressure measurement consists of two numbers. The
SYSTOLIC measurement is the first or top number; the DIASTOLIC
is the second or bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
When you have high blood pressure (hypertension) the force of
blood against your arterial walls is too strong. High blood pressure can
damage your arteries, heart, and kidneys, and lead to a stroke.
LEVEL Systolic Diastolic
HIGH 140+ 90+
Pre-hypertension 120 to139 80 to 90
Normal Adult 119 or below 79 or below
We used to tell people that a blood pressure of 140/90 was high,
now we tell them that if they are above 119/79 they are developing
hypertension and should take action to change any lifestyle risks that
may be causing high blood pressure. Those changeable risk factors are
• Elevated Cholesterol
• Smoking
• Overweight
• Inactivity
• Woman over 35 who takes birth control pills and smokes
One more piece of advice--if you already have hypertension and
take blood pressure medication(s) you should continue to have your BP
tested because as you age and develop other health conditions your BP
may be creeping up higher than it should be.
We aren't serious about
the national debt
The effort to deal with the
mushrooming national debt is dead
in the water. Even the Tea Party
will not do much to move the
agenda because, when the chips
are down, too many of the Tea
Party folks are in on the tea.
After the issuance of the
Commission on Fiscal
Responsibility and Reform report
calling on us to sacrifice today to
avoid catastrophe tomorrow,
everyone benefiting from under-
taxation or government
over-spending vanished like
pocket gophers.
When it comes to raising taxes,
the Tea Party people will join
everyone else in fighting to the
death for low taxes. Case in point:
there was massive support for
extension of the Bush tax cuts even
though the taxes were needed to
deal with the debt. Suddenly, the
debt wasn't important.
When it comes to restructuring
Medicare, too many folks are in
the program to make benefit-
cutting possible. We have over
100,000 North Dakotans on
Medicare and you can bet that
every one of the recipients will
oppose any sort of trimming even
though the average Medicare
beneficiary is getting three times
more in benefits than he/she has
put into the program. Will those
100,000 step forward to support
higher premiums or fewer benefits
to keep the country from going
over the fiscal edge? Not likely.
Abolish earmarks? Who is
kidding who? Even though
Congress has announced a policy
of no earmarks, a new process will
be restructured so that North
Dakota - and the rest of the
country - can keep "bringing home
the bacon" while preaching fiscal
responsibility.
Then there are the declarations
of disasters sought early and often
by various govemmental entities to
get the federal government to pay
for National Guard expenses,
indemnification of losses, and
buying out damaged property. Will
govemmental entities forego this
drain on the federal treasury?
Half of the 6500 folks in North
Dakota nursing homes are being
financed by Medicaid at a cost of
$3,600 a year. And some of those
folks made themselves eligible for
this welfare program by disposing
of all of their land, stocks and other
valuables. Will any of the relatives
take their needy parents back home
or share in nursing home costs?
The National Commission on
Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
has asked everyone to absorb a
little hurt. It is obvious that the
request has fallen on deaf years.
We seem to oppose the national
debt in the abstract but favor
spending in the specific.
The first step in responding to
the fiscal crisis is to get all of these
anti-tax and pro-government
groups to quit sowing resistance
among their members. They need
to create an atmosphere of give-
and-take, not promote a fight to the
finish. The next step is to put tax
increases and program cuts in the
same piece of legislation so
everyone can sacrifice together.
Unless the champions of all
ideologies are willing to meet and
trade, the debt will continue to
grow. Thus far, we haven't seen
anything like that happening. It's
like Christianity. It's more tim
talking about it than doing it.
The first step in responding to the
fiscal crisis is to get all of these
antl-tax and pro-government
groups to quit sowing resistance
among their members."
Extension Exchange
I
Walsh County Nutrition, Food Safety
and Health Agent
Julie Zikmund, MPH, RD, LRD
Happy Heart's Day...
Is Your Heart Healthy?
As Valentine's Day is upon us
and February is Healthy Heart
Month, it is important to think
about the health of your heart. It
is amazing that this organ
supports all of our life's
activities, but what do you do to
take care of your heart? Here are
some things to know...
Lower Your Cholesterol!
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like
substance found in the blood and
in all the body's cells. A high
cholesterol level is bad because
cholesterol can build up with
other substances in the inner
walls of arteries. This buildup,
called plaque, can narrow the
arteries and reduce blood flow.
Plaques that rupture can cause
blood clots that can totally block
blood flow in the artery. Clots
also can break off and travel to
another part of the body. If a clot
blocks an artery that feeds the
heart, it causes a heart attack. If it
blocks an artery that feeds the
brain, it causes a stroke.
High blood cholesterol has no
symptoms, and many people
have it without knowing it. Find
out what your cholesterol levels
are, so 2(ou can lower them if you
need to. If you need to lower
your LDL (or "bad" cholesterol),
work with your doctor to create a
diet low in saturated fat, trans fat
and cholesterol, and an exercise
plan.
If you're overweight, work
with your doctor to create a diet
and exercise plan to help you lose
the extra pounds. Diet and
increased physical activity are
important, but they may not get
you to your goal. If these efforts
don't succeed, your doctor may
also prescribe medication. Even
if you need to take cholesterol-
lowering drugs, a healthy diet
and increased physical activity
are still important.
Reduce High Blood Pressure!
High blood pressure (or
hypertension) makes the heart
work harder than normal. This
makes both the heart and arteries
more prone to injury. High blood
pressure raises the risk of having
a heart attack, stroke, kidney
failure, eye damage, heart failure
and atherosclerosis (fatty
buildups in the arteries).
As a woman, you have an
increased risk of developing high
blood pressure if you are 20
pounds or more over a healthy
weight (for your height and
build), have a family history of
high blood pressure, or have
reached the age of menopause.
More than 73% of women ages
65 to 74 have high blood
pressure.
Stop Smoking!
Smoking is the most
preventable cause of death in the
United States. If you smoke
cigarettes (or cigars), you have a
higher risk of illness and death
from heart attack, stroke and
other diseases: These include
lung, mouth and throat cancers;
chronic lung diseases and
infections; heart failure; and
peripheral vascular disease (in
the legs and arms). Constant
exposure to other people's
tobacco smoke increases your
risk, even if you don't smoke.
The good news is that when
you stop smoking, your risk of
heart disease and stroke can be
cut in half just one year later and
continues to decline until ifs as
low as a nonsmoker's risk.
All my best to you and your
family,
Julie
Around the County
Walsh County Extension Office Park River - 284-6624
Livestock and floods
do not mix
With this year's flood
predictions out for the spring now
is the time to prepare for the
floods to come. This week's
article is from NDSU Extension
Service veterinarian Charlie
Stoltenow.
Don't wait for flooding to
move livestock and hay.
Livestock producers need a plan
for moving their animals and hay
to higher ground before
floodwaters start rising. "Make
arrangements now in case cattle
and other livestock need to be
moved, or have a plan to utilize
other facilities in case of
flooding," says Charlie Stoltenow,
North Dakota State University
Extension Service veterinarian.
"Livestock and floodwaters do
not mix," he adds. "Trying to
rescue cattle and other large
livestock in deep-water situations
is a dangerous and losing
proposition, and it can be deadly
both to the animal and you. Water
temperatures are near freezing,
and there's floating ice and
debris." Heavy snowfall this
winter makes flooding likely in
some parts of North Dakota.
"As with last year, areas may
flood that have not seen flooding
before," Stoltenow cautions. This
could be a problem for livestock
producers because calving often
occurs in low-lying, sheltered
areas. Also, hay production was
above average in 2010, and some
of this hay is being stored in areas
with a high risk of flooding, such
as low spots in fields and along
creeks and rivers, and on the
wrong side of roads that could
wash out.
More than 100,000 cattle,
including calves, were estimated
to have died in North Dakota in
the springs of 2009 and 2010.
Many were trapped by
floodwaters. Flooding also
prevented producers from
reaching feed supplies for their
livestock.
"It is easier to move or blow
snow on top of frozen ground to
get to your hay now than it is to try
to fight 3 feet of mud with 3 feet
of water on top of that," Stoltenow
says. "Early February may be too
soon to move a lot of snow to
accomplish this, but producers
should have their contingency
plans in place by'mid-March, if
not sooner."
Having fee d supplies on hand
is important because producers
can't count on feed or fuel
assistance being available during
a flood. If feed supplies run short,
NDSU's FeedList website -
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/feedlist/-
may be able to help. It's a place
producers can go to fmd feedstuffs
for sale. It's also a place for
feedstuff sellers to market their
supplies.
Dates to Remember:
Feb. 16, 10 a.m. Dakota Cow/Calf Clinics
videoconference; Chase Building, Grafton
