SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
The Republican
Page 6
MASTERING THE HOUSE Tim Paino
Owner/Inspector Heartland HouseMaster
useful tips for homeowners
Voices
We offer Voices as a place to share a story, a memory, an idea, a comment, a criticism, or a solution. Contributors must include name, address & phone number.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
ASK MR. TRAFFIC By Chet Skwarcan, PE, President/ Founder of Traffic Engineering, Inc. Chet@TrafficEngineering.com
Good Water The water supply to many homes in rural areas throughout the county comes from private wells. There are a few simple maintenance tasks those on private wells need to do to help insure a good supply of safe water. First, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Health both recommend an annual water test. You should have the water tested for coliform bacteria, nitrates, nitrites, total dissolved solids, and pH levels. If your home still has lead pipes in the supply system, it should also be tested for lead. You can collect the water samples yourself and take them to a nearby lab, but they need to be collected in the proper bottles in the proper manner. I suggest visiting a lab for instruction and they typically will provide you with the proper bottles. Delta Water Management Group in Brownsburg and ESG Laboratories near the Indianapolis airport both provide excellent service. Many of the harmful elements that appear in our water are odorless and tasteless and we are unaware of potential harmful levels. Pregnant women and young children are especially vulnerable to harm from some of these elements. Sometimes the residents of the home become immune to a bacteria’s harm and it is a guest or new homeowner that can feel the affect. Second, protect the well head. The top of the well casing should extend at least a foot above ground level. This is to prevent surface water from being able to run down the inside of the casing and pollute the aquafer. The cap needs to completely cover the casing and be securely fastened. Third, we never want anything harmful on the surface to work its way into our drinking water. Make sure surface water runs away from the well location and nothing dangerous is being dumped in the area. Fourth, confirm good water flow and pressure at all the faucets. If a faucet has a screen, remove it and rinse off any debris that may have been caught. Make sure your shower heads have not clogged with minerals. Next check the pressure tank. Typically, there will be a pressure gauge you can check to confirm your pressure is between 40 to 60 psi. While you are next to pressure tank (typically blue steel), tap on the top half with something metal and see if it rings. The bottom half should be full of water with a rubber bladder separating the top half that has air inside. If it has a solid sound all the way up the tank, the bladder has split and will cause your pump to be overworked. Time to call the professional. Lastly, check any filtration system you may have. Depending on the quality of the water coming from your well, you may have a single inline filter or a complex system of filters and purifiers to provide you with a quality glass of water. Most of these systems require periodic maintenance to continue functioning as designed. Know your system and follow the owner’s manual. Water is essential for life, make it good water. ______________________________________________
5 Things Dogs Need to be Happy Megan Bonifacius Certified Canine Training Specialist APDT Member Owner of Ruff Lyfe
Mental Stimulation There are so many dog products and opportunities out there. How do you decide what your dog actually needs to be happy? There are five things: good health, physical exercise, mental stimulation, a regular routine, and clear communication. Mental simulation is the number one thing that I, as a dog trainer, see owners forgetting about the most often. Dogs were bred to do so many amazing things! Over the years they have helped us hunt, guarded our flocks, herded our livestock, gave us medical alerts about ourselves, guided the blind, protected our homes, pulled us by sled, retrieved fishing nets for fishermen, and so much more! Having a dog in the home has become more and more popular over the years. We love breeds that can do amazing work, but we bring them into our homes without a job to do. This is when you start to see hyperactivity, excessive barking, destructive behaviors, digging holes in the yard, stealing items, jumping fences, and more. How can you mentally stimulate your dog if you cannot give them the job their breed was created to do? Training is an awesome way to get your dog’s brain working! If you are too busy to work in a training session that day maybe you should consider taking your dog to a daycare. Doggy Daycare can offer lots of new scents to smell and plenty of time to run around and socialize! Another way you can mentally stimulate your dog is by making meal time a game! You can purchase puzzle toys that hide your dog’s meals. You can research puzzle toys that you can make yourself at home. Ditch the bowl and make your dog problem solve to earn their dinner! You will be happy you did when your dog becomes more calm after they work out their brain. ______________________________________________
ople are Successful pe think up o wh the ones of the st things for the re . at sy bu world to keep Don Marquis
A Note From Bee In the past we could only communicate in person, by telephone or letter. We can still communicate in these ways. However add to that texting, e-mail, snap chatting, or skyping, zoom, etc. Young people can do all these things . My husband and I only know how to text and e-mail. The other day I texted my 20-year-old grandson and asked him if he liked the smoothie I had made only for him. It was a small gesture to show I loved him. I had given it to his mother to give to him. When he didn’t answer I texted him again and reprimanded him for not answering. This was not the first time he had not answered my text. He did finally answer and said he never reads texts. He also told his mother about me reprimanding him. She in turn gently reprimanded me and said he was using snap chat to communicate. She could not tell me how to communicate with him. I think it is important that we keep in touch with grandchildren but primarily we have to initiate the communication. So what is the answer? Bee Jones P.S. I really enjoy Noel Gatlin’s stories. I wish he would write the rest of the story about meeting the young redheaded lady in the diner. ______________________________________________
The Case Against Cannabis Use Written by Chase Cotten, Executive Director at The Willow Center “I got my peaches out in Georgia…I get my weed from California,” sings pop megastar Justin Bieber on his most recent hit song, playing on every radio station in the country. Cannabis and its derivatives are known by many different names: “Marijuana”, “Weed”, “Hash”, “Ganja”, “Grass”, “Broccoli”, “Mary Jane / MJ”, “Wax”, “Dab”, “Shatter”, “Bud”…the list goes on. Whether it’s being preached about in the Senate by legalize-it-advocates, being sung about by Dave Matthews, or being chuckled about in the Cheech and Chong movies, the normalization of cannabis use and its unusually fervent culture of promoters is nothing new. Since as far back as the 1920s, it has been a hot topic of conversation, celebration (for some), and debate. Both sides of the debate have surprisingly ample amounts of scientific research to support their views on the matter, which complicates the decision the reader must make on how to feel about it. Often, the reader will hear positive messages from certain celebrities and/or media outlets about research that supports cannabis for medicinal use to treat anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Recently, folks involved in the “California Sober” movement have even begun advocating for cannabis as a replacement substance to use instead of “harder” substances such as opioids like pain pills and heroin. The Willow Center cannot refute some of the research that supports cannabis use to temporarily treat anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. And of course, cannabis indeed has less severe immediate effects on a person than substances such as pain pills and heroin. However, many celebrities and/or media outlets are not sharing (nor are they paying any attention to) the entire other body of research that suggests cannabis use may do more harm to us than good. To start with, the cannabis being grown, manufactured, and used today is approximately 8% more potent than its originator plants in the 1990s according to a research study in 2016 supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Department of Health and Human Services (Mahmoud A. ElSohly, Ph.D. et. Al.). Higher potency is based upon a higher-level of THC found in the product, the psychoactive ingredient of cannabis. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 18-25 year-olds are the largest demographic currently using cannabis, many of them on a daily basis. Approximately 1 in 10 folks who start using cannabis regularly will become addicted to it, contrary to popular belief. The addictiveness increases to 1 in 6 individuals if use starts before the age of 18. Cannabis is typically smoked, however edibles and vaped THC are growing in popularity. ______________________________________________
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The Republican
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Rate the Driver in Front of You How Many Stars? Any Comments? Take your dad for a drive and ask him to provide tips on how to drive better and where to turn. Ask him to rate your driving. Dads love to do this. Feedback is an effective way to improve something. Want to make something better? Track it. Rate it. How many stars? This works for me but what about all those other cars? Unfortunately, the general nature of driving makes this kind of feedback impossible. There’s no way to rate nearby “anonymous” drivers. Uber has a system. At the end of each trip, you are able to rate your driver from 1 to 5 stars. Driving with your mother-in-law provides similar information. Granted, the diagnostics port on many vehicles provides some interesting data including speed, unusual acceleration, and unusual braking. Newer vehicles provide this data (and much more) to their manufacturer about every three seconds. But still, this information is limited to your vehicle — not the car in front of you or the car behind you (or the car in front of the car behind you). How can we provide feedback to the cars around us? In 2008, a website called Platewire.com was created to provide a means for rating nearby vehicles. According to their website, “PlateWire is a public repository and electronic forum of drivers by drivers. Using a drivers license plate, commuters can communicate their thoughts and feelings in regards to driving on today’s roadways.” Although feedback ratings sounded like a good way to improve something, recording license plates and entering information on a website was too cumbersome. It’s only a matter of time before there’s an iPhone app allowing instant tagging and vehicle rating. And a smart windshield would, of course, display this information for each vehicle. Threshold alerts could be programmed for “problem vehicles.” My advice? Get in the habit (now) of borrowing someone else’s vehicle whenever possible… ______________________________________________
A Squirrel About Town By Archy I decided to enjoy a little of the nice early Saturday morning weather on the bench just outside The Republican office. That’s where I found Archy. “Nice view from this side,” he started. “ I don’t get over here as often as I should. Traffic, you know.” I sat down beside him. “The morning light is flattering to the court house, don’t you think? Of course, moonlight brings out its romantic side.” I had to agree. Traffic was sparse as we watched the vendors at the Farmers Market setting up their tents. “Nice to have them on this side of the square,” the squirrel said. “After all, this is where the first market was in the 1840’s.” He summoned his ancestral memory. “There was an open frame building called ‘Market House’ on the southeast corner of the court house yard. The court house bell would ring to let the people know the market was open.” “We don’t hear bells much these days,” I said. “The bell that sounded for the court house clock sits on the ground instead of the roof. The Christian Church got rid of its bell when they build a church without a steeple. The Unitarian Universalists still ring their bell on Sunday, but they haven’t had services in the building since the start of the pandemic.” “It’s a shame,” Archy said in agreement. “So many forgotten sounds. The blacksmiths pounding on their anvils. The whistle at the light plant. The fire siren that would tell you what part of town the alarm was for - 1 blast for the southwest, 2 blasts for the southeast, 3 blasts for the northeast, and 4 blasts for the northwest. Primitive communication, but it worked.” A bird was perched on the blade sign next door, chirping. I asked Archy if he knew what it was saying. “Bird language is difficult,” he said, holding back a giggle. “Like Mandarin, much depends on intonation. I can only manage a conversation in pidgin.” “Very punny,” I said as the squirrel began to roll in laughter. ______________________________________________
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