WEBBER POND for Thursday, October 17, 2019
Webber Pond is drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident.
FOR YOUR HEALTH: Removing the mystery from a prostate cancer diagnosis
(NAPSI)—According to the American Cancer Society, about one in nine American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. A leading cause of cancer in men, more than 173,000 new diagnoses are expected in the U.S. this year. Fortunately, this disease can be treated successfully, especially if caught early.
What To Do
If you’re 50 or older or have a family history of prostate cancer, you should speak to your doctor about whether screening for the disease is right for you.
Understanding Prostate Cancer
“In the early stages, the most common symptoms of prostate cancer are no symptoms at all,” says Deepak A. Kapoor, M.D., founder of the non-profit, Integrated Medical Foundation, and President of Advanced Urology Centers of New York.
There are four stages of prostate cancer. Stage one is diagnosed very early and confined to the prostate. At this stage, the patient is unlikely to be experiencing any symptoms. He may not need treatment beyond regular follow-up blood tests, exams and possibly biopsies. The disease is very treatable. When diagnosed early, the five-year relative survival rate is almost 100 percent.
Why Do Some Men Resist Routine Screenings?
Many men are embarrassed by the digital rectal exam, concerned about treatment or fear they can’t afford it.
Some Answers
Testing: Since the 1980s, prostate cancer was being diagnosed with a simple blood test, the PSA. It checks the level of prostate-specific antigen in your blood.
In the past, there was controversy about whether having a prostate cancer screening done was beneficial or if it produced more harmful effects due to complications from over-testing. PSA testing was the best thing available for a long time.
New tools now exist that provide much more information, giving predictability about the aggressiveness of the cancer and data to help urologists safely manage their patients’ disease. With this information, urologists have higher numbers of appropriate candidates on active surveillance regimens. Using tests such as the Gleason grade score, overall patient health and risk factors—age, race, ethnicity, family history and exposure to Agent Orange—urologists can determine with confidence how aggressive the cancer is and which patients will do well on active surveillance. They will also know which therapy options will be the optimal for the patient.
Making it easier for doctors and their patients to do this testing is the full-range of diagnostic equipment and supplies available through the trusted advisors at Henry Schein Medical, a provider of medical and surgical supplies to health care professionals.
Treatments: There are many ways to treat prostate cancer, including hormone therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and cryoablation. The newest innovation being successfully utilized is immunotherapy, which uses your own immune system to identify, target and destroy the cancer cells without harming the body’s own “good cells.” Your doctor can help you decide what’s best for you.
It is important to remember that you have the most options available when prostate cancer is diagnosed early and is in the most treatable stage. It is important for men to be vigilant with their routine screenings.
Paying: Many insurance policies will pay for diagnostic tests and in some places, such as New York State, there’s no co-pay or co-insurance cost sharing responsibility for diagnostic prostate cancer screenings (with such policies). This puts PSAs on the same level as mammograms, thanks to efforts of advocates and doctors such as those at Advanced Urology Centers of New York, one of the largest urology group practices in the country.
Learn More
For more facts, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org and Integrated Medical Foundation (IMF) https://imfcares.org/. IMF provides screenings, education and support services FREE.
Tech students reach out and help barbershop singers
Maine-ly Harmony chorus members display their safety riser backs, from left to right, Dee Dumais, Cathy Anderson, Betty Avery, Candace Pepin, BJ Pellett, Lea Davis and Dotti Meyer. (Photo courtesy Maine-ly Harmony)
by Lea Davis
Maine-ly Harmony women’s a capella barbershop chorus travels around the state performing for civic and church organizations, senior citizens, VA veterans, open houses, festivals, fund-raisers, Valentine greetings to individuals, the list goes on and on. The women who harmonize together bring smiles wherever they go. The members rehearse on Wednesday evenings at the Emmanuel Lutheran Episcopal Church, in Augusta. At rehearsals and performances, they stand on risers to be able to see the director and to be seen by audiences. But singers positioned on the high back row of the risers have been uneasy for some time, fearful that a move could result in falling backwards. Well, the ladies fear no more!
Thanks to teacher Bob Stewart, at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) and his students, the singers now have riser bars across the back to keep them safe!
It all came about when chorus member, and former Lewiston High School teacher, Dee Dumais, contacted the LRTC regarding the need for riser bars. Since students are geared to work on community projects as well as school projects to enhance and promote their valuable skills, Bob was receptive to considering the project for his Sheet Metal and Welding Class. To the delight of the chorus members, the juniors and seniors of his two-year program tackled the challenge. And what a challenge it was!
Most of the construction was custom made, with no manual or instructions, other than YouTube videos and comparisons with the back rails of the risers used by Lewiston’s high school chorus. Some issues involved pipe bending, he said, which had to be very specific, as well as reworking dimensions, sizing and measurements. Reworking also involved the welding because the process can cause warping of the metal.
The clamps that hold the rails to the risers had to be redone a couple of times to allow installation to be user-friendly. It turned into a three-year intensive project for Bob and his students, with a few setbacks along the way, and all done while other class projects were ongoing. The riser bars were completed last June, with the juniors and soon-to-be-graduating seniors adding much labor to the finishing touches.
Students who participated on the project were Caleb Anthony, Daniel Bolton, Joe Cloutier, Griffin Johnson, Justin Merrill, Garrett Sampson, Connor Sullivan and Corey Wires. Bob said that he and his students feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their efforts and hope that Maine-ly Harmony will remember them with fondness whenever they sing on the risers (which is every week!)
Lewiston Regional Technical Center encompasses students from area schools in Lewiston, Oak Hill, Lisbon, Edward Little, Poland, Leavitt Area High School and Christian Academy, as well as home-schooled students. Bob Stewart is only the second instructor of sheet metal and welding, hired in 2005 to replace retiring long-term instructor Rene Chicoine. Bob credits his predecessor for being a great instructor and the driving influence for keeping him in school when he attended Rene’s 1985-87 class, adding, “Rene’s kindness and LRTC’s ability to give me purpose and a place to shine truly changed the course of my life.”
Maine-ly Harmony members are grateful, indeed, and breathing easier these days when their repertoire includes dance moves in such songs as “Could I Have This Dance” and “I Heard It On the Grapevine!”
McGlauflin graduates from Emerson College
Paige McGlauflin from Sidney recently graduated from Emerson College, in Boston, Massachusetts, receiving a BS degree in journalism.
Kuntz named to the dean’s list at Ohio Christian University Adult & Graduate Studies Program
Christopher Kuntz, of Skowhegan, has been named to the dean’s list at Ohio Christian University Adult & Graduate Studies Program, in Circleville, Ohio, for the fall semester.
I’M JUST CURIOUS – The Wandering Nanas: backyard home training
by Debbie Walker
No, the horse wasn’t getting trained. It was me and Nana Dee who were receiving the training. The following is the beginning of this story:
Nana Dee and I were visiting with my daughter, Deana about 10 p.m. Suddenly, usually quiet dogs, the two dogs of our family were going nuts at the back door. Crazy, I have never seen them carry on like that before. Deana and Todd, however, knew they didn’t like something going on in the back yard. Todd was awakened by the barking, he came to the door practically walking in his sleep, he looked out the back door. I don’t think his eyes were really open yet! Deana looked out a window and right into the face of the intruder, our neighbor’s white mare, Silver.
This past spring when the folks moved in, we all discovered the horse’s fence was not nearly as solid as they were led to believe when they bought the place. Silver has been here to visit several times since her first visit. That first visit was a real shocker, saying it was a surprise was an understatement.
Silver has visited us a few times but not lately. I kind of missed seeing her out here in the back yard. I had told Nana Dee that I had even wondered, “Wouldn’t Jackie please let her come over for a visit? I was completely forgetting when you wish for things you must be very specific. I should have added “in the daylight.” I believe I have now learned.
The night of the ‘visit’ Nana Dee and I learned the steps to take when Silver decides to visit (escape). We make sure she is okay. One of us keeps an eye on her and the other calls her people and prays we can reach them! We still are not sure what to do if they are unreachable. Silver is quite content to eat the green grass here, of course, the fact that she may get carrots and/or apples in the visit seems to go over well with her.
The story continues when we saw a flashlight coming through the woods with her people ready to retrieve her. You can tell she knows they are coming. She picks up her head in recognition and then back to eating this grass.
Our training of back yard horses complete, we now know what to do. We just may not hurry her off. I now am reminded of the time of day I will wish for her to visit us. I definitely need to wish for the before sundown time frame.
I’m just curious if you have any critter training sessions in your past. Please contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with your questions and comments. I’ll be waiting! Have a great week!
P.S. I decided to add some PHILOSOFACTS I got from the Farmer’s Almanac:
Years may wrinkle the skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
Optimism is when a tea kettle can be up to its neck in hot water and still sing.
Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
THE END for today!
REVIEW POTPOURRI: The Headliners
The Headliners, Volume 3
by Peter Cates
The Headliners, Volume 3
Columbia Record Club, GB 11, LP, released December, 1962.
A number of record collectors with very long memories, including myself, joined the now-extinct Columbia Record Club which started in 1955 and was based in Terre Haute, Indiana. Every year around Christmas starting in 1960, it would send a free limited-edition album to its members as its way of saying thank you for their continued spending and good standing.
There were two series of titles — The Sound of Genius for members in the classical division and The Headliners for those in the four non-classical categories; listening and dancing, country and western, jazz and Broadway musicals. Each record was an anthology of complete tracks from current releases on Columbia and its subsidiary labels.
Headliners, Volume 3, contained 14 selections from 14 musical artists, each one very pleasant listening:
Steve Lawrence – Tell Her That I Said Hello.
Dave Brubeck with strings – Kathy’s Waltz.
Marty Robbins – Never Look Back.
Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats – Chiquita.
Bobby Vee – Tenderly Yours.
Andre Previn Trio – Lose Me Now.
The Banjo Barons – Hello My Baby/Red River Valley.
Ray Conniff and His Orchestra and Chorus – To My Love.
Andy Williams – The Wonderful World of the Young.
Ferrante and Teicher – Theme from “Goodbye Again.”
Les Paul and Mary Ford – Go on Loving You.
Roger Williams – Greensleeves.
Brook Benton – Revenge.
Andre Kostalanetz – Cielito Lindo.
Steve Lawrence, Marty Robbins, Bobby Vee, Andy Williams, Mary Ford and Brook Benton were singers; Dave Brubeck, Andre Previn, Ferrante and Teicher and Roger Williams, pianists; Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats, The Banjo Barons and Les Paul, instrumentalists; and Ray Conniff and Andre Kostelanetz, orchestral conductors. Information about their lives are more than likely to be found on Wikipedia while their records, including these, could be heard on YouTube.
Unity College reinventing how students receive first two years of college
TERRAIN uses Expeditionary Learning as its educational model. (contributed photo)
Unity College is nationally known for its experiential education, but this fall the college is taking that to the next level, by reimagining its curriculum for students in their first two years. The fall of 2019 saw the launch of a testbed for TERRAIN at Unity College, which is designed for students to develop career-focused skills beginning on day one.
TERRAIN at Unity College is a direct response to the changing demographics and needs of residential learners in the first two years of college. Nationally, roughly 30 percent of freshmen drop out after their first
year. Anxiety and depression on college campuses are on the rise, and there is an increasing demand for return on investment for students once they graduate with a four-year degree and enter the job market or pursue graduate school.
Faculty and staff spent two years developing the co-curricular activities that have become TERRAIN at Unity College, gaining insight from students on how they want to learn, as well as employers on the skills they seek in ideal employees.
TERRAIN uses Expeditionary Learning as its educational model, with innovative and integrated courses where students receive comprehensive, relevant, and outcome-based opportunities to help build or retool their knowledge and professional skills in sustainability fields.
TERRAIN brings an integrative approach to learning, allowing students to learn where they live in Living Learning Communities. Cohorts of students share academic experiences and projects in addition to social and recreational opportunities centered around a theme or real-world challenge.
Of Unity College’s incoming Flagship class of 223, 61 students are participating in this fall’s testbed, and in the fall of 2020, all incoming Unity College students will take part in TERRAIN.
“We listened to the challenges that students face in the first two years of college, to industry leaders in the green economy who hire our students, and did extensive research, which found that TERRAIN would revolutionize our curriculum and appeal to residential students who want to learn career-focused skills beginning the first day they enter Unity College,” said Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury. “TERRAIN allows students to explore a range of professional opportunities, which will help them build the foundational skills for their careers and graduate school.”
In TERRAIN, students will:
- Learn from guest speakers and field experts in the residence hall lounge while exploring ideas they’re curious about.
- Participate in multi-day excursions in locations across the state and country to put new knowledge into practice.
- Work with tutors right in the residence halls to strengthen skills and refine projects. Develop and practice leadership skills.
- Collaborate with others in the Living Learning Community to explore issues, tackle challenges, and communicate ideas across academic, professional, and social contexts.
In addition to TERRAIN’s customizable curriculum, internships, practicums, and short courses offered year-round, its four-quarter academic calendar allows students to engage in a robust residential college experience while having the flexibility for work, family commitments, and career opportunities. If a student wants to accelerate their education and earn a bachelor’s degree in fewer than four years, TERRAIN gives them that option, or if they want to participate in a more traditional college schedule they can. It also allows them to take time off for any reason, if they need to without falling behind.
“Learning those practical skills that I can apply to my major first before I settle down into a desk with a textbook was my main goal,” said Savannah Sedivy, a first-year Marine Biology major taking part in the TERRAIN testbed. “Being stuck in a general classroom, even if you’re using real-world examples, doesn’t compare to actual real-world experience. With these intertwined classes, TERRAIN has pointed me toward skills that I’ll use later in life, or even the very next day.”
For more on TERRAIN at Unity College, visit unity.edu/terrain-at-unity-college/.
AARP SCAM ALERT: Medicare Open Enrollment Scam
Medicare Open Enrollment season is here, which means it is also Medicare fraud season. Between now and December 7th seniors across the country will be shopping for the best deal for their health care dollar. Unfortunately some of the deals they will be offered won’t be deals at all.
Medicare scams are expected to spike during open enrollment season with scammers posing as impostors calling and emailing seniors offering free gifts or limited time offers. These scams are all designed to capture your Medicare number so the crooks can charge Medicare for services you didn’t receive.
Be suspicious of anyone who calls, emails or visits you promoting a Medicare plan. Legitimate health plans can only contact you if you’ve requested information. Don’t give personal information to anyone who calls or visits out of the blue and always review your Medicare statement to ensure fraudulent charges aren’t included.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report
New school store provides learning experience at MMS
Messalonskee Middle School students at their new store. (contributed photo)
by Mandi Favreau
The preparations started last year. Team Boothbay sold freeze pops to earn money, held a vote to choose a name, and started the work of creating a school store. The result was the Eagle’s Landing which had its official grand opening at Curriculum night a few weeks ago.
“I wanted to give my students an experience that would be engaging, beneficial and impactful,” said team Boothbay social studies teacher, Pamela Atwood. “For many, it’s a great reason to come to school.”
The store also teaches valuable economic lessons in a very real context. All of the store positions, from general manager to order clerk, were posted along with their descriptions. Students had to apply and interview for any position they were interested in. Thanks to looping on team Boothbay, Atwood was able to staff the whole store by the end of the school year.
“Currently, I have over one-third of our team of 89 directly involved in the store,” said Atwood. She holds whole class lessons about accounting and decision making and holds regular staff meetings during lunch. While the administration was involved in the decision-making process during the opening of the store, the plan is for Eagle’s Landing to be run entirely by the students with staff oversight.
The store is open before and after school each day and carries school supplies, snacks, drinks, fidgets, school logo stickers, and a few novelty items. They have recently added student-made products to their inventory to encourage entrepreneurship. They also offer gift cards that some staff members use as part of their incentive programs. Any profit that doesn’t go back into the running of the store has two possible destinations. Some of it will remain with Team Boothbay to help fund field trips or purchase academic supplies, while the students hope to donate a portion to Messalonskee Middle School’s general fund which pays for special events and items for the whole school.
“It is my hope that the store will continue to grow and eventually expand beyond the reaches of Team Boothbay,” said Atwood. “This was a great way to help students feel like a part of the MMS community and take on some ownership.”