FOR YOUR HEALTH: Building paths to better kidney care

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Create a kidney care plan that fits your lifestyle, mobility, health status, and dietary needs.

(NAPSI)—For the 37 million adults in the United States living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), research offers promising insights into ways to improve and prolong kidney health. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is using innovative research to change the way we understand, treat and prevent kidney disease. Future research discoveries may allow doctors to provide targeted treatment plans that better suit the individual and improve health outcomes.

NIDDK’s Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP) is one example of research that is helping to gain a deeper understanding of the causes and types of kidney disease. CKD was thought to be one disease with one cause and one treatment. Today, we understand that CKD has many causes and there are many potential treatment paths. KPMP aims to transform the future of kidney care by collecting kidney tissue samples from people across all races, ages, and walks of life. With knowledge gained from studying the samples, one of the goals of KPMP is that health care professionals will be able to provide treatments and prevention approaches best matched to each individual, building paths to better kidney care.

“Precision medicine research is key to finding new ways to improve the health of people with kidney diseases,” says NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, MD. “As researchers work toward developing more and better treatment options, there are steps people with, or at risk for, kidney disease can take today to build their own path to better kidney care.”

Three ways you can build your path to better kidney care are to be an active participant in your care, follow your care plan and build a kidney-healthy lifestyle.

Being an active participant in your care means working with your health care team to create a kidney care plan that fits your lifestyle, mobility, health status and dietary needs. Ask questions, identify healthy habits you can stick to, and talk with your team if adjustments are needed.

Following your care plan means taking medicines as prescribed and attending your medical appointments. Also, consider getting vaccines recommended by your doctor and do your best to follow a kidney-healthy lifestyle.

A kidney-healthy lifestyle includes making physical activity part of your routine, maintaining a healthy weight, choosing a healthy meal plan, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol and getting enough sleep. Each of these areas can be personalized to help meet your needs and health goals.

For example, physical activity is beneficial for both your physical and mental health. Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity each day. If you can’t fit in 30 minutes at once, try 15 minutes twice a day, or 10 minutes three times a day. Find activities that fit your environment, budget, and mobility. Go for a walk with a friend, ride a bike, look for free or low-cost fitness classes offered in your community or follow along with a workout video from your own home. You don’t have to make changes all at once! Even gradual progress can help you protect your kidneys and slow the progression of kidney disease.

For more information on building your path to better kidney care, visit the NIDDK website at www.niddk.nih.gov. To find out more about KPMP research, visit www.kpmp.org/about-kpmp.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Different answers

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by Debbie Walker

Today, I am going to pass on some ‘different answers’ of questions you may not even know to ask yet. Use of coconut oil is all new to me. It had never been in my house, say nothing about my kitchen. But… I found a few situations that it is useful. I am including a few things I read about Coconut oil and a few other things:

Coconut oil uses: Ladies – Run out of shaving gel ? Use coconut oil.

Use it to lift crayon marks the little ones are bound to leave.

Use it to remove a price tag. It works.

Use it to soak some cotton balls and throw them on a few sparks for a quicker way to get a campfire growing.

Use it to calm a sunburn. Take a shower, apply coconut oil, it will soothe the burn. It will also moisturize the dehydrated skin.

Use to soothe insect bites. Rub the oil over the bites. It will reduce swelling and ease discomfort.

Mineral oil uses: I don’t ever remember seeing this in my parents or my home, and I never had any. I am not even sure what its original purpose was.

Use it to recondition leather footwear. A few drops of mineral oil on a soft cloth and rub in.

Use it to remove a bandage. A few drops, a minute and bandages peel off.

Use it to preserve your wooden cutting board.

Whitening toothpaste (not gel): This will clean the nasty grout while you sleep! In the morning wipe the area with a damp towel.

Distilled white vinegar: Use it to clean your bathroom. Half a cup of white vinegar in your toilet bowl overnight will do the trick.

Use white vinegar in your bathroom sink. Put the stopper in and fill it with hot water and a half cup of vinegar, let it sit overnight. Drain and wipe clean.

Sponge and vinegar: Use them to clean your microwave. I have done this, works like a charm. Soak your sponge in equal parts of water and white vinegar. Microwave for 30 seconds. Don’t open your nuker ‘til the next morning and then just wipe clean.

Baking soda and water: Erase oven grime with baking soda, In a bowl mix 1/2 cup baking soda and enough water to make paste. Apply to interior walls, let sit overnight. In the A.M. just wipe clean.

Borax laundry soap: Use to deodorize your carpet (plus a surprise.). Mix a half cup and a half cup baking soda, sprinkle on rugs and upholstery, let sit all night. Vac in the morning. Okay, that is good, but, if you have pets who might have fleas that Borax is a miracle worker! Sprinkle Borax on your carpets, anywhere you might find fleas. Leave overnight. Vac in morning. In two days do this again and your fleas should be gone. (The second sprinkle kills fleas that were in eggs). It was amazing when I needed it.

These are the points I found for packing:

Lay down or roll pants and tops. Place heavy items at base of suitcase. Shoes, books, heavy things. End with what you will wear first. Don’t under pack is part of the description I found but I am over packed! And I put my night gown on top because I will get in just in time for bed.

I’m just curious what other tidbits you could share in “different answers”. I’ll be waiting! Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any questions or comments. Thank you for reading and have a great week!

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Mahler Symphony

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George B. Shaw

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Mahler Symphony

Gustav Mahler

The Mahler Symphony I would pick for beginners is the First, composed in 1888 when he was 28 years old. It has melodic appeal, it evokes the sounds of the natural world with coloristic sonorities from the woodwinds and double basses to heighten brooding, spooky tension and finally it utilizes brass and percussion for blazing crescendos.

I first encountered the piece via the 1962 Boston Symphony recording under then newly-appointed Music Director Erich Leinsdorf (1912-1993), a very inspired performance with the orchestra in peak form. A number of other distinguished recordings are available, such as those of Seiji Ozawa, Jascha Horenstein, Sir Adrian Boult, Hans Rosbaud, Sir Georg Solti etcs. but this Leinsdorf remains a first choice.

It is also accessible on YouTube.

A couple of quotes

Sir Richard Burton

As the world turns with what is perhaps rightfully perceived as extra stress, I am a bit haunted by a couple of quotes.

First the 19th century author of travel books, Richard Burton once wrote, “Peace is the dream of the wise. War is the history of mankind.”

The main character of James Joyce’s difficult to read masterpiece, Ulysses, states that “History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awaken.”

On a more cheerful note, George Bernard Shaw recalled, “I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”

Harry Truman gently but tartly rebuked the cynics, “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Smoking Speeds Cognitive Decline in Seniors

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If you’re a senior who smokes but is otherwise healthy, scientists warn that your cigarettes are just as bad for brain health as having type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

If you’re a senior who smokes but is otherwise healthy, scientists warn that your cigarettes are just as bad for brain health as having type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
The detrimental effects of smoking on overall health are well-documented, but new research suggests that seniors who light up well into their sixties may be tampering with their brain health and cognition.

Research has already suggested that high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are known risk factors for cognitive decline. A study published in December 2020 in the journal Cureus, for example, found that treating hypertension might decrease risk of dementia, while research published in January 2017 in Diabetologia warned that type 2 diabetes not just increases risk of dementia but causes its onset at a younger age. Past studies have even estimated that type 2 diabetes increases risk of dementia by 50 percent.
“The question we had is whether smoking compounded these other risk factors or are people who smoke at an elevated risk regardless of other health concerns,” says study senior author Neal Parikh, MD, a vascular neurologist and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

For his study, Dr. Parikh looked at the health data of 3,244 people from 2011 to 2014 who took part in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a large-scale, ongoing national health database managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since the early 1960s.

The average age of study participants was 69; 77 percent of the group had hypertension while 24 percent had type 2 diabetes, confirmed via medication usage, self-reported health, blood pressure readings, and blood tests. Twenty-three percent of participants were smokers; this was identified by cotinine levels, a byproduct of nicotine that remains in the blood, measured in blood tests.

The participants completed a digit symbol substitution test, which is a popular evaluation tool researchers use to measure IQ, working memory, processing speed, and attention span. It’s especially useful in helping researchers assess changes to people’s cognition.

Turns out, participants with higher cotinine levels scored “significantly worse” on the testing compared with nonsmokers. The higher their cotinine levels were, the lower they scored too. And overall, smokers’ poor performance was comparable to their counterparts who had type 2 diabetes or hypertension.

“The association between smoking and cognitive impairment doesn’t depend on having other risk factors. You’re still at the same risk,” Parikh says.

If participants had either condition, and were smokers, they didn’t score any worse with two or more of these risk factors.

The results surprised Parikh, who thought smoking would exacerbate cognitive decline in people already grappling with chronic disease. Instead, he says the findings suggest that smoking is a standalone marker for cognitive decline.

He says seniors who smoke but are otherwise healthy should think twice before lighting up, for the sake of their brain health — and their autonomy.

Parikh notes an important caveat to his research: The participants were all living in the community, either on their own or with their families. The outcomes may be different if he included seniors living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.

A knowledge summary from the World Health Organization (WHO) (PDF) estimated that 14 percent of all dementia cases can be attributed to smoking.

A review of 37 studies published in March 2015 in PLoS One found that smokers were at a 30 to 40 percent increased risk of dementia. And the more smokers lit up, the greater their risk. Previous research also suggests that people who are 75 and older who identify as current smokers perform more poorly on cognitive tests and appear to encounter memory loss faster than their peers who don’t smoke. Quitting as soon as possible can decrease dementia risk too, according to a paper published in February 2020 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

“The single best thing a smoker can do for their overall health is to stop smoking. Unfortunately, many people do not understand that there is a relationship between smoking and dementia,” he says.

“Because the subtle early symptoms of cognitive decline can take a long time to develop, it is important to identify risk factors in middle-aged people that might predispose a person to develop dementia. Smoking is clearly one. Smokers should begin to think about stopping smoking as soon as possible.”

Parikh presented his findings at the American Stroke Association’s 22nd International Stroke Conference (February 9 to 11), in New Orleans.

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Financial advisors can help reduce anxiety

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submitted by Sasha Fitzpatrick

The long-running coronavirus pandemic has fueled a lot of anxieties – including financial ones. But some people have had far fewer worries than others.

Consider this: Among those investors who work with a financial advisor, 84% said that doing so gave them a greater sense of comfort about their finances during the pandemic, according to a survey from Age Wave and Edward Jones.

Of course, many people experience investment-related fears even without a global health crisis, and that’s probably not surprising, given the periodic volatility of the financial markets. But financial guidance can come in handy during relatively normal times, too.

A financial professional can help you …

  • Look past the headlines – Inflation, interest rates, pandemics, elections – there’s always something in the news that could affect the investment world in the short term. But by helping you construct a portfolio that’s built for the long term and reflects your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon, a financial advisor can enable you to look past the headlines.
  • Avoid emotional decisions – Many people let their emotions drive their investment choices. When the market goes through a downturn and the value of their investments drops, they sell to “cut losses,” even though these same investments may still have good business fundamentals and promising futures. Conversely, when the market is on an uptick, some poeple chase after “hot” investments, even when they become overpriced and may have very little room to grow. But a financial advisor can help keep you from making these fear- and greed-based actions by only recommending moves that make sense for your situation.
  • Work toward multiple goals – At various times in your life, you may have simultaneous financial goals. For example, you could be investing for a retirement that’s decades away, while also trying to save for a child’s college education. A financial professional can suggest ways you can keep working toward both objectives, in terms of how much money you can afford to invest and what types of savings and investment vehicles you should consider.
  • Prepare for the unexpected – Most of us did not need a pandemic to remind us that unexpected events can happen in our lives – and some of these events can have serious financial impacts on us and our loved ones. Do you have adequate life insurance? How about disability insurance? And if you ever needed some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home, how would you pay for it? A financial advisor can evaluate your protection needs and recommend appropriate solutions that fit within your overall financial strategy.
  • Adapt to changing circumstances – Over time, many things may change in your life – your job, your family situation, your retirement plans, and so on. A financial professional can help you adjust your financial strategy in response to these changes.

Achieving your financial goals may present challenges, but it doesn’t have to cause you years of worry and distress – as long as you get the help you need.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Edward Jones, Member SIPC.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Why are you in business?

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Growing your business

by Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”

This is the ad that Ernest Shackleton placed in the London Times to recruit the crew of the Endurance that was setting out for the South Pole.

He not only got a crew. He got a great crew of men who went through nearly unbearable hardships and yet all came back alive by looking out for each other. If you get a chance, read books about their adventures, it’s a fascinating and inspiring story.

But it’s all about “why” people do things. Why they are in business.

The Why is the reason Apple computer is a great company.

The Why is the reason men and women go to war.

The Why is the reason men and women become clergy.

The Why is the reason we went to the moon. Remember that quote from JFK? “We go to the moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard,”

Why some businesses seem to have everything going for them but “why”, and for some reason, in the end they still fail.

And that reason is that they have no real purpose. Or true understanding of why they are in business. He says that without purpose, without a clear and direct sense of purpose people will not give their all.

As an example, he uses one of my all-time favorite stories of the two stone masons who were both laying stone on a large building. When the first one was asked what he was doing, he looked at the person asking the questions and with great tedium in his voice said, “The same I do every day, laying stone after endless stone.” When the second stone mason was asked what he was doing, he looked up at the building with a great sense of exuberance and said, “I am building a magnificent cathedral!”

I cannot think of a better example of what the difference is between having a cause, a purpose and a mission and not having one.

Think about it, what is the “Why” of your business? Why did you start the business. What was your mission? What did you want to accomplish?

Think back to that time and try to remember what you were feeling back then? Get that feeling back…and then pass it on to your team. Instill it in your company culture. Start building your own magnificent cathedral. And you’ll start seeing your business grow and prosper.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Take a color-themed approach for more attractive arrangements

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by Melinda Myers

Growing dahlias is a must for anyone who loves cutting and arranging flowers. But there are hundreds of beautiful dahlia varieties to choose from and that can be overwhelming. To make the selection process easier, choose compatible colors that will look good together in the garden and in arrangements.

The combination of peach and burgundy is both striking and sophisticated. Peach-colored flowers add a fresh and soothing feel to the garden. Dahlia American Dawn is a blend of peach, mango, and papaya with plum-purple highlights. Good partners include other varieties in the same warm, sunset tones, such as dinnerplate dahlia Belle of Barmera, decorative dahlia Great Silence and ball dahlia Maarn.

Planting dahlias in a perennial garden ensures non-stop color from July into October. The fluttering, melon-colored blooms of HS Date work particularly well, due to this variety’s maroon foliage and open growth habit. Complete your peach and burgundy theme with the dark-hued flowers of Rip City. These large, velvety flowers are almost black in the center and soften to wine-red toward the petal edges. Add ball dahlia Jowey Mirella for blooms that are smaller in size yet equally striking.

For another eye-catching color combination, narrow your selection to dahlias with purple and hot-pink flowers. Historically, purple was associated with royalty, spirituality, and knowledge. While pastel purple evokes a sense of calm and serenity, deeper tones add drama and excitement. Dinnerplate dahlia Lilac Time is an heirloom variety with fluffy, lavender blooms that can measure eight to ten inches across. Be sure to also include flowers in juicy grape and violet hues such as dahlias Thomas Edison, Cartouche and Purple Taiheijo.

Complement these moody purples with vivid pink dahlias. Burlesca is a cute little pompon dahlia with tightly rolled petals that reveal hints of peach, burgundy and violet. Fascination’s rose-pink, semi-double flowers contrast beautifully with the plant’s dark foliage and the blossoms are irresistible to bees and butterflies. Ball dahlia Rocco is an all-star variety that is long lasting in both garden and vase.

If you prefer pastels to brights, choose dahlias in shades of pale yellow, soft pink and cream. The enormous flowers of dinnerplate dahlia Café au Lait are a must. Complement them with ball dahlias such as peachy Linda’s Baby or buttery Boom Boom yellow. Decorative dahlia Fluffles has taffy-pink petals that fade to white, while Milena Fleur’s are a mélange of pink, peach and pale butterscotch.

When you start with flowers in compatible colors, designing floral arrangements becomes so much easier. You’ll have all you need to quickly create a centerpiece for any gathering, an impressive bouquet for your own home, or an informal handful of blooms to share with friends.

For more tips about cut flowers, read the Longfield Gardens article How to Design a Cutting Gar­den (www.longfield-gar­dens.com).

Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Longfield Gardens for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: How do our little feathered friends fare during winter

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Male and female cardinals hunkered down during cold winter weather. (Internet photo)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Last week we took a look at how white-tailed deer keep warm during those cold winter days and nights. As you remember, that was perpetrated by my watching birds at my wife’s feeders during the recent blizzard in early February. So, let’s talk about how those little feathered friends keep warm during those times.

First of all, I was astonished as I watched the birds come in and out of the feeders during the height of the storm, with winds gusting to 25-30 miles per hour.

Birds are warm-blooded animals that have a much higher temperature than humans, usually in the range of 105 degrees, as compared to our 98.6 degrees. Body temperatures can vary during daylight hours but it can challenge the birds during the night to maintain such a high body heat.

Smaller birds run more of a risk of body heat loss since they have a proportionately larger surface area on their bodies to lose heat but a smaller core volume to generate it.

Birds have different ways to maintain body heat during cold weather. Their feathers provide remarkable insulation, and many species will actually grow extra feathers as part of a late fall molt to give them thicker protection in the winter. Oil also coats their feathers to provide, not only insulation, but waterproofing.

Their legs and feet are covered with scales to minimize heat loss. By constricting blood flow to their extreminities, they can also reduce body heat loss even further.

Then, there is the old standby: adding body fat reserves to serve as insulation and extra energy for generating body heat. They will gorge themselves in the fall when food sources are abundant.

Another way to produce insulation from the cold is to fluff their feathers. That enables air pockets to be created, keeping them toasty warm. Also, it is not unusual to see birds standing on one leg or crouched to cover both legs with their feathers to shield them from the cold. They also tuck their beaks into their shoulder feathers for protection, and to breathe air warmed from their body heat.

On sunny days, they will perch with their backs to the sun to maximize the exposure area of their body. They raise their wings to allow the skin and feathers to absorb as much of the sun’s heat as possible, even spreading or drooping their wings while sunning.

If you see a bird shivering, don’t worry. They do this to raise their metabolic rate and generate more body heat as a short term solution in extreme cold.

Many small birds will gather in large flocks at night and crowd together in an attempt to share their collective body heat. Even individually, they will roost in places that may contain residual heat from the day’s sunlight.

But, there is something called torpor that birds will use to conserve energy during the cold nights. Torpor is a state of reduced metabolism when the body temperature is lowered, therefore requiring fewer calories to maintain the proper heat. Birds can lower their body temperature from 22 to 50 degrees. Torpor, however, can be dangerous as reduced temperature also leads to slower reactions and greater vulnerability to predators.

Even with all of these Mother Nature-built in safeguards, mortality rate among birds can run high during extreme winters. You can help.

During winter, keep your feeders cleared of snow and filled with good food, offer liquid water, and provide shelter. You can build brush piles or protective boxes if you have no natural shelters. I think one of the reasons we have as many birds during winter as we have is because birds are attracted to coniferous trees. My wife and I have three rather large pine trees in our backyard, providing them with plenty of protection from the weather.

Mother Nature, again, provides for its creatures, large or small.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which current NFL team was originally called the New York Titans?

Answer can be found here.

STUDENT WRITERS: To Recycle or Not to Recycle

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The Town Line presents the STUDENT WRITERS PROGRAM
This week featuring: ERSKINE ACADEMY

The following is a Summary Response Essay, written by Erskine Academy senior Mackenzie Roderick of China. Mackenzie is enrolled in KVCC College Composition at Erskine as well as UMF Creative Writing; both early college opportunities offered and supported by The Aspirations Program. Funded by the Maine Legislature and taxpayers and administered by the Maine Department of Education, this initiative allows qualifying Maine students to earn college credit while still in high school. The following essay requires writers to read and summarize a current news article or opinion piece, then respond using various rhetorical devices while incorporating at least one outside source with attention to structure, word choice, and idea development.

Mackenzie plans to attend Worcester State University next year to major in Biology.

by Mackenzie Roderick
Erskine Academy

In “America Finally Admits Recycling Doesn’t Work” published in 2019 by Foundation for Economic Education, author Jon Miltimore delves into the reality behind recycling in America. Due to a regulatory decision in China to stop accepting recycled materials from the United States, Miltimore has brought this issue to light. Miltimore focuses on the fact that most of the items intended for recycling end up in landfills anyway and acknowledges that some other countries have done away with recycling already. Miltimore continues by arguing that American legislation has little power in fixing the problem, and the author also emphasizes the cost of recycling to introduce the debatable question: is recycling worth it? By examining the cost and effect of recycling, Miltimore suggests readers should evaluate the economic benefits of recycling, in order to make an informed decision.

Miltimore claims that recycling has been a hoax for years and is just a giant placebo to make society feel better about themselves. Overall, I disagree with Miltimore’s claim that recycling is a waste. I believe that there are downsides to recycling, however it is better to recycle than not. Miltimore acknowledges that China has created a global issue by not collecting recycled materials anymore which has put a kink in the recycling business. However, even though recycling does cost money, when done properly, recycling can be cost effective. Also, recycling is very crucial in saving energy, which in turn helps the environment.

One of Miltimore’s claims is that the United States has had trouble with recycling due to the fact that “China, perhaps the largest buyer of US recyclables, stopped accepting them in 2018.” Put simply, in 2018 China became aware that other countries viewed them as the “trash pile” country because they would take everyone’s trash. Of course, the Chinese government did not want to be globally viewed in that manner, so they stopped accepting almost all trash and recyclable imports from other countries. That completely backfired on a handful of nations, including the United States. There are multiple different types of recycled materials, but the easiest and cheapest type to recycle is categorized as “pure” materials. This is what the United States had originally kept to recycle themselves, and the rest of the materials that were expensive and more complex to recycle, were previously shipped to China. Now faced with a new challenge, the United States has found it difficult to recycle all of their materials in a cost effective manner.

Following the money trail is pretty simple. Recycling businesses pay to break down the recycled materials into small pebbles, which they then resell to producer companies. Those companies then use the materials to make their products. Unfortunately, because it is so expensive to break down the “non-pure” materials, recycling businesses discovered that if they raise the prices of the broken down materials, the producer companies will never buy them. However, if they don’t raise the prices, the recycling businesses won’t be making any money. Private recycling companies are faced with two options. They can either pay more to recycle the “non-pure” materials, or they can throw it all away. Many politicians and private recycling business owners have found that the decision is a one-way street. For example, Judie Milner, the city manager of Franklin, New Hampshire says, “We are doing our best to be environmentally responsible, but we can’t afford it.” Before China declared they wouldn’t accept our materials, recycling programs had encouraged citizens to recycle all the possible materials like paper, metal, and plastic. Now, recycling programs have had to throw all of these recyclable materials away, where they will end up in landfills. This issue has continued to be a problem since 2018 and is a large reason for the recycling debate. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this issue that are both good for the environment and the economy.

Because Miltimore focuses on the cost of recycling, he overlooks a cost effective solution. I disagree with Miltimore’s claim that recycling’s cost outweighs the benefits. Crucial steps can be made in order for recycling to become, once again, a profitable industry. Miltimore emphasizes that cost is the main reason why recycling is not effective. However, the cost effectiveness that comes from recycling is, in large part, due to the energy that it saves. That is because it takes less energy for the production of items using recycled materials, than it does to produce them from raw materials. The cost effectiveness also falls into the hands of the public. Something Miltimore doesn’t mention are the ways people can combat the recycling issue. A simple way to make recycling more cost effective is to be mindful of what we recycle. For instance, paper should be dry and not crinkled, food cans should be thoroughly rinsed out, and oily cardboards like pizza boxes should just be thrown out. According to Waste Management, the leading provider of comprehensive waste management systems, “recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for two to three hours.” This is where the money comes in. In everything we as consumers do, or don’t do, there is money tied to it. It costs money to break down materials, and it costs money to make materials. By using recycled materials for products, in the end you are also saving money. Less energy used, equals more money saved. Miltimore makes a valid point that some recycling businesses are losing money, however, Miltimore fails to emphasize that production companies are making money from recycled materials. There is money lost, and there is money gained.

Miltimore continues the discussion by arguing that the United States Legislation has little to no power to fix the recycling crisis. I disagree since many countries have been successful in creating laws to combat the recycling issue. Take Germany, for example, who has implemented the Green Dot System. The Green Dot system is a recycling system that specifically targets the waste of packaging materials. According to GD-Europe.com, “The Green Dot System has achieved great success as a European model: 20 countries have adopted it as a system for collection, sorting and recycling household packaging waste which makes up 25-30% of waste in European landfills…packaging marked with the Green Dot are on the market all over the world.” I often live by the phrase, “If they can do it, why can’t we?” This is a great example of why that phrase is important. If 20 countries have found this system to be a sufficient system for recycling, the United States legislators should adopt these ideas and implement them in our country. Doing this would allow us to initiate more laws for recycling, while also being backed up by evidence that it is successful in Europe. What is stopping it from being successful here in the United States? Only the limitations we put on ourselves as both a stubborn government and unenlightened society.

In the article “America Finally Admits Recycling Doesn’t Work,” Miltimore voices many points about recycling and why he believes that the country as a whole should abolish it. Recycling has become a global issue, but Miltimore’s argument fails to encompass the bigger picture. That being; recycling can be cost effective when done correctly and with consideration of energy savings, and there are viable systems used in Europe that could be successful in the United States. Statistics provided by the UN Environment Report of 2018 claim that even with recycling, 55% of plastics end up in landfills. Compare that to the 100% of plastic that would end up in landfills if Miltimore’s opinion to stop recycling completely was to be carried out. Clearly 45% of plastic saved from dumping is better than 0% saved. Do we as a nation take steps towards recycling responsibly in order to stop half of the plastics from collecting on our earth? Or do we give up and let all of the trash we make everyday end up in our backyards?

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Hiding your treasures

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by Debbie Walker

Some people have money/jewelry they prefer to keep in a “hidy hole” (oops, that’s day care speak) instead of a safety deposit box. Sometimes when you need your hidden treasure, if it’s in your home it is available to you 24/7.

In hiding your treasures there are some of what I see as common and well known. My favorite, new to me, is to cut open (slit) a tennis ball and put treasure inside. Who is going to steal tennis balls? Following are some of the suggestions you might use for your hidden treasure:

Toilet tanks – You would stuff your things in a jar. Place inside the tank. Make sure nothing is taped inside the lid.

Freezers – Credit cards and cash frozen in blocks of ice and plastic zipper, freezer bags.

Pantries – Try cereal boxes, flower bags and coffee cans. (The coffee can reference reminded me of my friend whose dad used to distrust the bank or anyone else. He would bury the coffee cans in his garden. We often wondered how he knew where they all were.)

Bookshelves – You can buy hollowed-out Bibles and dictionaries online. Or you can just slip the money or credit card into any book and just be careful where you choose the book. (I think I would pick one of my cookbooks that I never use, at least they would now have a purpose.)

Underfloor boards – Construction is done a little differently these days. I have found hidden places in the back of drawers that come out. Also, you can pick an area behind a moveable piece of furniture and lift the carpet in that one spot and slip the money into.

Your closet – a thief would have a lot of work to do to get to my stash. They would get tired looking.

Drawers – This is one of the places I wouldn’t bother because they like looking in the woman’s drawer. Might be the first place some would look. There are some dressers that have the top that opens to show a hiding place. It might work, it’s called “out of sight, out of mind”.

Air vent: the robber probably didn’t watch any NCIS shows recently. They always look there for valuables

In a clock: I like this one and, of course, my wall clock would be my choice.

Jar or container: in a smaller inside jar surrounded by nuts and put in kitchen cabinet.

Bird house: You can use an unoccupied bird house to keep your spare keys. You should screen off the entrance to birds.

Diaper: You are at the beach and have no place for your keys, use a clean one!

Curtain: Some hems on curtains are open and would be an excellent place to hide small things.

Socks: Socks in your draw can be a great hiding place. A folded pair of socks will work because no one is likely to checking every pair.

Vases – An opaque vase conceals money quite well. Throw some fake flowers in and no one will ever notice.

There are probably many more than I have here, but I have run out of time.

I’m just curious where your favorite hiding place is. Contact me with questions or comments at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Be careful and stay warm.