Monday, September 16, 2013
From the Village of Brockport board meeting minutes of 08/05/13:
Susan & Pete Smith – Mayor Blackman shared that Susan and Pete Smith have generously purchased the video camera now being used to film Village Board meetings. The camera is the property of Pro Brockport.
Editor's note: The video tapes of the Village Board meetings are available on the Pro Brockport web site at www.probrockport.org. Susan and Pete Smith have done a lot for the Village from watering hanging plants to being the webmaster of the Pro Brockport web site to various other things too numerous to mention.
ProBrockport born out of the campaign to dissolve the Village has done, and continues to do, many wonderful things for the Village. A primary part of ProBrockport's mission is to open up the operation of Village government for participation by the citizens its serves. Visit the Probrockport Web Site at www.probrockport.org
Susan & Pete Smith – Mayor Blackman shared that Susan and Pete Smith have generously purchased the video camera now being used to film Village Board meetings. The camera is the property of Pro Brockport.
ProBrockport born out of the campaign to dissolve the Village has done, and continues to do, many wonderful things for the Village. A primary part of ProBrockport's mission is to open up the operation of Village government for participation by the citizens its serves. Visit the Probrockport Web Site at www.probrockport.org
From Science Daily on 09/13/13:
Sep. 12, 2013 — A new study from the American Journal of Public Heath shows that U.S. states with higher estimated rates of gun ownership experience a higher number of firearms-related homicides.
For more click here.
Editor's note: I have mentioned before on the Brockporter than the likelihood of being killed by a gun is increased with gun ownership not decreased. Owning guns paradoxically does not make a person safer but at more risk. New York State under Governor Cuomo's leadership has moved in the right direction with its SAFE laws in improving public health when it comes to accessibility and ownership of guns.
Sep. 12, 2013 — A new study from the American Journal of Public Heath shows that U.S. states with higher estimated rates of gun ownership experience a higher number of firearms-related homicides.
For more click here.
Editor's note: I have mentioned before on the Brockporter than the likelihood of being killed by a gun is increased with gun ownership not decreased. Owning guns paradoxically does not make a person safer but at more risk. New York State under Governor Cuomo's leadership has moved in the right direction with its SAFE laws in improving public health when it comes to accessibility and ownership of guns.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
In 2011, about 47 percent of high school students reported ever having had sexual intercourse. The proportion of students who reported ever having had sexual intercourse declined significantly from 1991 (54 percent) to 2001 (46 percent) and remained relatively stable from 2001 to 2011.
The percentage of students who reported ever having had sexual intercourse differed by grade. In 2011, about 33 percent of 9th-grade students reported ever having had sexual intercourse, compared with 44 percent of 10th-grade students, 53 percent of 11th-grade students, and 63 percent of 12th-grade students.
Overall, the rates of sexual intercourse were higher among males (49 percent) than females (46 percent), and also differed by gender within some racial and ethnic groups.
In 2011, approximately 67 percent of Black, non-Hispanic male students reported ever having had sexual intercourse, compared with 54 percent of Black, non-Hispanic female students;
53 percent of Hispanic male students reported ever having had sexual intercourse, compared with 44 percent of Hispanic female students.
In 2011, about 18 percent of students who had sexual intercourse in the past 3 months reported that they or their partner had used birth control pills before their last sexual intercourse, and 60 percent reported condom use. Condom use increased from 46 percent in 1991 to 63 percent in 2003, then remained relatively stable through 2011.
For more information click here.
From NIH report in September, 2013, "Let Baby Set the Delivery Date: Wait Until 39 Weeks If You Can":
We tend to think of pregnancy as lasting for 9 months. But ideally it should last for nearly 10 months. Research shows that babies are born healthier if they have at least 39 weeks to grow in the womb.
In recent years, there’s been a trend toward earlier deliveries, as more women are choosing the date they’ll give birth. This is known as an elective delivery. Studies suggest that the number of elective deliveries rose dramatically from 1990 to the mid-2000s.
If there’s a particular medical reason to deliver early, then it’s best not to wait, says Dr. Catherine Spong, a pregnancy expert at NIH. “But if the mother and baby are healthy, there’s no benefit to delivering the baby early,” she says. In fact, delivering early can create lasting health problems. Even women of advanced maternal age, older than 35, should wait until at least 39 weeks unless there are medical reasons to deliver early.
“We’ve gotten to the point where people feel they can choose the timing of their delivery,” says Spong. “But in reality, that baby, in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy, is doing a huge amount of developing.”
Those last few weeks can make a big difference. At 39 to 40 weeks of pregnancy, a baby’s brain weighs one-third more than it does at 35 weeks. The lungs and liver also continue to develop up to 39 weeks. And those last few weeks allow time for layers of fat to grow under the baby’s skin, which helps keep the infant warm after birth.
For more click here.
Editor's note: The Brockporter, Brockport's online news magazine, publishes articles on health topics on most Sundays.
Angela and I had nine children the last four of whom were born at home at 348 Main Street in Brockport, NY. Angela delivered big babies, 2 at 9lbs. 8oz, 1 at 10lbs. 4oz. and Ryan at 11 lbs. 6 oz. The first three were born at Lakeside and the next 2 were born at The Genesee Hospital in Rochester, NY.
One of the best documentaries on the birthing industry in the United States is Ricki Lake's documentary released on 2008 entitled The Business Of Being Born.
In recent years, there’s been a trend toward earlier deliveries, as more women are choosing the date they’ll give birth. This is known as an elective delivery. Studies suggest that the number of elective deliveries rose dramatically from 1990 to the mid-2000s.
If there’s a particular medical reason to deliver early, then it’s best not to wait, says Dr. Catherine Spong, a pregnancy expert at NIH. “But if the mother and baby are healthy, there’s no benefit to delivering the baby early,” she says. In fact, delivering early can create lasting health problems. Even women of advanced maternal age, older than 35, should wait until at least 39 weeks unless there are medical reasons to deliver early.
“We’ve gotten to the point where people feel they can choose the timing of their delivery,” says Spong. “But in reality, that baby, in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy, is doing a huge amount of developing.”
Those last few weeks can make a big difference. At 39 to 40 weeks of pregnancy, a baby’s brain weighs one-third more than it does at 35 weeks. The lungs and liver also continue to develop up to 39 weeks. And those last few weeks allow time for layers of fat to grow under the baby’s skin, which helps keep the infant warm after birth.
For more click here.
Editor's note: The Brockporter, Brockport's online news magazine, publishes articles on health topics on most Sundays.
Angela and I had nine children the last four of whom were born at home at 348 Main Street in Brockport, NY. Angela delivered big babies, 2 at 9lbs. 8oz, 1 at 10lbs. 4oz. and Ryan at 11 lbs. 6 oz. The first three were born at Lakeside and the next 2 were born at The Genesee Hospital in Rochester, NY.
One of the best documentaries on the birthing industry in the United States is Ricki Lake's documentary released on 2008 entitled The Business Of Being Born.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
This is the question asked by the New York Times of New York City kids this week.
The Brockporter is asking this same question of Brockport kids. Maybe their parents could help them.
I'll bet there isn't a kid in Brockport who knows who his/her mayor is, let alone what problem(s) he/she would like to see the mayor work on.
But let's pretend that kids in Brockport were more involved in the politics of the Village and ask them what concerns and ideas they have.
Let's not pretend though, let's really ask them.
If you are a parent or a teacher will you ask them and leave the answer in the comments or send the question and answer to davidgmarkham@gmail.com
Who is your mayor? What has he or she done that you admire? What local problems plague your community or city? What might your mayor do to help solve them?
I'll bet there isn't a kid in Brockport who knows who his/her mayor is, let alone what problem(s) he/she would like to see the mayor work on.
But let's pretend that kids in Brockport were more involved in the politics of the Village and ask them what concerns and ideas they have.
Let's not pretend though, let's really ask them.
If you are a parent or a teacher will you ask them and leave the answer in the comments or send the question and answer to davidgmarkham@gmail.com
Who is your mayor? What has he or she done that you admire? What local problems plague your community or city? What might your mayor do to help solve them?
Friday, September 13, 2013
From Village of Brockport board minutes of 08/05/13:
Update on delinquent parking tickets –
Mayor Blackman said per FBS, parking ticket monies for July were $18,800 which compares with the recent normal take for July of $2,000. The Sweden Court was backlogged and June’s take was $6,000, but they have now caught up.
Editor's note: The problem of unpaid parking tickets has plagued the Village of Brockport and the Town of Sweden for a decade until then Trustee and now Mayor Blackman worked out an arrangement with a private firm to help the Town of Sweden in the collection of these tickets. Blackman's management plan is a great example of what competent governmental management can achieve. Kudos to Mayor Blackman and other Village of Brockport and Town of Sweden staff who have implemented this plan with such good results.
Mayor Blackman said per FBS, parking ticket monies for July were $18,800 which compares with the recent normal take for July of $2,000. The Sweden Court was backlogged and June’s take was $6,000, but they have now caught up.
Editor's note: The problem of unpaid parking tickets has plagued the Village of Brockport and the Town of Sweden for a decade until then Trustee and now Mayor Blackman worked out an arrangement with a private firm to help the Town of Sweden in the collection of these tickets. Blackman's management plan is a great example of what competent governmental management can achieve. Kudos to Mayor Blackman and other Village of Brockport and Town of Sweden staff who have implemented this plan with such good results.
Written for readers 12 and up, and with a foreword by Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth Core and a member of the President's Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships, this beautiful book will educate and inspire youth and adults of all faiths.
by Monica Beck
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Lee Daniels’ The Butler starring Forest Whitaker is an historical drama about the life of Cecil His tenure began in Eisenhower’s term as the country began to challenge the Jim Crow segregation laws of the south. Cecil played the innocent bystander, and did not involve himself in politics. His wife, played by Oprah Winfrey, stood by him and struggled with her own demons.
They had two sons, one who attended Fisk University and participated actively in the Civil Rights movement, which carried him to lunch counters in the south, on ‘freedom rides’ to Alabama, and eventually to jails across the south, while his father worked away in a state of worried silence as the fight for civil rights erupted. He was witness to many private debates that helped create the 1964 Civil Rights Act which was initiated by the Kennedy administration, and enacted by the Johnson administration. Johnson also expanded our presence in South East Asia, where Cecil’s other son chose a different fight—as a soldier in Vietnam where he was free to die for the country that denied him the same rights as his white counterparts.
Cecil’s employment at the White House helped him to provide a middle class lifestyle and standard of living for his family, but at a cost—just like the nameless porters who worked for luxury sleeper-car magnate George Pullman, and who were all referred to as “George”. Cecil, too, was treated as though he were invisible, as the presidential staff conducted conversations which included derogatory comments related to the ‘race question’ and our national policies. Early on he was instructed to “avoid politics”, and never voiced his opinions, even when asked.
As a microcosm of American society, White House employment practices mirrored the same rampant racism and economic disparity that was characteristic of the rest of the country. Several scenes depict Cecil attempting to stand up for his own equal rights, observing that the black staff made 40% of the wages that white staff earned for the same labor, but for many years his observations were met by deaf ears. Surprisingly enough, it was not until the Reagan presidency, that blacks received the same wages, and only because Cecil got the president’s support beforehand. Remember, Ronnie had been a good ‘union man’ in Hollywood.
Throughout the film Cecil interacts with four presidents and their families played by an ensemble cast, including Robin Williams, Jane Fonda (as Nancy Reagan), and John Cusack.
Likewise, Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey (who returned to the cinema for Daniels’ film), give Oscar worthy performances that shouldn’t be missed. It can’t hurt the American psyche to take a personal look at the private battles that some Americans had to fight during the turbulent years of the Civil Rights movement. I say we owe it too them.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
From the TED web site:
Aicha el-Wafi and Phyllis Rodriguez met around a shared tragedy -- and their friendship has become a powerful symbol for forgiveness and dialogue.
Presentation was filmed in December 2010.
Phyllis Rodriguez and Aicha el-Wafi have a powerful friendship born of unthinkable loss.
Rodriguez' son was killed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001; el-Wafi's son Zacarias Moussaoui was convicted of a role in those attacks and is serving a life sentence.
In hoping to find peace, these two moms have come to understand and respect one another.
Aicha el-Wafi and Phyllis Rodriguez met around a shared tragedy -- and their friendship has become a powerful symbol for forgiveness and dialogue.
Presentation was filmed in December 2010.
From Story Corps:
John Vigiano Sr. is a retired New York City firefighter whose two sons followed him into service—John Jr. was a firefighter, too, and Joe was a police detective. On September 11, 2001, both Vigiano brothers responded to the call from the World Trade Center, and both were killed while saving others. Here, John Sr. remembers his sons and reflects on coping with his tremendous loss.
As I mentioned last Tuesday, in my first article in the column on reentry ("The politicians like to tout 3 strikes policies and “get tough on crime” which overlooks the fact that the people we incarcerate come from families, and communities, and unless they die in prison, they all come back. Currently, they come back at the rate of 630,000 per year in the United States, that’s about 1,700 per day. In New York State there are 36,500 formerly incarcerated people on parole and several thousand more on probation. How are they treated when they return home? How do you treat them?") most of the millions of people we have incarcerated in the United States come back home, unless they die in prison, at the rate of about 630,000 per year. Jeremy Travis in his book "But They All Come Back" raises a fundamental question which is, "Does the state have a responsibility to minimize the harmful effects of the transition from prison to community? One answer might be no - the risks of failure are borne entirely by the prisoner, his family, his social network, and the public at large."
Currently a huge number of offenders are returned to prison while on parole for technical violations swelling our prison populations which makes one wonder how good a job we are doing as a society in helping formerly incarcerated people with community adjustment. It has been my experience as a mentor for formerly incarcerated people coming out of prison that our society places tremendous barriers and obstacles in the path of formerly incarcerated people in their attempt at community re-integration. Rather than help, many of our parole regulations, social welfare regulations, stigma against hiring, housing, and providing opportunities for a "normal" community life, increase the likelihood or re-incarceration, not decrease it.
Most Americans, New Yorkers, and Brockporters have no idea what formerly incarcerated people face because we have closed our eyes to the realities out of our fears. Travis writes:
"In short, our legislators, acting in our name through a series of reforms large and small, have dramatically transformed our justice system over the last quarter-century. Unfortunately, this transformation has largely ocurred out of public sight, as we have constructed a hidden world of punishment. Accordingly, the first step in reclaiming our justice system is to foster a public discussion about the current realities of punishment in America, particularly as experienced by millions of prisoners, their families, and the communities to which they return." p.5
The Brockporter will be publishing an article on reentry and our criminal justice system almost every Thursday. If you ask "what does this topic have to do with me" you might consider that New York States Department of Corrections and Criminal Supervision budget is over 3 billion dollars a year. It costs over $60,000.00 per year to keep a person in prison in New York State and over $70.00 per day in Monroe County Jail or about $30,000.00 per year. Is this a good use of our tax dollars? Is the system humane and morally right? It is the firm belief of myself and many experts that there are much better ways of dealing with the criminal problems in our society. I hope you will read along, reflect, and add your own thoughts, ideas, and recommendations to the discussion in the comments, and if you have an article you would like to submit for this feature send it to davidgmarkham@gmail.com
Click on image to enlarge for easier reading.
College achieves its highest-ever ranking in the publication
“It is an honor that our students, faculty, staff, and alumni have again been recognized for their achievements by US News & World Report,” says Brockport President John R. Halstead. “This type of recognition tells the nation what we already know—that the entire Brockport community is completely committed to ensuring the success of our students and our graduates.”
For more click here.
For another view of the U.S. News and World Reports college rankings see John Tierney'a article on the Atlantic.com blog on 09/10/13 by clicking here
You also might want to see the article in the Democract and Chronicle on 09/11/13 by James Goodman that describes the rankings of many local colleges and the indicators which contributed to their rankings by clicking here.
Editor's note: I graduated from SUNY Brockport in 1968. My mother graduated in 1942. 3 of my daughters have graduated from Brockport: Katie, Colleen, and Mary. My 4 siblings and I as well as 4 of my children attended the Campus school back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s before it was closed.
It is very edifying to see the college continue to flourish and provide high quality educations at a very affordable price. Having this resource in the Brockport community in New York State is another reason why I appreciatively and enthusiastically pay my taxes not only without complaint but with much gratitude in my heart for all that my community and State has done for me and my family.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
From the United States Department of Justice web site posted on 09/04/13:
In a settlement agreement with the United States, Safeway, the nation’s second largest grocery store chain, has agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty and implement a corporate-wide plan to significantly reduce its emissions of ozone-depleting substances from refrigeration equipment at 659 of its stores nationwide, estimated to cost approximately $4.1 million, announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice today.
The settlement involves the largest number of facilities ever under the Clean Air Act (CAA)’s regulations governing refrigeration equipment.
The settlement resolves allegations that Safeway violated the federal CAA by failing to promptly repair leaks of HCFC-22, a hydro-chlorofluorocarbon that is a greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance used as a coolant in refrigerators, and failed to keep adequate records of the servicing of its refrigeration equipment. Safeway will now implement a corporate refrigerant compliance management system to comply with stratospheric ozone regulations. In addition, Safeway will reduce its corporate-wide average leak rate from 25 percent in 2012 to 18 percent or below in 2015. The company will also reduce the aggregate refrigerant emissions at its highest-emission stores by 10 percent each year for three years.
“Safeway’s new corporate commitment to reduce air pollution and help protect the ozone layer is vital and significant,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Fixing leaks, improving compliance and reducing emissions will make a real difference in protecting us from the dangers of ozone depletion, while reducing the impact on climate change.”
“This first-of-its-kind settlement will benefit all Americans by cutting emissions of ozone-depleting substances across Safeway’s national supermarket chain,” said Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It can serve as a model for comprehensive solutions that improve industry compliance with the nation’s Clean Air Act.”
HCFC-22 is up to 1,800 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming emissions. The measures that Safeway has committed to are expected to prevent over 100,000 pounds of future releases of ozone-depleting refrigerants that destroy the ozone layer.
EPA regulations issued under Title VI of the CAA require that owner or operators of commercial refrigeration equipment that contains over 50 pounds of ozone-depleting refrigerants, and that has an annual leak rate greater than 35 percent repair such leaks within 30 days.
HCFCs deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, which allows dangerous amounts of cancer-causing ultraviolet rays from the sun to strike the earth, leading to adverse health effects that include skin cancers, cataracts, and suppressed immune systems. Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol, the United States is implementing strict reductions of ozone-depleting refrigerants, including a production and importation ban by 2020 of HCFC-22, a common refrigerant used by supermarkets.
The settlement is part of EPA’s national enforcement initiative to control harmful air pollution from the largest sources of emissions, including large grocery stores.
Corporate commitments to reduce emissions from refrigeration systems have been increasing in recent years. EPA’s GreenChill Partnership Program works with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change by transitioning to environmentally friendlier refrigerants, using less refrigerant and eliminating leaks, and adopting green refrigeration technologies and best environmental practices.
Safeway, headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., is the second largest grocery chain in North America with 1,412 stores in the United States and 2012 revenues of $44.2 billion. Safeway operates companies under the banner of Vons in southern California and Nevada, Randalls in Texas, and Carrs in Alaska. The settlement covers 659 Safeway stores – all Safeway stores in the United States that have commercial refrigeration equipment regulated by the CAA except for those stores in Safeway’s Dominick’s Division, which was the subject of a 2004 settlement with the United States.
The settlement was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. It will be available for viewing at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.
For more information: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/safeway-inc-clean-air-act-settlement.
Editor's note:
The Brockporter, Brockports's online news magazine, features articles on environmental concerns every Wednesday. If you have an idea, topic, or article you would like featured please send it to davidgmarkham@gmail.com.
The settlement involves the largest number of facilities ever under the Clean Air Act (CAA)’s regulations governing refrigeration equipment.
The settlement resolves allegations that Safeway violated the federal CAA by failing to promptly repair leaks of HCFC-22, a hydro-chlorofluorocarbon that is a greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance used as a coolant in refrigerators, and failed to keep adequate records of the servicing of its refrigeration equipment. Safeway will now implement a corporate refrigerant compliance management system to comply with stratospheric ozone regulations. In addition, Safeway will reduce its corporate-wide average leak rate from 25 percent in 2012 to 18 percent or below in 2015. The company will also reduce the aggregate refrigerant emissions at its highest-emission stores by 10 percent each year for three years.
“Safeway’s new corporate commitment to reduce air pollution and help protect the ozone layer is vital and significant,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Fixing leaks, improving compliance and reducing emissions will make a real difference in protecting us from the dangers of ozone depletion, while reducing the impact on climate change.”
“This first-of-its-kind settlement will benefit all Americans by cutting emissions of ozone-depleting substances across Safeway’s national supermarket chain,” said Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It can serve as a model for comprehensive solutions that improve industry compliance with the nation’s Clean Air Act.”
HCFC-22 is up to 1,800 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming emissions. The measures that Safeway has committed to are expected to prevent over 100,000 pounds of future releases of ozone-depleting refrigerants that destroy the ozone layer.
EPA regulations issued under Title VI of the CAA require that owner or operators of commercial refrigeration equipment that contains over 50 pounds of ozone-depleting refrigerants, and that has an annual leak rate greater than 35 percent repair such leaks within 30 days.
HCFCs deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, which allows dangerous amounts of cancer-causing ultraviolet rays from the sun to strike the earth, leading to adverse health effects that include skin cancers, cataracts, and suppressed immune systems. Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol, the United States is implementing strict reductions of ozone-depleting refrigerants, including a production and importation ban by 2020 of HCFC-22, a common refrigerant used by supermarkets.
The settlement is part of EPA’s national enforcement initiative to control harmful air pollution from the largest sources of emissions, including large grocery stores.
Corporate commitments to reduce emissions from refrigeration systems have been increasing in recent years. EPA’s GreenChill Partnership Program works with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change by transitioning to environmentally friendlier refrigerants, using less refrigerant and eliminating leaks, and adopting green refrigeration technologies and best environmental practices.
Safeway, headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., is the second largest grocery chain in North America with 1,412 stores in the United States and 2012 revenues of $44.2 billion. Safeway operates companies under the banner of Vons in southern California and Nevada, Randalls in Texas, and Carrs in Alaska. The settlement covers 659 Safeway stores – all Safeway stores in the United States that have commercial refrigeration equipment regulated by the CAA except for those stores in Safeway’s Dominick’s Division, which was the subject of a 2004 settlement with the United States.
The settlement was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. It will be available for viewing at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.
For more information: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/safeway-inc-clean-air-act-settlement.
Editor's note:
The Brockporter, Brockports's online news magazine, features articles on environmental concerns every Wednesday. If you have an idea, topic, or article you would like featured please send it to davidgmarkham@gmail.com.
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