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Features
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Movie ‘Like
Mike’ sparks
electricity concerns for parents
[JULY
27, 2002]
URBANA — The new 20th
Century Fox movie "Like Mike" is prompting electric industry concern
due to a scene that depicts an extremely hazardous, possibly fatal
act. The Safe Electricity program of the Illinois Electric Council
encourages everyone to help children understand the difference
between the fantasy presented by the movie and reality — that you
can be killed by interfering with electrical equipment.
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"This is another opportunity for
parents to help children understand that what they see in movies or
other entertainment for the most part isn’t ‘real life,’" said Molly
Hall, director of Safe Electricity. "Children should understand that
safety rules are to be followed at all times, even if they see
someone do something dangerous and not get hurt on TV or in a
movie."
"Like Mike" depicts a child who is
struck by lightening while trying to retrieve a pair of sneakers off
of a utility line. The child and the sneakers then become "super
charged" and enable the child to become a star basketball player
like Michael Jordan.
"In reality, such an act is extremely
dangerous, and possibly fatal," Hall said. "Contact with a power
line can cause serious burns or electrocution."
Children who see the movie should be
told never to climb trees or use other means to try to reach power
lines, and not to throw objects at or over power lines or other
electrical equipment.
Safe Electricity urges parents and
others responsible for children to make sure they understand and
follow these basic safety rules:
• Never climb trees near
power lines. Even if the power lines aren’t touching the tree, they
could touch when more weight is added to the branch.
• Fly kites and model
airplanes in large open areas like a park or a field, safely away
from trees and overhead power lines. If a kite gets stuck in a tree
that’s near power lines, don’t climb up to get it. Contact your
electric utility for assistance.
• Never climb a utility
pole. Don’t play on or around pad-mounted electrical equipment.
• If you see a power line
on the ground, stay far away from it and warn others to stay away.
Assume all downed lines are energized. Call your electric utility.
• Never go into an
electric substation for any reason — even on a dare. Electric
substations contain high-voltage equipment which can kill you. Never
rescue a pet that goes inside. Call your electric utility instead.
The Safe
Electricity program is a nonprofit electric industry forum dedicated
to promoting electric safety and efficiency. Illinois Electric
Council member companies include investor-owned electric utilities,
electric cooperatives and the University of Illinois. For more
safety information, visit
www.SafeElectricity.org.
[U of I
news release] |
Tuesday, July 30
6:00 pm
- Luehr's Ideal Rides Bargain
Night
--All rides take
1 ticket
- Veterans Pass in Review - (Grandstand)
7:30 pm
- Logan County
Queen Pageant
Wednesday, July 31
9:00 am
- Open Horse Show
7:30 pm
- Talent Contest
Thursday, August 1
1:30 pm
- Harness Racing
6:00 pm - closing
- Luehr's
Ideal Rides Ride-A-Thon Night
6:30 pm
- Tractor Pull
Friday, August 2
1:30 pm
- Harness Racing
- Senior Citizens Day
7:30 pm
- 4-H Night-- Calf,
Pig, Chicken & Goat Scrambles
Saturday, August 3
8:00 am
- 3 on 3 Basketball
- Chili Cook-off
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Carnival Opens--"Kids Bargain Afternoon"
1:00 pm
- Kids Day--South end of Fairgrounds,
Special
Events Building
- Harness Racing
7:00 pm
- Country Music
Show--Wade Dooley
Sunday, August 4
1:00 pm
- Harness Racing--Downstate Classic Day
- Luehr's Ideal Rides
Family Day
--All rides take 1 ticket
2:00 pm
- 4-H Livestock Auction
6:00 pm
- Demolition
Derby
To order reserved Box &
Track seats, call 217-732-3311
Illinois' Cleanest & Finest
County Fair |
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Stop! Think! Talk! The fine art
of sibling relationships
[JULY
13, 2002]
URBANA — Sibling rivalry is
as old as the hills. Going way back to Cain and Abel, the siblings
fought to biblical proportions. But disagreements between siblings
don’t necessarily have to be a negative part of life, according to
Laurie Kramer, University of Illinois clinical psychologist.
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Kramer sees these squabbles as a golden opportunity for children to learn how to
manage conflict. "It’s a chance for children to learn to deal with negative
emotions, such as anger and frustration, in a safe environment," said Kramer.
"Conflict can also help children to define their beliefs. It helps foster the
development of one’s sense of self."
Through a research and outreach program, "Fun with Brothers and Sisters," Kramer
found that with instruction, modeling, role-playing and positive feedback, young
children can be taught social skills that facilitate healthy sibling
relationships. These children can then go on to use the skills in relationships
outside the home.
In
the study, 4- to 6-year-old children with younger siblings were taught six
important relationship skills. In a laboratory setting, with their parents
watching out of sight, the children learned how to invite their siblings to
play, how to accept an invitation to play and how to turn down an invitation.
They also were exposed to simple strategies for
"perspective-taking" (considering the other’s point of view), handling
frustration and negotiating conflicts.
"As
they played and conflict arose, the children learned to verbalize their angry
feelings instead of enacting them," said Kramer. "And they developed strategies
to manage conflict that combined skills in communication, perspective-taking,
emotional control and problem-solving. These skills helped them respond to
conflict situations constructively and without aggression."
The
children were given instruction, but in addition, toys and dolls were used to
model appropriate behavior. Then they had hands-on opportunities to try out
these new skills in role-playing games in which each child took turns pretending
to be the older or younger sibling.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
The instructors used large signs to
serve as visual clues, helping the children avoid impulsive
behavior. One sign indicated "stop," another triggered them to
"think" and the third to "talk." Finally, the children received
positive feedback as they attempted these newly learned skills.
"After four sessions in the laboratory,
a final session was held in the children’s home to encourage the use
of conflict-management skills in their own environment," said
Kramer.
These children, when compared with
those who merely received instruction through discussion, books and
videotapes, were more likely to respond positively to their
brothers’ or sisters’ requests to play and to consider their
siblings’ point of view. Parents noticed improvements in their
children’s relationships and reported that their older children were
also using the new social skills with their friends.
"These techniques may be useful for
parents," said Kramer. "When the inevitable conflict arises, parents
can encourage children to stop, think about their siblings’
perspective and talk things through."
"Learning
how to get along with brothers and sisters can contribute to
children’s social skills for better or for worse," said Kramer.
"Highly divisive sibling relationships can be predictive of later
problems, such as anti-social and disturbed behaviors in
adolescence. On the other hand, healthy relationships with siblings,
where conflict is well-managed, can last a lifetime and can enhance
a child’s social competence in the world."
[U of I news release]
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Animals
for Adoption
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Free Lab pups,
seven black and one golden. Beautiful, 6 weeks old, well-handled by
children and have great dispositions. Call (217) 445-3032.
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At Logan County Animal Control —
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DOGS
Big to
little, most of these dogs will make wonderful lifelong companions when
you take them home and provide solid, steady training, grooming and
general care. Get educated about what you choose. If you give them
the time and care they need, you will be rewarded with much more
than you gave them. They are entertaining, fun, comforting, and will
lift you up for days on end.
Be prepared to take the necessary time when you bring home a
puppy, kitten, dog, cat or any other pet, and you will be blessed.
[Logan
County Animal Control is thankful for pet supplies donated by
individuals and Wal-Mart.]
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Warden
Sheila Farmer and her assistant, Polly Farmer,
look forward
to assisting you.
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[A friendly-faced 2-year-old male mixed Lab is seeking his
human soul mate.
He's not fixed, and he's good with other dogs.] |
[A purebred Doberman with a sweet disposition, this handsome
1½-year-old male is good with children and other
dogs. His ears are cropped; he is not fixed.] |
[Yes, I have a purple tongue!
That's because I'm a black Labrador and chow chow mix. I'm
male and just 1 year old. I'm not fixed, and I would make a
great farm dog.] |
[Glory is looking for a quiet home where she
can get some TLC. She likes kids. An American bulldog, she is
7 years old and has not been fixed.] |
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Ten reasons to adopt a
shelter dog
1.
I'll bring out your
playful side!
2.
I'll lend an ear to
your troubles.
3.
I'll keep you
fit and trim.
4.
We'll look out for each other.
5.
We'll sniff
out fun together!
6.
I'll keep you
right on schedule.
7.
I'll love you
with all my heart.
8.
We'll have a
tail-waggin' good time!
9.
We'll snuggle
on a quiet evening.
10.
We'll be
best friends always.
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CATS
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[Logan
County Animal Control is thankful for pet supplies donated by
individuals and Wal-Mart.] |
Warden
Sheila Farmer and her assistant, Polly Farmer, look forward
to assisting you. |
In
the cat section there are a number of wonderful cats to
choose from
in a variety of colors and sizes.
Farm
cats available for free!
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[This lovely lady with green eyes is Bailey. She is 3
years old and has been spayed and declawed. She would love a
new home full of love.] |
[This soft-faced 1-year-old male kitty needs a cat lover's
care. He has not been fixed but has been declawed.] |
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These animals and
more are available to good homes from the Logan County Animal
Control at 1515 N. Kickapoo, phone 735-3232.
Fees for animal
adoption: dogs, $60/male, $65/female; cats, $35/male, $44/female.
The fees include neutering and spaying.
Logan County Animal
Control's hours of operation:
Sunday
– closed
Monday –
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tuesday –
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wednesday –
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday –
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday –
8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Saturday –
closed
Warden: Sheila Farmer
Assistant: Polly Farmer
In-house veterinarian: Dr. Lester Thomson
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Electric barrier may stop Asian carp
[JULY
27, 2002]
URBANA — The electric
barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal may effectively
prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan, according to
preliminary research results. In the early stages of an
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant-funded study, researchers found that more
than 99 percent of bighead carp were deterred by a simulated
electric barrier modeled after the actual one.
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Using fish raceways to do controlled
experiments, John Chick and Mark Pegg of the Illinois Natural
History Survey are testing the potential effectiveness of the
present electric barrier, as well as exploring additional barrier
technologies as they relate to Asian carp. Two species of Asian
carp, bighead and silver, are migrating closer to the actual barrier
site, located near Romeoville, Illinois, and have been spotted as
close as 25 miles from Lake Michigan.
Thus far in the study, there were 381
attempts by bighead carp to pass through the simulated barrier — 379
times the fish turned around. Only one fish went through the
barrier, and in fact, did it twice.
"This was a smaller carp, which was not
surprising. Smaller fish are less susceptible to the electric
current," said Pegg. These tests were done for six continuous hours
per day for three days.
Asian carp, which have grown to 50
pounds in U.S. waters, were brought here for use in aquaculture in
the 1970s and escaped into the Upper Mississippi River System. The
populations of these species have increased dramatically in some
areas.
"Asian carp consume zooplankton, which
all fishes typically feed on in their juvenile stages, so they have
the potential to adversely affect every species of fish in the
Mississippi River and Great Lakes," said Pegg.
The electric barrier was turned on in
April in an effort to stop non-native fish from moving between the
Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin. The idea is that as
fish pass through the barrier, they feel increasing levels of
electricity, which leads them to turn around.
"Because the 60-feet wide barrier is
not as strong higher up in the water column where Asian carp are
typically found, there has been some concern that the electric field
may not effectively repel the fish," said Pegg.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Recently, the International Joint
Commission has recommended that a second barrier be installed as a
backup to ensure that the carp and any other invasive fish species
are stopped. And, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has asked Congress for
funding to strengthen the electric barrier and to study ways to keep
invasive species from entering the Great Lakes.
Next, Chick and Pegg will explore
different scenarios using the present electric barrier technology,
varying the strength and width of the electric pulse within the
recommended safety guidelines. They will also experiment with other
barrier methods including "fish guidance systems" that use sound and
a "wall of bubbles."
"We will test the effectiveness of
these technologies and then try them in combination. Perhaps the
fish can become used to one or the other, but in combination, they
may prove successful," added Pegg. They will also test the
effectiveness of these technologies in augmenting the electric
barrier.
Carp have been migrating on their own
towards Lake Michigan, but there is also a risk that anglers and
others who harvest and fish with wild bait may inadvertently
transport these species. "When minnows are harvested for bait,
smaller or newly-hatched carp may tag along," explained Pegg.
There are precautions that anglers can
take to reduce the risk of spreading exotic species, such as the
Asian carp. "Never dispose of your bait by putting it into a water
body," said Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant biological
resource specialist. "Throw unused bait away on land or in the
trash."
If you are fishing with wild bait, use
it on the water body from which it was collected. And you can also
learn to identify Asian carp.
To obtain a U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service brochure on the Asian carp, call (608) 783-8434. You can
also contact Charlebois at (847) 872-0140.
For more
information on invasive species, visit the Illinois-Indiana Sea
Grant site,
www.iisgcp.org.
[U of I
news release] |
Celebrating
American Theatre
Lincoln Community
Theatre
presents
The King and
I
Aug. 2-10
Johnston Center
for the Performing Arts
for ticket
information, call 732-2640
or
click here: http://www.geocities.com/
lincolncommunitytheatre |
Want your
ad to be seen all over Logan County?
Advertise with
Lincoln Daily News!
Call (217) 732-7443
or e-mail
ads@lincolndailynews.com |
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