spotlight ep news august 8, 2013 no. 495

8/22/2019 Spotlight EP News August 8, 2013 No. 495

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SPOTLIGHTEPNEWS.COM AUGUST 08, 2013 PAGE 2

Environmentalists Target Battery MakerRayovac for Bad Record on RecyclingTexas group leads the effort to press number 3 battery

maker to catch up to competitorsTexas Campaign for the EnvironmentTCE, a nonprofit,grassroots group known for its work on electronic wasterecyclinghas announced a campaign to press Rayovac,a major battery manufacturer, to step up their efforts onrecycling and waste reduction. The group asked Rayovacin May to begin taking back their batteries for recycling.Rayovac has refused to join other battery makers such asDuracell, Energizer and Panasonic in new efforts to recy-cle batteries, and in fact encourages consumers to simplythrow their batteries in the trash. Now TCE has beenjoined by 26 other organizations from across the countrycalling on Rayovac , to provide recycling for their batter-

ies in Texas, as they do in Europe.

Rayovac is way behind their competitors when it comesto offering solutions for battery recycling, and its pasttime for them to join these efforts toward sustainability,Robin Schneider, Executive Director of Texas Campaignfor the Environment said. We want them to take backtheir batteries for recycling, to set meaningful goals forthese collections and to support legislation which wouldcreate a level playing field for battery recycling. Thesesolutions have worked for electronics in Texas and a vari-ety of other products nationwide, and now we want Ray-

ovac to help make it a reality for batteries.Rayovac is one of the four largest manufacturers of sin-gle-use batteries. Duracell, Energizer and Panasonic haveall taken steps towards establishing battery takeback recy-cling for consumers. These companies formed the Corpo-ration for Battery Recycling, but Rayovac pulled out ofthe group and instead instructs its customers to dispose oftheir batteries in the household trash. Single-use batteriesare banned from disposal in California and Europe, andare considered universal waste by the EPAa categoryof widely produced, potentially hazardous products whichshould be kept out of normal disposal streams wheneverpossible. Rayovac also produces rechargeable batteries

which are toxic and even more widely banned from dis-posal.

Texas Campaign for the Environment privately calledupon Rayovac, as well as lighting manufacturers Philips,GE and Sylvania to change their policies in May, andRayovac, Philips and Sylvania responded with a refusalin June. Most modern lighting is also toxic, and manufac-turers have also declined to offer their consumers respon-sible solutions for disposal or recycling. TCE was joinedin their public response by organizations from 11 states,including:

Recycle Worlds Consulting, based in Madison,Wisconsin

Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wis-

consin

Northeast Wisconsin Zero Waste Coalition

ReThink Wisconsin, a University of Wisconsin-

Madison student group

Nothing Left to Waste, based in Minneapolis,

Minnesota

Eureka Recycling, based in Minneapolis, Min-

nesota

Michigan Clean Water Action

the New Jersey Environmental Federation

Rhode Island Clean Water Action

Massachusetts Clean Water Action

California Clean Water Action

The Product Policy Institute, a national organ-

ization headquartered in Rockland, Maine

Safe Minds, a national organization headquar-

tered in Huntington Beach, California

Citizens Campaign for the Environment,

based in Farmingdale, New York and Hamden,

Connecticut

Clean and Healthy New York, based in Al-

bandy, New York

Vermont Public Interest Research Group,

based in Montpelier, Vermont

Zero Waste Detroit

CRADLE2, based in Augusta, Maine

Sustainable Energy and Economic Develop-ment (SEED) Coalition, based in Austin, Texas

Basel Action Network, an international organi-

zation based in Seattle, Washington

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives

(GAIA), an international organization based in

Berkeley, California

Electronics Takeback Coalition, based in San

Francisco, California

International Campaign for Responsible Tech-

nology, based in San Jose, California

Eco-Cycle, based in Boulder, Colorado

TCE hopes to bring groups from around the country to-gether in a widespread, creative campaign to change thecompanies policies. The group was previously successfulin pressuring computer-maker Dell, Inc. into offeringtakeback recycling, and went on to successful campaignsagainst a number of major computer and TV makers.These campaigns culminated in state legislation in 2007and 2011 providing for guaranteed manufacturer takebackfor computers and televisions in the state of Texas.We are not afraid to take on big companies that aredoing too little for the planet, Schneider said. We arealso excited when we get to move from opposition to co-operation, and we expect that Rayovac and the lightingcompanies will make changes sooner rather than later.Until then, we intend to organize support to hold these ir-

responsible companies accountable.


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New Media King?

Up until a fewyears ago no one knewwhom Jeff Bezos, founder

and CEO of Amazon.comwas, today he is wellknown not only because ofAmazon and the countlessother products and serv-ices he has developed suchas the popular Kindle e-reader or the streamingmovie service or the hugecloud hosting products andservices offered by Ama-

zon. Now Bezos will bethe sole owner of TheWashington Post and other

affiliated publicationsafter the $250 million saleannouncement on Monday.

The sale is expected to of-ficially close later thisyear. The purchase wasmade solely by Bezos anddoes not involve Amazon.

I, along with KatharineWeymouth and our boardof directors, decided tosell only after years of fa-miliar newspaper-industry

challenges made us won-der if there might be an-other owner who would be

better for the Post (a fter atransaction that would bein the best interest of our

shareholders), said PostChairman and CEO Don-ald Graham in a press re-lease. (The Graham familyhas owned a controllingstake in the Post since the1930s.) Jeff Bezos

proven technology andbusiness genius, h is long-term approach and his per-sonal decency make him a

uniquely good new ownerfor the Post.

The deal includes theWashington Post, as well

as the Express newspaper,the Gazette Newspapers,Southern Maryland News-

papers, Fairfax CountyTimes, El Tiempo Latinoand Greater WashingtonPublishing.

The Washington Post Co.will keep Slate magazine,TheRoot.com and ForeignPolicy, as well as its Ka-

plan for-prof it educationdivision and its broadcastand cable operations.

In a letter to the Post staff,Bezos wrote:There will of course be

change at The Post over

the coming years. Thats

essential and would havehappened with or without

new ownership. The Inter-

net is transforming almost

every element of the news

business: shortening news

cycles, eroding long-reli-

able revenue sources, and

enabling new kinds of

competition, some of

which bear little or no

news-gathering costs.

There is no map, and

charting a path ahead will

not be easy. We will need

to invent, which means we

will need to experiment.

Our touchstone will be

readers, understanding

what they care about

government, local leaders ,

restaurant openings, scouttroops, businesses, chari-

ties, governors, sports

and working backwards

from there. Im excited

and optimistic about the

opportunity for invention.

Only time will tell howthis purchase will pan out,

but i f any indicationshows the new WashingtonPost will certainly be a big

port ion of the digital newsworld. If all fails thenwhats $250 million to a

bill ionaire anyway?

PICTUREFORILLUSTRATION

PURPOSESONLY


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El Paso Parks and Recreation

Department Presents

Melodies at the Park

Summer 2013

August 18th

Armijo Park 710 E. Seventh Street

(79901)

April Ticket Duo

August 25th

Salvador Rivas Park 12480 Pebble Hills

(79938)

Sobredosis del Sabor

FREE

ADMISSIONAll Concerts 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Information(915) 544-0753 or (915) 252-9031

What We Dont Know about ForeclosurePractices May Still Hurt UsBy Amy Bennett, and Angela Canterbury

We already know thatfederal regulators have under-mined accountability for thesystemic and widespreadabuses by mortgage servicingcompanies. In another disturbingdevelopment, the Federal Re-serve and the Office of theComptroller of the Currency(OCC) are refusing to turn overinformation to Members of Con-gress that could help them pre-vent such abuses from happeningagain.

A recent study of the Independent

Foreclosure Review (IFR)process by the Government Ac-

countability Office (GAO) citedsignificant flaws, including a lackof transparency, in the design andimplementation of the process.

The IFR process was created in2011 because several mortgageservicing companies and their af-filiates were found to have regu-larly engaged in questionable,unsafe, and even illegal practices.People who lost their homes orwere in danger of losing theirhomes through foreclosure in2009 and 2010 could use the

process to ask for an independentreview of the action, and could

be compensated if the reviewfound they had suffered financialinjury due to an error or otherproblem. Before any payoutswere made, though an agreementbetween federal bank regulatorsand 13 mortgage serviceproviders ended the IFR reviewprocess for all but a handful ofthese companies.

A few of the serious concernsraised by the GAO are the qualityof work done by some of the in-dependent reviewers and the factpayouts are not correlated withthe actual amount of financialharm. In addition to raising theseissues, the GAO concluded that alack of transparency about theprocess undermined confidencein its findings. Despite theGAOs conclusions, however, theFed and the OCC have decided todouble down on the secrecy sur-

rounding the process: refusing re-quests by Senator ElizabethWarren (D-MA) and Representa-tive Elijah Cummings (D-MD)for information about the IFRprocess, and about specific viola-tions of lawincluding wrongfulforeclosures, excessive fees, andfraudulent affidavits filed incourt.

During the IFR process, about800,000 files were identified for

review. This is a dry and techni-cal way to say that there was rea-son to suspect that about 800,000people and their families werehurt by the mortgage servicingindustrys practices. And, as weall know too well, the damagecaused by these questionable andillegal actions extends well be-yond just the people who losetheir home. Foreclosures pullapart communities and can lower

property values for the entireneighborhood.

Why would the Federal Reserveand the help the mortgage servic-ing industry keep secret informa-

tion about the systemic andwidespread practices that con-

tributed to the near meltdown ofthe financial industry in 2008?And why would they refuse tohelp Members of Congress whoare interested in preventing thesame kind of abuses from hap-pening again?The reasons cited by the Fed andthe OCC for not turning over therequested information are spe-cious. According to an April 10letter sent by Senator Warren andRepresentative Cummings to DenBernanke and Thomas Curry, re-spectively the heads of the Fedand OCC, their staff cited theirobligation to prevent disclosureof confidential supervisory bankexamination information. Stafffor the Fed and the OCC also re-ferred to documents about illegalpractices by a mortgage servingcompany as a trade secret. Asthe letter concisely states, how-ever, Breaking the law is not a

corporate trade secret.

The Fed and the OCCs decisionto deny a Congressional requestfor information suggest that theyare acting less as regulators ofthe financial sector than as pro-tectors of industry. Consideringthat in the wake of the financialcrisis, critics often pointed to theseemingly cozy relationship be-tween government regulators andthe sector they were supposed to

be overseeing, it is time for theFed and the OCC to rethink theirstance. Complying with the re-quest for information is the bestway to make sure those mortgageservicing companies that irre-sponsibly damaged lives andcommunities by engaging in ille-gal acts are held accountable, andto make sure similar practices donot happen again.

------------------------

Bennett is the Assistant Directorof OpenTheGovernment.org and

Canterbury is the Director of

Public Policy of Project On Gov-

ernment Oversight POGO

--------------------------


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El Paso Museum of History Presents

The Missions of Spain in

the BorderlandsLecture Series

Images:

Courtesyo

fDr.

Lorenzo

Can

de

laria

The El Paso Museum of His-tory, located at 510 NorthSanta Fe Street, is pleased topresent The Missions of Spainin the Borderlands Lecture Se-ries which will complementthe current Fourth Wall of Gi-ants on display. On Saturday,August 10, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.join Dr. Lorenzo Candelaria ashe gives an illustrated talk on

Mission Music in the Francis-can Southwest. This programis being made possible in partwith a grant from HumanitiesTexas, the state affiliate of theNational Endowment for theHumanities and is free andopen to all.

Today, music is an integralpart of any church service. Butwhat was done for music inthe early missions? This fasci-

nating illustrated lecture willpresent an overview of howthe Franciscan Order usedmusic and dance to overcomecultural barriers in theCatholic education of nativecommunities in what is nowthe American Southwest. Thepresentation begins by lookingat music and dance in the mis-sions of Mexicos central val-ley and extends northward

through El Paso, Texas and to-

ward Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Dr. Lorenzo Candelaria is pro-fessor of music at the Univer-sity of Texas at Austin. Hisresearch focuses on Catholic

music in sixteenth-century

Spain and its subsequent im-pact on devotional cultures inLatin America and the south-western United States. Dr.Candelaria is an accomplishedviolinist, an active lecturer,

and author. His recent booksincludeAmerican Music: APanorama and The Rosary

Cantoral: Ritual and Social

Design in a Chantbook from

Early Renaissance Toledo. Heis currently writing a book ti-tledMusic in Early MexicanCatholicism.

For more information and toreserve a seat, contact SueTaylor at 915.351.3588 or tay-

[email protected].

Arts andCraftsFairat VeteransRecreation

CenterWho: El Paso Parks andRecreation DepartmentWhat: Arts and Crafts Fair

When: Saturday Au-

gust 17, 2013 (9:30 a. m. 1:30 p.m.)Where: Veterans RecreationCenter, 5301 Salem St.

The event is free to the publicand vendor space is available

for $5.Information

Tracy Flores - (915)

821-8909

El Paso, Texas - The City ofEl Paso Parks and Recre-

ation Department will hostan Outdoor Adventure Campstarting at 4:00 p.m. on

August 9, 2013 through Sat-urday, August 10th conclud-ing at 10:00 a.m. at GalatzanPark, 650 Wallenberg Dr.

The Family Camp Out willhave games, swimming,(next door at Leo CancellareMemorial Aquatic Center)and much more. The regis-

tration fee is $5 per child (17years of age and younger)and $10 per adult (18 yearsof age and older).

Registration will remain open

until all spots are filled. Allfamilies must provide theirown tents, food, drinks, (noalcohol) and supplies. Campspaces in the park will be ona first come first servedbasis

Registration is available on-line atwww.elpasotexas.gov/parksor at any Recreation Center.There is no minimum age,

however all children mustbe supervised by an adult atall times.Information (915) 544-0753

August OutdoorAdventure Camp Out

Family Camp Out at Galatzan Parkon August 9, 2013

On Friday August 16, 2013From 6:00 pm-9:00 pmAt: El Papalote ICDC (1101 E.Schuster Ave.)Children with Special Needs are

FREE.Scholarships available for Sib-lings.

Must call to reserve your slot at(915) 544-8484 and askfor Norma Perez or Gilda Lopez.Please bring $2 (cash exact changeplease) per child for pizza, or bringtheir own dinner.

This is made possible by the Texas

Department of State Health Serv-

ices- Children with Special Health

Care Needs

GENETICS & Visual

ImpairmentsPresentation

By

Juan Angel Jasso, MDNeonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Medical GeneticsOn

Wednesday August 28, 201310:00 am- 12:00 pm

atPaso del Norte Childrens Development Center

1101 E. Schuster Ave.Please call 915-544-8484 or email to

[email protected] confirm your participation.This presentation is FREE!


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7/55


STARS SCHOLARSHIP FUND

EXPANDS TO EL PASO AND

WILL WELCOME GENERAL

COLIN POWELL IN OCTOBER

Stars Scholarship Fund is proud to announce that thefirst annual El Paso Extravaganza will feature 65th Sec-retary of State, General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) onWednesday, October 16, 2013. General Powell is a

member of the board of directors of the Council on For-eign Relations. He is on the Executive Leadership Cabi-net of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and is theHonorary Chairman of the education center for the Viet-nam Veterans Memorial. He also serves on the board ofthe Smithsonian Institutes African American Museumof History and Culture.

His autobiography, My American Journey, was a bestseller and has been published in more than a dozen dif-ferent languages. His second book, It Worked For Me,reveals the lessons that shaped his life and career andwas an instant best-seller when it was published in May2012.

The 2013 Stars Extravaganza is a private event. We in-vite local businesses to support our initiatives by be-coming sponsors of the 2013 El Paso Extravaganza. Oursponsors will enjoy the benefits of attending the Extrav-aganza, which includes a private event prior to the pres-entation by General Powell on Diplomacy: Persuasion,Trust & Values and year round media exposure. Starsexpenses are underwritten by L&F Distributors and An-heuser-Busch, enabling Stars Scholarship Fund to direct100 percent of every dollar contributed by sponsors to-

wards student scholarships.

This years event will be the 1st Extravaganza held in ElPaso. The Stars Extravaganzas have historically beenheld in Laredo, the Rio Grande Valley and in CorpusChristi. Previous presenters for our events have in-cluded Seth Meyers, Karl Rove and Steve Forbes.Stars Scholarship Fund is proud of the partnerships thathave been formed with hundreds of businesses, organi-zations, colleges and universities since inception in2002. Together our joint efforts have helped raise nearly$19 million and assisted 9,199 students from our com-munity receive a higher education through scholarships.Stars Scholarship Fund is proud to expand in to El Pasothis year and to serve the students of west Texas.The 2012 Stars Extravaganzas held in the three marketsproved to be extremely successful. The funds that wereraised will translate to $2.3 million in scholarships toassist 1,100 students for the 2013/2014 academic year.The number of scholarships Stars Scholarship Fund canaward is directly related to the success of our Extrava-ganzas, therefore we strive to ensure each Extravaganzais better than the last. With the addition of the El PasoExtravaganza, Stars Scholarship Fund will be able to as-sist more students for the 2014/2015 academic year

from both south and west Texas.To become a sponsor of the 2013 Stars Extravaganza inEl Paso or for more information on the Stars Scholar-ship Fund, please visit our website atwww.StarsScholarship.org.


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Department, Partners Release Community Health AssessmentInitiative works to assess and improve health in El Paso

El Paso, Texas The City of ElPaso Department of Health, incollaboration with several com-munity partners has released

the final Community HealthAssessment and ImprovementPlan 2013. The CommunityHealth Assessment (CHA) is asystematic method to identify acommunitys unmet healthneeds. The improvement planaddresses those needs throughcollaborative initiatives.

Some of the key findings andinitiatives to address those find-ings include the

following:

Overweight, Obesity,

and lack of Physical

ActivityEl Paso ranks 50% higher inthe number of physically inac-

tive adults (28%) compared tothe State of Texas (19%). El Paso County has a higherpercentage of overweight adults

(38.7%) than Texas (36.5%)and the U.S. (36.3%). In 2010, El Paso County had arate of 5.8% recreation and fit-ness facilities per 1,000 people,lower than Texas 7.2% andU.S. 9.7% rates. Effects of lack of physical ac-tivity The centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC)state that as weight increases tothe levels of obesity, the riskfor health conditions also in-

creases. These include: coro-nary heart disease, cancer(endometrial, breast, colon),high blood pressure, stroke,liver disease, and osteoarthritis. Initiatives include establishingand promoting Move! El Pasotrails throughout the City, host-

ing an annual city-wide walk,partnering with local restau-rants to develop healthy menus,and establishing community

vegetable gardens.

Heavy Alcohol

Consumption including

Binge Drinking16% percent of El PasoCounty residents report heavyalcohol consumption; this isabove the Texas average of13.1% and similar to the U.S.average.

One of the main local treat-ment facilities reported, in a 5month period, 48% of malesidentified alcohol as their sub-stance of choice.Driving while intoxicated(DWI) arrests increased sharplybetween 2005 and 2012.

The 2005 DWI arrests totaled178 and increased to 411 in2012, a 130% increase. Between 2009 and 2012 the

El Paso Police Department andthe El Paso County SheriffsDepartment report that the Cityand County of El Paso had 145alcohol-related fatal car acci-dents, and over 13,000 reportedDWIs. Some of the health effects ofheavy drinking are- chronicdisease such as liver cirrhosis(damage to liver cells) pancre-atitis (inflammation of the pan-creas), cancer including liver,

mouth, high blood pressure,psychological disorders, unin-tentional injuries (car crashes,falls, burns, drowning), inten-tional injuries (firearm injuries,sexual assault, and domestic vi-olence), increased on-the-jobinjuries and loss of productiv-ity. Initiatives include commu-nity-wide awareness cam-paigns in partnership with lawenforcement, drug treatmentagencies, advocacy groupssuch as Mothers Against DrunkDrivers (MADD), conferences,and education for area stu-dents.

Cancer El Paso Countys 2005 2009 prostate cancer incidence

rates were higher than found inboth Texas and the U.S. El Paso Countys prostatecancer incidence rate was

172.8/100,000 compared to141.8/100,000 in Texas and151.4/100,000 in the U.S. El Paso Countys 2005 2009cervical cancer incidence rateswas above the State and Na-tional rates andHealthy People2020 target. El Paso Countys cervicalcancer incidence rate was10.1/100,000, compared to9.5/100,000 for the State and8/100,000 for the U.S.

Initiatives include: commu-nity-awareness campaigns, pro-moting prostate cancer earlyscreenings, and HPV vaccinecampaigns.

Diabetes The 2010 El Paso County per-centage of residents reportingdiabetes was 12.2%, comparedto 9.7% in the Texas, and 8.7%in the U.S.

Some of the health effects ofdiabetes are: kidney disease,nerve damage, eye and dentaldisease.Initiatives include education,healthy diet initiatives such asEat Well! El Paso and theMove! El Paso walking trails.

Medically UninsuredBetween 2008 and 2010, thepercentage of those uninsuredin El Paso was double that

found in the U.S., with 30% ofEl Paso County residents unin-sured compared to 15% of U.S.residents.Texas also has a lower per-centage of uninsured residentsin comparison to El PasoCounty.Initiatives include promotingand facilitating linkages tohealth insurance exchanges,and promoting access to health-care facilities for the uninsured.

The assessment and improve-ment plan is made possiblethrough the effort, and partici-pation of a cross section ofhealth service organizations,community leaders, and stake-holders committed to improvethe health and well-being ofthe community. The Commu-nity health assessment and Im-provement Plan 2013 is

available online on the City ofEl Paso Department of PublicHealths web at:

www.EPHealth.com

For more information on theprograms and services offeredby the Departmentof Public Health, call 2-1-1.

Texas Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend

Aug. 9 to 11(AUSTIN) Texas ComptrollerSusan Combs reminds shoppers theannual sales tax holiday weekend isscheduled for this Friday, Saturdayand Sunday, Aug. 9-11.

Families can save money by not payingsales tax on most clothing, footwearand school supplies priced under

$100. Lists of tax-free items can befound at www.TexasTaxHoliday.org.The sales tax holiday weekend inTexas has been an annual event since

1999.Shoppers are

expected to save anestimated $78.9 million instate and local sales taxes during thesales tax holiday.


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WEDNESDAY

AUG 14THURSDAY

AUG 8

High: 93 Low: 74 High: 96 Low: 73 High: 95 Low: 71 High: 93 Low: 71 High: 94 Low: 73

TUESDAY

AUG 13

FRIDAY

AUG 9SUNDAY

AUG 11MONDAY

AUG 12

High:97 Low: 74

SATURDAY

AUG 10


By: Doppler Dave Speelman

Answer:C-2onaverage

How much rain does El Paso normally receive for themonth of August? (our wettest month of the year)

In a Drought, but Getting Better

A. 1

B. 1.5

C. 2

D. 2.3

E. 3.4

Weather Trivia:

Partly Cloudy20% Rain

Partly Sunny30% Storms

Partly Sunny20% Rain, Breezy

Mostly Sunny20% Rain

Weather 101

Partly Sunny20% Storm

Spotlight E.P.Weather

Doppler" Dave Speelman is the chief meteorologist at KVIA-TV in El Paso. You can watch his forecasts at 4,5, 6 and 10 pm on ABC-7 (channel 6 cable). If you would like Doppler Dave to address (explain) any weatherissues you can email him at [email protected].

High: 93 Low: 72

The last few weeks have been good for the El Paso area. The recent rains have greened up the city,put smiles on many of our faces and provided a lot of free water to area farmers being hurt by thedrought.

July is normally our second wettest month of the year followed by August. We have already re-ceived just over three inches of rain at the El Paso International airport for July. I only pray we cancontinue this latest wet trend for this month. Early indications, from the latest computer models,point towards the positive side of rainfall.

One ABC-7 viewer has asked how our drought situation is looking. The U.S. Drought Monitor putsthe El Paso area in the Abnormally Dry slot, upgraded from being in the Moderate Drought.Most of southern New Mexico continues to be in the Severe or Extreme category.Although we have picked up a great supply of rain recently, we are still considered in a drought. TheEl Paso area has been below normal for precipitation the last four years and it will take some time tomake up that deficit.

Here is how the drought situation looks all across the country. Graphic and data courtesy of theU.S. Drought Monitor.

Partly Cloudy20% Rain

Partly Sunny

30% Rain

SPOTLIGHTEPNEWS COM AUGUST 08 2013 PAGE 10


10/55


El Paso, TX Sierra Provi-dence Health Network is of-fering free seminars onvarious topics including:Caregiving, Childbirth,Baby care, Weight LossSurgery and MaternityTours. To register, pleasecall 577-SPHN (7746).

Maternity Tours:Our free tours are heldMonday through Friday8:30a.m.-4:30p.m. on awalk-in basis at SierraMedical Center Labor andDelivery located on the 5thfloor and at Providence Me-morial Hospital, Labor andDelivery on the 2nd floor.Tour Dates: Monday-Friday

Time: 8:30a.m. To 4:30p.m.

Places: Sierra MedicalCenter, Labor & Delivery onthe 5th floor at 1625 Med-ical Center or ProvidenceMemorial Hospital,Labor& Delivery 2ndfloor at 2001 N. Oregon.

Healthy Eating

Seminar: Join us for aseminar on healthy eating

where well offer nutritionalinformation and healthymeal tips.Class Date:Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Time: 6p.m.Place: Sierra MedicalCenter, 1625 MedicalCenter Drive

Caregiver Series:Join us for an ongoing com-

munity education series onall aspects of being a care-giver. This months topic is:Making living arrangements

for your loved one; Caringfor your loved oneClass Date: Wednesday,August 21, 2013

Time: 6:00p.m.Place: Total Care ImagingWest, 601 Sunland Park Dr.

Sibling Class: This

class prepares young chil-dren 3-8 years of age for anew brother or sister in thefamily.Class Date: Thursday,

August 22, 2013

Time: 6:30p.m.Place: Providence Memo-rial Hospital - 2001 N. Ore-gon Auditoriums B & C.

Prepared Child-

birth - LamazeClass: This 4 week classis preparation for birth withan emphasis on Lamazerelaxation and breathingtechniques,And the role of thecoach/father during laborand birth.

Class Date: Saturday,

August 24, 2013

Time: 9:00a.m.Place: Sierra Medical, Dr'sDining Cafe - Lower Level,1625 Medical Center DriveClass Date: Tuesday,

August 27, 2013Time: 7:00p.m.Place: Providence Memo-rial Hospital - 2001 N. Ore-gon Auditoriums B & C.

Please call 577-SPHN

(7746) to register forclasses. All classes

are FREE.

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AUGUST 19-26, 2013

SPOTLIGHTEPNEWS COM AUGUST 08 2013 PAGE 11


11/55


Celebrate National FarmersMarket Week at

the Downtown Artist andFarmers Market!

Since the launch of the Downtown Art & Farmers Market in June,close to 8,000 El Pasoans have visited to buy local produce, artand take advantage of the fun, family atmosphere. In observanceof National Farmers Market Week, the Downtown Artist andFarmers Market will be holding a celebration on August 10, 2013.Join us from 9 am -1 pm for

Local Arts and Crafts Regionally Grown produce Cooking Demo from The Green Ingredient at 10 am Live Music from Kiko Rodriguez (Frontera Bugalu) and

Amalia Castro (Oussa Bossa) at 11 am in Union Plaza Park Free Kids Activity Food Truck Vendors on San Francisco Street include: El PasosWurst, Food Gallery, Moshi Box, Little Luna Pizza, and manymore!

The celebration is in recognition of the positive benefits of farm-ers markets on communities that include:

Preservation of Americas Rural Livelihoods and Farmland

Stimulation of Local Economies

Increase Access to Fresh, Nutritious Food

Support Healthy Communities

The Downtown Art & Farmers Market is located in the UnionPlaza District on Anthony Street (Off of San Antonio), TheDowntown Artist and Farmers Market is open from 9 am 1 pm,every Saturday.

August 10, 2013

Farmers Market Celebration

Cutbacks interfere withFamily Planning in TexasBy Anne Dunkelberg and Stacey Pogue

Amid the divisive de-bate over Texas controversialabortion bill that Gov. RickPerry signed into law in July,proponents and opponents haveone goal in commonreducingthe number of abortions. Thebill, which spent weeks in theheadlines and drew thousandsof Texans to the Capitol, bansthe procedure after 20 weeksand will force most of Texas li-censed abortion clinics in ruralareas to close, disproportion-ately affecting low-incomewomen and those who livehundreds of miles from majormetro areas. Unfortunately, theabortion bill missed an oppor-tunity to address prevention.

According to the GuttmacherInstitute, more than 40 percentof unintended pregnancies endin abortions. Clearly, reducing

the number of abortions de-pends on reducing unplannedpregnancies in the first place,and that requires access to fam-ily planning services. Preven-tion is key to reducing thenumber of unplanned pregnan-cies, and the Texas Legislatureneeds to adequately invest infamily planning services forlow-income women and ensurethere are enough doctorsthroughout the state to treatthese women.

Unfortunately, Texas statefamily planning programs arestill dealing with the devastat-ing impact of the 2011 budgetcutstwo-thirds of funding forfamily planning at the Depart-ment of State Health Serviceswas slashed, causing more than140,000 low-income Texaswomen to lose access to contra-

ception and at least 56 clinicsto close entirely. The goodnews is that in the 2013 ses-sion, legislators committed tore-investing in family planning

programs that will provide ac-cess to approximately the samenumber of women that weregetting services before the 2011cuts. Regaining that ground isimportant, especially consider-ing that Texas family planningprogramsbefore the 2011cuts and now after restoredfundingonly cover about onethird of the more than one mil-lion low-income women whoneed access to care.

Of even greater concern, evenafter the restoration of funds,are the challenges in repairingthe tattered safety net and en-suring there are enough clinicsand doctors to treat womenacross the entire state. Just be-cause money will becomeavailable again doesnt meanall 56 closed clinics will re-open. Clinics that may do so

cant just flip a switch and sud-denly begin seeing patientsagainthey will need time toperhaps find new office space,hire or rehire staff, train newstaff, and, most importantly,raise awareness among localwomen that the clinic is, infact, able to treat them again.

The challenge of ensuring thereare enough doctors throughout

the state who can treat Texaswomen also remains a concern.With recent state rule changes,Planned Parenthood histori-cally the largest family plan-ning provider in Texascannotparticipate in the TexasWomens Health Program andis virtually cut off from receiv-ing state funds through DSHS.Without the services of such alarge provider, on top of severaldozen other family planningproviders having shut theirdoors, serious questions remainas to whether the remainingTexas clinics that were able tostay open after budget cuts canhandle more patients. Simplyput, fewer providers make itharder for women to accesshealth care.

As we move forward, the TexasLegislature must continue in-

vesting in more robust familyplanning programs and work-ing to make sure there are trulyenough doctors to treat women.At a hearing during the secondspecial session, Sen. Jane Nel-son made a commitment to fo-cusing on family planningprogram funding during the in-terim, Lt. Governor Dewhurstindicated support for her ef-forts, and other Senators have

formally requested interimstudies on family planningservices Still, the ultimate solu-tion to providing low-incomewomen with quality and afford-able health care is to expandMedicaid to Texas adults underthe Affordable Care Act, whichwill simultaneously providewomen with the family plan-ning and other essential healthcare they need and bring fed-eral dollars to Texas. Researchshows that when births are tooclose together, the health ofboth baby and mother can becompromised. Health insur-ance and family planning carefor low-income Texas womenwill not only ensure they arehealthy but will help them planthe timing of births to achievefinancial stability so they canraise their families, escapepoverty, and join the middle

class.---------------------------

Anne Dunkelberg is the associ-ate director and senior health

policy analyst at the Center for

Public Policy Priorities and

Stacey Pogue is CPPP senior

health policy analyst.

The Texas Lone Star Forum

8/2013

---------------------------

SPOTLIGHTEPNEWS.COM AUGUST 08 2013 PAGE 12


12/55


NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING

AUTHORALISA VALDESTO VISIT ELPASO SATURDAY, AUGUST 10TH

Best known for her blockbuster hit novelThe Dirty Girls Social Club

The Journalist & Film Producer will keynote

Mujeres and Amigas

El Paso, Texas-August 1, 2013Alisa Valdes will address thewomen of El Paso at the Sec-ond Annual Wise Latina Inter-national Mujeres and

Amigas: An Afternoon of Sis-

terhood on Saturday, August10, 2013 at the InternationalMuseum of Art, 1211 MontanaAve. The event will kick off at10:00 a.m. and Ms. Valdes willspeak immediately after theluncheon at 1:00 p.m.

Hailed as the The LatinaTerry McMillan by theChicago Tribune and others,Alisa is the first U.S. bornLatina author to write com-mercial mainstream womensfiction about successfulwomen who just happened tobe Latinas. I did this she says,Because I couldnt find thekind of book I wanted to read,and instead of being annoyedby this, I wrote them.

Alisa was named one of the 25Most Influential Hispanics in

the United States by Timemagazine; one of the 100 MostInfluential Hispanics in theUnited States by HispanicBusiness magazine whileLatina Magazine named herWoman of the Year. Enter-tainment Weekly hailed her asa Breakout Literary Star andCNNnamed her among its 20Most Influential U.S. Hispan-ics.

As a New York Times andUSA best-selling author, MsValdes has published morethan a dozen commercialwomens fiction, young adultnovels, and memoirs. TheDirty Girls Social Club soldclose to 700,000 copies in theUnited States alone, as well asbeing published in 11 differentlanguages around the world in-cluding Icelandic, Dutch, Ger-man, Portuguese, Chinese,French, Polish, and Korean.Legendary American authorTom Wolfe has said Alisa isone of the most important so-

cial critics of our time.

Currently, The Dirty GirlsSocial Club: The Movie is in

development through ValdesEntertainment EnterprisesLLC, a production companyshe founded and serves asmanaging partner. In partner-ship with Oscar-winningscreenwriter Ron Bass thecompany is developing Alisasnovels for the big and smallscreen.

Ms. Valdes has a Masters inJournalism from ColumbiaUniversity, is a Pulitzer-nomi-nated, award-winning formerstaff writer for the BostonGlobe andLos Angeles Timesand was a former Emmy-win-ning TV reporter for WHDHTV. She has written and soldpilot scripts toNickelodeon,NBC, andLifetime Television.Her latest novel recentlyreleased is The Temp-tation of Demetrio

Vigil.

Wise Latina Interna-

tional, a non-profit or-ganization dedicatedto empowering andeducating women ofall ages and walks oflife, hosts Mujeresand Amigas. WLIuses entertainment,cultural and per-forming arts and

related activities toenlighten and raiseawareness, to de-velop leaders and

mentors, to support and en-courage women to overcomeracial, cultural and economicbarriers. WLI promotes self-

respect, self-determination,and self-sufficiency.

Tickets forMujeres and Ami-gas are $20 and include Cafy Pan Dulce being sponsoredby The Cake Boutique andlunch being catered by TheGreen Ingredient. Attendeeswill be treated to museumtours, writing workshops, localartists vendor booths, mas-sages, health screenings, freehealth and beauty treatments,and performing artists. Dr.Gina Nunez, professor of An-thropology and Sociology atUTEP will be giving the Kick-Off address.

To reserve tickets call (915)204-1164 or (915) 820-1987.

CALL TO

ARTISTSREQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

City of El Paso Sun MetroAdministration,

Operations and Maintenance Facility

Deadline August 23,2013

In partnership with the City of El Pasos

Mass Transit Department identified as Sun

Metro, the City of El Pasos Public Art Pro-

gram seeks to commission a professional

artist or artist team to design, fabricate and

install an exterior site-specific, original pub-

lic artwork for the Sun Metro Administration,

Operations and Maintenance Facility. To ac-

cess application, go to www.callforentry.org

and look for City of El Paso Sun Metro Ad-

ministration, Operations and Maintenance

Facility

About the Project

Sun Metro is in the construction phase ofthe transit administration, operations and

maintenance facility to be completed in Jan-

uary 2014. The transit operations facility is

going to be approximately 145,017 sq. ft. in

total area.

Expressed area of interest is, but is not lim-

ited to: exterior public art work integrated

within the landscape that can be viewed by

commuters traveling along Montana Avenue

which is a major state highway that runsthrough a large portion of the City of El

Paso.

Application

All interested artists are encouraged to

apply and review further details of the RFQ

at www.callforentry.org and submit applica-

tion by August 23rd by 5:00pm

MST.

For more information please visit www.elpa-

soartsandculture.org and click on the Pub-

lic Art tab.


13/55

Sharon Mosley

When a new fashion season arrives, it's time for cel-ebration, especially when it comes to fall. Let's faceit as the summer winds down, we're ready tochill out and warm up to cozy sweaters and boots.Here are 10 of fall's favorite must-haves to put onyour shopping list:

A knee-length coat. I knowit may be a bit early to think about buying a newcoat, but the toppers this fall are breaking bad. Thenewest silhouettes are roomy, menswear-inspired,knee-length designs that will wrap you up in style.And if you really want to get in on the latest coattrend, go pastel and think blush pink.

The chunkysweater.Another fallwarm-up, the knits this seasonare bigger and bolder per-fect to wear with skinny jeansor leggings. Think thick fish-erman cables or Fair Isle pat-terns in pullovers and evenvests.

The fullerskirt. Time to twirl. While

the classic pencil skirt is always astyle basic, the flirty "tulip" skirtsare flipping out this fall. They're theswingy counterpoint to the belted '40s-style suit jackets and coats that playsoff the Dior fit-and-flare silhouette.

The moto jacket.It's leather weather, and the motorcycle jacket outfit-ted with a military vibe and lots of hardware is oneof fall's most revved up looks. Pair it with distressedjeans for a casual look or a tweed skirt for a creative

work style.

The plaid prints. Think plaidshave to be for the preppy kids only? Think again.

The popular tartans have way outgrown their IvyLeague past and now have more of a tough-girl edgeshowing up in designer collections in everythingfrom short cropped jackets to babydoll dresses toskinny jeans. Pair your plaids with leather or blackand you've really got the new pep in prep.

The wide leg pant. Moveover skinny jeans, here comes the swagger. Widerleg pants are sailing into fall with great style ridingthe wave of the pajama party. Easy and breezy, thesepants are best teamed with the cropped jackets andfitted sweaters.

The fluffy fur. Get ready to gowild and wooly with the plush new furs. Whether

you like the real thingor prefer to do

faux,you'll

find

plentyof thefluffstuff

fromboleros

to vests.Even shoes and

sunglasses get the furry treatment this fall.

A colorful tweed suit.Suits are back in classic nubby tweed. And these

tweeds have come out of the mothballs. MissMarple? Not! The newest tweeds will brighten upany wardrobe with vivid youthful colors like cobaltblue or emerald green or hot pink.

The pointy toepump or boot. It's an instantupdate. Change your shoes; change yourfashion life. And this fall, it's time to getto the point. Pointed toes are thenewest way to go whether it's apump with a metallic toe or a

lace-up granny bootie. Tip:Don't get cramped with thesenew styles. Experiment withone size larger and use gelinserts for cushioning.

Thefoldoverclutch. This one isa no-brainer. These en-

velope-style handbagscan hold it all fromiPads to iPhones, filesand more. They can gofrom day to eveningand back again andeasily slip inside abigger tote. The lat-est updates includelots of embossedsnakeskin details,metal studs and zip-

pers. A little punkypurse can go a longway on style this fall.

Sharon Mosley is a for-

mer fashion editor of

the Arkansas Gazette

in Little Rock and

executive director

of the Fashion

Editors and Re-

porters

Association.

COPYRIGHT 2013CREATORS.COM

The enve-lope clutch is

one of fall'sfavorite fash-

ion trends.Shown: The

foldoverleather clutchfrom RK New

York's latestcollection.



14/55

the Savage truth on Money by terry SavageSuStainable living by Shawn Dell Joyce

Green Your VacationDid your travel plans get curtailed this summerlike many other Americans? Rising gas pricesand a slow economic recovery have many peo-ple rethinking vacations.

Driving is the easiest travel option, but it is get-ting more expensive and is one of the leadingcauses of climate change, generating almost 20pounds of carbon emissions for every gallon ofgas used.

Air travel seems like it would be more efficientsince more people travel in less time. However,a single transatlantic flight for a family of fourcreates more carbon emissions than that familywill generate domestically for an entire year.

Consumer Reports points out that a flight fromNew York to Los Angeles can generate from1,924 to 6,732 pounds of carbon depending onthe carbon calculator you use (and variables infuel efficiency, passenger load and air traffic).Although air travel is seen as the most conven-ient method of travel, it is also the most envi-ronmentally devastating, leading manyconscientious passengers to resort to carbon off-sets.

According to TerraPass, Inc., offsetting thatflight would cost around $10. Your ten bucks isinvested in clean energy and efficiency projectssuch as wind farms, which results in verified re-ductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

If you're traveling great distances, the mostfuel-efficient way to travel is by train, accord-ing to the U.S. Department of Energy. In a re-cent report, the DOE states that Amtrak onan energy-consumed-per-passenger-per-milebasis is 18 percent more energy efficientthan commercial airlines.

Nearly 1 billion tourists crisscross the globeevery year, now more than ever it's so importantthat we tread lightly wherever we go.

Here are a few ways to savefuel costs and emissions thissummer:

Take a local vacation. Stay closer tohome, and explore the places you haven't beenin your own community. Set aside a week oflocal family fun, and schedule a different localmuseum, farm or small town for each day. Planyour stops according to the route of a train orbus to maximize your efficiency.

Explore the rail trails in your

area by bicycle. Most communities haverail trail projects connecting larger cities bywalking and biking paths. Explore your area byriding in five miles sections each day. Use rail-stotrails.org to find local places.

Stay in a green hotel when possi-

ble. If you strive to be green at home, why noton vacation as well? Check out the websitesfrom greenhotels.com and environmental-lyfriendlyhotels.com for ideas.

Travel with friends, and share thecosts and carbon of each car trip. If you car-

pool, then share a vacation rental includingmeals, you form tighter friendship bonds, useless gas, and eat out less.

Stay with friends or camp. Hotelsare very resource intensive, from air condition-ing and cleaning to disposables. When you staywith friends, you lighten the environmental andeconomic costs. Use gocamping.com and otherwebsites to pick a perfect spot for your family.

Consider a working vacation andvolunteer to work on an organic farm located ina place you wish to visit. Many countries alsohave programs for whole families to spend avacation working as part of a relief effort.Globeaware.org and globalvolunteers.org arehelpful resources.

Indulge in roadside attractionsby visiting the places near you that you secretlyalways wanted to see but never went to. Youknow, the ones advertised on giant billboardson the major highway. Usually they are caverns,zoos or other unique oddities that you reallyshould see at least once.

Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning colum-

nist and founder of the Wallkill River School in

Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at

[email protected].

COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM

PICTUREFOR

ILLUSTRATIONPURPOSESONLY

Detroits Warning for ChicagoDetroit's bank-ruptcy filing

has a messagefor the rest ofthe county: Yourcity or state might

be next if you don'tfix your finances! Un-like the federal government,cities and states can't "print" themoney to pay for their prom-

ises. And the most egregiouspromises have been made topublic workers, many of whomare now retired and living ontheir pensions.

I'm especially aware of that as alifelong resident of the city ofChicago, which has just suf-fered a triple credit ratingdowngrade because of its hugeunfunded city pension obliga-

tions. Since Chicago's pensionfunding depends on state sup-port, and Springfield is in a pen-sion stalemate, the problem isdirectly in the hands of themayor and in the pockets of cityresidents. It's a political and fi-nancial nightmare.

The bottom line is that Illinoisis in a financial mess nearly asdevastating as Detroit, despiteraising personal and corporate

tax rates. In cutting Illinois'bond rating last month, Fitchratings service noted, "Illinois'annual pension funding require-ments have been increasing sig-nificantly, and the growingpension payments are crowdingout other expenditure growthand absorbing revenue growth."

Which brings us back toChicago, which is left mostlyon its own to fill the gap.Teacher layoffs and school clos-ings, along with delayed snowremoval and pothole repair, arejust the start. Police and fire

safety consume a large part ofthe budget. (Notably, theparental protests about schoolclosings revolve around theissue of longer, dangerous

walks to school through rivalgang territory thus exposinganother literally fatal flaw of thecity's financial situation, thelack of police resources.)

But what stands out most inChicago's budget is the hugedollar amount of contributionsthat must be made to fund pen-sions of civil servants whoworked their lives on a promiseof retirement benefits. In previ-ous city bankruptcies, notablyStockton, Calif., retiree pen-sions were left untouched(though health care benefitswere diminished), and bond-holders took a hit.

In Detroit, it appears that theissue will be the constitutional-ity of cutting actual pensionbenefits. Already the challengeis in the courts: Can bankruptcy

law, which requires creditors toshare in the losses, supersede astate constitution? Watch De-troit carefully because it willlikely set a precedent in dealingwith the sanctity of municipalpension benefits.

Chicago is literally walkingdown the path of Detroit andMayor Rahm Emanuel is wellaware of the crisis. There areonly two choices for cities: raise

taxes or cut spending, including

wages and retiree benefits. Ei-ther way, you devastate the re-maining middle class tax base,setting the stage for further de-cline.

When I made this very point ina series of columns four yearsago, I was greeted with jeers ofdisbelief. Now, there's a sensethat Detroit is a "special case,"perhaps a city too dependent onone industry. But Detroit is nodifferent than many other citiesand states, which have toleratedpolitical financial shenanigansthat diverted taxpayer resourcesand bought votes.

The federal government getsaway with it or has, so far because it has unlimited bor-rowing power, effectively thepower to create the money.States and cities can't print. De-troit is at the end of the road,and Chicago is the next stop onthat highway. It's not politicsanymore it's really all aboutthe money. And that's the Sav-

age Truth!

Terry Savage is a registered in-

vestment adviser and is on the

board of the Chicago Mercan-

tile Exchange. She appears

weekly on WMAQ-Channel 5's

4:30 p.m. newscast, and

can be reached at

www.terrysavage.com. She is

the author of the new book,

"The New Savage Number:

How Much Money Do You Re-

ally Need to Retire?"COPYRIGHT 2013 TERRY SAVAGE PRODUCTIONS

PICTUREFORILLUSTRATIO

NPURPOSESONLY



15/55

Dear Doug by Doug Mayberry energy expreSS by Marilynn preSton

ResolvingDisputes

Q: Like many of my neighbors, I get ex-tremely frustrated when I make a purchase andfind it does not meet my expectations. Re-cently, I purchased a yellow dress that was onsale for my 3-year-old granddaughter at amajor department store. However, after I gothome, I found two buttons missing.

Naturally I was disappointed, and although theprice was right, I attempted to return it for ei-

ther cash or a gift card. The clerk was ex-tremely unfriendly and flatly refused to acceptthe return. She pointed at a sign on the registerthat indicated sale items were not returnable. Inmy rush to make the purchase, I did not evensee the sign. Is there anything I can do?

A: Even though the dress was a sale item,the attitude of the clerk was not in the best in-terest of the store in keeping you as a customer.

Even a courtesy response and apology couldhave helped minimizing your anger.

Do not readily accept the clerk's response, andreturn to the store and ask to speak to a super-visor. If he/she does not resolve your request,your next step is to call or write the company'spresident and express your complaint. Man-agers do not like these types of correspondentsand expect their employees to resolve thesekinds of issues before they reach upper man-agement.

Employees are usually given stringent guide-lines about returns, but they should also begiven some leeway in order to immediately sat-isfy unhappy customers. There are severalchain stores that will accept returns withoutquestioning reasons for doing so. These storesare always gaining new customers because ofthe flexible policy.

In the tough economy that we are now experi-encing, wise store managers should considerrevising their return policies to maintain exist-

ing customers and to attain new ones!

Continues on page 19

everyDay cheapSkate

by Mary hunt

How IDry-CleanedMy WindowsI have this thing for clean windows. Ilove them, which means I have anequal but opposite disdain for dirtywindows. And when I say clean, Imean the kind of clean that makeswindows sparkle like diamonds in themorning sun.

If I could, I'd have a professional win-dow-washing service come to myhome every week to clean every sin-gle window inside and out. But Ihave a two-story house, so right thereyou can understand why I can't and Idon't.

On a lark, and only because I wantedmy flower garden to look betterthrough my kitchen window, Igrabbed a very cute microfiber mittthat I purchased at Home Depot in anattempt to control all the dust beinggenerated by yet another home re-modeling project now underway.

This

mitt, manu-factured by

Unger Industries, is kind of nubby onthe blue side and floppy fun on thegreen side. It feels just slightly"prickly," and that made me wonder if

it really would act like a dust magnet,as advertised.

I went over the outside of the entire 8-by-4-foot window (it's big) with thelow-pile blue side first, to see if Icould remove any of the dirt, dust andwater marks obscuring my view.

Amazingly, that loosened all of thedust and scrubbed away most of thewater marks, too. Then I went over a

second time with the fluffy green side,like I was polishing the window. I ac-tually heard a "squeak"!

Continues on page 19

The Drama of Obamacare: WhenPolitics and Pedicures CollideI was treating myself to a pedicurethe day after watching PresidentObama's moving speech in Gales-burg, Ill., and the woman care-fully pruning my feet startedtelling me she was feeling veryconfused and afraid.

"I just don't know what to thinkabout this Obamacare," she saidas she massaged a mix of oliveoil and raw sugar into mybeach-worn barefoot soles. Iwanted to lean over and lickthem.

I'm fascinated by people's reac-tion to Obamacare. A recent pollreported that 49 percent of Ameri-cans don't approve of it, whichtells me when it comes to thinkingabout our health care, most of us are on summer vacation.

"I saw the president's speech. Hemakes Obamacare sound like agood thing," she said. "Me and myhusband don't have health insur-ance, so maybe it will help us. Idon't know. I'm so confused. I justhear so many bad things about it."

Of course she does. The Opposi-tion Party has been out to de-stroy the Affordable Care Act

since before it was born. Theydubbed it Obamacare and meant itas a slur. Even after the ACA be-came the law of the land threeyears ago, even after the Supreme

Court agreed that the insurancemandate was constitutional, theRepublicans continue to show theworst kind of sportsmanship sincethe 1919 Black Sox scandal.Continues on page 19

I have no

problem withfolks saying'Obama cares.' Ido care. If the

other side wantsto be the folksthat don't care,

that's fine withme. President Obama



16/55

Dcor Score by roSe bennett gilbert

Q: I have questions about ar-ranging my dining room.

Sometimes there are two differ-ent chairs at the ends of thetable. Should the others all bealike? And how to hang thechandelier: Does it always goin the middle of the table, orcould it be off to one side?

A: The so-called "Lord" and"Lady" chairs traditionally goat either end of a rectangulartable, with family/guests

arranged along the sides be-tween them. It's a non-issue ifyou have a round table, ofcourse: all the chairs can thenmatch. Or, less formal andmore fun, all the chairs can bedifferent styles and/or colors.

My clever friend Sue once up-holstered eight Parsons chairsin a rainbow of vibrant pastels,always a conversation-starteramong her dinner guests.

On the other hand, there's a lotto be said for symmetry. Mostof us respond positively to for-mal balance; it's calming and

orderly and makes us feel thatwe're in control of our world,even if it's only under our own

roofs.

The dining room we show hereis mirror-image perfect, asoothing setting for quiet con-versation and good food.Speaking of which, would itsurprise you to learn that thefurniture designer is also arenowned cook? This is thenew River House Collectiondesigned by Paula Deen forUniversal Furniture (universal-

furniture.com).

And never mind the dust-upthat has been swirling aroundPaula of late: In her furnituredesigns, many inspired by herown home, she taps into a deepSouthern tradition of calm andcomfortable hospitality, espe-cially around the dinner table.Life, like one's menu, should bewell balanced.

Which brings us back to yourquestion about chandeliers. Ifyou are hanging one, it usuallygoes over the center of the tableso everyone can see what's on

their plate. Two or more hang-ing lights can be spaced downthe length of the table, as they

are in this dining room. Howhigh should they be hung? De-pends on the size of the lightfixture.

Between 30 and 36 inchesabove the tabletop is the uni-versally accepted measurement.Just be sure the fixture is highenough so no one bumps hishead sitting down or getting upand low enough to shed lighton what you're eating.

Q: I know we're havinga heat wave, but Ihave to think aboutfireplaces now!We are remodeling,adding a Great Roomdownstairs and a new mas-ter bedroom up. The GreatRoom will have a real wood-burning fireplace, but I don'twant to deal with ashes andsoot in our bedroom.

A: Easy answer: Think gas.Point-and-shoot technology

makes a gas-fueled fireplace adream, pun intended, in a bed-room. And some of the newversions are so real-lookingthat you can almost hear them

crackle.

There's even newer technologythat includesthe crackle:vent-lessfire-

placesthat burnan alcoholgel fuel car-tridge. Nosmoke, noodor, no soot,and the firecrackles anddances for

abouttwohourspercar-tridge,promisesoneman-

ufacturer (Hearth Cabinet,HearthCabinet.com, whichclaims to make the only vent-less fireplaces approved for usein code-crazy New York City).

Rose Bennett

Gilbert is the

co-author of

"Manhattan Style," and six

other books on interior design.COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM

Decorating for a Well-Balanced Meal

Setting for an ever-so genteel meal features a formally balancedfurniture arrangement. Photo: Courtesy Universal Furniture.

SPOTLIGHTEPNEWS.COM AUGUST 08, 2013 PAGE 17 DEAR ABBY by Abigail Van Buren

TEACHER LOOKS FOR LESSON IN THETi f Ch


17/55

Venus is taking care of personalbusiness in Virgo through Thurs-day, and then Friday she heads toher vacation home in Libra. (Thetwo signs Venus rules are Taurus andLibra.) In Libra, Venus pumps up theintensely romantic ideas and helps usconnect in ways that seem artfully de-signed enough to have popped off amovie screen. The sun's and moon'spositions at the end of the week ignitethe spirit of adventure.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You'll be

in an exciting new social environment.Be careful about how you proceed.Take too low a position and you runthe risk that they'll mistake you for adoormat. Take too high a posture andthey could mistake you for a target totake shots at. The middle ground isbest until you get the social lay of theland.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Advicemay be given, but it's usually not re-ally a gift. It's a desire that the speakeris having a desire to guide or to ap-pear smart or to see things go in a dif-ferent direction. Let the full spirit ofcontext inform you as you filter all ofthe advice you get this week, includ-

ing this piece.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Diversity isnecessary for success. Luckily, you'llbe surrounded by people very differ-ent from you. This ensures that youcan all move forward in interesting

and effective directions. If you sur-rounded yourself with clones, youwould have too much of the samestrength and be blighted by your col-lective weakness.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You'rethinking differently than you werethinking 10 years ago or even lastyear, for that matter. And those whoare thinking along different lines thanyou are will develop, too. So don'tspend too much time or attention wor-rying about where everyone is right

now. By just sharing, you'll make a dif-ference.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There aremany questions that employers askduring job interviews that are, in fact,illegal, but that doesn't prevent themfrom asking. You'll be asked inappro-priate questions this week. Whetherduring an interview or in your every-day life, use tact while refusing firmlyand politely to answer them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Shake-speare might think a rose by any othername would smell as sweet, butyou're increasingly irritated with some-one who calls you everything but your

proper name. Don't be afraid to de-mand that you be recognized for whoyou are. What you put out into theworld this week warrants credit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). At the endof a long day, as sleep is coming on,

you sometimes fall prey to regrets.Regret is simply a part of the beautyof having a choice and making deci-sions. Don't give it more power than itdeserves in the scheme of your life.Like the Sinatra song, allow yourself afew but too few to mention.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You liketo do your thing and allow others to dothe same. This week, however, it mayfeel as though a loved one's hobby isapproaching a state of obsession.Blaming the hobby won't help, but

make clear that there are other diver-sions, including shared ones, andcommunicate your enthusiasm forthem.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).You'll be doling out compliments.These should be about one experi-ence and/or person, so avoid inadver-tently using contrasts to do the job.Comparative statements only weakenthe focus and cheapen the message.These kinds of conversational nu-ances will make a difference in yourinteractions this week.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Theword "comfort" combines two Latin

words "com," which means "to-gether," and "fortis," which means"strengthen." By joining someone, youstrengthen that person. You providecomfort by simply being there. If youworry about what to say or do, youmay do the wrong thing and say toomuch. Just be there.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Be-cause you are so strong, the tender,shy, sensitive and fragile will be drawnto you. Giving others your psychologi-cal presence will be of utmost impor-tance. Don't worry too much about theexact dialogue or other minutia of yourinteractions. If your heart and mindare with the other person, that'swhat's felt.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Acceptyourself. Not because it's the best

thing you can do for your personal life,your career, your finances, your spiri-tuality, your image, your popularity,your style, your intellect, your healthor another part of your life that mat-ters. Accept yourself because you'reacceptable. You're doing your best.And through self-acceptance, you'll doeven better.

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: Yourfriends will challenge, cheer and liftyou up this year, so make plans andtime to be with them. You'll meetstrangers this month, and becauseyou do the rare thing being yourselfinstead of pretending you're someoneyou're not you'll connect and be in-

stant friends. November brings aprime investment opportunity. Januaryis your chance to switch modes andexperiment. You could brave a newjob, relationship change or move.March and June bring financialbonuses.

ACROSS1 Lozenge7 Merganser11 Half ems14 Take a deep breath15 Hawaiian seaport16 Destiny17 Commonplace19 Via20 Supporter: suffix

21 Exude22 Tardy23 Pretend25 Driver Leudenwyck26 Georgia's continent27 Harvest29 NASDAQ special32 Actress Chase33 Cribbage need34 Mined find35 Abate

37 Coronets40 North, for one41 Plant pouch42 Pain44 Extra corner, in football48 Producer of an aircraft brand49 Arthur, of the court50 Greek love god51 Deli loaf52 Donkey sound53 Tux-renting event

54 Reserve56 Granola tidbit57 Hint to finishing this puzzle61 Trifecta, e.g.62 Early video game63 Get lost64 Wily65 Assocs.66 Fred and Gracie

DOWN1 Actress Zadora2 Too3 Japanese mushroom

4 Highland hats5 ___ a Song Go

6 Meadow7 Moving out?8 Mast part9 Robert ___10 Triumphed11 Texas border city12 Of the intellect13 Skein18 One of Disney's Mouseke-teers

22 From the side23 Jackie's second24 Pokey unit25 Plea28 Hotel manager's opener30 Zounds31 Malaga Mrs.36 Witness37 Puget Sound city38 Irritate39 One-horse carriage

41 Island wear43 Sooner than, in poetry44 " nattering ___ of nega-tivism"45 Bibi's nation46 Gassy47 Navigator Vitus53 Destitute54 Writer Silverstein55 Russian river57 Mil. rank58 Cops' gp.59 Avarice, e.g.60 French conjunctions

By Holiday Mathis

Venus Vacayweek 8/08 - 8/14

DEAR ABBY: I am ateacher, and at the end of theyear I receive many gifts andnotes of appreciation from theparents of my students. Thisyear, one of my parents, a beau-tician, presented me with a gift

certificate for a facial.Last week I made theappointment and was given afantastic facial by this mom. Ididn't tip her afterward becauseI wasn't sure how to handle agift like this.

Was I right in not tip-ping her? Since this was a giftfrom her, I'm hoping I didn't in-sult her by not offering one. If Iwas wrong, I'd like to go backand give her the tip she would

have earned. -- WONDERINGTEACHER IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR TEACHER: Becausethe gift certificate came fromthe person who delivered theservice to you, you did not in-sult her by not offering a gratu-ity. (In fact, had you offeredone for her gift, it might havebeen taken the wrong way.) Ifthe facialist who performed theservice had been someone otherthan the mother, a tip wouldhave been in order, but not in acase like this.

The proper way toconvey your gratitude for herfantastic facial would be towrite a short note telling herwhat a treat it was and howmuch you enjoyed her gift.

**DEAR ABBY: My 14-year-old granddaughter, "Grace," has

confided to me that she's smok-ing pot and drinking. When Iasked her why, she said shedoes it to make herself feel bet-ter. I told her she has a seriousproblem, and something has tobe done.

Grace doesn't want totell her parents and, frankly, Ithink they would just yell andscream and not understandwhat's really going on. At thispoint, I don't know what to do.

The person who's supplying mygranddaughter is someone whois always around. I refuse tohave that other girl in my home,but I can't tell Grace's parents

why. What should I do? -- IN AFIX IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR IN A FIX: You're cor-rect that this is serious, andsomething does have to bedone. Alcohol and weed are not

the solutions to your grand-daughter's problem. Self-med-icating won't fix what's wrongand could make her problemsworse.

Grace needs to beevaluated and diagnosed by aphysician. The way to ensurethat it happens is to talk to herparents about the fact thatyou're worried about her. If youmake clear that Grace is gettingstoned to "feel better" and notpartying, they may be less in-clined to react with anger.

**DEAR ABBY: My 25-year-old grandson has a problem,and we don't know where toturn.

Through studentloans he has managed to get de-grees in chemical engineeringand biology with good grades.The problem is, he can't inter-

view. He freezes up and isafraid to face the interviewer.This means he is unemployable.

He has no assets orincome and lives with his par-ents. His father is disabled andhasn't worked in years. Can yourecommend any organizations,doctors or medications that canhelp him? -- HOPEFUL INMICHIGAN

DEAR HOPEFUL: Yourgrandson needs to discuss hisproblem with a psychotherapistwho can help him overcome hisdisabling insecurity and per-haps prescribe a medication forhis anxiety. There is a cure forhis problem, and this is thequickest way to find it.

**Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van

Buren, also known as Jeanne

Phillips, and was founded by her

mother, Pauline Phillips. Write

Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com

or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles,

CA 90069.

**COPYRIGHT 2013 UNIVERSAL UCLICK

TEACHER LOOKS FOR LESSON IN THEETIQUETTE OF TIPPING

Time for Change



18/55

ThroughtheLookingGla

ss

inStephenKingCountry

travel anD aDventure

By Jerry Farlow

Dave, a visitor from Cincinnati,was peering down an innocent-looking storm drain in Bangor,Maine, where the evil-grinningclown Pennywise from Stephen

King's novel "It" hung out,waiting to lure little kiddiesinto a chaos only King couldimagine.

"Be careful," teased his wife,Bev, who admitted that she hasnever dangled her feet over thebed at night since reading

King's "Night Shift."

Then suddenly, although Davedidn't have his arm pulled offby Pennywise, his sunglassesfell down into the drain.

"Not to worry," the retired FordMotor Co. employee, assuredus as he yanked off the grate,jumped into the manhole andretrieved the lost item.

We can only hope that Davelives a long and healthy life.

My wife and I recently passedthrough the looking glass ofKing's Bangor, which is knownas the town of Derry in hisbooks. King friend, expert andlifetime Bangor resident StuTinker guides people on a

three-hour tour of King's Ban-gor in his six-passenger KingMobile (my name), all thewhile relating an endlessstream of King and Bangor sto-ries and anecdotes, intermit-tently stopping at spots thathave direct connections toKing's novels.

Was Bangor, theformer Queen Cityof lumber barons, thefountainhead for King'sdemons and monsters? wewondered as the tour began.

"The 'Barrens' from King's 'It'is a favorite haunt for Kingbuffs," Tinker said as he led usto a heavily wooded stretchalong the Kenduskeag stream,where we viewed the remnants

of an innocent-looking old milland where King envisioned adark variation of reality thatterrified readers the world over.

"Now we're going to 'Pet Se-matary,' or at least King's inspi-ration for it," he said as weheaded off in the King Mobile."Then he asked if we knew that

Presi-dent Lin-

coln's vicepresident during

the Civil War wasfrom the Bangor areaand then took us by

his grave.

I suspect former VicePresident HannibalHamlin rolled over in hisgrave when Hollywoodmade the movie version almost

on top of him.

"Remember that army of rats in'Night Shift'?" Tinker asked aswe left the cemetery. "Overthere is where it was filmed."He pointed to the old water-works plant by the PenobscotRiver.

"Iwas in about

five seconds of themovie 'The Langoliers'

that was filmed at the Ban-gor Airport," Tinker said.

I thought it best not to ask hischaracter's fate in the movie.

Tinker told us he's taken people

all over the world for the Kingtour. One family from NewZealand who were visiting LosAngeles decided on a whim tomake a side trip to Bangor, justto experience King's fictionalDerry.

No matter where in the worldthey're from, you say "Bangor,"and they say "Stephen King."

Tinker told us that the Kingshave given millions of dollarsto local projects, everythingfrom a world-class LittleLeague baseball field to li-braries to helping people inneed with winter heating.

"I wonder if he's read 'Pet Se-matary,'" a King fan said later,referring to a black cat sitting atthe front gate at the spooky-looking King house. The house

has become of a mecca of sortsfor the writer's fans around theworld with its bat-adornedwrought-iron gate.Continues on next page

A black cat sits at the front gate at the home of writer Stephen King in Bangor,Maine. Photo courtesy of Jerry Farlow.

Stu Tinker assists a visitor from Cincinnati, Dave, ashe emerges from the "evil storm drain" of StephenKing's fiction in Bangor, Maine.Photo courtesy of Jerry Farlow.


St h Ki Th D f Ob


19/55

Continued from page 18

The Kings used togive candy to kids on

Halloween, Tinker toldus, "but after local schoolsstarted arriving by the busload,the tradition ended.

"One year there were 21 busesin front of the house," he said.

Our next stop was the Hamp-den Academy.

"This is the gymnasium where

in King's mind Carriegot her just deserts and her bul-lying classmates got theirs,"Tinker said, referring to thefinal senior prom scene fromKing's novel titled "Carrie."King wrote the book whileteaching at the school.

As we finally emerged fromthe imaginary evil twin, Derry,to the real world of Bangor, wethought just maybe we had

gained a tiny appreciation ofthe origins of King's demonsand monsters. Dave, who hadhis brush with the evil stormdrain, went so far to say the

tour was one of the highlightsof their East Coast trip.

We topped off the tour by stop-ping at Nicky's Crusin' Diner

on Union Street, which somehave said is the inspiration forKing's 1960s time portal fromhis novel "11/22/63." Even if itwasn't, they have some greatfried clams.

WHEN YOU GO

Stu Tinker's three-hour tourcosts $39.95 per person for a

party of two, each additionalperson $25: www.sk-tours.com.

The Greater Bangor Conven-tion and Visitors Bureau offersboth Bangor and Stephen Kingtours throughout the year:www.visitbangormaine.com/tours.

Jerry Farlow is a freelance

writer. To read features by

other Creators Syndicate writ-ers and cartoonists, visit the

Creators Syndicate website at

www.creators.com.COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM

Stu Tinker poses with the King Mobile in front of theStephen King house in Bangor, Maine.Photo courtesy of Jerry Farlow.

Stephen KingCountry... Continued from page 15

If "sparkling like a diamond" is 100 per-cent fabulous, then my dry-cleaning

technique got that window to 90 percent.And it took less than 5 minutes nowater, wet wads of paper towel or news-paper, no buckets or squeegees. And Icannot see even a hint of scratching,which one might assume could happen.Of course, we are warned to never dry-rub fine auto paint because that can actas a light sanding and all. But back to mywindows ...

Another five minutes, and I'd given my

multi-paned French doors a good dry-cleaning, as well.

Now, if this is old news and somethingyou do routinely and thought everyoneelse did, too, don't tell me. I want to be-lieve I made it up.

By the way, I did experiment with other"dusting" devices, like a cotton towels,feather dusters, dry paper towels andeven my Dyson handheld vac (which Iuse every day of my life and cannot

image life without) on yet another dirtywindow all with pathetic results. Allthat did was push the dust and dirtaround. And none of these options evenfazed the water marks.

There's something about this Unger In-dustries Microfiber Dust and Wash Mittthat really does dry-clean windows. Andat about $6, this mitt was so affordable,I've decided that I need one in the car, atthe office and a spare at home, too.

Now, are you thinking what I'm think-ing? Unger ... could that be Felix Unger?Makes sense to me.

And with that, I have justdated myself and made at leasthalf of my staff go "Huh?!"

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.Debt-

ProofLiving.com, a personal finance

member website. You can email her at

[email protected], or writeto Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099,

Cypress, CA 90630.COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM

Dry-CleanedMy Windows...

Continued from page 15..

They don't want to help fix the rough spots,they only want to bring it down. They rantfor its repeal at least 37 times and count-ing, with a defunding proposal on the way and they continue to brand Obamacare ashorrible law, despicable policy, the end of

health care as we know it.

Yes! That's just the point, guys. Our oldhealth care system was badly broken. It wasnot No. 1 in the world. That was a deception.It was actually delivering mediocre medicalcare at skyrocketing prices, the most expen-sive health care system in the world.

Consider this: Americans now liveshorter lives than men and women in most ofthe developed world. According to a recentstudy published in the Journal of the Ameri-

can Medical Association, not exactly RollingStone, back in 1990, the U.S. ranked 20th onlife expectancy among 34 industrial nations.Sickening, huh? Now we rank 27th. How'sthat for broken?

The reasons for our shorter lives are compli-cated, and certainly have to do with gun vio-lence, poor eating habits, lack of exerciseand way too much stress.

But there's another factor that may surpriseyou. The more inequality in a society, themore unhealthy the overall population. This

is exactly what Obama is crusading against,this startling and growing gap in the U.S. be-tween rich and poor.

The Affordable Care Act is the change thathad to happen, a turn toward a more hu-mane, fair and efficient system. Is it perfect?No. Is it a smart and necessary leap in theright direction? Absolutely.

I started talking bullet points as she movedon to the calluses and cuticles: You'll havegood insurance you can afford, with subsi-dies available. You can't be denied insurancefor a "pre-existing condition," and if you'vegot one, you pay the same premium aseveryone else. Women will no longer payhigher premiums than men. Consumerswho've been screwed by their insurancecompanies and who hasn't? are gettingrebates. The rise in the cost of U .S. healthcare is coming down, as promised, whileawareness of its deep and greedy flaws isgoing up. The $75 dollar box of hospital tis-sues says it all.

"No more lifetime caps on insurance cover-

age!" I found myself practically shouting."We're finally talking about rewarding doc-tors for keeping us well, instead of givingthem financial incentives to order more tests,more procedures, more addictive drugs."

The Affordable Care Act is a good thing, Iassured her, admiring my candy apple redtoes. What's bad, what is truly astonishing, iswhat the Opposition Party is doing to bringit down.

Obama nailed it in Galesburg when he called

it a "politically motivated misinformationcampaign." I did my part. I told her how shestood to benefit. By the time my feet weresafely back in my Birkenstocks, she had abig smile on her face.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! STAND BY THEBRAND

Marilynn Preston fitness expert, well-being

coach and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues is

the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running

syndicated fitness column in the country. She has

a website, http://marilynnpreston.com and wel-comes reader questions, which can be sent to

[email protected] 2013 ENERGY EXPRESS, LTD.

The Drama of Obamacare...

Continued from page 15

Q: As the new grandparent of a babywho is just learning to walk, I recently fellwhen I stumbledover a plastictoy. Fortu-nately, I was

not injured,and all is well.However, aretheir securityprecautions Ishould be moreaware of?

A: Toys are dangerous and are known tohave caused major injuries. Other con-cerns that require being alert in grandchil-dren's homes are loose rugs, childrenplaying aggressively, slippery wet floorsand children running around.

It is helpful when parents caution the chil-dren that their grandparents are not able tomove around as easily as them. If grand-parents are using canes and other supportdevices, parents should tell the kids thatthose items are not toys and that they needthem to walk and move.

Move slowly when at the kids' house, es-pecially standing up, and let the kids knowyou are moving and getting up.

In most cases, grandchildren are the joy ofour lives. But be careful!

Doug Mayberry makes the most of life in aSouthern California retirement community.

Contact him at [email protected] 2013 CREATORS.COM

PICTUREFORILLUSTRATIONPURPOSESONLY


a greener view by Jeff rugg


20/55

a greener view by Jeff rugg

Tree Sprouts andGoldfish FlashingQuestion: You have been writing about weeds lately, and our weedsare coming from an old tree. We have taken down a very large tree that wasplanted in the front yard. We had the trunk ground down. We did nothing fora couple of months and then put some dirt at the same location and planted aJapanese fern tree. It is doing well.

The problem is that the old roots from the tree are shooting up massiveamounts of sprouts through the grass. I applied Roundup on the roots I couldreach but the only thing that did was kill the grass. With all the rain theseroots are getting really aggressive and are sending up more and more sprouts.

I need a recommendation that will correct this problem short of digging up

those huge roots and disturbing the Japanese fern. How do we get rid of thesesprouts?

Answer: You were on the right track spraying, but let's make a coupleof small changes. Don't use a total plant killer like Roundup; rather, use abroad-leafed plant killer that only affects plants that are not grasses. Then,don't apply it to the roots. Apply it to the new growth that is sprouting up. Tokeep the weed killer from drifting on to other broad leafed plants that youdon't want to kill, it may be better to paint it on and not spray it on. Becauseof the size of the roots system from the old tree, there may be a lot of storednutrients available to send up sprouts for quite some time. If you stop for sev-eral weeks, the new sprouts may be able to replenish any nutrients they con-

sumed in their growth and it will look like the tree is winning. Just keeptreating them, and you will win.

Question: The koi and goldfish in my pond are scratching on the rocksand flowerpots. They swim over, hover next to it for a second as they line upthe itching spot, rub on the spot and then they zoom away. What is causingthis behavior and how can I help them?

Answer: This scratching action is called flashing. Often times you willsee the white underneath side of the fish as it flashes. They will do this forseveral reasons. If the water is of poor quality or is changed rapidly from onetemperature and pH level to a new one, the fish may react by flashing. Waterchanges should remain at about ten percent at a time rather than large 50 or60 percent changes. Chemicals such as chlorine, copper, or nitrite can causeir

spotlight ep news august 8, 2013 no. 495

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