Tommy Contest Page 5
of the River Region
August 21, 2018 Published by PTK Corp.
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read® To place an Ad, call: (334) 202-7285 TIDBITS® VISITS SOME FAMOUS
HOSPITALS by Kathy Wolfe Tidbits opens up visiting hours for you to peruse the facts on these medical facilities. • New York City’s Bellevue Hospital is America’s oldest operating hospital, opening in Manhattan in 1736 with six beds. New York’s City Hall currently sits on the hospital’s first site. Bellevue is an institution of many firsts. The nation’s first maternity ward opened there in 1799, and New York’s first city morgue was established there in 1866. America’s first ambulance service had its origins at Bellevue, with a fleet of horsedrawn ambulances, each equipped with a loud gong to warn citizens of its approach. Bellevue physicians developed the first immunization for Hepatitis B in 1971. Victims of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 were rushed to nearby Bellevue Hospital. • In 1825, Bellevue’s two physicians both became ill with typhus fever, as the epidemic ravaged the city. One succumbed to the fever, the first doctor to sacrifice his life for the care of others. Over the next 60 years, 27 doctors died from diseases they contracted while on duty. • Founded in 1751, Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Hospital had been in existence 25 years before America declared its independence. Benjamin Franklin was responsible for raising the funds to establish the institution. • Ben Franklin was Pennsylvania Hospital’s first secretary, second president, and charter member of the Board of Managers. Its original home, the Pine Building, still serves as a section of the hospital, housing offices and libraries. Even the original Portuguese floor tiles survive. The hospital had its own fire engine, one that can be viewed there today. The gardens contain plants that were used medicinally during the 1800s. • Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital is America’s third oldest hospital, established in 1811. At the time of its founding, the United States had only two other general hospitals, the Pennsylvania Hospital and the New York Hospital. It quickly became the first teaching (Continued next page)
Vol 7 Issue 34 paul@riverregiontidbits.com
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Tidbits® of the River Region (Front page continued)
1. Is the book of Abram in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. According to Acts 25, what title belonged to Agrippa? King, Queen, Saint, Apostle 3. Who asked God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh”? Moses, Eve, Samuel, Abraham 4. From Acts 13, who was called, “A man after mine own heart”? Gideon, David, Matthew, James 5. Who is the only person known to have wrestled with an angel? Ruth, Esther, Jacob, Joshua 6. From Genesis 1:20, on what day did God create the birds? 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th Sharpen your understanding of scripture with Wilson’s Casey’s latest book, “Test Your Bible Knowledge,” now available in bookstores and online. (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
By Chris Richcreek 1. Ichiro Suzuki became the oldest player since 1900 to start a game in center field (43 years, 246 days) when he did so for the Marlins in 2017. Who had held the post-1900 record? 2. In 1996, two players on the same National League team each hit 40 or more home runs, and each had more homers than walks. Name either player. 3. How many years was it before 2016 that the University of Colorado football team played in a bowl game? 4. Name the first African-American to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player. 5. Since the Presidents’ Trophy was created in 1985-86 to recognize the NHL’s best regular-season team each year, how many times has the winner gone on to win the Stanley Cup? 6. Which female athlete has won the most medals in the Winter Olympics Games? 7. In 2018, Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn became the second set of siblings to each win on the LPGA Tour. Who was the first set? (c) 2018 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
hospital of Harvard Medical School. This 1000-bed hospital has had its share of medical firsts, including the first public demonstration of surgical anesthesia in 1846, the identification of appendicitis in 1886, and the first replantation of a severed arm in 1962. • William Worrall Mayo, a surgeon from Lancashire, England, traveled to Rochester, Minnesota in 1863, to serve for the military draft board during the American Civil War. His wife and two toddler sons joined him the following year, and Dr. Mayo opened a small private medical practice above the Union Drug Store. His practice thrived for many years, with his sons joining him after their graduation from medical school. An 1883 tornado changed Rochester’s history, destroying one-third of the town, causing 37 deaths and 200 injuries. Talks began about establishing a hospital in Rochester. When it opened in 1889 under the name Saint Mary’s Hospital, the Mayo boys and their father, now 70 years old, joined the staff. As the town outgrew the facility, new clinic buildings were built. • Today Mayo Clinic has facilities in Rochester, Jacksonville, Florida, and Phoenix Arizona. The main clinic in Rochester employs upwards of 34,000 people, including over 4,700 physicians and research scientists. Last year, 1.3 million people from all 50 U.S. states and 136 countries came to Mayo Clinic for care. It’s ranked as the No. 1 hospital in the country and is also on the list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” • Walter Reed Medical Center is the hospital set aside for the United States’ military forces. It opened in May 1909 through the efforts of Army Major William C. Borden. Borden and his close friend Walter Reed had worked side by side for years at the Army Medical School. Walter Reed had gained recognition as the researcher who discovered that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes rather than by direct contact. Reed studied the disease in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Less than a year after his return from Cuba, Major Reed underwent an appendectomy performed by Major Borden. He developed peritonitis and perished from the ailment within days. Borden lobbied for the new military hospital to be named for his friend. Today, 16,000 active and retired military personnel are admitted to Walter Reed every year. • A simple prayer uttered by entertainer Danny Thomas led to America’s number one pediatric care hospital, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Thomas was a struggling comedian trying to break into the business when he attended Mass at a Detroit church. He put the last of his funds -- $7.00 – into the offering plate and prayed to St. Jude to provide his family, including his soon-to-be-born first child. His prayer, “Show me my way in life and I will build you a shrine,” was answered a week later, with a gig that put Thomas on the road to success. • Honoring his promise, in 1962, Danny Thomas founded St. Jude’s in Memphis, Tennessee. The hospital specializes in treating children with cancer, sickle cell disease, and other serious illnesses. When St. Jude’s opened, the overall survival rate for childhood cancer was less than 20%. Today, that rate has reached 80% for several types of pediatric cancer. The hospital is on Fortune magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Although the daily cost of keeping the facility running is about $2.4 million, there is no cost to patients. • In 1902, businessman Kaspare Cohn donated a twostory Victorian home in Los Angeles to the Hebrew Benevolent Society to create a 12-bed hospital for the Jewish community. It was simply known as the Kaspare Cohn Hospital, and its services were free. Los Angeles’ first female doctor, Dr. Sarah Vasen, acted as superintendent for four years. By 1910, the facility had moved and increased to a 50-bed hospital, followed by another upgrade in 1930 and a name change to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. Another Jewish hospital, Bikur Cholim, established in 1921, merged with Cedars in 1961 to become Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In 1972, a new facility was constructed, using a $4 million contribution from cosmetic giant Max Factor’s Family Foundation. More than 2,000 physicians are employed by Cedars-Sinai. • Cedars-Sinai is well known for its services to the stars. Several famous folks have passed away within its walls, including Gilda Radner, Lucille Ball, Charles Bronson, Johnny Carson, Natalie Cole, and Debbie Reynolds.
“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285
by Samantha Weaver * It was 18th-century French writer Sebastien Nicolas de Chamfort who made the following sage observation: “Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking.” * You might be surprised to learn that famed British author Aldous Huxley, best-known for his dystopian novel “Brave New World,” was a consultant on Disney’s 1951 animated film version of “Alice in Wonderland.” * If you bring to mind an image of John Lennon, more likely than not you’ll see him in your mind’s eye wearing a pair of round spectacles. In July 2007, a single pair of those iconic glasses was sold at auction for a whopping $2 million. * The tongue of the alligator is fastened to the jaw all the way around. That’s why you’ll never see a gator stick out its tongue.Ê * You might be surprised to learn that the kilt originated not in Scotland, but in France. * You probably know that certain species of snakes can grow to enormous size, with the longest specimens reaching upward of 30 feet in length and the heaviest weighing more than 400 pounds. Kind of makes you wonder what these monstrous serpents eat -- and you might be surprised. According to reports, a pet python named Houdini swallowed a queen-size electric blanket. Even more amazingly, after a two-hour operation, the snake lived! * Those who track radio statistics say Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” is the most-requested song in the United States -- and this despite the fact that it was never released as a single on this side of the Atlantic. *** Thought for the Day: “There’s no secret about success. Did you ever know a successful man who didn’t tell you about it?” -- Kin Hubbard (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Tidbits® of the River Region
* On Aug. 24, 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces overwhelm American militiamen and march unopposed into Washington, D.C. Most congressmen and officials had already fled. The British officers dined that night at the deserted White House as the British troops began setting the city aflame.
House, Robyn Elizabeth White/Female 5’4” 135 lbs 32 yrs old Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel
Outstanding Warrants: Burglary 3rd Theft Of Property 3rd
* On Aug. 25, 1835, the first in a series of six articles announcing the discovery of life on the moon appears in the New York Sun newspaper. “The Great Moon Hoax” described evidence of life forms including unicorns and winged humanoids resembling bats. * On Aug. 20, 1911, a dispatcher in The New York Times office sends the first telegram around the world via commercial service. The message was relayed by 16 different operators and came back to the original dispatcher 16.5 minutes later. * On Aug. 23, 1904, Harold Weed of Canastota, New York, is issued U.S. Patent No. 768,495 for his “Grip-Tread for Pneumatic Tires,” a nonskid tire chain to be used on automobiles in order to increase traction on slick roads. He drew inspiration from the habit of local motorists who wrapped rope around their tires. * On Aug. 26, 1959, the British Motor Corporation launches its newest car, the small, affordable $800 Mark I Mini. The diminutive Mini went on to become one of the best-selling British cars in history. * On Aug. 21, 1987, “Dirty Dancing,” starring Patrick Swayze, opens in theaters. The film was a surprise box-office hit and turned Swayze into a Hollywood star. * On Aug. 22, 1992, in the second day of a standoff at Randy Weaver’s remote Idaho cabin atop Ruby Ridge, an FBI sharpshooter wounds Weaver and Kevin Harris, and then kills Weaver’s wife, Vicki, who was in a doorway holding her infant daughter. (c) 2018 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Outstanding Warrants:
Millwood, Amanda DOB: 07/22/1978 White/Female 5’7” 190 lbs Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel
Wanted for: Receiving Stolen Property 1st
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“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285 MERMAIDS
1. Which group released a cover of “Heartaches” in 1961? 2. Who was Murray the K? 3. Which group released “The Pusher,” and when? 4. Name the America song that originally was called “The Desert Song.” 5. What song that contains this lyric: “Where, where did my innocence go? How, how was a young girl to know? I’m trapped, trapped in the spell of your eyes.” Answers 1. The Marcels. The song first came out in 1931. 2. Murray Kaufman was a DJ from the 1950s to the ‘70s. He considered himself the fifth Beatles, and even appeared as himself in the 1978 Beatlemania film “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” 3. Steppenwolf, in 1968. The song was used in the 1969 film “Easy Rider,” along with another Steppenwolf song, “Born to Be Wild.” 4. “A Horse With No Name.” The group considered it a novelty song and didn’t expect it to do as well as it did. 5. “A Little More Love,” by Olivia Newton-John, in 1979. It was the 17th most popular song on the Billboard magazine list for that year. The song was used 27 years later in the animated film “Monster House.” (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
Fact or fiction? Study these facts on mermaids and make your own decision! • The word mermaid has its origins in the Old English word “mere,” translating “sea,” combined with the word “maid”, meaning a young woman. • Tales of mermaids first appeared in writing in ancient Assyria, around 1000 B.C., with the legend of the goddess Atargaris falling in love with a mortal, a common shepherd. When the goddess accidentally killed her lover, she was so ashamed, she jumped into a lake and changed herself into the form of a fish that was human above the waist. • Greek mythology likened mermaids to sirens, more dangerous and aggressive creatures who used their enchanting voices to lure ships to crash into rocks or sandbars, and were said to have the ability to call up fog or storms, or cause insanity. • While in some folklore, mermaids are associated with danger and misfortune, Irish legends paint a much more romantic picture of benevolence toward mariners, and sailors marrying mermaids and bringing them home. Some Irish families even claim that mermaids are their ancestors and include images of the aquatic creatures on their family crests. • Explorer Christopher Columbus recorded seeing mermaids during his first voyage to the New World. In the ship’s log, he wrote “when the Admiral went to the Rio del Oro he saw three mermaids which rose well out of the sea… they were not as beautiful as they are painted though they have something of a human face.” That’s been explained away by attributing the sight to manatees breaking the ocean surface from beneath patches of seaweed, giving the impression of flowing hair. Manatees have a flat tail and flippers that resemble stubby human arms, and from a great distance, may have resembled a mermaid. • Another explorer, Sir Richard Whitburne, who discovered Newfoundland in 1610, also reported the sighting of a mermaid, as well as Henry Hudson’s crew during their search for the Northwest Passage in 1625. The Mermaid of Amboina was reportedly captured off the coast of Borneo in the mid-18th century and is said to have survived for four days. Even in the 21st century, mermaid sightings are reported, mostly noted in Israel and Zimbabwe. The tourism board in the Israeli town where a mermaid was reported offered a $1 million reward to the first person to photograph her. To date, the reward has not been claimed. • Carvings in Medieval churches featured mermaids holding a comb and a mirror, symbolizing the sins of pride and vanity. Mermaids holding a starfish symbolized Christian souls who had been lost to the sin of lust. • Danish author Hans Christian Andersen published his fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” in 1837, the story of a young mermaid who gave up her life in the sea to gain a human soul. According to the story, in honor of her birthday, the mermaid was permitted to swim to the surface, where she observed the birthday celebration of a handsome prince being held on a ship. When a storm sank the boat, she saved the prince from drowning and delivered the unconscious royal to the shore. The mermaid bargained with a sea-witch, giving the witch her tongue in exchange for human legs. Unlike the happily-ever-after ending of the 1989 Disney film, the mermaid could not tell the prince of her efforts that saved his life, could not win his love, and died when he married another. Danish sculptor Edvard Erichsen gifted the city of Copenhagen a bronze statue of the Little Mermaid in 1913, and the 4.1-ft-tall (1.25 m) statue sits atop a rock in the city’s harbor.
Kelly Darabaris Please call 334-202-7285 within 7 days of this issue to claim your prize!
Tommy Count ______ This week’s winner receives a
$25 Dollar Gift Certificate from
Plantation House Restaurant Register to win by sending an email to entertommycontest@gmail.com or USPS to PTK Corp., PO Box 264, Wetumpka, AL 36092 with the following information: 1) Your name (first and last), and, 2) the number of times you find Tommy in the ads in the paper. From the correct entries a winner will be selected. You must be 18 years of age to qualify. The gift certificates will range in value from $25 to $100 each week. Entries must be received by midnight each Friday evening.
Last Week’s Ads where 1. Alstate, p.4
Tommy was hiding:
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TidbitsÂŽ of the River Region
“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285 FOOD OF THE WEEK:
CATFISH
BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1) Neither; 2) King; 3) Moses; 4) David; 5) Jacob; 6) 5th
1. Boston’s Rickey Henderson (43 years, 211 days), in 2002. 2. Andres Galarraga and Vinny Castilla of the Colorado Rockies. 3. Nine years (2007). 4. Boston Celtics great Bill Russell, in 1975. 5. Eight times (out of 32). 6. Marit Bjoergen of Norway, with 15 medals. 7. Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam, in 2000.
August is National Catfish Month, so Tidbits is swimming along the bottom collecting the facts on these ray-finned fish. • There are 3,000+ species of catfish, with differing varieties found on all continents except Antarctica. For the most part, catfish in the wild are found in fresh water, such as rivers and streams, although a few species have adapted to life in salt water. They can live in water with a temperature from just above freezing to nearly 100 degrees F (38 C). • Catfish can be found in a wide variety of colors, including green, yellow, silver, grey, white, or tan. These fish are carnivorous, dining on insects, snails, worms, frogs, newts, other fish, and fish eggs. They’re famous for being bottom dwellers, feeding on the bottom of the water. • There is a vast difference between the smallest and largest species of catfish. The smallest, the banjo, is just 0.39 inches (1 cm) long, while the largest, the Mekong, might reach a length of nearly 9 feet (2.74 m) and weigh close to 650 lbs. (295 kg). • Catfish have an unusual organ called the Weberian apparatus that enables them to communicate with each other underwater. This organ connects the swim bladder to the fish’s auditory system, straight into the inner ear. • Catfish derive their name from their prominent barbels, those sensory organs near the mouth that resemble a cat’s whiskers. They can develop up to four sets of whiskers. They don’t have scales, and their mucus-covered skin enables them to breathe through the skin. • In the wild, catfish feed on the bottom of the water on a diet of insects, snails, other fish, and fish eggs. However, farm-raised fish eat feed pellets made of a mix of soybeans, corn, wheat, and nutrients, that float on the pond’s surface. A catfish’s entire body is covered with about 100,000 taste buds, with the greatest concentration on the whiskers. • Catfish, the fifth most popular fish in America, are one of the most farmed types of fish. Farmraised catfish are produced in ponds built over soil rich in clay, filled with fresh water pumped from underground wells. The ponds average between 10 and 20 acres in area, and are about 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) deep. It takes between 18 months and two years for a farm-raised catfish to reach one pound. (0.45 kg). When a young fish reaches a length of 4 inches (10 cm), it’s referred to as a fingerling. Catfish beds in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi account for 94% of all U.S. farm-raised catfish. Humphreys-Belzoni, Mississippi heralds itself as the Catfish Capital of the World, boasting 117 catfish farms covering 35,000 acres. The community hosts an annual World Catfish Festival, drawing 20,000 visitors to the area. • Channel catfish and blue catfish are the most commonly eaten species in the U.S., with both common in the wild and farm-raised. Rich in Vitamin D, catfish are typically coated in seasoned cornmeal and deep fried. Popular accompaniments in the southern U.S. are coleslaw, hush puppies, and buttermilk biscuits, served with a Mason jar of sweet tea.
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Summertime Is Moving Time
We moved often when I was young. It was so common then for companies to transfer employees frequently. When we said goodbye to one house in Santa Rosa, California, and hello to another in San Francisco, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary to be on the move. I don’t recall the send-offs, only the arrivals, because my parents were positive about the idea that we were together as family no matter what or where. Dad made sure my blue-and-white Schwinn bike was packed in the back of the van, the first item to descend the ramp on arrival. Those wheels sent me off exploring right away. Once household goods were unpacked, he built an amazing swing set. With four-by-fours set in cement, his classic model was so tall and sturdy, my new friends and I could swing to the stars. No wonder it felt like home. My childhood memories return, as households come and go on our block. If you are like these young families on the move, here are five tips to make it smoother for you and the kids: 1. It’s not easy to say goodbye, because connections have been made between your family and people you care about. And some kids focus on everything they’ll leave behind. There is security in sameness. Ease bumps and smooth the inevitable by acknowledging what your family will miss. Collect contact information and photos of people you’ll stay in touch with. If possible, plan on a return visit, so your child knows you’ll reconnect. 2. Arrival day is messy and can feel unorganized. Ease chaos by marking boxes and furniture with room names. During the high-energy moments of unloading, you don’t want movers to put Avery’s heavy bunk-bed unit in a main-floor bedroom if it’s meant to go upstairs. 3. Pack sheets, quilts and pillows in dresser drawers for easy access to tuck kids in bed the first night. 4. Fill “First Days” labeled boxes for access of anything from liquid soap, paper plates, coffee and cereal, to art supplies, toys and books. Include a week’s worth of clothing, from underwear to work and school clothes, too, so you don’t have to dig through containers right away. 5. Take breaks, sip lemonade on your new porch, toss a Frisbee and enjoy your new surroundings. *** Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.” (c) 2018 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.
Tidbits® of the River Region