Issue 113 - Tidbits of Sheridan and Johnson Counties

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Feb. 29 - Mar. 6, 2016

Issue 113

Kysar Publishing

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Q: What’s red, white, blue, and yellow?

A: The Star Spangled Banana!

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TIDBITS® SINGS THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

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by Janet Spencer • On March 3, 1931, a measure passed Congress and was signed into law that formally designated “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem of the U.S. Come along with Tidbits as we sing the national anthem!

A BATTLE REMEMBERED • During the War of 1812, British soldiers set fire to buildings in Washington, D.C. and then marched through Maryland. Most of the soldiers were peaceful as they filed through the town of Upper Marlboro, but a couple of drunken soldiers at the end of the procession were shouting, cursing, and carrying on.

• One of the town founders, an American physician named Dr. William Beanes, was so angry at this drunken display that he arrested the rowdy Redcoats and hauled them to the local jail. However, one of them escaped, ran for help, and came back fortified by more redcoats.

They released the imprisoned soldiers and seized Dr. Beanes.

• They rowed him out to a frigate in the middle of Chesapeake Bay and held him prisoner. Dr. Beanes had a friend named Francis Scott Key who was a lawyer. Urged by President James Madison, on Sept. 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key rowed out to the ship to negotiate Dr. Beanes’ release.

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(Continued on Next Page)

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Page 2

Tidbits® of Sheridan and Johnson Counties Tidbits Presents the

HEALTH PAGE TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH

By Keith Roach, M.D.

How Safe Is Ultrasound?

--DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you please discuss the use of ultrasounds during routine pregnancies? How many typically are performed, and are there any possible negative effects on the fetus? Are doctors today performing more ultrasounds (including 3-D ultrasounds) just because they can and because it’s exciting for the expectant parents, or is there a medical reason for performing these?

My daughter-in-law is in her sixth month and has had two ultrasounds, plus a 3-D session. She is under the impression that she will have at least one more. To my knowledge, this is not a high-risk pregnancy (she’s 26 and everything is going fine). I’m just wondering if so many sessions are really needed and what is known about the effects on the fetus. -- G.M. ANSWER: There is some controversy over whether an ultrasound poses risks to the developing fetus. The Food and Drug Administration has noted that there may be some heating of tissues and that any long-term risks are unknown. I did find studies showing that there is no long-term risk of leukemia, hearing loss or abnormal eye development.

A 2013 guideline from multiple groups, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommended a standard first-trimester ultrasound, and a standard second- or third-trimester ultrasound.

Any other ultrasounds would be based on a clinician’s concern for a potential problem.

The guideline specifically states: “Fetal ultrasound should be performed only when there is a valid medical reason, and the lowest possible ultrasonic exposure settings should be used to gain the necessary diagnostic information.” I don’t have enough information to know why your daughter-in-law has had more ultrasounds than is usually recommended for a normal pregnancy. Perhaps her obstetrician has a low-level concern she hasn’t shared with her, or your daughter-in-law with you.

While not the case for her, I am concerned about the growing trend of so-called keepsake ultrasounds that are not performed for valid medical reasons, such as those done in shopping malls. These might not be administered with the same degree of expertise and safety as a medical ultrasound. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 78 and have had urinary tract infections continually for the past eight or nine months. My urologist prescribed methenamine for six months, then a month of cephalexin, then back to the first prescription. Why is it so hard to get rid of UTIs? What would you recommend? -- A.C.S. ANSWER: Frequent urine infections are common. However, it is important to find out if this is the same infection that hasn’t ever gone away, or a series of new infections. An infection that doesn’t go away needs an evaluation for something abnormal in the urinary tract, such as a kidney stone. Your urologist is treating you with medication to prevent new infections. Methanamine is a urinary antiseptic, and cephalexin is a broadspectrum antibiotic.

You didn’t tell me if you are a man or a woman. Men with recurrent infections should be evaluated for prostate issues. Women with recurrent UTIs frequently are affected by atrophic vaginitis. There are many other causes. It’s worth discussing further with your urologist. *** Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu. To view and order health pamphlets, visit www.rbmamall.com, or write to Good Health, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2016 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

STAR SPANGLED BANNER (cont’d) • Francis Scott Key carried with him many letters written by British sailors whose lives had been saved

by Dr. Beanes. The British subsequently agreed to release him.

• However, shortly after Francis Scott Key was taken aboard, the British began bombing Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Francis Scott Key and Dr. Beanes were held until the battle was over, lest they reveal the location of the British ships to their American friends.

• Fearing for the safety of American forces, Francis Scott Key was moved to write a poem called “The Defence of Fort M’Henry” which was set to the tune of an old English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” He scrawled the lyrics on the back of a letter.

• When he returned home, he had the song printed up on flyers that he distributed to his friends who had been under attack at Fort McHenry. Two copies of this original printing still survive today.

• The song became popular very quickly. The newspaper in Baltimore printed the lyrics. The proprietor of a music shop printed the sheet music, and he was the first person to call the song “The Star Spangled Banner” rather than “The Defence of Fort M’Henry.”

• During the Civil War, the song became an anthem for Union troops and it steadily increased in popularity through the years. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order stating that the song should be played at 14 all military ceremonies.

Sheridan • In 1929, the “Ripley’s Believe Good Health Emporium Leather It Or Not” newspaper column Outfitters • pointed out that “Believe it or not, the U.S. has no designated national anthem!” This Werco Ave. sparked a push to rectify this problem, led by the Ameri• can Legion and the Veterans Firestone Complete of Foreign Wars, until it was Auto Care named the national anthem in 1931.

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CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE

NEED A BED? Brand new. Direct from factory. Innerspring Mattress Sets. Twin Mattress only $89. Twin Sets $149., Full Sets $189., Queen Sets $229. (Other models in stock) Rick and Kathy Woods 429-8550(local Sheridan cell #) Call or Text.

AUTOS & MORE 2006 Dodge 2500 Quad Cab 5.9 Diesel. Long box, spray-on bed liner, B&W goose neck hitch, Super Spring rear suspension, tow package, new front brakes, new ball joints, matching topper, K&N air filter, solid front end. $26,500 Denny (307) 751-9428 2001 Dodge 4x4 Cummings $12,000 5.9L 24 Valve 147k miles 3 0 7 - 7 5 1 - 1 9 7 3

FOR SALE 205/55r16 16” Blizzex Snow Tires Used One Season. $30 A Piece. 674-9573

Saddle with Stand $450 655-5032 or 752-4311 Mobile Home Lots Available in Ranchester.

Call 307-655-2310 WANTED Join a local pigeon club - Fun for all ages! Contact Mike Faldenauer VAMC 1898 Fort Rd. Sheridan, WY 82801 NEW EMAIL SPELLING! Wanted: Christian Female Roomie. Nice furnished 2-Bedroom Basement Apartment. $375/ Month (Includes W/G/S) + abt. $20 elec. Close to P.O./Library/Downtown. newplacejuzt4u@gmail. com HELP WANTED

DAYS INN NOW HIRING - HOUSEKEEPERS Apply at 1104 Brundage Ln. Sheridan, WY (307) 672-2888

FOR SALE 1/2 Grassfed Beef for Sale: $1419.30 includes everything on 342 carcass weight (processing, deliver to Sheridan, Miles City, or points between).

All natural, slow grown on pasture, grassfed and finished. Quarters, Eighths, Sixteenths, and individual cuts also available. LOHOF Grass-Finished BEEF.com. 406-784-2549. lohofmeats@gmail.com For Sale: 21” Snapper lawn mower, gas powered. Annual maintenance done: New plug and air filter, blade sharpened, oil changed. Also heavy duty Black and Decker weed wacker with extra cord. Mower $50, weed wacker $20, both for $65. 673-2695 WE HAVE HAY! 2015 crop 1st cutting, small sq bales of Alfalfa/Timothy mix with a little Brome grass for added fiber. Good protein, good for horses and all livestock.

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Please call 307 751 3535, SERVICES AVAILABLE Home or pet care, transportation, house projects, grocery shopping and more call Errands & Extras 307, LLC--your Personal Assistant Service 752-1623.

“Local Color’s” Interior Painting “Experience a Brush with Quality” Contact Shirl 307.751.0483

FACTS ABOUT FRANCIS • Francis Scott Key was a very influential lawyer. He served as an advisor in President Andrew Jackson’s cabinet, was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and argued over 100 cases in front of the Supreme Court. Although he was an avid poet, the lyrics to the national anthem are the only rhymes he’s remembered for.

FACTS ABOUT THE FLAG • The construction of the flag that flew over Fort McHenry was commissioned by Major George Armistead when he arrived in Baltimore to take command of Fort McHenry.

• A woman named Mary Pickersgill who sewed the flag for Fort McHenry, spreading it out on the floor of a brewery because that was the only place big enough to unfurl it. It took her and her assistants about a month to construct it. She billed the government $490 for the work, which is equal to about $5,500 in today’s money.

• The flag that so proudly waved was gigantic, measuring 30 feet by 42 feet (9 m x 13 m). That’s equal to one-quarter the size of a basketball court. The stars were two feet in diameter (0.6 m) and each stripe was 2 feet wide. It required a team of eleven men to raise it on a 90 foot (27 m) flagpole. It was designed to be highly visible.

• The weather was stormy while the Battle of Baltimore was raging. The woolen flag would have weighed more than 500 lbs (227 kg) when water-logged, so it was taken down and replaced with a smaller “storm flag.” When the rain cleared, the storm flag was taken down and the big flag was hoisted once again. This is the flag Francis Scott Key would have seen from the ship when dawn broke, not knowing that a substitute stand-in flag actually flew during the ‘perilous night.’

• As years passed, the smaller storm flag was lost and no one knows what became of it. But the larger flag was handed town to Major Armistead’s family, who rightfully cherished it as an American heirloom.

• Over the years, the Armistead family was bombarded with requests for souvenir scraps of the fabric of the flag. They snipped bits and pieces off, giving them to veterans, government officials, and honored citizens.

More than two hundred square feet of the Star-Spangled Banner was eventually given away, including one of the stars.

• In 1873 the flag was attached to a canvas backing in order to be displayed at the Boston Navy Yard.

• In 1907, it was donated to the Smithsonian Institute, who later hired a team of ten seamstresses to remove the canvas backing and replace it with a linen backing. It took them two months to sew 1.7 million interlocking stitches in a mesh that covered and reinforced the flag.

• The flag spent the next 50 years in a glass case in the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building, before being moved to the National Museum of American History in 1964.

• In 1999 it was taken to a climate-controlled lab where it took a team of workers two years to undo the 1.7 million stitches to remove the linen backing. It was examined, cleaned, and attached to a backing made of a lightweight polyester fabric called Stabiltex. The project cost $7 million and took about ten years.

• In 2008 it was put on display in a climate-controlled low-light gallery where it is sealed in a pressurized chamber, monitored by sensors, shielded by glass, and guarded by a waterless fire-suppression system where it will remain permanently.

Red Grade Construction Bob Ratty General Contactor Historic Restoration - Retail Space Improvement Custom Carpentry Service 3 0 7 - 7 5 2 - 3 0 1 3 Rich’s Home Repair General home repairs and remodels. Resonable Prices. FREE ESTIMATES! Rich: 307-421-0972 Janet: 307-630-6037 House painting, cleaning, general labor - Lots of Experience - References Available Call Steve 683-7814

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR FREE! EMAIL YOUR INFO TO BKYSAR@SJTIDBITS.COM OR CALL 751-1392

Of Sheridan & Johnson Counties

Published weekly by Kysar Publishing.

Call (307) 655-5095 bkysar@sjtidbits.com

KP

Tidbits® of Sheridan and Johnson Counties

Page 4 ts presen

Featuring Local Celebrities, Inspirational Stories, and Local Businesses

is still here... and better than before!!!!

All items NEW (with tags) at ridiculously LOW prices!

Ladies skirts and tops starting at $20 Dresses starting at $35 Jeans starting at $30 We have FABULOUS hats!

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ye olde book knook

17 South Main St - Sheridan

Brave Cornelius Cornelius wandered onto the ranch property of one of our supporters, who immediately noticed he was injured.

She brought him to us and we took him to the veterinarian. The initial assumption was that he had been hit by a car.

His left eye was horribly damaged, his teeth were broken, and he had evidence of brain trauma. The veterinarian scheduled him for surgery the next week. During that week, we all grew to love and adore Cornelius. He is such a wonderful, sweet boy who loves to give hugs and purrs for anyone who will pet him. Before the surgery, the veterinarian took x-rays of Cornelius’ skull to be able to properly address all of his issues. We were all shoced to discover bullet fragments and shattered skull on the x-ray images. Someone had shot Cornelius through the eye and left him to die. The bullet exited through his ear, damaging part of his brain and leaving him deaf in his left ear. The surgery to repair the damage took over 3 hours.

Cornelius is now completely healed and has been adopted into a loving home. We receive regular updates on how well he is doing. He loves snuggling with his new kitty siblings and now has only one goal in life: to catch the red dot.

Cornelius Before & After

Talk to your neighbors, then talk to me.

Renate Smith, Agent 211 N Main Street Sheridan, WY 82801 Bus: 307-672-0483 renate.smith.gavt@statefarm.com

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Page 5

PET OF THE WEEK!

Athena is our cat of the week at Second Chance Sheridan Cat Rescue! Athena is an 8 month old brown and orange tabby. She is very sweet and loves to play. Athena would love a family of her own! For more information about Athena or any other adoptable cat, please call 307-461-9555 or visit http://sheridancatrescue.org

PAW’S CORNER

By Sam Mazzotta

A PATRIOTIC PLEDGE • In the late 1800s a magazine called “The Youth’s Companion” was very popular. Editor James Upman promoted education tirelessly and instigated a program of premiums for subscribers. The prizes included such things as patriotic posters, historical books, and especially American flags.

He began a concerted campaign encouraging all schools to install American flags, and he sold them the flags.

• In 1892 Upman was preoccupied with the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the New World. He wanted a nationwide celebration on that day to underscore his belief that the American system of free universal education was the source of the country’s success. He asked Francis Bellamy, who worked for the National Education Association, to help him create a program for schools for the Columbus Day event.

• Bellamy wrote a speech, devised a flag-raising ceremony, and penned a simple creed that school children could recite in unison as the flag was raised. The pledge that Bellamy wrote was short so that even the youngest of schoolchildren would be able to memorize it. These details were published in the September edition of the magazine.

• On October 12, 1892, millions of children all over the United States recited this creed while saluting the flags. This started a tradition. In 1942 Congress recognized the creed as the official national pledge of the U.S., now called the Pledge of Allegiance.

• The original version was: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

In 1923, the words, “the Flag of the United States of America” were added. In 1954, the words “under God” were added. (continued on last page).

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Dog Flu Still a Threat --DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My shorthaired terrier, “Blazer,” became very ill just before Christmas and was diagnosed with dog flu. He’s doing much better now, but it was touch and go for a while. Can you let your readers know that there’s a bad strain of the flu going around and to take care of their dogs? -- Bill C., Tucson, Arizona DEAR BILL: I’m glad to hear that Blazer is on the mend! Last year, the spread of a particularly severe form of canine influenza caught the attention of the media and had dog owners nationwide worrying. The illness has dropped from the headlines lately, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer a threat. In fact, by midJanuary the influenza A H3N2 virus had spread to 18 states and is still spreading.

Symptoms of the flu virus may seem pretty benign at first: A dog may have no symptoms, or may have a runny nose and cough. However, more serious symptoms, including a high fever, tend to develop. Dogs with the virus can become dehydrated very quickly, so prompt attention at the vet’s office is critical. There isn’t a cure for the flu; pets need to be kept hydrated and get plenty of rest and supportive nutrition.

Recovery time for most dogs is about two or three weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While a dog is ill, he or she should not be around other dogs, as the virus can be spread easily by a sneeze or cough. The mortality rate from H3N2 among dogs is about 10 percent, making it a risk no pet owner wants to take.

Send your questions or tips to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Amazing Animals BEAVERS • The beaver is the largest rodent in North America. An adult can weigh between 40 and 95 lbs. (1843 kg). They can live about 12 years.

• Beavers eat the inner bark of a tree as high as they can reach and then they chip away at the tree with phenomenal front teeth that never stop growing. They can fell a tree five feet (1.5 m) in diameter. A flap in the back of their mouth keeps them from swallowing splinters.

• When the tree falls, beavers strip the inner bark that was previously out of reach. Branches are chewed off and carried to the water for use in the dam or lodge, or to be stashed as a winter supply of food. They fashion mud roads to their favorite lumbering grounds to make it easier to drag branches. If the trunk is too heavy to be easily moved, a canal may be constructed to float it down to the water. Canals can be 700 feet (213 m) long. Beavers also build canals across peninsulas in the pond.

• Dams are built by dragging trees to the stream and placing them with their big end upstream.

They are weighted with mud and stones, and many layers are added. Beavers bring mud up from the bottom by scooping it up in their front paws and holding it against their chests. They can hold their breath underwater for 15 minutes. Beavers work hard to keep their dams in repair— a tough job when you consider that the dams can be several hundred feet in length. One Montana dam was over 2,000 feet (610 m) long.

• They build their lodges by constructing a cone of sticks on the bottom of the pond. Mud serves as plaster, and there’s always a ventilation hole at the top.

• In a beaver lodge, several underwater entrances slope up to a living room that’s above water level.

It’s carpeted with grasses, and can be big enough for a man to curl up in.

• Beavers have to regulate the water level of the pond in order to keep their lodge from flooding or going dry, so they build locks and spillways. They build dams upstream and downstream to aid in flood control.

• Beavers also keep themselves busy raising young. A typical beaver family consists of the parents, a bunch of newborns and several one-year-olds. The young stay with the parents for two years before being driven off to fend for themselves. There are usually 6 to 12 family members in each lodge.

• The enamel on the teeth of a beaver is orange. Their eyelids are clear so they can see under water.

Their ears and noses have valves that close to keep water out when the beaver is submerged. They also have an interior set of lips that close so the beaver can chew underwater without getting water in their mouths. They mate for life.

• Their favorite trees to cut down include aspen and willow, which re-grow from the roots and become thicker after pruning. As the beaver ponds flood more meadows, more aspen and willows grow in the damp ground. And willow sticks will grow roots and sprout when placed in a beaver dam or lodge, helping to stabilize the area.

• At one time beavers were common in Europe and parts of Asia, but now their territory is limited to parts of the U.S. and Canada. About half a million are trapped each year for their pelts and scent glands. Scent glands are used in perfume. Their under-fur is combined with wool and other animal fibers and compressed under steam in order to form felt.

Page 6

Tidbits® of Sheridan and Johnson Counties

QUALITY • SERVICE • SELECTION

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Page 7

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A PATRIOTIC SONG • Born in Massachusetts in 1859, Katharine Lee Bates grew up to become a professor of English literature at Wellesley College. She was also a prolific writer, authoring many books, articles, poems, and stories.

• In 1893 she traveled to the Rocky Mountains where she spent the summer teaching at Colorado College. One day, she joined a group of people headed for the top of 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. They traveled by wagons, mules, and foot.

• Katharine was exhausted by the time she reached the top, but the view was magnificent.

Inspired by the sight of the mountains, plains, and skies, she composed a poem celebrating the beauty of America.

• Two years later, her poem was published in a magazine called “The Congregationalist” for their Fourth of July edition, and it reached an even wider audience when it was reprinted in “The Boston Evening Transcript” in 1904.

• Meanwhile, a New Jersey musician named Samuel Ward had written a hymn called “Materna.” The song’s first line was, ‘O Mother dear, Jerusalem’ and the tune was metrically identical to Katharine’s poem. It was natural for Katharine’s poem and Samuel’s tune to match up, and soon people were singing the new song.

• By the time Katharine died in 1929, the song whose lyrics she had penned had become a national favorite.

• Many people approached Congress asking for this song to be chosen as America’s national anthem because it is simple, beautiful, and easy to sing. Even though “The Star Spangled Banner” was chosen in 1931, many people still feel that Katharine and Samuel’s song would make a better national anthem. The song is called “America the Beautiful.”

Contact Todd Wagner or Mike Bunting 307-752-2787 Scoria Sales - Trucking Septic Systems - Driveways/ Roads - Ponds Custom Crushing

Mike’s Electric, Inc. 43 East 5th St. Sheridan, WY 82801 Phone: 307-674-7373 Email: nathan@mikeselectricinc.com

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