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STAR SPANGLED BANNER 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. (cont’d next page)
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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 all military ceremonies. • In 1929, the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” newspaper column pointed out that “Believe it or not, the U.S. has no designated national anthem!” This sparked a push to rectify this problem, led by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, until it was named the national anthem in 1931. (Cont’d)
Making the Most of Cat’s 9 Lives DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I’m extremely curious about the average lifespan of cats. Years ago my husband found a stray kitten about 6 weeks old. “Skeezix” lived to be 26 years old until he passed away one night after two strokes. We also rescued a stray we named “Sheba,” and we had her for 25 years (the vet couldn’t believe she’d lived so long), so she was at least 26 or 27 when congestive heart failure took her. My two remaining cats, “Mama” and “Baby,” are about 16 and 19 years old, respectively. We’ve never done anything special in terms of care and feeding. They all have been spayed or neutered, gotten regular veterinary care and lived indoors exclusively. I feed them Dad’s dry cat food, split a can of wet food between them occasionally, and of course a few Whiskas treats every day. Is it normal for cats to have such longevity? -- Fay, via email DEAR FAY: Those are amazingly long-lived cats! The average life span of a common housecat is about 15 years, so it’s safe to say that all of your cats have made it well past that mark. Is there a magic formula to help your cats live
longer? No one has that, but there are some things that will improve a cat’s life over the long term, and you have done all of them. Regular vet care, keeping cats indoors (away from many dangers and stressors), routine feeding and, of course, lots of TLC can all contribute to long life. So, who is the oldest cat ever documented? That would be Creme Puff, a cat in Austin, Texas, who made the Guinness Book of World Records in 2005 at the spry age of 38!
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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Whatever decisions you’re faced with this week, rely on your strong Aries instincts, and base them on your honest feelings, not necessarily on what others might expect you to do. TAURUS (April 30 to May 20) Your sensitive Taurean spirit is pained by what you feel is an unwarranted attack by a miffed colleague. But your sensible self should see it as proof that you must be doing something right. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) More fine-tuning might be in order before you can be absolutely certain that you’re on the right track. Someone close to you might offer to help. The weekend favors family get-togethers. CANCER ( June 21 to July 22) The week continues to be a balancing act ‘twixt dreaming and doing. But by week’s end, you should have a much better idea of what you actually plan to do and how you plan to do it. LEO ( July 23 to August 22) Changing your plans can be risky, but it can also be a necessary move. Recheck your facts before you act. Tense encounters should ease by midweek, and all should be well by the weekend. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might still be trying to adjust to recent changes. But things should improve considerably as you get to see some positive results. An uneasy personal matter calls for more patience. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Congratulations. Your good intentions are finally recognized, and long-overdue appreciation should follow. Keep working toward improvements wherever you think they’re necessary. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 2) Try to look at your options without prejudging any of them. Learn the facts, and then make your assessments. Spend the weekend enjoying films, plays and musical events. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Someone might want to take advantage of the Sagittarian’s sense of fair play. But before you ride off to right what you’ve been told is a wrong, be sure of your facts. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You might be surprised to learn that not everyone agrees with your ideas. But this can prove to be a good thing. Go over them and see where improvements can be made. AQUARIUS ( January 20 to February 18) After taking advice on a number of matters in recent months, expect to be called on to return the gesture. And, by the way, you might be surprised at who makes the request. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Reassure everyone concerned that a change of mind isn’t necessarily a change of heart. You might still want to pursue a specific goal, but feel a need to change the way you’ll get there. BORN THIS WEEK: You are able to make room in your heart for others, and that makes you a very special person in their lives.
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1. MUSIC: Who was known as “The Godfather of Soul”? 2. TELEVISION: What was the name of the yellow character on the children’s show “Teletubbies”? 3. SPORTS: What competition features activities such as clean, jerk and snatch? 4. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of dried fruit are prunes? 5. FAMOUS QUOTATIONS: What famous playwright once observed, “The course of true love never did run smooth”? 6. MATHEMATICS: What number does the prefix giga- represent? 7. U.S. STATES: Which U.S. state shares only one border with another state? 8. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the Suez Canal? 9. PRESIDENTS: Which U.S. president was born with the name Leslie King? 10. MOVIES: In the Disney movie “Aladdin,” how long was the genie inside the lamp before Aladdin released him?
1. In 2015, pitcher Dillon Gee set a New York Mets record for lasting at least five innings in the most consecutive starts (51). Who had held the mark? 2. Who is the all-time leader in saves for the Philadelphia Phillies? 3. In 2014, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson set a record for fastest NFL player to 10,000 receiving yards (115 games). Who had held the mark? 4. When was the last time Yale’s men’s basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament? 5. How many consecutive Game Seven playoff losses have the Anaheim Ducks suffered entering the 2015-16 NHL season? 6. Name the oldest U.S. male swimmer to win an individual Olympic gold medal. 7. Who was the last men’s golfer before Jordan Spieth in 2015 to make a birdie on the 72nd hole to win a U.S. Open by one stroke?
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Winter Boredom Busters for Energetic Families
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.’ (continued)
If your family is suffering from the winter blahs, don’t let the seasonal funk get you down. Try some fun indoor and outdoor activities to perk up your February days. Pick out your favorites from this list of 10 boredom busters. Jot them down on your family calendar, and adapt them to the projects or birthday celebrations that your family has already inked in. FUNSTUFF FOR FAMILIES: 1. There are more than 7,000 recognized living languages in the world today. Learn how to say “hello” in one that interests you. Greet each other at the breakfast table in the language. 2. Go together to your public library and check out the latest happenings for kids. While you are at it, check out several storybooks, too. Set aside a special “library book” basket to store them at home between visits. 3. Draw a picture of an outdoor winter scene where you live. Scan and email it, or help your child address a big envelope to send the drawing via U.S. mail to someone special. 4. At lunchtime, name the foods on your plate and talk about where they came from. “The grocery store” is not a correct answer! 5. Draw eyes, a nose and mouth on your fingers with non-toxic washable markers to create finger puppets. Tell a story. 6. Citrus fruits evoke images of sunny beaches and warm places. For a healthy midday beverage, squeeze the sweet juice from oranges. Or, think “summertime” and squeeze some lemons for a pitcher of homemade lemonade. 7. Pop popcorn for an after-school snack. Sprinkle a new topping on it. 8. Make a dollhouse out of a cardboard box using supplies from your craft box and periodicals and clean containers from the recycle bin. 9. Pick a destination close to your home and walk, bike, skate or ski to get there. When you return, make hot chocolate and top with a dollop of whipping cream and a dash of cinnamon for an extra treat. 10. Shop together for the ingredients for sub sandwiches. At dinnertime, let the family build their subs assembly-line fashion.
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Why Investing With No Money Down Might Be a Terrible Idea (& What You Should Do Instead) Something to point out also is thanks to the fact that you still have your day job, if the market crashes, you’ll still get an income. You won’t be dependent on your selling for a profit and you’re not knee-deep in debt. That’s always good to know when a 2008 crash scenario takes place. The trick is to combine all these different methods and steadily increase your cash flow. Take the money you earned with one deal and put it into a next one. Let that money you’re making generate some cash on its own. Let it snowball and allow the magic of compound interest to do its thing. If you do it this way, the patient way, you’ll be able to start living life on your own terms bit by bit. What’s more, you can start to transition into a new lifestyle. No sudden changes, which is a very comfortable way to grow your wealth. Whatever strategy or mix of strategies you choose for investing in real estate, keep in mind that this way is not for those who want to get rich quickly. There is NO such thing as getting rich quickly so don’t ever believe in that. Real estate investing takes plenty of hard work and patience. Also, it is not always easy to quickly liquidate your holdings, so when you invest, be prepared to let the investment sit there over a period of time and be patient. After a while, you’ll see money coming in, slowly but surely. My final words today were given to me by someone who was worth $150M dollars: “Wake up before everyone, go to sleep after everyone, work hard, work smarter.”
Rogue Valley Real Estate PART 4 - Conclusion by Engelo Rumora, www.BiggerPockets.com Jan 9, 2016 Part I [Re-Cap] You Need Money to Make Money Then How Does One Make More Money? PART II [Re-Cap]: “So what do you do with the small amount of money you can invest?” Strategy #1 Fix and Flip PART III [Re-Cap] - Strategy #2 Wholesaling
Final: Part IV - Strategy #3 - Buy & Hold
Usually performed with the intention of holding onto a property for many years, buying and holding a property involves taking complete charge of it after making the payment. Properties can be bought at surprisingly low prices (especially in the Midwest — for example, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana), so you don’t need to be a millionaire to get started. Once the market has improved, investors can sell the property for good returns. These properties can have good capital gains depending on where you invest. (Try and stick close to infrastructure. Infrastructure like a hospital or large factory and major employer like AK Steel in Middletown, Ohio will always show a solid demand from tenants and home owners.) However, you need to have a lot of patience since significant returns will take time. Also, NEVER base your decisions on speculation that property prices will rise. Only base your decisions on the numbers as they stand today and make sure that those numbers are getting you a step closer toward achieving your cash flow end goals. Any appreciation should just be considered the cherry on top.
To Your Good Health By Keith Roach, M.D.
Tremors Aren’t Always Sign of Parkinson’s
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been diagnosed with essential tremor. Propranolol 10 mg has not helped. Sometimes I can write and eat with no shaking, but other times the shaking is so bad that the food falls off the fork or I cannot read my printing or writing. If I drink a beer, it seems to relax me enough that in five minutes I can write or eat quite normally nearly every time. I’ve been told that it doesn’t appear to be Parkinson’s. Any suggestions will be enormously appreciated. -- J.N. ANSWER: Essential tremor, sometimes called benign familial tremor, is common. Often, one has a
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family history of tremor. It is not Parkinson’s disease; however, it isn’t always “benign” in that, for some people, it can be disabling, preventing a person from not only writing, but, as in your case, activities of daily living such as eating. Alcohol has long been known to reduce the tremor temporarily, but it must be taken cautiously, since regular use will diminish its effectiveness, requiring higher doses for effectiveness -- and, as I have written many times, excess alcohol is a major cause of many medical problems. Occasional use with meals is reasonable. Other effective treatments for essential tremor include anti-epilepsy medications such as primidone, gabapentin and topiramate. Unfortunately, all of these can have side effects, so they are best prescribed by an expert, such as a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders. For serious essential tremor not responsive to medications, deep brain stimulation (via electrodes placed surgically) is effective. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009, and she is taking Namenda and Aricept to help slow the advancement of the disease. I am writing because she complains of being cold all the time. She and my father keep the temperature in their house at 80 degrees, and my
FACTS ABOUT THE FLAG (cont’d) • 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 climatecontrolled 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.
mother wears winter clothes, a coat and a blanket in the house. She sometimes sweats through the clothes, but we can’t persuade her to remove any layers. The house is uncomfortably hot for anyone else, and yet she says she is cold. Her general practitioner has said that this is part of her disease. Is there anything else you have heard of that could explain this? -- C.L. ANSWER: I have seen a lot of people with dementia of all kinds, but I haven’t personally seen this degree of intolerance to cold. Her doctor may have more experience than I do, but I didn’t find much about it written in the medical literature. Every person is different, and it’s possible this is just part of how the dementia is affecting her. However, cold intolerance to this degree suggests some alternate possibilities. The most important and likely is low thyroid levels, which can also cause a condition that looks like dementia and would certainly make dementia worse. I bet her doctor has checked for it. If not done recently, she should have her thyroid level checked. Other, less-common causes include Addison’s disease (inability to make appropriate amounts of steroid hormones), iron deficiency, anemia from any cause and severe malnutrition.
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* It was American mythologist Joseph Campbell who made the following sage observation: “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” * If you’re an aficionado of barbed wire, be sure to head to LaCrosse, Kansas, during the first weekend of May. Collectors gather there every year for the Antique Barbed Wire Swap and Sell Festival. 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. (continued next page)
* You might be surprised to learn that both men and women have an Adam’s apple; it’s more visible on men because men have larger larynxes and because women tend to have more fatty tissue in their necks. * You doubtless know of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers, as the
Helping Seniors Stay in Their Homes
Aging in place. Those are words dear to the hearts of many low-income seniors who fear having to move away from home when they need services. The department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is about to give $15 million in grants to organizations that can provide services to help seniors stay in their homes. Called “Supportive Services Demonstration for Elderly Households in HUD-Assisted Multifamily Housing,” it would work like this: Existing HUD-assisted senior developments can apply for three-year grants if they agree to provide services for aging in place, transitions to institutional care, housing stability, wellbeing monitoring and utilization of healthcare, such as emergency-room visits. The goal would be to avoid institutional care, the need for skilled nursing and expensive trips to the
Choice Needs Fixes
The Choice program, designed to get quicker medical appointments for veterans at civilian doctors, is a big mess. Changes were made recently to driving distances, delayed appointments at a Department of Veterans Affairs facility, difficulty in reaching appointments due to physical condition, and more, to make it easier for veterans to get care. But there is a snag: Health Net Federal Services. Health Net was hired to make appointments. A veteran can’t just call the doctor to make an appointment and have the VA pay the bill. No, this intermediary will make the appointment -- eventually. (In New England, there is only one person for the whole region to set up the provider network.) Health Net must make the appointments within the allotted period, but that doesn’t always
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nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, and you’ve probably heard that he was fatally wounded in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Most of his accomplishments are not common knowledge, though -- and they deserve to be. Born into poverty on the Caribbean island of Nevis, the illegitimate son of a Scots merchant, Hamilton began work as a clerk at the age of 11. His employers were so impressed with his intelligence that they paid for him to attend school in America, where he became involved in revolutionary politics. He was a lieutenant colonel by the age of 20 and managed to marry into one of the most distinguished families in New York. In addition to writing most of the Federalist Papers, Hamilton founded the New York Post, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Mint. * Marie de Medici, queen of France in the early 17th century, once had a gown made that was embellished with more than 3,000 diamonds and 30,000 pearls.
emergency room. Developments will be required to have a full-time, onsite service coordinator and a part-time, onsite wellness nurse to make assessments and coordinate care and support services. The program would be a test to see if initial plans work and to evaluate the outcomes of the demonstration. A model program was started in Vermont a few years ago, and there are many success stories to show the effectiveness: An isolated senior who missed doctor appointments can now get rides and has learned to get around independently; another with physical disabilities has been given referrals to physical therapists; a depressed senior was recruited as a volunteer and has become more social, and so much more. These are the types of services we need if we’re to stay in our homes. Those development owners who want to apply have until April 18 to do so. See www.grants.gov, and look for FR-5900-N-22.
happen. Health Net is required to call the correct type of doctor that the veteran needs, which doesn’t always happen either. Health Net processes the bills for the civilian medical providers -- eventually. One large medical provider in New England announced that not only was it owed a lot of money, but the burdens of being a Choice provider were just too much to deal with. Veterans are reporting that they’re receiving bills that should have been paid. Help, or at least disclosure, might be coming soon in the form of a Government Accounting Office audit, requested by some members of Congress. It seems that Congress can sometimes get things rolling, but only if it knows about the problem. This is a call for ... phone calls. Emails. Letters. Contact your state’s two U.S. senators. Ask for the aide who handles veterans issues. Tell your story in summary form, hitting the highlights: Inability to get a medical appointment. Long telephone wait times. Whatever the problem is, tell them. Go online to www.senate.gov and click Senators to find his or her contact information.
Replacement China Q: I have a partial set of Sakura china in the Laredo pattern. It was discontinued at least 20 years ago. Can you help me? I love this pattern and would like to at least have a complete set for six. -- Betty, Conway, Arkansas A: Replacements can probably help you track down the pieces that you’re missing, but be prepared for sticker shock, because it won’t be cheap. The address is P.O. Box 26029, Greenboro,
NC 27428. In addition to china, Replacements also helps complete silver flatware patterns and crystal, and even offers free pattern identification. Its tollfree telephone number is 800-737-5223. *** Q: My late great-aunt was a seamstress throughout the 1920s and ‘30s. I am in the process of liquidating her estate in a suburb of St. Louis. In addition to two Singer sewing machines, there are thimbles, thread cases and an assortment of numerous other items, all relating to her profession. Because I can’t save everything, I need your advice. -- Mandy, Tempe, Arizona A: I don’t want to needle you, but be very careful when sifting through this estate. Thimbles have become extremely collectible, so you should be aware of certain ones, especially those crafted by James Fenton, Charles Horner, the Simon Brothers, and ones featuring unusual designs such as the “Iles Ventilated Thimble.”
Because Singer sewing machines made during the 1920s and ‘30s are plentiful and often priced for less than $150 at local shops, I do not think they are worth keeping. The real value of these machines could, however, be the contents of the drawers. Look for vintage needle cases, because one made by W. Avery & Sons recently sold for $300 at auction. Examine carefully measuring tapes and other items issued as advertising premiums. So you won’t get stuck, steer clear of new thimbles advertised as limited editions. They rarely increase in value. *** Q: I have a first edition of Frank Yerbe’s novel “Bride of Liberty.” I have been offered $50 for it. -- Bill, Akron, Ohio A: Take it. According to several used-book dealers I consulted, a first edition of the novel you mentioned generally sells in the $15-$25 range. It was published by Doubleday in 1954.
BEAVERS (cont’d)
Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie This recipe from our sister publication Woman’s Day gets to the heart of what makes pot pie so good: the creamy chicken filling. It’s so tasty, you can skip the puff pastry altogether and just serve it with some crusty bread on the side, if you prefer. 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Kosher salt and pepper 4 medium carrots 2 stalk celery 1 onion 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 sheet frozen puff pastry 1 egg 1 cup frozen peas 3 tablespoons fresh dill sprigs 1. In a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker, whisk together the wine, flour, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. 2. Add carrots, celery, onion and chicken, and toss to combine. Cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through and easily pulls apart, 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. 3. When the chicken has 30 minutes left to cook, heat oven to 400 F. Cut puff pastry into 8 rectangles and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg and bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. 4. Gently fold peas and dill into the chicken and vegetables and cook, covered, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with additional dill if desired, and top with the puff pastry. Serves 4.
GH’s Classic Brownies 3/4 cup butter or margarine (1 1/2 sticks) 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate 4 ounces semisweet chocolate 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 5 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan. 2. In 3-quart saucepan, heat butter and chocolates over medium-low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; stir until well-mixed. Stir flour and salt into chocolate mixture just until blended. Spread batter in pan. 3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. 4. When brownie is cool, cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Makes 24 brownies. * Each brownie: About 205 calories, 3g protein, 25g carbohydrate, 11g total fat (7g saturated), 1g fiber, 61mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium.
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• 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.
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Published by Velocity Ventures Trust
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 flagraising 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.
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• 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 14,000foot 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.” Thank you to our friends at Logan Design for sponsoring this ad.
It’s National Engineering Week! At Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley we are shaping future Engineers. Some of this weeks activities include: Engineer Guest Speakers Presentation by US Cellular Structural Building Activities Stop by our Facebook Page to see our Future Engineers at play!
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.
1. Dwight Gooden, with 50 consecutive starts (1987-89). 2. Jonathan Papelbon, with 123. Jose Mesa is second, with 112. 3. Torry Holt did it in 116 games. 4. It was 1962. 5. Three consecutive Game Sevens. 6. Duke Kahanamoku, who won in 1920 at age 30. 7. Bobby Jones, in 1926.
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When school’s out, the Clubs are in.
Answers 1. James Brown 2. Laa-Laa 3. Weightlifting 4. Plums 5. William Shakespeare 6. 1 billion 7. Maine 8. Egypt 9. Gerald Ford 10. 10,000 years