Daily Archives: June 8, 2011

Keep Your Hot Dog as Cool as a Cucumber

by

0

Keep Your Hot Dog as Cool as a Cucumber ~ By Wendy Mitchell

With the extreme temperatures today and tomorrow let’s not forget about keeping our four-legged furry friends cool. Here’s some great tips from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Our dog Charlie cools off with a nice cold spray from the hose.

“Even the healthiest pets can suffer from dehydration, heat stroke and sunburn if overexposed to the heat,” says Dr. Lila Miller, ASPCA Vice President of Veterinary Outreach, “and heat stroke can be fatal if not treated promptly.”

Watch out for the following symptoms of overheating in pets:

  • excessive panting or difficulty breathing
  • drooling
  • mild weakness
  • stupor and even collapse

Pets can also suffer from seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.

Take these simple precautions to help prevent your pet from overheating. And if you suspect your pet is suffering from heat stroke, get help from your veterinarian immediately.

  • Avoid dehydration by always having fresh, clean water available and lots of shady places where pets can cool off. When the weather’s extremely hot, keep your pets indoors.
  • Give your dog a haircut to help prevent overheating. Shave the hair to a one-inch length, but never down to the skin, as fur offers protection from the sun. Brushing your cat more often than usual can also help prevent problems caused by excessive heat.
  • When using sunscreen or insect repellent, be sure the product is labeled specifically for use on animals.
  • Never leave an animal alone in a parked vehicle. “On a hot day, a parked car can become a furnace in no time—even with the windows open—which could lead to fatal heat stroke,” says Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.
For more information about the ASPCA click here.

Stars Shine at Johnson Variety Show Monday Night

by

0

Stars Shine at Johnson Variety Show Monday Night ~ By Ruby Mitchell

The Variety Show for Johnson School took place Monday night at Bethel Middle School. The students practiced their acts for over a month before the show after school. When it came time for the show some of the performers were very nervous and you could hear them breathing into the microphone before they started but they all got through it and did a great job.

Each performance had to be only two minutes long because there were 40 performers! Whoa! So many talented students.  The show included lots of singing, some dancing, instrumental acts, and some pretty funny comedy acts.

The performers each received a big round of applause at the end of their act. Some of the audience favorites included two rappers; Andrew and Judah, “The Little Man in the Refrigerator;” Dante and Michael, and Stephen and Collin’s song “I Want to Hold Your Hand” because of Stephen’s funny dancing, and many more. Mia Gaetano ended the show with an awesome version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” Everyone was saying she should try out for American Idol!

There were yummy snacks during intermission and everyone had a great time. This wonderful show was put on by the Variety Show Committee: Mrs. Galante, Ms. Mancini, Mr. Mo, Mr. Correia, Ms. Carpentier, Mrs. Amore-Gallay, Mrs. Haddad, Ms. Shulkin, Ms. Dean, Mrs. Quader, Ms. MacDonald and Dr. Gombos.

Click here to see lots more photos of the show on Bethel Buzz’s Facebook page.

Click here to be redirected to Bethel Buzz’s YouTube channel with videos of Collin & Stephen, Ruby K., Marcella and many more!

Berry School Students DO Know Jack!

by

0

Berry School Students DO Know Jack!  ~ By Wendy Mitchell

Whoodathunk a bunch of second graders could become published authors? Meredith Ledney, that’s who!

Last year Meredith Ledney, mother of Berry School third grader Matthew Ledney, came across a contest from Scholastic online that piqued her interest. She approached her son’s teacher Mrs. Degruttolo who was happy to participate, despite the red tape of release forms and other legal issues when kids are involved.

Scholastic’s rules stated they students had to write the story themselves with the help of a facilitator. The students went to work and wrote the story Jack Loves To Help.  The winning prize of the Scholastic contest was 100 free copies of the book and of course bragging rights.  Ledney said the rules also stated they had to sign over the rights of the book and would receive no royalties.

The story was entered and the students didn’t win, but that didn’t stop Ledney from pressing forward with getting their story published. She called Scholastic and asked for manuscript back and she got it, “which was nice because they don’t’ usually do that,” she said.

Ledney began scouring the Internet for self-publishing options.  It took a year to find a way to put it together but this past month she completed her original mission.

“The kids and my son thought it was cool and are really excited,” she said.

The book follows Jack through his everyday experiences and encourages children to help their neighbors while helping the earth. The book is written by children for children and will show readers how rewarding helping others can be.

The student authors of Mrs. Degruttolo’s 2nd Grade Class of 2009-2010 who wrote Jack Loves To Help included Priscilla Camacho, Jacob Creiner, Alexander Illescas, Nizar Khawam, Hailey Kinsman, Matthew Ledney, Diana Lindsay, Anastina Marcantonio, Quentin Marcus, Laura Nilsen, Vassa Rezvaya, Kyra Rubin, Nathan Sprock, Michael Tovey, Remy Van Vliet, Emma Vucinaj, David Watson, other direction by Meredith Pickel Ledney.

To purchase a copy of Jack Loves To Help click here.