What You Need to Know About Me

 

By SafeKids/PIO
 October 13, 2009

I’m doing more things on my own now and I love to explore. I can move faster and have lots of energy so you’ll need to be one step ahead of me at all times. I’m still very curious but don’t understand risks and dangers well. I can do more and more each day, but I don’t understand why some things are off-limits.

 

Did you know…?

I imitate older playmates and adults, meaning I will try things that are beyond my physical abilities.

I’m still developing my balancing and climbing skills.

I am likely to lose my balance and fall because I’m top-heavy.

I need supervision—all the time.

I breathe very fast because my lungs are small and still developing.

I can inhale harmful gasses very quickly.

My skin can burn faster than an adult’s because it’s thinner and more sensitive.

I like playing with matches, lighters and other heat sources and I don’t understand that fire can be dangerous.

I may still need to be rear-facing in my car seat

 

Safety Tips Checklist

Preventing Falls

• Install stair gates.

• Use stationary play centers instead of baby walkers

• Use playgrounds that are age-appropriate (for children under 5) and have safe surfacing (shredded rubber, sand, etc).

• Don’t put toys or things that attract children on top of furniture.

• Place furniture away from windows and secure it to the wall.

 

Preventing Motor Vehicle Injuries

• Keep your toddler rear-facing until the weight or height limits of the convertible seat have been met. Then use a forward-facing car seat in a back seat of the car. Do not rush to place your child forward-facing.

• Have your car seat checked by a certified child passenger safety technician to make sure it’s properly installed.

• Walk all the way around your parked car to check for kids at play.

• Never leave your child alone in a car, even for a minute.

• If a child goes missing, immediately check trunks and cars.

 

Preventing Burns & Scalds

• Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.

• Lock up matches and lighters out of his or her sight and reach.

• Set your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

• Make the stove area a “kid-free” zone.f

• Cook with pots and pans on back burners. Turn handles away from the front of the stove when cooking.

• Place hot foods and liquids on the center of the table. Don’t set them on the edges of tables or counters.

 

Preventing Poisonings

• Lock up poisons out of your child’s reach and sight.

• Use child-resistant packages.

• Keep products in their original containers.

• Don’t call medicine “candy”.

Source: Safe Kids

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Michael Phelps Motivates Children

By Shelby Fairleigh
Oct. 12, 2009

Set goals and follow your dreams, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps told students at Wiley Middle School in Leander, Texas, on Tuesday. The students in this particular school must have already known that. Phelps’ appearance was the reward for winning first place in the Scholastic Book Fairs’ National Middle School Contest.

His appearance helped reach another student goal, one established by the award-winning book fair. The school transformed its media center into Mrs. Magorium’s Reading Emporium, to promote the love of books and reading. Phelps came to motivate students to study and work hard, and to promote his own book, No Limits: The Will to Succeed.

 

Phelps Phans

The packed gym went wild when the winner of 14 gold swimming medals stepped through the door. Kids yelled and stomped on the bleachers. They even started doing the wave.

“It was really cool,” said Macy, one of the students at the event. “He described how you should follow your dream and never give up.”

Or as Phelps put it: “You never want to sell yourself short.”

 

Lessons in Motivation

In his motivating speech, Phelps spoke about how he learned the importance of setting goals in his own life. He said he has was inspired to set goals by his two older sisters. He has been setting goals for himself since he was 7 years old.

At the age of 11, his coach Bob Bowman (who is still with him today) told him that if he trained hard he could compete in the next summer Olympic Games. Phelps got to work and broke his first world record when he was 15.

“Once I accomplished that, I wanted to do something better,” he told the Leander middle schoolers.

At his first Olympic competition, Phelps came in fifth and was disappointed. He set another goal. He decided he would win eight gold medals at his second Olympic Games. He was again disappointed, but it didn’t stop him. He just worked harder. Last year, at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, China, Phelps again set his sights on eight gold medals. After he earned his sixth gold medal, he went to his coach, discouraged.

“I have nothing left; I am completely drained,” he told Coach Bowman. With the help of his coach and his own determination, he pushed through the exhaustion and didn’t give up.

“I swam the last two races on just adrenalin,” he said.

Phelps went on to claim those two events and win a total of eight record-breaking gold medals—the most in Olympic history.

Next stop for Phelps? Retirement was his first thought. But after talking it over with his coach, he established bigger and better goals for the 2012 Olympics in London, England. He’s keeping those goals a secret for now, he told Wiley Middle School students.

Next summer, Phelps will compete against the European swim team in his first big event since the 2008 games. Phelps said he is working hard on getting back into shape in time for his next event. The swimmer practices 12 times a week: nine times in the pool and three times in a gym.

One-on-One

After the assembly, Phelps answered questions and signed copies of his new book.

“What is the best part of swimming?” one student asked.

“One of the coolest things is representing our country,” he said.

He also stopped to answer questions from the Scholastic Kids Press Corps. Kids want to know, this reporter asked, what do you think about when swimming a long distance? Quick answer: he sings whatever song he last heard.

Phelps talked about his swimming favs, too. His favorite stroke when he was younger was the 50-yard butterfly.

When asked for a tip on how to improve this young swimmer’s performance, he said to practice kicking.

“Most world class swimmers are great kickers,” he said. One-fourth of his workout is focused on kicking.

Phelps said he is most comfortable and happy when he is in the water.

“The pool is like my home, it’s part of my life,” he said. “It has given me great opportunities.”

Water and sport also gave Phelps something to aim for in life.

“Dream big and don’t give up,” he said, no matter what your “home” turns out to be.

Source: Scholastic News Online

 

Editor’s Note: Michael Phelps (center) visited Wiley Middle School in Leander, Texas, on October 6, to motivate, promote, and reward. The school won the visit by having the best book fair in the country. (Photo Courtesy Scholastic)

 

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Food Good For Us Bad For Dogs

By Julia Szabo
Oct. 12, 2009

Editor’s Note: We love when we get leads for stories from our readers, here is such one. If you are a dog lover like we are. You will find this article, very important that we all must read.

Than let us know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Most of us who live with animals know that chocolate and dogs do not mix. But there are  many other harmful foods lurking in our pantries and fridges – seemingly innocent vegetables, fruits, and other edibles that may be delicious to us, but are dangerous, and even deadly, to our dogs.

To learn more about what foods are and aren’t safe for dogs to share with us, we consulted veterinary nutritionist Joan Weiskopf, author of Pet Food Nation: The Smart, Easy, and Healthy Way to Feed Your Pet Now (Collins). A breeder of champion Bedlington terriers, Weiskopf is a font of information on the subject of what foods are and aren’t safe for dogs to eat, and has a thriving business consulting by telephone with clients about individual canine diets.

Take onions and garlic, for instance. These culinary staples are used to create any number of delicious recipes from all over the culinary map. The trouble is that onions and garlic cause serious health problems in dogs. “Onions and garlic both contain N-propyl disulfide, which destroys red blood cells, leading to hemolytic  anemia,” Weiskopf says. And despite garlic’s longstanding reputation as a flea repellent, “There really is no scientific proof that garlic prevents fleas.” (What really works to prevent fleas is Neem oil.)

What if Spot scores a bite of the kids’ pizza, or a lick of Ragu spaghetti sauce? Or what if you’ve made chicken soup with onions, and you’d like to ladle some over your Friend’s bowl? Don’t panic, Weiskopf advises. “Nothing’s going to happen. What you don’t want to be doing is chopping raw onions into your dog’s bowl! A little onion or garlic is fine once in a while; a lot is not a good thing.”

Be careful with onion and garlic powders, as well, or any product containing them (i.e. chips), for besides being more concentrated, powdered onion and garlic also contain salt. “Salt preserved with anti-caking agents is bad,” Weiskopf says. “I prefer Celtic sea salt because a little goes a long way, plus it contains all kinds of good microtrace nutrients. But sugar is a no.” Red pepper, on the other hand, is good for dogs with arthritis because of the Capsaicin it contains; other spices recommended for dogs with joint swelling are “all the yellow spices: turmeric, cumin, and curry,” Weiskopf adds.

If you’re a cooking buff with a regular habit of setting saucepans and plates on the floor for Spot to lick clean (also known as the “pre-wash” cycle in dog-friendly kitchens), you could be compromising his health if you cook certain other veggies. “Dogs – and humans – with arthritis should be careful about overloading on nightshade vegetables, as they aggravate arthritic conditions,” Weiskopf points out. “The nightshade vegetables – so called because they mature at night – include green peppers, eggplants, potatoes, and tomatoes.”

Raisins and grapes are forbidden fruit, for they can cause kidney failure in dogs; sadly, many pets have died from ingesting raisins. Although it’s not known exactly why grapes and raisins don’t agree with dogs, Weiskopf has a theory: “Grapes are a heavily sprayed crop, and since so many grapes are coming from Chile, I suspect there’s a pesticide that’s causing problems for dogs. Also, raisins are preserved with sulfites, which cause allergic reactions in many dogs.” (Be wary of foods preserved with nitrates, as well, such as sausages and bacon; delicious as these are, they too can trigger allergic reactions in dogs.)

“Legumes such as soy products and beans contain phytate, which inhibits the digestion and absorption of other vital nutrients – including your dog’s important minerals,” Weiskopf says. “If you’re going to feed legumes of any kind, such as chickpeas or lima beans, at least make sure they’re well-cooked, because that does help; it’s much worse if your dog eats these raw.”

Many seasoned snackers – especially the vegetarians in our midst – keep on hand a supply of that hugely popular chickpea dip known as hummus. Again, don’t panic if Spot helps himself to some. “If you’re eating crackers and hummus and your dog gets one, don’t worry that you’ve harmed your dog – just don’t let him ingest huge amounts of legumous vegetables.”

Meanwhile, if Italian food is on the menu and you’re letting your pet participate in pasta preparation, make sure Spot does not take his al dente. “Always overcook grains and pasta when you feed them to dogs, because they don’t have the starch-digesting enzymes that we do,” Weiskopf explains. “It’s best to overcook any grain material that you feed your dog, including rice.”

On the road to and from grandmother’s house for a holiday feast, the fast-food signs are bound to beckon. “If you’re stopping for a bite at McDonald’s or KFC, I don’t have a problem with giving the dog some chicken – just peel off the skin, because it’s got all kinds of spices in it. Another acceptable road food option is the McDonald’s Filet of Fish sandwich.”

In fact, “fish is absolutely fabulous for dogs,” Weiskopf says, “and you should include the skin because in and under the skin is where the majority of the Omega 3 is stored, and you want your dogs to have Omega 3s. Deep, cold water fish are best: salmon, mackerel, sardines. Anchovies are too salty.”

Thanksgiving has its own caveats. Don’t let your dog lick the turkey-roasting pan – “that’s the surefire way to give a dog a pancreatitis attack,” Weiskopf says. “You can pour a tablespoon of drippings over your dog’s food, but do not let him lick the pan clean.” Carved turkey meat and small bits of skin are fine dog treats; cooked turkey bones are not. If you’re not planning to use the turkey neck for another culinary purpose, such as gravy, offer it raw to your dog as a special holiday treat – but first, dip it in boiling water for 10 seconds to kill surface bacteria. Cranberries are fine, but avoid canned cranberry as it’s high in sugar. Sweet potatoes are also fine; just take care never to serve your dog raw skin off any potato.

Upon graduating from puppyhood, dogs start to resemble lactose-intolerant people. “After infancy, dogs lose the enzyme Lactase, which helps them digest milk products,” Weiskopf says. “Feeding milk products to dogs and cats can cause gastric distress. However,” she adds, “feeding them fermented milk products such as yogurt and buttermilk are fine for dogs; they don’t usually distress the animal’s system.

For those who just can’t resist giving dogs ice cream, go ahead – in moderation. “You can give them some ice cream; a little bit isn’t going to hurt,” Weiskopf says. “But if you notice your dog gets gastric distress, don’t do it again.” And of course, avoid any ice cream flavor that contains chocolate, chocolate chips, or raisins.

Source: Fetch Dog

Scientists Discover New Species – Tiny T. Rex

By Laura Linn
Oct. 7, 2009

Scientists recently identified the fossil of a dinosaur that had the same features as those of Tyrannosaurus rex—only in miniature. This new species of dinosaur, named Raptorex kriegsteini [RAP-tur-ex kreeg-STEE-nee], had the same extra-large skull, sharp teeth, tiny arms, and powerful legs as T. rex—only it was 9 feet tall and weighed only about 150 pounds. That may not seem “mini” nowadays, but the average T. rex was 40 feet tall and weighed more than 10,000 pounds!Raptorex, or the “mini T. rex,” as some are calling the discovery, lived about 125 million years ago in what is now northern China.

That’s about 35 million years before T. rex terrorized the Earth. New Theory About T. rex Paleontologists, or scientists who study fossils, are finding that the Raptorex discovery is teaching them a lot about T. rex. Scientists had thought T. rex’s stumpy arms developed gradually during the dinosaur’s time on Earth. The researchers believe the Raptorex fossil overturns this theory.

The old thinking was that T. rex descended from smaller dinosaurs with longer forearms, and then developed its tiny arms as an advantage to its species. Large forearms, said scientists, would have thrown off the balance of these giant hunters, while smaller arms would have made it easier for them to move quickly when chasing prey. But now Raptorex is leading scientists to believe that T. rex inherited its tiny arms from these smaller ancestors.

This new dinosaur is “a very significant find” for understanding the development of T. rex, paleontologist Thomas Holtz of the University of Maryland told National Geographic News. “We didn’t know where and when in the history of the tyrannosaurs this arm shortening occurred,” explained Holtz. Scientists believe Raptorex would have had feathers similar to that of an ostrich.

They believe it hunted pig-size plant-eating dinosaurs and turtles that lived near the lake where it was discovered. Raptorex Returns HomeThe Raptorex fossil was dug up without permission, taken out of China, and sold to a dealer. Raptorex kriegsteini is named after the father of Henry Kriegstein, a private fossil collector, who bought it from a dealer.

Kriegstein contacted paleontologist Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago and asked him to examine the fossil. Sereno identified the scientific value of the fossil and convinced Kriegstein to donate it to science. By examining fragments of sand found on the skeleton, Sereno was able to determine from which general region of China the fossil was taken. Soon the fossil will return to its homeland to be displayed at a museum in China’s Inner Mongolia region. “[Raptorex] is more than just a Chinese specimen,” Sereno told BBC News.

“It has given us some real insights into our own tyrannosaurs here in North America. So it really belongs to science. It belongs to the world.” “Fossils like these should be protected . . . or there’s a chance they could disappear forever,” Sereno told National Geographic News.Even though scientists don’t know exactly where the Raptorex fossil was discovered, Sereno is hopeful that the find will help lead to the discovery of other important dinosaur specimens.

Source Scholastic News Online

 

Editor’s Note: University of Chicago scientist Paul Sereno reconstructs the skeleton of the newly-discovered Raptorex on September 17, 2009. This dinosaur is a smaller ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex. (Photo: AFP PHOTO/AAAS/Mike Hettwer).

Laura Linn writes for Scholastic News Online

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Who Cleans Bo’s Number Two On Air Force One?

By Elizabeth Williamson
Oct. 7, 2009

The mystery begins in a Pittsburgh bar where several high-flying airline types met last month.

The group swapped stories over drinks when three people present let loose with a good tale. Bo, the presidential puppy, recently left a present on the presidential jet, they said, and a flight attendant had nearly stepped in it.

“You can imagine the horror on board when they discovered what it had done,” a participant in the conversation said, referring to Bo.

Reports of other puppy-like behavior support the story. At least two reporters spotted Bo running loose aboard Air Force One this summer. News stories say he chews socks, magazines and the presidential sneakers. In an NBC television interview around the time of the alleged accident, President Barack Obama said Bo has chosen notable venues in the past.

“We go out and we’re walking and I’m picking up poop, and in the background is the beautifully lit White House,” the president said. “It’s quite a moment.”

A White House press official was certain—the scoop on the poop was a crock. The press office checked with the Air Force One flight crew who said Bo had not desecrated the jet.

Other big news beckoned: the health-care overhaul, rising unemployment and a debate over the war in Afghanistan.

But we were nagged by a question—was the pile denial a White House cover up?

The source of the story refused to recant. A press officer for the 89th Airlift Wing, which includes Air Force One, had no comment. A government airline carpet contractor didn’t return calls.

Then a new source emerged: Herb McConnell, former public affairs officer for Andrews Air Force Base, home of Air Force One. McConnell thought the story was “funny,” “logical,” and “not as bad as some I’ve heard.”

According to McConnell, he checked with two contacts in the 89th Airlift Wing. Both separately confirmed Bo’s youthful indiscretion, although neither of them would speak directly with Washington Wire.

“Of course the dog accident on Air Force One happened,” McConnell contends. But the 89th won’t go public with it, he said, because it is strict Air Force policy not to discuss passengers’ activities.

The White House stands by its denial. And Bo isn’t talking.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Editor’s Note: Bo, the Obama family dog, walks away from Air Force One Aug. 30, 2009, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., upon the Obamas’ arrival from a vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. (AP Photo/ Alex Brandon. Daniel Michaels contributed to this post.

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Medal of Honor Recipient – Second Class Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
Oct. 7, 2009

Each week we at the Chronicle will be honoring one of these true heroes. We will call it Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week. We hope you will join with us to honor these true heroes. Who have given us the greatest sacrifice that one could give their life, to save their fellow soldiers?

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

This Week’s Hero: Master-At-Arms Second Class Michael A. Monsoor

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.

As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army Sniper Overwatch Element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger.

In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire.

As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him.

Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates.

By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Source: US Military

Shocking Children Know What is Fingertip Porn

By Walt Mueller
Oct. 5, 2009

Editor’s Note: Parents did you know that there is a study that shows that the largest group of viewers of Internet Porn. Which is very shocking are children between ages of 12 and 17.

Kids are being taught in school to learn about their bodies at a very earlier age. We need to get involved and learn what our children are learning in school. When you are watching TV and your child is on the computer. Do you know what they are looking at?

Here is an article that all parents need to read.

 

In your opinion, what’s the cultural change we should be most concerned about?” I was standing in front of a room full of parents and youth workers and the question came from the sponsoring youth worker at the start of the Q&A segment. “That’s a tough one,” I responded. Then, after scratching my head during a few moments of awkward silence, I answered. “As a husband, father of two girls and two boys, and a youth culture-watcher, I would have to say that one of the cultural changes that concerns me the most is the growing volume, pervasiveness and accessibility of online pornography. It’s shaping how an entire generation is thinking about themselves, about others and about the wonderful God-given gift of their sexuality. And to be honest, where I think it’s leading our kids is very, very frightening.”

With the amount of time kids are spending online increasing, parents should be aware of the prevalence and easy accessibility of pornography. When it comes to pornography, our teenage world was nowhere near the same as their teenage world. I was 12 years old, naïve and very curious when I was first exposed to pornography. I also was hiding and huddled behind a neighbor’s stone wall with four of my childhood friends. We knew we were doing something wrong and we feared getting caught. We spent half of our time nervously looking at the magazine. We spent the other half fearfully looking over our shoulders.

Today, even the youngest of our children—if they have access to a computer and know how to conduct an Internet search—have access to a world of online pornography that’s getting bigger every day. In cases where children have computers in their rooms and/or surf the Net without parental rules or supervision, the chances of them deliberately or accidentally accessing pornography are greater. Consider these facts on Internet pornography from ProtectKids.com: Two out of five Internet users visited an adult site in August 2005. There were 63.4 million unique visitors to adult Web sites in December 2005, reaching 37.2 percent of the Internet audience. As of 2006, there were 420 million pages of pornographic material on the Internet. The Internet pornography industry in the U.S. generates $13 billion in annual revenue ($97 billion worldwide!)—which is larger than the combined annual revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC. And perhaps most shocking, the largest group of viewers of Internet porn is children between the ages of 12 and 17.¹ Curious about their developing bodies and sexuality, it’s not surprising that children and teens would be drawn to Internet pornography, especially since it’s so easily found. And, if they don’t find online pornography, online pornography just might find your kids. Not only is involvement in pornography wrong and a distortion of God’s wonderful gift of sexuality, but it has dangerous short- and long-term effects.

First, we can expect a growing number of kids to be exposed to pornography at younger and younger ages… while they are alone. With so many kids accessing the Internet on home computers in their bedrooms, they will find or be found by pornography in an environment void of adult supervision and interaction. Most parents won’t be responding because they just won’t know. No one will be there to tell them it’s dangerous and wrong. In many cases, it will shape their values and attitudes long before they experience the sexual feelings and urges that come with physical maturation.

Second, the envelope will continue to be stretched. When I was a kid the envelope was at a point where I was instructed not to use the word “pregnant” around my grandmother. To her, it was a dirty word. Not so anymore. While I don’t think a convincing case could be made to support my grandmother’s bias, her bias does serve as an example of how much things have changed. Sadly, in today’s word, yesterday’s hidden smut can be an everyday reality for young eyes, minds and hearts. Based on this pattern, tomorrow’s smut will be unimaginably more extreme than today’s.

Third, the more they see, the more desensitized they will become. In other words, sinful behavior no longer shocks. It’s become an everyday reality that is not at all surprising to them. In fact, what is surprising to our kids is that this stuff is alarming and surprising to us. In other words, expect your astonishment to be met by those words we hear all too often from our kids, “Mom, Dad, I’ve seen worse. You’re so old fashioned.”

Fourth, pornography use will increasingly be a matter of personal preference, and decreasingly be viewed as sin. Our postmodern environment has combined with the pervasiveness of pornography to create a world where if you want to look at it, that’s perfectly okay for you. Do whatever you feel like and whatever works for you.

And fifth, the sinful values and practices promoted in pornography will become normalized. I recently heard about a group of 10-year-old boys in the Southeast who were discovered by one’s mother as they took turns performing oral sex on one of their male classmates. The parents of the boys were stunned. Some of these kids were from Christian families. Where did they learn to do such a thing? When all the facts were known, one of the boys had discovered pornography on the Internet. Over time, he went deeper and deeper into some of the more extreme sites, all the while inviting his naturally curious young peers to look over his shoulder. Before long, they were doing what they had seen on the screen. After getting caught, they were bewildered as to why what they were doing was wrong. As time goes on, Internet pornography will shape and normalize youthful behavior, impacting how young people view and treat each other both now, and for the rest of their lives.

All of this adds up to create a situation that requires our parental awareness, diligence and ongoing attention. If we have no idea how and where our teens are spending their online time, we’re missing an opportunity to guide them away from the dangers of Internet pornography, and toward the joy of living within God’s will and God’s way. There are good reasons why the Apostle Paul warned Christ’s followers to avoid even “a hint of sexual immorality” (Ephesians 5:3). Our goal should be to teach teens how to be “imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1), steering them away from this horrible distortion of God’s wonderful gift of their sexuality.

©2008, The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. Used by Permission.

 

Editor’s Note: Walt Mueller is the founder and president of the Center for Parent Youth Understanding. A nonprofit ministry organization, that has served churches, schools, and community organizations worldwide for nearly twenty years. Walt is a respected author and popular speaker. He’s a sought-after authority on youth culture and family issues and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and the BBC. ¹ “Statistics” Protect Kids Page, n.d., www.protectkids.com, 3 March 2008. Visit The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding website.

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Home Word

Who Were Our Presidents? Part 10

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/GCC
Oct. 5, 2009

Editor’s Note: How many of us along with our children? Know who our Presidents were and what they have done in Office.

Each week we will pick a President and tell you about them and their Accomplishes.

We hope that you will enjoy this series. And let us know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

10. JOHN TYLER 1841-1845

Dubbed “His Accidency” by his detractors, John Tyler was the first Vice President to be elevated to the office of President by the death of his predecessor.

Born in Virginia in 1790, he was raised believing that the Constitution must be strictly construed. He never wavered from this conviction. He attended the College of William and Mary and studied law.

Serving in the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1821, Tyler voted against most nationalist legislation and opposed the Missouri Compromise. After leaving the House he served as Governor of Virginia. As a Senator he reluctantly supported Jackson for President as a choice of evils. Tyler soon joined the states’ rights Southerners in Congress who banded with Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and their newly formed Whig party opposing President Jackson.

The Whigs nominated Tyler for Vice President in 1840, hoping for support from southern states’-righters who could not stomach Jacksonian Democracy. The slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” implied flagwaving nationalism plus a dash of southern sectionalism.

Clay, intending to keep party leadership in his own hands, minimized his nationalist views temporarily; Webster proclaimed himself “a Jeffersonian Democrat.” But after the election, both men tried to dominate “Old Tippecanoe.”

Suddenly President Harrison was dead, and “Tyler too” was in the White House. At first the Whigs were not too disturbed, although Tyler insisted upon assuming the full powers of a duly elected President. He even delivered an Inaugural Address, but it seemed full of good Whig doctrine. Whigs, optimistic that Tyler would accept their program, soon were disillusioned.

Tyler was ready to compromise on the banking question, but Clay would not budge. He would not accept Tyler’s “exchequer system,” and Tyler vetoed Clay’s bill to establish a National Bank with branches in several states. A similar bank bill was passed by Congress. But again, on states’ rights grounds, Tyler vetoed it.

In retaliation, the Whigs expelled Tyler from their party. All the Cabinet resigned but Secretary of State Webster. A year later when Tyler vetoed a tariff bill, the first impeachment resolution against a President was introduced in the House of Representatives. A committee headed by Representative John Quincy Adams reported that the President had misused the veto power, but the resolution failed.

Despite their differences, President Tyler and the Whig Congress enacted much positive legislation. The “Log-Cabin” bill enabled a settler to claim 160 acres of land before it was offered publicly for sale, and later pay $1.25 an acre for it.

In 1842 Tyler did sign a tariff bill protecting northern manufacturers. The Webster-Ashburton treaty ended a Canadian boundary dispute; in 1845 Texas was annexed.

The administration of this states’-righter strengthened the Presidency. But it also increased sectional cleavage that led toward civil war. By the end of his term, Tyler had replaced the original Whig Cabinet with southern conservatives. In 1844 Calhoun became Secretary of State. Later these men returned to the Democratic Party, committed to the preservation of states’ rights, planter interests, and the institution of slavery. Whigs became more representative of northern business and farming interests.

When the first southern states seceded in 1861, Tyler led a compromise movement; failing, he worked to create the Southern Confederacy. He died in 1862, a member of the Confederate House of Representatives.

Source: White House Into the Woods

– Reorganized the Navy to establish the nucleus of the present Naval Observatory and to promote a national telegraph system

– which became the center of the Weather Bureau;

– Ended the costly Seminole Indian wars;

– Webster-Ashburton Treaty which established the boundary of Maine and Canada;

– Ended Dorr’s Rebellion in Rhode Island;

– Negotiated treaty with China to open ports for first time;

– Annexed Texas on his last day in office.

Kidnapped Yair Anthony Carrillo found safe in Alabama Suspect Arrested

by Dan Samaria
Publisher/GCC
Oct. 5, 2009

Editor’s Note: We at the Chronicle publish weekly photos of missing kids. And it warms our hearts when children have been found or recovered. So that there families could have some closure. Yair was published in our Oct. 2, 2009 issue.

We hope you will look at all the Children that we have published in the past and future. Our goal is to bring them all home. We need your help!

By The Associated Press
October 5, 2009

A newborn boy abducted by a knife-wielding woman posing as an immigration agent was safe Saturday and being held by child welfare officials as authorities charged a woman with his kidnapping.

Rob Johnson, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, said Maria Gurrolla got to hold her week-old baby, Yair Anthony Carillo, on Saturday afternoon, but was not being allowed to take him home yet. Gurrolla, 30, and her three other children — ages 3, 9 and 11 — visited with the baby, then all four of the children were taken into state custody, Johnson said.

“Our focus is on the children, and under the current situation right now, we think the safest thing to do is take the children into state custody,” said Johnson, who declined to elaborate.

Joel Siskovic, an FBI special agent in the Memphis division, said he did not have details about whether the parents were also under protective custody. “As of now, there’s no indication that there’s an ongoing threat to the family,” he said.

Nashville police said the baby was found in good health at a home in Ardmore, Ala., about 80 miles south of Nashville near the Tennessee line.

Earlier Saturday, officials said the baby would remain with a foster family as authorities made arrangements for Gurrolla to be reunited with her son.

“This baby is a week old, and this child has spent half his life away from his family. I think it’s time we reunite them,” said My Harrison, a special agent with the FBI in Tennessee.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn identified the arrested woman as Tammy Renee Silas, 39, of Ardmore. Federal authorities formally charged her Saturday with kidnapping. The Morgan County Sheriff’s office said Silas was picked up by U.S. Marshals on Saturday morning, though it was not known where she was being taken.

The baby and Silas were found about 10 p.m. CDT in Ardmore, and Silas did not resist arrest, Gwyn said. Authorities said they had no word on a possible motive. Police in Nashville did not know if Silas has a lawyer.

The infant was taken from his home Tuesday, just four days after he was born. His mother told police a heavyset white woman with blonde hair arrived at her home posing as an immigration agent and attacked her with a knife.

Gurrolla told investigators that during the abduction, she heard the woman make a phone call and tell someone in Spanish words to the effect of “the job is done” and that the mother “was dying,” said Siskovic, the FBI agent.

Siskovic said Silas took the victim’s cell phone, which helped investigators locate Silas.

He would not comment further on the possibility that Silas was not working alone.

At a Wednesday news conference, Gurrolla told reporters she had never seen the woman, who threatened to arrest her, then got a knife from the home and stabbed her several times.

“I need my baby back,” the 30-year-old mother said Wednesday through an interpreter outside Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Gurrolla said she did not see the woman take the baby because she ran to a neighbor’s home. The neighbor, Eric Peterson, told The Associated Press that Gurrolla was “covered from her head to her toe with blood” with gashes on her neck and upper chest.

Gurrolla asked him to save her children from the “lady in the kitchen” who had a butcher knife. When Peterson got there, he saw a woman speeding away from the home. He brought Gurrolla’s 3-year-old daughter back safely to his house, but found no baby, he said.

Officials believe Silas followed Gurrolla and her baby from a local office of the Women, Infants and Children program and to a Walmart store. “I think it’s clear that she was targeting people at that location,” Siskovic said.

The task force of local, state and federal investigators got a break when they found that a video camera in the Walmart parking lot had captured the license plate of the car seen following the mother and baby, according to the arrest warrant.

Gurrolla’s home was quiet Saturday morning, where a cleaning crew had been working inside. Some neighbors had placed flowers outside the house, and many neighbors said they were relieved Yair had been found.

Cathy Nahirny, a senior analyst for infant abduction cases at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said there have been at least two other recent cases where an abductor used a ploy similar to the one used in this case.

“We need to get the word out to our immigrant communities,” Nahirny said. “Anybody that claims they are from federal law enforcement agencies, you have the right and you should ask for photo identification.”

Abductions of infants by strangers are rare, with only nine reported cases so far this year and five last year, according to the missing child center.

Nahirny said immigrant families have been targets of child abductions because of the assumption they will not tell police.

Gurrolla is Latina but her immigration status isn’t clear. She was released from the hospital Thursday.

Source AP NY Daily News

America: We Need Clean Water

By Jewel
Oct. 1, 2009

In 1997, I founded Project Clean Water. It is a non-profit charity foundation that is working to improve the quality of life for millions of people by helping to provide clean water on a global scale. We target villages around the world with clean water problems, and we work with the communities to find sustainable solutions to provide them with safe drinking water. To date we have helped over 30 communities overcome their individual drinking water problems in 13 different countries, on 5 different continents.

I am very excited to announce that Project Clean Water recently formed a partnership with the Voss Foundation and Virgin Unite to support water projects in sub-Saharan Africa. We are calling this partnership “Give a Drop” and our first project together is to help provide water to the village of Pel in Dogon, Mali. The Dogon civilization is one of the most ancient in Africa. The survival of this unique culture and way of life is currently being threatened by global changes in the environment. I am so pleased to be able to help.

For more information of this project, click here to visit the Voss Foundation’s web site.

I became interested in clean water when I was 18 and lived in my car. I had sick kidneys and had to drink 2 gallons of purified water a day. I could not afford to buy much bottled water, and it dawned on me that if it was this hard to get clean drinking water in the United States, then it was probably a huge global issue. Boy, was I right.

Solutions and technologies exist to provide clean, affordable drinking water anywhere in the world. These solutions will save lives, reduce financial burdens, foster peace, and relieve millions of people from worrying about their next drink of water.

You can help us continue this important work. The Give A Drop campaign operates through website and text donations.  Visit www.giveadrop.com or, to make a $5.00 donation, just pick up your cell phone, text the message “DROP” to phone number 85944.  Even a small donation can make a big impact!

Thank you for your interest in Project Clean Water and our cause.
xx j

Watch my Project Clean Water Public Service Announcement here.

You can make donations to:

Project Clean Water
c/o Boulevard Management
21731 Ventura Blvd. #300
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Online Donations: www.giveadrop.com

Source: Jewel

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

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