Tea conducted
Loucks honored
Cathy Loucks was named
Employee for the Month of
July at the Meadows Nursing
Center, Dallas. She joined
the Meadows in August,
1983, and is a nursing
assistant on the second
floor. Born in Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada, she
moved to Dallas in 1969 and
graduated from Dallas Senior
High School. She and her
husband, James, reside at
Harveys Lake. Mrs. Loucks
was presented a cash award
for her award winning idea.
This is the second time she
has been so honored.
Shown here, are, from left,
Kathy Vidumsky, L.P.N., 3-
11 Charge Nurse, Second
floor; Cathy Loucks,
Employee of the Month; and
Jan Congdon, R.N., 3-11
Supervisor.
Nothing is as unnerving as the sight or sound of a
mosquito in the house, especially at bed time. There is
anxiety and anger in knowing that sleep will be lost
until you get the critter and itchy welts in the morning
if you don’t.
Dr. Bobby Jones, of the state Health Department’s
Division of Epidemiology, says people are more
concerned about discomfort from the bites than the
possibility of disease. ;
“The one disease commonly associated with mosqui-
tos is the tropical disease malaria, which most of us
know is not a problem at latitudes as far north as
Pennsylvania.
“What we fail to realize is that they spread other
diseases, especially viral encephalitis-inflammation of
the brain and spinal cord-which can result in brain
damage and even death,” Jones says.
Mosquitos become infected with encephalitis viruses
by biting infected birds primarily, but other small
animals may also carry the viruses. When infected
mosquitos bite larger species, such as humans and
horses, the chain is broken because the virus concen-
trations in the blood are low. Mosquitos that bite
infected humans or horses cannot spread the virus.
Jones identified the symptoms of encephalitis as
headache, high fever, mental confusion, disorientation,
coma, muscle spasms, tremors, and occasionally
convulsions, especially in infants.
Four: strains of viral encephalitis carried by mosqui-
tos have been found in Pennsylvania-Eastern Equine,
Western Equine, St. Louis, and California-named for
the geographical locations and, in some cases, the
species where they were first identified. An outbreak
of the St. Louis strain invaded Pennsylvania in the
mid-1960s. Of the four, Eastern Equine is the most
devastating, frequently leaving severe brain damage.
Mosquitos live on blood and prefer birds and other
animals to humans, but will take what is available
when the need arises. Before drawing the blood
through its hypodermic needle-like mouth, it injects
salivary juices which contain an anticoagulant to keep
It is the salivary juices that cause the welt and the
itching, and if the mosquito is infected the virus will
be injected also.
Jones says people can effectively control the mos-
quito population with a little effort and without a lot of
chemicals.
“It’s done by interrupting the life cycle, which
means draining or dumping standing water at least
once a week from containers where it collects. It takes
two weeks for development from egg to larva to adult.
‘Such things as childrens’ wading pools, bird baths,
sprinkling cans, old tires, flower pots, blocked rain
gutters and the like, provide unsuspected breeding
places. They won’t breed in properly chlorinated and
filtered swimming pools, running water, or year-round
ponds containing fish and other predators. Low-lying
areas that hold water after a rain but eventually dry
up should be treated with larvacide.”
Jones says don’t be alarmed about reports of large
numbers. of mosquitos in other parts of the country,
unless you are going there. The mosquito that bites
you was probably born nearby.
“Flight patterns of most species of mosquitos range
from several hundred yards to a mile, so persons who
experience bites should assume the insects are breed-
ing in the area and take steps to control them.”
To reduce chances of being bitten, Jones recom-
mends the use of an insect repellent applied to
exposed areas of the body. Additional applications will
be required following activities that cause perspiring.
Perspiration dilutes the repellent. Any of the commer-
cial preparations are good, as is the old standby
citronella.
Coach
(Continued from page 11)
1969 after having spent four years
each with the Los Angeles Dodgers
and Detroit Tigers. His long career
as a player and then as a coach has
allowed his wife of 23 years and
daughter, Joy to meet some of
baseball’s biggest names.
Mrs. Tracewski mentioned a few
of them: “We knew Denny McLain
very well (a 31 game winner in 1968
for the Tigers). In the summer of
1970, we rented his house in Lake-
land, Florida when my husband
managed there. I’ve known Al
Kaline (a Hall-of-Famer with 3007
career hits and 399 homeruns) since
1966. We spent many springs with
him. We still see him. He broad-
casts Tiger games in Detroit. Joy
knew Al Kaline’s sons very well
when she was a little girl.
“They played together in Florida
when they were all kids. Gates
Brown, Kaline and Dick just did a
commercial together in Detroit. I
know manager Sparky Anderson
very well. He is a nice man, very
courteous. He’s a baseball man. His
whole life is baseball: He’s very
down to earth. Sparky is very good
to my husband. Of the current
players, I know Jack Morris, Dan
Petry and Lance Parrish very well.
There always seems to be a lot of
changes on the team, so you can’t
get to know everybody.”
Dolores remembers Mark ‘The
Bird” Fidrych who was the talk of
the baseball world in the mid 1970s
after a 19 victory rookie season.
However, an injury cut Fidrych’s
career short (Sports Illustrated
recently featured a story on
Fidrych). ‘Fidrych was a free
spirit, a nice kid. He’s currently
living. and working in Massachu-
setts. He has a farm there, too, He
has a quiet life. I saw him at a
wedding on Dec. 21. The wedding
was in Michigan. Kirk Gibson and
former Tiger Dave Rozema (now
with Texas) married sisters,” the
friendly Peckville resident stated.
In my most recent conversations
with Tiger Coach Tracewski, he
commented on some of the best
players he played with or against:
“Willy Mays was the best player I
ever saw. Frank Robinson was the
toughest for one out. The best
pitcher I ever saw was Sandy
Koufax. The best I ever batted
against was Bob Gibson. Denny
McLain was the best pitcher I ever
saw for one year in that splendid
1968 season. Al Kaline would have to
be the best player I ever played
with,” the gentleman revealed.
He considers portly southpaw
Mickey Lolich as the most under-
ated star he played with. ‘‘He
wasn’t a shining light. He belongs in
the Hall-of-Fame, but probably
won't make it,’ explained the
expert.
RICHARD G. COSLETT D.M.D.
696-3868
Emergency Care at all hrs.
Parking On Premises
VISA
MASTERCARD
Drinking and driving don’t mix.
And according to a state helath
official, drinking does not mix with
many summertime activities.
Jeannine Peterson, director of the
Health Department’s Bureau of Pro-
gram Services, said, ‘The effects of
alcohol on driving are well known,
but many people don’t realize that
too much alcohol will have an
adverse effect on any activity which
requires physical coordination and
mental alertness.
How much is “too much”? There
are no easy answers.
“For a person who weights 90
pounds, only one or two drinks could
slow his or her reflexes down
enough to cause a fatal accident
while driving, bicycle riding, swim-
People who suffer the loss of a
loved one need to work through
bereavement in their own ways. Yet
grief is less prolonged when a
person is able to mourn openly,
according to the July Reader’s
Digest. What is crucial is that some
kind of action release the pain.
Here are some ways to hasten the
healing process.
— Talk with trusted friends. The
company of others provides solace
as well as a means for releasing
emotions. Self-imposed isolation
only makes matter worse.
— Remain active. Work, espe-
cially, has a therapeutic value.
Living up to responsibilities to
others will help you discover inner
strength. If you must remain at
home, try to follow a schedule - do
the laundry, shop for groceries.
Physical activity can be very res-
toring to heart and soul.
— Help others. Doing something
for others, even while you are hurt-
ing, will help you to respect your-
self.
— Indulge yourself. Do things that
make you feel good. Take a warm
bath at bedtime, set the table
attractively, buy a bouquet of flow-
ers - such small acts of self-caring
can be helpful in times of duress.
— Find a group to join. After the
initial shock has begun to wear off,
look into group activities at your
community center, local college,
church or synagogue.
When ignored or denied, grief can
do harm in countless ways. Facing
loss is the key to recovery.
For a free reprint of ‘‘How to Live
Through Loss,” write to Reprint
Editor, Reader’s Digest, Box 25,
Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570.
and Outpatients.
Insurances.
available
appointment.
823-5161
823-5162
ming, or boating,” Peterson said.
“The effects of alcohol are magni-
fied greatly when a person is taking
any one of a number of medications,
including many cold and allergy
remedies. To be on the safe side,
always read the labels and check
with your doctor or pharmacist if
you have any questions.
“It is vital to remember that
regardless of all the sophisticated
advertising and myths about the
glamor of drinking, alcohol is a
depressant drug. While it is true
that alcohol - like any other drug -
can affect people differently, the
way it works is predictable.”
‘‘For instance, a person who
drinks while swimming may indulge
in unusual horseplay or some other
reckless or life-threatening behav-
ior. In fact, the best estimates we
have indicate that about half of all
drowning deaths are alcohol-
related.
“People would be well-advised to
remember that whenever. they take
an alcoholic drink - beer, wine
spritzer, whatever - they are taking
a dose of a powerful mood-altering
drug,” Peterson concluded.
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