B. I. News on the 'Net, November 2-8, 2015
Church on Sunday
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
for November 8, 2015
It's 43° this morning with a wind chill of 36°, wind is at 14 mph from the west with gusts to 19 mph, humidity is at 71%, pressure is steady at 1026 mb, and visibility is at 9.2 miles. Today: Mostly sunny. Highs around 50°. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 35 mph. Tonight: Clear. Lows in the upper 30s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.
On this date of November 8, 1889 - Montana became the 41st U.S. state.
Did you know that Alexander Graham Bell's wife and mother were both deaf?
Word of the day: frangible (FRAN-juh-buh l) which means easily broken; breakable. Frangible entered English by way of Old French and ultimately derives from the Latin frangere meaning "to break." The more common adjective fragile also finds its roots in this Latin verb.
AMVETS Membership
If you are a veteran and interested in joining Beaver Island’s AMVETS Post 46 they are offering a free membership for the first year from November 8th to the 14th.
For more information contact the AMVETS at amvetspost46@yahoo.com or Bob Tidmore at 231-448-3088.
Sweet Pea
by Cindy Ricksgers
Mary Ann Omer Passed Away
Former teacher of Beaver Island Community School Mary Ann Omer passed away recently. Mary Ann worked in the older building located across from the Holy Cross Church. She taught mostly 5th and 6th graders at BICS.
More information will be posted when available
Phyllis' Daily Weather
for November 7, 2015
We're now into typical November weather. It's 42° and feels like 35° thanks to the wind chill. Wind is at 12 mph from the west with gusts to 18 mph, humidity is at 77%, pressure is rising from 1018 mb, and visibility is 9.5 miles. Today: Rain showers likely in the morning then numerous rain showers and snow showers in the afternoon. Little or no accumulation. West winds 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain showers and snow showers in the evening then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the lower 30s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph shifting to the west with gusts to around 20 mph after midnight.
On this date of November 7, 1965 - The "Pillsbury Dough Boy" debuted in television commercials.
Did you know that half of all bank robberies take place on Friday between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.? "Banks used to have more money on Fridays because, historically, it was payday. It's probably still a perception, but it's not necessarily true today," says FBI agent Ken Neu. "As for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., it's the beginning of the banking day, and it's perceived that there's still a lot of money in the bank as opposed to the end of the day in terms of hard cash. Again, probably more a perception than a reality."
You might want to consider using a bank branch that's located in a supermarket. "There was some concern about putting banks in supermarkets," Neu says. "The thinking was they might be more vulnerable, but they seem less vulnerable. They'd have to take over a supermarket to get control, and it might not be as easy as taking over a bank branch.
Word of the day: mauka (mah-OO-kuh) which means toward the mountains; inland. Mauka is a Hawaiian term formed from the directional particle ma- and uka meaning "inland, upland." It entered English in the late 1800s.
Ten BICS Students Certified in CPR
In a partnership between the Beaver Island Community School, Beaver Island EMS, and the Health Occupations program at the school, two classes took place. One class was on Thursday, and another one was on Friday. These students are in the Health Occupation's program at Beaver Island Community School and are part of the Health Occupations Students of America.
The instructor of the BICS HOSA program is Kathie Ehinger, a BIEMS paramedic. The American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers instructor is Joe Moore, also a BIEMS paramedic. Both days included a full course. Joe Moore said, "All of these students were required to be participating in the rather rigorous program that required a lot of hands-on training. They were required to be tested on one person and two person Adult Basic Life Support as well as one person and two person Infant CPR and care for choking victims of all ages. The also had to take a written exam at the end."
There will also be another BLS full course and a recertification course for students and adults working at the school. These programs will require the assistance of another CPR instructor, Gerald LaFreniere.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
for November 6, 2015
It's 52° outside this morning, wind is at 15 mph from the southwest with gusts to 34 mph, humidity is at 90%, pressure is rising from 1001 mb, and visibility is at 5.9 miles. Today: Rain and a chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Breezy. Rain may be heavy at times in the morning. Highs in the lower 50s. West winds 10 to 25 mph with gusts to around 40 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers in the evening, then a chance of rain showers and snow showers after midnight. Lows in the upper 30s. West winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.
On this date of November 6, 1894 - William C. Hooker received a patent for the mousetrap.
Did you know that close to 10% of the world's populations live on islands today? That's about 600 million people!
Word of the day: crepuscular (kri-PUHS-kyuh-ler) which means of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct. Crepuscular is related to the Latin term creper meaning "obscure; dark." It entered English in the mid-1600s.
Beaver Island Friends of the Veterans
Events Scheduled
LUNCH WITH SANTA!
Lunch with Santa will be held for all children on the Island and their parents and/or grandparents on Saturday, December 12, 2015 - 11:00-1:00 at the Gregg Fellowship Hall. Hotdogs, chips, beverage, ice cream and cookies will be provided by the BIFOV. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive around 12:00 Noon. Bring your children and grandchildren so they can give Santa their Christmas wish list.
SANTA'S WORKSHOP
Beaver Island Friends of Veterans will again hold a SANTA'S WORKSHOP on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at Beaver Island Community School Gym, where the children will be able to purchase inexpensive ($1)items for their siblings, parents, grandparents and other family members and friends. The Friends of Veterans and AMVETS will be available to help the young ones wrap their gifts. Bring a camera to get a picture of you child with Santa.
Thanks. HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
St. James Township Meeting
November 4, 2015
The agenda included reports on dangerous structures, update on the Donegal Bay Road project, update on sewer cleanout project, and a recommendation of the subcommittee for moving forward on sewer billing and collection. The old business included a Board of Review appointment, Planning Commission appointment, and the snow plow bid. New business included two policies on finance that were presented by K. McNamara. The full board was present and there were nine people attending the meeting besides the board.
View video of the meeting HERE
Phyllis' Daily Weather
for November 5, 2015
It's 55° outside right now, mostly cloudy, wind is at 13 mph from the southwest with gusts to 22 mph, humidity is at 91%, pressure is falling from 1014 mb, and visibility is at 7.5 miles. Today: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the mid 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Tonight: Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then rain showers and a chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the lower 50s. South winds 10 to 20 mph.
On this date of November 5, 1959 - The American Football League was formed.
Did you know that the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes? Obviously I'm not average because it sometimes takes me well over an hour.
Word of the day: recondite (REK-uh d-dahyt, ri-KON-dahyt) which means 1) dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter: a recondite treatise. 2) beyond ordinary knowledge or understanding; esoteric: recondite principles. Recondite descends from the Latin verb recondere "to hide." It entered English in the mid-1600s.
Transfer Station Job Opening
Attempt to Capture the Northern Lights
by Joe Moore
Here is the interesting evening after bedtime on Tuesday, November 3, 2015.
“How about we go out to the car wash and see if we can see some Northern Lights,” I said to my wife.
“Sure, we can go and see,” my wife said, “but I’m not taking my camera. I don’t know how to get a picture of them.”
I gather up my expensive camera, having just reviewed the photography lessons on camera adjustments, and grab a video camera, hat, and two tripods. We load all of my equipment into the car and head out to the north shore of Beaver Island down Lake Street.
As we head past the homes of several families, out to the dark side of the island where there are very few homes, we are excited to see what we can see. We pass a “Road Closed” sign, but we know that the road is passable down to the water, and my wife says, “You better not get stuck down here.”
“I know, but we aren’t going to lug this equipment a quarter mile in the dark,” I say as we travel slowly down the road with the headlights showing no area of water or mud that we could get stuck in.
We get to the car wash area. It’s called that because you can drive right out into the big lake on the gravel and could actually wash your car using the Lake Michigan water, viewing Garden Island in the distance. You can barely see anything after the car is shut off except the lighted Garden Island Buoy flashing.
I try to set up the tripods by feel. I’m not so able to maneuver the leg latches and the top camera mount, but I finally get the two tripods set up, pointed up at the dark sky. My wife says, “There they are. There are a couple of spikes off to the Northwest.”
I turn on the camera and am immediately blinded by the “Sensor cleaning” message from the back of the expensive Canon camera. “Where?” I say, mainly because I can’t see anything due to the bright light of the video camera messages as I turn it on. My eyes eventually get used to the darkness again, and I can see what she was talking about.
I look through the viewfinder of the digital camera and can see the dark horizon and the sparkling stars in the view finder. I have the camera set for ISO at 12,800. The camera is on the tripod with the shutter speed set at 4 seconds. I push the shutter button and the autofocus keeps moving in and out, in and out, and the camera won’t take the picture. “Expletive deleted,” comes out of my mouth. It’s pitch black on this shoreline, and I feel along the lens for the auto-focus button and shut it off.
The shutter button is pressed again, and the camera takes a picture. I look over to the video camera that is on and all set to take some video, and, once again blinded by the lighted view screen, the message on the screen says, “Make certain the lens cover is not closed.” That’s a little difficult to see, but I reach around to feel and the lens cover is open. I reach over and turn the video camera off, and say, “Not going to get any video tonight because the camera is brighter than the sky.”
The digital camera won’t take another picture, so I figure I should try a different lens. The lens on the camera comes off by feel. I fumble in the dark and can’t seem to get the lens to go onto the camera. Luckily my wife has a lighter, and after a few more expletives, I make certain that the autofocus is off and that the lens is mounted properly. It’s a 50 mm lens with the widest opening of any of my lenses.
I set the shutter speed to 4 seconds and press the button. It takes a picture! I try the 8 second setting and it takes a picture. I try the ten, twenty, and thirty second settings and all the pictures are taken. Man, am I excited. I finally captured the stars in the northern sky and the Northern Lights.
We load up the equipment and head home. I’m all excited about looking at the pictures to see how they turned out. It’s after midnight, but man, do I want to see what I have captured!
I download the pictures to the computer, and begin to open them up, one at a time. Black rectangle, black rectangle, black rectangle. Not even a pinpoint of light can be seen in any of these pictures. I enlarge the pictures. Nothing. Nothing at all. I look down at disgust at this expensive camera ready to demean this piece of crap. I wonder if you can guess what I saw there. Can you?
The 50 mm lens is on the digital camera. The lens is connected properly to the camera. The battery is charged. The camera comes on when you turn it on. This idiot forgot to take the lens cover off the 50 mm lens. Moral of the story: Prepare your equipment. Practice with your equipment before expectations exceed talent. My wife said, “It’s pretty dark on the back porch. Maybe you can try it there and get it to work.”
My only comment was, “Yes, Dear.”
Christmas Bazaar
Phyllis' Daily Weather
for November 4, 2015
It's 50° this morning and is looking to be another perfect fall day. Wind is at 8 mph from the south, humidity is at 85%, pressure is steady at 1018 mb, and visibility is at 9.1 miles. Today: Sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the upper 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.
On this date of November 4, 1880 - James and John Ritty patented the first cash register.
Did you know that unless food is mixed with saliva you can't taste it? Chemoreceptors in the taste buds of your tongue require a liquid medium in order for the flavors to bind into the receptor molecules. If you don't have liquid, you won't see results. Now, technically you can use water for this purpose rather than saliva. However, saliva contains amylase, an enzyme that acts on sugars and other carbohydrates, so without saliva sweet and starchy foods may taste different from what you expect. You have separate receptors for different tastes, such as sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
Word of the day: coriaceous (kawr-ee-EY-shuh s) which means of or like leather. Coriaceous can be traced to the Latin term for leather, corium. It entered English in the mid-1600s.
Gathering
by Cindy Ricksgers
District Library Millage
Peaine 48 Yes..... 9 No
St James 49 Yes..... 2 No
Total: 97 Yes..... 11 No
The library millage appears to have passed with 90% voting YES.
Notice of Special Meeting:
The Beaver Island District Library
Board of Trustees
Will meet
9:00 AM Thursday, November 5th, 2015
26400 Donegal Bay Rd.
Beaver Island, MI 49782
(231) 448-2701
The purpose of the special meeting is to approve the millage to be levied to fund operations over the coming year, in addition to conducting regular monthly business. As always, public attendance is encouraged.
Agenda for 11/5/15 Meeting
Helping and Satisfaction
by Joe Moore
It seems that some are just a little into the addiction of helping others. Consider this EMT as he begins his journey as a helper in another situation.
The morning is bright and sunny on this July morning as our EMT begins his day. As a teacher and as a new EMT, he is lucky to be in a position to volunteer at his local doctor’s office. This is his first day, and he is looking forward to meeting the new provider at the medical center. He is excited to be in a position to help others in any way that the help is needed.
He doesn’t have far to walk since he lives less than a city block away from the doctor’s office. Even though it is classified as a doctor’s office, the doctor isn’t going to be there. The doctor lives across the thirty-two miles of water separating the most remote inhabited island in the Great Lakes from the mainland of Michigan. The mainland doctor’s office of the supervising physician is located right across the street from the hospital where he sends most of his patients. These thirty-two miles can sometimes create a serious issue for poor weather conditions, but let’s get back to the volunteering and helping.
The doctor’s office is staffed by a physician’s assistant and a family nurse practitioner. Both of these providers function quite independently from the doctor, and, since the doctor is only present once every couple of weeks, they don’t have much choice. Of course, the physician is just a phone call away, but independence is almost always preferred. Of course, there is also a manager and a receptionist at the location for the volunteering.
I walk in the door to the medical office excited to be a helper. Sally, the receptionist, greets me and welcomes me. “Glad you are here, Jack. We can always use some help. Come with me, and I’ll get you started.”
A door is opened and I walk through. Sally says, “You can’t put your stuff here in the doctor’s area. It will be used today since he will be here later today.”
We walk around the building and I get the friendly tour of all the parts of the building. The building has four exam rooms, but one is set up as an optometrist area. The other three will be used differently. The first one is used for kids usually and then the other two are used for teens and adults. Right down the hall is the x-ray room. At the end of the hall by the back door are two rooms used only for emergencies or suturing or casting. Across the hall from the exam rooms are a nursing station and the room where items are sterilized and a restroom, handicap accessible.
Having been in the old office, I’m impressed with the whole setup. Pretty amazing when you consider that the old building had only three exam rooms that were about the size of the bathroom is in this building. There are places for five patients; three regular exam rooms and two emergency rooms. I say, “Have these rooms ever been used all at the same time?”
Sally responds, “Not so far, but summer is just starting.” Summer is the busy season in a tourist driven economy of the island. The rest of the tour is delayed by the sound of a siren as an ambulance pulls up to the back of the building right where my tour came to an end. Perhaps it was my karma or my silly comments, but this day was going to be a busy one.
Luckily, I have had some experience with the medical field and am familiar with the field. The ambulance crew enters the building and brings the patient in. Sally went back to her reception area and the day from Hades had begun.
Here we are in the middle of a very busy day, just about one hour after my tour. Things have definitely changed. The three normal exam rooms have patients in them. Both emergency rooms are full, and this volunteer is running around helping in any way possible. Two extra beds have been set up in the hallway and have patients on them.
Here is the day that I caused by asking my stupid question about the number of rooms and have they ever been all used at the same time.
My friend and fellow EMT Bill wheels the patient from the ambulance into the building through the back door. Since I have been deserted by Sally, I just automatically gravitate to my buddy. “What have you got here, Bill?”
“We have a sixty year old female victim of a fall. This patient is complaining of pain in her right hip and also between her hip and her knee. Vital signs are all currently within normal limits,” Bill reports to me.
Sally calls my name. “Jack, I need your help.” Sally and another patient are coming down the hall with the patient’s friend helping him limp down the hall. The first thing that I notice is a rope wrapped around the patient’s leg. This is the biggest rope that I have seen. It looks like the size of the dock line for the ferry boat. Below this rope is a gash with ragged edges that goes all the way down to the bone.
The patient says, “Hi, Jack. I had a little chain saw accident this morning. Luckily, Bob came along and helped me stop the bleeding by putting this rope around my leg, and I couldn’t stop the bleeding.” This patient is my buddy’s father. The seriousness of this injury hits me like a ton of bricks, but I have to block out the emotion and get to work. I cut the rope to get it off the leg and use the trauma shears to cut the leg of his pants to get a view of the injury. The majority of the bleeding has stopped. The cut goes down to the bone and there are bone chips, dirt, sawdust, and blood all over the lower leg.
The provider comes in and says, “Get a set of vital signs and clean the wound. I see the bleeding has almost stopped. When you clean the wound using sterile water, it will start bleeding again, so be ready to bandage it. I’m going next door. We have a possible fractured femur in there. We need to get her in and do an x-ray. The doctor is here, and I have three exam rooms full of sick patients. Two more injured in the hallway, and it’s crazy here today.”
I use the accepted cleaning technique to clean off the leg with the chainsaw cut, and it begins to weep, but not bleed profusely. There is no need to put a tourniquet on. The doc steps in and says, “Continue to bandage the wound and send him over to the emergency room. He doesn’t need to go emergently, just on the next plane that is available. I need you and Bill to put a traction splint on the lady next door. She has a fractured femur. She will need an IV and some morphine, and she will need to go by emergency flight.”
I finished the bandaging process and put on a rigid splint to prevent movement of the tissues of the leg. This extra step was to keep movement to the minimum to prevent to wound from bleeding on the way over to the emergency room Just as I finished, the provider came in to finish up with this patient and give final instructions. I left to go help with the fractured femur.
Bill and I had gone through the paramedic course together. He was the student, and I was one of the instructors. “Did the doctor tell you to start the IV?” I asked.
Bill said, “Nobody told me to do anything.”
I said, “Well, they did tell me. We need to get the traction splint on, start an IV, and give pain meds as needed, so let’s get to it.”
And another EMT went out to get the traction splint. “I’ll pull traction and then you can put on the traction splint. Let’s get it measured and ready to go,” I said to Bill. “It’s only a two-person job, but your EMT can take a set of vitals before and then we can go right on to the other two things.”
I pulled traction on the leg warning the patient of the pain that would occur until I broke the muscle spasm of the leg muscles and got the leg into the position necessary to apply the splint as soon as the vital signs were taken. “AHHHHHHahhhhhh, ohhhhhhhh,” came out of the patient’s mouth as I pulled the traction on the leg. The pain subsided from a ten on the pain scale to about a three with the traction splint on. Bill had done a very good job placing the splint and making certain that the splint would not move. I helped logroll the patient onto a backboard with padding to make it more comfortable after the majority of the movement was completed and the patient readied for transport, Bill started the IV and I handed him the morphine to give to the patient for pain. I had already diluted the morphine to one milligram in one milliliter and Bill asked me why.
“When you are in the plane, it can get kind of bumpy. If you only want to give two milligrams and you hit a pocket of air and jump, you can end up pushing more than you really wanted to give. I don’t think you want to kill the patient’s desire to breathe, do you?”
“Well, no,” Bill said.
“I’ve given her five milligrams in her IV and then mixed the other five in five cc’s of normal saline,” Doc said you could give another two to three after loading into the plane, and the rest just before you take her off the plane. That way she won’t probably need anything in the ER or on the way to x-ray,” I said.
The doc opened the door and said, “I’m not really needed here today, but the ER is going to be busy with Beaver Island patients in just a little while. I’m getting on the same plane as the chainsaw guy, so I can continue his treatment. I’ll be there to receive this nice lady in the ER. By the way, you guys are doing a nice job here. Glad you decided to help out here, Jack.”
Bill and I smiled, and Bill went looking for the provider for her final instructions. She came in and said, “You will be heading over to the emergency room in just a few minutes. The emergency evacuation plane is ready to go.” To Bill, she said, “Okay, you can give her something for pain now.”
Bill said, “We already did out of our drug box, and we got the orders from the doctor, so we are all set to go whenever you give the word.”
The provider said, “You can go,” and she left the room to deal with the other patients’ needs. I followed her out since I was not needed to load the patient into the ambulance.
“What do you want me to do now,” I asked.
The provider answered, “Check in with Sally. Maybe she has something for you to do.” So I headed back down the hall to the reception area.
I wasn’t there more than ten minutes, with Sally explaining about filing the charts that had been approved by the doctor, when the provider came and asked for my help. “We need to put a splint on the ten-year-old patient in the hallway. You need to have gloves on, and I need you to hold the splint material in place while I wrap it. It will work just like a cast, but will allow for the swelling to go down.” The other patient from the hallway was gone with just this one still here.
So there I was holding the wet splinting materials with yucky goo on my gloves and a thankful parent standing there. The parent had been one of my previous students, so I knew her and her child. It’s kind of funny when you think about it. “Thank you, Mr. Moore!” said the parent who graduated ten years ago from the school where I taught her and her husband.
The splint had dried enough for me to let go, and Sally came in to tell me to go to room one to help out there. I stopped and went to the bathroom and then washed my hands and arms to get the goop off, and then I went and knocked on the door to room one. In there was another of my former students with a baby. I said, “Hello there, little one,” with a big smile for the mom and baby.
“We’re here for shots, “my former student said. My smile faded, not knowing what I was going to be asked to do. I got the baby to smile, and I played with her for a few moments while we waited for the provider.
The provider came in holding two small syringes and said, “You know how to give shots?”
I looked at her and said, “Yes.” but my smile faded.
“Here’s what we are going to do,” the provider said. “We are going to give the baby two shots. You will give yours on the top of the left leg after pinching up the skin like this. I am going to give mine in the right leg, and we are going to give them at the same time. Are you up for this?”
“Yes,” I said. The baby was still smiling and obviously happy, but wouldn’t be that way for long.
“One, two, three!” said the provider quietly, and both needles went into the respective legs. The expression on the baby’s face, I will never forget. If the baby could talk, she would have said some really nasty words, but, since she was too young for that, she just squealed loudly and then began to cry. We did this all at once so that the baby would only be hurt once, but I think it hurt me more than it hurt her. Parts of this job really are not that fun. The mom thanked me, and all I could say was, “Sorry,” and then I left the room with tears in my eyes.
“We have another emergency patient coming in by ambulance,” Sally said. “This is a man with chest pain, and that’s all they said.” This is what greeted me when I returned to the reception area. The filing would just have to wait. I head back down toward the back door and got there just as the ambulance began backing up.
The Basic EMT and a First Responder took the patient out of the ambulance, and my first question was, “Where is the paramedic?”
The EMT responded, “He’s on the airplane on his way over to the mainland. We were there when the pager went off again. So guess what? You are now the paramedic on duty.” This was said as the patient was wheeled into the room.
I noticed that the patient was my golf partner only after he said, “Hi, Jack. I’m not feeling so well.”
The words came out of my mouth without thinking, “You look like crap, Charlie!”
To the EMT, “Can you give me a report?”
He said, “Patient was out cleaning up the yard, raking leaves left over from last fall, and picking up junk when the chest pain began. He went back into the house and sat down, but the pain did not go away. We arrived and took vital signs, which seemed within normal limits, but we did note a lot of edema in his legs. We gave him the aspirin in the protocol, but we didn’t have a monitor, so we couldn’t do a 12-lead. We remember from class that we needed to do the EKG, but didn’t have a monitor to do one. It went with the other patient, and we did not have time to get back to the garage and pick up a replacement.”
I said, “Okay, thanks. Now get the bluebag and set me up for an IV with a saline lock, and I’ll put this 12-lead on him.”
We did a regular 12-lead, a right-sided 12-lead, and a posterior 12-lead quite quickly. The pulse oximeter reading was 92, so we put on oxygen by nasal canula at 2 liters per minute, which brought the oximeter reading up to 95. The EKG did not show any problems on the right, but the patient was obviously having right sided heart failure symptoms. The lung sounds were wet and that’s the reason for the saline lock instead of giving fluid. The saline lock IV went in smoothly and was finished when the provider entered the room and said, “Nobody told me about this patient. What’s going on?”
“I’ll give you a report as soon as I finish this lock,” I said. “I’m the paramedic on this run. This is my golf partner, Charlie, and he has signs and symptoms of a heart attack. His regular twelve lead says, ‘Acute Myocardial Infarction expected’ so we did a right sided 12-lead and a posterior 12-lead. We’ve been using your monitor and your oxygen. His breath sounds are wet, his legs have a lot of edema, and his pain is 5 out of 10 before nitroglycerin. I just noticed his oximeter ready has dropped to 90.”
“What’s the pain at now, Charlie?” I ask him.
“It’s still a 5 to 6 and creeping up. The nitro I took didn’t do any good,” Charlie said.
“It was your nitro, wasn’t it?” I said.
“Yes, I always carry it around with me since my first heart attack,” he said.
“We’re going to try our nitro now instead, just see if it helps, and we’re going to turn up the oxygen to help your breathing,” I said. “Tom, turn it up to 4 liters per minute, and have the BVM ready to assist his ventilations if the oximeter reading doesn’t come up.”
The provider said, “Give him a nitro and get another set of vital signs, and then we’ll see where we are.”
I put a nitroglycerin tablet under my partner’s tongue, waited about five minutes and had the EMT take a blood pressure. While the blood pressure was being taken, I asked Charlie, “Can you give me a number on the pain now?”
He said, “Well that nitro actually worked. I’d say that the pain now is down to a 1 or a 2 now.”
The vital signs came back from Tom as he said, “I’ve got a pressure of 130 over 92, and a pulse rate of 92 with respirations of 18. Jack, do you want him hooked up to the auto BP cuff, oximeter, and the monitor from the echo unit?”
“That’s sounds like a really good idea, Tom,” I said. “Tom, after you bring those inside, will you please call and see if we can get another plane ready for this flight. Charlie here needs to get over to his cardiologist. He’s up in Petoskey, isn’t he, Charlie?”
Charlie said, “Yes, it’s doctor Roffle up at Northern. So, I’m gonna have to fly off the island, right?”
“I’m not gonna lie to you, Charlie. You need to get to the hospital. You need some evaluation by your cardiologist and possibly some changes in your medication,” I said. “We’ll probably have you back in time for golf on Wednesday night.”
The provider came back into the room. “So, how are we doing here? Things have slowed down now and I can dedicate some time here.”
My reply was, “We’re doing okay. The nitro from our drug box actually worked. It lowered Charlie’s pain from 5 down to a 1 or 2, so I’m thinking that we should do a nitro drip, keep some morphine handy, and transport him to Northern where his cardiologist is. They are seeing about another airplane and we should know about that shortly. What do you think about that plan?”
“That sounds good to me. I’ll get the nitro, put it in the bottle, and get the pump,” the provider said as she walked away.
While the provider was gone, Charlie said, “My pain is headed back up to 4 or 5 now. Can I have another nitro?”
“You betcha,” I said as I got another nitro tablet and put it under his tongue. I said, “Tom, we’ll need another set of vitals and then switch over to our monitor, okay?”
“Yup,” Tom said. He turned to the First Responder and said, “Will you get copies of his medications and his face sheet from Sally for me, please? Charlie, can you sign this form that signifies your willingness to have us provide information to your insurance company, please?”
The provider came in with the spiked bottle connected with the special tubing for the IV pump. She said, “I can’t seem to get this line to clear of air. Do you want to give it a try?”
“Sure “I said. I was quite familiar with this since I teach it in my classes. The tubing has to be held upside near the controller to allow the air to get through the entire tubing. Once it’s clear, you have to turn it right side up and turn it off. Then you have to insert the controller portion of the tubing into the IV pump and close the door. All of that was done, and then we hooked up the IV drip pump tubing to the patient’s IV tubing and opened the saline lock to allow the drug to flow into his vein.
We were almost ready to load the patient back into the ambulance, but the provider wanted to be certain that the pump was set correctly. She looked it up in some reference, and then set the pump to the rate she wanted. She said, “You can set this at a higher rate if needed.”
We loaded the patient up into the ambulance and took him to the airport. Since I was the paramedic on duty at this moment, the responsibility for the patient was on my shoulders now. We transported the patient out to the airport. The other aircraft was on the way back to the island, but would take almost fifteen more minutes before it would arrive. We had already used up almost an hour of the time with every minutes meaning loss of cardiac muscle.
I voiced my concerns to Tom, and he went off in search of the aircraft’s pilot.
In less than five minutes, the pilot came out and said, “Load your patient using the ambulance cot into the aircraft. Since this a life threatening emergency, we are going to be creative in our method of getting Charlie to the mainland. If you remember the way we used to load the cot into the plane, then that’s the way we will do this. It seems that the plane with the air transport cot had to divert to Charlevoix to drop off the last patient’s son to get a car. It may be another half hour or forty-five minutes before that plane gets back here. We’re going to get this patient to the hospital quickly, but safely. Load him into the plane, and we’ll use straps to hold down the cot. You can sit facing the back and have access to your patient that way. Let’s get moving!”
This actually worked out pretty nice. The IV bag with the IV pump was on the IV pole attached to the ground ambulance cot. The monitor was on its monitor stand made for this ambulance cot. Everything was on the cot that we might need for monitoring and caring for the patient.
We loaded the jump kit and all the other equipment and the drug boxes into the plane. The patient cot was secured to the floor of the plane. The patient was secure on the cot. And even more importantly, this patient was going to get to definitive care within the 90 minute window. The 12-lead had already been faxed to the hospital, and we had already called the hospital with a STEMI Alert. (This alerts the ER doctor and recommends the cardiologist be called and waiting for the patient at the hospital.)
We are all in the plane and ready to fly off the island. We taxi out and begin the emergency air transport of our friend and golf partner. We are now in the air headed to Harbor Springs Airport. I call the hospital using my portable radio and headset, and give them an update on the patient’s condition. It sounded something like this:
“McLaren Northern, Fifty-Seven Air One, Beaver Island…”
“Unit calling, re-identify and give your report,” they respond.
“This if 57 Air 1……We are enroute to Harbor Springs Airport with patient with initials CJM. This patient’s current vitals are BP 130 over 90, pulse of 88, respirations of 18 and SPO2 of 96. Patient continues to complain of chest pain, now at 4 out of 10. He is being treated with O2 at 4 liters per minute, has an IV in the LAC with a nitro drip. The patient’s condition remains stable. We believe this is a STEMI alert patient. We have faxed the EKGs and previous patient history as well as the medication list. The patient’s cardiologist is R—O—F—F—L—E, Roffle. We will be at the Harbor Springs Airport in fifteen minutes. Do you request any further information or have any orders for us?”
“57 Air 1, standby… per Doctor James…Administer a sublingual nitro and note the pain level after. You can continue as needed, and you can also consider four milligrams of morphine sulfate to decrease the patient’s pain. Continue to monitor the patient. Contact us if you need anything else. McLaren clear.”
I repeated the order and followed them throughout the fifteen minute flight. It never ceases to amaze me that those involved in my friend’s care are only concerned with his care and his comfort.
We landed in Harbor Springs, unloaded the cot, moved the patient over to the Allied EMS cot, gave our report, and turned the patient over to the Allied EMS agency’s ground ambulance at the Harbor Springs Airport. We had successfully and efficiently transported my golf partner to definitive care within the window necessary for treatment. We had saved a lot of heart muscle by doing it this way. There is no way to predict the outcome if he had not had this efficient emergency transport available.
Charlie was taken in this ambulance to McLaren, was quickly evaluated in the ER and was taken to the cath lab where they reopened two vessels in his heart that were almost completely blocked. Charlie did well, but missed the next golf outing due to his hospitalization. Two weeks later he was on the golf course, outplaying me as usual.
I am frequently asked, “Why do you do this?” or “Why don’t you retire?”
I have a tee shirt that states, “Of course I’m crazy. No sane person wants to do this job.” It is a little bit of humor in a life full of just the right amount of helping others and the satisfaction of doing your best to help your friends and neighbors. That is the only motive for this paramedic living on the most remote inhabited island in the Great Lakes.
(After thousands of hours of volunteering at the medical center and hundreds of emergencies, it seems that old age is creeping up on me. I will still volunteer, but there will be a limit to what I can and what I will do.)
This Morning
by Cindy Ricksgers
Library Seeks Millage Renewal at Today's Election, November 3, 2015
Although there isn't a lot on the ballot for this coming November election, the district library is hoping that you will vote to renew its operational millage. Here is the language for this renewal:
Phyllis' Daily Weather
for November 3, 2015
Sure isn't much going on in town this morning according to the camera. Out here we have a cloud napping on the Kings Highway, so visibility is a bit limited. It's 37° outside, wind is at 3 mph from the east, humidity is at 97%, pressure is rising from 1018 mb, and visibility is at 2.5 miles. Today: Mostly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the mid 60s. Light winds. Gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Clear. Lows in the upper 40s. Light winds.
On this date of November 3, 1975 - "Good Morning America" premiered on ABC-TV.
Did you know that August has the highest percentage of births?
Word of the day: landloper (LAND-loh-per) which means a wanderer, vagrant, or adventurer. Landloper comes from the Dutch terms land, "land," and loopen, "to run." It entered English in the mid-1500s.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
for November 2, 2015
It's 49° outside this morning and overcast, wind is at 4 mph from the SE, humidity is at 88%, pressure is rising from 1008 mb, and visibility is at 9.3 miles. Today: Mostly cloudy. Sprinkles in the morning then a slight chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs around 60. Southwest winds at 15 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Southwest winds at 10 mph.
On this date of November 2, 1948 - Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey for the U.S. presidency. The Chicago Tribune published an early edition that had the headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN." The Truman victory surprised many polls and newspapers.
Did you know that 11% of people are left handed?
Word of the day: desultory (DES-uh l-tawr-ee) which means digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random. Desultory finds its roots in the Latin word dēsultor, a term referring to a circus rider who jumps from one horse to another. It entered English in the mid-1500s.
Links
Holocaust Survivor Martin LowenbergVideo by Kaylyn Jones HERE |
Announcements/Ads
Christmas BazaarCHRISTMAS BAZAAR 2015Sunday, November 15, 2015, is the date for this year’s Christmas Bazaar at the Gregg Fellowship Center. Doors open at 11:00am.
Reservation forms for tables will be at the Community Center, the District Library, and the mailbox at Jean Kinsley’s real-estate office starting Saturday morning, October 31. |
Trunk or Treat
This event was very well attended with many more people coming in to provide their Halloween treats for the kids. The event was not held in the parking lot, but inside the Gregg Fellowship Center due to the rainy weather that continues outside right now. The 8:30 p.m. weather is report is that it is "raining cats and dogs" out there right now.
Here are some pictures of the event showing the youngsters that attended along with some of the adults as well.
Lot of candy, lots of treats, hot dogs and chili, and apple cider! What a wonderful gathering for this All Hallows' Eve!
Video of Trunk and Treat
Food Pantry Fund Raiser
The winner is Deb Bousquet! Congratulations, Deb!
The drawing took place at the Trunk and Treat on October 31, 2015.
Mary Kenwabikise made this beautiful quilt and donated it to the Food Pantry to be used as a fund-raiser.
You can write a check to Beaver Island Christian Church, write Food Pantry on the memo line, and mail it to PO Box 21.
You can donate to the Food Pantry by clicking the button below:
Special Library Board Meeting Scheduled
Thursday, November 5, 2015, 9 a.m. at the library
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR 2015
Sunday, November 15, 2015, is the date for this year’s Christmas Bazaar at the Gregg Fellowship Center. Doors open at 11:00am.
There will be a lot of returning vendors as well as a few new vendors. You will have your choice of a wide variety of Christmas gifts for family, friends—and yourself! Candles, stuffed animals, evergreen wreaths and swags, jewelry, Flattail Furs, Pampered Chef, Rustic Heart, baked goods and much, much more.
Each vendor will donate n item for a drawing. Tickets are $0.25. All proceeds from the drawing will go to the Beaver Island Food Pantry. If you place a donation for the Food Pantry under the Christmas tree, you will receive a free ticket (s) for the drawing. You can also place an unwrapped toy, game, book, etc. under the tree to be distributed to local children. (Thank you!!)
Shop ‘til you’re hungry—then take your choice of a number of delicious soups—and support the Food Pantry.
Music—voting for the best decorated table—something for everyone!!
Sunday, November 25, 11:00 – 2:00
See you there!!Reservation forms for tables will be at the Community Center, the District Library, and the mailbox at Jean Kinsley’s real-estate office starting Saturday morning, October 31.
Emergency Services Authority Meeting
October 29, 2015
More than half of the just little over an hour meeting of the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority meeting today was taken up by a presentation and Q&A period by Valley Med Flight out of Iron Mountain. The island residents will be provided a discount for a subscription and membership. The current cost of the insured membership for Valley Med Flight services will be $25 per year and the uninsured membership for this service will by $35, the normal costs are $50 and $70. The applications for this membership will be available at the BIRHC. This membership will allow the family to have no out-of-pocket costs for the flight service using the Valley Med Flight fixed wing aircraft.
The Valley Med Flight group was invited to attend the BIESA meeting and make a presentation by the BIRHC manager Donna Kubic.
. For this small amount of membership fee, there would be no reason not to become a member. It is, however, important to note that the time to get the Valley Med Service from Iron Mountain to Beaver Island Township Airport will be no less than 65 minutes. Since Valley Med normally transfers patients from a licensed facility to another licensed facility, namely doing inter-facility transports, their response time and patient transfer time could be up to 90 minutes before the Valley Med aircraft leaves Beaver Island.s)
Update: The previous statement was made in error. BIEMS was a participating provider for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield. There may have been a policy change by a Director of BIEMS in the past few years that may have changed this. While this is being investigated, it appears that some have received bills. BINN was going on information believed to be true, but is not true as of this moment. Our apologies for suggesting something that is not accurate. It may all be a mute point as BIEMS moves into the future.
Within that 90 minute time frame, the Beaver Island EMS licensed air transport vehicle could already have the patient at the hospital if flying to Charlevoix or Harbor Springs, and the patient would already be at the Traverse City Airport if flying to TVC for Munson Healthcare. This "Time to Definitive Care" in trauma," "Time is Muscle" in a cardiac emergency, and "Time is Tissue" in a suspected stroke would delay the definitive care while waiting for Valley Med to get the patient to the hospital. These points were brought up by Kevin White, BIEMS Director. A letter of excellence in service was read by Bill Kohls that was sent to him by Dr. Smith, Charlevoix County Medical Control Authority Director. This letter praised Kevin White for his work and his dedication to Beaver Island EMS during this trying time.
Rick Speck spoke up and stated that BIEMS would probably not be able to exist if the air transport income were to disappear. He quoted approximately $39,000 in payments were received for air transport with BIEMS netting $17,000 from those flights. The ground ambulance was not netting anywhere near this amount with less than one-third of that income. BIEMS could not function without the income from the air transport. Rick Speck also stated that he will send Bill Kohls three months of income statements to be posted on the Peaine website shortly after the end of October.
Bob Turner, retired firefighter/paramedic from Detroit Metro,asked a question after the Valley Med crew had left. He asked what weather conditions can the Valley Med aircraft fly in that Island Airways can't. Paul Welke took a few moments to make a couple of statements. One was that Island Airways usually has the emergency patient to the mainland within about 35-45 minutes after the page. He further stated that the Island Airway's aircraft and pilots have the same ability to fly using instrument flight rules and GPS. He stated that the only condition that he would not be able to fly in that Valley Med might be able to fly in would be the condition called "icing" since the Valley Med Aircraft might have the ability to fly in those conditions.
The FLSA labor and wage complaint has not been acted on by the state. (Update on this: The FLSA complaint has been denied, pending appeal.)
The remainder of the meeting was related to the formal documents that need to be worked on and approved starting with the November and December meetings.
Video of this meeting HERE
Update on October 31, 2015
The following quotations from several recent EMS magazines provide the true importance of getting a pateint to definitive care in the shortest period of time possible:
“Our job in EMS is threefold: 1) get to the patient quickly, 2) fix what we can fix, and, 3) quickly get the patient to the right hospital. Anything we can do to compress each of these time periods is good for the patient. We’ve known this in the traumatically injured, and now we use it for STEMI and stroke patients; more are sure to follow.”
“At least 3 links in trauma care can be identified: (1) the time from the event to the 911 call; (2) EMS total transport time; and (3) the interval from arrival to definitive care.”
“Sometimes old dogmas help save lives, allowing people with diverse levels of knowledge to grasp a simple concept. The golden hour of trauma is a classic example of this, and, as imperfect as it is, the concept of timely care must survive; no need to reset your clocks.”
The above three quotations seem to represent the best practice in the use of emergency medical services. These quotes also represent the positions of many associations and agencies regarding EMS including the American Heart Association, the International Trauma Life Support, and University of Miami Stroke Programs. Time to definitive care is one of these most important concepts.In discussions amongst BIEMS members after the ESA meeting, the following issues were discussed and the questions were asked. If someone wanted to know about the effectiveness and efficiency of the BIEMS licensed aircraft transport operation, why didn't interested parties ask those that transported the emergency patients? Can those with no Beaver Island emergency air transport experience determine the effectiveness, efficiency, and the ability to treat patients in this licensed aircraft? If anyone was interested in answering these questions, would they not better ask someone who had flown the patients in the aircraft with primary responsibility for the care of the patient during the flight? What treatments have actually been provided by either Valley Med or Northflight that weren't already provided by BIEMS?
Joe Moore, BIEMS paramedic and EMT with over twenty-five years right here on Beaver Island stated, "I flew over fifty emergency patients off Beaver Island in this aircraft in the last three years. There was never any treatment needed by the patient that could not be completed in the aircraft including IV pump and drip medications." When asked about the possibility of other issues suggested by some concerned citizens, Joe stated, "You obviously have not asked the patients and the patients' families any of these questions either. BIEMS gets thank-you cards from many patients for the obvious excellent patient care and efficient transport. We listen to our patients and our patient's families, and then do our best to accomodate their wishes."
In regard to the treatments that Valley Med or Northflight could provide that BIEMS had not already completed, Joe responded, "In the last fifteen years as a paramedic on Beaver Island, I believe that the assessment and treatment including the monitoring equipment of BIEMS have all been completed successfully right here on Beaver Island with these other air transport operations providing only continuing treatments and monitoring already started by BIEMS."
Joe continued, "We have successfully transported and maintained treatment of patients on a USCG ice breaker with an IV pump drip medication, a faster USCG vessel, a private yacht, and in many unusual conditions including blizzards and fog. We have flown with the USCG medivac helicopter with very little monitoring equipment due to weight restrictions. We have transported patients not only to Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, and Traverse City, but also St. Ignace. We get the job done efficiently and effectively. We have demonstrated not only competence, but also creativity in the completion of emergency transport of patients. We have mostly had successes in the return of spontaneous circulation in non-traumatic cardiac arrests even getting a congratulatory letter from a cardiologist. We have been on the cutting edge of emergency medical care wtih many treatments including, but not limited to AED, EpiPen, D50 for diabetics, and Narcan for overdoses. We have actually been part of the original studies for many of these treatments. We have successfully transported physicians, pediatric intensive care nurses, and registered nurses of many specialties. We have never received a complaint from any patient about transport method or treatment. Of course, I can't speak about individual patients due to patient and family privacy regulations. We have worked alongside BIRHC providers for successes that did not require transport after treatmentswere completed there. We maintain certifications above and beyond the minimum requirements for licensure. Programs in International Trauma Life Support, AHA Basic Life Support, AHA Advanced Cardiac Life Support, AHA Pediatric Advanced Life Support, AAP Pediatrics for PreHospital Providers, Advanced Stroke Life Support, and Emergency Driving. Basic EMT programs, and MFR programs as well as continuing education programs are taught right here on Beaver Island. . . . . I hope that all of these things will be considered before any major changes are made."
Waste Management Committee News
This morning, October 29, 2015, at 10 a.m. a special meeting of the WMC took place at Peaine Township Hall. The members present were Bill Kohls, Joe Moore, Jean Wierenga, Paul Welke, Bill Haggard, and Ernie Martin. Brad Swearingen, the manager of the Beaver Island Transfer Station had resigned after providing two and a half years of excellent leadership for the transfer station. Brad Swearingen gave his final report, and Brad recommended that the committee appoint Bob Marsh as the new manager.
The committee appointed Bob Marsh as the interim manager, and decided to post the manager's position. The committee also set up a sub-committee to include Paul Welke, Jean Wierenga, and Bill Haggard as the interview committee, as well as keep the application period open until November 30, 2015. The interview committee will gather the applications and interview the candidates and provide the WMC with a recommendation.
The WMC also determined that the transfer station, being a public building, should not have smoking inside the building. It was agreed that a sign to that effect would be posted in the building. All smoiking, by employees and/or customers should take place outside the walls of the building.
BICS Searching for Substitute Teachers
Beaver Island Teen Halloween Party at the Library
This party was set up by the students for grades 7-12. The younger children will have a birthday party this afternoon, Sunday, October 25, 2015. It is purposely on the weekend arranged to disrupt the library operations as little as possible. The students looked like they were enjoying themselves. There were three activities going on this same night which may have affected the attendance at all three events. The radio play was at the Community Center, the Hologram presentation was at Emerald Isle Gallery, and this party was at the district library. One adult commented, "I'd have gone to the party, but the play was at the same time." Another said, "The holograms were pretty cool." Most of the teens went to the Halloween Party at the library.
Video of the party may be viewed HERE
Holography
Emerald Isles Gallery hosted an exhibition entitled "HOLOGRAPHY: THE MICHIGAN MEDIUM" on October 24, 2015, from 3 pm until 9 pm. There were couple of other events going on during this date and time. The radio play program was at the Community Center, and the teenage Halloween Party was happening at the District Library. It was also a Saturday night.
Deb Bousquet, reporter and videographer for News on the 'Net attended this presentation and took pictures and did video of the presentation by Doug E. Tyler. This was a unique exhibition of over one dozen holographic images that delighted and amazed those who attended. The images seemed to float before your eyes and were interactive, changing as you changed your position relative to the holography.
While a photograph of holography may seem inconsistent to some, these photos may help gain a little knowledge of what this artform is about.
Doug Tyler explaining the artform
"Typically, a hologram is a photographic recording of a light field, rather than of an image formed by a lens, and it is used to display a fully three-dimensional image of the holographed subject, which is seen without the aid of special glasses or other intermediate optics." from wikipedia
Some view from just one position.
View of hologram from two different positions
View of a hologram from three different positions
Reaching out to touch the three-dimensional object
Video Clips of the Holography
Viewing the holograms
Events Coming to Gregg Fellowship Center and the Christian Church
The Annual Thanksgiving Dinner will be on November 26, 2015 at 6:00PM at the Gregg Fellowship Center If possible bring a dish to pass or a dessert to share. We furnish Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy also punch and coffee or tea
The Annural Christmas Cantata at the Beaver Island Christian Church wil be on December 5 & 6, 2015, at 2:00PM.The Annual Cookie Carnival at the Gregg Fellowship Center will start at NOON and go until 4:00pm on Thursday, December 10, 2015. This year, anyone wanting Nutmeg Logs and/or Party Cookies are asked to pre-order. You can call Jean Carpenter at 448-2893 to pre-order.
Spray-Paint-in-the-Face Cat Culprit Caught
News Release from Charlevoix County Sheriff's Department
Sheriff Don Schneider reports that the Charlevoix County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect in the animal cruelty case where a cat was sprayed with orange-red spray paint and its tail severely injured resulting in amputation.
Paul Wicker, age 40 from Boyne City, was arrested October 22, 2015 when a misdemeanor warrant for animal cruelty, which carries a 93 day, $1,000 fine, and community service, and a felony warrant for witness intimidation, which carries a maximum of 15 years and/or $25,000 fine, was issued by Prosecuting Allen Telgenhof. Wicker was arraigned by the 90th District Court Magistrate and bond was set for $50,000. This crime was solved by the media exposure that generated a magnitude of citizens’ response to this heinous crime. Several citizens came forward to provide Sheriff’s Office with leads to solve the case which touched the hearts of many people.
Sheriff Schneider commends the assistance of both the citizens of Boyne City and the Sheriff’s Office Investigators.
New Administrator for Holy Cross Parish
Deacon Jim Siler from Cadillac, MI will be moving to Beaver Island to become the Administrator of Holy Cross Parish effective November 1st. Priests from St. Mary’s in Charlevoix will continue to come to the island to say mass on Sunday.
Jim’s movers will be here Saturday to move his belongings into the Rectory on Kings Highway and Jim will arrive on the island Monday.
BOBI (BIDL Book Club)
BOBI (BIDL Book Club)For TUESDAY, 11/17 @7p: discussing Knocking On Heaven's Door by Katy Butler
For Tuesday, 12/15 @7p: An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor
For Tuesday, 1/19 @7p: Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix ChristieFor February (date tbd): In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
Special St. James Meeting-Auditor Report
This long awaited meeting of the results of an independent audit of the St. James funds specifically related to the Sewer Fund borrowing from the Road Fund and the General Fund took place at the St. James Township Hall today, October 20, 2015, beginning at 9:30 p.m. and lasting until just before 11 a.m. Questions from the board were answered as the auditor made his presentation. The auditor was Stephen M. Peacock, CPA, from Rehmann Robson from Traverse City, Michigan.
Stephen Peacock before the meeting
Several questions were asked regarding the report and when it would be available to the public. It was determined that the draft report would be posted on the St. James Township website this afternoon. The board will have to decide if they want any changes or any other review, but will finalize the report likely at the November board meeting.
The facts show that mistakes were made, certain billings were not done, and that the actual legal responsibility was not completed in a timely manner. The township attorney was asked to answer a question from the public: "When does negligence become criminal?" The lawyer's answer was not the one that was expected by some in the audience of twenty-nine people. "Negligence never becomes criminal." So as many people view this situation, mistakes were made, and efforts are being made to recover as much money as possible from the participants in the sewer running from the Holy Cross Hall down to the King Strang Hotel including Ray Matella's house.
Early on group attending the meeting
Mr. Peacock giving recommendations
Just a few of the people asking questions
This plan for collection will also be discussed, possibly at another special meeting as soon as tomorrow, but definitely another item on the agenda for the November meeting of the board.
Link to Auditor Draft Report
Video of Special Meeting HERE
Fire Safety
The heating season is upon us ready or not. Some will be heating with wood, some with fuel oil, some with propane, heat pumps, and some with electricity. No matter what there should be something that you can do to prevent the disaster of loss of life due to a house fire. Luckily, FEMA has plenty of information about this including tips on fire safety.
Fire Prevention Week: Learn the Dos & Don’ts of House Fire Safety
CHICAGO –October 4 – 10, 2015 marks Fire Prevention Week, a commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and an opportunity to emphasize fire safety and preparedness.
Remember these dos and don’ts to help you and your family protect against the dangers of a house fire:
- DO keep a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Half of home fire deaths happen between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Stay safe with smoke alarms outside of every bedroom and each separate sleeping area.
- DON’T forget to test your smoke alarm every month. The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms. If your alarm doesn’t sound when tested, it’s time to replace it.
- DO address your needs. If you require eyeglasses, hearing aid, cane or a wheelchair, ensure they are next to your bed to quickly grab if necessary. If there is a fire, you may have less than three minutes to get out of your home. Be ready to act immediately.
- DON’T assume you’ll hear the fire alarm if it sounds. If you test the alarm and can’t hear it, consider getting a strobe light that will flash or a bed shaker that will shake when the smoke alarm sounds.
- DO make a fire escape plan that shows at least two ways out of every room. Identify a meeting place in the front of your home, to verify that everyone is safe and help firefighters ensure everyone exited safely.
- DON’T stop to call 911 until you’re safely outside and away from danger. Stay outside until the fire department says it’s safe to go back inside.
For even more fire safety tips, visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s webpage at www.usfa.fema.gov. You can also follow FEMA Region V at twitter.com/femaregion5 and www.facebook.com/fema. Individuals can always find valuable preparedness information at www.Ready.gov.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
(The above poster can be printed. Open the bigger picture by clicking on the thumbnail. Right click the larger picture and download it to your computer. Then you can print it out on your printer.)
Donate to the Food Pantry
.jpg)
Use this button below to donate to the Food Pantry.
Donate to the Live Streaming Project
The Live Streaming Project includes BICS Sports Events, Peaine Township Meetings, Joint Township Meetings, and much more.
Your donation may allow these events to be live streamed on the Internet at http://beaverisland.tv