Pharmaceutical Take Back Day

Pharmaceutical Take Back Day is a national event that is being held today, Saturday, Apr 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs may be turned in at collection sites across the country. Delinquency, controlled, non-controlled, and over-the-counter drugs will be collected for disposal. No requests for identification will be made by law enforcement officers at the collection sites.

It gives people an opportunity to safely dispose of potentially dangerous substances. More than 121 tons of pills were turned in nationwide during the first take-back initiative held in September 2010.

Many people may not be aware that older and unused medicines in homes can pose substantial public health, environmental and safety issues. The overall goal of this program is to prevent prescription abuse and reduce the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses.

Of the many collection events planned that day nationally, Erie is one of just 10 sites where data will be collected from the first 50 participants to learn why medications were unused.

Pennsylvania Sea Grant and LECOM School of Pharmacy will inventory drugs collected at the Erie City Hall site. They will use the information to create outreach materials for consumers and professional development materials for medical professionals to address the issue of unused drugs. Pennsylvania Sea Grant is also planning another collection event this fall.

But collection events are not along-term solution. Until better, long-term methods of disposal are available call your state and federal representatives and ask them what they are doing to address this serious problem.

Collection Sites Near Erie, PA:

• City of Erie Bureau of Police, Erie Municipal Building front lobby (626 State St.)
• Pennsylvania State Police, Erie Barracks (4320 Iroquois Ave.)
• Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Greene Township Building.
• Edinboro Borough Police, (142 Meadville St., Edinboro)
• Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Harborcreek Township Building (5601 Buffalo Road.)
• Girard Borough Police, Girard Municipal Building (34 W.Main St., Girard.)
• Erie County Sheriff’s Office,Waterford Township Building (12451 Circuit St., Waterford)
• Erie County Sheriff’s Office,North East Township Building (10300 West Main Road, North East)

Green Kitchen Makeover: 10 Do's and Don'ts

Eating healthy, fresh and safe foods starts with good habits in the kitchen. These simple eco-friendly tips will help you green your kitchen.

Do: Use Your Kitchen
The first step toward a healthier and more Earth-friendly diet is to cook. It's that simple. Eat in, make your own food and start using fresh ingredients.

Do: Make Room for Vegetables
A good rule of thumb is to stock bulk grains and legumes, and flavor with fresh seasonal vegetables. Whether you're following the new government recommendation to fill half your plate with vegetables at every meal, or author Michael Pollan's mantra to "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" you'll need to make room for fruits and vegetables in your kitchen. In your fridge, that means using your crisper drawers properly to maximize the longevity of your produce (vegetables require higher humidity conditions while fruits require lower humidity conditions) and in the freezer, it means maintaining space enough to freeze excess fresh seasonal produce when it's at its tastiest and most nutritious.

Don't: Buy the Dirty Dozen
Not all vegetables are created equal. More specifically: Not all are grown to the same safe standards. Modern agriculture uses lots of toxic pesticides, and the residue from those chemicals remains on many foods even after you've washed them at home. Buy organic foods as often as possible to avoid residue of pesticides – which some studies have linked to a range of health problems, from the reproductive to the neurological to the developmental. If you're on a budget and can't afford the premium price for organic food, focus your food dollar on buying organic celery, tree fruits (like peaches and apples), berries, sweet peppers, leafy greens, and other foods that make the dirty dozen list. For more specifics, consult WhatsOnMyFood.org, which makes government pesticide residue testing data publicly available.

Do: Filter Your Tap Water
We hear it often, and it's true: Tap water in the United States is about as safe as it gets, by world standards. But even if U.S. cities are blessed with well-treated water free of bacteria, chlorination produces byproducts (chloramines and trihalomethanes) that may be unhealthy. And pharmaceuticals and some other contaminants may not be filtered out, even by modern water treatment plants. Finally, 15 million Americans rely on private well water that isn't tested for contamination. To find a water filter that's right for your needs, use the Environmental Working Group's handy water filter buying guide.

Don't: Be Fooled by Marketing
When shopping, look for third-party certifications you can trust, like USDA Organic, Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance. Don't be fooled by marketing masquerades. For instance, fact-check phrases like "made with whole grains" and "made with real fruit" against the ingredient lists, and you'll often find whole grains behind refined white flour on the list, and that "fruit" really means "fruit juice concentrate" – a euphemism for plain-old sugar. And you may be surprised to learn that the boast of "cage-free eggs" can mean that chickens were given as little five minutes a day of of access to a concrete pen outdoors.

Don't: Use Nonstick Cookware
While super-convenient and easy to clean, most nonstick cookware is made with chemicals that can degrade at high temperatures; after entering the air in the kitchen, they've been known to build up to levels high enough to kill pet birds. Scratched-up pans are also more likely to leach chemicals into your food. Aluminum, too, can leach into foods if you cook acidic foods like lemon- or tomato-based sauces. Better options include:

• Stainless steel and "clad"
• cast iron (unseasoned)
• anodized aluminum
• glass and porcelain

Do: Choose Fish and Meat Carefully
Meat
A rule of thumb for green eating is to eat low on the food chain: more fruits, vegetables, grains and beans than chickens, cows and hogs. Surprisingly, raising livestock, both in practice and because around the world it involves clear-cutting forests for pasture, is one of the world's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond that, generally the smaller the animal, the less environmentally intensive it is to raise for food; a chicken requires less feed and water than a cow to produce a pound of meat. Delving deeper, choosing humanely raised, organic meats ensures that artificial hormones, antibiotics, toxic pesticides or inhumane conditions aren't a part of your diet.
Fish
For fish, choosing wisely is difficult: Many popular species, like tuna and swordfish tend to be contaminated with mercury, PCBs and other toxic chemicals; some farm-raised species (tilapia and barramundi) tend to be raised sustainably, while others (salmon) tend not to be. Meanwhile, some wild-caught fish are harvested sustainably (wild Alaskan salmon, Arctic char), but a great many (Atlantic cod, bluefin tuna) are not, and overfishing is one of today's most pressing environmental issues. Download Environmental Defense Fund's handy pocket Seafood Selector and keep it in your wallet so you can easily choose the best option at the fish counter.

Do: Compost
Now that you're eating more vegetables, you're probably creating more veggie scraps. Don’t throw them in the garbage, where they'll just sit and stink: Compost them instead. Composting is a natural process that transforms organic wastes like vegetable scraps, coffee grinds, eggshells and yard waste like grass clippings and leaves into rich, nutrient-dense earth – perfect for potting plants, gardening, or fertilizing the lawn. Of course, this is easier done if you have the luxury of a yard, but there have been great innovations in odorless composting indoors, if you can tolerate the thought of a worm bin. You may even be fortunate enough to live in a city that accepts compostable scraps along with household waste and recyclables at the curb. Whatever your method, try to compost as much as possible, because you'll both cut down on your waste and produce gardener's gold: Free fertilized soil.

Don't: Pollute Your Indoor Air
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be as much as five-times more polluted than the air outdoors. Several potential sources of indoor air pollution originate in the kitchen, so be mindful and you can prevent asthma attacks or other more serious lung illnesses. Some common sources of indoor air pollution in the kitchen include:

• gas ranges (make sure they're properly vented)
• cleansers (choose nontoxic, green options, or make your own)
• newly installed cabinetry (steer clear of particle board containing formaldehyde glues if you're remodeling)
• paints (choose low- or no-VOC paints, and be wary of lead-based paint lingering in older homes)
• pesticides (use nontoxic alternatives and integrated pest management)

Do: Buy Energy Star Appliances, and Use them Wisely
Refrigerators, dishwashers and ovens can be among the biggest energy hogs in the house, costing you every time they're in use. When the time comes to replace older appliances, choose Energy Star-labeled options so you know that you're buying a product that uses relatively little energy – and costs you relatively little to run. (When facing a big purchase, we tend to be good at comparing sticker prices, but bad at considering the long-term costs of ownership.) When using kitchen appliances, use them wisely:

• Use the smallest cooking device for the job: A microwave is the most energy-efficient cooking option, for instance, and a toaster oven is more efficient than an oven.
• Don't run your dishwasher unless it's full, and choose the economy setting to reduce its water and energy use.
• Particularly if it's the height of summer, run appliances at night when demand for electricity is lower and power plants have excess capacity.

Source: The Daily Green

Climate Change Study

A new survey by Yale University’s Project on Climate Change Communication shows Americans have a weak understanding of climate change.

The survey reveals only 25 percent of teens and 30 percent of adults received a passing grade (A, B, or C) on a 75 question climate-related knowledge test.

Other findings from the survey:

• 54 percent of teens say global warming is happening,
• 63 percent of adults say that global warming is happening,
• 35 percent of teens understand most scientists think global warming is happening,
• 39 percent of adults understand most scientists think global warming is happening.

One of the explanations offered for the poor performance:

“…although some schools have started teaching about climate change, few teens have ever taken a formal course on the topic, so it is perhaps unsurprising that they lack detailed knowledge about the issue.”

So what's the solution? Read my blog. Haha. Just kidding. But seriously, how can we educate each other and our teens on the climate?

15 Ways Going Green Can Save You Money

You know going green is good for the planet, but it can also be good for your wallet. Some of these tips provided by The Daily Green are easy, others require a life change. But remember, you don't have to do it all, just adjusting your life a bit can not only help save the planet, but it can also put green back in your bank.

I have adapted my life to many of these tips. Read below to find out which ones and how much I save.

1. Carpool (Estimated Cost Savings: $650 - $1,000)

The Daily Green calculated that the average American uses about 7 gallons of gas per week commuting to and from work. At today's prices, that's about $25.75 a week, or nearly $1,300 a year. But if you share your ride and the gas bill with just one friend, you each save $650 a year. If four of you carpool, you each save nearly $1,000. Websites like Divide the Ride, eRideShare, and CarPool World can help you find other commuters headed your way.

2. Stop Eating Out (Estimated Cost Savings: Hundreds, if not thousands of dollars)

The typical U.S. family spends $4,000 on meals per year outside the home. Jeff Yeager, author of "The Cheapskate Next Door," estimates that a family that commits to eating at home can save $3,000 in one year and eat just as well. Cooking at home will also force you to pay more attention to the ingredients that are going into your food.

3. Rent, Borrow and Freecycle (Estimated Cost Savings: Hundreds of dollars)

Did you know that you can go online to find out who has something you can borrow? Freecycle connects people getting rid of useable stuff to people who want those same items. If you'd rather borrow items from people you know, ask your neighbors and friends before buying a tool or item you won't use that often.

4. Start a Vegetable Garden (Estimated Cost Savings: $25- $2,000)

While some may doubt that growing your own food can save you money, Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International, proved it by growing about $2,000 worth of produce in one season in his garden, according to grocery-store prices. Start saving money by growing crops like tomatoes, potatoes, salad greens, zucchini, and strawberries.

5. Buy an Affordable Fuel-Efficient Car (Estimated Cost Savings: Hundreds or thousands of dollars)

If you need a new car, consider buying a fuel-efficient one that's used. With the price of gas today, cars that get over 30 miles per gallon can significantly reduce the amount of money you spend on gas. If you do a lot of driving, a fuel-efficient car is a must.

6. Do a Home Energy Audit (Estimated Cost Savings: Up to $570)

Much of the energy a household uses each year is wasted. Most homes can benefit significantly from simple improvements like caulking cracks, sealing windows and ducts, and using draft snakes to save money on heating and cooling costs. You can also install a programmable thermostat to control your heating and air-conditioning when you're sleeping or not at home.

7. Adjust Water Heater Temperature Settings (Estimated Cost Savings: $30-$475)

The average U.S. household spends $1,900 on heating, hot water and electricity. Hot water represents as much as 25 percent of the cost of heating, hot water and electricity costs, according to the Department of Energy, and much of it is wasted. If you're buying a water heater, choose an Energy Star model or a tankless or solar water heater. These more advanced systems are expensive to buy, but they eliminate your hot water costs. If you have a hot water heater already, consider turning the temperature down, so the tap water isn't so hot, and wash your clothes in cold water.

8. Make Your Own Green Cleaning Products (Estimated Cost Savings: $200 or more)

Cleaning products -- from dishwasher and laundry detergents to all-purpose, window, toilet bowl and tile cleaners -- are surprisingly expensive. But most can be replaced with home-made remedies, using baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. Go to "The Daily Green" to find out how you can make your own green cleaners.

9. Make Natural Beauty Products (Estimated Cost Savings: Up to $180)

A recent survey estimated that the average woman spends $180 on beauty products annually. Many products can be made at home without any of the chemicals found in most store-bought products, using ingredients like avocado, yogurt, eggs, oatmeal and sea salt. Find 10 DIY natural beauty recipes here.

10. Use the Library (Estimated Cost Savings: $118)

Going green and saving money can be as easy as taking a trip to the library. The average American family spends an average of $118 on books, magazine and newspaper subscriptions per year. But you can save that money by borrowing books from a library, and save space too.

11. Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting (Estimated Cost Savings: $112)

Lighting represents about 11 percent of a home's energy bill — $210 annually on average. To waste less energy, replace old light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, light emitting diodes, or halogen lights, which can save you up to 75 percent on your yearly lighting bill.

12. Plug Electronics into Power Strips (Estimated Cost Savings: $100)

You want your television and your computer to work as soon as you turn them on. But while you're out and about, these electronics are plugged in and not being used, running up your electric bill. Plug everything into one power cord that you can switch off when you leave the house, making it easier to save money and go green.

13. Line Dry Your Clothes (Estimated Cost Savings: Up to $85)

The clothes dryer is one of the biggest energy-consuming appliances in the house. You can save the money you would spend on operating your clothes dryer by hanging your clothes out to dry or laying them on a clothing rack. These green alternatives are also much less taxing on your clothing, making your clothes last longer.

14. Compost (Estimated Cost Savings: $30-$60)

By composting kitchen scraps and lawn waste, you can create nutrient-rich soil from your garbage, saving you money on fertilizer, and cutting down on the amount of waste you produce. Your garden and lawn will thank you for it. Blogger's note: Also, I save on waste removal. Harborcreek Township allows it's residents to pay for per bag removal rather than unlimited trash collection. It costs about $17/month in HC for unlimited waste removal or $5 a bag. As a composter (and a one-person household), I generate less than one bag a garbage a month.

15. Fix Water Leaks (Estimated Cost Savings: $20)

The squeaky wheel may get oiled, but a leaky faucet can waste about 3 gallons of water a day, and a leaky toilet can waste 22 gallons. This can add up to $20 a year. While it may not seem like much, fix these leaks now. You will save yourself money … and the annoyance of a dripping faucet.

I personally do/done/will do tips 2, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, and 15. Half ain't bad. And according to the estimates on the cost savings and my own percentage rates, I save nearly $1,500 a year (plus I save the environment)! Just think how much I could be saving if I did all the tips. I think tip 13 - Line Dry Clothes will be next on my list to implement. And I definitely will plant at least one vegetable this summer.

What tips will you commit to changing in you life? Let's take the initiative to save our planet, if not for our generation for the generations that follow.

Source: Good Morning America and The Daily Green

Commandments for the Great Lakes

Assembled by Jeff Alexander, National Wildlife Federation.

There are many things that individuals, communities, and businesses can and should do to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Here are 10 to get you started:

1. Conserve water: Residents of the Great Lakes basin rank among the world’s worst water wasters. The lakes contain a phenomenal amount of water but it is not an endless supply. Excessive consumption and global warming are already causing water shortages in some areas. Are you a water hog?
2. Conserve energy: Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing the Great Lakes. Water levels in some areas are at or near record lows, a change that threatens fish and wildlife and disrupts recreational boating and commercial shipping. You can combat climate change by conserving energy.
3. Keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes: Ocean freighters and artificial canals have allowed numerous foreign species to invade the lakes, but anglers and household aquariums also contribute to the problem. Learn how to help.
4. Fight Asian carp: These foreign fish could devastate the $7 billion Great Lakes fishery and the federal government isn’t doing enough, or working quickly enough, to head off this looming environmental disaster.
5. Stop sewage overflows: Each year, cities discharge more than 40 billion gallons of untreated sewage mixed with storm water into the Great Lakes. Learn more about the problem and how to help solve it here.
6. Take a child to the beach. The Digital Age has given an alarming number of American children a case of Nature Deficit Disorder. Sadly, many children who live within a few miles of the Great Lakes have never seen these wondrous bodies of water. How can we expect children to care about lakes they’ve never seen?
7. Help restore fish and wildlife habitat: A growing legion of individuals and groups are working to restore critical natural features. You can help.
8. Keep Great Lakes beaches clean: Don’t litter and, whenever possible, pick up after slobs who do. Last year, volunteers removed 31,000 pounds of trash from Great Lakes beaches. That’s appalling.
9. Fight sloppy, greedy oil companies: Get involved in efforts to prevent pipeline accidents and keep dangerous new oil pipelines from being built around and under the Great Lakes.
10. Be a voice for the Great Lakes: We are blessed to live amid the world’s largest assemblage of surface freshwater resources and we have a responsibility to protect them.

Read Jeff's entire blog entry on NWF.

Earth Day Origins

The idea for Earth Day itself came to Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin while on a conservation speaking tour in the western U.S. in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam demonstrations (teach-ins) had proliferated across the country. Senator Nelson had this idea:

"Why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?…tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, [and] generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda."

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans participated in the first-ever Earth Day. The event was a huge success. It united groups fighting against oil spills, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, Earth Day 1970 capitalized on this emerging consciousness about environmental issues, creating a tipping point from which the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other major legislation followed. It also prompted political debate not unlike that occurring today (see this NBC newscast from April 22, 1970).

Since the inaugural day, Earth Day has expanded to include dozens of countries and hundreds of millions of people working together in grassroots efforts to sustain and preserve our natural environment. The success of Earth Day is remarkable.

Source: National Wildlife Federation

One Year After the Oil Spill Disaster

The effects are seen and felt one year after BP's oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, which killed 11 offshore workers and triggered one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.

Some scientists have deemed the health of the Gulf of Mexico as "nearly back to normal." Some things are -- tourists are slowly returning to the coast, children are back to playing in the water, food has been labeled safe for consumption.

There is still doubt about the safety of Gulf residents' water and food.

Scientists confirm that oil has been found on dead dolphins discovered along the coast, as unusual amounts of deceased marine life continue to wash ashore.

Workers, boaters, and fishers are lost in the claims process, still waiting for their checks from BP. Hundreds of people in Louisiana have reported oil spill-related health problems to the state, while many others are experiencing symptoms of a mysterious illness.

Unfortunately, the monetary liability cap for Big Oil has remain unchanged and Congress has not passed a single major law on oil or gas drilling since the disaster.

While some may suggest that the Gulf Coast is back to normal, the devastating effects of the oil spill are still unfolding toward an uncertain future one year later. Here some of the most iconic images.

The BP oil disaster has vividly demonstrated that our country must end its dependence on oil and embrace a cleaner, safer energy future for all Americans. Our oil addiction endangers the health and well-being of our families, puts our national and economic security at risk, and imperils our land, air, and water.

We must do everything in our power to ensure an accident like this doesn't happen again.

Source: Sierra Club and Huffington Post

FEZ: Restaurant Review

While on vacation, normally every meal is eaten out. Our recent trip to Arizona did not include such normalcies mostly because when in remote areas there are not places to eat. But also, my mom and I didn't want to take the time to dine out.

We did however have an awesome meal in Central Phoenix at FEZ on North Central Ave.

FEZ features an interpretive take on classic casual American cuisine with flavorings, spices, and ingredients from the areas around the Mediterranean and Morocco.

FEZ takes simple and traditional items and infuses them full of flavor and spice combinations, creating delicious food in a contemporary, urban atmosphere.

FEZ occupies more than 3,000 square feet, with seating for 150 and offers a full menu, bar, lounge, and outdoor patio with great urban views and vibe.

The environment is great! Modern, sleek designs, awesome accents, wonderful decor.

And, can we talk about the food. YUMMY!

My mom and I had:
chicken phyllo packets - crisp baked phyllo filled with spinach, marinated chicken, roasted red bell peppers and feta cheese with roasted pepper aioli
casablanca chicken sandwich - grilled chicken breasts, pomegranate vinaigrette, goat cheese, sliced pears, dried cherries and field greens on ciabatta
cinnamon dusted sweet potato fries
and my mom had a bowl of cumin cinnamon carrot soup

It woke up our lazy tastebuds! The uniquly combined flavors married with each other delishciously.

I highly recommend.

Results - Microbrew Fest

This weekend was WQLN's fifth annual MicroBrew Festival. I blogged about back in February and at the time I wasn't sure I would be attending, as I am not really a beer drinker.

Well, I went. Along with more than 1,400 other people (both day and evening events were sold out). Tom New, WQLN's creative services director, said this events raises as much money as a week's worth of fundraising efforts on the radio. That's nice. But also, really? There were 1,400 people who paid $30 a ticket, and it only raises a week's worth of bank?

Nonetheless, it was fun. But CROWDED. Attendees were packed in like sardines in The Brewerie's special events room. There was plenty of beer to go around, no one went home dry.

Each of the 33 craft breweries had at least two beers to sample, but most had more than that. There were 98 different brews to sample. And the samples were large - they filled the entire (free) festival glass, which I estimate was 4-6 ounces. You do the math. No one was sober. Even a novice beer drinker like me.

The winning beer was Titusville's the Blue Canoe Brewery for its Milly Vanilli Chocolate Milk Stout. It was actually the first beer I tried (as Blue Canoe was the first brewery to the right when attendees walked in).

And the most popular brewery was Sprague Farm & Brew Works of Venango for the third year in a row. (Sprague was situated as the first brewery to the left as everyone walked in.)

Coincidence?

So what were my favs? My beer preferences are stouts and wheat/white beers.

I liked Blue Canoe's Milly Vanilli.
Also, I liked two from Ellicottville Brewing Company (which had at least six beers). Blueberry Wheat ale and Chocolate Cherry Bomb stout.

A few pieces of advice:

• Bring patience. There is plenty of beer to go around. And plenty of time to sample.
• Eat before you go. There are some things to nibble on, but I was happy to have planned ahead and not attended with an empty stomach. Wegman's was on hand selling a full meal and Max & Erma's was handing out its chicken tortilla soup and cookies.
• Don't wear a coat. Otherwise, you'll be wearing it or carrying it the entire time. And maybe this should be advice for the event coordinators (have a coat rack and charge a dollar to check it to help raise more money for WQLN).
• Go early (at least for the evening session). We got there at 4:45 and the line was already stretching outside, to Peach Street. And the line continued to wrap around Union Station building as the beginning of the event approached.
• Write down the beers you liked. You get a checksheet and a map, but I didn't feel coordinated enough to juggle that and my beer. But now I wished I had at least marked the others that I liked, because I can't remember now. I only remember the ones I really liked and went back for seconds.
• Don't drink the entire sample or ask for a smaller sample. Unless your prerogative is to get completely smashed. After the fifth brewery, I learned. There wasn't enough room in my stomach to fit all that beer. Plus I didn't want to down a beer I didn't like, and not be able to enjoy a beer I did like.

It was fun. And I found myself not waiting a long time to sample a beer. Unlike at Wine on the Lake, where the event location is spacious, but you stand in long lines to finally make it up to the winery's table and then you don't move until you have sampled many.

Ricardo's Fire

Monday night a fire broke out at one of my favorite eastside restaurants, Ricardo's.

Erie firefighters were called to Ricardo's restaurant, 2112 East Lake Road, at 10:46 p.m., less than two hours after the restaurant had closed for the night. They found smoke pouring out of the building, and flames were visible.

The heaviest smoke was coming from the west side of the building in the food-preparation area.

On Tuesday Erie Chief Fire Inspector Guy Santone said he traced the origin of the fire to a clothes dryer vent in the northwest corner of the restaurant and ruled the fire accidental.

The fire caused significant damage to the restaurant. Fire damaged the rear portion, including the food-prep area and the kitchen, Santone said. The 4,818-square-foot dining area also received some fire damage, but smoke caused the majority of damage in that area, he said.

The restaurant will be closed indefinitely. But owner Pete West and business partner Cathy Merski said Ricardo's will return.

"All in our hearts, we're hoping to get it running again. It's all family and friends," Merski said.

"We'll be back," West added. "If the building is no good, we'll build one next door. But smaller."

Ricardo's opened on East Lake Road in 1943. West began working there in 1964, and he purchased the business in 1989. Merski has spent 29 years at the restaurant, including the last 15 as West's business partner.

Business at the restaurant has been good, the owners said. They just finished a busy weekend, and they spent Monday hosting a funeral wake, Merski said.

Many regular patrons stopped by Ricardo's on Tuesday to view the damage and to offer encouraging words to West and Merski. Many shared memories of special moments there.

Source: GoErie

Wild Wednesday: Short Tailed Albatross

In just a few short decades, the short tailed albatross declined from a population of millions, at the beginning of the 20th century, to suspected extinction in the 1940s due to overhunting. Years later, small nesting populations—thought to be as small as 10 individuals—were found on remote islands in the Pacific.

In 2010, the first nests on US soil since "extinction" were discovered.

For the first time ever, the birds have been found nesting on two tiny islands in the U.S., in the northwestern Hawaiian island chain. One nest with a couple of eggs inside was found on the Kule atoll, accompanied by two female birds; the other, on Midway atoll, contained fresh eggs and was guarded by both a male and female albatross.


While the fate of the Short-tailed Albatross remains uncertain, conservationist groups remain vigilant that their efforts to protect to bird are truly paying off. And, with the bird's tenacity to survive, even though they once faced almost certain extinction, perhaps one day the gentle chirping of Albatross chicks will be heard yet again throughout the Pacific.

Green your Water Use

Tip #1: Fix a leak.

The EPA’s WaterSense program has declared March 20-26 “Fix a Leak Week” and is advising people to check their plumbing and irrigation systems and fix them if needed. According to the agency, water leaks in U.S. homes account for more than 1 trillion wasted gallons per year. To find out whether your home has a leak, check your water meter. Then wait two hours without using any water. Then check the meter again. If the reading changes, you’ve got a leak. American Water’s leak-detection kit (PDF) provides other useful ideas for detecting sources of wasted water.

Tip #2 Have some sense.

The next time you need to replace a water-using appliance — whether a toilet, a faucet, or a showerhead — remember to look for the WaterSense label. Fixtures with that seal of approval have been tested and certified to save at least 20% more water than a non-certified counterpart; here's a complete list of WaterSense products.

Tip #3: Clean up your act in the shower.

When you consider that showering uses 7 gallons of water per minute, it starts to hit home why you’d want to turn off that tap earlier. Low-flow showerheads certainly help — they’ll get you down to 2.5 gallons per minute — but the biggest savings occurs when you just jump in, rinse off, then get out. Need more of an incentive?

10 Safest Cities in America: Erie Ranks 2

Where are the safest cities in our own country? Here is a list of ten U.S. cities that have a low likelihood of being struck by a major natural disaster.

From a list of American cities with populations over 100,000, those cities that had a higher likelihood of being struck by tornadoes (in Tornado Alley) were eliminated, as were those cities that were more likely to be hit by a hurricane (Gulf Coast cities and some Atlantic Coast cities). Cities that had a higher probability of experiencing a tsunami (Pacific Coast cities) or that were located near active volcanoes (concentrated in the Pacific Northwest) were also eliminated. Finally, cities in areas most likely to experience earthquakes (according to the U.S. Geological Survey) were removed from the list.

Once the list was narrowed down from 276 to under 100, the top ten were picked based on low violent crime rates — although not a natural disaster, crime rates are also a relative measure of safety.

1. Chesapeake, Virginia
2. Erie, Pennsylvania
3. Fort Wayne, Indiana
4. Grand Rapids, Michigan
5. Green Bay, Wisconsin
6. Henderson, Nevada
7. Phoenix, Arizona
8. Provo, Utah
9. St. Paul, Minnesota
10. Stamford, Connecticut

Source: WiseBread

Wild Wednesday: Yellow Spotted Bell Frog

Thought to be extinct for more than 30 years, the yellow spotted bell frog was rediscovered in Australia in March 2010. Found along a creek bed on private property, the owner of the frog's only known habitat is working with conservation officials to ensure the species' survival.

The property owner at this particular site is extremely excited about having this critically endangered frog species on his land, and is very much looking forward to working with us in collaboration towards the conservation of the bell frog. The exact location of the discovery will remain a secret to protect the fragile frog population and the homeowner's property.

One of the frog's and a tadpole were collected and brought to Sydney's Taronga zoo where biologists and conservationists hope to establish a captive breeding program.

Why is Santoku Special?

My kitchen is complete. Thanks to my friends and family I have all the my cooking tools, pots, bowls, and cutlery. I just ordered a Santoku knife with a gift certificate from CSN Stores. But what's so special?

The Santoku is a general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan. Its blade is typically between 5 and 8 inches long, and has a flat edge and a sheepsfoot blade that curves in an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. The top of the santoku's handle is in line with the top of the blade.

The word santoku loosely translates as 'three virtues' or 'three uses', a reference to the three cutting tasks the knife performs well: slicing; dicing; and mincing. The santoku's blade and handle are designed to work in harmony by matching the blade's width/weight to the weight of blade tang and handle, and the original Japanese santoku is considered a well-balanced knife.

Santoku blade geometry incorporates the "Sheep's foot" tip. A sheep's foot design essentially draws the spine ("backstrap") down to the front, with very little clearance above the horizontal cutting plane when the blade is resting naturally from heel to forward cutting edge. Providing a more linear cutting edge, the Santoku has limited "rocking" travel (in comparison to a German/Western-style Chef's knife). The Santoku may be used in a rocking motion, however, very little cutting edge makes contact with the surface due to the exreme radius of the tip and very little "tip travel" occurs due to the short cantilever span from contact landing to tip.

An example of this limitation can be demonstrated in dicing an onion - A Western knife generally slices downward and then rocks the tip forward to complete a cut; The santoku relies more on a single downward cut, and even landing from heel to tip. With practice, a santoku knife is most efficient at working with vegetables, but users accustomed to German-style knives should adapt from "rocking" to "chopping" in similar applications.
Santoku design is lighter, thinner and shorter than a traditional Western chef's knife. The santoku is sometimes preferred among people with smaller hands.

I haven't received it in the mail yet. But when I do, I will post a review. I spent more than I would on a knife, so I hope it's worth it. What do you think of your santoku?

Monster Monday: Questions to Ask

Interviewing can be a gut-wrenching process. Most books on how to interview list hundreds of questions you need to be ready to answer, but few talk about the questions you need to ask.


Take more control at your next interview by asking some pointed questions of your own. Here are six must-ask questions and why you should know the answers.

1. What happened to the person who previously did this job? (If a new position: How has this job been performed in the past?)

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know any problems or past history associated with this position. For instance, was your predecessor fired or promoted? Is this a temporary position or brand new? The answer will tell you about management's expectations and how the company is gearing to grow.

2. Why did you choose to work here? What keeps you here?

Why You Need to Ask: Although you may like this company, you're an outsider. You need to find out what an insider has to say about working there. Who better to ask than your interviewer? This also forces the interviewer to step out of their official corporate role and answer personally as an employee and potential coworker.

3. What is the first problem the person you hire must attend to?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to be on the same page as your new manager, as well as be clear on what the initial expectations are and that you can deliver. What you don't want is to allow yourself to be misled about the job’s requirements and end up overwhelmed and over your head after the first week on the job.

4. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?

Why You Need to Ask: It doesn't matter how wonderful the company might be; your time will be spent working for a specific manager. You need to find out who this person is and what kind of manager he is -- earlier rather than later, before personality clashes develop. If you're an independent type used to working through solutions on your own, for instance, you'll chafe when you find you're being supervised by a micromanager.

5. What are the company's five-year sales and profit projections?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know about the future of the company you plan to spend several years of your life working for. It doesn't have to be this exact question. For example, you might want to ask about the company's future plans for new products and services or any planned market expansion. Of course, you've done your own research, but nothing can beat an insider’s observations and insights. This also shows you've done your homework and are serious about this company.

6. What's our next step?

Why You Need to Ask: This is your closing and the most important question to ask at the end of the interview. You need to know what happens after this point. Many books advise asking for the job now, but most people may feel too intimidated to bluntly do so. And with more candidates already scheduled for interviews, the company is not likely to make you an offer yet. You may also need to do some additional research on the company, making it too early to ask for the job.

A good compromise: Take the lead and set a plan for follow-up. You'll also be able to gauge the company's enthusiasm with the answer. Don't forget to ask for your interviewer’s direct phone number and the best time to call.

What to Remember

As a job seeker, the key to a good interview is to find out as much about your potential employer as possible. Asking these six questions will not only make you appear more committed as a candidate, but will also give you better insight into both the challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead for you.

Source: Monster.com

Steer Clear

The 'Steer Clear' law requires drivers to move over or slow down when they encounter an emergency scene, traffic stop or disabled vehicle. This law will help prevent injuries and save lives, but only if drivers follow the law and use common sense.

The law simply takes what should be common sense and makes it a requirement for safe driving in Pennsylvania. Police officers, emergency crews and those working to assist stranded motorists must be given a wider margin for safety.

If drivers cannot move over because of traffic or other conditions, they must reduce their speed.


The law applies any time an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing and where road crews or emergency personnel have lighted flares, posted signs or tried to warn motorists. Failure to move over or slow down can result in a summary offense that carries a fine of up to $250. If that violation leads to a worker being injured, a 90-day license suspension could result.


Unfortunately, Saturday morning a New York State trooper was accidentally killed on I-290 during a traffic stop. Trooper Kevin P. Dobson Dobson was issuing a traffic summons when he was struck and killed by a passing motorist along the 290 east just past the Colvin Blvd exit.
 
Please, remember to move over and steer clear! You can help keep our civil servants safe.