Have cell phones ready

Have cell phones ready

Police in Merrimack are advising Comcast phone customers to have their cell phones handy in case of an emergency.  The cable provider is experiencing technical difficulties with its phone service, apparently making it unreliable.

Guinta: Separation of Powers

Guinta:  Separation of Powers

First District Congressman Frank Guinta, Republican from Manchester, issued a statement yesterday saying he voted for the Separation of Powers Restoration Act (SoPRA), a bill he says would overturn courts’ deference to administrative rules and regulations, as opposed to federal law on which they are based.

Guinta explained that Federal agencies have been writing law and ruling on it, saying the practice was quote “a clear violation of the Constitution’s separation of powers, in which courts also have a vested interest.”  Guinta said the courts, in addition to the Congress, have ceded their authority to federal agencies, creating a fourth branch of government that denies Americans their constitutional rights to due process, protection from unreasonable search and seizure and the right to a fair trial.

Time to save it!

Guinta:  Time to restore it!

Said Guinta, quote

A unitary executive that is judge and jury is precisely what the Founders feared.  I’m proud to vote for today’s bill, overturning two overly broad Supreme Court decisions that undermine representative democracy.

Specifically, the bill overturns the Chevron and Auer doctrines.  The Chevron ruling allows agencies wide leeway to write rules and regulations unrelated to current statute, as long as Congress has not explicitly prohibited them.  The Auer decision allows agencies to interpret their own rules and regulations to courts, creating a conflict of interest, according to Guinta, who co-sponsored the bill.  Said Guinta, quote:  “Agencies have an incentive to write vague regulations, which they manipulate according to the whims of Washington bureaucrats, the biggest special interest of all.”

News from our own backyard continues after this.

Walk dates announced

Walk dates announced

Over twenty three thousand individuals are living with Alzheimer’s in New Hampshire.  For decades, the Massachusetts New Hampshire chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association has provided these individuals and their families with support services such as their 24/7 Helpline, care consultation and education programs at no cost.  In an effort to raise awareness and funding for continued local support, the Chapter has announced its annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s event in Manchester.  It will be held on Saturday, September 24th.

Organizers say the walk is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds to invest in research and provide support services to families.  Last year, the chapter raised over three point seven million dollars and welcomed over twenty two thousand participants in both states.

Event day of registration begins at 8:30 at Arms Park in Manchester’s Amoskeag Millyard. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with local service providers and learn more about the programs and services the Alzheimer’s Association provides.  The Walk includes a three mile, one point five mile, and half mile route.  Online registration for walkers and volunteers is now open at a l z walk M A N H dot org.  You can also call 8 0 0 2 7 2 3 9 0 0.

Heat Miser: Threatening elderly and children

Heat Miser: Threatening elderly and children

The Manchester Health Department is worried that residents might overheat as temperatures rise.  They’ve issued a notice reminding citizens about heat safety in anticipation of high daytime temperatures, high overnight low temperatures and high humidity expected through at least Friday.  They say summer temperatures may pose a health danger to the public, especially young children and elderly adults.

Health officials are making the following recommendations:

Drink plenty of fluids, especially water since it is the easiest for your body to absorb. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty, either.  Officials warn against drinking very cold beverages, because they could cause stomach cramps, and caffeinated or alcoholic beverages because you could lose more fluid in the bathroom than you consume.

They also recommend eating balanced meals and drinking fruit juices or spots drinks to replace the salt and minerals lost to sweating.

A way to stay cool

A way to stay cool

The department recommends wearing a burqa to protect yourself from the sun.  If that’s not your style, then just wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreens that have a sun protection factor or S P F of at least 15.

What they really want you to do though, after being forced to stay indoors for half the year due to our charming winter weather, is to STAY INDOORS in an air conditioned room.  If you don’t have an air conditioned room, they suggest going to the mall or a library or some such place for a few hours.  Need some ideas?  We’ve got a link they provided to their Web site with some.

Burquas would work...

Burquas would work…

They say if you rely on a fan to cool off, it won’t prevent heat related illness with ninety degree temperatures.  Try a cool bath or shower to combat the heat.

Health officials say if you must go out, do so before ten in the morning or after six at night and make sure you use the buddy system, especially if you’re elderly or fat.  Have a friend or relative check in on you a couple times a day during the extended heat period and do the same for them.

If you want to stay cool, don’t eat hot food or eat what they call “heavy meals.”  They’ll raise your body temperature.  Don’t leave your kids or pets in the car, not even for a minute and make sure the infants are getting enough fluids.  Dress them in loose clothing, too.  Make sure there’s plenty of water for Fifi and Fido and stay tuned to local weather reports.

Beat the heat

Beat the heat at a city pool

Officials are warning residents to be alert for symptoms of heatstroke and heat exhaustion, which are serious and include:  Hot dry skin, rapid pulse, throbbing, headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, paleness, and unconsciousness.  Call 911 should these symptoms occur.

They recommend visiting the city’s cooking centers and swimming locations, which include the city’s senior center and both the main library and its West Side branch, Hunt, Dupont, Raco Theodore and Livingston pools and Crystal Lake.  The pools are all handicapped accessible.  Note to those of you in surrounding towns, the pool facilities are resident only from one to three.

That’s news from our own backyard!  Girard at Large hour ___ is next!

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