10 Ways to Spend Less on Health Care in a Recession

Tips from the Institute for Good Medicine at the Pennsylvania Medical Society on how to spend less money on health care when the economy is down without jeopardizing your health.

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Coming Soon -- North Ridge Cornhole Association Takes Shape

With wiffleball slowly being phased out, cornhole has taken over North Ridge as Engelberg's cornhole factory chugs away producing neighborhood sets.

Big Plans Set For 3rd Annual North Ridge Holiday Lights Night Walk

Jodi Morrow, the event planning manager for the annual North Ridge Holiday Lights Night Walk, remembers the day when just a few neighbors gathered to stroll through the neighborhood to share fellowship and enjoy the beauty of lights.

"When we first started this neighborhood event there were really only a few folks interested," Jodi says. "Last year, I was amazed by the turn out. Nearly 50 people showed up."

And, Jodi says that if the weather is good, she anticipates a crowd at least that large, if not larger, particularly since the walk will end at the Pak house where participants can enjoy holiday treats.

"Last year, we added a garage party that included hot chocolate and cookies," Jodi says. "That was a real hit, and I'm so happy that Gil and Amy have volunteered their garage this year."

Jodi says that the 3rd Annual North Ridge Holiday Lights Night Walk will be Saturday, December 22, at 6:30 p.m. All interested should meet at the corner of Skyline Drive and Regal View (same spot as last year).

Jodi plans to map out yet another evening walk for all to enjoy.

To read about last year's walk, click here.

To read about the first walk, click here.

Doctors Marvel at Santa’s Longevity

Santa is truly a medical marvel, according to members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society. Compared to his “mortal” counterparts, doctors representing a variety of specialties are amazed at his seemingly good health despite his demanding schedule.

“It’s astounding, really,” noted Medical Society president Peter Lund, MD. “Year after year, Santa’s lifestyle creates physical and mental stress and yet, there he is–jolly as ever.”

Recently, several member physicians commented on Santa’s health:

• Dr. Daniel Glunk, internist from Williamsport, Pa., and president-elect of the Pennsylvania Medical Society: “Santa’s job can be strenuous, carrying heavy sacks of toys. Often doctors recommend a physical exam before a person starts such activities. It’s best to know if the person would be able to handle the activity without risk to their health. I believe that Santa does have an annual check up where he and his doctors work together to minimize a variety of risk factors. Likely during the physical exam, Santa and his doctors discuss his lifestyle choices and if needed, would work with him to develop a plan to manage any problems. That could be one of the secrets to Santa’s many years of duty to children all over the world.”
• Dr. William Lander, family practitioner from Bryn Mawr, Pa., and a past president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society: “Santa never misses an appearance or a delivery and that makes me think he gets an annual flu shot. He knows how dangerous it would be for him to spread influenza to the children, elves, or Mrs. Claus, and how disappointing it would be for him to come down with the virus.”
• Dr. Victor Marks, dermatologist from Danville, Pa., and president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery: “Typically, doctors caution patients about avoiding harsh winter conditions, but in Santa’s case, that’s impossible – living at the North Pole, flying around the world in the frosty winter air. If a person must work outside in the cold, then we advise patients to protect their skin. I imagine that one of Santa’s secrets for his yearly ride across the globe is that he takes precautions to avoid skin damage. The downside of not taking precautions can range from discomfort to disease. I’ve seen Santa with warm gloves to protect his hands, and I suspect that he uses a lip balm with petrolatum and dimethicone as the main ingredients. I do get worried about his rosy cheeks. I wonder if that’s wind burn from flying all night or sunburn from daylight reflecting off the snow. Mrs. Claus now applies sunscreen to his cheeks each morning.”
• Dr. Mark Piasio, orthopedic surgeon from DuBois, Pa., and past president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society: "Not a lot of my patients are sliding up and down chimneys, but Santa must be exceptionally nimble to do so. I expect he is probably working on his flexibility during the off season at the North Pole. For a man of his age, it can be great way to stay balanced and flexible, especially when he’s skipping across roof tops, carrying a heavy sack, and hopping in and out of his sleigh so much.”

Of course, without an actual examination, physicians can only speculate as to Santa’s health. But they also suggest that several positive influences may also contribute to Santa’s longevity:

• He loves what he does. Job/life satisfaction and a positive outlook can contribute significantly to an overall sense of well-being.
• Santa isn’t sedentary. He’s strolling through the toy workshop and outside training reindeer, plus he’s staying mentally alert by making lists of good boys and girls.

As the holidays and New Year approach, the physician members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society encourage all Pennsylvanians to:

• Have a regularly scheduled physical exam
• Get a flu shot
• Protect your skin throughout the year
• Stay active, physically and mentally
  

3rd Annual North Ridge Holiday Lights Night Walk

More information coming soon, but event organizer Jodi Morrow says that the 3rd Annual North Ridge Holiday Lights Night Walk will be Saturday, December 22, at 6:30 p.m.

All interested should meet at the corner of Skyline Drive and Regal View (same spot as last year). Jodi plans to map out yet another evening walk for all to enjoy.

'Take a Shot!': Pennsylvania Medical Society kicks off campaign to encourage flu shots

Patient poll indicates less than 50 percent of Pennsylvania adults plan on being vaccinated this flu season

Harrisburg – Some of us are just so healthy we don’t feel a need to get a flu shot. We haven’t had the flu in years, so why bother – right?

According to the Pennsylvania Medical Society and its Institute for Good Medicine, you should bother – for yourself and especially for those around you. Each year, approximately 226,000 people in the US are hospitalized with complications from influenza and an average of 36,000 die from the virus and its complications.

A recent statewide Patient Poll conducted by the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Institute for Good Medicine shows that less than half of the respondents plan to get a flu shot. Respondents also indicated they were less concerned about spreading the flu to co-workers and missing work, than about spreading the flu to family members or catching it themselves.

“The spread of influenza is a very serious health concern – it is highly contagious and potentially life-threatening. We’re asking Pennsylvanians to ‘Take a Shot!’ to protect yourself and everyone else around you – especially those at risk,” notes Peter S. Lund, MD, president of the Medical Society and chair of the Institute for Good Medicine.

“Take a Shot!” if you or anyone you come in contact with fits one of these categories:

• Adults or children with a chronic medical condition such as heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), weakened immune system, diabetes
• Children under the age of 5
• Children ages 6 months to 18 years of age who are on long-term aspirin treatment
• Women who will be pregnant during flu season
• Adults ages 50 and over
• Residents of long-term care facilities and nursing homes
• Healthcare workers

“Almost as many people in the US die each year from influenza as from motor vehicle accidents,” cites Medical Society member Jennifer Goldstein, MD, an internist from Hershey, Pa. “Many patients think of the flu as a bad cold, which it’s not. It’s much more severe. Influenza can last 2-3 weeks and can cause extremely serious complications including pneumonia and organ failure.”

William Lander, MD, past president of the Medical Society and family practitioner in Bryn Mawr, Pa., notes a decline in the number of influenza cases he’s treated over the years. “I’ve encouraged my patients to receive annual flu shots and it’s made a significant difference.” He urges patients to contact their primary care physician now about getting a flu shot. “Don’t wait for your doctor to ask if you’ve had a flu shot; go get one!”

“It’s simple,” says Dr. Lund. “Please get a flu shot – this year and every year. If more people get immunized, we’ll all be healthier.” Dr. Lund adds that a person can get immunized through February.

To learn more about preventing the spread of influenza, visit the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Family Health & Wellness website at http://www.myfamilywellness.org/.

Tips from the Pennsylvania Medical Society

Protect yourself and those around you from the flu by getting an annual flu shot, and also take these measures to minimize the spread of Influenza.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and following food preparation, before eating and after using restrooms or changing diapers.
• Be careful what you touch. Hands transmit germs.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Put your used tissue in the waste basket.
• Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing by washing with soap and water or cleaning with an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Get plenty of rest, eat properly, and dress appropriately for the weather.
• When ill, prevent the spread of germs by staying home from school or the workplace, if possible.
• During flu season, minimize time in crowded areas, such as shopping centers, and avoid contact with those at high risk for the flu, such as the elderly and those with chronic illness.

(Source: Pennsylvania Medical Society news release)

North Ridge Resident Snuffs Out House Fire, Saves Neighbor's House

George Teague has many nicknames. Some call him "Paterno" because of his love of Tennesee, while others call him "The Animal" after he won the 2006 North Ridge Wiffleball Association's Kelly Leak Award for Hustle on the Wiffleball Field.

But, today, some are calling him a hero.

"Ah, shucks," he says when called that. "I was just helping a neighbor."

During the evening hours of July 28, George and his wife Debbie were returning to their North Ridge residence from a trip to Virginia when a terrible storm hit the community. They sat in their vehicle parked in their driveway waiting for the heavy rain and lightning to stop. But, when the storm didn't let up, they decided to make a dash to their front door.

Just as they were entering the house, a lightening bolt struck within 25 yards of them, knocking Debbie into the house. George turned to see that the lightening struck the house of Chris and Jodi Morrow. And, even worse, it had caught the house on fire.

Debbie immediately dialed for emergency help, convincing local responders that there was a "live" house fire, while George raced across the street, braving the storm to put out the fire.

Local emergency responders arrived on the scene quickly and impressively. But, it likely was the work of George that saved the house.

The lightening had struck the Morrow house's rain gutter and traveled down the gutter dangerously close to a gas pipe. Luckily, the Morrow's water hose was at the bottom of that drain, and George immediately used it to get the flames mostly under control by the time two fire trucks arrived.

No one was home at the Morrow house as they had just left hours before for vacation.

"George saved our house," said Chris "Tom" Morrow while accessing the damage. "This could have been a lot worse." According to Morrow, in addition to outside damage there was some damage to electrical outlets and appliances inside the house.

Jodi 'All-Star' Morrow said, "Needless to say we were thankful that none of us were home and for the help we received from our neighbors, especially for George for putting out the fire!"

To learn more about lightening safety for your house, click here.

(Photo captions: Top, A hole shows where the lightening bolt struck the Morrow's rain gutter and traveled down the house. Bottom, Close-up you can see how dangerously close it came to a gas pipe.)

North Ridge Summer Fair All-Star Wiffleball Game One Of The Best Yet

For veterans of the North Ridge Wiffleball Association (NRWA), the annual All-Star Wiffleball Game, held in conjunction with the annual North Ridge Summer Fair, is one of the marquee games of the season. And, with new talent loading the field, the annual game produced one of the best nail-biters in the history of the NRWA.

About 100 fans showed up for the game that featured 16 of the best adult wiffleballers that North Ridge has to offer.

"Oh" Sheila Bixby captained the North Stars, while Jodi "All-Star" Morrow took command of the Ridge Runners. George "Tic Toc" Teague, unable to play due to surgery, was the official scorekeeper and team picker for the night.

Raf "Big Enchilada" Calzada started on the mound for the North Stars, going about two innings of scoreless pitching before Buster Ets, the NRWA 2005 MVP, took over for him. The two held the Ridge Runners to only three or four hits through six innings. On the other bench, AJ "Pedro" Somma was a pitching machine for the Ridge Runners, but found his team entering the sixth inning one run down, 1-0, due to the speedy running of Chris "Tom" Morrow, a candidate for the NRWA 2007 MVP.

Up until this point, all bets were off on who would win the game, but thanks to awesome base running by Pedro the Ridge Runners were able to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Then the explosion started. Back-to-back homers by Mike "Schmidtty" George and C-mo Moran in the eighth lifted the Ridge Runners to a 3-1 lead.

Shaken by the inning, Buster Ets felt a need to take cheesecake to the mound for the start of the ninth. It would prove to be a costly mistake.

"Once we saw him stuffing cheesecake into his mouth while on the mound," said Mike "Petey Rose" Evertson, "we knew he was going soft. Al Bundy wouldn't do something like that if he played wiffleball, so I was surprised when I saw Buster do that. I thought Buster was a lot like Bundy, but maybe he isn't after that incident."

With the top of the order at the plate, the Ridge Runners quickly loaded the bases after a "Petey Rose" Evertson triple that included a head-first dive into the base, knocking third-basewomen "Oh" Sheila Bixby into foul territory. With things heating up, Jodi "All-Star" Morrow found her way to second base during her next at bat, but strong defense by Uncle Fester Adams held "Petey Rose" at third. "Schmidtty" George singled next to load the bases for C-mo.

Buster Ets stuffed some more cheesecake into his mouth, and it appeared to give him some level of comfort as he caught C-mo swinging at a ball low and away. After a chuckle from the mound, C-mo converted to his cross-over step swing and powered a grand slam out of left field to give the Ridge Runners an instant 7-1 lead.

With the air leaking out of the North Stars' balloon, Buster Ets was immediately replaced on the mound by rookie "Uncle Fester" Adams. Normally, Kevin "Bread Dip" Bixby would be the replacement pitcher, but he was at the beach. Plus, as many pointed out, Uncle Fester has two good knees and is in a better position to play wiffleball than Bread Dip is.

With a strong lead, and the talented pitching of AJ "Pedro" Somma, aka The Pitching Machine, the Ridge Runners entered the bottom of the ninth with tons of confidence, and thus made short-order of the North Star batters.

Defensively, Mike "Schmidtty" George was voted as the Golden Glover of the night by the North Ridge Sports Writers Association. Schmidtty made a number of ESPN-highlight-type catches at third base in addition to having a strong slugging percentage. Not only did he patrol third base, but on occassion he covered left field when Deb "Ooopps" Somma got nervous as fly pops approached her area of the field.

Offensively, since C-Mo writes for North Ridge Buzz and thus controls the North Ridge Sports Writers Association, he voted himself as the offensive MVP. But after going 4-for-5 including a grand slam and a homerun for 5 RBIs, he probably deserves it.

It should be noted that last year's league MVP Trish "Chili Peppa" Calzada did not suit up for the game. Her designer uniform was not ready in time. Also, L-mo Moran along with Bread Dip Bixby and George "Tic Toc" Teague continued to be on the disabled list due to surgeries. Also, Dave "Engelberg" Orr is yet to make his 2007 debut. Engelberg is thought to be one of the stars of the Bad News Bears, although that is only a rumor.

North Stars

Chris Thomas
Buster Ets
Uncle Fester Adams
"Oh" Sheila Bixby
Chris "Tom" Morrow
Jack "Boston" Connolly
Raf "Big Enchilada" Calzada

Joe Koslosky

Ridge Runners

Brad "Feelin' Good" Fuller
Mike "Schmidtty" George
Dave "Nascar" Jones
C-mo Moran
Jodi "All-Star" Moran
Deb "Oopps" Somma
AJ "Pedro" Somma
Mike "Petey Rose" Evertson

Jones defends North Ridge Summer Fair Lawn Tractor Championship

(Photo caption: Dave "Nascar" Jones sits on his championship-winning John Deere Lawn Tractor after beating Brad "Feelin' Good" Fuller, Mike "Fishy" Frutsche, Chris "Tom" Morrow, and the Masked Wiffleball Man.)


It was a new course and a new format. But for veteran lawn tractor racer Dave Jones, it was the same result: a championship.

But, the championship didn't come without some anxious moments for Jones, who many thought was out of contention for the championship from the start.

With the new format, a staggered start was used to make the finish more exciting. More specifically, the new format was designed to give Dave "Engelberg" Orr's Snapper a fighting chance. The result was an exciting finish.

However, Engelberg opted to use a replacement driver for his Snapper. Filling in for Engelberg was the Masked Wiffleball Man.

"This was part of our strategy," Engelberg said. "The Masked Wiffleball Man, who doesn't understand English, appears to be more streamline and creates less drag as he races. The only problem was that he couldn't figure out how to use a clutch and a brake."

The Engelberg Snapper started first. Then 90 seconds later the other competitors started.

"I was nevered worried about the new format," said Jones. "I'm a professional lawn tractor racer and had total confidence during the race."

But fans lining the course weren't too sure. Jones got off to a slow start and appeared out of contention as the second wave of drivers rounded the first corner as Chris "Tom" Morrow, Brad "Feelin' Good" Fuller, and Mike "Fishy" Frutsche pressed for the lead.

About halfway through the race, Jones decided to take control of the second wave and make a push to catch the Masked Wiffleball Man on the Engelberg Snapper.

"It was part of my race strategy," he said. "I figured I'd hang in the back and conserve energy. Meanwhile, my competition would think that I was toast. But then I'd shift it into 5th, blow past them, and crush their hopes."

And, that's exactly what Jones did.

Jones quickly caught Fishy and Feelin' Good when he started to execute his plan. Morrow was a different story, but with two turns left to go, Jones caught him too. Now it was an all-out sprint to catch the Masked Wiffleball Man. And, with about 20 yards to go, Jones rushed past the Snapper to take home yet another North Ridge Summer Fair Lawn Tractor Championship.

George "Tic Toc" Teague, who was the official timer, clocked Jones with an overall time of 5:20 including the 90 second lead for the Snapper. The Masked Wiffleball Man came in at 5:26.

Morrow was the next to cross the finish line, taking home 3rd in 5:30. Fishy was next in with a 5:44, while Feelin' Good rounded out the race with a 5:47.

One fan watching the race said, "Nascar Jones just toyed with them. You can see a difference between the pros and the amateurs."

2007 Results

Dave "Nascar" Jones, 5:20

The Masked Wiffleball Man, 5:26

Chris "Tom" Morrow, 5:30

Mike "Fishy" Frutsche, 5:44

Brad "Feelin' Good" Fuller, 5:47

Hall of Champions

2005: Chris "Tom" Morrow

2006: Dave "Nascar" Jones

2007: Dave "Nascar" Jones



Upcoming North Ridge Summer Fair Feature Stories

All-Star Wiffleball Game A Nail Biter

One Man's Shed, A Neighborhood Dream Come True

Uncle Fester: Is He The Next Bread-dip Bixby?

Fireworks Are June 30th

The Carlisle Summerfair, now in its 30th year, will feature fireworks on Saturday June 30 at the Carlisle Fairgrounds, beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Also on June 30th is the annual North Ridge Summer Fair, featuring wiffleball, lawn tractor racing, and and annual neighborhood relay.