Red Cross Issues Heat Wave Safety Tips

July 20, 2011, South Central NY -  A dangerous heat wave is moving into the east this week. Thursday’s forecast is: Humid with highs around 99. Heat index values are expected to go up to 112 in the afternoon. The American Red Cross encourages people to take steps to safely endure the soaring temps.

The hot weather has closed down government buildings, damaged crops and caused numerous water main breakages. Weather experts are predicting the excessive heat will move east and cook the country through the end of July.

The extreme temperatures can feel like walking into a wall of heat when venturing outside. Excessive heat can lead to sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. To help avoid problems, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding drinks with caffeine or alcohol.

If someone is experiencing heat cramps in the legs or abdomen, get them to a cooler place, have them rest, lightly stretch the affected muscle, and replenish their fluids with a half a glass (about 4 ounces) of cool water every 15 minutes.

If someone is exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion (cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, heavy sweating, headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness exhaustion), move them to a cooler place, remove or loosen tight clothing and spray the person with water or apply cool, wet cloths or towels to the skin. Fan the person. If they are conscious, give small amounts of cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly. Watch for changes in condition. If the person refuses water, vomits or begins to lose consciousness, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

Heat stroke is life-threatening. Signs include hot, red skin which may be dry or moist; changes in consciousness; vomiting; and high body temperature. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the person’s body by immersing them up to their neck in cold water if possible. Otherwise, douse or spray the person with cold water, or you can cover the person with cold, wet towels or bags of ice.

People should get ready to deal with the heat now. Follow these additional steps to stay safe during the heat:

• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• If you don’t have air conditioning, go to a mall, a library or a movie theatre that does. Stay there in the heat of the day.
• Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles.
• Eat small meals and eat more often.
• Avoid extreme temperature changes.
• Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
• Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.
• Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat.
• Take frequent breaks if working outdoors.
• Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat.
• Check on animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat. Ensure they have water and a shady place to rest.

Learn more on how to prevent and respond to heat emergencies by taking first aid and CPR training. Contact your local Red Cross or visit redcross.org/training to schedule a class.

ITHACA NY – Campus/Community Event Kicks-Off Arts-Based Watershed Initiative: CELEBRATE SIX MILE CREEK! Gallery Night on Friday, August 5th will feature a gala of music, dance, photography, art and water fun from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. on the downtown Creek Walk, behind the Tompkins County Library.

The event kicks off A Year in the Life of Six Mile Creek, a multi-year watershed initiative calling on the arts to invite folks of all ages to join together to protect Cayuga Lake’s waters for years to come.

The occasion will introduce Creek Walk banners of native plant images from photographer Nancy Ridenour.

Sora Jerderan Shpack, winner of Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious Composer’s Competition, will premiere Songs of Many Waters, a multi-movement work portraying the beauty, grandeur and wonder of our world’s water systems. The work will be performed by Octavivo – The New Violin Family - with vocalists and musicians from Ithaca.

Mermaids and water fairies of all costumed ages are welcome to join Zajal the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Troupe as they premiere a new Mermaid Dance in honor of the Six Mile Creek project.

Creek enthusiasts are invited to contribute photographs and paintings for a slide and video show and exhibit featuring works by the Cayuga Nature Photographers, stone sculptor Rob Kauffman , former Cousteau filmmaker and Ithaca native David O.Brown and pleine aire artist Nari Mistry.

Photographs should be sent to ; art works and sculpture should be brought to the Creek Walk by 4 p.m on August 5th.

Sponsors:

Launched with ’seed’ funds from the Park Foundation, A Year in the Life of Six Mile Creek is spearheaded by the Level Green Institute and Cayuga Lake Watershed Network. Activities are co-hosted with members of the new Creek Coalition, a growing group of artists working with City, campus and community groups to create family-fun activities that celebrate – and document - life in, under and around the Creek through a full round of seasons.

Coalition membership is open to individuals, businesses and groups sharing its commitment to engaging the community in learning about and getting on board the importance of protecting the water so critical for our collective future.

Future Activities:

A calendar of August 2011 - July 2012 Creekside activities can be found at and on Facebook, at A Year in the Life of Six Mile Creek.

One highlight of upcoming August 2011 offerings is an open Headwaters Expedition, August 19-21. Everyone is invited to explore the Creek’s meander from the Inlet to Dryden’s Hammond Hill State Forest, with music and picnics along the way.

Everyone is also invited to join in photography, history, geology and native plant walks; waterfall music, dancing, drumming, improv theatre and singing; Creekside massage and healing arts; pleine aire painting; natural stone sculpture; poetry and writing workshops; a Lifelong seminar on “Flow” with Wally Woods; and working with David Brown to video-document the Project to share online.

Starting in September, volunteers are welcome to work with Ithaca College faculty and students and the History Center to research and creating public programming for a Haudenosaunee Winter Village located in the Creek gorge nearby downtown.

Context:

Known historically to the Haudenosaunee as Teegastoweas, Six Mile Creek is one of Cayuga Lake’s most important tributaries. In addition to supplying the City of Ithaca’s drinking water, it touches the lives of diverse thousands of people as it wends from the Dryden hills down through Slaterville and Brooktondale, through the Six Mile Creek nature preserve, past the downtown business district, and and through the Parkside and Northside neighborhoods before joining the Inlet.

The Creek also speaks for the many other streams that feed Cayuga Lake; and the lakes and rivers that keep our communities, nation and the planet green and thriving. Endangered by climate change, pollution and politics, scientists estimate that over 20 countries will be without potable water by 2020. Scientists and economists alike are calling the world’s water the “next gold”.

It is easy in water-rich Ithaca to ignore this larger threat. David Brown sees Ithaca as an “aquascape”, where water defines who we are and connects us across boundaries as a community. This Project’s goal is to focus attention locally, within the global context.

June 30, 2011 (Ithaca, NY) – The number of Lyme Disease cases haas steadily increased in Tompkins County since 2006 the Tompkins County Health Department reports. Karen Bishop, Community Health Nurse Supervisor noted that in 2006 there were 2 cases; in 2010 there were 70 with a steady increase in the interim. “In the past, Tompkins County residents who had Lyme Disease usually acquired it while traveling in other areas of the state or country. Now most of the cases are locally acquired,” she said. In 2011 to date there have been 14 cases of Lyme Disease and 28 are probable cases pending confirmation. “That is a serious increase,” Mrs. Bishop noted. “Lyme Disease is here and everyone should take the necessary precautions to prevent it.”

Tick-borne diseases are a serious health threat. Lyme disease may affect the skin, nervous system, heart and joints. If not treated early, it can have permanent and severe health effects.

“Lyme disease is caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. In some areas, any contact with plants or bushes, even in the backyard, has the risk of contact with ticks,” Mrs. Bishop said.

She urged all Tompkins County residents to remember:

When in wooded and grassy areas, wear light-colored clothing and tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants.
After every two to three hours outdoors, check for ticks on clothing or skin. Brush off any ticks on clothing before they can attach to your skin.
Do a thorough check of your body at the end of the day. Pay close attention to the back of the knees, behind the ears, scalp, arm pits and back. Check your children and pets, too.
If you remove an attached tick within 36 hours, the risk of infection is small. To remove a tick: Use tweezers, grasping the tick near the mouthparts, as close to the skin as possible. Don’t squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick, which may contain infectious fluids. Pull the tick in a steady, upward motion away from the skin. After removing the tick, disinfect the bite site with soap, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Wash your hands carefully. Record the date and location of the tick bite. If a rash appears or you experience flu-like symptoms over the next 30 days, contact your health care provider immediately. As of July 1, the New York State Health Department is no longer providing a tick identification service.
If you consider using repellents be sure to follow label directions. Do not allow children to apply repellents themselves. Use only small amounts of repellent on children.looks like and how to remove it.

To learn more about Lyme disease, call the Tompkins County Health Department at 274-6604 or visit the Department’s website: www.tompkins-co.org/health You’ll see what a tick looks like and how to remove it!