Tbs march2 2014 mock1

The Bedford March 20 - April 3, 2014Volume 5 :: No. 6

CommunityNews!

StandardMore articles at www.thebedfordstandard.com

Celebrating 4 years in Bedford!

Check out our new site atwww.thebedfordstandard.com

We’ve had a whopper of a winter, but the (sun)light at the end of the tunnel is in sight and there’s no better place to celebrate the arrival of spring than Cleveland Metroparks Zoo!

The Zoo kicks off the spring season on April 1 with the reopening (weather permitting) of several exhibits in Australian Adventure including the Yagga Tree and the Boomerang Railway, spring flowers blooming in the Public Greenhouse, and many of your favorite animals migrating back to their outdoor exhibits.

Lions might be soaking up the sunshine in the Zoo’s African Savanna, the gorillas could be outside foraging for leafy greens at the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building, or the dingoes may be playing in Australian Adventure.

Spring Break Camp returns to the Zoo this year for children ages 5-10. This camp explores the entire Zoo, focusing on what happens throughout spring. Campers will tour Zoo exhibits, enjoy Get Close animal encounters, play conservation-themed games and make arts and crafts. There are two sessions

available, March 24-28 and April 21-25. Each session has half-day (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and full-day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) availability. For more information, or to register, visit clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo or call (216) 635-3391.

The Zoo’s admission rates change with the season on April 1 as well. Admission to the Zoo and The RainForest will be $12.25 for adults and $8.25 for children ages 2-11 from April 1 through October 31. Children younger than 2 and Zoo Society members are always free.

Northeast Ohio’s most-visited year-

round attraction, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Through March 31, admission is discounted to $8.25 per person, $5.25 for kids ages 2 to 11 and is free for children younger than 2 and Zoo members. Parking is free. Residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township enjoy free Zoo admission on Mondays. Located at 3900 Wildlife Way, the Zoo is easily accessible from Interstates 71, 90 and 480.

Celebrate the Arrival of Spring at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Gate Students Place Second in Annual CompetitionTwenty Bedford 5th and 6th grade

Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) students took 2nd Place overall in the 11th Annual Equations Northeast Regional Academic Games competition held at St. Michael’s Woodside in Broadview Heights

on February 12th.Sponsored by the Educational

Service Center of Cuyahoga County, the competition pitted students from Bedford, Brecksville-Broadview Hts., East Cleveland, Fairview Park, North Royalton,

Richmond Hts., Rocky River, South Euclid-Lyndhurst, and Westlake against one another in a test of math reasoning and problem-solving skills.

“Equations” is a challenging math game played in classrooms around the

country. It teaches students the critical skills needed to recognize and apply fundamental concepts, while engaging them through complex strategy, bluffing, and intrigue.

Sander charged with felonious assault

On Monday March 7, 2014 Bedford Police, ICAC (Internet Crimes against Children) investigators in conjunction with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office arrested fifty-six year old Kenneth Sander from his home in Canton. Sander had been under investigation since February 24, 2014 for an assault that occurred on a sixteen year old boy at a local motel. Sander met the boy on an internet site.

Sander has been charged with one count of felonious assault however additional charges may follow.

At this time we are unable to provide any additional information in regards to the case.

The Trials and triumps of Joseph, the favored son of the Bible’s Jacob, comes to life later this month on the Bedford High School stage. Theatre Arts (TheArts) students will present Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, a humorously musical retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors.

Directed by Sarah Johncock, the BHS production takes place Friday, March

21st and Saturday, March 22nd at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium, 481 Northfield Road in Bedford. A matinee will be held on Sunday, March 23rd at 2 p.m. Gary Kaplan will serve as vocal director, Shawn Nichols as orchestra conductor, Karin Tooley as accompanist, and Kevin Marr as choreographer.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is a family-friendly musical that tells of Joseph who is betrayed by his 11 jealous brothers, sold into slavery, and sent to Egypt. Though beset with

adversity, he perseveres with wit and faith and becomes the governor of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh. This all sets the scene for when he meets his brothers who have come to Egypt to purchase food.

Joseph is played by junior Darrien Benford. Jacob is played by sophomore Daykwon Daniels and Pharaoh is played by senior Delmonte Welch. The narrators are Sydney Smith and Pharon Wright.

Well-known songs from the musical

include “Those Canaan Days”, “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door”.

Tickets are $8 general admission. Senior citizens are free. For more information, call 440-439-4588.

BHS Presents “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

2 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

The Bedford Standard

University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center upgrades imaging capabilities with new 128-slice CT system

On April 1, University Hospitals (UH) Bedford Medical Center, a campus of UH Regional Hospitals, will begin utilizing a new 128-slice Computed Tomography (CT) imaging system. University Hospitals invested $1 million to upgrade the hospital’s Imaging Department with the state-of-the-art scanner, which captures three-dimensional digital images of the body’s tissue and function in a matter of seconds.

The 128-slice CT was awarded the 2013 “Best in KLAS” award, an independent health care technology ranking based on customer ratings in seven different categories including service and support. The addition of

the system significantly enhances UH Bedford Medical Center’s imaging capabilities for its patients.

“The CT scanner provides superior image quality at a low X-ray dose, as well as metal artifact reduction for patients with orthopaedic implants,” says Kelly Mead, RT, MBA, Radiology Manager, UH Bedford Medical Center. “It also enables new scanning capabilities we have never before been able to offer at our hospital.” These additional imaging applications include brain perfusion for stroke patients, cardiovascular scanning

and virtual colonoscopy.The system’s image

capacity can be upgraded to 256 slices as the hospital’s needs evolve. “We are pleased that UH Bedford Medical Center will now be able to perform many new and highly specialized imaging exams that are only possible with this advanced level of technology,” says Robert

G. David, President, UH Bedford and Richmond medical centers. “Our 128-slice CT gives us the opportunity to expand the diagnostic services we offer

physicians and patients.”The upgraded CT will be accessible

to UH Bedford Medical Center inpatients 24 hours a day as needed. To schedule an outpatient imaging appointment, please call the hospital’s Central Scheduling Department at 440-735-3701. A physician order is required. The Scheduling representative will advise you about the appropriate preparation for your specific imaging exam.

To receive a brochure about the new 128-slice CT imaging system, call UH Bedford Medical Center at 440-735-4707.

March 20 - April 3, 2014

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 3

Celebrating 5 Years of Award-Winning Journalism in Central Ohio www.thenewstandard.com

The Bedford Standard

St John Funeral Home

923 Broadway – Bedford

Celebrating 100 Years of Continuous Service by the

St. John Family

1913-2013

(440) 232-1155

Soon to Open Second Funeral Home in Bainbridge, Ohio


Register Your Kids for MetroParks Summer Day CampsSpring break is just around the corner

and summer will be here before you know it. What will you do to keep your school-age children active, outdoors and engaged in learning over summer break? Cleveland Metroparks Outdoor Experiences Division offers more than three dozen summer day camps for children ages 3 to 16 at convenient locations throughout the Park District from June 17 through August 12.

Each camp is an adventure in outdoor fun, whether it’s hiking in the woods,

birding, exploring a creek, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, fishing, biking, or catching bugs. Plus, enjoy traditional camp activities including stories, games, crafts, making new friends and creating memories.

Camps are targeted to a variety of age groups and are offered at various dates and times. Children of all ages - from pre-schoolers to high school students - will explore the outdoors, learn more about nature and experience different types of

outdoor recreation.For instance, campers ages 12 to 15 can

spend four days at West Creek Reservation attending Biology Camp for Teens and pre-schoolers can discover nature through stories, games, crafts and group activities at North Chagrin Reservation. For more information about these and a variety of other age appropriate summer camps visit clevelandmetroparks.com.

Registration is required for all camps and is available only online at

clevelandmetroparks.com. Registration begins Tuesday, April 15 at 9:30 a.m. for Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township residents and Tuesday, April 22 at 9:30 a.m. for residents of other counties. Space is limited, so register early to avoid being closed out.

Make this summer a fun in the sun outdoor adventure for your kids at day camps in Cleveland Metroparks – Discover, Enjoy, Protect!

Appliance Recycle ProgramChances are, that old refrigerator or

freezer in your basement or garage is running up your utility bill by an average of $150 a year. Recycle it, reduce your energy use and keep harmful materials out of landfills. We’ll pick it up and you’ll pick up $50.

Old refrigerators and freezers can use

up to four times more electricity than new models.

FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities have contracted with JACO Environmental to provide appliance recycling services to their Ohio residential and small commercial customers. JACO will perform all pick up and recycling activities for this

program.To schedule an appliance pickup with

JACO, call 877-545-4112 or, schedule online.

You will receive $50 for recycling a working refrigerator or freezer, and $25 for a working window air conditioner. Checks will be mailed by JACO about six

weeks after pickup.The costs of energy efficiency programs

are recovered through residential customer rates in accordance with Ohio Senate Bill 221.

FitzGerald Commemorates “National Start a Business Month”Cuyahoga County Executive Ed

FitzGerald commemorates “National Start a Business Month” for the month of March by highlighting the success of the Cuyahoga County Western Reserve Fund Microenterprise Loan Program.

“The Microenterprise Loan Program is another example of the county and other economic development organizations coming together to assist, educate and offer services to entrepreneurs who are willing to open a small business in our region - growing jobs and strengthening

our local economy,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald.

Cuyahoga County created the Micro-enterprise Revolving Loan Fund (MRLF) for the purpose of providing access to capital and financial counseling to micro-enterprise businesses and entrepreneurs unable to obtain traditional financing for their creative small business ventures. The program provides micro-loans ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to qualified small businesses that can be helped with modest loans and can attain traditional financing

within three to five years.The County entered into a contract with

Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) to administer the MRLF and provide technical assistance to both start-up and established small businesses toward achieving these objectives. The ECDI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit economic development organization, started in 2004. The mission of ECDI is to invest in people to create measurable and enduring social and economic change.

Since the inception of MRLF, ECDI has

closed on 21 Micro-enterprise Revolving Fund assisted loans to small business entrepreneurs, where over a total of $749,000 has been received in total financing A total of 60 jobs have been created and 56 jobs have been retained. Businesses that have benefited from the MRLF program include fabric manufacturer, farmer’s market, transportation company, specialty retailers, spirit distiller, restaurants, cafes and commercial cleaner.

4 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008


Columbus & Ohio4 The Bedford Standard

Standard

www.thebedfordstandard.com

Library Spotlight(Programs where registration is

required/requested are marked with an *)

ADULT

Open Computer Lab: Saturdays, through May 10th /

9:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Ages 16 to Adult). Do you have a paper that’s due RIGHT NOW? Need help getting the resources you need for your research? Come to the open computer lab Saturday mornings. Librarians will be available to answer your questions.

African-American Authors Book Group:

Tuesday, March 25th / 7:00 p.m. Join us to explore all genres of African-American writing. All adults are welcome. We will read African American classics, historical fiction, science fiction, mysteries, autobiographies, nonfiction, fiction and urban fiction. Copies of the book are available one month before the discussion date. March title: Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof.

*Return of the Carousel: Saturday, March 29th / 2:00 p.m.

What goes around comes around. A representative from the Western Reserve Historical Society presents a history of Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park and the return of the carousel in its specially built pavilion at the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center in University Circle.

Afternoon Book Discussion:Wednesday, April 2nd / 1:30

p.m. The Southeast Branch holds a monthly book discussion on the first Wednesday of the month at the library. Copies of the book will be available at the Southeast Branch one month before the meeting: April title: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

*Cashing in at Craft Shows: Wednesday, April 9th / 7:00 p.m.

Learn how to turn your crafts into cash by selling at craft shows. Lori Paximadis of Cleveland Handmade will teach you what you need to know to get started, how to find the right shows for you, how to prepare for a show, and what to do once you’re there to pave the way to success.

*Creative Writing Workshop: Saturday, April 12th / 2:00 p.m. Have

you ever wanted to do some creative writing but you don’t know how to begin? In this monthly workshop, you will discover techniques to bring freshness and originality to your writing. Jamie Cole, a creative writer and teacher with the Bedford City Schools, will show you exercises designed to get your brain – and your hand – moving. This is an ongoing workshop, held the 2nd Saturday of each month; you are welcome at all sessions.

TEEN

G2P: Animé Club: Wednesday, April 2nd / 7:00 p.m. (Ages

11 – 18) Join us to play Wii™ games, participate in craft projects and play Yu-Gi-Oh trading card duels.

*Robotix Blox: Camp Half-Bot Day Challenge:

Saturday, April 12th / 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. (Grades 6 – 12) You’ve already brought a robot to its senses in Robotix 3.0. Now help it slip past the Minotaur, avoid the Gorgon, and master other challenges Percy, Grover and Annabeth encounter in Rick Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Parents, please complete a photo release for your student prior to the program. Space is limited.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

Family Storytime: Wednesdays (thru April 23rd) / 6:30

p.m. (Open to children ages Birth - 8 years old and their caregivers.) Join us for rhymes, stories, songs and fingerplays.

*Whooo’s Ready for School?Kindergarten Readiness – Colors:Wednesday, March 26th / 10:00 a.m. to

12:00 noon. Strengthen observation and fine motor skills. Help your preschooler make the transition into their first year of school. Explore hands-on activity stations together.

MIXED AGES

*Splish Splash: Thursday, April 17th / 7:00 p.m. (Family).

Water is all around us, and a necessary part of life. In this workshop, children, and families explore the properties of water together - testing how water moves and interacts with different materials. Families also make predictions as they engage in these hands-on science explorations, putting their ideas about water to the test!

Southeast Library SpotlightMarch 20 - April 3, 2014

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May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 5


Columbus & Ohio The Bedford Standard March 20 - April 3, 2014

6 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008


Columbus & Ohio6 The Bedford StandardMarch 20 - April 3, 2014

INTRODUCTION: This is the first of a two-part series on Guardianships. What does that really mean? It means someone takes control of your life. I will tell you how this can happen, and what you can do to avoid it. Today’s column is about a guardianship over your body. My next column will be a guardianship over your $tuff.

OLD MAN RIVER really misses his wife. Since she died, he can’t keep track of when to pay the bills or even how to keep the house clean and tidy. He knows he should eat healthy food, but it’s just easier to hang out with the guys at Burger King. Old Man River also has the beginnings of dementia, and it’s getting worse. His adult children check on him, but he’d rather be left alone.

Old Man River has NO legal documents for health care. And what’s worse, he doesn’t understand why that matters.

HEALTH-CARE PLANNING

The kind of health-care planning I’m talking about is NOT health insurance, NOT Medicaid, NOT Medicare, NOT Obamacare. I’m talking about LEGAL planning, with advance directives.

What are advance directives? These are legal documents that express your choices about your health-care (“directives”) that you make before you need it (in “advance”). You need to think about two things: WHO is in charge, and WHAT can they do. Under Ohio law, there are two different advance directives for health-care planning.

One advance directive is called a Health-Care Power of Attorney. Think of this as a WHO document, because you name who (someone of your choice) will make health-care decisions for you. As long as you are mentally competent, you decide. Whenever you are too sick to decide for yourself, the person you’ve chosen decides. (It’s good to name two persons, to have a back-up.) You can also include health-care choices in this document.

The other advance directive is called a Living-Will Declaration. Think of this as a WHAT document, because you indicate what kind of care you want or

don’t want – but only for when you are dying (for example, keeping you alive with food or water through tubes).

Which document do you need? Both! But what happens if you don’t have them?

WHO DECIDES FOR YOU If you have NO advance directives,

Ohio law gives you a “safety net.” Your spouse or your adult children would be allowed to make health-care decisions for you whenever you are too sick to decide for yourself. But what if your spouse has already died? What if your children can’t agree? Or what if you have no children, or they are still minors? Then a guardianship would probably become necessary.

GUARDIANSHIPS A guardianship is a legal proceeding.

There are two types of guardianships -- “guardianship of the person” (for your body), and “guardianship of the estate” (for your $tuff ). Lawyers would argue before a judge about who should be in control of your life. For health-care decisions, the judge would have to listen to doctors explain how mentally incompetent you are. Then someone (known as a “guardian”) would be legally

appointed to be in charge of YOU (you would become known as a “ward”). If you have no family members who are willing and able to be your guardian, then the court would appoint someone.

What should this tell you? First, anything involving lawyers and court will cost money, probably lots of money. And second, someone you don’t want (perhaps even a perfect stranger) might be put in control over you. And third, a court proceeding is public; anybody can attend. All of this means a lengthy, expensive, and personally embarrassing process.

HOW TO AVOID THIS If you want to avoid a “guardianship

of the person” over you, the ONLY way is to get the proper legal documents -- a Health Care Power of Attorney and a Living Will Declaration.

And please, go to a lawyer for this. Doctors or hospitals might hand out some kind of forms for free, but don’t be fooled. Only a lawyer can get you the proper forms, explain what they mean, and help you sign them correctly. Remember, if you botch legal documents (and that’s easy to do), they’re worthless. (And anyway, don’t you think it’s odd to go to a doctor or hospital for legal advice? You wouldn’t renew your drug prescriptions by visiting your lawyer, would you?)

And if you think a couple hundred dollars is too expensive for advance directives, then just wait for the thousands you’ll pay in a guardianship!

CONCLUSION: Which would you rather have

– someone of your choice, making decisions according to your instructions? Or some stranger who is paid top dollar to decide where you’ll live and what kind of care you’ll get?

Linda J. How is an elder-law lawyer in Bedford, providing Medicaid counseling and estate planning. She has legal training from the national organization, Medicaid Practice Systems (now known as Lawyers With Purpose). To help people understand the value of legal planning, Mrs. How presents FREE educational workshops called, “Seven Threats to Your Family Security.” UPCOMING EVENING WORKSHOPS (6 to 8 p.m.): Tuesday, April 15, 2014, and Monday, May 12, 2014. UPCOMING AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS (2 to 4 p.m.): Wednesday, April 16, 2014, and Wednesday, May 14, 2014. All Workshops are presented in Bedford; please call or email for the exact location. Mrs. How has also developed and taught senior-education courses at Cuyahoga Community College (Center for Aging Initiatives), including “Elder Law: Making Sense of Medicaid” and “Estate Planning for Real Life.” For an office appointment or to reserve seats at a Workshop, Mrs. How may be reached at [email protected] or 440-786-9449.

If You Don’t Plan: Guardianships (Part One)Making Sense of the Law

Linda J. How, J.D.

EMPLOYERS, JOB SEEKERS & YOUTHA Change is coming!

Watch for it!

will change its name to:

Though our name is changing, our “commitment to service” to Cuyahoga County residents seeking

employment and training opportunities remainsa “high priority”!

To better assist you, shortly we will roll out a new, easier-to-navigate, more informative website.

The new website address will be: ohiomeansjobs.com/cuyahoga

For assistance, visit one of our locations:Downtown:1020 Bolivar Rd, Cleveland, OH 44115 (216) 664-4673

Parma: 11699 Brookpark Rd, Parma, OH 44130 (216) 898-1366Southgate: 5398-1/2 Northfield Rd, Maple Heights, OH 44137 (216) 518-4954

Westshore: 9830 Lorain Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102 (216) 939-2599

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 7


Columbus & Ohio The Bedford Standard

Ellen Augustine, M.A.

What’s up, America?

We Have a Problem Here. There are No Safe Plastics!

Ah, plastic is so convenient. Lightweight and in thousands of everyday items. Then we thought we could breathe easily when products began showing up that were BPA-free, so no worry of cancer or hormone disruption.

Not only was it too good to be true, but we have a cover-up on the scale of the Big Tobacco campaign to dispute the harm of smoking.

Investigative reporter Mariah Blake tracks the disturbing evidence in her extensive article in the March/April 2014 issue of Mother Jones magazine: The Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Plastics. (http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certichem-eastman-bpa-free-plastic-safe) Excerpts of the most salient points follows.

“Each night at dinnertime, a familiar ritual played out in Michael Green’s home: He’d slide a stainless steel sippy cup across the table to his two-year-old daughter, Juliette, and she’d howl for the pink plastic one. Often, Green gave in. But he had a nagging feeling. As an environmental-health advocate, he had fought to rid sippy cups and baby bottles of the common plastic additive bisphenol A (BPA), which mimics the hormone estrogen and has been linked to a long list of serious health problems including cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Juliette’s sippy cup was made from a new generation of BPA-free plastics, but Green, who runs the Oakland, California-based Center for Environmental Health, had come across research suggesting some of these contained synthetic estrogens, too.”

“The Center shipped Juliette’s plastic cup, along with 17 others purchased from Target, Walmart, and Babies R Us, to CertiChem, a lab in Austin, Texas. More than a quarter—including Juliette’s—came back positive for estrogenic activity. These results mirrored the lab’s findings in its broader National Institutes of Health-funded research on BPA-free plastics. CertiChem and its founder, George Bitner, who is also a professor of neurobiology at the University of Texas-Austin, had recently coauthored a paper in the NIH journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It reported that “almost all” commercially available plastics that were tested leached synthetic estrogens—even when they weren’t exposed to conditions known to unlock potentially harmful chemicals, such as the heat of a microwave, the steam of a dishwasher, or the sun’s ultraviolet rays. According to Bittner’s research, some BPA-free products actually released synthetic estrogens that were more potent than BPA.”

“Estrogen plays a key role in everything from bone growth to ovulation to heart function. Too much or too little, particularly in utero or during early childhood, can alter brain and organ development, leading to disease later in life. Elevated estrogen levels generally increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.”

“Estrogenic chemicals found in many common products have been linked to a litany of problems in humans and animals. According to one study, the pesticide atrazine can turn male frogs female. DES, which was once prescribed to prevent miscarriages, caused obesity, rare vaginal tumors, infertility, and testicular growths among those exposed in utero. Scientists have tied BPA to ailments including asthma, cancer, infertility, low sperm count, genital deformity, heart disease, liver problems, and ADHD.”

“BPA exploded into the headlines in 2008, when stories about “toxic baby bottles” and “poison” packaging became ubiquitous. Good Morning America issued a “consumer alert.” Bills banning BPA in infant care items began to crop up in states around the country. Today many plastic products, from sippy cups and blenders to Tupperware containers, are marketed as BPA-free. But Bittner’s findings—some of which have been confirmed by other scientists—suggest that many of these alternatives share the qualities that make BPA so potentially harmful.”

“Those startling results set off a bitter fight

with the $375-billion-a-year plastics industry. The American Chemistry Council, which lobbies for plastics makers and has sought to refute the science linking BPA to health problems, has teamed up with Tennessee-based Eastman Chemical—the maker of Tritan, a widely used plastic marketed as being free of estrogenic activity—in a campaign to discredit Bittner and his research. The company has gone so far as to tell corporate customers that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rejected Bittner’s testing methods. (It hasn’t.) Eastman also sued CertiChem and its sister company, PlastiPure, to prevent them from publicizing their findings that Tritan is estrogenic, convincing a jury that its product displayed no estrogenic activity. The judge upbraided both sides for failing to explain the science in terms jurors could understand. In the end, he barred Bittner’s companies from ever talking about their Tritan findings, at least in a commercial setting. But he refused to stop the companies from asserting that their tests could detect synthetic estrogens.”

“Eastman then launched a PR blitz touting Tritan’s safety. The campaign closely resembles the methods Big Tobacco used to stifle scientific evidence about the dangers of smoking. Indeed, in many cases, the plastics and chemical industries have relied on the same scientists and consultants who defended Big Tobacco. These efforts, detailed in internal industry documents revealed during Bittner’s legal battle with Eastman, have sown public confusion and stymied US regulation, even as BPA bans have sprung up elsewhere in the world. They have also squelched debate about the safety of plastics more generally. All the while, evidence is mounting that the products so prevalent in our daily lives may be leaching toxic chemicals into our bodies, with consequences affecting not just us, but many generations to come.”

“The fight over the safety of plastics traces back to 1987, when Theo Colborn was hired by the World Wildlife Fund to investigate mysterious health problems in wildlife around the Great Lakes—cancer, shrunken sexual organs, plummeting fertility, immune suppression, birds born with crossed beaks and missing eyes. Before long, her tiny office was stacked floor to ceiling with cardboard boxes of studies.”

“While the afflictions and species varied widely, Colborn eventually realized they had two factors in common: The young were hardest hit, and, in one way or another, all of the animals’ symptoms were linked to the endocrine system, the network of glands that controls growth, metabolism, and brain function, with hormones as its chemical messengers. The system also plays a key role in fetal development. Colborn suspected that synthetic hormones in pesticides, plastics, and other products acted as “hand-me-down poisons,” with parents’ exposure causing affliction in their offspring. In 1996 Colborn copublished her landmark book Our Stolen Future. Based partly on her research, Congress passed a law that year requiring the EPA to screen some 80,000 chemicals—most of which had never undergone any type of safety testing—for endocrine-disrupting effects and report back by 2000.”

“Around this time, the University of Missouri’s vom Saal began studying the effects of synthetic estrogens. The first substance he tested was BPA, a chemical used in clear, hard plastics, particularly the variety known as polycarbonate, to make them more flexible and durable. (It’s also found in everyday items, from dental sealants and hospital blood bags to cash register receipts and the lining of tin cans.) He began testing the effects at amounts 25 times lower than the EPA’s safety threshold. In the late 1990s, he published two studies finding that male mice whose mothers were exposed to these low doses during pregnancy had enlarged prostates and low sperm counts. Before long, other scientists began turning up ailments among animals exposed to minute doses of BPA.”

“These findings posed a direct threat to plastics and chemical makers. Plastics and chemical interests worked closely with the Weinberg Group, which had run Big Tobacco’s White Coat Project—an effort to recruit scientists to create doubt about the health effects of secondhand smoke. Soon Weinberg, which bills itself as a ‘product defense’ firm, was churning out white papers and lobbying regulators. It also underwrote a trade group with its

own scientific journal, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, which published studies finding BPA was safe.”

“The industry also worked hand in glove with the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, a think tank affiliated with the university’s school of public health that has a history of accepting donations from corporations and then publishing research favorable to their products. The panel the EPA appointed to develop guidelines for its congressionally mandated endocrine disruptor screening was also stacked with industry-backed scientists. And the screening approach the EPA settled on came straight from the industry’s playbook. Among other things, the chemicals would be tested on a type of rat known as the Charles River Sprague Dawley—which, oddly, doesn’t respond to synthetic hormones like BPA.”

“Around 2006, a new body of research was finding that BPA altered animals’ genes in ways that caused disease. For instance, it could switch off a gene that suppresses tumor growth, allowing cancer to spread. These genetic changes were passed down across generations. ‘A poison kills you,’ vom Saal explains. ‘A chemical like BPA reprograms your cells and ends up causing a disease in your grandchild that kills him.’”

“Even as the industry crafted defensive talking points, some companies began offering BPA-free alternatives. But they often didn’t bother testing them for other potentially toxic compounds or synthetic hormones. Nor did they have to: Under US law, chemicals are presumed safe until proven otherwise, and companies are rarely required to collect or disclose chemical-safety data.”

“One of the most popular BPA-free options, especially among companies catering to families and health-conscious consumers, was Tritan, a clear, sturdy, heat-resistant plastic that Eastman rolled out in 2007. (Eastman also produces the chemical that sullied the drinking water of 300,000 West Virginians in January.) A company founded by alternative medicine guru Dr. Andrew Weil launched a line of Weil Baby bottles made from Tritan, which it touted as ‘revolutionary’ and ‘ultra-safe’ material. Thermos began churning out Tritan sippy cups, decorated with Barbie and Batman. With more and more consumers demanding BPA-free products, Nalgene, CamelBack, Evenflo, Cuisinart, Tupperware, Rubbermaid, and many other companies also worked Tritan into their production lines.”

“Eastman, a $7 billion company that was spun off from Eastman Kodak in the 1990s, assured its corporate customers that it had done extensive safety testing on Tritan. But its methods were questionable. According to internal Eastman documents, in 2008 Eastman signed a two-year contract with Sciences International, another product defense firm that had played a key role in the tobacco industry’s scientific misinformation campaign. On Sciences’ advice, Eastman then commissioned a study that used computer modeling to predict whether a substance contains synthetic estrogens, based on its chemical structure. The model suggested that one of Tritan’s ingredients—triphenyl phosphate, or TPP—was more estrogenic than BPA.”

“Eastman, which never disclosed these findings to its customers, later commissioned another study, this one involving breast cancer cells. Again, the initial results appeared positive for estrogenic activity. In an email to colleagues, Eastman’s senior toxicologist, James Deyo, called this an “oh shit moment.”

“Eastman wasn’t the only company testing Tritan. In 2009, Bittner’s PlastiPure, which was searching for nonestrogenic alternatives to recommend to clients, began vetting products made with it and found that some had even more estrogenic activity than their BPA-laden counterparts. PlastiPure’s CEO, Mike Usey, says CertiChem disclosed this to clients, but many chose Tritan anyway.”

“This was part of a broader pattern of indifference. According to Usey, hundreds of manufacturers—including most of the big baby bottle makers—contacted CertiChem to inquire about testing their BPA-free products for estrogenic chemicals, but few actually followed through. ‘Their position was: Until consumers are demanding nonestrogenic products, there’s no reason to be an

early adopter,’ Usey explains. ‘They want to delay as long as they can, because they know any transition will cost them.’ In some cases, manufacturers paid for testing, then never collected the findings. ‘They didn’t want to know the results because there’s liability in knowing.’”

“Despite its ‘oh shit’ findings, by 2010 Eastman began to produce marketing materials claiming that Tritan was free of all synthetic estrogens. One section of its website featured the tagline ‘Safety is our key ingredient’ along with photos of smiling children eating and drinking out of plastic containers.”

“Nestlé vetted Tritan, and found it leached synthetic estrogen. Nevertheless it has continued using Tritan in some of its water bottles.”

“Soon Eastman’s customers began inquiring about CertiChem’s findings. For the most part, Eastman convinced them to disregard Bittner’s claims. At one point, O’Brien met with Whole Foods executives. They were considering replacing their polycarbonate bulk food bins with ones made from Tritan, even though Bittner had previously informed them that the product was estrogenic. According to a memo O”Brien later wrote, when the subject came up, he responded by attacking Bittner, whom he called ‘shady,’ and his test results, which he alleged were ‘very questionable.’ The Whole Foods executives later pressed O’Brien about the other tests carried out on Tritan. Whole Foods—which declined to comment for this story—plowed ahead and installed Tritan bins in many of its 270 US stores.”

“In March 2011, the Environmental Health Perspectives paper by Jordan and researchers from CertiChem and PlastiPure appeared online. They’d tested 455 store-bought food containers and storage products, including several made from Tritan. The results? Seventy-two percent leached synthetic estrogens. And every type of plastic commonly used in food packaging (polypropylene and polystyrene, for example) tested positive in some cases, which suggested there was no surefire way to avoid exposure.”

“US regulators also have continued to ignore the mounting evidence linking BPA and similar chemicals to human disease, even as bans have cropped up around the world. Although more than 90 studies examining people with various levels of exposure suggest BPA affects humans much as it does animals, the FDA recently announced that its research ‘supports the safety of BPA’ in food containers and packaging. Their underlying testing was done on the Charles River Sprague Dawley rat, the one which doesn’t readily respond to synthetic estrogens, such as BPA.”

“And the EPA program that was supposed to screen some 80,000 chemicals for endocrine disruption hasn’t fully vetted a single substance. In 2010, the agency sought White House approval to add some endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are commonly found in plastic—among them BPA, phthalates, and a class of compounds known as PBDEs—to its ‘chemicals of concern’ list because it found they ‘may present an unreasonable risk to human health.’ This would have required chemical makers to share safety-testing data with federal regulators. The proposal languished until last September, when the EPA quietly withdrew it, along with a proposed rule requiring manufacturers to disclose safety data on chemicals in their products.”

“Still, Bittner isn’t giving up the fight. CertiChem and PlastiPure are appealing the Eastman ruling. ‘Eastman won the battle,’ he said. ‘But that doesn’t mean it will win the war.’”

Where does this leave you and I? I am starting to say goodbye to my lovely shelf of plastic containers of all sizes which were so wonderfully easy to put leftovers in and pack food for lunch. Then there’s the plastic zip-lock baggies. I am washing any glass bottle I am lucky enough to get with a purchase, and using rubber bands around waxed paper baggies. Small steps in a big area of concern, but a beginning.

Ellen Augustine, M.A., is a speaker and author on national currents and the emerging sustainable economy. She may be reached at [email protected], 510-428-1832, www.storiesofhope.us. Questions, feedback, and topic ideas for future columns are welcome.


8 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008


Columbus & Ohio8 The Bedford Standard

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P.O. Box 31244Independence, Ohio 44131

OR

[email protected]

Why is this true? Early on in dental school dentists are taught that the goal for treating pa-tients is to get them to the place where they have no problems that would cause them to loose their teeth. Teeth are a body part just like fingers and toes. We sure don’t want to loose a foot, just as we would not want to lose our teeth.

Interestingly enough a 90 year old with good healthy gums could have the mouth health of a teenager – so age is NOT a contributor to a dental problem. Neglect is! Prevention is impor-tant. It is valuable and the key to keeping teeth for a lifetime. As long treatment that is needed from time to time that a dentist observes is needed and gums are in a healthy range, teeth will last and last just like elbows and fingernails.

How is this so? Because IF one has the treatment when the problem is small (which costs a lot less) the teeth can easily be repaired. Ad-ditionally beginning gum disease can be changed to healthy tissue easily with the proper home care, as gum disease destroys the tissue supporting the tooth. I you practice good oral hygiene by brush-ing and flossing regularly, get regular check-ups with your dentist to catch any problems that might develop, eat a sensible diet (don’t eat or drink too many sugary foods or beverages) studies have shown you should be able to maintain your teeth in a healthy state and NOT need expensive, he-roic dentistry.

When I was in dental school, the first thing we were taught in dentistry was preventive dentistry. It always amazed me that dentistry is a profession that is trying to put itself out of busi-ness. If everyone practiced good and smart oral hygiene, the percentage of tooth decay would drop tremendously, teeth wouldn’t have to be extracted due to cavities and crowns*, bridges*, implants and dentures could be avoided. I say smart oral hygiene because a patient of mine re-cently remarked “I’ve never had cavities! Why now?” She went on to say, “I always brush and floss at night and then have a coke or two before bed.” Unfortunately the sugar from the coke sat on her teeth all night and caused decay while she slept.

She thought she was taking care of her teeth but a sugary beverage before bed leaves mouth bacteria (always there) able to grow as there is abundant food in the mouth all night left from the sugary drink. Bacteria which are acid producing eat the same food we eat. She didn’t realize the danger her habit had placed her teeth in. Regular visits to the dentist would have pointed out the dangers EARLY ON when it first started – rather than let decay get so deep that she ended up with tooth aches resulting in high dental treatment costs and some lost teeth. This patient obviously knew the value of good home care, but because she did not change one behavior, disaster

struck.We see every dental scenario possible in

our office, so what we instruct each patient to do at home is different according to what we see that is going on with their teeth and gums.

I , the dentist, know that checkups regu-larly are needed even when everything seems fine and there is no pain. It should be taught in health at schools actually. (Gum disease is a silent killer and it is the cause of 80% of adult tooth loss – cavities and accidents are the other 20%) If a small problem with gum disease is found early the damage can be stopped and prevented from getting worse. Also a cavity wouldn’t get deep enough to need expensive dental treatment to try to save the tooth. Most adults do need expert help to thoroughly clean their teeth.Little tips about home care can save a lot of dollars later. Small problems won’t develop into larger, more expen-sive and possibly, life-threatening conditions.

One of the ways that I can accomplish my job as a preventive dentist is to tell you, the read-er, why dental visits are so much cheaper if they are regular (not just what insurance covers if you have gum disease) The bacteria in your mouth produce acid which eats through gums (they will usually bleed then) then that same bacterial acid melts away bone. Once you have boneloss it is final, not reversible or replaceable. A dentist cannot bring bone back once it is gone. There-fore, preventive dental appointments interrupt this mouth destruction, help to tighten up gums

around the tooth like before they got infected and help maintain your whole body’s health by not al-lowing this infection to enter the blood stream. Ask your dentist why this is true when you go for your visit.

Although it may appear at times that it is too expensive to go to the dentist, remember that not practicing preventative dental care will only cost more later.

Additionally remember in dentistry we have to custom design anything that repairs or re-places a tooth, there is no “one size fits all”. There are no identical dentures you can pull off the shelf and place in a person’s mouth. Everything must be custom designed for each person’s individual mouth.

I can tell you that I really enjoy seeing a mouth that holds its own because it is cared for and healthy. Just know that there is ALWAYS something that can be done to make any and everyone a SMILE, any problem with teeth and gums can be solved and your overall health re-turned. Truly everyone deserves healthy teeth and gums and a beautiful smile no matter how old or young.

You may have more questions about what I have said. We spend a lot of time at initial exams so that all your questions can get answered and if they haven’t been answered in the past please call us today! Call us at 440-439-2230 for an appoint-ment. We look forward to meeting you.

Dentistry Is A Profession Trying to Put Itself OUT of Business

Jane L. Dodson DDS88 Center Rd. Bedford, 44146 (Next to Bedford Medical Center)

In the Bedford University Hospital Complex Medical Building - 3rd Floor

www.clevelandgentledentist.com

CALL 440-439-2230 for an appointment!

New Patient Exam, X-rays and Basic Teeth Polishing Special $80.00 ($280 value)

Jane L. Dodson DDS

CALL 440-439-2230 for an appointment!Present this coupon at time of service. Cannot be combined with other coupons.

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Whether you’re in need of short or long-term care,we welcome you to our facility.

ANNOUNCEMENTThe Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is seeking community members to serve as poll workers during the May 6, 2014

Primary Election.

Poll workers earn $172.10.

Applicants may apply on-line at www.443vote.com or call 216-443-3277.


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