Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 110, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Page: 4 of 10
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Viewpoints
Page 4 ■ Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Sweetwater Reporter
DEDICATED TO PROUDLY DELIVERING LOCAL NEWS SINCE 1881
❖
Sweetwater
■ ^ oweciwaici 1
Reporter
P.O. Box 750/112 W. Third
Sweetwater, Texas 79556
325/236-6677
Fax: 325/235-4967
Website:
www.sweetwaterreporter.com
E-mail addresses:
pubiisher@sweetwaterreporter com
business@sweetwaterreporter com
advertising@sweetwaterreportercom
drculation@sweetwaterreporter.com
editor@sweetwaterreporter.com
composing@sweetwaterreporter.com
EDITORIAL POLICY
The editorial section of the newspaper is a forum for expres-
sion of a variety of viewpoints. All articles except those labeled
“Editorials” reflect the opinions of the writers and not those of
the Sweetivater Reporter.
Dear Editor,
I remember the winter of 1932-33 very well. We were
living in Ranger. 1 was six years old and the Great
Depression was at its greatest damage. Many thousands
of people had died because of it. I could count on my
fingers the relatives that we lost that winter. I lost one
of my sisters. Pneumonia, flu, starvation, chicken pox,
small pox, all kinds of sickness was everywhere. Many
people lived in tents or even less. Thermal clothing was-
n’t even thought of. And to this day, we all still thank
God for sending Franklin Roosevelt as our president. 1
don't think I'd be here now without this great president.
I am almost sure of fit. I've been thinking of writing a
whole book about this and just tell the complete story of
how it really was. Only the people that lived through it
can give you the whole picture. Has anyone out there
written a book before?
Roy G. Dillon
Sweetwater
Dear Editor.
When visiting our son/brother's burial plot at
Sweetwater Cemetery we had noticed that the eagle on
his plot had been damaged with a broken wing. When
we returned back to fix the wing on the eagle we noticed
it had been repaired. It does our heart good to know
that there are people out there that still care. We hope
whoever did this act of kindness will receive our special
thanks for taking care of our beloved son and brother,
Robert Massey.
The Massey, The Wilke, The Antwine and
The Bennigfield Families
Sweetwater
Dear Editor.
1 feel I must get into the fray over the power plant.
Back in 1980 they built a coal burning power plant in
the area where I am from — Hugo, Oklahoma. There
were rumors running wild about how the emissions
would defoliate the forests. (And one thing you must
know is the prime crop in that area is timber, either
pulp or telephone poles.)
The rumors claimed the forest would be gone in 20
years. Well, here we are 29 years later and the trees
just keep growing.
However, there is one very big difference between the
Hugo area and here and that is water. The average
rainfall up in that area is so much greater than here.
And having lived through a drought here with our lake
no more than a buffalo wallow I have my concerns
about the proposed plant water usage.
I don't remember the water usage ever being in ques-
tion in Oklahoma during the time the plant was being
considered. But here in this area of west Texas water
is of such a premium we must be very careful to con-
serve all we can.
Now I don't have a dog in this fight but 1 feel it would
be wonderful to have this source of jobs and money in
the tax base here for us to enjoy. But not at the risk of
using all our water to produce electricity to be used
miles and miles away from here I think we need more
studies to make sure this is good for us.
Remember these large companies have fancy legal
teams at their disposal plus people that write all these
glowing press releases.
Please City Government, consider all angles before
you commit us to this.
Schooler-Samukawa
Sweetwater
YOUR HEALTH
Oral bacteria responsible for most cases of halitosis
Everyone has bad breath
sometimes, but if the people
around you keep getting
whiplash whenever
you open your mouth,
you could have a more
serious problem.
Halitosis is the official
medical term for mal-
odorous breath,
defined as any dis-
agreeable odor of
expired air.
You're allowed to
have bad breath if
you've been munching
on garlic cloves, but if
your breath smells
like dirty socks most of the
time regardless of what you
eat, you may suffer from hal-
itosis. Having bad breath is
not your fault — the bacteria
inside your mouth are
responsible for the offensive
odor.
With plenty of leftover
food on your tongue and
between your teeth to snack
on, these mouth-dwelling
microbes break down pro-
teins in food particles, creat-
ing sulfurous byproducts in
the process. The volatile sul-
fur compounds produced by
oral bacteria are similar to
the gases released by rotten
eggs.
Most people put a serious
dent in the bacterial popula-
tion of their mouths when-
ever they brush and floss.
But even the most militant
brushers and flossers tend
to neglect their tongues,
especially the part at the
very back.
Enter the tongue scraper,
a specially designed device
that effectively cleans the
surface of the tongue with-
out gagging you in the
process. Tongue scrapers
and cleaners can be pur-
chased at pharmacies,
supermarkets and dentists'
office, but for folks on a bud-
get, a plastic spoon turned
upside down works just fine.
Research reveals that the
use of tongue scrapers can
significantly reduce the
GUEST COLUMN
Dr. Rallie
McAllister
number of bacteria in the
mouth, as well as the levels
of the odiferous volatile sul-
fur compounds
they produce. If
your tongue-scrap-
ing efforts don't
solve the problem
completely, a few
additional strate-
gies can help detox-
ify your breath.
Your first order of
business is to
schedule appoint-
ments with your
dentist and your
family physician to
rule out any serious health
conditions that might be at
the root of the problem.
Proper treatment of tooth
decay, gum disease, chronic
sinus drainage and stomach
ulcers can correct many
cases of halitosis.
Watching what you eat can
bring about significant
improvements in your
breath. Most food odors dis-
sipate from your breath in
about 10 minutes, but odors
from smelly foods like
peanut butter and chilidogs
can linger for hours.
The odiferous reminders
of garlic, onions and alcohol
stick around even longer.
Odor-producing compounds
in these foods migrate to
vour bloodstream after
digestion, and they're
exhaled through your lungs
with every hreath.
If you've indulged in a
malodorous meal, you might
try to reverse the damage
with breath-freshening
gums, mints or sprays — and
there are plenty to choose
from. The quest for minty-
fresh breath has spawned a
multibillion-dollar industry
in the United States, which
offers an impressive lineup
of breath aids.
Many of these products do
nothing more than give you
a false sense of confidence,
but mouthwashes and rinses
containing antibacterial
ingredients have been
shown to help control oral
bacteria and improve breath
odor. A few herbs and nutri-
tional supplements, includ-
ing magnolia bark extract
and xylitol, can help freshen
breath naturally.
The results of a study pub-
lished in the Journal of
Agricultural and Food
Chemistry revealed that
breath mints containing
magnolia bark extract killed
more than 61 percent of
odor-causing oral bacteria.
Without the magnolia bark
extract, the mints killed only
3.6 percent of the germs.
Mints, gums and mouth-
washes containing the nat-
ural sweetener xylitol have
been shown to reduce tooth
decay, gum disease and bad
breath by inhibiting the
growth of Streptococcus
mutans and other oral bac-
teria. Products containing
xylitol and magnolia bark
extract can be found at most
health-food stores.
Saliva is one of the best
breath fresheners known,
and it's a lot cheaper than a
jug of Lavoris. Saliva washes
food particles and odor-pro-
ducing bacteria out of your
mouth and into your stom-
ach.
The more saliva you have
in your mouth, the less like-
ly you are to have bad
breath. Because mild dehy-
dration can reduce saliva
production, it's important to
drink plenty of water
throughout the day.
Certain over-the-counter
medications and prescrip-
tion drugs can rob your
mouth of saliva.
Antihistamines and decon-
gestants are notorious for
leaving you with a parched
palate, but dry mouth is list-
ed as a side effect of at least
300 commonly used med-
ications.
Most cases of halitosis are
entirely treatable, but you
have to recognize the prob-
lem first. If you're not sure
how your breath ranks, just
ask the people closest to
you.
Rallie McAllister is a
boa rd-certified Ju null/
physician, speaker and the
author of several books,
including "Healthy
Lunchbox: The Working
Mom's Guide to Keeping
You and Your Kids Trim."
Her Website is www.ral-
lieonhealth.com. To find out
more about Rallie
McAllister, M.D., and read
features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and car-
toonists, visit the Creators
Syndicate Web page at
www.creators.com.
^ 1 aJ
Vo U GRAND FAtHE R
/ WORKED at THE
COAL MINE
YEARS. WE DIDN'T
KNOW. WERCURV
Accumulates..
this has AFFECTED
OUR FAM\ty SoNAUCH.
NOW, WHO WHX TAKE CM£
of us since the CHILDREN
ARE So SICK ? 1 HAVE To TAKE
THE. Youngest 1M FOR K\DNPy
TREATNAENT, AN S ytM 010
SHOULD 6E OUT91DE PLAYING____
Paid advertisement hy l). I). Hauer
What to wear on prom night
LyrmAnn
Duniuen
are
gowns,
which
With the warmer temper-
atures, the wind, blooming
flowers, and allergies also
| comes a time of year that
parents need to ire aware
of.....Prom Season. The fol-
| lowing article was written
by Bev Kellner and
Myrna Hill,
| Passenger Safety
Specialists for the
j Texas AgriLife
Extension Service.
Here they address
; some of the most
important things to
be worn on prom
night.
Springtime signals
| prom time, and prom
I is the most exciting
! part of the school
year for many stu-
! dents. It is also a
time when students
looking forward to gradua-
; tion, summer jobs, and fun.
Teens will have a lot on their
minds, and driving safely
j may not be at the top of the
list. But the stakes are high
j because traffic crashes are
the leading cause of death
for teens. In fact, getting
into a car, pickup truck, or
SUV is the most dangerous
thing that high school stu-
dents do every day because
many of them fail to buckle
up. if their vehicle happens
to be a pickup truck, they
are at particular risk
because pickup trucks roll
over twice as often as pas-
senger cars, And 71 percent
of the fatalities in pickup
trucks were unrestrained,
compared to 49 percent in
passenger vehicles.
According to the Centers
for Disease Control, the risk
of motor vehicle crashes is
higher among 16- to 19-
year-olds than among any
other age group. When com-
bined with the fact that drinking alcohol. Another
teens have the lowest rate of study showed that more
seat belt use compared with than half of teen deaths
other age groups, this is from motor vehicle crashes
great cause for concern, occurred between 3 p.ni.
Among teens fatally injured
in car crashes, more than
half were not wearing their
seat belts. Clearly, the most
important thing to be wear-
ing on prom night or any
other time you are in the
vehicle is your
seat belt.
Parents are
reminded that
prom should be a
positive experi-
ence for a stu-
dent - one that
he or she will
forget,
s much
about
tuxedos,
groups
will share a lim-
ousine, and of
course, who will
be the big date. However,
the most important part of
that talk should come from
parents in explaining that
prom night safety is crucial
in the planning process.
Parents need to emphasize
safe driving and that alcohol
and drugs are not necessary
for a fun evening!
Drinking and driving is a
serious problem among
teens. In 2007, the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration reported
that 26 percent of drivers
ages 15 to 20 who died in
motor vehicle crashes had a
blood alcohol content of
0.08 or higher. And among
teen drivers who were killed
in motor vehicle crashes
after drinking and driving,
75 percent were unre-
strained. In a survey con-
ducted by the Centers for
Disease Control, nearly 30
percent of the teens report-
ed that in the previous
month, they had ridden with
a driver who had been
and midnight; 55 percent
occurred on Friday,
Saturday, or Sunday. There
is no doubt that prom time
can be a dangerous time for
teens, but it does not have to
be that way. Teens need to
know that not drinking and
driving and wearing seat
belts is the most effective
way to protect themselves
from injury or death in a
vehicle crash.
The month of May also
means that law enforcement
officers across the state will
be extra vigilant in enforc-
ing seat belt usage laws. It is
time for the Click It or
Ticket campaign. But no law-
enforcement officer wants
to be the one to arrive at the
scene of a crash to see the
life of a teen ruined when
tragedy could have so easily-
been prevented. Keep your
teen safe. Make sure there
will be no alcohol involved
on prom night, and be sure
your teen wears the right
thing to and from the prom -
a seat belt!
Parent Prom Tips
• On prom night, demand
that alcohol not be allowed.
• Make sure the vehicle
your teen will be driving is
in good working condition.
• Limit the number of
passengers your teen will be
allowed to transport.
• Insist that everyone in
the vehicle wear seat belts at
all times.
• Don't allow driving after
midnight. Make alternative
arrangements (chauffeur,
car pool with other parents,
taxi) if necessary.
• If renting a limo, par-
ents and passengers should
sign a contract allowing the
driver to phone parents if
alcohol is detected. Insist
that only registered passen-
gers be allowed transporta-
tion.
• Be sure your teen pro-
vides contact phone num-
bers where he or she can be
reached.
For more information
about passenger safety, go
to http://fcs.tamu.edu.
Other sources for this article
include Partners for Safe
Teen Driving, Virginia.
LynnAnn Duniven is the
County Extension Agent for
Kumily and Consumer
Sciences in Nolan County.
Comments about this col-
umn may he e-mailed to
edit or (at s weet wo ter re-
porter.com.
The SWEETWATER REPORTER
(USPS 5300-860) is published daily
except Saturdays and holidays by
HPC ot Texas, Inc (Periodical
Postage Paid) 112 W 3rd,
Sweetwater. Texas 79556
Postmaster: Send address changes
to. SWEETWATER REPORTER
P.O. BOX 750,
SWEETWATER, TEXAS 79556
City Delivery $8 50 per month. $85 00
per year, 6 months $45.50,
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rates available on request
Correction Policy
Editorial:
As a matter of policy, the
Sweetwater Reporter will
publish corrections of errors
in fact that have been print-
ed in the newspaper.
The corrections will be
made as soon as possible
after the error has been
brought to the attention of
the newspaper’s editor at
236-6677.
Advertising:
Publisher reserves the right
to reject, edit or cancel any
advertising at any time with-
out liability. Publisher’s liabil-
ity for error is limited to the
amount paid for advertising.
Itlf Alll*nm.:.4 IHHUIMHIM.lit Al i*i
Reporter
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Rodriguez, Tatiana. Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 110, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 25, 2009, newspaper, March 25, 2009; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth577937/m1/4/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.