Welcome 2006!
New Years’ Fun Facts & Trivia

• The word toast actually comes from a 17th-century custom of placing a slice of toasted bread in wine to remove sediment and impurities. Today it’s a gracious way to thank a host, salute an honored guest or just celebrate the occasion.
   

• A champagne cork is under enough pressure to shoot 177 feet.
   

• The ancient Romans celebrated New Year’s Day on March 1. When Julius Caesar changed the calendar in 46 B.C., he designated January 1 as the first day of the New Year.
   

• The first New Year’s ball was dropped in New York City’s Times Square in 1908.
   

• Ancient Babylonians started the tradition of making resolutions for the New Year about 4000 years ago. They probably didn’t keep theirs, either!
   

• In many cultures, traditional foods served at New Year’s are believed to bring good luck.
   

• A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
   

Attention!

If you are interested in starting a craft or activity group such as quilting, card playing, crocheting or exercise at any of the township halls, please call Kathy at the SHASS office at 637-3607 or leave her a message on her cell phone at, 214-8164.
 

Cold Weather Information

During bad weather, tune in to COSY 98.3 FM radio station, or watch the local news on channel 3 for closings, delays and cancellations.

• If Bangor Public Schools are closed, activities in Bangor, Columbia and Arlington will be canceled.
   

• If South Haven Public Schools are closed, activities at the Warren Center will be canceled.
   

• If South Haven has a 2 hour delay, there will not be any morning transportation available.
   

• If South Haven or Benton Harbor Public Schools are closed there will not be any Senior Nutrition home delivered meals, and the meal site at The Warren Center will also be closed.

Identity Theft is an Ongoing Problem
New Identity Theft Scam

Please be aware of this latest scam that is happening in various states throughout the country. It is called the “Jury Duty” scam. The person calls claiming to work for the local court and claims that you’ve failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for your arrest.

The victim will rightly claim they never received the jury duty notification. The caller then asks the victim for confidential information for “verification” purposes. Specifically, the caller asks for the person’s social security number, birth date and sometimes other private information.

Because the victim is clearly caught off guard and understandably upset, he or she is less likely to be vigilant about protecting her confidential information. This scam has been reported in Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington State.

Protecting yourself is simple: NEVER give out your social security number, credit card numbers or other personal, confidential information when you receive a telephone call. This scam may vary as to the reason they are calling, but the end result is the same - to collect private information that may be used to steal your identity.

Return to Bulletin Board Index
 

While many individuals go out to dinner expecting to have enjoyable conversations as well as a good meal, some restaurants just don’t lend themselves to that experience. Although having dinner in a noisy restaurant can be irritating for diners, these short exposures to noise do not put diners at risk for hearing loss.

However, if the exposure is loud enough, the wait staff CAN be at risk for occupational hearing loss. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, continued exposure to noise at or above 85decibels (dBA) can lead to hearing loss. The hearing loss continues progressing as the exposure to the noise continues and permanent and irreversible damage occurs to the hair cells, which are the nerve endings for hearing.



To help insure the preservation of hearing, it is important to understand the consequences of noise exposure, both occupational AND recreational. A manufacturer of a car stereo system once promoted that their system could reach sound levels of 150 dBA. According to the U. S. Department of Labor standards for occupational noise exposure, mere minutes at that level could cause permanent hearing loss. Typically, the threshold at which sound becomes painful is around 140 dBA.



Young people are generally more tolerant of loud sounds because there are protective mechanisms built into the ear that become less efficient as a person ages. However, this defense mechanism does not make anyone immune to the damage that loud sounds can cause. Listening to music at 100 dBA, the loudness of a symphony orchestra, for 2 hours can cause permanent hearing loss. A rock concert can reach 110 dBA and at this level, it only takes one half hour to sustain hearing damage.



Many people ignore the increased risk when sound levels are extremely high in a closed vehicle or inserted into their ears via headphones. Over a period of time, this type of risky behavior is becoming a growing factor in the development of hearing loss in younger generations. Hearing loss is not just a problem of the elderly anymore.



Taking note of a recent study published in the May issue of Audiology Today, the national magazine of the American Academy of Audiology, the audiologists at Professional Hearing Services in St. Joseph recently took sound level measurements at several local restaurants to test the level of noise exposure for diners and staff.

All measurements were taken between 6 pm and 10 pm on a Friday or Saturday evening. The maximum noise levels ranged from 68 dBA, the sound of a moderate to loud conversation, to 82 dBA, the equivalent of listening to heavy city traffic.



While none of the restaurants in our study had sound levels exceeding OSHA guidelines, the level of noise varied greatly between different establishments. Many factors other than the number of diners caused some restaurants to be noisier than others.

Establishments with wooden floors, high ceilings, no window treatments and open kitchen areas routinely had higher noise levels. In fact, the manager at one of the local restaurants stated that during their most recent renovation, they lowered ceilings, added acoustic tiles and carpeted the floor in order to make for a quieter, more enjoyable dining experience for their customers.



A common complaint of hearing impaired individuals is that noise levels in some restaurants prevent them from enjoying conversations with their dining partners. People with normal hearing have difficulty carrying meaningful conversations in noisy restaurants and it becomes next to impossible for people with hearing loss.



Robert Sweetow, PhD, director of the audiology clinic at the University of California, San Francisco recommends educating the public through noise ratings for restaurants. According to Sweetow, “Some form of noise rating will help people know what kind of environment they’re walking into”.

The San Francisco Chronicle has instituted noise ratings as part of their restaurant reviews. Using one to four bells, or a bomb when the noise exceeds 80 dBA, allows diners to know what type of sound environment they will be entering. We have adapted their system to rate the restaurants in our study.

One bell is the equivalent of a quiet office, two bells the equivalent of an average office environment, three bells represents something similar to a soft conversational level and a rating of four bells makes conversation difficult. We learned that there aren’t many quiet restaurants anymore.

Return to Bulletin Board Index