August 2009
50 Library Lane • Grayslake, IL 60030 • (847) 543-4455
Positive Thought
“A strong, positive mental
attitude will create more miracles
than any wonder drug.”
— Patricia Neal
Three Things You Need to
Know
www.library-lane.com
STAFF
MANAGER
Diane Stanley
OFFICE ASSISTANT
Linda McKimmy
MAINTENANCE
John Edgell
Gert Reitenbach
HOUSEKEEPING
Jan Mucerino
GRAYSLAKE SR. CENTER
Barbara Medel
(847) 543-1041
VILLAGE OF GRAYSLAKE
SENIOR CENTER
Representative
Mr. K. Timony (847) 223-2323
1) To open a sealed envelope,
put it in the freezer for an hour,
then gently slide a knife under the
flap to break the seal. You can
then reseal it.
2) To clean artificial flowers,
pour some salt into a paper bag,
add the flowers and shake
vigorously. The salt helps to
dislodge and absorb the dirt and
dust.
3) To remove an old candle
from a glass candleholder, put it
in the freezer for a few hours, then
turn it upside down and tap. The
old candle will fall out. Any wax
that remains can be more easily
scraped off.
Roses Are Red ...
Important Numbers
Leasing Office
(847) 543-4455
Emerg. Maint.
(847) 543-4455
Fire, Police, Ambulance
911
Office Hours
Mon.–Fri.
Sat. and Sun.
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed
Aug. 18 is Bad Poetry Day.
Classic Cars
Its cars are no longer
produced, but Oldsmobile
survived for more than 100 years.
The company opened for
business Aug. 21, 1897, and lasted
until 2004. The Cutlass is one of its
most memorable models.
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
NUMB3R CRUNCH3R:
Wonders of the World
3.97: Degrees that the Leaning
Tower of Pisa leans to the
southwest.
50,000: Number of spectators
the Colosseum could seat.
4,000: Miles that the Great Wall
of China stretches.
27: Estimated feet that have
eroded away from the Great
Pyramid of Giza, making its
current height about 454 feet.
435: B.C., approximate year
the 39-foot Statue of Zeus at
Olympia was built.
Bumper Sticker Snicker
The worst day fishing is better
than the best day working.
Say What?
Hornswoggle
\HORN-swog-uhl\ verb
1. To cheat or deceive
someone
2. Hoax
Example sentence: Don’t let
those folks hornswoggle you
because they have no inside
knowledge about the issue.
Trivia Whiz
The Write Stuff
For students,
August means it’s time
to get the lead out—
literally. The pencil, a
key back-to-school
tool, has been
mass-produced for
more than 400 years.
The first pencils were
created in Germany
from graphite
wrapped in string.
Other “pointed” facts:
Cabinetmaker
William Monroe
helped create the first
machine-cut pencils
in America in the
1800s.
Unpainted pencils
were stylish in the
1800s, showing off
their high-quality
wood casings.
What does No. 2
mean on a pencil? It
refers to the lead’s
softness. No. 2 is
medium-soft for
normal writing.
Why are pencils
yellow? China, which
produces superb
graphite, associates
yellow with respect.
Thus, to honor the
Chinese, pencils were
shaded in yellow.
Danger Lingers in Low Blood
Sodium
The sodium found in our blood helps
keep the water and electrolytes in our
bodies in balance. This sodium is
important to nerve and muscle
function and in regulating blood
pressure. What happens when our
sodium levels are off balance? Too
much sodium can cause high blood
pressure. Very low blood sodium levels
result in a condition called
hyponatremia, which can be very
dangerous and is a rising concern
regarding senior health today.
What causes low blood sodium in
Preventing Dementia
Today, around 5 million Americans
have Alzheimer’s disease or another
form of dementia, but a rising number
of diagnoses before the age of 65—
currently at about half a million—
means dementia is swiftly becoming a
national concern. The Alzheimer’s
Association (AA) predicts that by 2050
as many as 16 million Americans will
have the disease.
While researchers hurry to cure the
older adults? It can stem from a lot of
reasons, but it is usually due to changes
in the way seniors metabolize water.
Too much water intake, less frequent
urination and changes in kidney
function can all be the culprits of
hyponatremia. Some other causes not
related to metabolizing water include
taking certain medications, severe
vomiting or diarrhea, kidney failure or
heart failure.
The symptoms of hyponatremia also
vary but can include headaches,
nausea, confusion, muscle twitches,
feeling lethargic or coma. Talk to your
doctor if you have any of these
symptoms or are worried about low
blood sodium levels. A blood test is
needed to confirm whether or not you
have hyponatremia.
debilitating disease, organizations like
AA raise awareness about early
symptoms, warning signs and
preventive measures. For example, a
new cardiovascular health study
reveals that habits that are good for
your heart are good for your brain: Get
regular exercise, eat healthfully to
keep cholesterol and blood pressure
levels low, avoid smoking and manage
stress.
Other ways to preserve memory
and cognitive function involve regular,
stimulating activities such as playing
card or board games, doing
crosswords and reading. A new Mayo
Clinic study shows that inducing brain
activity is crucial. The study estimates
that maintaining mental acuity
decreases chances of memory loss by
30-50 percent.
The Road to Glory
The oldest military decoration in
the world in present use and the first
American award given to the
common soldier, the Purple Heart is
awarded to service members who
are wounded or killed by an
instrument of war. The soldier “shall
be permitted to wear on his facings,
over his left breast, the figure of a
heart in purple cloth,” as written by
General George Washington on
Aug. 7, 1782, the first year his Badge
of Military Merit was awarded.
The Continental Congress had
instructed Washington to stop
advancing ranks of soldiers who
performed any “singularly meritorious
action,” because no money was
available for higher-ranked officers.
Nevertheless, General Washington
wanted to recognize their valiant
efforts and so honored them with a
badge. He wrote, “The road to glory
in a patriot army and a free country
is thus open to all.”
It is believed that after the
Revolutionary War, generals were
hesitant to give out an award so
steeped in the legacy of General
Washington. In 1932, however,
Washington’s records were
rediscovered, and the U.S. War
Department decided to award the
badge once again, after redesigning
and renaming the honor.
The contemporary version of the
Purple Heart is made of metal, with a
deep purple color and solid gold
border. Since its inception, 1,635,000
Purple Hearts have been awarded.
Wit & Wisdom
‘AB’ and America’s Oldest
Teenager
The American Broadcasting Co.
introduced the country to Dick Clark
when it brought “American Bandstand”
to the airwaves on Aug. 5, 1957.
Originally a live show on a local
Philadelphia affiliate station, “AB” and
host Clark brought rock and roll music
and smiling teenagers demonstrating all
the newest dance steps to millions of
viewers on weekday afternoons.
Regular segments of the show
included:
• “Rate-a-Record,” to which the
phrase “It’s got a good beat and
you can dance to it” is attributed
• “Spotlight Dance” (featuring two
or more couples dancing to a slow
song)
• “Top 10 Countdown.”
Dick Clark also invited hundreds of
musicians to appear and perform on
the show, from Elvis Presley to Kool & the
Gang, KC and the Sunshine Band and
Los Lobos.
After more than 30 years on the air,
“American Bandstand” with Dick Clark
ended on Sept. 5, 1987. Barely two
weeks later, “AB” returned to the
airwaves in national syndication. The
show inspired other massively successful
programs such as “Soul Train.” An effort
to revive “Bandstand” in 2005 resulted in
the reality game show, “So You Think
You Can Dance,” co-produced by Dick
Clark Productions.
“I have never been
jealous. Not even
when my dad finished
fifth grade a year
before I did.”
—Jeff Foxworthy
“If the Romans had
been obliged to learn
Latin, they would
never have found
time to conquer the
world.”
—Heinrich Heine
“Education is the
most powerful
weapon that you can
use to change the
world.”
—Nelson Mandela
“Some people talk
in their sleep.
Lecturers talk while
other people sleep.”
—Albert Camus
“Education is what
remains after one has
forgotten everything
he learned in school.”
—Albert Einstein
August 2009
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
Rent Due
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Last Day to
Pay Rent
Without Fees
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23/30
24/31
25
26
27
28
29
August
1848: Congress creates the Oregon
Territory.
1890: Baseball great Cy Young pitches
his first professional game.
1893: Whitcomb Judson receives a
patent for the zipper.
1900: “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
by L. Frank Baum is copyrightregistered.
1909: The Ford Motor Corp. registers
the trademark for Ford.
1912: Arthur R. Eldred of Oceanside,
N.Y., becomes the first person to achieve
the rank of Eagle Scout.
1930: Philo Farnsworth patents an
electronic television system.
1935: William Coolidge obtains a patent
for the cathode ray tube, a critical
ingredient of TV and other electronic
applications.
1950: The American Broadcasting Co.
begins airing Saturday morning TV
shows for children.
1951: Oral B, the famous line of dental
products, is trademark-registered.
1966: The United Farm Workers union
is formed.
1968: The song “Hey Jude” by John
Lennon and Paul McCartney is
copyright-registered.
1984: IBM releases MS-DOS
version 3.0.
1994: IBM announces it will not oppose
Microsoft’s attempt to trademark
the name “Windows.”