The swimming and boating season has arrived. Many of us are outside enjoying the wonderful warm weather Florida has to offer. That means more of us will be in the water trying to cool off and get some exercise.

Before we get too far into the summer, we need to think about water safety. The unfortunate truth is that Florida leads the nation in the number of toddlers, ages 1 to 4, in drowning on an annual basis. In a report from the Florida Department of Health based on information provided by the Centers for Disease Control that between 2002 and 2004, 229 toddlers in Florida lost their lives by drowning.

Here are some general safety tips from the American Red Cross whenever you are swimming in any body of water.

Always swim with a buddy, never alone.

Read and obey all rules.

Swim in areas where there is a lifeguard.

Children or inexperienced swimmers should take extra precautions, such as wearing a Coast Guard-approved life vest when in or around the water.

Set water safety rules based upon the swimming levels of your children.

Know how to prevent, recognize and respond to emergencies.

Enter the water feet first unless you are in a designated diving area.

Don’t mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating.

Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times when you are on a boat.

There are some of the specific suggestions the Red Cross encourages people with home pools to follow:

Never leave a child unattended who may gain access to any water. Even a small amount of water can be dangerous to a child

Teach your children not to go near the water without you.

Make sure all members of your family can swim.

Adult supervision is essential.

Enclose the pool completely with a fence with vertical bars that has a self-closing, self-latching gate.

Develop an emergency action plan and have emergency contact information posted at the pool.

Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it.

Empty your small inflatable pool when you are finished playing in it.

Empty all buckets or containers of water, turn them upside down, or cover when not in use.

Store pool chemicals in childproof containers and out of children’s reach.

Where can you get information on water safety and swimming lessons in the area? For starters, you can contact the local American Red Cross Chapter and review the many resources they have available for water and boat safety. You also can take a parent and child swimming course where you will learn basic safety information and some great ways to enjoy spending time with your young child in the water. You older toddler 3 to 5 can take group or private swim lessons where they will learn basic water safety skills along with how to swim.

Posted: May 30th, 2007 under Hot Blog.
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PORTLAND, Ore. - The heat is on in Portland and much of the Northwest as a high pressure weather system moves into the area.

High temperatures Tuesday in Portland should reach the upper 80s, with temperatures in the 90s expected on Wednesday.

The weather is expected to cool back into the low 80s as the weekend approaches.

Temperatures along the normally cool Oregon and Washington coastlines should also reach into the 80s as a high pressure system pulls warm air from the interior of the region out towards the ocean, which is the opposite of the typical regional weather pattern.

While not unheard of, the high temperatures are unusual for May. Summer does not officially start until June 21, and many locals say summer in Oregon does not really arrive until after July 4th.

The record high for May 30 is 91degrees, with a forecast high of 92. Clear weather will continue through the week with no chance of rain.

Officials are warning people to take precautions during the hot weather, including not leaving children or animals in parked cars unattended.

A woman recently left her child in a car briefly on a day when temperatures reached over 80 degrees, and the child narrowly escaped death. Rescuers say the child had a temperature of 105 degrees when it was pulled from the vehicle.

Health care officials are also asking people to check on elderly friends and relatives to make sure they are safe and cool.

People are also advised to stay hydrated by drinking water, not soda or alcoholic drinks, which actually causes more dehydration.

Sunscreen is also a good idea for outdoor activities, as well as wearing lightweight clothing.

Posted: May 30th, 2007 under Hot Blog.
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If someone told you one formula of sports drink could meet the needs of different athletes with different body types doing different sports, wouldn’t you question it?

June 1, 2007 INFINIT Nutrition, launches the world’s first custom sports drink in Europe, allowing athletes to create personalised nutrition for their specific sporting challenges. InfinIT Nutrition tailor make sports drinks for the individual, based on personal input, rather than taking a one size fits all approach to nutrition and performance.

Established in the USA in 2002, by a group of triathletes frustrated with off the shelf nutrition products, Infinit has grown exponentially, expanding into Canada in 2006 and is now being launched in Europe from its West London base by InfinIT Nutrition.

Michael Hanreck Director InfinIT: I used InfinIT for the first time in Hawaii during Ultraman 2005 World Championships. It helped me keep going through this gruelling 27-hour event (6 mile swim/250 mile bike/52.6 mile run). I was so impressed with it I decided to bring it to Europe. Different people with different races have different nutritional needs. InfinIT offers what is right for you, without the artificial ingredients so common in sports products.

What is it and how does it work?

Whereas most sports drinks provide a standard blend to competing athletes, InfinIT Nutrition offers a personalised solution for use during events and training. Everyone???s body is different and InfinIT Nutrition offers athletes their own unique and tailor-made energy drink to help maximise their individual performance.

Simple to use, customers log on to the secure website and give details of their sporting requirements Athletes are then guided to a formula that will provide them with the right number of calories and electrolytes per serving and the right blend of simple and complex carbohydrates for the length of activity they are undertaking. Their personal formula also takes into account any preferences they have in terms of flavour strength and whether the individual wants caffeine, protein or amino acids to be added to their mix. All formulas created are checked with the patented Osmo Fit system, to make sure they will be digested easily. The individual can view and save their formula on the website or make any final tweaks to the recommended formula before ordering on-line. At all times, InfinIT Nutrition staff are on hand to answer any questions or queries that clients may have regarding the product.

What do its users think?

Andy Bass, General Manager Toshiba Computer Systems UK, a regular Ironman & marathon competitor: “After you’ve done your first Ironman it’s about “competing not completing”. I’m making any future races null and void unless I get within 15% of my normal marathon time, I’m convinced infinIT is going to help me get there!.”

Jess Draskau Peterson, GB Triathlete and consistent top five finisher at IronMan distance (Pro Women), whose three-hour run leg is one of the best in the women’s field: “infinIT is an awesome product. I don’t want to sound cheesy but it’s a revolution in the sports-drink industry. infinIT really is truly tailored to an individual’s needs.”

Posted: May 25th, 2007 under Hot Blog.
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There are water districts working to reach rural residents across west central Illinois.
The Dallas City Rural Water District has been connecting rural residents to a clean, safe supply of drinking water for more than a decade.

The latest area to hook onto a water system is in western McDonough County, thanks to some funding help and the support of state lawmakers like State Rep. Rich Myers, R-Colchester, and State Senator John Sullivan, D-Rushville.

Myers said when it comes to drinking water looks can be deceiving.

More than 230 residents of Western McDonough County will be tapping into a water supply as soon as this summer. They will no longer have to rely on wells.

Well water has become unreliable in recent years. Due to the drought of 2004-2005, hundreds of residents in west central Illinois are forced to haul water and dump it into their wells.

The latest water system includes 84 miles of pipes and water mains in western McDonough County, bring water to rural homes in Colchester and Tennessee and Hire, Emmett, and Chalmers townships.

This water will come from Macomb’s spring lake and various reservoirs in the County.

Myers says the state has learned much more about water over the years.

The new water system should be flowing by the end of the summer.

water districts like Dallas City as also looking to expand. A number of officials claim it will only be a matter of time before rural residents in Warren and Henderson counties are offered a chance at water from one of the systems.

Posted: May 23rd, 2007 under Hot Blog.
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