Don't fix what IS NOT broken!

One nice thing about having a blog of your own is that it is YOURS and you can pretty much write what you want. We rarely use this blog as a political platform as Chasing4Life has stayed neutral and practical in most situations that involved politics, but we have some opinions every now and then that we want to share.

Over the course of the last six months, we have had the honor of working with many of the Illinois Township Road Commissioners. These men and women are the people that maintain the roads our team travels everyday as we traverse backroads and small highways from event to event educating tens of thousands each year. We appreciate the work they do. Often times, they are the ones that, despite hours and regulations, schedules and lack of personnel, are out there when we have seen few others.

Now, looming in the news almost every week is an effort to do away with Townships altogether if not, at least, the road work.

The goal of quite a few is to take townships out of the road business in Illinois and have counties take over township roads.

That's one of several new recommendations being offered by business-backed Chicago Metropolis 2020 after the nonprofit group looked at ways to boost the state's economy through transportation. Chicago Metropolis 2020 was created in 1999 by The Commercial Club of Chicago, an organization of business and civic leaders promoting regional growth.

According to its executive director, Frank Beal, $12 billion is spent on public transportation by 2,859 units of government in Illinois. Nearly half of those units - 1,403 - are townships that collect nearly $90 million in gasoline tax revenue each year. The $90 million is 16 percent of local governments' share of gasoline taxes. Each township has its own equipment, staff and buildings.

"It would be more efficient and effective if this was taken over by the county," Beal said in a recent interview.

The recommendation in the organization's report was that counties be given the revenue that townships now receive for roadwork, beginning with township roads in urban areas.

Townships maintain 71,187 miles of roads in Illinois.

71,187 miles. And it is done well.

I am not sure why we feel the need to destroy infrastructure that DOES work while we sit idly by and ignore gross oversights elsewhere. On our recent trip just this past weekend, we traveled over a total of 1600 miles for one event in Illinois. As we traveled, we could not wait to get onto the Township roads for a break from the construction zones with no workers, the poorly maintained roads, and of course, just the roads that ran through highly populated areas of traffic. It was nice to get out onto a Township Road and roll down the windows, enjoying the scenic beauty of the Illinois I remembered as a child; to enjoy the well-maintained roadway, to notice the lack of litter and debris along the roadside.

I do not claim to know all of the ins and outs of the finances of Illinois, but I do know that I speak at dozens of libraries still awaiting their checks from the State from before last year. I know that the State has little if not any money, but why would you do away with one of the ONLY things that IS working?

Many years ago, I attended a church that I was happy attending. The pastor and his wife were always there for you, volunteers filled the lot every Saturday to maintain the church. There was not a moment when SOMEONE was not available. Two years ago, I called the church because of a family emergency hoping to reach the pastor and was greeted by an answering system…

“If you are calling for directions to the church…press one…if you are a youth and wishing to know the times of the next youth meeting…press three…if you are in need of counseling and in need of an English-speaking counselor…press four….if you are calling about our upcoming revival services…press five…”

Seriously? We need to take a look at what we are doing to our country before we make decisions that are strictly based on the financial. Yes, we are growing. Yes we are busier. Yes we have made bad decisions in the past, but now more than ever we need to remember what kept this country together for the longest time and maybe try to preserve some of it. The Township structure is that last connection the local people have to their local government; these Township officials are available, they understand the area and the people, and they care about it.

Would we save money? I bet we would, but before we swallow this hook, someone had better call the Dell Service Center and try to get help rebooting their computer so they are reminded of what happens when we make decisions purely based on finances. Sure it saves a lot of money having customer service outsourced to another country, but I still have that stupid laptop sitting in my office under the desk and it still doesn’t work.

Illinois is still a beautiful state and a great place to travel. The Township roads attract people from all over the world because of what they are and who has taken such great care of them all these decades. The strength of this country is still found on the smallest of highways and now more than ever, we need to stop trying to fix what already works and take a look elsewhere.

If you can't stand the heat...HAVE A DRILL

It really is not that cold yet, but some of the recent nights have been a great excuse to throw a small log in that wood burner and sit in front of the television enujoying that wonderful smell of a fire. Chimneys will soon all be in use throughout the homes across our country shortly, fire wood piles we have worked on all summer will soon be utilized, and fire in general will become a part of everyday life for the next few months. Personally I cannot wait.

I love the sound of crackling logs and the smell of a wood fire, but with all of this comes risk and danger.

October is Fire Prevention Month, and now is the time to begin thinking through evacuation plans, fire safety, smoke alarm maintenance and maybe the process of having a fire drill in your home.

Don't let your family become a statistic this year. A fire drill in your home with your children can save lives. Take a few minutes this month to fire-proof your home and get your family prepared.

Here's some facts from the NFPA:

Smoke alarms

• Smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a reported fire in half.
• Most homes (96%) have at least one smoke alarm (according to a 2008 telephone survey.)
• Overall, three-quarters of all U.S. homes have at least one working smoke alarm.
• Each year, nearly 3,000 people die in U.S. home fires.
• In 2003-2006, roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from home fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
  - No smoke alarms were present in 40% of the home fire deaths.
  - In 23% of the home fire deaths, smoke alarms were present but did not sound.
• In more than half of the reported home fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate even though the fire was large enough, batteries were missing or disconnected. Nuisance alarms were the leading reason for disconnected alarms.
• More than half of the smoke alarms found in reported fires and two-thirds of the alarms found in homes with fire deaths were powered by battery only.
• Most homes still have smoke alarms powered by battery only. In a 2007 American Housing Survey (AHS), 67% of the respondents who reported having smoke alarms said they were powered by battery only.
• In a 2008 telephone survey, only 12% knew that smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
• In fires considered large enough to activate a smoke alarm, hard-wired alarms operated 91% of the time; battery-powered smoke alarms operated 75% of the time.
• Interconnected smoke alarms on all floors increase safety.
  - In a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) survey of households with any fires, interconnected smoke alarms were more likely to operate and alert occupants to a fire. (This includes fires in which the fire department was not called.)

Fire

• Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and injuries.
• Smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.
• Heating is the second leading cause of home fires, fire deaths and fire injuries.
• Electrical failures or malfunctions are factors in roughly 50,000 reported fires each year.
• Roughly 30, 000 intentionally set home structure fires are reported each year.

In 2008

• U.S. fire departments responded to 386,500 home fires.
• Home fires killed 2,755 people and injured 13,160.
• Someone was injured in a reported home fire every 40 minutes.
• Roughly eight people died in home fires every day.
• A fire department responded to a home fire every 82 seconds.
• 83% of all fire deaths and 79% of fire injuries resulted from home fires.

WORK SMART. RIDE SAFE.

If you have been following the Chasing4Life blogs, you know we are still out on the road touring the country and presenting educational programs to every age group in every corner of the country. Ithas been a busy year and while we have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of great people, we have also had the opportunity to see a lot of tragedy. Amidst the things we have seen on tour, perhaps the most horrific have been the ATV accidents.

We are excited that this week is finally here...

It is National Farm Safety and Health Week!

Each year, the National Center For Educational Safety determines a theme for this special week and the 2010 theme is "ATV's: Work Smart, Ride Safe."

Each year, about 800 deaths are reported nationally associated with ATV accidents. In Missouri, 68 deaths were recorded from 2006 through 2008, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. According to government statistics, four out of 10 people treated in emergency rooms for ATV injuries are under the age of 16. The exact number is not known because many ATV injuries are treated at home and not reported.

We have been so encouraged by the response and the results of this year's tour and we know that there is power in communicating. Make this week the week you and your family sit down and discuss new guidelines for ATV use and make sure that you check your ATV for excessive wear and the warning signs of a breakdown.

As always, we want you to have a safe and prosperous harvest season, so Work Smart. (and Ride Safe!)

For more information about Farm Safety and Health Week, see www.necasag.org/nfsnhw.php.

Girl Scout Update

From Severe Weather Safety programs with the girl Scouts to risk assessment meetings at their camps, this tour is awesome! We are looking forward to the next tour already! What an honor to have a Chasing4Life badge! I will post one shortly so you can all see!
The Girl Scouts have made a very real commitment to becoming an integral part of educating their communities regarding disaster preparedness and it is honor to be a part of that commitment.
(Picture above: Camp Ranger Andrew and his homemade "all-purpose" vehicle that he uses to navigate around the camp's narrow roads. What an awesome ride! Andrew, we totally enjoyed meeting with you!

A time to remember

Bill Sears

We lost a friend today and he will be missed but remembered fondly.

For several years Chasing4Life has been a member of National Preparedness Month. The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is reminding everyone that September is National Preparedness Month. Throughout National Preparedness Month, which is sponsored by FEMA's Ready Campaign, FEMA is encouraging all Americans to visit Ready.gov to learn how they can better prepare themselves and their families for the next emergency or disaster.

"Disaster can strike any time, anywhere. By taking a few simple steps now, you can ensure that your family and your community are prepared before the next emergency arises," said FEMA's Acting Regional Administrator Doug Gore. "We urge everyone to take steps necessary to keep their family safe, which includes getting a kit, making a plan, being informed and getting involved."

National Preparedness Month focuses on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness and helping Americans understand what it means to "Be Ready." National Preparedness Month coalition members have agreed to distribute emergency preparedness information and sponsor activities across the country that will promote emergency preparedness. Membership is open to all public and private sector organizations.

FEMA's Citizen Corps is also an important partner in this campaign. Citizen Corps is FEMA's grassroots strategy to bring together government and community leaders to involve citizens in all-hazards emergency preparedness and resilience.

To see a list of national, regional, tribal, state, local businesses and organizations that have pledged their support and joined the 2009 National Preparedness Month Coalition, please visit www.ready.gov/america/npm09/members.html.

Why we promote over 400 library events each year

“During tough economic times, people turn to libraries for their incredible array of free resources, from computers to books, DVDs and CDs, for help with a job hunt or health information. The average annual cost to the taxpayer for access to this wide range of resources is about $31, the cost of one hardcover book. In good times or bad, libraries are a great value!”

2008-2009 American Library Association President Jim Rettig

Why Support your Local Library?

• In a world where knowledge is power, libraries make everyone more powerful.
• Libraries bring people and ideas together. Think of the library as the living room of your community.
• Libraries are unique. Where else can you have access to nearly anything on CD, DVD, the Web or in print – as well as personal service and assistance in finding it?
• Libraries help bridge the divide between those who have access to information and those who do not. Families making less than $15,000 annually are two to three times more likely to rely on library computers than those earning more than $75,000.
• Nearly 73% of libraries are their communities' only source of free computer and Internet access- which rises to 82% in rural areas.
• Libraries don’t just offer the hardware, but also offer the expertise of librarians in helping teach people how to use the Internet and find the information they need quickly. While Google can give you 50,000 responses to your inquiry, your librarian can help you find the one answer you need.
• Libraries are part of the American Dream. They offer free access to all. They bring opportunity to all.
• Libraries and librarians provide free and equal access to information for people of all ages and backgrounds – in schools, on college and university campuses and in communities large and small.
• Libraries are for everyone, everywhere.

Back to school safety

An article I read recently said that an estimated 2.2 million children under the age of 14 are injured in school-related accidents each year. Accidents while on the way to school, on the way home from school and while playing at school can be avoided much like other disasters; by simply making a plan.

With schools starting across the country, now is the time to make those plans.

-Plan a walking route to school or to the bus stop. Make sure you have a direct route with the least amount of crossings your children will have to encounter. If you are in a rural area, make sure weeds and plants are trimmed from the end of the driveway so your child will be more than visible while waiting for the bus.

-Walk the route with your children and make sure you teach them to stay away from areas where they will be alone and unprotected such as parks, vacant lots, etc.

-Set rules for accepting rides NOW. As my children get older, the number of rides available increases. Make sure your children know not to take rides from strangers and not to take rides from under age drivers you are not sure about.

-Teach your kids to obey traffic laws and rules.

-Don’t forget that bad weather can become a part of your child’s travel to school and teach them the severe weather safety rules.

-Make sure if your child is riding his/her bike to school that they wear a helmet!

-Be sure that your child knows his or her home phone number and address, your work number, the number of another trusted adult and how to call 911 for emergencies.

-Check the playground equipment at your child’s school. Look for hazards such as rusted or broken equipment and dangerous surfaces. Report any hazards to the school.

-Make sure you are familiar with the school’s disaster and safety plans.

As the school year starts, traffic increases, daylight changes and the number of children on the roads increases. Make sure that this year’s back-to-school time is one of excitement and learning and tragedy.

Be alert and PLAN

A tropical wave (Invest 97L) near the east coast of Puerto Rico has became more organized overnight last night but was hardly noticed as storm reports flew into the tracking center from Nebraska, Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. We estimated that we spent over 4 hours on the phones with firefighters and spotters during the storms that inundated Central Illinois yesterday.

That’s a lot of activity all at once, and we often times become victims of what we call “radar fatigue”. This is not a medical term, but rather a term we created a few years ago during the hurricanes of 2005. What we are referring to is that complacency that is caused by storms that just seem to never go away. After hours of watching these storms and having them pound your town, the next one causes you to become weary and eventually many just stop watching.

It is a dangerous situation.

Last night, several folks that had been tracking and chasing these storms all day reached a point where they just wanted rest. Residents in areas already hit three or four times were simply turning off the computer and television assuming that there could not possibly be more.

With a stationary front in place in the Midwest and the systems presently working the country, it is important that despite the poundings, we stay alert. Storms kept us awake all night here in Illinois and we eventually woke to more warnings and watches already being issued for parts of the country.

Now, with that said, let’s talk about something else…

Summer is a time for beach parties, camping and Vacation Bible Schools. Last night, we received a call from a volunteer at a Vacation Bible School that was getting ready to release the children to go home. Rotation had been spotted by trained spotters, hail was over 1” in surrounding communities and the rain was torrential.
The town was in a Thunderstorm Warning.

Despite our advice to keep the children a bit longer and add one more indoor activity to the night’s events rather then sending them home, the church released the children.
Now, we realize that most of the children had rides and the parents were waiting, but what of the children that did not have rides? What of the folks now driving home?

We spoke to the leadership at the church and found that there was no written plan, no policy that had ever been communicated to volunteers and staff before the event began.
We need to have plans.

Whether you are a church or civic organization, a library or a restaurant, nothing will protect you, your property, your employees and your future like a written disaster plan.

Think of the possibilities last night held for anyone on the road…there were tornadoes, large hail, extreme flooding and high winds.

Folks, last night two people were struck by lightning during these storms.

As the severe weather continues to sweep the country, and more could be on its way as the Gulf lights up again, let’s talk plans.

REFERENCE POINT:
(From National Weather Service)
THUNDERSTORM WARNING
This is issued when either a severe thunderstorm is indicated by the WSR-88D radar or a spotter reports a thunderstorm producing hail 3/4 inch or larger in diameter and/or winds equal or exceed 58 miles an hour; therefore, people in the affected area should seek safe shelter immediately. Severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes with little or no advance warning. Lightning frequency is not a criteria for issuing a severe thunderstorm warning. They are usually issued for a duration of one hour. They can be issued without a Severe Thunderstorm Watch being already in effect.
The National Weather Service advises that when you hear thunder or see lightning to quickly move indoors or into a hard topped vehicle and remain there until well after the storm has passed.

July 19th Tour Update

Last week's tour ended in Tipton, Iowa where we had the BEST time talking about climate change, severe weather safety and what life can be like in a smaller town. The town itself was wonderfully charming and the visit was truly enjoyable.
Saturday found the educational team rolling into Barrington, Illinois for events at the public library followed by a visit with former C4L Team member Dan Bocklund who underwent heart surgery this week.
This week the road will take us to visit Dorothy at the SciTech Children's Museum in Aurora, Illinois followed by stops in River Forest, Oak Park, Bensenville, Niles, Evanston and ElPaso!
Are you on our schedule for the back-to-school tour? If not, you cannot wait too much longer! Write us an email from your church, school or library as soon as possible because the way it looks, we are not going to get much of a break between the end of this tour and the beginning of the next!

With storms back home in Nebraska, the summer tour continues with a few storms of our own as this week we hit some more cities in Iowa like Hull, Sioux Center, Hawarden, Sheldon, Alton, Boyden, Hospers, Orange City, Ely, Tipton and a few more. Above is a picture of a storm we encountered in Orange City Sunday night!

Dubuque...

The week has come to an end...another week of the tour is over. As we hang out in Fort Dodge tracking storms back in Nebraska, we're sitting here with our new friends from Texas eating homemade Mexican food and looking over the pics from yesterday. What a day it was! We spent the entire day in beautiful downtown Dubuque with Danielle at the Carnegie Stout Library. The building was beautiful but we enjoyed our personal tour of not only the library, but the city and the shoreline of the Mississippi and dinner at the Star Brewery!

HURRICANE WINDS IN IOWA?

Yep, you'd better believe it. Here is a pic of Ethan standing in a Hurricane Wind Simulator in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The week has been filled with new experiences and new faces and we have had a great time! Flooding in Iowa is extensive and closed roads with detours are becoming a part of the tour too often, but the reception at libraries has been amazing!

On the road again...

Back on the road today heading to rain-soaked Iowa! The second half of the Summer Reading Tour takes us throughout Iowa libraries with a few special stops in Illinois until mid-August! Keep watching here for updates and pics from the tour- we will try our best to keep things as updated as possible.
Back home, the office is working on the fall and winter dates. There are not many left, so if you think you have the right venue to fill one of these open dates, contact us via email right away. Scheduling for Spring and Summer of 2011 is happening NOW!