My Favourite Healthy Food Swaps

My Favourite Healthy Food Swaps
It has been 7 years now since I have been using nutrition as a method of healing. For those of you who don't know my history, when I was a teenager I developed horrendous digestive issues, from frequent diarrhoea, bloating, gas, intense stomach pain and chronic fatigue. When doctors told me I simply had "IBS", or an "irritable" bowel, I knew this couldn't be the answer. I wanted to know WHY. What was I doing or eating that was irritating my bowel? I began my own research and found a strong link between gluten and digestive issues. Despite my love for traditional whole wheat bread and cereal, I knew this was something I had to try. Literally within 2 weeks after eliminating gluten, I felt like a completely different person. I hadn't known what it felt like to not be gassy or in pain for almost 4 years. This was the only motivation I needed to continue with eliminating gluten from my diet.
Fast forward 2 years when I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology, my love for nutrition continued to grow and I definitely knew I wanted to learn more about the healing properties of food. It is safe to say that my studies at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition were life-changing. I learned everything from Ayurvedic food principles to herbal medicine, to the psychology behind the disease, and various diet types for various populations. A common trend was that so many of us eating the Standard American Diet are overfed and undernourished. Yes, it is totally possible to be obese and malnourished. People are choosing empty calories over nutrient dense ones and put themselves on a blood sugar rollercoaster with frequent cravings, low energy and heightened risks of disease.
One of the best things I think we can do for our health is simply swapping poor food choices for healthier alternatives. Removing foods with empty calories, inflammatory promoting foods, and foods that worsen digestive health, and replacing them for nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest, are health protective, and balance our blood sugar to promote a healthy body composition and a healthy mind.
I wanted to share some of my favourite healthy food swaps with you guys. My hope is that you can increase the nutrient density of each meal for improved weight management, better digestive health, improved hormonal balance, and overall improved vitality.
1) DON'T EAT: REFINED WHOLE WHEAT OR CORN TORTILLA/WRAP.
EAT: GRAIN FREE PALEO WRAP.
This swap is especially great for those suffering from diabetes, obesity and women with PCOS as this swap is super blood sugar balancing. Grain-free paleo wraps are SUPER high in fiber, low in carbs, and high in healthy fats. Fiber helps to bind excess hormones and remove them from the bowels. Healthy fats help to reduce inflammation and promote glowing skin and hormonal balance. Lowered carbohydrates, higher fiber, and higher healthy fats help to balance our blood sugar, keep us feeling full longer and reduce cravings.
 2) DON'T EAT: DAIRY ICE CREAM.
EAT: DAIRY FREE ICE CREAM.
This swap is especially great for those who suffer from acne, hormonal imbalances,  irritable bowel and obesity. Milk and dairy products (this includes butter) promote insulin production and induces acne. Acne is triggered by an insulin-disrupting diet, and milk and dairy products contain insulin-like growth factor 1, which then stimulates acne formation. Milk proteins also increase the male sex hormone testosterone which clogs pores and increases oil production in the subcutaneous skin glands. Dairy is also high inflammatory: The sugar and the proteins in dairy are what give it these inflammatory properties in the body. Especially susceptible individuals are those who are lactose intolerant as they do not produce the lactase enzyme, which is required to break down lactose, the sugar found in milk. This worsens the accompanied digestive issues whenever they consume dairy products.
I also swap my regular milk for almond milk and my dairy-based yogurt for coconut, cashew or almond yogurt.
 3) DON'T EAT: POTATO CHIPS.
EAT: KALE CHIPS.
This swap is great for anyone who is as extra as I am (LOL). If you know me, you know how much I love kale chips, so I felt obligated to put this one in here. With all jokes aside, if you are a snacker you really need to try this swap. Kale chips are the perfect amount of crunch and come in both sweet and savoury flavours. Other chip alternatives include sweet potato chips, banana chips, cassava chips and plantain chips. Making them yourself will eliminate a lot of the pro-inflammatory oils (such as sunflower and canola) that a lot of cheap, store-bought brands use.
4) DON'T EAT: WHOLE WHEAT PASTA/WHITE PASTA.
EAT: BLACK BEAN PASTA.
This swap is important for anyone looking to lose weight, improve energy and balance their blood sugar. A serving size of pasta is typically 1/2 to 1 cup but let's be real when people eat pasta they go beyond this and end up eating 2-3 cups. Who needs 200+g of carbohydrates before they go lay on the couch and watch Netflix? Unless you are a professional athlete or an extremely active individual, you probably do NOT need carbohydrates to this extent in one sitting. The insulin surge caused by eating this amount of carbohydrates in one meal will have you feeling exhausted within minutes, and then craving something sweet shortly after. It is a vicious cycle. Bean pasta, on the other hand, is LOADED with fiber and protein. This will help to keep you feeling full, longer, balance your blood sugar, and improve hormonal balance
5) DON'T EAT: WHOLE WHEAT/REFINED BREAD
EAT: GRAIN FREE FLAX BREAD.
This swap is again great for people looking to balance their blood sugar, manage their hormones, improve body composition, fight candida and improve digestive health. The number of healthy fats and fibre in this bread alternative will help to bind excess hormones such as estrogen and remove them in the bowels. Elevated estrogen levels are associated with weight gain (the more estrogen you have, the more fat you produce). Flax also contains natural phytoestrogens which help to block harmful xenoestrogens, associated with estrogen dominant cancers, from binding to our hormone receptor sites. Lastly, this recipe is grain free, gluten free, and dairy free so it is perfect for anyone with food sensitivities that can worsen digestive issues. Get the recipe https://www.marissaliana.com/single-post/2018/03/21/Paleo-Flax-Loaf

Traitor or Patriot? By Joe Ingino

Traitor or Patriot?
   Former  F.B.I. Director, James Comey. 
Traitor or Patriot?
Mr. Comey, was quoted on national television claiming that his  former boss and commander in chief is not morally fit to be President.
What qualifications does he have to make such judgement call?  As FBI Director... his morality is constantly compromised.  From the many illegal tap wires to the many un authorized surveillance not to mention the millions the FBI launders from confiscated drugs and goods used to pay off snitches and informants.
Comey went on that Trump runs his administration much like the mob.  He went as far as making comparisons to ‘LA COSA NOSTRA’, the notorious New York mob family headed by John Gotti.
Here is a guy that was the F.B.I Director... the head of what many deem legalized crime, calling the commander in chief a mob boss.
Talk about irony.   Not to ad insult to stupidity.  James Comey as head of the FBI has compromised his own integrity as a professional law enforcer by making such claims.    Then again.  One has to wonder his own moral constitution.
Here is a guy that is clearly a republican sympathizer.   He is clearly anti Trump.   Now that he has been fired decides to go public and breach the honor of the position he held.  Does he not have duty to nation to respect the chain of command?
Is his outburst for self profit of the sale of his book not anti-patriotic?   Is his behavior not treason against the state, he swore to protect?
Democracy is not about rebellion but instead about respecting the integrity of the process.  This means that if he/she leads, it is up to all of us to uphold the principles of which democracy has prescribed.
To me James Comey should be facing treason charges.   At the least libel and slander against the President of the United States.   Let me explain.  On the high side.  Comey has gone public and openly denouncing  the leader of America.   Something that he as a personal opinion should had been kept to himself.   Out of respect for the nation and the integrity of his profession.  He has or had no business making the statements he made against Trump.
Sure he has the right to express his opinion and thoughts.  After all he is protected by freedoms and right found in the constitution.  The question is...  Does this make it right?  Does this not surpass the responsibility as a patriot to uphold the integrity of the union by keeping personal opinions and dislikes just that ‘personal’.
As for him come out and openly ridicule the President....  that just goes to show you the level of professionalism and the reason why he is out of a job.   Imagine calling down to his office and he has such bias and prejudice towards his boss and or chain of command.
Trump if anything has a good libel and slander case against  him...then again Trump is a public figure and open to personal opinion. Trump was right to get rid of him.  He was not an asset to the FBI.  He was clearly a liability. I watched Comey on one of those talk shows making statements like... “now that I am an author, I have to write to my audience.”  What a load of crap.
The real question is how did this guy become director of the FBI.    Any ideas.   The FBI is a dog eat dog environment.  And entity truly above the law in many aspects.
The funny thing about all this is his comparison of Trump to a mob boss. 
Sad that we live in a society that if you don’t like the hand you been dealt.  You just turn around and do what is best for you first without care for the betterment of society at large.  Sad.

Exciting things happening around Durham By John Mutton

By John Mutton      
  Some pretty exciting things happening around Durham this past week, highlighted by job growth and the economy.
Pickering having already had the announcement of Durham Live and the thousands of jobs and economic multiplier to ensue has announced the new Kubota heavy equipment production facility.

In Ajax, Regional Councillor Shaun Collier has announced his intentions to run for Mayor and I could personally think of a better choice. He has the finance background, the business acumen and the toughness to be Mayor. I believe he is also the man to broker a deal to save Ajax Downs with the new provincial government as well.

In Clarington we learned that the new super outlet mall was cancelled from lack of infrastructure investment around the 401 interchange. While the Western part of Durham seems to find solutions, "no" seems to be the dominant word in Clarington.
It was great to see the GO extension and the sign unveiling, however I would rather see the unveiling of the budget that will deliver GO to Clarington, that will be done by the new Premier. Sign posting in election year is just fodder.
One thing that I know, with the commuters and new residents being promised a GO Train, we need assurance that this can be delivered no matter who the provincial government. One of the biggest issues in Durham is the gridlock on the 401.
Till next week

John MuttonPresident and CEO
Municipal Solutions - Energy and Infrastructure

IS RETALIATION THE ANSWER? By Joe Ingino

IS RETALIATION THE ANSWER?
  You have to wonder on the logic used by world powers.  A nation commits a crime.  This allows other nations to reciprocate in the name of sending a message?
  Is this logical thinking to you?  In criminal law.  Someone breaks the law and there is retribution not reciprication.... or wait.  Are they not one of the same, just labeled differently?
Interesting questions. 
In my world if we send in troops and over take a government.  We did not liberate.  We conquered... and as such.  Why is it we in the West keep wasting billions to liberate with no reciprocation.
It would make sense that if we go to war we should be compensated.   We should be able to plant our national flag on their soil and reap the benefits of their natural resources to say the least.
With the recent global developments.  Syria is punishes militarily.... to what real gain?   So we bombed a few buildings...  What is the value of hitting a building that is worth 100,000 with a 20 million dollar missile. 
Does it make sense to you?
On the other side of the coin if we do nothing.   This leaves Syria to continue developing weapons that incorporate chemical agents.   I know it is a humanitary issue...  but why should we care in the west that Syria is using these weapons on it’s own people?   I guess the fear that those weapons can find their way to our shores.
This is not logical but strategically rational.  
Politically it is a way to flex world muscle and assure that some sort of global humanity is maintained.
The real question is.  Why are we so barbaric and who gave the west the God given right to police the world?
Question, and more questions...

Downtown of Oshawa By John Mutton

 I am really enjoying my firms new office in the Downtown of Oshawa. I am so impressed with the trendy coffee shops in the city likely driven by the UOIT presence.

I was also looking at the great presence of the creative class in the City and for example you can see this at the Cork and Been at almost any day on the west side of Simcoe st, just south of King St.

The City will never reach its potential without the removal of the methadone clinic however. If successful in October, I plan to use all tools that we have in the Municipal Act to relocate the methadone clinic, mark my words on this.

Once the drug anchor is removed out of the downtown, an increase in police walking a beat and an increase in bike patrols will in fact take our city core back. The old rule of thumb is that good can always drive out bad.

Durham Regional Police must also be targeting the prostitution and human trafficking, I absolutely witnessed a huge influx of prostitution last week in the City. This does not sit well with the public or me. The eradication of crime must be THE priority in Oshawa downtown.

Crime across Durham is an issue period. Councillor Shaun Collier, the next Mayor of Ajax has spoke to me about the need for a Police Station in Ajax and I am fully supporting him on this initiative. Land acquisition, Engineering and construction will happen under his watch and mine.

Crime must be met with the Broken Windows philosophy that Rudy Giuliano advocated. Only then will we be legitimately proactive on crime.Till next week
John MuttonPresident and CEO
Municipal Solutions - Energy and Infrastructure
Downtown of Oshawa

Living In The Past from Wayne & Tamara

Living In The Past
So I’m getting a haircut on Saturday morning. My barber is in his mid-70s. He starts talking about how horrible it is that they are making a movie about the Charles Manson murders. It’s due for release next year on the 50th anniversary of the killings.
My barber was a young newlywed at the time, in California, and working for hair stylist Jay Sebring. He showed me a picture on the wall of the two of them. He joked that Jay gave the worst haircut he had ever seen, but in 1969 he was getting $55 a haircut. He described Sebring as a great friend and boss.I just listened. On the day of the murders, my barber was being trained how to close the shop. He was probably one of the last people, besides the other victims, to see his friend alive. He told me he was a young hothead and wanted to go out and kill whoever killed his boss.
My barber sort of blames fellow victim, Sharon Tate, for Sebring's death. If he hadn’t been romantically involved with her, he wouldn’t have become one of the seven people murdered.
My point is not to gossip about the dead. My point is that my barber blames his friend's death on Tate and said the guy could have lived a long life if he could have gotten "that woman" out of his life.
Is that typical mourning almost 50 years later? Seven people died in two nights, but he blames one of the victims for one of the other deaths.
Robert

Robert, the murders are a traumatic memory for your barber, and traumatic memories differ from ordinary memories. Ordinary memories fade quickly, but traumatic memories remain intense even after many years.
That’s one explanation. Then there’s the celebrity aspect. Contacts with celebrities are so out of the ordinary for most of us we don’t forget them. Meeting Russell Crowe makes a bigger impact than what we had for lunch a week ago Tuesday.
We remember things bigger than ourselves: an army on the march, a Bruce Springsteen concert, a great football game. They are a big deal. The Manson murders may not have been The Crime of the Century, but they were one of them. The helter-skelter craziness of the Manson clan is infamous.
Perhaps your barber constructed a fantasy future and saw himself managing a Jay Sebring salon in Hollywood or London, though Jay may never have had that level of success. Perhaps he wants to ignore his friend’s role in his own death by resorting to a time-honored male strategy: blame the woman.r it could simply be he grieves over a friend’s death. But repeating the story and keeping the photo wear deeper and deeper grooves into his memory and nervous system. At this point the memory would be almost impossible to escape.
The story and the photograph are like your barber’s trademark. They make him memorable compared to all the other barbers in the world. They are like the white suits and white fedora worn by writer Tom Wolfe, or the odd speech pattern of actor Christopher Walken.
People raised in abuse cannot get past what happened. They think: what was, is. Some people throw themselves into a tizzy over what if. What if I had gotten on that plane that crashed? But life is not about what if or what was. Life is about what is. We can’t live in an imagined future or the remembered past. We should only live from what is, today.
Wayne & Tamara
         Send letters to: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Should you eat gluten?

Should you eat gluten?
There is a lot of buzz around gluten intolerance and celiac disease these days, so I figured it would be informative and fun to dive a little deeper into the real issues surrounding gluten.
As well, as a nutritional practitioner, it is important to always be aware and able to recognize a client’s symptoms and understand how they may relate to different food allergies or sensitivities.
This blog will cover the definition of gluten, the difference between gluten sensitivity and a gluten allergy, explanations why these problems may be on the rise, and healthy alternatives to this grain!

What is Gluten?

Gluten is the lectin protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, spelt and rye, which is incredibly hard for the body to digest.
The digestibility of gluten may be a bigger problem for some individuals than others, and blood type plays a large role in determining our body’s ability to digest gluten.
In sensitive individuals, especially blood type O individuals, gluten has an agglutinating effect, literally meaning “glue-like” effect on the cells of the body, specifically the villi in the small intestine. This causes substantial pain, inflammation and irritation of the lining of the digestive tract.
Many individuals will respond differently to gluten, and this often determines the severity of the sensitivity or intolerance.
The symptoms/effects of eating gluten can include gas, bloating, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, irritability, and increased cravings for more sugar and carbs.

What is the difference between a person with gluten sensitivity compared to a gluten intolerance (or Celiac Disease)

What is gluten intolerance (allergy)?

Gluten intolerance signifies an actual immune-mediated response, triggered when dietary gluten enters the body of susceptible individuals.  A food allergy is an immediate reaction to food that is triggered by IgA antibodies. In the case of gluten as the allergen, this is termed celiac disease.
The auto-immune reaction triggers the process of agglutination, where antibodies in the blood view gluten as a foreign invader. This essentially glues the gluten together to be removed by the body but causes inflammation and destruction of local cells, especially the villi in the small intestine which are responsible for nutrient absorption.
Gluten also stimulates ZONULIN, a protein that increases gut permeability which opens up the tight junctions that normally protect the small intestine of bacteria and undigested food. This also causes a heightened immune response to the gluten.
If left untreated, celiac disease significantly increases the risk for certain cancers, osteoporosis, malnutrition and neurological conditions such as depression

What is gluten sensitivity?

A gluten sensitive person will still have an increased immune response to gluten but is not as elevated as it would be in a person with an auto-immune mediated reaction to gluten. In other words, food sensitivities are delayed reactions to specific foods that are triggered by IgG antibodies (compared to a true allergy which is mediated by IgA antibodies). Ensuring you receive the right test is crucial to determining whether you have a true allergy to gluten, or if your immune system is overly sensitive to gluten.

 Why have gluten sensitivities and intolerances increased so much over the last several years?

There are a few different reasons why gluten sensitivities and intolerances are on the rise.

GMOs: Firstly, since the 1950’s, all wheat, even organic wheat (According to the book Wheat-Belly), has been genetically modified. Instead of containing its 14 original chromosomes, it now has a whopping 42! This makes the GMO grain hard for the body to digest.
In other words, the gluten content of the stains of genetically modified wheat contains five times more gluten than their non-hybridized ancestors.

UNSPROUTED GRAINS: Secondly, un-sprouted grains such as wheat have anti-nutrients present in them, inhibiting their digestibility, and also the body’s ability to absorb calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.

WESTERNIZED DIETS: Thirdly, the frequency of celiac disease is increasing in many developing countries as their diets are becoming more westernized and consuming more GMO wheat products

What are the Alternatives to Gluten Containing Foods and are they any Healthier?

The food industry has made millions of dollars capitalizing on the advertisement of “Gluten-free foods”, but this does not necessarily mean they are healthy. Many of these alternatives contain ingredients such as potato starch, cornstarch and rice starch, which have high glycemic indexes and can even lead to weight gain.

Better alternatives would, therefore, be, quinoa, an amazing grain and complete source of protein, as well as coconut flour, high in fiber and incredibly low on the glycemic index scale.
So what’s the take-home message?

You must now be asking yourself, so what do I do?! Do I eat gluten, or do not eat gluten?

If it were up to me, the answer would always be no! Simply because nearly ALL wheat crops are GMO and extremely hard for the body to digest.
However, if you ARE going to eat gluten, safety tips include:

    Sprout your grains or buy sprouted grains to make them more easily digestible
    Limit their overall consumption

    Take an L-Glutamine and zinc supplement to rebuild the cells on the small intestine so they replicate and decrease the likelihood of excessive permeability due to digestive damage

    Taking a probiotic can also be extremely beneficial as they help to control inflammation in the body, which is definitely happening in someone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity. A probiotic can also strengthen the lining and function of the colon which helps protect the mucosal barrier from the invasion of harmful invaders/organisms from getting into the bloodstream.
Until next week, Stay well.  Marissa.   www.marissaliana.com

Exercise Can Kill You

Exercise Can Kill You
   The Earl of Darby once remarked that “Those who don’t take time for wellness, will eventually have to make time for sickness.” Like many doctors, I too have advised patients and readers to exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Now, Dr. Maureen Brogan, Associate Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College, reports that intense, repetitive, motion exercise can cause rhabdomyolysis. And in rare cases it can kill.
Brogan explains that when muscle is damaged, it dumps myoglobin, an iron and oxygen-binding muscle protein, into blood circulation.  Excessive amounts of myoglobin can obstruct the kidney’s filtration system and cause serious damage.
 I have mentioned in previous columns that, in rare cases, prolonged use of high doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs can cause rhabdomyolysis. I have also stressed that excessive exercise has been associated with fibrosis of cardiac muscle. But I was never aware it could cause rhabdomyolysis. According to Dr. Brogan, over-exercising triggers the problem. This can occur when you push yourself too far in cycling, running, or lifting weights.
For instance, Brogan cites the case of professional snowboarder, Amy Purdy, who in 2016 was hospitalized after participating in a CrossFit class for the first time. So why was hospitalization needed when she was well-conditioned?
The problem was she had not done pullups for several months. So the high intensity pullups during class caused her medical Waterloo.
She remarked, “It wasn’t until 72 hours later that my arms would not straighten out all the way. I also had swelling of my elbows on both arms. Tests showed I had rhabdomyolysis. It shows if you push your body to failure, and keep going, you’re at risk. Listen to your body as it knows best.”
Other possible symptoms of rhabdomyolysis are nausea, vomiting, fever, intense shivering, confusion and fainting. And urine can be scant and dark.
When I read this report I thought about friends who routinely run several miles every week. And others who participate in long distance cycling races. Some who exercise regularly are quite surprised when told of this diagnosis. So I wondered if any might be suffering from mild forms of rhabdomyolysis without realizing it. 
We also know this condition can result from accidents that injure muscles, prolonged immobilization, drug side effects and genetic disorders.
Brogan claims that high intensity cycling has produced dozens of cases of   rhabdomyolysis, particularly among “newbies”, just beginning the sport, and pushing their bodies beyond capacity. One New York City hospital reports 29 cases of rhabdomyolysis during a four year period.  She adds that no one is immune to rhabdomyolysis, as there is a fine line between exercising to capacity and overexerting yourself.
So what’s the message? Like many medical problems, prevention is better than cure, particularly when there’s a small chance of dying. Cycling seems to be   one of the major hazards. Brogan says that when she started to research this matter, 42 of the 46 cases of rhabdomyolysis involved patients attending cycling classes for the first time.
These patients are at big risk as they are often not conditioned and using untested muscles at an intense rate. But if you’re a runner and decide it’s time to switch to cycling, remember, you will be using a different set of muscles for the first time, which could result in rhabdomyolysis unless you gradually increase the intensity overtime.
Insufficient physical training, along with severe dehydration and/or extreme body temperatures, also increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis regardless of the type of exercise.
Always start slow. Take frequent breaks, keep well hydrated, and listen hard to what your body is telling you, as no one is immune to rhabdomyolysis. Brogan reports that 7 to 8 out of 100,000 military recruits are affected every year. Even professional athletes suffer its consequences. The mortality rate is five percent, but can be higher if kidney function fails.
Of course it’s not the intention of this column to worry people about exercising, have them become couch potatoes, nor to make time for illness. Rather, the best advice is to keep moving, but stress that moderation in most aspects of life usually wins the day.

WHY DO WE HAVE A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT By Joe Ingino

WHY DO WE HAVE A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
  How many of you know the name of your local councillor?  How many of you know the name of your regional councillor?  Hell, how many of you know the name of our beloved Mayor. 
What has the municipality done for you?  Besides, taking your property taxes and waste them on consultants and wastefully spending it...
I say this because the City of Oshawa spends millions on consultants, advisors and studies that in most cases are common sense.  
This brings to question why do we need municipal government?
As it stand we are without choice bound to the region.   The City has given up it’s Police force, ambulance, fire, water services.    Would it no make more sense to surrender to the region and let them govern us?
Would we not financially as a city benefit.   Personally, I say ‘NO’.   Personally, I say we take back our police services, ambulance and water.   Oshawa has always been the jewel of Durham.   But due to bad leadership, arrogance and ignorance.   The Oshawa elect have slipped.  Thinking we are saving millions by having the region do our dirty work... such as running water purification and sewer.  Or managing the police services, ambulance and fire.  Not to mention our hospitals.
I say it is a sham and an out of control system.   The police operate as a separate political entity as does the hospital, fire and ambulance.    We as a City need to take control back of these critical systems and stream line them.
No more waste, no more pockets of self interest and agenda driven organizations.   We must control and manage to better the people of Oshawa.  To bring back that luster that the jewel of the region once had.
Sadly, the voter pool is not what it use to be.   It is not made up of people that care about their community.   Today’s voters pools is made of ‘ME FIRST’ types that only care about getting through the day.  This is evident in the result election after election.
It appears if you sit on City council and you do nothing.  That is an assurity that you will be re-elected.
How can this be?  How can people not care?   I am baffled at the new prejudice and bias in society.   Envy and ignorance prevail over common sense and the integrity of doing what is best for the population at large.
You look down South and see a leader like Trump.   A self made man that in the most miraculous fashion has managed to conquer the beast.   He has turned the American landscape upside down and has assured himself a place in world history like no other American president.
The question still remains... Do we need municipal government?
In my personal opinion.  Yes, we do if we are to move forward as a society.
No, if we are to maintain the status quo.   I say this because the status quo, has proven to bring us to a halt.  
There is no regards for spending and there is no place for the general public as all we are water droplets in a sea that these local politicians must stay afloat on.
Tax increases, no jobs and self preservation are the norm.   We are at the eve of another municipal election.  Can you afford to make the same mistake?  Will you make the same mistakes?
Probably so.  Otherwise how do you explain councillor sitting in office for 20 years and the deteriorating state of the City.
Now I ask again.  Do we need a municipal government?

SAVE THE CAT HOUSE!!! by H. J. Rogers

  SAVE THE CAT HOUSE!!!
    The Right Honorable J. Thomas Madden, lawyer extraordinaire in Moundsville and bon vivant in Wheeling (or is he--it's slipped my mind--a bon vivant in Moundsville and lawyer extraordinaire in Wheeling) said it couldn't be done.  "I know that you've done some wild stuff, Herbie Furbee,"
he said, "like you're almost the definition of 'off-the-wall'--nothing personal, of course, you know
what I mean, but there is no way not even you can get THE FABLED EARL OF ELKVIEW, a/k/a
GEORGE DAUGHERTY, ESQUIRE to drive from Charleston to Belington, Barbour County, West Virginia to put on his famed STAND UP FOR WEST VIRGINIA show to SAVE THE CAT HOUSE !!!
Never !!!  No way !!!  And I'll even bet the Madden family farm on it !!!"
"O! ye of little faith . . . "  It is a very simple project if one realizes that "what we have here . . ."
[Quick: In which one of Paul Newman's movies was this a tag line?] is a WEST VIRGINIA SYZYGY of three--an earthly trinity, as it were, of course--big hearted human beings, people who in their own way would make Mother Theresa look heartless.

    The first of this SYZYGY of secular saints is DEENA COBURN of Belington, Barbour County,
West Virginia.  (If you don't know where Belington is, don't ask because you can't get there from here.)

If there ever was a Sabat Mater in West Virginia it would be this woman.  Once whenI was at a certain Protestant theology school, I gave a sermon that took me to the Dean's office as an
accused heretic: "Sometimes, I think, we may make too much of the suffering of Jesus.

 Cast a glance at Mary, His Mother, look at her suffering.  She stood there for three hours watching her Baby Boy being tortured to death . . . . Now ask yourself what is worse: To suffer pain or watch someone you love with all your heart suffer pain.  You tell me, you preachers in embryo.  Q.E.D."
    Deena's Baby Boy, whom she birthed in Fairmont some 30 plus years ago, is currently under sentence of death in another state, a "far country" as it were from which the odds are great that he will only return to his sabat mater in a pine box or cheap urn.  Moreover, her Baby Boy is in solitary confinement and in a wheelchair.  [He needs a hip replacement which his captors refuse to provide for the very good and pragmatic reason that they intend to kill him."]   And he's been in this "far country" for five years now. 

    Now, dear reader, don't confuse things by asking what he did, what heinous crime does he stand convicted?  The first time I spoke with Deena on the telephone, the first words out her mouth were "And he's INNOCENT!"  Professor J. Livingston Hall of Harvard Law School and the former federal prosecutor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts said "The trouble with being a prosecutor is that every defendant has a Mother."  Baby Boy may or may not "deserve" what he got but what does his weeping Mother deserve?  

 I don't know the whole story but Deena and her Baby Boy traveled around a lot together; South Carolina being one of their stops.  And they would collect stray cats, scads of them over the years that they were together.  But Deena doesn't pretend to be the Father Flanagan of the cat world.  "I need my cats more than they need me," she told me recently.

        When I first talked with her a month or so ago, she had 11 cats (some cats' lineage is is traced back to the days of her  vagabondage with her Baby Boy.)  A couple weeks back one of her cats dies and Deena left this message on my recorder: "The death of my cat has multiplied all the horrors of my life."   By the way, like her son, Deena too is in a wheelchair.

        Ever since she's lived in Belington, Dr. Ilene Lannie of Elkins has served as the Angel of Mercy for Deena's menagerie.

However, when the unpaid bill went over $1000, Deena was told by one of the staff that they
could no longer extend credit to her (probably because they had a human family to feed.) Deena rejected out of hand my advice which was to "stiff" the vet and go somewhere else.
Her morals are obviously higher that those of the Furbee Gang.

        It was when I was relating this sad tale of woe to THE EARL OF ELKVIEW, passing on the fact that one dead cat was pregnant (Deena told me that even after the body went stiff that she could feel the little kittens wiggling inside the stomach) and that Deena was going to take the body back to Fairmont for burial that Daughery broke in:

        "HERBIE FURBEE, DON'T YOU SEE THAT THERE ARE TWO SAINTS HERE; THE
WOMAN WHO COLLECTED THE STRAY CATS AND THE WOMAN WHO PROVIDED MED-
ICAL CARE FOR THESE CATS FOR SO LONG AND FOR A MERE PITTANCE !!!."

        In addition to being a great entertainer, George Daugherty was a great trial lawyer with
political connections and friends all over the State.  Since the death of A. James Manchin, in addition to continuing on  as THE EARL OF ELKVIEW, George Daugherty has served as the
avatar of the THE LOST SHEEP OF THE 35TH STATE.

        He put me on hold for a few minutes and then boomed into his speakerphone:  HERBIE
FURBEE ON THE 22 OF APRIL, WHICH IF MEMORY SERVES ME IS THE 78 ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE OF YOUR NATIVITY, I SHALL DO A BENEFIT FOR DEENA COBURN AT THE BELINGTON CIVIC CENTER @ 3p.m. TO SAVE THE CAT HOUSE AND THE INHABITANTS THEREOF.

       As I suggested at the beginning, I think that there are three good people who will be hon- ored on April 22 and you should COME ON DOWN; but if you can't make it, do a check to Ilene Lannie, DVM, and send it to Deena Coburn, 25 S. Crim Avenue, Apt. B, Belington, West Virginia 26250.

  That money will be waiting on you in Heaven.  If you don't believe me, ask your priest, rabbi, preacher, imam, snake charmer, whatever.  Or Wheeling's Bill Hogan.  He told me once "You have to give it away to keep it" and Bill was a stock broker.  He knows $$$.

Domesticating Issue By Joe Ingino

Domesticating Issue
  There is no excuse for violence.  But there sure is reason. I ask this question in that an unrelated topic I happen to visit the Northern Regional Jail web page.   Out of interest I began to look at the inmates charges.  Much to my shock.  80% of those in there are due to domestic related issues.  From domestic battery to malicious assault.
You got to wonder what is going wrong in our society that there is such a large number of people committing these type of crimes.
Is this becoming our new social cancer?  Has our society failed to such a degree that we are committing these heinous crimes against member of family?
I started looking at case law.  I also talked to local police on the issue.   Much to my surprise the victims in many cases are the instigators.  The end result poor or no communication and violence erupts.
Violence in most cases stemming from substance abuse.  Others from rooted psychological imbalances.    A crime is a crime.  Yet, we can’t persecute without understanding circumstances.
Family law has been criticized for it’s harsh penalties towards perpetrators of domestic abuse and or violence.   But failed to take into consideration that in many cases there is a catalyst that causes the eruption of violence.
I think education is the key to combating this very serious social issue.  We must look at ways to teach our population on coping mechanism and family dynamics.  
In this modern age everyone has a right.  But fail to acknowledge that rights come with responsibilities and commitment.   This means that just because it is your right it does not necessarily mean that you must exercise it.
What does all this mean.  We need to invest in educating people on family dynamics.  On the importance of each members role and the responsibilities associated with each.   We must also teach appreciation and respect.  As without either violence is only a whisper away.
A police officer explained that in many cases they press charges and within a few hours the victim and perpetrator are back together as if nothing had happened.   This in my opinion is the reason behind the violence.  Even there is no excuse.  I think it merits reason.