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MAKING YOUR HOME
All house paints made after 1978 are lead-free, and paint made between 1950 and 1978 could contain moderate amounts of lead. Chips, flakes and dust from lead-based paints can poison children when swallowed. Dr. Seth Foldy and the Cleveland Lead Hazard Abatement Project offer the following advice for protecting your children from the hazards of lead-based paint. Wash hands often, especially before eating, and carefully clean up paint chips. Reduce lead dust levels in the home by wet-mopping and damp-dusting often with detergent, then rinsing with plain water. Never remove intact paint without the help of an expert, unless you know it doesn’t contain lead. In his publication titled “How to Make a Home Lead-Safe,” Dr. Foldy also advises children with high lead levels should eat healthy meals and snacks at regular intervals. Diets should be rich in calcium (milk, dairy products) and iron (cereals, dark green vegetables, meats). Although the main danger from household lead comes from old lead-based paint, lead in drinking water can also be a source of exposure. Houses built before 1950 often have lead service lines connecting their homes to the water main in the street. Lead can dissolve into drinking water if water sits for extended periods in pipes or fixtures containing lead. Exposure can come from a lead service line, from lead-based solder in copper plumbing, or from brass fixtures that contain lead. To make sure your water is lead-free, always use the cold-water tap when drawing water for drinking or cooking. That’s because lead is more likely to dissolve in hot or warm water. And, if the water has been sitting unused in pipes for several hours, flush the old water from your system before using any for drinking or cooking. For more information about lead in drinking water, click here. |
Experience the Magic of Michigan
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Komen Race for the Cure is about fighting breast cancerThe 2006 Komen Greater Lansing Race for the Cure is about more than just running or walking. It’s about fighting breast cancer. The Lansing race takes place Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m. at the state Capitol in downtown Lansing. The Komen Greater Lansing Affiliate was established in 2001 to spread the life-saving message of early detection and to financially support breast cancer education, screening, treatment and support programs in Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties. To date, the local affiliate has awarded grants totaling more than $200,000 in the tri-county area. Race day registration begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 30 in front of the state Capitol building. For more information about the Race for the Cure, e-mail the Greater Lansing Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation at komenteams@hotmail.com |
ALLEN STREET FARMERS MARKET The popular Allen Street Farmers Market opens in Lansing’s Eastside Neighborhood Wednesday, May 17. The market is open every Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. through October 26 at the corner of Kalamazoo Street and Allen Street. Last year a total of 14 area farmers participated in the market with an average of six vendors at the market every week. This year, the Allen Street Farmers Market has been awarded a $20,000 grant by the Project for Public Spaces. It’s one of just 12 grants awarded nationwide and will be used to develop youth garden vendors and expand market availability to low-income consumers by improving EBT/food stamp access. Youth Garden Club kids will grow food in the new Garden House at Hunter Park and sell their wares at the market, along with area farmers. A new system will use wooden tokens to enable food stamp users to simplify food purchases with farmers.
ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH
It may be April, but the 11th annual BWL Chili Cook-Off is close at hand. This year’s cook-off will again be held along the downtown River Trail between Michigan Avenue and Shiawassee Street Friday, June 2. It’s bound to be our biggest and best yet, and a few truly dedicated Chiliheads will again be picked to judge the chili entry with the best combination of heat and flavor. This isn’t a job for just anyone. It takes a BWL customer with strong opinions and an even stronger stomach. In the space below, let us know why you should be one of those selected for our special Mo’ Hotter, Mo Better chili-judging panel. Print out, complete and enclose your entry form with this month’s utility bill. Deadline for entry is Friday, May 12. |
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If your home was built
before 1950, it could contain lead-based paint, and that can pose a health hazard, especially for children under age 6.
The Project for Public Spaces received 262 proposals from 46 states, and awarded just 12 grants totaling $211,000. Last year the Allen Street Farmers Market drew more than 6,100 people, half of them from Lansing’s east side.
