Single-Stream Recycling Comes to Pike

Milford Township's new recycling container was all ready to be put in place this week. (Photo by Don Quick)

By Pat Camuso

MILFORD- Single-stream recycling is now a reality in Pike County. Forget about sorting your recycling materials from now on because with single-stream technology Pike County residents can now dispose of all their recyclables mixed together.

According to the Pike County Board of Commissioners, single-stream recycling allows residents and businesses to “recycle more materials, conserve more resources, and save money.”

Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Rich Caridi said that all paper, plastics, glass and metals that can be recycled can now be stored in a single container and placed in the same receptacle at one of the drop-off stations.

There are currently five stations operating on a 24/7 basis in the county with five additional stations set to go online in the near future.

Stations are currently open at Dutch’s Market, route 507 in Greentown; the Palmyra Township Building on Buehiler Lane in Paupack; Shohola Midtown Service  on route 434; and Lackawaxen Township where the recycling station has now been relocated across the street from the Lackawaxen firehouse near the tennis courts on route 590. Another station that is not open to the public is also operating at the Pike County Correctional Facility in Blooming Grove.

Five more stations, according to Caridi, will open in the very near future. These will be located at the Dingman Township Building on Log Tavern Road; the Milford Township Building on route 6/209; Matamoras Municipal Building on Avenue I; Delaware Township Building on Wilson Hill Road; and the Lehman Township Building on Municipal Road in Bushkill.

Pike County’s new single-stream recycling system is being administered and operated by Waste Management’s Beach Lake Transfer Station. According to Caridi, Waste Management has witnessed recycling volumes double when single-stream recycling has replaced conventional, or “source-separated” recycling programs.

According to Dan Card, manager of Waste Management’s Beach Lake Transfer Station said that materials collected through Pike County’s single-stream program will be hauled to a processing center where it is sorted, bundled and shipped to “reprocessing markets.”

For more information about Pike County’s new single-stream recycling program contact the Pike County Commissioner’s office at 570-296-3569 or Dan Card of Waste Management at 570-729-7125.

Sunday Morning Mystery Crash on I-84

WESTFALL  Nov. 29 by Don Quick  A Sunday morning crash on I-84 at the 48 mile marker westbound left a New York couple uninjured and police searching for the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident.

At approximately 10:20 AM Linda and Michael Zenobia of Olive Branch, New York were traveling with their pickup and RV camper when the camper was struck from behind by a vehicle which then veered off the highway traveling several hundred feet before flipping in a ditch.

When Westfall Fire Department arrived on the scene, the fear was that the driver of the second vehicle was in or under the badly damaged blue sedan. After the vehicle was stabilized, the driver could not be found, leading to a localized search for a possibly injured driver.

When the Pennsylvania State Police arrived, it was determined that the vehicle was registered to a Matamoras individual, who is now being sought. Police were seen to be removing several open containers of alcohol from the vehicle as well as two cell phones.

The Zenobias, who were unhurt, plan to return to their home and reassess their vacation plans as the camper is unusable in its present condition.

More information on the driver of the blue sedan will be furnished when available. Unfortunately, the failure of the driver to remain on the scene caused the equipment of the Westfall Fire Department to be tied up for over an hour and a half, which then leaves it unavailable for more serious needs.

UPDATE Tues., Dec. 1, 2009 1:30 p.m.

According to the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department, officers from that department assisted the State Police in checking to see if William Schutz, of Matamoras, was home on Sunday afternoon. Though EPRPD could not confirm that this assistance was rendered specifically in regards to the accident on Rt. 84, the incident was connected with an unspecified vehicle accident. According to EPRDP Chief Chad Stewart, Schutz was not home when officers checked on Sunday.

Thanksgiving Eve Crash Sends One to Hospital

Milford fire personnel look over badly damaged vehicle

MILFORD  Nov. 25 by Don Quick   A 4:40 PM Thanksgiving Eve car/truck accident sent a Rhode Island woman to Bon Secours Hospital this evening. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were rain, patchy fog and darkness.

An unidentified Rhode Island woman leaving the Hilltop Extramart just west of Interstate 84 on Route 6, apparently seeking to turn left to head west on Route 6, was struck on the drivers side door by an eastbound full-size Dodge Ram pickup truck.

The impact sent the smaller Rhode Island car into a deep drainage ditch alongside Route 6 near Mountain Spring Road. The uninjured driver of the pickup stated that there was no way to avoid the small car slowly crossing this path.

Milford Ambulance, Milford Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, and began an impressive controlled disassembly of the car to extricate the woman whose legs were pinned under the dashboard of the heavily damaaged car.  The woman was freed and carfully removed from the vehicle at about 5:10 PM and all fire units cleared the scene at 5:46 PM

All drivers are cautioned to be particularly careful as the poor weather is expected to continue.

FDA Issues New Warning on Plavix

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Patients should avoid using the stomach acid reducer Prilosec/Prilosec OTC (omeprazole) with the anti-clotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Nov. 17.

New data suggest that when patients take both Prilosec and Plavix, Plavix’s ability to block platelet aggregation (anti-clotting effect) may be reduced by about half.

“Both of these drugs, when used properly, provide significant benefits to patients.” said Mary Ross Southworth, Pharm.D., of the Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “However, patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes who use Plavix to prevent platelet aggregation will not get the full effect of this medicine if they are also taking Prilosec.”

Plavix is used to prevent blood clots that could lead to heart attacks or strokes in at-risk patients. Omeprazole, the active ingredient of Prilosec and Prilosec OTC, is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used to reduce the production of stomach acid and prevent stomach irritation.

Plavix does not have anti-clotting effects until it is converted or metabolized into its active form with the help of the liver enzyme, CYP2C19. Prilosec blocks this enzyme, thereby reducing the effectiveness of Plavix.

After issuing an Early Communication in January about possible drug interactions involving Plavix, the FDA requested new studies from the drug’s manufacturers, sanofi-aventis and Bristol-Myers-Squibb. These new studies support the existence of a significant interaction that could negatively impact a person’s health. Based on the current scientific information, the Plavix label has been updated with new warnings about the use of Prilosec and other drugs that inhibit the CYP2C19 enzyme and that could interact with Plavix in the same way.

The new studies compared people who took Plavix and Prilosec together with people who took Plavix alone. A reduction in Plavix’s anti-clotting effect was found in those individuals who took the combination. Similar results were seen irrespective of whether the two drugs were taken at the same or different times of day.

It is unknown how other PPIs may interfere with Plavix. Other drugs that should not be used with Plavix because they may have a similar interaction with CYP2C19 include Nexium (esomeprazole), Tagamet and Tagamet HB (cimetidine), Diflucan (fluconazole), Nizoral (ketoconazole), VFEND (voriconazole), Intelence (etravirine), Felbatol (felbamate), Prozac, Serafem, Symbyax (fluoxetine), Luvox (fluvoxamine) and Ticlid (ticlopidine).

Patients who take Plavix and need to take a drug to reduce stomach acid should discuss their therapy with a health care professional. Zantac (ranitidine), Pepcid (famotidine), Axid (nizatidine), and antacids do not inhibit the CYP2C19 enzyme and aren’t expected to interfere with the anti-clotting activity of Plavix.

Plavix’s manufacturers have agreed to continue conducting studies to explore this and other drug interactions. When the FDA has reviewed additional data, the agency will communicate any new recommendations or conclusions.

FDA Public Health Advisory:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PublicHealthAdvisories/ucm190825.htm

Carney on Public Option

Carney Speaks About the Healthcare Reform Bill

Super Idea

This photo shows David Torres and Mrs. (Kim) Butaitis at the back row, and me (Alex Rodriguez) at the bottom, wearing the A-Rod T-shirt in the front row.  We are sixth graders at Delaware Valley Elementary School.  David is in Mrs. (Lisa) Addio’s class.  I am in Mrs. (Cindy) Roa’s class.

David and I were talking about an idea that we were getting ready to start.  We were talking about a video that we are trying to make for kids who might be wondering if doing drugs and violent things are okay. We are making a video to help kids be aware of what drug use and violence can do to them and to their future.  We want the kids to be healthy and to have great minds and succeed in their goals.  We want them to have a great life.  We hope what we are doing will inspire the children of the present and the future that anything is possible.  For example, if a kid wants to be a super hero, he can.  Sure, he won’t get the powers, but he can do things that can help people, that can help animals, that can help the world.  They can be super in their own way.

We are glad to have a chance to discuss ideas with our principal and other staff members of our school.  We like being able to think of ways to contribute in positive ways to our school.

Special Collection

Ashley Stocklas, a third grader in Mrs. (Carol) Navitsky’s class at Delaware Valley Elementary, displays her rock collection.  The rock collection is special to Ashley because it was sent to her by her grandmother.

Ready For Reading

Reading together at Delaware Valley Elementary School is always great, no matter where one gathers to do so.  Pictured with Joshua Shearer and James Dzichko, is DVES Instructional Assistant Debbie Gilmour, reading in section of their classroom.  In the second photo, Mrs. Gilmour is reading with second graders from Mrs. Joy Thiele’s class in a reading corner of their hallway.

Flower Power

While studying the parts of plants and their functions, Natalia Torres, Nick Thalassinos, Devyn Fahnestock, Kayla Healey and Izabelle Brink dissected flowers in Mrs. Carol Navitsky’s third grade class at Delaware Valley Elementary School.  The students loved this hands-on science project.