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4 NATIONALSaturday, April 2, 2011 – Alliance Times-HeraldLofty hexagon forms Baltimore’s coreWASHINGTON (AP) — AFood and DrugAdministration advisory panelrecommended Thursday thatthe agency further study thelink between food coloringand childhood hyperactivitybut said products that containthe dyes do not needpackage warnings.The committee, made up ofdoctors, scientists and consumerrepresentatives, narrowlyvoted 8-6 that foodpackages don’t need warningsflagging food coloringsthat could affect attentiondeficit disorder in children.Packages now must list thefood colorings, but there is nowarning about a possible linkto hyperactivity.The panel agreed with theFDA and affirmed that thereis not enough evidence toshow that certain food dyescause hyperactivity in thegeneral population of children.They also agreed thatdiets eliminating food dyesappear to work for some childrenwith behavior problems.The advisory committeereviewed links between thedyes and attention deficit disorderin a two-day meeting.The FDA has said it agreeswith studies that say for “certainsusceptible children,”hyperactivity and otherbehavioral problems may beexacerbated by food dyes andother substances in food. Butit has found no proven effectfor most children.The question for the paneland now for the FDA, whichwill review the panel’s recommendationsand decidewhether to take action, iswhether the potential effect ona possibly small percentage ofchildren — it is unclear justhow many — should lead tofurther regulation. Theagency is not expected todiverge from the panel’sadvice.Public health advocatesand academics studying theissue agree that dyes do notappear to be the underlyingcause of hyperactivity, butthey say that the effects of certaindyes on some children iscause enough to ban theDiary of a Wimpy Kid (PG) ......7:15 & 9:15Hop (PG) .................................... 7:15 & 9:15Justin Bieber (G) ...................... 7:15 & 9:15Red Riding Hood (PG13) .......... 7:15 & 9:15Insidious (PG13) ...................... 7:15 & 9:15Sunday Matinee 2 p.m.ALLIANCE THEATRE • 762-4100additives.The FDA held the meetingin response to a 2008 petitionfiled by the advocacy groupCenter for Science in thePublic Interest to ban Yellow5, Red 40 and six other dyes.Michael Jacobson, the directorof that group, said after thevote that he is disappointedthat members of the panelwere looking for perfect scientificevidence that the linkexists. But he said he ispleased that the FDA isacknowledging that food coloringmay affect hyperactivityin some children.“It’s a big change from ayear ago,” he said. “At leastthis hearing gave recognitionto the fact there’s a real issuehere and I hope a lot of parentswill buy foods withoutdyes.”Some companies havereduced the use of dyes infood sold in Europe due topublic concerns about hyperactivitythere while keepingthem in U.S. foods. Jacobsonsaid he hopes increasedawareness will force some ofthose companies to use lessdyes in the United States.Parents who testified at thehearing said they are convincedthere is a link betweenfood coloring and their childrens’behavior. The motherof a 7-year-old boy who hasstruggled with hyperactivityshowed off his improvedreport card and said eliminatingfood dyes from his dietwas “life changing.” She andother moms urged the panelto recommend warninglabels.“That warning would doenough so at least somebodymay say ‘Gosh, that’s theproblem,”’ said ReneeDIRECTORRECLINER$169 00NOWLIST $ 379 001310 W. 27th St.SCOTTSBLUFF308-635-3115AVAILABLE INBLACK OR REDPrepare to be stunned as you enter theBaltimore’s vaulted hexagonal core, where all sixceiling sections sweep up to a lofty central apex.Richly windowed and completely open on the entryside, this expansive space is only slightly less openfurther back in the kitchen. Sleeping areas andother less public rooms fill the two wings that extendoff to the rear.On the exterior of this Prairie home, four sculptedposts highlight the front façade. Slender andgraceful, yet firmly seated on the tapered stone veneerbases, their open inviting look extends a gracious welcometo family and friends.Two coat closets flank the entry passageway thatleads into the expansive great room that encompassesthe living and dining areas. A gas fireplace and a homeentertainment center nestle into the rear wall of the livingroom, next to sliding door access to a patio thatsweeps along the exterior of that side. A similar patiothat wraps across the opposite side is accessedthrough matching sliders in the dining area.Standing in the kitchen, you can keep your eye onthat patio, and tend to goings-on in the great room anddining area. The long raised eating bar that rims thekitchen’s peninsular counter is perfect for homeworksupervision. And, of course, it’s also just right for informalmeals or chatting with family or friendswhile working in the kitchen. A central workisland adds to the counter and storagespace, and a roomy step-in pantry is off tothe side.The Baltimore’s owners’ suite isdesigned to provide a secluded adultretreat. A small gas fireplace graces its sittingarea, and sliding doors provide accessto a deck that could be private.For a review plan, including scaled floorplans, elevations, section and artist’s conception,send $25 to Associated Designs,1100 Jacobs Dr., Eugene, OR 97402.Please specify the Baltimore 10-554 andinclude a return address when ordering. Acatalog featuring more than 550 homeplans is available for $15. For more information,call (800) 634-0123, or visit our websiteat www.AssociatedDesigns.com.FDA Panel To Study Food Dyes, HyperactivityShutters, who came to themeeting from Jamestown, N.Y. She said ridding her sonTrenton’s diet of food colorshelped make him a modelstudent.Representatives of food coloringmakers and the foodindustry urged the agency tohold off, telling the panelThursday that they don’tbelieve the science is conclusive.Most members of the panelagreed that the science isn’tconclusive and said that morestudies need to be done. Allbut one voted to recommendthat the FDA further studythe issue.There was significant disagreementon the panel,though, over whether the FDAshould include the warninglabels.Several members arguedfor a label that would let parentsknow there may be aconnection between food coloringand attention deficit disordersince the FDA hasacknowledged there is likely alink for some children.“How many more years aregoing to pass before we havethat kind of data?” said LisaLefferts, a consumer representativeon the panel. “I don’tthink we need more study totake public health measures.”Wesley Burks, a professorof allergy and immunology atDuke University MedicalCenter, disagreed. He said awarning label could overblowthe link between the dyes andattention deficit disorder.“When you say ’some children,’that’s not how a motheror father reads it,“ he said.”They read it as my child. Sobasically you are going to tellthem that’s the cause of it byNewberry’sHosting a Piano Bar, featuring Vern WhiteFriday, April 8thDoors open at 5:30 pmPiano Bar Starting at 8pmOpen to the Public,No Cover, Cash BarNewberry’s402 Box Butte • 308-761-1300labeling it.”Scientists and public advocateshave debated the issuefor more than 30 years as theuse of dyes in food — especiallyfoods marketed to children— has risen steadily.Consumption of food coloringhas doubled since 1990,according to some estimates.Reid: No EnvironmentalWASHINGTON (AP) — TheDemocratic leader of theSenate vowed Friday that anycompromise on a government-widespending bill won’tinclude GOP proposals blockingthe EnvironmentalProtection Agency fromenforcing new rules on greenhousegases or regulations ona host of other issues.“Neither the White Houseor the Senate leaders is goingto accept any EPA riders,” saidMajority Leader Harry Reid,D-Nev., in a conference callwith reporters.Reid was referring to a raftof Republican policy provisionsattached to a Housepassedgovernment-widefunding bill currently beingnegotiated in hopes of avoidinga government shutdownnext weekend.In addition to blocking newregulations on greenhousegases, such riders include languageblocking an EPA plan toclean up the Chesapeake Bayand a proposal to shut downmountaintop mines it believeswill cause too much water pollution.Reid’s comments came twodays after The AssociatedPress reported that the WhiteHouse was signaling in privateHighway Deaths FallTo Lowest Level Since 1949WASHINGTON (AP) — Highway deaths have plummeted totheir lowest levels in more than 60 years, helped by more peoplewearing seat belts, better safety equipment in cars andefforts to curb drunken driving.The Transportation Department estimated Friday that32,788 people were killed on U.S. roads in 2010, a decrease ofabout 3 percent from 2009. It’s the fewest number of deathssince 1949 — during the presidency of Harry Truman — whenmore than 30,000 people were killed.The Pacific Northwest region, which includes Washingtonstate, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, saw fatalities fall 12percent. Western states including Arizona, California andHawaii also posted large declines.Government officials said the number of deaths was still significantbut credited efforts on multiple fronts to make roadwayssafer.“Too many of our friends and neighbors are killed in preventableroadway tragedies every day,” said TransportationSecretary Ray LaHood. “We will continue doing everything possibleto make cars safer, increase seat belt use, put a stop todrunk driving and distracted driving and encourage drivers toput safety first.”The numbers are projections for 2010. The governmentexpects to release final data on deaths and injuries, includingspecific state-by-state totals, later this year.Traffic deaths typically decline during an economic downturnbecause many motorists cut back on discretionary travel.The number of deaths fell in the early 1980s and early 1990s,when the U.S. economy was struggling.But people spent more time in their cars last year, makingthe estimates more noteworthy. The number of miles traveledby American drivers in 2010 grew by 20.5 billion, or 0.7 percent,compared with 2009, according to the Federal HighwayAdministration.The number of miles traveled increased slightly in 2009 afterdeclines in the previous two years.Separately, the rate of deaths per 100 million miles traveledis estimated to have hit a record low of 1.09 in 2010, the lowestsince 1949. The previous record was in 2009, which had arate of 1.13 deaths per 100 million miles traveled.“It’s a really good sign that fatalities are down despite the factthat (vehicle miles traveled) is up,” said Barbara Harsha, executivedirector of the Governors Highway Safety Association.Harsha said fewer people were dying because of a numberof factors related to vehicle technologies, safer driving and roaddesigns.Safety equipment such as side air bags that guard the headand midsection in a crash and anti-rollover technology likeelectronic stability control are becoming standard equipmenton new cars and trucks.Many states have been more vigilant on drunken driving.Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities fell more than 7 percent in2009 from the previous year.And seat belt use, the most basic defense in a crash,reached an all-time high of 84 percent in 2009. Several stateshave allowed police to stop a vehicle for failure to wear a seatbelt even if the officer doesn’t detect another driving violationlike speeding.meetings with lawmakers thatsome Republican proposalson the EPA’s regulatory powerswould have to make it intothe final bill. The lawmakerproviding the informationinsisted on anonymitybecause the discussions wereprivate. Reid himself had signaledflexibility. Taken together,the revelations ignited afirestorm among environmentalactivists.House Speaker JohnBoehner of Ohio, who’s theleading negotiator forRepublicans, has insistedMember SIPCpublicly and privately thatsome GOP policy prescriptionswill have to make it intothe final bill.That means Friday’sannouncement promises tomake it far more difficult toreach final agreement on thespending bill, required to fundthe government through theend of September and avoid ashutdown next weekend.Reid also said that any finalagreement will have to curbincreases in the Pentagon’sbudget so that cuts to domesticprograms won’t be as deep.FINANCIAL FOCUS April 4, 2011Sandwich Generation Needs “Stress Busters”You may be too busy to realize it, but April is Stress Awareness Month. Sponsored by theHealth Resource Network, a non-profit health education group, Stress Awareness Month isdesigned to promote awareness about ways to reduce stress in our lives. And if you’re a memberof the so-called “Sandwich Generation,” you may well have plenty of stress to deal with— especially financial stress. And that’s why you may want to look at this month as an opportunityto explore ways of “de-stressing” yourself.To understand the scope of the problem facing people in your situation, consider this: Oneout of every eight Americans aged 40 to 60 is both raising a child and caring for an aging parent,according to the Pew Research Center. The definition of “caring” for an elderly parentcan range from actually having the parent living in one’s home to helping pay for the parent’sstay in an assisted living or nursing home facility. When you consider the costs involved inthis type of care, added to the expenses of raising your children, and possibly even providingsome financial support to them as young adults, it’s easy to see that you could potentially faceenormous strains, both emotionally and financially.To help ease this burden, consider these suggestions:• Save. As a Sandwich Generation member, you’re probably within shouting distance ofyour own retirement — so you need to be saving for it. This may not be easy. You don’t knowhow much financial support you may someday have to provide your elderly parents — andeven after your children are grown, they may need some help from you. Unfortunately, inhelping these “boomerang” children, many people have to disrupt their day-to-day cash flowand raid their savings. That’s why it’s important to try to “pay yourself first” by deferring partof each paycheck into your 401(k) and by automatically moving money, each month, fromyour checking or savings account into your IRA.• Talk. Many people in the “Greatest Generation” (over age 80) have not even prepareda will, so, if your parents are in that group, you may want to talk to them about taking action.Also, find out whom, if anyone, is handling their investments. And ask if your parents understandhow Medicare works and if they need to add supplemental health insurance, such asMedigap. Plus, you need to find out if your parents have created a power of attorney or healthcare directive. It’s best to have these conversations sooner, rather than later.• Delegate. You eventually may have to take some responsibility for your parents’ care— but you don’t have to do it alone. You could, for example, work with a financial servicesprovider that offers trust services, which can be invaluable if your parents are incapacitated,but which are useful even if they aren’t. A professional trust officer can, among other duties,help manage your parents’ investments, pay their bills, keep their records and supervise distributionof their assets to beneficiaries. In short, a qualified trust officer can make life a loteasier for you.Stress Awareness Month only lasts 30 days, but by taking the right steps, you can de-stressyourself for many years to come. After all, just because you’re in the Sandwich Generation,it doesn’t mean you have to be “squished.”(308)762-64941-800-772-9490Rich Otto423 Box Butte AveAlliance, NE 69301“Carhenge” North of Alliancewww.alliancetimes.comPhone 308-762-3060 Fax: 308-762-3063e-mail: athnews@alliancetimes.comALLIANCETIMES-HERALDNebraska Press • NNA • Associated PressInland Press AssociationFred G. Kuhlman, PublisherSteve Stackenwalt............................General ManagerJohn Weare........................................Managing EditorMark Sherlock......................................Shop ForemanAlliance Times-HeraldUSPS 014-020Published daily except Sunday and January 1, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day,Thanksgiving Day and December 25 by Alliance Publishing Company, Inc., at 114 EastFourth Street, Alliance, Nebraska 69301.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Alliance Times-Herald, P.O. Box G, AllianceNE 69301-0773. Periodicals postage paid in Alliance, Nebraska. All news and photos©2011 ATH.Read.Then Recycle.The contents of this newspaper are protected by copyright. With a fewexceptions for personal use, no part may be copied and reproduced inany way without the prior written consent of the publisher. Subscriptionrates: By carrier in Alliance and Hemingford $66 for one year; $28 for fourmonths or $8.00 per month payable in advance. 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