Minico spirit rock vandalized - News Journal

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Check out playground equipmentbefore letting your child playWeekly News Journal Thursday, March 7, 2013 17DEAR DOCTOR K: Twoof my child’s friends have hurtthemselves playing on the playgroundrecently. What can I doto keep my child safe?DEAR READER: Kids getexercise, burn off energy anddevelop their motor skills byrunning, jumping and climbingon swing sets, monkey bars andother playground equipment.But each year more than200,000 children in the UnitedStates visit emergency roomsfor playground injuries. Themost common are broken bones,bruises, scrapes and deepercuts. More serious injuries alsooccur.Here’s the advice my pediatriciancolleagues give parentsto keep their kids as safe as possible:-- Supervise your child. Childrenof all ages should be underconstant supervision when playingon the playground. Injuriescan happen when kids use theequipment in unsafe ways.-- Guide children to ageappropriateequipment. Mostplayground equipment isdesigned with a specific agerange in mind. Very young childrenshould not be left unattendedin a swing, for example.My colleagues also adviseparents to carefully check outthe playground where they’dlike their kids to play. The specificthings parents should focuson are:-- Check for cushioningbeneath equipment. Playgroundequipment should not be locatedover hard surfaces such as grass,packed dirt, rocks, asphalt orblacktop. Acceptable surfacesinclude thick layers of hardwoodfiber/mulch, pea gravel andsand. Other options include rubbertiles or mats. Cushioned surfacesshould be provided underall equipment and should extendat least 6 feet in all directionsfrom the edge of the equipment.-- Inspect individual equipment.Playground equipment issupposed to be inspected andmaintained, but that doesn’talways happen.*Ladders, platforms andsteps: Steps should be in goodcondition and handrails shouldhave appropriate grip sizes forchildren. Platforms should besurrounded by a guardrail orprotective barrier.*Swings should be at least 24inches apart and 30 inches fromany supports. The cushioningsurface should extend for at leasttwice the height of the swing, infront and back of the swing seat,and at least 6 feet to each side ofthe structure.*Slides should be wellanchored, have firm handrailsand have steps with good traction.There should be no spacesbetween the slide platform andthe slide itself.*Seesaws: The handles shouldbe secure and easy to grip. Thereshould be a soft bumper underthe bottom of the seat, and allpivot points should be coveredto prevent pinched fingers.If you find that the cushioningbeneath the equipment, orthe equipment itself, does notmeet these standards in the playgroundwhere you’d like yourchild to play, organize someother parents. Then as a group,contact the people responsiblefor the playground -- usually alocal government. People makemany demands of their government,and governments can’tDr. Anthony L. Komaroffalways respond. But a threat tothe health of children is somethingresponsible authorities arelikely to take very seriously.(Dr. Komaroff is a physicianand professor at HarvardMedical School. To send questions,go to AskDoctorK.com, orwrite: Ask Doctor K, 10 ShattuckSt., Second Floor, Boston,MA 02115.)HoroscopesARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Sorting throughfeelings may not come easy to you, Aries.At some point it becomes necessary tovoice your opinions and you may need toshow a vulnerable side.TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, a fewcomplications could arise this week andhow you react to them will be telling ofhow the rest of the month may proceed.Think about this before you act.GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, thisweek is likely to be a wash because thereis something that came up that has thepotential to dominate all of your time forthe next several days.CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, thoughyou may be anxious to help a friend out,you need to seriously consider whetheryou have the time to spare at this point intime. Putting yourself first is priority.LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, someone isgoing to open up to you emotionally andyou may get caught off guard by the levelof intimacy. This could turn out to be thestart of a long-lasting friendship.VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, let aparticular situation cool down instead ofadding extra fuel to the fire. Step awayfrom a heated discussion if you feel likethings may get out of control.LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, your heartmay beat a little faster this week becauseof the excitement involved in meetingsomeone that has been on your mind. Bepatient.SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio,continue to discuss a financial situationwith your significant other. Even if thediscussion grows tiresome, talking it outis the best way to resolve the issue.SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius,you have an uncanny way ofturning something that would normallybe disastrous into enjoyable chaos. Thinkabout a side career in party planning.CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn,big changes are in store for your familyand there are nerves to accompany thesechanges. Set aside a day this week whereyou can have peace, quiet and time toreflect.AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius,your words are being heard but theirmeaning is simply not sinking in. Tryrephrasing or approach the situation fromanother direction.PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, yoursocial schedule is jam-packed and youwouldn’t have it any other way. Theremay be a pocket of time for more fun.
18 Weekly News Journal Thursday, March 7, 2013Arlo & JanisModerately ConfusedThe Born LoserSoup to NutzFamous BirthdaysMARCH 10Chuck Norris, Actor (73)MARCH 14Michael Caine, Actor (80)MARCH 11Elton Brand, Athlete (34)MARCH 12Mitt Romney, FormerPolitician (66)MARCH 13Danny Masterson, Actor (37)MARCH 15Fabio, Male Supermodel(54)MARCH 16Lauren Graham, Actress(46)Frank and Ernest
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