Smoky Mountains Around Town / February 2019

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Page 6 Around Town Valley Pools & Spas Sales • Supplies • Service • Repair Mine For Your Fortune! You’re never too old to play in the dirt and find some treasures Fun For The Whole Family ! Hot Tubs Swimming Pools Game Tables (865) 908-0025 3059 Birds Creek Rd, Sevierville Old Smoky Gem Mine 968 Parkway, #1, Downtown Gatlinburg (865) 436-7112 (Located between lights #8 & #9 across from Ober Gatlinburg - Parking located in Elks Plaza) 849 Glades Road, # 1B1, Gatlinburg www.splitraileats.com FREEDOM Hello Friend (Osiyo Oginali) We Americans are great ones to preach freedom. We believe in Freedom. After two hundred plus years WE ARE STILL NOT SURE WHAT FREEDOM IS. We argue about the meaning of freedom. Our Supreme Court is often engaged in considering changes or reinterpreting the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of Rights to broaden or redefine the meaning of freedom. On December 15, 1791 the United States adopted ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America which is known as the Bill of Rights and gave to citizens of the United States of American the right to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness, along with other rights. We may not know exactly what freedom is, but we know we got it. The problem seems to have been that our ancestors could not define who was a citizen of the United States of America. Strange to say that at the very moment these great ideas were becoming law of the land thousands of Americans were slaves and would remain so for nearly a hundred years. Were these Americans born slaves' citizens of the United States? Strange, also, is the fact, that at that same moment, thousands of American Indians were being deprived of life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness. This trend would continue, in some instances, even to our own generations. These are facts of our history and we do ourselves and our descendents a grave injustice when we try to hide unpleasant facts of our history or explain them away in cloud of meaningless words. Patrick Henry, who shouted the immortal words, “Give me liberty or give me death”, which became the rallying, cry of the American Colonies striving to throw off the yoke of England. For a century later these words could have been shouted from the cotton fields or from Indian tribes being forced onto reservations. You and I are not personally guilty of these crimes and there is no justification for us to assume a burden of guilt for the actions of our ancestors. They did what they deemed necessary at their time in history. By the same token we have no right or justification to condemn them for their actions. Our ancestors lived and were responsible for their time in history the same as we must live and be responsible for our time. It matters not that the white man took Cocke County, this great land of freedom, from the Cherokee, who had taken it from the Mound builders who had taken it from the Early Woodman Indians or that THEY had taken it from some earlier Indian tribe so it goes on back to the ancestors of the American Indian who crossed the Bering Strait many thousands of years ago. This is the way of the history of people. Even the Holy Bible is rife with histories of one tribe imposing their will over another. Freedom, or liberty, is a constantly changing or elusive ideal to strive for. The meaning of freedom today had not the same meaning to the colonies of 1776, nor will today's meaning be accepted by future generations of Americans. Our interpretation of freedom must be constantly updated to comply with the needs of desires of generation now living. WE DO HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO LEARN OF OUR PAST FROM ALL SOURCES AVAILABLE TO US, SO THAT WE CAN CHART OUR FUTURE WITH GREATER INTELLIGENCE. In this light, there exists a Museum of the C h e r o k e e n e a r Vo n o r e , Te n n e s s e e . Appropriately it is across highway 360 almost in front of the entrance to the reconstructed English Fort Loudon. Every person who is remotely interested in the history of our area should visit and study these related exhibits of our heritage. “As told to me by my uncle”. “Do na da go hv i” (Till we see each other again) Designs by Matoka Shaconage Stone Art and Jewelry 170 Glades Rd, #15, Gatlinburg 865-719-3999 www.ShaconageStoneArtandJewelry.net American Sideshow Antiques - 373 Parkway, Gatlinburg - 865-325-1411 www.ShaconageStoneArtandJewelry.net The Original Best Italian Located in back of Elks Plaza, across Parkway from Hampton Inn & Friday’s in Gatlinburg (865) 430-4090 Best Italian on the Parkway Between Aunt Mahalia’s Candy & World of Illusions traffic lights 6 & 8 (865) 436-4345 www.bestitalian.com Bird Deserves a Medal For Being Dad of The Year Eastbend Automotive The photo is not depicting some ten-legged mutant bird and is not one of those hilarious birds with arms memes. He's just one brave daddy bird hauling his four chicklings to safety. Comb-crested Jacanas are also known as lillytrotters or Jesus-birds for their ability to seemingly walk across water. Their gangly legs end in long twiggy-toes, splayed wide to distribute their weight across the surface of lily pads and the other floating plants they walk on. This allows the water plants to keep these 20 to 27 centimetre (8 to 11 inch) birds afloat as they dart across the surface of their wetland habitats. Sally Corte from Queensland, Australia captured the jacana pictures displaying this species' unique parenting behaviour. After she'd run back to get her camera, the chicks were gone, so she snapped an image of just the adult. It wasn't until Corte processed the images she was lucky enough to snap that she realised: "there were actually 8 dangling legs!” Comb-crested jacana dads literally pick up their babies with their wings to carry them to safety. Considering up to 80 percent of nests can be lost before they hatch, it's no wonder they'll do everything in their power to save their precious chicks from any potential threats. There have also been claims they relocate their eggs by carrying them under their chin. These jacanas can be found in wetlands from Borneo, though to New Guinea and Australia's north and east coast to the Canberra area. Back in 2000, ornithologist Terrence Mace's study on this species mating system found these birds are polyandrous, meaning the larger female jacanas mate with more than one male - between 2-3 males on average. After laying their eggs on floating nests, female jacanas often fly off for fun times with another lover, leaving their mate with full responsibility for incubating these quite strikingly patterned eggs all by themselves. The males then become the sole carers for the awkward floofs on stilts once they've hatched. Mace believes this unusual mating strategy may have evolved due to their high rate of clutch loss - the more eggs laid, the greater the chance some birds might make it. “I've witnessed other male jacanas sheltering their chicks in the same way from rain," Corte told us. "What awesome dads!" Oil Changes, Tires, Brakes, Tune-Ups and Friendly Service! (Next to 1885 East Parkway, at the corner of Highway 321 and Mills Park Road) 103 Mills Park Road, Gatlinburg • (865) 325-8266
Around Town Page 7 Elks Care and Elks Share By Jim Yonan PER Hope y'all are staying warm. Winter has arrived in the mountains, it is 21 degrees as I type this. Glad to see 2019 here. It’s going to be a good year for all of us. My first picture is of Tennessee Elks Charitable Trust Raffle tickets. They are only $20 and $5 goes to our lodge and then a $500 winner out of each 100 we sell, then into the $5000 draw. Please buy one as they help fund our nursing scholarships. Call me at 865-567-7345 and I'll get you a ticket. Thank you in advance. My next picture is six new Elks members initiated Monday, January 28th. Welcome new members. That could be a picture of you when you talk to me about joining while buying your ticket. My last picture is of Kahuna and Dolly Neese Chandler who is here in Gatlinburg hiring bands to play at their new business Ole Red Gatlinburg opening in March 2019. It's a 9 million dollar, multi level 16,000 sq ft entertainment venue. Bringing Nashville classic menu with them. Blake Shelton will be here from time to time. Welcome them to Gatlinburg. I hope y'all enjoy the rest of winter and our little groundhog will be out February 2nd to let us know. Remember, Kahuna loves you!! KEN WAYNE Photography / Gallery & Studio / Workshop Sadie is a 1 1/2 yr old Husky Mix looking for a good home and Wiz is a 5 year old Domestic Short Hair Mix also hoping to be adopted soon. Adoption fee for Sadie is $125 and $60 for Wiz. Fees cover their first set of vaccinations, spay/neuter and microchip. The Sevier County Humane Society on Gnatty Branch Road is open Tuesday thru Thursday from Noon until 7:00 pm and Friday thru Sunday from Noon until 5:00 pm. For Adoptions Call John at Hidden Hills Animal Rescue: 865-255-3557 Cannabis Could Be Reversing Damage to Arthritic Joints Continued from Page 5 The reality is that cannabinoid receptors play a crucial role in the regulating the body’s immune system. What’s not clear is exactly how they operate. From a strictly biological perspective, autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic disorders like osteoarthritis don’t make much sense. Why would the body attack itself or be unable repair such crucial functions, like joint dexterity? The discovery of cannabinoid receptors at inflammatory sites may provide an answer. Thanks to a litany of previous works in this arena, McDougall’s team already knows that cannabis-based medicines act directly on CB2 sites and suppress inflammation and pain by mediating immune responses at the sites of inflammation. This suggests that the body’s reaching out for molecules to help it reconstruct its vital elements. The next step will be to see if changes to the medicine create different responses in the body. If researchers can discovery new ways in which cannabinoid receptors take up or use medicines, it could open a window of treatment possibilities. So much of our current knowledge is in the theoretical sphere, with most doctors and patients simply t h a n k f u l f o r e f f e c t i v e p a i n treatment—whether it’s understood or not is a secondary concern. As our knowledge of the body’s endocannabinoid system grows, and we look further into the means by which cannabis-based medicines reduce inflammation and affect nerves, we’re likely to discover novel ways of treatment—and possible ways to reverse the long-lasting joint damage of arthritis. While McDougall’s research has yet to be completed, results are expected soon. By Kathryn Sherrard You may know that the black bears cared for at Appalachian Bear Rescue in 2018 have all been released back into their wild habitats. It was a successful year for ABR as we released a total of three yearlings and nine cubs-of-the-year. The final releases of cubs occurred in December, so currently the facility has no bears in residence. This permits the curators and volunteers to perform needed cleanup and repair tasks to be ready for the first rescued cubs of 2019. In fact, some of those 2019 cubs are being born as you read this. All bears are born during the winter – from mid-January through mid-February, while the mother is hibernating. ABR has chosen the date of January 22nd as the “official birthday” of all ABR bears. This is an arbitrary date, of course, but it falls approximately in the middle of possible dates when cubs are born. The birth of bear cubs is truly remarkable. The mother bear (sow) mated in June or July of 2018. She may have mated with more than one male (boar) during her brief estrus period. Therefore, multiple cubs may have different fathers.Any blastocysts that form are “put on hold,” that is, they do not continue to develop but float within her uterus until the sow is ready to hibernate several months later. At that time, if she is healthy and has gained adequate body weight, the blastocyst(s) will implant into the uterine wall and eventually develop into a cub(s). However, if the female is underweight and/or unhealthy, the By Pelican Water Disposable plastic water bottles are an environmental nightmare. A million plastic bottles are purchased every minute across the globe, but only nine percent are recycled. Most of those bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate, which takes over four hundred years to naturally decompose. Appalachian Bear Rescue Happy Birthday, Bears! blastocysts never implant or produce cubs, saving the lives of both the mother and her p o t e n t i a l o ff s p r i n g . T h i s a m a z i n g reproductive strategy of the black bear is known as delayed implantation. Assuming that all has gone normally, the mother will give birth to her cubs in January or early February, while hibernating. Although a litter may have from one to six cubs, the typical litter size is two or three. The sow is semi-awake and experiences labor pains (hard to believe since the cubs weigh less than a pound and are about the size of a cola can). The mother pulls them to her abdomen, where the nearly hairless newborns absorb some of their mother's body warmth as they suckle. They grow rapidly on the sow's rich milk that is nearly 30% fat (as compared to 3% fat for human's or cow's milk). Cubs develop quickly; born blind, deaf and with no strength in their hind legs; within a month they are active, rambunctious balls of fur. Alternating between playing, sleeping and nursing, they develop muscular strength that will be required when they leave the den in two or three months. Meanwhile their mother alternates between sleeping, nursing her young and cleaning up after them (a mothers' work is never done!) To illustrate how quickly they grow, in recent years ABR has admitted six-week-old cubs that weighed almost three pounds - a weight gain of half a pound per week! The sow and her cubs will remain in the den until spring. What about other bears? It's possible that you may see an adult or sub-adult bear out of the den during this month. Bears are solitary animals and do not share a den with another bear. Because their body temperature only drops a few degrees they are able to rouse and move around, often even changing their den site during the winter. Therefore, if you encounter a bear in the woods or elsewhere during the winter, you should not be alarmed. Simply keep your distance and do not attempt to get close to the bear. Watch from a distance and enjoy the sight. Just as during the rest of the year, under no circumstances should you try to feed the bear. Bears do not eat, drink, defecate or urinate during their hibernation period, so they do not need any supplemental feeding during the winter. In the year they are born, bear cubs are called “cubs-of-the-year” or “spring cubs.” The latter is because they are not seen until spring, when the sow brings them out of the den. Many people assume this name means that they are born in the spring, like many other animals. But it simply refers to when they make their first appearance in the outside world. ABR is unlikely to admit any 2019 cubs until April at the earliest. We will be ready for the first arrival. If you want to learn about that first cub and a n y o t h e r s w e r e c e i v e v i s i t : facebook.com/AppalachianBearRescue. Photos are posted every day, so you can see what is going on at the ABR facility and at our Plastic #7 bottles may leach Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical capable of affecting estrogen activity in both women and men. Not all #7 plastics contain BPA. Bottles made from #1 plastics may Leach DEHP , a plastic softener used to increase bottle flexibility. Visitor/Education Center in the Trillium Cove Shopping Village on East Lamar Alexander Parkway. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 4; closed Sunday and Monday. When you visit you can talk to knowledgeable volunteers and purchase ABR merchandise as mementos of your visit. You can even become a member of Appalachian Bear Rescue and participate in a class to learn more about bears. We'd love to see you there! Yo u c a n a l s o v i s i t o u r w e b s i t e a t www.appalachianbearrescue.org and our blog at abrblog.wordpress.com. Why You Shouldn’t Refill Disposable Water Bottles considered less likely to release harmful chemicals than #1, 3, 6, and 7 plastics. These plastics are considered more durable and less likely to leach or break down over time. Even so, they should be recycled if they show signs of cracks or other damage, or if they become discolored. Avoid exposure to excessive heat or sunlight. Even for people who try to avoid plastic, single-use plastic bottles are often unavoidable. If you buy soda or fruit juice, chances are it comes in a plastic bottle. In an attempt to minimize their environmental footprint, many people reuse disposable plastic bottles, filling them with tap water or water from whole house water filters. Unfortunately, this may not be as safe as you’d think. Is It Safe to Reuse Plastic Bottles? Plastic bottles made from #1 and #7 plastics can leach harmful chemicals into water and other liquid over time. As the plastic ages, cracks and other damage appear in the bottle, increasing the amount of chemicals absorbed by the liquid contained in the bottle. What types of chemicals are we talking about? Can You Get Cancer from Reusing Plastic Water Bottles? High levels of DEHP have shown adverse effects in animal testing, delaying sexual maturity in test subjects and damaging the livers of rats and mice. The effect of DHEA on the human liver is unknown, but the Department of Health and Human Services considered the compound to be a possible carcinogen. BPA’s ability to disrupt normal estrogen levels is linked to an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer. The chemicals is also linked to lower testosterone levels, miscarriages, and impaired childhood development. Which Number Plastic Bottles are Safe to Reuse? Plastics designated as #2, 4, and five plastics are generally Is Plastic #5 Safe to Use? Made from polypropylene, #5 plastics are one of safer plastics to use and reuse/ Polypropylene is considered microwave and dishwasher safe, but not this means only that the plastic does not warp when it’s heated, and is not an indication of the plastic’s safety for human use. As a rule, choosing non-plastic drink containers is better for you–and much better for the environment. Stainless steel water bottles are well-suited for outdoor use, while glass bottles, porcelain, and ceramic containers can be used indoors. Fill your non-plastic, reusable containers with tasty, clear water from a whole house water filter, and you can drink without worrying about what chemicals might be leaching out of your drinkware.
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Smoky Mountains Around Town / February 2019

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