Happy 4th of July
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The 4th
of July is a great time to celebrate our
nation’s birthday with family and
friends. It’s also a good time to
remember some safety tips during this
holiday weekend.
“We all enjoy celebrating the birth of
our nation with family and friend,” says
Major General Don Dunbar, Adjutant
General and Wisconsin’s Homeland
Security Advisor. “Cookouts and
fireworks are part of the fun for many
Americans. However, make sure you’re
thinking about safety first when you’re
enjoying the day.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission, more than 200 people
go to the emergency room every day with
fireworks-related injuries in the weeks
surrounding the July 4th holiday.
Officials say many of the fireworks
accidents could have been prevented:
• Most injuries were burns to hands,
fingers, head, legs and arms.
• One-third of the injuries were to
children under the age of 15 years old.
• 74% of injured were male.
• Sparklers are the number one cause of
burns around the July 4th holiday.
Fire and safety officials recommend the
following safety tips when lighting
fireworks:
• Never allow children to play with or
ignite fireworks. Adults igniting the
fireworks should always wear eye
protection and never have any part of
the body over the firework.
• Only buy legal fireworks from reliable
sellers.
• Be sure other people are out of range
before lighting fireworks.
• Always have water ready in case of a
fire (a garden hose or a bucket).
• Light fireworks on a smooth, flat
surface away from buildings, dry leaves
and flammable materials.
• Light fireworks one at a time, then
move back quickly.
• Never throw or point fireworks at
other people or animals.
• Keep your pets indoors to reduce the
risk that they will run loose and get
injured. Many animals have very
sensitive ears and can be stressed or
frightened by fireworks.
Also remember to play it safe over the
holiday:
• Drink plenty of water and limit your
alcohol and caffeine intake.
• Never leave people or pets inside a
parked car. Even with the windows
cracked open, temperatures inside a
vehicle can reach over 100 degrees in
minutes.
• Have an emergency kit in your vehicle.
It should include a first-aid kit,
bottled water and some energy bars. A
car adaptor for your cell phone is also
a good idea in case you need to call for
help.
• Learn about the latest traffic and
road conditions by contacting 511
Wisconsin. This information, along with
live traffic cameras and traffic alerts,
can be accessed on the 511 Wisconsin
system, which includes a free mobile
app, @511WI on Twitter, or at
www.511wi.gov.
• When attending various parades,
fireworks displays and other gatherings,
if you see something suspicious,
remember to contact law enforcement. If
you “See Something, Say Something”.
For more information go to
readywisconsin.wi.gov.
Free Summer Lunches
Stanges Park in Merrill holds daily free
lunches throughout the summer for
families on a limited budget. The
program was started by Christ United
Methodist Church four years ago, doing
one free lunch per week. However, now
some other area churches have joined in
to provide lunch Monday through Friday
during the summer. The other churches
involved are St. John Lutheran, St.
Stephens United Church of Christ,
Trinity Lutheran, and Our Savior's
Lutheran. All of the meals are donated
by the congregations, which are serving
up to 100 people per day.
Not only is the program providing free, healthy lunches to families, but there can also be some education opportunities depending on volunteers. Recently, the Merrill firefighters volunteered and brought their thermal imaging camera, fire trucks, and ambulances. They also discussed some fire prevention tips for the summer.
The free lunch program is at Stanges Park at 209 E. 3rd Street in Merrill and the free lunches are held Monday - Friday from 11:00am-1:00pm.
CARE Timebank Program
This program, created by Marie Benes, in connection with Aspirus Langlade Hospital, provides volunteers with a connection to find those who need assistance. Currently, the program has 100 volunteers who have to go through an application process in order to be a part of the program. This gives those benefiting from the assistance extra assurance and piece of mind. Some of the types of volunteer efforts provided are transportation, yard work, cleaning, painting, and shopping.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Timebank Program, you should contact Dolores Demulling at the Aspirus Langlade Hospital.
If you are interested in finding assistance, you should contact Marie Benes at 715-610-0339.
DATCP Grants Available
Groups of Wisconsin farmers can
now apply for the Producer-Led Watershed Protection
grants for 2017. Applications will be accepted July 1-September
1 2016.
The Department of Agriculture,
Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will award grants to
producer-led groups that focus on ways to prevent and reduce
runoff from farm fields and farmsteads.
Each group is eligible for up to $20,000 a year, with a total of
$250,000 available in this round of
funding.
The grants are intended to help farmers find solutions best
suited for their particular watersheds, based
on topography, soil type, types of operations and other factors
that differ among regions of the state and
work to increase farmer participation in these voluntary
efforts.
The first 14 grants were awarded earlier this year in the new
program included in the 2015-17 budget.
Some of the producer-led groups were already in existence, but
many of them were newly created with
the help of the grant funds.
"We particularly encourage new groups to step up and apply for
grants," said Sara Walling, DATCP
water quality section leader. "We had groups from around the
state funded in the last round, and we
want to continue to broaden our support of farmers in their
conservation efforts. But we also want to
help established groups continue their successes."
Applicants must be groups of at least five farmers whose farms
are in the same watershed and each
produced at least $6,000 in gross farm revenue last year, or
$18,000 over the past three years. They
must work with DATCP, the Department of Natural Resources, a
county land conservation committee,
the University of Wisconsin-Extension, or a nonprofit
conservation organization. The group must work
with other producers in the watershed voluntarily work to reduce
runoff pollution from farm operations,
and contribute matching funds at least equal to the grant
request.
A few examples of projects include:
Startup work such as watershed planning and bringing in
experts to speak about soil and water
quality issues
Incentive payments to farmers to do soil testing and nutrient
management planning, plant cover
crops, install grassed waterways, and other conservation
activities
Develop new approaches to manure storage and applications
Host conferences, workshops or field days to engage additional
farmer participation
Grant funds cannot pay for real estate, loans, equipment
purchases, or lobbying and the amount of the
funding that can go toward staff time is restricted to 25
percent of the grant request.
Application materials are available at
https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/ProducerLedProjects.aspx.
They must be submitted by
email. Farmers with questions should contact Rachel Rushmann,
608-224-4622,
rachel.rushmann@wi.gov.
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