South Gibson Star-Times

DOWN ON THE FARM Katiedid vs. pandemic safety By Katiedid Langrock Columnist instagram.com/writeinthewild "You got any dogs? " the woman run- ning the alligator ranch and swamp tour asked. She was giving me the rules for setting up our motorhome to spend the night in her parking lot. "No," I said. "If you got dogs, you gotta tell me." "We don't have any dogs," I reassured her. "Little dogs? Quiet dogs? " "No dogs." "'Cause you can't have dogs goin' out to go potty in the middle of the night." Goodness gracious, what is this lady's problem? "Our 14-foot alligator, Bubs," she con- tinued, "likes to take walks around the parking lot at night." Oh, that's her problem. "He's a roamer, and he's an eater. He'll eat your little dog if you let it out to go pot- ty in the middle of the night." "We don't have a dog," I said. "On- ly kids. And I promise I will not let my 5 -year-old out to go potty in the middle of the night." She didn't laugh. I wiped the smile off my face. "Don't do that, either." "Yes, ma'am." When you become a parent, you be- come open to constant suspicion and judgment. When you become a parent parenting during a pandemic, it's as if you're wearing a sign on your back that says, "Kick me (emotionally)." I've been judged for having my kids wear masks during hikes. "Trying to give them an asthma attack? " I've been judged for pulling them out of school and taking them on this ad- venture. "Are you trying to spread the virus across the country? " Not that I am without my own judgment. The alligator woman asking me whether I had a dog had multiple signs outside her building saying, "No entry unless wearing a mask." She, however, wasn't wearing one — which said to me, "I want you to protect my health, but I'll do nothing to protect yours." Or, perhaps more accurately for this specif- ic lady, "I care more about your dog's life than yours." Man, I'm ready for this virus to be over, for the exhaustive fog of judgment to lift. "It's just so individualized," my cousin said as we met in a park. My children had barely been near another child in a year, let alone played. "Everyone is trying to do what's right, but what's seen as right is so unique to the individual." This is true. I hear the risks my friends are taking with their kids, and I think they are being completely reckless. My friends, however, think I'm the reckless one. Maybe we're both right. Or both wrong. "I had to send my kids back to school. The kids were getting weird," my cous- in said. "And weird runs in our family, so if I'm noticing the weirdness, you know they were getting super weird." Yesterday I signed my kids back up for school next year. I'm hoping we will have herd immunity by then. I'm hoping we will be back to normal. But not old nor- mal, a new normal. A better normal. My kids want a dog when the virus is over. They're looking for a new, better normal, too. "What are you gonna tell kids at school about our trip? " I asked my son. "I'm gonna tell them how I was attacked in the middle of the night by a giant alliga- tor while I was trying to go to the bathroom! " "But that didn't happen," I said. "But it could've" he said. "But it didn't," I said. At the anniversary of schools closing because of a pandemic, there are a lot of things that could've happened that didn't. There are a lot of things that could've happened that did. Somewhere between the did and the didn't, we have to find what to focus on. I'm trying to teach my kids to focus on the good things that did and the bad things that didn't. I'm trying to teach myself, too. "I guess I can tell them about the time I was holding a baby alligator and it slapped me across the face with its tail. And when I got bit by two wild prai- rie dogs. And pinched by a crab at the beach." "Perfect! " I said. "You know, everyone is gonna think you're a really reckless mom for letting these things happen to me," my son said. I can live with that. Katiedid Langrock is author of the book "Stop Farting in the Pyramids," available at creators.com/books/stop-farting-in-the- pyramids. Follow Katiedid Langrock at in- stagram.com/writeinthewild. Farm safety as activity gears up By Hans Schmitz Purdue Extension Educator hschmitz@purdue.edu The grass is getting greener, as are the winter annual weeds in the fields. The trees are starting to show signs of breaking dormancy. On the farm, the shop is busy with spring maintenance of equipment, preparations for planting underway, and a good deal of grain still left in the bin. Hopefully, wheat was top- dressed with nitrogen during the last brief dry period. Sprayers for spring burndown of weeds in no-till fields or tillage equipment for disruption in tilled fields should be about ready to hit the fields when conditions allow. Planting season will be fully underway in a little over two weeks. With warmer weath- er and the itch to get out into the fields, safety concerns become a little more im- portant. The inclination to get things done a little too quickly can result in ac- cidents. Winter grain hauling seems to have progressed with some regularity, and on-farm storage capacity continues to increase generally over time. With in- creased capacity and uncertainty in pric- es, tendencies to hold grain on-farm al- so increase. Holding grain can result in a greater profit, but holding grain can also result in having to haul grain to the elevator at less than ideal times. Certain- ly no one wants to halt field operations to haul grain, al- though that action does oc- cur. When it does, safety around grain bins and au- gurs are more imperative, as the desire to fill quickly and go may compromise safe fill- ing and hauling of trucks or emptying of bins. When the grain trucks hit the roads this time of year, farmers exhibit a bit more urgency in getting to the eleva- tor and back to the farm quickly. Driv- ers need to be a little more cautious for erratic activity, and not just from grain trucks, as large equipment prepara- tions will see more sprayers, fertilizer trucks, and planters on the roads. Farm- ers know to start looking for ways to pull to the side when three or more vehicles line up behind, and drivers need to know not to pass on a double yellow. In the shop, working around hydrau- lic lines and pressurized hoses present potential for injury. Farmers could use this time to check chemical labels for the year, ensuring all the proper person- al protective equipment is on farm and ready for use during tank filling and mix- ing. If using dicamba prod- ucts, ensure a training has been attended in 2021. If using paraquat products, consider going ahead and getting that training out of the way if needed, as the training is required once every three years. Yes, the personal health, safety, and wellness considerations are also in play given the instance of coronavirus circu- lating this year. Wear a mask. Avoid large public gatherings. Wash hands frequently. Avoid touching the face. Avoid touching other people's faces. Stay on the farm or at home if sick. Luckily, farmer self-isolation can usually also involve toiling in the shop, feeding calves, or obsessively checking markets on the computer. Use enough personal hygiene products to keep yourself clean, and keep an eye on the vaccine availabil- ity for your age group. For more infor- mation, contact Hans at 812-838 -1331 or hschmitz@purdue.edu. Health Dept. February inspection reports These summaries of the Gibson Coun- ty Health Department's inspection re- ports are made public after restaurants and food stores had 10 days to respond. Re-inspections are done at the inspector's discretion. Corrections noted in paren- theses were observed by the inspector. FOOD INSPECTIONS Love's Travel Stop #414, 901 East 1250 South, Haubstadt – Feb. 5 – One Non-Critical Violation – No 2021 Gibson County Food Permit. Pilot Travel Center #647, 844 East 1250 South, Haubstadt – Feb. 5 – One Non-Critical Violation – Several areas in need of floor cleaning. Hometown IGA #451, 2005 W. Broadway Street, Princeton – Feb. 12 – One Non-Critical Violation – Floor of dairy walk-in cooler in need of cleaning. Subway – Princeton, 1806 W. Broad- way Street, Princeton – Feb. 12 – No Vi- olations. Long John Silver's, 1417 W. Broad- way Street, Princeton – Feb. 12 – No Vi- olations. Deaconess Gibson Hospital, 1800 Sherman Drive, Princeton – Feb. 19 – No Violations. Teel's Coffee & Chocolate, 2803B W. Broadway Street, Princeton – Feb. 19 – No Violations. Wendy's #34990, 1207 W. Broadway Street, Princeton – Feb. 19 – One Crit- ical Violation – Several items in walk- in cooler not date marked as to discard date – Three Non-Critical Violations – Po- tato oven heavily soiled – Dried bever- age spilled in small refrigerator by front counter – No paper towels at hand sink. Taco Tierra, 1130 S. Main Street, Princeton – Feb. 19 – No Violations. Dick Clark's Family Restaurant, 702 N. Prince Street, Princeton – Feb. 19 – No Violations. White Rabbit Cafe, 125 W. Broad- way Street, Princeton – Feb. 19 – One Critical Violation – (Chemical cleaners stored near food at prep table – correct- ed) – One Non-Critical Violation – Ther- mometer needed in refrigerator. Lupe's Mexican Grill, 2020 W. Broad- way Street, Princeton – Feb. 19 – No Vi- olations. Dairy Queen – Fort Branch, 808 E. Oak Street, Fort Branch – Feb. 25 – No Violations. Fast Break #1, 805 E. Oak Street, Fort Branch – Feb. 25 – No Violations. Dollar General Store #14540, 7979 U. S. Hwy. 41, Fort Branch – Feb. 25 – One Non-Critical Violation – Spilled liq- uid on bottom shelf of freezer in back storage area. Subway – Fort Branch, 7998 Pro- fessional Drive, Fort Branch – Feb. 25 – One Critical Violation – (Steak on prep table measured at about 57 degrees and not held at 41 or colder – corrected) – One Non-Critical Violation – (Package of wraps on floor of walk-in cooler – cor- rected). Zack's Diner, 202 E. Locust Street, Fort Branch – Feb. 25 – No Violations. Huck's #323, 78 E. State Road 168, Fort Branch – Feb. 25 – Two Non-Criti- cal Violations – No chemical test kit avail- able for three-compartment sink – Floor in several areas in need of cleaning. To enter the Birthday Club, email your name, ad- dress, phone number and birthdate to birthdayclub@ sgstartimes.com. Only the person's name, town and birth- day will appear in the paper. As an added bonus, one lucky person each month will receive a free prize a free three-month South Gibson Star- Times subscription plus a $25 gift basket from Karla's Ce- ramics and Florals, in Owensville. THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS Jo Ann Broshears .............. Haubstadt ..............3/18 Connie Reed ...................... Ft. Branch .............3/18 Hunter Allen ..................... Newburgh ..............3/18 Sue Hopf ........................... Haubstadt ..............3/19 Lynne Adams .................... Fort Branch ...........3/21 Carlos Wilkerson ............... Haubstadt ..............3/21 THIS MONTH'S SPONSOR 5038 S. State Road 65, Owensville 812-724-2405 THE CENTER ACTIVITIES The Center for Seniors in Gibson County is open. Cof- fee and donuts are now being provided daily at the coffee bar. It is a fellowship, social time for Seniors. Hand sanitizer is required at the door and masks are en- couraged. Anyone not able to wear a mask will be asked to social distance at least ten feet from all others. Anyone needing assistance or a ride can call 812-385 -8818. The current schedule is Bingo for prizes and fun at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays, Socially distanced exercise class at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays, Quilters at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays (quil- ters must wear a mask when social distancing isn't pos- sible), Bible Study at 10 a.m. and Painting class at 1 p.m. on Thursdays (supplies will be provided), Exercise at 9 a.m. on Fridays. Carry-out meals are still available for those who have signed up for the program. They must call by noon the day before to be able to get a meal the following day. Any- one wishing to sign up to order meals for carry out must call 812-385 -2897. Meal delivery for those who are homebound from SWIR- CA will continue at this time. To sign up for home deliv- ery, call 812-464-7817. The Center offers a food pantry every second and fourth Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. MENU Friday, March 19: Burrito with toppings, beans and chips and pudding cup. Tuesday, March 23: Sausage and gravy, biscuits, fried potatoes and snack cake. Meals available on-site for seniors 55 and old. Call the Center by noon the day before 812-385 -2897. SWIRCA MENU FOR DELIVERY Wednesday, March 17: Baked ziti with Italian sausage, Italian vegetables, warm spiced peaches, Texas toast and milk. Thursday, March 18 (Nutrition Awareness Day): Italian beef stew, Key West vegetables, collard greens, roll, tropi- cal fruit salad and milk. Friday, March 19: Goulash, mashed potatoes, peas, snack cake, bread with margarine and milk. Monday, March 22: Spaghetti with meat sauce, Italian vegetables, warm spiced apples, Texas toast, tropical fruit and milk. Tuesday, March 23: Chicken and rice casserole, carrots, green beans, bread with margarine, peace cup and milk. SWIRCA meals are available for delivery to housebound senior citizens (60 and older) in Gibson County. Meals are provided on a donation basis, whatever you can afford to contribute. There is no set fee or charge. A suggested donation is $ 3.50 per meal. Cash, check or food stamps are accepted. Meat/Entree portions are 2.5 to 3 oz. Vegetables, sal- ads and desserts are half cup servings. Margarine is 1 teaspoon. Bread is 1 slice. Milk is a half pint. Casseroles are 8 oz. This program is operated by the SWIRCA and More Nu- trition Program, 16 W. Virginia St., Evansville. The num- ber to call for information or to order meal deliver is 812- 464-7807. Independent Insurance Agent 812-483-4670 • Haubstadt • bill.yarbor@twc.com CALL: Bill Yarbor Are You Adequately Covered? A new year means changes to Medicare premiums, deductibles, copays and benefi ts! Bill Yarbor, experienced insurance agent can help you make sure you are adequately covered. Medicare Supplement Insurance, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part-D prescription drug plans. B-10 Home Life Tuesday, March 16, 2021 South Gibson Star-Times

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