Mancini speaks: new effort in food safety training

In 2010, the Russian pavilion at Folklorama in Winnipeg (or, as the Guess Who were always introduced, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), was implicated in a foodborne outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 that caused 37 illnesses and 18 hospitalizations.

The ethnic nature and diversity of foods prepared within each pavilion presents a unique problem for food inspectors, as each culture prepares food in their own unique way.

The Manitoba Department of Health and Folklorama Board of Directors realized a need to implement a food safety information delivery program that would be more effective than a 2-h food safety course delivered via PowerPoint slides. The food operators and event coordinators of five randomly chosen pavilions selling potentially hazardous food were trained on-site, in their work environment, focusing on critical control points specific to their menu. A control group (five pavilions) did not receive on-site food safety training and were assessed concurrently. Public health inspections for all 10 pavilions were performed by Certified Public Health Inspectors employed with Manitoba Health. Critical infractions were assessed by means of standardized food protection inspection reports.

Rob Mancini, a MS graduate of Kansas State University, a health inspector with the Manitoba Department of Health, and someone who seems perpetually young with cinematic good looks (bit of a man-crush) led a study of how to improve food safety at Folklorama and the results were published in the Oct. 2012 issue of the Journal of Food Protection.

He’s at it again, and will be reporting on follow-up research he subsequently conducted with almost no help from me and Chapman at the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspector Conference in Winnipeg, on June 24th, 2013.

Judging good times: Social Scene

Landry’s Seafood House was the site for the bonhomie and sights when the Academy of New Orleans Trial Lawyers held its 2013 annual Seafood Party in honoring of local, state and federal judiciary. Here come the judges!

The group, which is directed by Stephen Kreller, Palmer Lambert and Neil Nazareth, organizes the event each year as a relaxed evening on the lakefront. A nice breeze, a thin cloud-layer providing a cooling effect, a stunning sunset, and a choice view of the new lighthouse provided the atmospheric ingredients. Those of the menu were hot crawfish, corn, sausage, jambalaya and seafood gumbo.

Among the notables were the above academy co-chairmen Stephen Kreller and Palmer Lambert, along with Wayne LeBlanc, Byron Bonck, Linda Harang, Larry Centola, Reid Uzee, Ashley Liuzza, Merritt Cunningham, Dominick Impastato, Anthony Impastato, Troy Keller, Kristi Schubert, Matthew McLaren, Justin Woods, Gene Redmann, Chip Forstall, Chris Sherwood, and Frank D’Amico, who was accompanied by his wife, Nancy.

Others who mixed sailboat-sighting on Lake Pontchartrain with socializing were Kelly Barbier, Hillary Barnett, Jeffrey Berniard, Lillie Joyce, Jason Landry, Janet Moulton, and Jon Dettmann.

The honored hobnobbers included Associate Justice Jefferson D. Hughes III of the Louisiana Supreme Court and a host of judges. The names — and profiles to note — were of Judges Carl Barbier, Ginger Berrigan with husband Joe, Roland Belsome, Paul Bonin, Darryl Derbigny, Desiree Charbonnet, Frank Marullo, Franz Zibilich, Hans Liljeberg, Joe Landry with son Joe, John Shea, June Berry Darensburg, Kern Reese, and Lloyd Medley. Present, too, were Judges Mark Shea, Michael Mentz, Monique Morial, Paula Brown, Paulette Irons, Piper Griffin, Raymond Steib Jr., Regina Bartholomew, Robin Giarrusso, and Tiffany Chase.

Overlooking another body of water, the Mississippi River, is the Plimsoll Club, which is housed in The Westin Canal Place. The club also housed a round of shoulder-rubbing when the United Medical Rehabilitation Hospital held its first Healthcare Social. “It was a beautiful evening affair filled with amazing views of the Mississippi River, ” said UMRH’s Kian Marigny-Galle. Further ambiance came from within: round tables were draped with crisp, white linen cloths and hurrican vases were filled with white floating candles over coal rocks.

Hand-passed hors d’oeuvres, such as chicken lettuce wraps, quesadillas, and fried catfish, fed the flock, along with carving stations, various cheeses, and a three-tiered confection by Chosen Cakes and Caterers. For the cuppa joe, guests reached for Starbucks coffee. Adding to the libations roster were champagne, premium liquors, and wine.

Notables making party rounds — and getting souvenir-snapped by photographer Bernie Saul — were hospital CEO John Mills, Gretna facility administrator Mike Rabalais, medical director of United Medical Dr. Olga Krivitsky, physical medicine/rehab staff physician Dr. Kenneth Williams, West Jefferson Health Care Center administrator Patricia Taylor, and Drs. Christopher Marrero, Bertrand Tillery, Michael Jones, Om Garg, Lionel Branch, Corey Cashman, Pramela R. Ganji, Miguel A. Melgar, Emmery Minnard, and Dr. William Lacorte. Many of them enjoyed company chatter, including the location of the two United Medical Rehabilitation Hospitals (Gretna and Hammond), and the mission statement: “We are a Person not Patient focused facility.”

Among the festive features were the toast to CEO John Mills for 11 years of service, and the spirited music purveyed by Angela Bell and her band. The above Dr. Williams, along with Zoe Tobias, Leila Simmons, Dalisa Tate, and Nathaniel Scales, made fun the focus as they joined the “Bus Stop” line dance. As a tribute to the location, Kian Marigny-Galle, Kitty Cavalier, Donyelle Marigny, Rosa Mills, and Kelly Johnson hit the floor for Angela Bell’s rendition of the Tina Turner mega-hit, “Proud Mary.” Of course, everybody knows it as “Rolling on the River.”

“Winging” it is the next social swing, thanks to the Orleans Audubon Society and Crescent Bird Club Spring Banquet. Titled “Birds of a Feather, ” the avian ado unfolded in the Imperial Room of Five Happiness Restaurant. This was the 15th joint banquet of the two organizations, which have been meeting together for spring and fall banquets since 2006, and share a love for birds, nature and the outdoors.

A cocktail mixer launched the levity that enjoyed the social squawk of birds seen on a recent trip to the Honey Island Swamp and Grand Isle (during the spring migration). In fact, during the migratory trek, thousands of birds were literally resting on the ground, weary from crossing the Gulf of Mexico.

During the program, Jennifer Coulson gave a travelogue slideshow about the bird-watching trip that she, husband Tom, and four friends took to Panana. “Living conditions (in the Comarca Kuna Yala reservation) were a bit rough there with no electricity or potable water, and bats flying around inside the hut-style lodges, ” she commented, but the reward during their overall adventure was encountering 218 species of tropical birds. Some crocodiles, too.

A “first” award went to Rufus C. Harris Jr. for his “outstanding contribution to the conservation of Louisiana’s wildlife and wild places.” Joining him as he received the first Swallow-tailed Kite Award were spouse Mary Lou, sons Rufus III and Douglas with spouse Diana, and grandson Scott, the son of Rufus III. Award in hand, honoree Rufus reminisced about looking for kite nests in the Pearl River Basin and needing to cross a bayou. “So we jumped into a bathtub and used sticks as our paddles.” Everyone roared.

Within the assembly of fine-feathered friends were the above Jennifer Coulson, Orleans Audubon Society president, and Tom, the event coordinators, along with Treasurer Michael Crago and Kathleen, Secretary Sherry DeFrancesch, and board members Mike Tifft with wife Judge Camille Buras Tifft, Wendy Rihner with Mike, Glenn Ousset, and Byron Almquist with Evelyn. From the Crescent Bird Club came Treasurer Mary Joe Krieger.

Also mingling were Kay Siebel, Charlotte Seidenberg, Helen Piazza, Ann Duffy and John Skinner, Lita Pinter, Marianne Thompson, Jacqueline Schick, and Anne Rioux.

The delicious buffet-style feast included many savory dishes the restaurant is known for, such as beef with mushrooms and shrimp with honey-roasted pecans. As for fortune cookie quips, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, ” should have read the other way round for this party, because, according to society prez Jennifer (and for bird-watching purposes), “birders can only count the birds in the bush.”

Nell Nolan can be reached at socialscene@nola.com.

Alpha Phi Alpha presents 17th Step Show

• Print
• Report an Error
• Share

As Green Key weekend rolls around, excitement for the annual Alpha Phi Alpha Step Show is building once again. According to Kelvin Quezada ’08, this year’s program coordinator and president of Alpha Phi Alpha, this year’s performance, scheduled to take place in the Leverone Field House on Saturday, will be even bigger and better than last year’s.

“This year, we are expecting more alumni and community members to attend,” Quezada said. “Last year, we celebrated 100 years of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. This year, we will be celebrating the 35th year anniversary of our chapter, Theta Zeta, here at Dartmouth.”

This year, the theme of the show is based on the TV show “24.”

“The Alphas are members of an elite team who are looking to save Greek life at Dartmouth College after Jack Bauer, the top agent, could not,” Quezada said. “We chose this theme because we all love Greek life and we love the series. After it came up in one of our meetings, it was a no-brainer.”

The show is known to be one of the biggest cultural events held at Dartmouth, primarily providing a stage to showcase minority Greek organizations while bringing together a wide variety of cultural groups.

As usual, students should expect to see performances from dance troupes such as Ujima, SHEBA, Roots of Rhythm and Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity.

“The Step Show is important because it gives us the opportunity to show the Dartmouth community how great of a dance troupe we are,” Rictrell Pirtle, the leader of UJIMA said. “Last year, over 1,500 people came to the show and the energy was great. We hope that this year the crowd will be just as energetic as last year.”

Quezada stressed that it is an event unique to Dartmouth and a staple of Green Key weekend. The majority of those who attend the event are Dartmouth students and alums that come to see their friends and the Dartmouth groups perform.

Event coordinators occasionally allow one or two students from other teams to perform with a Dartmouth group. Last year, a member of the University of Massachusetts chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon sorority performed with the Dartmouth chapter of her sorority. Her chapter, however, was not invited to perform.

Quezada said that this type of participation was rare and not really in the spirit of the step show.

“It’s something we juggle every year,” Quezada said.

Despite not inviting outside groups to perform, Alpha Phi Alpha sends out invitations to students from other schools, especially to members from other chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha, Lambda Upsilon Lambda and Sigma Lambda Upsilon sorority, to attend the event as spectators.

Stepping is an Alpha Phi Alpha tradition that has been upheld in other chapters for several decades. The Dartmouth chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha held their first step show in the late 1980s. The event gradually grew in size until it was moved to Leede Arena in 1998 to accommodate more people. Event coordinators expect about 1,500 to attend the event this year.

Alpha Phi Alpha, the first African-American collegiate fraternity, was founded at Cornell University in 1906. The Theta Zeta chapter of the fraternity was started at Dartmouth in 1972. In addition to the chapter’s other programming, which includes the annual Alpha Week, the Step Show has become a well-known exhibition of an integral part of the minority Greek experience at Dartmouth.

Alpha Phi Alpha members began planning the event Winter term, and rehearsing for their step routine at the beginning of Spring term.

“Every year we work on being unique with our steps, while taking traditional steps from past shows,” Quezada said.

The “Ice Age” themed after-party will be held at Cutter-Shabazz Hall following the show.

Hometown: Job Fair for Job Seekers 45 and Older

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City York Counties.

Last year’s Senior Services Coalition Employment Event was a success; this year’s will take place June 27.

The 4^th Annual Senior Services Coalition Employment Event, which aims to help people ages 45 and older who are seeking employment, will take place on June 27.

The event brings together regional employers and adults looking for jobs, and it will also feature community organizations that can offer advice and assistance to job seekers. This year’s event will include representatives from Colonial Williamsburg, Riverside Health System, Farm Fresh, James City County, Eastern State hospital, Wal-Mart, Williamsburg Landing and many more.

The United Way, Volunteer Williamsburg, Literacy for Life and PADRN.org will also be on hand to share information about community resources and volunteer jobs that can help build a resume.

Job seekers interested in attending the event should bring copies of a resume and should wear professional attire, according to event coordinators.

The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. June 27 at the Historic Triangle Community Services Center. For more information, visit the Senior Services Coalition website.

Share This Post

Tweet
FacebookTwitterEmailDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

Posted by WYDaily Staff
on June 18, 2013. Filed under Hometown.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Immigration group protests at Kobach’s home

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) – Immigration reform advocates gathered in Kansas City, Kan., and said contrary to popular rhetoric, most Kansans support immigration reform.

Organizers said the town hall meeting Saturday attracted hundreds of people from Kansas, Iowa, Colorado and Rhode Island.

The Kansas City Star reports that after the meeting a group also went to the Wyandotte County home of Kansas Secretary of State Kobach and left about 20 pairs of shoes at his doorstep. Armando Minjarez, a member of Sunflower Community Action, one of the event coordinators, said the shoes represent parents who’ve been deported since 2008.

Congress is battling over comprehensive immigration changes.

Kobach has built a national profile presenting tough policies on illegal immigration issues. He and his family apparently weren’t home during the protest at his home.

Immigration reform group meets in KCK

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Immigration reform advocates gathered in Kansas City, Kan., and said contrary to popular rhetoric, most Kansans support immigration reform.

Organizers said the town hall meeting Saturday attracted hundreds of people from Kansas, Iowa, Colorado and Rhode Island.

The Kansas City Star reports ( http://bit.ly/18Oa5XM) that after the meeting a group also went to the Wyandotte County home of Kansas Secretary of State Kobach and left about 20 pairs of shoes at his doorstep. Armando Minjarez, a member of Sunflower Community Action, one of the event coordinators, said the shoes represent parents who’ve been deported since 2008.

Congress is battling over comprehensive immigration changes.

Kobach has built a national profile presenting tough policies on illegal immigration issues. He and his family apparently weren’t home during the protest at his home.

Major event in Monroe postponed

MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) – A big time bull riding show will not be taking place Saturday as planned.

When you drive past the civic center today you won’t see any cowboys or the thousand pound bulls they ride because the event scheduled for today has been postponed.

“Professional bull riders decided to cancel their event this weekend because there were not enough ticket sales up front,” said John Ross.

The Civic Center event coordinators say there wasn’t a lack of interest in the event, and they think people would have come.

“The old promoter knew we had a walk up crowd and she wasn’t worried about selling out. Whereas we have a new promoter this year and they got cold feet,” said Sharon Trakler.

Low ticket sales in advance wasn’t the only financial concern the city employees say the promoters had.

“Dirt tripled in size the last three years as far as cost. It’s unreal. You have to make a lot of money to cover your cost,” said Trakler.

Employees here at the civic center say another reason why promoters often times cancel or postpone events is because of the size of the arena.

“If you have a larger arena then they can charge smaller prices and still get the same bang for their buck,” said Ross.

The city of Monroe is considering to build a 85 million dollar arena that will draw more performers to northeast Louisiana. It would fit more people, but that doesn’t mean more people will show up.

The Civic Center worker says there are plans in place for the bull riders to come within the same week as a bike riding event that also uses dirt to help both groups save extra cash.

Drug Controversy Front and Center at LA Area Shamanism Event

“Ayahuasca Tea”

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 16, 2013

An upcoming event surrounding shamanic healing is drawing strong opposition from a number of prominent internet sites which allege it is nothing more than “new age scams” and “drug culture”. The controversy first broke out as the event coordinators possess intimate ties to a popular ayahuasca tourist retreat in Iquitos, Peru, which offers usage of powerful hallucinogenic drugs, where such drugs are legalized for religious sacraments.

Shamanism is traditionally practiced by Amazonian cultures for the use of ritualistic healing. In most cases, those ritualistic healings involve the use of entheogens and other psychoactive substances. The event plans to discuss the government opposition of widely used drugs such as Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian tea two comprised of two plants, Banisteriopsis Caapi, or more commonly referred to as the “Ayahuasca” vine and Psychotria Viridis, as is more commonly known as the “Chacruna” leaf. The combination, which becomes orally active only when mixed together, is considered among experts to be the most potent hallucinogen yet discovered by scientists.

“Shamans reach the state that gives them access to the supernatural world in a variety of ways. A very common way is by ingesting mind-altering drugs of various types,” says James Davila, author of the book “Enoch as a Divine Mediator”.

Local event coordinator Matt Toussaint says, “It is simply a case of people fearing what they don’t understand. There are no drugs of any kind present at this event and it will simply involve a very brief discussion of the historic use of these substances as used as healing agents and how they pertain to the guided meditation for stress relief that follows.”

At present, the organizers are still asking for audience volunteers and feedback. Regristration for the June 22nd event can be completed via the web at ShamanismLA.com.

Domestically, the debate continues to rage onwards as Ayahuasca has been legalized for usage as a religious sacrament by the Santo Daime church. Santo Daime is syncretic in that it incorporates elements of several religious or spiritual traditions including Folk Catholicism, Kardecist Spiritism, African animism and indigenous South American shamanism, including vegetalismo.

The event promises to add fuel to what is an already heated debate to constitutional rights as they pertain to illegal drugs and religious contextual use.

PDF


Print

Scotland residents getting ready for big yard sales on June 22

Scotland residents are cleaning out their basements, garages, barns and storage areas in preparation for the 21nd Annual Scotland Community Yard Sale on June 22.

If you are looking for a 1951 Dodge or a 14-foot aluminum boat with a 9.9 Johnson motor, Bill Russell has one for sale at his yard sale.

Eva Willis has a wide array of yard sale items — all priced at 25 cents.

Other sales will offer treasures like exercise equipment, an antique upright radio, antique china display case, a large gun cabinet, couch, chair, swivel rocking chair, golf clubs, a small freezer, Longaberger baskets, Boyd’s Bears, baby item and household goods.

“We’ve got a little bit of everything,” says Janet Merkel, one of the event coordinators.

The yard sales, sponsored by the Scotland United Methodist Church, runs 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Maps will be available at the fire station.

The community event also will offer breakfast and lunch, a bake sale and several lemonade stands set up by youngsters, according to Merkel.

Starting at 7 a.m., the Scotland Full Gospel Church will be serving biscuits and sausage gravy in the church’s fellowship hall for a freewill offer. They’ll also be selling lunch items featuring sandwiches and pies.

Take-outs are available.

Throughout the day, the church will be selling a variety of drinks.

Members of the Ladies Aid of the Scotland United Methodist Church have been busy preparing a delightful array of sweet goodies that will be offered at a bake sale. They also have homemade noodles and tied blankets for sale in the shelterhouse in the park, located behind the fire station.

The younger generation in the community will also get into the act on Saturday selling lemonade and baked sale items.

Kayla and Marrissa Pinnick will be continuing a five-year tradition of lemonade and cookies at their grandmother’s — Brenda Massett — house.

Abby Jo Hertzberg is also planning a lemonade stand and will also have pop, water and cookies.

Four-year-old Joycelyn Evans wants to help out her big brother Matthew’s traveling baseball team — the Southern Indiana Venom — by donating the profits from her lemonade stand and bake sale.

“I just thought that was kind of neat,” Merkel added with a laugh.

Strawberries Star In P/S This Weekend

Advertisement

This weekend Rim Country residents and visitors have an opportunity to “Be Loyal – Shop Local” at the 23rd Annual Strawberry Festival in Pine and Strawberry.

“Just about every business here contributes in some way,” said Sheri Earp, one of the event coordinators with the Pine Strawberry Business Community (PSBC).

The 2013 Strawberry Festival is this weekend throughout Pine and Strawberry on Highway 87 north of Payson. Event hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16.

On the south end at Pine Hardware Store, participants can enjoy a petting zoo, a mechanical bull and for the first time ever, a water game with WOW bubbles (participants get inside the bubbles and move around a pool of water). Earp said it is like being a gerbil in a ball.

DJ Craig will also share his vast collection of music on site, where visitors can get aboard a shuttle and not worry about finding parking at the different venues.

Roundup file photo/Dennis Fendler

The 2013 Strawberry Festival is this weekend throughout Pine and Strawberry on Highway 87 north of Payson. Event hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16.

A Kids Corner at the Pine Community Center ramada will give youngsters a chance to make gifts for their fathers, grandfathers and uncles for Father’s Day.

Live music at the community center will feature Trouble in Paradise along with the Old Fiddlers and Friends, Cinnamon Twist and, on Sunday, the Ballam Family Bluegrass Gospel Band.

The event will feature every imaginable strawberry treat — juicy strawberries (in flats and pints), strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry ice cream floats and sundaes, strawberry sparkle and strawberry oatmeal bars made using an old pioneer recipe.

The Knights of Columbus will also offer a pancake breakfast with all the trimmings at 7 a.m. on both days.

The community of Strawberry will join in the fun with live music, vendors and a giant swap meet.

Moreover, the PSBC will be selling raffle tickets for a beautiful kayak to be awarded at the Mountain Daze Festival in August.

PSBC Events for 2013

All festivals are held at the Pine Community Center 13 miles north of Payson.

• Third Annual Mountain Daze Festival: from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 10 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 11. Music by DJ Craig, vendors, Kids Korner, raffle drawing for kayak on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought on site or at local businesses. Pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. on both days.

• Sixth Annual Fall Apple Festival (outside)/Second Annual Antique Show (in Cultural Hall): 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6. Music, apple treats, vendors, Kids Korner, chili cook-off on Saturday, pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. on both days.

Web site: www.psbcaz.com. Contact: Sheri Earp (928) 476-3655.