Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/59951
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 – Daily News FEATURES Bullies beware I had a mother bring her daughter to my gym recently so I could help the girl learn some self defense techniques. The girl, 12 years old, was attacked by four high school girls. She was pushed to the ground, punched and kicked. When her mother told me this, I was very angry. The fact that a child is beat up by one high schooler is bad enough, but four of them? Lame. I would love to dole out some justice on her behalf, but I don't relish the idea of going to prison for the rest of my life. I did show her some good, basic self defense moves and gave her some good, stay safe sugges- tions. I will share these so that you can share them with your children. No one needs to get attacked. 1) There is safety in numbers, especially on the weekends. Travel with friends. 2) Make sure at least one in the group has a cell phone for emergencies. 3) Call 911 if you are approached or threatened by another group. 4) Get in a program to learn some self defense — through PAL (Police Activities League) or other gyms. 5) Trust your gut, if you feel like you are in danger, you are. Don't hesitate to run. 6) Tell your parents, your teachers, the princi- pal, a counselor, if you are the victim of a bully. You have the right to feel safe in school and in your home town. Parents of victims — communicate with the bully's parents. If they doesn't resolve the issue, talk to the schools and finally to law enforcement. Enroll your child in PAL judo, jujitsu or kickboxing to help them gain some self defense skills, strength and confidence. Parents of bullies — get your child in to talk to a professional. This behavior is not acceptable and can land your child in the juve- nile justice sys- tem. Community members, when you see bullying happening, say something. If you don't feel safe saying something to the bullies, contact law enforcement and let them know you are witness- ing a child or teenager being attacked. If we all work together, we can put a dent in this nasty, damaging behavior. OK, I feel better now. In into the first round. Excel- lent job, again, Ashton. Con- gratulations. Ashton and I Avery Vilche Fitness Buff will be fighting on a card together April 21 at Win River Casino. It will probably be my last local fight, so be sure to get your tickets if you want to catch it. My next fight will probably be in Colorado in May, so, if you feel like travel- ing out of town, you could come watch that one instead. other news, one of the fighters out of my gym, Ashton Pierce, the golden boy, won his fight this month. He took his oppo- nent apart with an armbar in less than two minutes Avery Vilche is a pro- MMA fighter and is the owner of Psycho Fitness & MMA.You can e-mail her at vilcheavery@yahoo.com or reach her at www.PsychoFitnessMma.c om. Foreign restrooms often result in a scene Dear Annie: I am a 54- year-old lesbian in a 23-year relationship. My partner and I have begun to hate traveling. Don't get me wrong. We love and enjoy exotic places, but dealing with stupid and rude people is getting old. Our problem has to do with the ladies room. We are often mistaken for men and questioned. I don't get it. Some women seem shocked by us and occasionally make a scene as if we chose the wrong bathroom. While we don't wear makeup or frilly clothes, we also don't wear suits, ties and wingtips. I wear earrings, female clothing and a wed- ding band set. Think Ellen DeGeneres. These ignorant women need some education. Please tell them they are rude and hurtful. If our presence makes them uncomfortable, maybe they should leave the bathroom. Many of the encounters make me feel bad for days. I just want to be left alone. What can I say to nip this in the bud? — Santa Cruz, Calif. Dear California: Unless you want to act super-girly when you enter a for- eign bathroom, there's not much you can do to head off such an encounter before it happens. Try working on your response instead. This has nothing to do with you personally. You are simply Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar bumping into women who don't often have the opportuni- ty to interact with those who appear to be different — whether in dress or manner — and so they react with various degrees of surprise, some of which can be quite hurtful. Use these encounters to edu- cate these women by ignoring their shock, holding your head up and being exceedingly polite and possibly charming. Dear Annie: My wife, ''Gert,'' and I are in our mid- 80s, retired and in good health. Gert worked for the same company for nearly 40 years and was well-liked. She still goes back to visit every Wednesday and sits in the coffee room and gabs all day with the workers when they take their staggered breaks. I can't help but think this has a tenden- cy to lengthen break times and disrupt productive company time. If I were the manager, I would not allow this, but he doesn't interfere. My main concern, though, is that this habit interferes with our being able to get away together for a few days during the week when hotel rates are lower and traffic is lighter than on weekends. I have asked Gert to stop this prac- tice, but she refuses. Am I selfish to think she should spend more time with me so we can plan and enjoy mutual activities during the time we have left in this life? — Husband Dear Husband: Well, no, but this activity gives her a great deal of plea- sure, and it would be considerate of you to work around it. In fact, she might resent your forcing the issue, in which case, those little vacations won't be as much fun as you'd like. And per- haps if you stop pressuring her to spend more time traveling during the week, she'd be more willing to do so on occasion, especially if you give her plenty of notice to rearrange her office schedule. Be supportive of her emo- tional needs, and hopefully, she will be equally supportive of yours. Dear Annie: So, ''J'' is afraid she might have to tip the clerk from the grocery store if she gets help while shopping with her two children. She states that she always returns her cart. While she is doing that, who is watch- ing her kids? This policy could very well be man- agement's way of offering protection to parents who might otherwise leave their children unsupervised in the car while they return the cart. Would she rather have her children snatched by a pedophile just to save a tip? I sure wish this service had been available when I used to shop with our children. She should quit looking a gift horse in the mouth. — M. Benefits of fish outweigh risks DEAR DOC- TOR K: I enjoy eating fish, and I know that doing so can keep me healthier. But how worried should I be about mercury and other pollu- tants in fish? nation. DEAR READ- ER: Fish ranks way up there on the list of healthful foods we should be eating. It's an excellent source of pro- tein, and its healthy oils protect against cardiovas- cular disease. A diet rich in seafood benefits the brain and the heart. But depending on the species and the water it was harvested from, fish comes with a catch. Near- ly all fish and shellfish do contain traces of mercury, and mercury is a toxic metal. If too much gets into your body, it can be damaging — particularly to the brain. In other words, like a lot of things in life, fish is a mixed blessing. You get some bad with the good, but you can minimize the bad and maximize the good. Here's how. As small fish are eaten by larger fish up the food chain, concentrations of mercury increase. Thus large, predatory, deep- ocean fish tend to contain the highest levels. Exam- ples include shark, sword- fish, tilefish and king mackerel. Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying it's unhealthy to eat a meal of these fish — I had a swordfish din- ner last week. But I'm careful about how often I eat these fish, in contrast to those with less mercury. Most adults can safely eat about 12 ounces (two 6-ounce servings) of a variety of cooked seafood a week. This advice does not include the large, predatory ocean fish men- tioned above, which should be enjoyed only occasionally. Also, pay attention to local seafood advisories about contami- Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. In my judg- ment, this advice does not apply to women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers and children ages 12 and younger. That's because more caution is needed to avoid potential harm from mer- cury to a fetus's or a young child's developing nervous system. For such women and children, 12 ounces a week of fish is considered safe if they: — Generally choose fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury, like shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and cat- fish. — Albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. Eat no more than 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week. Follow these recom- mendations when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but even so, you may want to serve smaller portions. And it may be that a few sips of tea or coffee with your fish could lower the likelihood that any mercury you con- sume will harm you. Canadian researchers have shown that the com- bined effect of eating cooked fish and drinking tea or black coffee makes your body far less likely to take in mercury. It's an intriguing idea. But before I believe it, I'd need to see other studies that come to the same conclusion. To sum up, if you're smart about how you eat fish, the good effects on your health far outweigh the bad. Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. Go to his website to send questions and get additional information: www.AskDoctorK.com. Altacal Audubon Society events planned for April \The Altacal Audubon Pro- gram and Field Trip activities for April are as follows: April Program - The Cali- fornia CONDOR - 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 16, Chico Creek Nature Center. California Condors are one of the most endangered birds in the world and North Amer- ica's largest flying land bird. Join Chris as he shares his experience working towards the survival of the California Condor. From rescue to recovery the condor is still one of the most endangered birds in the world. However, through public and private partner- ships the future looks brighter for the species, from a low of 21 birds in the world to now close to 400 birds a new gen- eration of Americans are experiencing the joy of watching the largest land bird in North America soar in the skies above. Chris Barr works for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the Deputy Project Leader for the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Barr has a Bachelor of Sci- ence Degree in Natural Resources Management from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and has worked on a variety of endangered species recov- ery programs including 16 years with the California con- dor. Field Trips • April 14, Saturday - Sec- ond Saturday Upper Bidwell Park. Trip Leader: Jon Aull, Chico Creek Nature Center Naturalist. Birders of all levels are welcome to join in a leisurely walk through Upper Bidwell Park, where the Sacramento Valley meets the foothills of the Cascades. Because of this meeting of mountains and valley, there is a great diversi- ty of habitats. Upper Park preserves approximately five linear miles of the Big Chico Creek watershed, and is by far the largest part of the 3670 acre Bidwell Park. In very few places can you find this mix of habitats: riparian, which is the richest wildlife habitat in the Sacramento Valley; blue oak woodlands; grasslands; vernal pools; and a small lake. One of Jon's interests is wildflowers, and there should be a nice display this time of year. Meet at the east Horseshoe Lake parking lot just past the gun club at 9 a.m. We should be back to Horseshoe Lake by around noon. Bring binoculars, water, snacks, walking shoes and proper clothing for the expected weather conditions. Rain cancels. Contact Jon Aull at the Chico Creek Nature Center for more infor- mation, 891-4671. • April 21, Saturday- Butte College Wildlife Area. Trip Leader: Ken Sobon The 944 acre Butte College Wildlife Refuge is character- ized by a large variation in topography and vegetation cover. The campus encom- passes riparian forest, wet- lands, oak woodlands and grasslands that offer a chance to observe Wood Ducks, war- blers, Belted Kingfisher, woodpeckers, kinglets, towhees, nuthatches and many other bird species. Meet at the Chico Park and Ride, the lot closest to Hwy 99, at 8:30 a.m. For more informa- tion contact Sobon at 872- 7762 or ksobon1@comcast.net • April 21, Saturday- Bird Walk in Butte Creek Canyon; Trip Leader: Dr. Roger Led- erer The Centerville Recreation and Historical Association is hosting a bird walk led by Dr. Roger Lederer from 10:30 am.-2 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, at the Coleman Museum on Centerville Road in Butte Creek Canyon. Bring a sack lunch and binoculars. For more infor- mation call Brad Cook at 893-2984. • April 22, Sunday- Spring Bird ID- Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Trip Leader: Dawn Garcia If you've been missing our colorful neotropical migrants this trip will provide you with your first dose of 2012! Join Master Bird Bander and Alta- cal Conservation Chair Dawn Garcia on a spring walk through the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Expect to see early arrivals like Black- headed Grosbeak, Warbling Vireo, Bullock's Oriole and Yellow Warbler. The pace will be relaxed but there are some steep areas so wear sturdy shoes, bring binocu- lars, water, and a snack and prepare for the possibility of wet weather. We will meet at the Chico Park & Ride (east lot) at 8:30 am and have you back to your vehicle at 12:30 (app.) This trip is part of the BCCER Spring Hike Series, which include many other Natural History walks, for more information visit www.csuchico.edu/bccer/pub lic_use/hikes.shtml. • April 28, Saturday- The Mystery of Bird Song- and Bidwell Park Bird Walk. Leaders: David Lukas and Jennifer Patten The Chico Creek Nature Center will feature special guest speaker David Lukas, a California naturalist and author, at 9:30 a.m. on Satur- day, April 28. He will be talk- ing about The Mystery of Bird Song. How do birds learn to sing such beautiful songs? And why do they pro- duce so many different types of vocalizations? David will help answer some of these questions and share his insights into the magical world of bird song- from the ways we study bird song, to the anatomy of how birds produce sounds, to some of the social behaviors that explain common bird vocalizations. Then join him for a bird walk into Bidwell Park to hear some of those beautiful bird songs. Co-lead- ing with David will be Alta- cal Audubon's Jennifer Pat- ten. We hope you will join us on Saturday, April 28, at 9:30 am for this free stellar event at the Chico Creek Nature Center, 1968 E. 8th Street, Chico. The bird walk will end by noon. David Lukas is a Califor- nia naturalist and the author of five books, including Sier- ra Nevada Natural History and Wild Birds of California. David grew up in Oregon but has been living in the Sierra Nevada and leading bird pro- grams in California for nearly 20 years. His newest book is called Sierra Nevada Birds and it is the first comprehen- sive guide to the status, life history, and distribution of all the birds that occur in the Sierra Nevada (www.lukas- guides.com) • April 28, Saturday- Iden- tifying Spring Bird Song, Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Trip Leader: Huber Scott Learning to identify bird song will increase your abili- ty to detect the presence of many bird species and greatly enhance your enjoyment of time spent in the outdoors. Scott Huber has lead numer- ous workshops and field trips on western bird song iden- tification, and in addition to pointing out songs, calls and the species they belong to, he will share tips and clues to audio identification. Bring your binoculars – you'll want to match the visual field marks of the birds you see to their songs! Wear sturdy shoes, bring water and pre- pare for the possibility of wet weather. We'll meet at the Chico Park & Ride (east lot) at 7 a.m. and have you back to your vehicle at 12:30 (app).This trip is part of the BCCER Spring Hike Series, which include many other Natural History walks, for more information visit www.csuchico.edu/bccer/pub lic_use/hikes.shtml. All programs and activities are free of cost unless other- wise indicated and are open to the public. For more infor- mation contact Altacal Audubon Society Publicity Chairman Wayland Augur at 519-4724 or email wba@acm.org. Information also available at www.alta- cal.org. 3B