Muhlenberg Potpourri

There seems to be a dearth of activity on the political front. Perhaps there may be something for discussion at the Council’s agenda setting session next Monday (Aug.11). If so and it is earth shaking it will be up for action on the 18^th. Since Solaris has announced that all activity at MRMC will have ended on the 13^th there undoubtedly will be nothing to discuss.

On the other hand there were four "publications of interest this past week.

Of prime interest was Jane Fargo’s letter and “neoczo’s” comments with the following statement. Posted 8/2/2008 2:24 PM EDT on mycentraljersey.com

"Hall was injured on site and had to wait 40 minutes for an ambulance to be transported to JFK Medical Center in Edison, then died, with his family suing the City of Plainfield?"

I would hope that there should be further clarification of this incident. What accident? What ambulance was delayed and why? Is the statement verifiable and if so can it affect the appeal if instituted?

Secondly the Courier, several days ago, had a pointed editorial about the Commissioner’s actions and regulations. The paper ridiculed the structure of the “Community Advisory Group ‘(hereafter known by the bureaucratic acronym of CAG) which is to be developed by Solaris within 3 months after the edict.

The CAG shall be co-chaired by either the member of the Solaris board or the JFK representative. , should have a representative of JFK, request representatives from Mayors of all communities that were in MRMC primary service area. In addition, a representative of POP, one from Green’s task force and representatives from a few agencies in the area, includes the NHC and the DHSS Maternal and Child Health Consortia.

Obviously the Commissioner wants the fox to police the hen house. There could still be a few edible chickens that have escaped Solaris.

Jerry got that right in his July 30^th Blog he wrote: I can’t support the task force working under the direction of Solaris. What has already happened to the Muhlenberg board will just happen again: Solaris writes the rules, so they have all the control. It’s important, especially now that we have fewer services that the City of Plainfield has input into the future of the Muhlenberg campus. After all, it’s our citizens that are being most directly affected. Solaris has already proven that they can’t police themselves.

That blog had some other interesting comments:

“Last year at about this time I was meeting with Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, Solaris and Commissioner Howard on this very issue. When Solaris’ reported losses went from $4-$10 million with the decision from the governor that in this year’s budget there would be less money available for charity care at New Jersey’s hospitals, it became clear to all involved that unless Muhlenberg could find a buyer, the hospital would close”

If Green and the Mayor were aware of the situation at least six months before any public announcement why were the citizenry not forewarned? Since the Mayor is an ex-officio member of the Muhlenberg Board she should have heard discussions on this subject at their meetings and could have communicated with the public. Unless these discussions were only in executive committee and not at the general meeting or unless she had not attended any meetings, she should have had full knowledge.

“My concern from day one on this issue has been, did Muhlenberg really have to close? Over the past five years I have used my position as a legislator to get funds to keep Muhlenberg afloat all without any real information as to why, specifically, the hospital was losing money, be it simply because of charity care or maybe because of bad investments, I had no way of knowing.”

Specifics please about funding bills you were involved with that directly affected MRMC’s survival.

He continues:”When something so central to our community is losing money and we’re fighting to do whatever we can to keep it open, it seemed to me that the community and local government ought to have the right to scrutinize what is causing the problem.”.

Right on Assemblyman, as is your next comment‘

“Although I had hoped to keep the hospital’s license active for three years in order to look for a buyer, the Attorney General’s office has said that this would be illegal. I have asked for a written opinion of this so that we can take a look, but as it stands, the hospital will have to forfeit its license within the next ten days.”

I hope you will share that opinion with us peons.

And finally then there was John Gostel’s op-ed article. He again pointed out the lack of verifying Solaris’s financial statements that were accepted at face value by DHSS. He also referred to Professor Uwe Reinhardt’s comments about the cause of hospital and health care economic problems.

This blog is now becoming as if it is an extra inning game , too long,so I will continue from here tomorrow.

Two Oops- Cliff Hanger Continued.

Childhood sports was not supposed to be an old time movie serial thriller with each episode ending with a cliff hanger. Some where in electronic never never land there is another paragraph or two.
TO CONTINUE:

The second quarter started with our team having the ball. We "marched" right down the field and soon had the ball near the "goal line" when the half abruptly ended. 12-13 year olds can grumble but find it hard to bitch to adults. Although we thought that we had been short timed we prepared for the 2nd half.

Contrary to usual protocol the W team began the 2nd half with the ball and managed to make several 4th downs and just as the quarter ended scored their second "touchdown". As you can begin to realize the 4th quarter was a duplicate of the 2nd. We lost the game 12 to 0.

The spectators, all for the "W" team were overjoyed. We had no one to cheer for us. Because of our frustration as we rode our bikes home we decided to challenge them to a return match which I can't remember ever taking place.


A minor goof; I jumped the gun on great grandson Casey's age. He will be 7 on Sept, 4th.

I do have another story to tell about him; when he was (I think) four they wanted to put him into a pre-kindergarten class. The spaces were limited and they was a pre-entrance test.

Casey had from the earliest age been very interested in the children's cartoon show "Dora" which is bilingual. He was asked to count from 1 to 10. Casey not only did that without hesitation but continued to repeat immediately in Spanish. Viva Dora.

After School Sports 193x

Perhaps because Aug. 3^rd marks the first pro football exhibition game, The Hall of Fame Game, and baseball still has one third of its season to go, it is a good time to remember childhood sports.

In the 30s a very heterogeneous group of boys within the same general age group lived in what I will call the Grant Ave Axis, This spread from roughly Darrow Ave, to Monroe, and from Fourth St. to Sherman Ave.

When the weather was nice in the spring and summer we played baseball. The pickup games were usually held on a large empty lot on the southeast corner of Grant and 7^th. Occasionally we played on another lot on the northeast corner of the same intersection.

Typically there were a few good athletes who did the picking of players from those available, I was a klutz and usually being one of the last picked played right field. The pitcher was usually the one who had the ball.

In the fall we played football. The SE corner field at Grant and 7^th was still the most common one. There was also an empty lot on the west corner of Lee and 7^th, Vanderveers, a small lot on Stelle directly across from Hubbard School, a large area between two family houses on Eight St. between Grant and Hobart, and another field way-out near Clinton Ave.

As can be expected the composition and size of the teams varied, if we had six on a side that was sufficient for the field. It goes without saying that there were no uniforms, no padding just play clothes.

About 1932 a high school math teacher organized an after school athletic program to which some concerned parents sent their sons. Among these boys was ‘Pete” Williams who later became a US Senator.

This group needed opponents, so we “West Enders” assembled a team, I don't remember the number of players at least eight, and scheduled a game with them to be played at the Kenyon Gardens. At that time the area was also used by several area women’s field hockey clubs.

A high school senior had been selected by Mr. W. to be official. The game was to be timed in quarters and two halves. There was no kickoff, the “uniformed team in pads etc. put the ball in play on their? 40? line. After what seemed a long time they managed to score a touchdown. The quarter then ended.

Potpourri today

No blog from Jerry. Nothing exciting to write about. No desire to test a few old brain cells. Thus you will have to be content with four unrelated photos picked for their availability.
Even if it wasn't so blue, it has to be the "Blue Grotto" on Capri. Photo was available light hand held camera and not tweaked.

Far from Capri is inland Norway. This was taken from the train from Bergen to Oslo in July.
Just off the coast of Croatia is the small island of Hvar. It is a national park and this "lake" is in the middle of the island. Nothing special but nice to look at.
I can't take credit for this picture. Our granddaughter who lives in Ohio sent this photo of great grand son Casey age 7. He is an avid reader, several grades above his age group. Yes he is really reading the newspaper and will discuss whatever has struck his fancy. For me this is one of the best photos.

LAGOS

All but the hospital is back to normal. Jerry has posted information about A2607 a bill he helped sponsor. I fail to understand how that will help us today or on the day it becomes effective.Please explain it to me. I hate feeling stupid. Best of all Maria is back and there is BOE meeting Tuesday.

Today I am taking a virtual vacation to the Southwest tip of Portugal.

This is Lagos Portugal. The site was first settled by Carthaginians and has been occupied ever since by various and sundry rulers.

Lagos became important during the 15th century period of Portuguese exploration. Prince Henry the Navigator, third son of King João I, lived most of the time in Lagos. From here he directed expeditions to Morocco and to the western coast of Africa with caravelles. It was a 50-ton design that featured decks high above the waterline, multiple masts, a combination of triangle-shaped lateen and square sails, and a deep hull (to carry a lot of cargo).

The church of St. Anthony of Lisbon was one of the few building to survive quasi-intact the Great Earthquake of 1755. There was some reconstruction by the commander of Lagos Infantry Regiment. That is probably why the polychrome statue of St. Anthony on the altar wears a military sash.


Its plain facade with the dissimilar bell towers, dating from 1715, contrasts sharply with the extravaganza of the beautiful and richly decorated interior. Its blue-and-white Azulejo" (18th century) and gilded, intricate wooden carvings (among the most beautiful in the country) fill every inch of the walls of the nave, together with the six Baroque paintings by Mestre José Joaquim Rasquinho, representing the miracles of St. Anthony. The wooden vault was painted with a trompe-l'oeil effect, leading one to believe it is much higher. The polychrome statues of cherubs playing with animals and fishes are a delight to the eye.




A short distance to the west on the way to Cape St. Vincent is Sagres. It was here that Henry the Navigator developed plans for his exploration voyages.These voyages paved the way for the Portuguese to circumnavigate Africa and open India to trade. Brazil was also discovered by the Portuguese seamen and later allocated to Portugal. That is why the country's language is Portuguese not Spanish.

The story of "Taps"

I received this from one of unsolicited email forwarders. An interesting story worth sharing.

If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which taps were played;
this brings out a new meaning of it.
Here is something Every American should know. Until I read this, I didn't know, but
I checked it out and it's true:
We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, 'Taps.' It's the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually
tears in our eyes.
But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings.
Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert
Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely
wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain
reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead.
The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the
dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son.. T he boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors
to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral
dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate.
But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform.

This wish was granted.

The
haunting melody, we now know as 'Taps' used at military funerals was born.
The words are
Day is done.
Gone the sun.
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.

Fading light.
Dims the sight.
And a star.
Gems the sky.

Gleaming bright.
From afar.
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night.

Thanks
and praise.

For our days.
Neath the sun
Neath the stars.

Neath the sky.
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh


I
too have felt the chills while listening to 'Taps' but I have never seen all
the words to the song until now. I didn't even know there was more than
one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn't know
if you had either so I thought I'd pass i t along.

I
now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.


Remember
Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their Country.

Also:
Remember Those Who Have Served and Returned; and for those presently serving in the Armed Forces.

Please don't make the sacrifices of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan worthless. If we can understand the limits of our capabilities and expectations in those countries then we can ultimately exit with honor not a post Viet Nam type defeat.

We should not forget that no "invader" from Alexander on has been able to conquer Afghanistan, and we should be happy just to install a non-theocratic government there.

Likewise to expect "American type Democracy" to work in Iraq is idiotic. Their customs and traditions are so alien to ours that we can not change them. We must learn to work and adapt to the people. Government corruption there is a way of life. Those who live in glass houses should not cast stones. This should be a good subject for an "essay" and a forum.

DON'T GIVE UP HOPE

I must confess that I have always been an eternal optimist. Everything sooner or later turns out for the best.

While awaiting something earthshaking to write about besides MRMC, I thought that perhaps some pictures could illustrate that hope. My 1950-60ish Minox slides are an example. The top photo is how this scene from the original slide appeared on the computer.

But not all was lost. The bottom picture is after minimal tweaking with Photo Shop. From a photographic disaster I was able to create a pleasant picture. It may have lost some "sharpness" in the transaction but it works.

To the optimist this resurection of a ruined slide can be an allegory for the defunct Muhlenberg. The appeal ( ie: tweaking) may restore Muhlenberg as our hospital. If we persist Plainfield will have a hospital that will suffice for all our needs.However it is important to be able to retain the services of the quality physicians that now practice in this area.