East Rochester Monroe County Mothers

Thumbs up, thumbs down

THUMBS UP to rail devotees, volunteers and public officials for shepherding the Dansbury Depot project. The building, which is the old East Stroudsburg railroad station, was slated for demolition last year. Enthusiasts, including the Eastburg Community Alliance saved it, arranged for it to be moved to a new site near the tracks and are overseeing renovations. The structure will reopen in October as a museum honoring the borough's railroad history.

THUMBS DOWN to 60-year-old Judi Grate of Effort and six other scamsters who bilked health insurance companies out of more than $1 million. Grate and the others pleaded guilty Tuesday in Monroe County Court. Grate used a diagnosed health condition to hire home caretakers, then sent faked invoices to insurers for care she didn't actually receive. The others who pleaded were involved in this theft by deception. Two suspects remain; one is going to trial and the other is still weighing options.

THUMBS UP to the scientists and physicians who have championed the use of colonoscopies. A new study shows that the rate of new colorectal cancer in the United States fell by more than 13 percent between 2003 and 2007, and CDC Director Thomas Frieden says half of that decline can be chalked up to increased screening. Still, some doctors are failing to recommend the procedure to their patients starting at age 50. They should. Colorectal cancer is the nation's second-most deadly cancer, right after lung cancer.

THUMBS DOWN to Philadelphia resident Daniel Kelly for, at best, ignoring a public school teacher's plea that his daughter needed glasses, and at worst, abandoning his daughter to her unfit mother's care. Thumbs up to the teacher, Lynn Levin, who did her best to get through to Danieal Kelly's parents while she was still alive. The teen eventually starved to death; her mother has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and the father is on trial for child endangerment.

THUMBS UP to racing bicyclist Tyler Farrar, who became the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France on the Fourth of July, and who dedicated his victory to his late friend's memory. Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt died in a crash May 9 at the Giro d'Italia.

The Pocono Record presents the thumbs up column on Saturdays to highlight the good and the bad in recent news. We welcome suggestions, reserving the right to choose those we feel best reflect worthy effort and those that still need work. Send ideas to: pheeschen@poconorecord.com .

Community Seeks to Raise Awareness on Baby Health and Safety ...

This month we have been discussing baby safety , a topic with a different set of parameters during the summer.  New parents can be sure find plenty to worry about any time of the year and as mum’s always say you never stop worrying about your child.  A coalition of East Coast residents are launching a new initiative for 4 important baby health and safety issues hoping to spread the word even before baby is born.

Combined efforts of Rochester, NY, health experts including Rochester General Hospital, the Perinatal Network of Monroe County, Monroe County Department of Public Health, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester Pediatric Society, American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Referral and Evaluation Service for Abused Children (REACH) and Bivona Child Advocacy Center resulted in a coalition to help keep kids safe.  The initiative combines messages about car seat safety, safe sleeping practices, second hand smoke, and breastfeeding; all topics which have typically been left to pediatricians to discuss with their patients after the baby was born. 

It has now been recognized, however, that these topics should be broached before delivery by the healthcare providers of expecting mothers like midwives and obstetricians.  It was also discussed that this outreach needs to extend to lower income populations where health and safety issues for newborns are greater.  The coalition is providing brochures entitled “Keeping Your Baby Healthy and Safe” to all pediatric and family practices, as well as all obstetricians, in Monroe County.   The goal is not just to make sure all expecting mothers view the information, but also that physicians will open dialogue about these issues with their patients. 

The recent trend in preventable infant sleeping deaths sparked the coalition into action, but the partners also saw the need to further the initiative to cover other baby health and safety issues including increasing breastfeeding rates, promoting safe sleeping tips, reducing children’s second hand smoke exposure, and encouraging the proper use of approved child safety seats in vehicles.  The “Keeping Your Baby Healthy and Safe” brochure is available online , and was developed with funding from the National Institutes of Health .  Thank you Monroe County, we feel safer already.

The Monroe County Farm Bureau news

History of Rochester and Monroe county, New York, from the earliest historic times to the beginning of 1907

Mother's magazine

Case management resource guide, a directory of homecare, rehabilitation, mental health and long term care services

Landmarks of Orleans County, New York ...