Community Bulletin Board

The VRE Trains Were Late The Last Few Months - Here's Why

If you are wondering what PTC is and how it works you may be interested in this brief YouTube video clip that helps make it clear how this advanced and costly safety system operates. To see it just click the the arrow --►

Bothered by artificial scents? They can be tough to avoid.

This article originally appeared in The Washington Post on March 22, 2018 and was written by Post Staff columnist Elisabeth Leamy. It was sent to us by Malcolm and Dagmar Kirsop who have experienced the negative health effects caused by potentially harmful chemicals that were added to products to make them smell good so they could sell good.

“More and more, I walk into homes, stores and businesses and am greeted with an immediate blast of perfumed air. . . . And what is added scent but a chemical? Why breathe that in constantly?”

When a Washington Post reader wrote the comments above and implored me to write an article about how to avoid scented products, I was an easy sell. I find artificially perfumed products so distracting that I have trouble concentrating in their presence. I can’t stand to have certain brands of dryer sheets in my house, even in an unopened box in the basement. And I confess that I once sneaked an air freshener out of an Uber and tossed it in the trash!

A growing stink

Despite negative reactions from some consumers, scented products seem to be gaining popularity. For example, plastic garbage bags never used to be scented, but an industry blog says that many now are and that “the market is a fiercely competitive one, so the battle to win the noses of consumers is on.”
As manufacturers make more of their products smell, consumers are putting up more of a stink. Dozens of blogs rail against scented products, including one called “Fragrance Free Living” and another called “Think Before You Stink.” These bloggers call fragrance “the new secondhand smoke.” They’re not crazy. The Environmental Protection Agency says indoor air pollution is real, partly because of fragrances, and that our homes and offices “can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.”

Health effects

The people who suffer the most from fragrances are those with multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS. “Fragrances rank high among the chemical exposures I find problematic,” said Alison Johnson, who has MCS and founded the Chemical Sensitivity Foundation. “One thing that alarms me is that in the last few years, the phone calls and emails I’m receiving are now predominantly from people in a panic because exposure to fragrances in the workplace is making it impossible for them to keep a job.” Johnson produced an educational video and is lobbying lawmakers to mandate fragrance-free workplaces.
But artificial fragrances aren’t just a problem for certain groups. More than a third of Americans surveyed reported experiencing health problems when exposed to them, according to a study by Anne Steinemann of the University of Melbourne. “All fragranced products that I tested . . . emitted chemicals classified as hazardous air pollutants,” Steinemann said in an email. “You may not realize you’re being affected until it’s too late.”

The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety lists the following possible symptoms of exposure to fragrances: “headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, weakness, insomnia, numbness, upper respiratory symptoms, shortness of breath, skin irritation, malaise, confusion and difficulty with concentration.”

Labeling confusion

If you’re allergic to nuts or sensitive to gluten, you usually can read the ingredients on a food package and steer clear. By contrast, fragrances have long been considered trade secrets, so the federal government doesn’t require manufacturers to print what’s in them. The Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers to list the ingredients in personal-care products, but they are allowed to just state “fragrance” as an ingredient, rather than spelling out what chemicals are in the fragrance.
Federal regulations for household cleaning products are even looser. Manufacturers are not required to list any of these products’ ingredients. A few big companies have begun disclosing their ingredients voluntarily, including SC Johnson, Clorox and Reckitt Benckiser, maker of Lysol. Two states, California and New York, recently took matters into their own hands, passing laws requiring manufacturers to divulge the ingredients in their cleaning products.

Here’s another confusing labeling issue involving fragrances: The terms “unscented” and “fragrance-free” sound the same but are totally different. Unscented means that a product doesn’t have a detectable odor — but it does not mean that it contains no artificial scents. Manufacturers are allowed to use artificial scents in “unscented” products if they are there to cover up the smell of other ingredients.
By contrast, “fragrance-free” is the label to look for if you are bothered by chemical fragrances, as it means no artificial smells have been added to a product. You can double-check this claim, if there are ingredients listed, by looking for the words “perfume,” “parfum” or “fragrance” on the list.

Resources for consumers

Here are some resources for finding fragrance-free products. EPA Safer Choice-certified
products: The EPA scrutinizes product ingredients for safety and certifies those that meet its criteria. When you search the Safer Choice database, you can check a box to look for fragrancefree products only. I found 860 when I looked. You can also look for the Safer Choice label on products at the store. Those that have no chemical scents are marked “fragrance free” in the upper left-hand corner of the label.

Environmental Working

Group guides: The EWG provides easy-to-use online databases where you can search for what it deems healthy cleaners and healthy personal-care products. You can then check those products’ ingredients, if provided, to see whether “fragrance” or “perfume” is listed. New York state’s asthmafriendly guide: Because people with asthma suffer more than most from exposure to chemicals and fragrances, New York created a list of green cleaning products for them that could be useful to you, too. If you type “fragrance free” into the keyword box, the site returns a page full of options. DIY cleaning product recipes: Women’s Voices for the Earth has been working for better cleaningproduct disclosures. Meanwhile, the group provides several recipes to make your own cleaning products. Note: The essential oils used as fragrance are considered more natural but still bother some people. If they bother you, skip them!
Non-perfumed magazines: If you’re subscribed to a magazine with perfume inserts that bother you, contact the publisher. Most large publishers have programs in place to send you magazines without the scented pages.

Attention To Fitness And Healthy Eating

How To Make Your New Year's Resolutions Come True

Another event on January 6th was The Healthy Cooking and Fitness event held at the Clubhouse. According to this note received from Paula Julian who taught the Fitness part of the event the Clubhouse gathering was attended by 10 residents. She went on to say:

"Unfortunately there was nobody there taking pictures but I did manage to take one of the cooking class and the finished product! Yum!!

First, I discussed how to fit exercise into day to day activities and make and keep realistic New Year resolutions. I also taught a seated routine to music that they all seemed to enjoy. Everyone went home with informative handouts provided by the Arthritis and Diabetes Foundations and Judy Smith from building 4 went home with a brand new pedometer for correctly answering the question, "what is the name of the Roman god who inspired the tradition of New Year resolutions." (FYI It's Janus). I guess Judy was paying attention!

Doina Heinz taught a healthy cooking class. She made a southwest chicken salad. We were all amazed when she cooked the chicken in a stoneware dutch oven with no oil using only a microwave. The chicken was moist and done in less than 15 minutes. Doina shared tips for cutting vegetables and several of us tried our hand at slicing and dicing. Everyone got a serving and agreed it was delicious. We also learned how to cold brew coffee, a healthier alternative which is supposed to cut the acidity found in hot brewed coffee.

Props to the only male attendee, Dick Moore from building 5, who accompanied his wife Jo. The pictures I sent are of Pampered Chef consultant Doina Heinz with resident Vickie Mackes from building 4 and a close-up Doina's chicken salad creation. Click on a picture to enlarge it.

The Pot Luckers On New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!! Just a couple of pictures of our potluck dinner on New Years Eve. We had so much great food and certainly built on our friendships with our neighbors.
Games were played and prizes were won.
It was a wonderful way to say good-bye to 2017 and bring in 2018 with lots of laughter.
Thought you might want to share them on the website.
Thanks,
Billie Moore
Building #4
Unit# 205

Our Residents Post

What You Need To Know About Herpes Zoster
AKA The Shingles

If you are over 55, and most of here in The Gatherings are, and you never had Herpes Zoster (the Shingles) or even if you had the disease and think you'll never get it again or if you have already had a Shingles vaccination to prevent it or you never had this shot at all unit owners Malcolm and Dagmar Kirsop think recent information about this painful malady and a new vaccine for it is newsworthy and of vital interest to our residents. The Kirsops have recommended that since we are now in the age bracket that's most vulnerable to Shingles it's worth our while to take a look at this highly informative web page by clicking on this arrow. ►

ATTENTION GOLFERS: I enjoy playing at Prince William Golf Course on weekdays. If anyone is interested in joining me, please let me know.

Bob Proseus
Building 3, Unit 306
315-945-3017
rproseus@gmail.com

An Interesting Offer From Manassas Park

Seniors 65 or older can now take advantage of various programs offered by The Manassas Park Community Center. Residency is not required and a yearly Active Adult membership is $30 to enjoy the following advantages of Basic Membership: Wellness area, pool, gym, access to all land and water group exercise classes, kids korner, 1 fitness orientation, 1 fitness assessment, and (2) 30-minute personal training sessions (per eligible member). PLUS reduced rates on most programs. Click here for more information.

City of Manassas Announces Curbside TV Collection Has Begun

Disposing of old televisions and computer monitors can be an arduous task for residents who are unable to attend our regular electronics drop off days. To help residents with this disposal, the City of Manassas is introducing a new special collection program on Thursdays. Call the Trashline to schedule a pick up for your TV or Monitor at (703) 257-8252.

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