Free Concert Tonight : Peter Yarrow & Friends

Peter Yarrow & Friends will perform a free concert called Operation Respect at 7 p.m. tonight at the Coronado . Yarrow is best known as one of the members of the popular 1960s folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, which sang about social issues. The show aims to teach about respectful environments in schools, communities and homes. 

 Coronado Performing Arts Center

314 N. Main St., Rockford

815-968-0595

coronadopac.org

All tickets have been distributed for the free concert.

People who show up without a ticket will be let in if there is

 open seating 15 minutes before the performance.

Free Admission To Klehm Arboretum Today

Klehm Arboretum is offering a free admission today, Saturday, Sept. 24. It is celebrating the seventh annual Museum Day hosted by Smithsonian Magazine.

You must present a Museum Day Ticket  for free Admission. Visit smithsonian.com/museumday to get your ticket.

Friendly, Leashed Dogs Are Welcome!

What do you know about BPA?

When your shopping you may notice that children eating utensils, bottles, pacifiers, water bottles and even canned foods might have "BPA Free" listed on them. I always knew "BPA Free" was good but I never really knew what it meant. What is BPA and should I worry?

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA, is a chemical that has been used for more than 40 years in the manufacture of many hard plastic food containers such as baby bottles and reusable cups and the lining of metal food and beverage cans, including canned liquid infant formula. Trace amounts of BPA can be found in some foods packaged in these containers. BPA can leech from packaging products like water bottles especially as they age and break down. Subsequently, BPA is ingested by people and recent studies show some concern regarding the effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children.

There has been no research that has stated just how much BPA exposure is safe for children and adults.  At this time the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research and the Breast Cancer Fund is starting a campaign called “Cans Not Cancer”  to get BPA out of canned foods and replace it.

According to the article BPA: Should I Worry? , as a parent we can take steps to protect our family from possibly harmful effects of BPA:

• The Centers for Disease Control advises mothers to breastfeed babies for at least their first 12 months
• Discard scratched baby bottles and feeding cups. Damaged utensils harbor germs, and they might release small amounts of BPA.
• Don’t pour hot baby formula or other liquids into bottles or cups that contain BPA. When you mix powdered formula with water, heat it in a BPA-free container and allow it to cool down before transferring it to the baby’s bottle.
• Never heat baby bottles in a microwave oven. If a ready-to-feed liquid needs to be heated, warm it by running warm water over the bottle.
• After sterilizing and cleaning baby bottles, allow them to cool before adding formula or milk.
• Canned formula does contain small amounts of BPA. The good nutrition in the formula outweighs the small risk of BPA exposure when baby drinks the formula, but be sure never to heat formula in the can.
• Every plastic container displays a recycle code on the bottom. Those with code 3 or 7 may contain BPA; take special care to avoid putting hot liquid in these bottles and cups. (see Picture below)
• The Breast Cancer Fund suggests cooking with fresh and whole foods, rather than canned, as much as possible: instead of canned macaroni lunches, consider cooking dry pasta and mixing it with fresh or jarred sauce. Instead of canned soup, buy prepared soups-in-a-box—the large boxes that resemble oversized juice boxes, now available in most supermarkets. And instead of canned fruit, cut up fresh or dried fruits for kids’ snacks.

Want to learn more on BPA? Check out these sites:

U.S Department of Health & Human Sciences

Bisphenol A Website

FDA

Breast Cancer Fund

Summerfield Farm & Zoo Welcomes New Cougar Cub

Summerfield Zoo has a new exciting member Sky, the Cougar Cub!

Help them celebrate the birth of Sky!

Note: Sky will only be able to be seen during the animal presentations. 

While there you can tour all of the other exotic animals –cougars, wolves, monkeys, zebra, alligator, reindeer, & more! Get up close & personal with many of them. They have animal presentations, gift shop, a café, & petting zoo.

$7 per adult. $5 per child. Free parking.

All proceeds go the care of the animals.

  Open rain or shine!

Saturday September 24th 10 am – 5pm. Sunday September 25th 11 am – 4pm.

Summerfield Zoo

3088 Flora Rd. Belvidere, IL 61008. 815-547-4852.  

www.summerfieldfarmandzoo.com 

Experience The World War II Era This Weekend

Midway Village Museum is presenting World War II Days again this year. Take the family out for a fun and educational day! World War II Days includes elaborate and realistic battles complete with tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, and exciting pyrotechnic displays.  It is the largest re-enactment in the United States with over 1,000 uniformed re-enactors from 40 states representing soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, France, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Italy and Germany along with 70 to 80 vintage tanks, half tracks and other 1940s era military vehicles!

Other events listed on the Midway Museum website include :

. Elaborate displays with the majority of historical buildings on the museum property
acting as the back drop of a European village during World War II

. Encampments of Allied and Axis troops in the Midway Village woods and realistic skirmishes integrated in the historic village

. Pacific Theater battles in the woods with soldiers dressed as U.S. Marines and Japanese infantry

. Rockford Peaches All American Girls Baseball League demonstrations on Sunday

. Soldiers' base camps filled with period vehicles, tents and artifacts

. Shop for World War II memorabilia from numerous vendors

. Purchase quality food and snacks from Burritt's Meat Products of Rockford

Midway Village Museum is located a 1/3 mile from Perryville and Guilford Roads, in Rockford, Illinois, just one mile west of the I-90 State Street exit. Parking is free.

 

 

World War II Days

 

September 24, 2011 - September 25, 2011Saturday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

World War II Days Admission Tickets can be purchased at the event gates.
$10 adults; $5 for children (3 to 17); and free for World War II veterans

Two day event passes are $18 for adults and $8 for children

Visit Midway Village Museum for more information

Get Your Baby's Booty In The Spirit!

Huggies Little Movers has released for a limited time only Santa Diapers!!

      

They are red with white edges and decorated with a black santa belt and a gold buckle!

They are listed on the Babies R Us website at a cost of $12.99, but are on sale for 2 for $20 

Cantaloupe Caution!

     There have been reports of concerns with Rocky Ford Cantaloupes shipped by Jensen Farms of Granada, Colorado. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning to consumers not to eat  and to throw out any recalled fruit because of a potential link to listeria. There have been 35 confimed cases in 10 states that have been infected. The number of infected persons identified in each state is as follows:

California (1)

Colorado (12)

Illinois (1)

Indiana (1)

Montana (1)      

Nebraska (4)

New Mexico (5)

Oklahoma (6)

Texas (3)

West Virginia (1)

So far there have been four deaths tied to the listeria outbreak; one in Colorado, one in Oklahoma, and two in New Mexico. There are 2 other deaths that seem to be tied but have yet to be confirmed.

The cantaloupe may be labeled: Colorado Grown, Distributed by Frontera Produce, USA, Pesticide Free, Jensenfarms.com, Sweet Rocky Fords. They are packed in cartons labeled: Frontera Produce, www.fronteraproduce.com or with Frontera Produce, Rocky Ford Cantaloupes. Both cartons also include: Grown and packed by Jensen Farms Granada, CO and Shipped by Frontera Produce LTD, Edinburg, Texas. Not all of the recalled cantaloupes are labeled with a sticker. Consumers should consult the retailer if they have questions about the origin of a cantaloupe, suggests the FDA.

Learn more on Listeriosis