When relatively small abnormal stresses are repeatedly placed on normal joints, the injuries that result are called repetitive-stress injuries or cumulative-trauma disorders. The stresses placed on joints by poor posture, poor joint position during the performance of a task, and/or poor workstation ergonomics make these joints more likely to be injured.

There are three basic principles that are especially important when considering the impact of proper joint movement.

Those of you who served in Vietnam remember the draft. I remember when the draft was activated at the start of World War II. It has been around a long time. My two brothers, Rodney and Russell were 12 and 10 when the '40s war began. Rodney joined the Navy when he turned 17. With the war over, most of his two year tour of duty was spent in a good-will tour of Europe and North Africa, ending at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Recently I went to a local pizzeria to purchase the evening’s supper. My hair was in pretty bad need of cutting, so bad in fact that it looked slicked down because it didn’t have time to dry in the morning before I dressed for work. The young girl behind the counter said that I looked so professional except for my wild tie and slicked back hair. She asked, “Are you a car salesman?” I replied, “No, worse, I work for the school system!”

As old as I am, it is still difficult for me. No matter how much I struggle, I simply cannot stay within the lines when I color.

As a child, I often glanced over at the color pages of other children in my class. This included Sunday school as well. Their pages had pretty uses of colors and defined edges. My page looked as if I had colored while wearing a blindfold.

It really is no better now. When my daughter Sara was small, I would sit with her and color. I often heard, “Momma, you’re going out of the lines again.”

Wildlife feed on a variety of food sources: woody plants, weeds, herbs, grasses aquatic plants, and cultivated plants. How each plant is used by wildlife is useful information for hunters, farmers, or anyone interested in wildlife and their habitat.

There are those who will say that dogs and cats are always natural enemies. That may have been true hundreds of years ago when canines and felines were competing for the same prey, but I contend the relationship today is much more complex. I give, as example, the friendship of Boots and Butch.

Boots was an orange Tabby kitten, with huge white polydactyl paws. He was a neighborhood stray, being cared for temporarily by friends who suddenly had to move. As the last box of dishes was being loaded in the rental truck, my friend asked, "What are we going to do with Mittens?"

Do you like pumpkin pie? Then you will like sweet potato pie. Sweet potatoes are a favorite of mine. Every October a farmer from the Carolinas brings a truck load of sweet potatoes to the parking lot in front of Janet's Hair Salon. I buy a big box of them, about 20 pounds. It takes me all year to eat them,. Thank goodness they store well at room temperature. Come August, there are a few green sprouts, but the sweet potatoes are still fine. This recipe is a good way to use up those from last year as you wait for the new crop.

Union County High School seniors were honored for their exceptional devotion and work for the Patriots at the UCHS football game on October 25. The Patriots faced the Sullivan South Cougars in a cold pouring rain. Luckily, UCHS pulled off the win in an 18-12 final score.
Football, cheer, band and color guard seniors marched onto the field at 7 p.m. accompanied by their parents and family members. God Bless America played as the Patriots and families filled the field. Football teammates were carrying American flags in the presentation, creating a beautiful patriotic scene.

Mayor Jason Bailey reported that he had received complaints of harassment from some county employees and public officials. Since County Attorney David Myers is a contracted employee, he could not offer advice due to a conflict of interest.
Bailey consulted H. Stephen Gillman, attorney from Pryor Priest Harbor, who is also representing the county in the lawsuit brought by the Union County Historical Society.

The Union County Board of Education met on October 3.
The elementary schools will be participating in a bullying prevention and child abuse prevention program called Child Safety Matters. The program is funded by a grant and is recommended by the Coordinated School Health Program. The board unanimously approved the program on Union County School Superintendent Jimmy Carter's recommendation.