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The Jogging Jeweler

The Jogging Jeweler #47

The Jogging Jeweler #47


Sometimes as a creative you start down one path, only to realize, wait! I saw something behind me that I need to go get. With that now in your minds, I'm skipping over Part 2 of #46 to bring you blog #47. The following events inspired the second half of #46, and somewhat keep in line with the origin of #thejoggingjeweler.

Shh... it Happens

We left our house on a bliss-ful 70 degree December afternoon to go to our first family portrait since newborn photos. Yes, I know - five years. 

We stopped at the intersection at the end of our block, 5 houses from home. I had barely grabbed my phone from my bag when I looked up to see an SUV sliding toward my husband in the driver’s seat.

Arms stretched outward, I prayed my go-go-gadget arms would miraculously stop the car heading towards my family. 

SMASH! 

Plastic cracking. Shards flying. Metal crumpling.

In slow-motion, the airbags deployed in the other car. 

Handbag flying from my hand as I turned to put my eyes on our five year old. “Are you okay?” I gasp. 

Biting her lip with eyes wide and bleary, she nods, “Yes mommy”.

The other car is rolling, away. Airbags inflated block the windows. I look at John, he also nods. 

I leap from our car as John backs away from the stop sign. Running over to stand, stupidly, in front of the slowly rolling SUV. 

“Are you okay?” I yell. The driver is dis-oriented. 

The car creeping towards me, I yell. Again, holding my arms out, “Park. Put it in park!” 

The driver's mouth is moving, but either I can’t hear her, or we're not understanding each other. I’m so confused. 

Suddenly two men from the auto-body shop are running towards us, they’re at the vehicle, opening the door. They cut the airbags with a pocket knife and get the car in park. The driver steps out - okay. 

Back at our car John is on the phone with 911 and Ele is still strapped in and crying. I unbuckle and grab her, cradling her long body in my arms. My mascara dripping down her cheeks. We’re okay - but we’re not. 

All three vehicles were totaled. Our vehicle had over $20k worth of damage. Every single person involved had a seat-belt on. We all walked away. 

Every. THING. is. BIGGER.

Texas roads are faster. Texas roads are wider. The vehicles are bigger. Everything’s bigger in Texas - remember?

Thank god ...we had our seat belts on. Thank god...we were the bigger vehicle. Thank god...we all had insurance. Thank god...there were no pedestrians. 

Mind-blown....I’ve been in a few accidents. I was riding in the front seat of the family mini-van when one of my parents hit a student from my elementary school. In high school, a sleeping deer got spooked as I pulled into our driveway and jumped into the side of my car. I’ve slid into ditches, collided bumpers on slick roads, but never, have I ever had my family, my entire purpose, heart and soul with me.

To say it’s an adrenaline rush is an understatement. It is bubble bursting. From a perfect sunny afternoon and SNAP! Back into the reality that we are constantly vulnerable and every choice we make matters. 

Now what?!

This accident brought me clarity as I struggled for weeks to find purpose for The Jogging Jeweler. That clarity came in the form of honesty about what I do as a choice maker whether that’s as a runner, mother, family food buyer, lunch packer, room mom, or community voice. Ultimately making choices is about controlling a situation - whether that's our health, safety, or environment. 

Change - the right, wrong word.

So, while The Jogging Jeweler may seem like it is going through a change in topics and purpose I must admit that I have developed a recent dislike for the word - change. Change has a stigma of blindly being forever, with no attachment or recognition of the past attached to it. As a word it can conjure anger, irrational actions, and vehemently, ignorant disapprovals at a moments whiff. 

Change, as I have always believed, is good for the soul. However in light of what I experienced emotionally, mentally, and physically with this accident, I have come to realize that adaptation, education, and growth are better adjectives for the transformative experiences that lead us to choosing an alternative path in life. 

Keep your eyes out for the continuation of blog #46 for greater details as to the new topics to come!!

 

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The Jogging Jeweler #46

The Jogging Jeweler #46

It’s been a good six months since my last blog post as The Jogging Jeweler. A move cross the country with not just my family, but my business as well, has kept me busy. What’s the Jogging Jeweler going to do in a new state?

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The Jogging Jeweler #45

The Jogging Jeweler #45

I began running in the Rivertowns nearly four years ago when my family moved to a house located in Irvington on Main St right next to the entrance of the Old Croton Aqueduct. When we purchased a home in Dobbs Ferry, the diversity of my runs expanded as did my frustration with the local infrastructure. 

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The Jogging Jeweler #44

The Jogging Jeweler #44

If you haven't heard by now, a middle school child was hit earlier this week on Route 9 in Dobbs Ferry. Minor injuries, but this is the second pedestrian accident this year. 

Where?

Route 9 in Dobbs Ferry at the McLelland Avenue near Alcott Montessori School

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The Jogging Jeweler #43

The Jogging Jeweler #43

What about that Route 9 survey? Did you take it? Did you like what you saw? I heard mixed feelings - understandably so, but what we need to keep in mind is that our roads were built a long time ago. Our vehicles are now larger, faster, and most families have more than one. 

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The Jogging Jeweler #42

The Jogging Jeweler #42

| FINAL Rt 9 Survey |

This final survey will provide the Route 9 Active Transportation Corridor planning team vital input regarding your thoughts and opinions about design features considered at specific locations.

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The Jogging Jeweler #41

The Jogging Jeweler #41

If you happened along Route 9 in Dobbs Ferry a few weeks ago, you may have noticed a group of parents and children, hovering around the new crossing light at Route 9 and Clinton/Oak. The below video was captured during our effort to film pedestrians using the light.

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The Jogging Jeweler #40

The Jogging Jeweler #40

The Jogging Jeweler #40

| Irvington's Old Croton Aqueduct Entrance Upgrade |

Earlier this summer Irvington began work on Main Street through an upgrade of the the Old Croton Aqueduct as it passes through town and past a monument located in front of Main Street School. The OCA once ended at the end of the school's tree-lined parking lot forcing pedestrians and cyclists the pass through the parking lot crossing Main St to continue on their OCA journey. 

 

It looks nice...

  • Parking lot is more orderly and bright.
  • The sidewalk is nicely paved with bricks.
  • Two crosswalks crossing the school's entrance and exit driveways have been repaved with a faux brick patterned as well as repainted.
  • A crosswalk from a newly planted grassy path, that one assumes is the new entrance to the OCA was also added.

So what?

  •  Paint - The crosswalk crossing Main Street that pedestrians, school children, and cyclist should be using has yet to receive the same beautification. 
  • Signage - The OCA does not yet have signs or posts, like those found on Mercy's campus, directing users the appropriate direction. It also seems they have yet to install the yellow diamonds alerting drivers along Main Street of frequent use of the crosswalk in front of this newly re-furbished area. 
  • Blind spot - The Main St crosswalk, when used from the retail side of the street, has a massive blind spot caused by parking at the crosswalk's edge. Had a vehicle been parked in the handicap spot, marked by the blue lines on the road, a pedestrian is forced to step off the curb and into oncoming traffic to see. That first parking spot needs to back up and let the crosswalk and its pedestrians breath and be seen. 

The Jogging Jeweler certainly hopes the work for this area is not yet complete and they are awaiting the arrival of paint and signs for pedestrians and the OCA. 

UPDATED - 9/25/17

Did some research. According to the Main Street Streetscape plan (found here - see page 47 specifically) which is dated 9/12/2014 it does appear:

  1. a second Main Street crosswalk was (is?) planned on.
  2. The existing Main Street crosswalk, as well as this 2nd crosswalk are to match the brick patterned ones in the school's parking lot. 
  3. A painted pathway through the South parking lot to mark the OCA's continued path.
  4. In the text on page 47 it is recommeneded that signage pointing out pedestrian and cyclist usage as well as linkage to other villages via the OCA would better serve this community gathering space.

The search for a more recent plans as well as contacting local officials are my next steps. 

What can you do?

Do you live in Irvington? Want to help?

  • Write an email to the BOT. 
  • Talk to your Village Admin. 
  • Reach out to the committee in charge of this project. 
  • Reach out to your local Safe Routes program leaders. 

Remember when using a crosswalk as a pedestrian or driver - #STOPLOOKWAVE

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The Jogging Jeweler #39

The Jogging Jeweler #39

The Jogging Jeweler #39

| Stop, Look, Wave - Tanks |

  1. Stop - at crosswalks
  2. Look - for others
  3. Wave - acknowledge & thank

Why???

The Jogging Jeweler has started this apparel based campaign in an effort to raise awareness of the what sharing the road really means.

Last fall our communities speckled the roadsides with lawn signs "Slow Down Rivertowns" - basically homeowners giving a polite fist-shake and holler at speedy drivers passing their homes. However, after raking leaves, moving snow, and weekly mowing few remain, those that do are now part of our day-to-day scenery and most likely ignored.

The bright colors and simple symbols hope to pass along the idea that we are all in this together. That behind the wheel or on foot is active participation in sharing the pathways we all use to go about our daily lives. AND - that saying "thank you" is courteous and will positively reinforce stopping, looking, and waving again and again and again.

Want one?

  • Easy - purchase button down below!
  • Local & want to pick up? Send me an email and we can arrange a meeting.
  • Out of town? Let's ship it!

Where does the money for the shirts go?

To buy more shirts....winter is coming.

For real though - The Jogging Jeweler is not a paid gig. I do it because I give a damn and believe starting conversations about the issues we face as a community leads to ideas, solutions, and a better version of ourselves.

AND REMEMBER - STOP, LOOK, WAVE

 

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The Jogging Jeweler #38

The Jogging Jeweler #38

The Jogging Jeweler #38

| A Deer Dilemma |

The Jogging Jeweler typically writes about pedestrian and traffic safety, however on my most recent run was one of the most natural of surprises - a mother deer with her young....Not 1! Not 2! BUT 3 baby fawns accompanied this mother. 

What does this mean?

This means their natural habit - our backyards, gardens, schools, and parks is an AMAZING & thriving environment for them. So much so that they are able to feed and provide safety for multiple offspring with each birthing season. 

What is the Dilemma?

Well - much like here in the Rivertowns, back in the Midwest where I grew up deer populations, when out of control are incredibly destructive to vegetation. Farmers knowingly deduct the first 2-10 rows of any field from their harvest yields as that's how much the deer can eat. 

BUT....

For us sub-urban dwellers these deer pose a much bigger threat, one that was recently demonstrate when I picked up my daughter from the sitter this past summer. An 18-month old at the sitter's was covered in marks. Had one of the kids bitten him? No. Did he have ringworm? No...He had Lymes Disease. 

Deer carry ticks. They come into our gardens, yards, parks, playgrounds and the ticks fall off - bringing diseases such a Lyme, literally, to our door. 

    What can we do?

    Four PostersFire Island is well-known for their approach to limiting the deer population, vegetation, and ticks carried by the deer. Fire Island has created a feeding system for the deer that is surrounded by large rollers treated with a pesticide.(Read more) When the deer insert their hungry little heads between the rollers to eat, the rollers apply a pesticide similar to Frontline for our dogs and cats to the deer, killing their existing ticks and preventing new ones from getting a free ride. 

    Tick Tubes -  Cardboard, bio-degradable tubes, filled with cotton balls that are soaked in a synethic version of a naturally occurring tick repellent that is toxic to ticks but not mammals. Tubes are placed at homes throughout neighborhoods for mice, whom the ticks contract Lyme's from, to collect the cotton balls for nest building. Ticks then feed on the mice, ingesting the toxin and dying. Never getting the chance to free-ride on a deer and enter areas that we frequent.(Read more)

    Deer birth control - They capture the deer, shoot them with birth control, release them and then dart them again in two years time to re-up the dosage. Locals can help track the immunized does via the link provided. (Read more)

    Culling - They target a certain location and position a bow hunter to strike the deer dead (with hopefully one shot). Not a fan of this idea in our immediate local areas - high density population with high traffic of people, kids, vehicles, etc. (Read more)

    Moving to the suburbs and dealing with nature is part of the package. Whether they are deer, skunks, coons, possums, squirrels, turkey, coyotes, woodchucks, etc. We're the smarter species, we can most certainly figure out a way to live together without killing one another ;-)

    Did you know?

    • Deer mate Sept-Nov, gestation lasts 7.5 months through the winter. Fawns are born May-June, hence why we are are seeing them out and about now. 
    • Female deer with multiples may carry off-spring from different males. 
    • Ticks contract Lyme's from mice, deer are the public transit for ticks.

    The following is a list provided by the CDC of diseases carried by ticks:

    • Anaplasmosis is transmitted to humans by tick bites primarily from the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the northeastern and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) along the Pacific coast.
    • Babesiosis is caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells. Most human cases of babesiosis in the U.S. are caused by Babesia microti. Babesia microti is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and is found primarily in the northeast and upper midwest.
    • Borrelia mayonii infection has recently been described as a cause of illness in the upper midwestern United States. It has been found in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Borrelia mayonii is a new species and is the only species besides B. burgdorferi known to cause Lyme disease in North America.
    • Borrelia miyamotoi infection has recently been described as a cause of illness in the U.S. It is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and has a range similar to that of Lyme disease.
    • Bourbon virus infection has been identified in a limited number patients in the Midwest and southern United States. At this time, we do not know if the virus might be found in other areas of the United States.
    • Colorado tick fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni). It occurs in the the Rocky Mountain states at elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 feet.
    • Ehrlichiosis is transmitted to humans by the lone star tick (Ambylomma americanum), found primarily in the southcentral and eastern U.S.
    • Heartland virus cases have been identified in the Midwestern and southern United States. Studies suggest that Lone Star ticks can transmit the virus. It is unknown if the virus may be found in other areas of the U.S.
    • Lyme disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the northeastern U.S. and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) along the Pacific coast.
    • Powassan disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the groundhog tick (Ixodes cookei). Cases have been reported primarily from northeastern states and the Great Lakes region.
    • Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis is transmitted to humans by the Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum).
    • Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is transmitted by the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni), and the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sangunineus) in the U.S. The brown dog tick and other tick species are associated with RMSF in Central and South America.
    • STARI (Southern tick-associated rash illness) is transmitted via bites from the lone star tick (Ambylomma americanum), found in the southeastern and eastern U.S.
    • Tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF) is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected soft ticks. TBRF has been reported in 15 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming and is associated with sleeping in rustic cabins and vacation homes.
    • Tularemia is transmitted to humans by the dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), the wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni), and the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). Tularemia occurs throughout the U.S.
    • 364D rickettsiosis (Rickettsia phillipi, proposed) is transmitted to humans by the Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis ticks). This is a new disease that has been found in California.

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