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Last evening I sat on my back porch admiring the peaceful skyline that formed above the trees as far as my eyes could see as the sunset on Pinewood Drive. The weather was finally comfortable again as summer began to set in. Everything was so calm. I tuned into the sounds of nature and the beauty of it all was so powerful. I thought about how lucky my family and I were. In that moment, I paused to remember that I must always be grateful for this beauty of nature while it's right before my eyes. This led me to think about how we don't really know where we're headed or when it's all going to end. There are so many subjects that may be uncomfortable to discuss, but, really should be addressed while you are able to now. Have intimate talks with your family so that they understand your wishes and you understand theirs in turn. The day may come when you least expect it that you have to make those decisions for each other. Now, I'm not talking about final arrangements or life support. These are very important talks to have as well, what I am talking about today is organ donation. Are you? Would you? I registered as an organ donor and some of the things I'd like to ask that you take careful consideration is what you could leave behind for someone, for many who need this so very much. I'm not sure how many people realize just what organ and tissue donation and transplantation can provide for so many. About every ten minutes someone is added to the organ donor waiting list and in the meantime about 18 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant. Now this is not just a statistic or a number, this is a human being. This is someone's child, mother, father, co-worker, and friend. It's someone who matters. You may not personally know them and you may say well, someone else will do it, I don't need to worry with that. But, you hold the key to opening up a new life for someone. Your skin could help heal a burn victim. Your liver, lungs, heart, heart valves and so many more body parts can be used to help those who need this to survive. I've read that somewhere around 42% of people in the United States say they'd like to be organ donors, but we need many more than that. You may never be able to donate even if you tried, so we need as many people as possible to be selfless. One organ donor can save up to eight lives! I implore you to give this careful consideration and give it consideration today. You can register online ( http://www.organdonor.gov/index.html) or at your local DMV. Be clear with your family. Let them know your wishes so they can feel assured that they followed what you wanted them to do and not question themselves. Give the gift of life, become an organ donor today.

On Wednesday, May 28 th, I like many others, I was disheartened to hear of the death of Doctor Maya Angelou. I majored in English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Wake Forest University where Angelou taught. I cannot speak for the English Departments at Duke, NC State, or any of the other fine schools in North Carolina, but at UNC we rallied around our local writers and boasted of their achievements as if their works were written by our own pen at hand! When I was in college, it was not unusual to see Doctor Angelou's name listed on the syllabus of every modern-day English class offered. As a matter of fact, it was pretty much a given. Her works such as A Song Flung Up to Heaven and, of course, the famous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings are phenomenal-her poetry beyond brilliant. To me, learning about her life and the obstacles that she overcame makes her works even more exceptional. She had endured rape as a young child and became a mother in her teen years. She lacked a college education yet was inundated in honorary degrees. She not only overcame her trials and tribulations, but she embraced them and put them into words to share with the rest of the world. Doctor Angelou once said, "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." These are words we should all try to live by.

With another Memorial Day weekend in the books, it is safe to say that the summer has officially begun! Summertime in the Ohio Valley is always jam-packed with so many events that there isn't any time to complain of boredom. As a native of the Ohio valley, I see all of these events as a tradition, as well as long-lost friends who always finds their way back to you. I am currently in college locally, and whenever I meet fellow classmates who are not from the valley, I find myself explaining my excitement for these events and oftentimes received puzzled looks in response. It is also important to remember that there are families that have moved here because of the oil and gas industry who may not know about these events. I think it is important to welcome the outsiders to our friendly valley and introduce them into these special events that occur each and every summer. My top three favorite events that I would like to introduce to the newcomers of the valley are Jamboree in the Hills, The Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival, and the OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star Charity Football Classic. All three of these events take place throughout the month of July and are very important to the citizens of the Ohio Valley. Jamboree in the Hills, also known as the ultimate country music experience, is a 4-day country music festival that takes place in Belmont, Ohio and features some of the hottest artists in country music. I myself have only attended four Jamborees and have to say that it is an experience that I will never forget. I have always been amazed that our little Ohio Valley could throw a party so big that people from all over the country and even Canada look forward to attending every year. It is also a huge time for businesses in the area, which also helps our valley succeed. If Jamboree is not your thing, my second favorite summertime tradition is going to the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival. The festival is located in downtown Wheeling, WV and kicks off the weekend of July 25 th. Along with every Italian cuisine one could imagine, there are also other festival events including live music, a firework show, and a wine and sauce competition. My most memorable event from this weekend is the OVAC Queen or Queens Pageant, which takes place on Friday the 25 th at 7:00 p.m. The pageant, held at Wesbanco Arena right in the heart of the Italian festival, features a variety of different talents from each Queen who is representing her high school. I have gone every year and the turnout has been great. Even if it isn't your thing it's a great way to cool off from the heat and the contestants love the support. The 69 th annual Rudy Mumley Ohio Valley tradition is the OVAC All-Star Charity Football Classic is my third and final favorite Ohio Valley tradition. Growing up in the Ohio Valley anybody and everybody knows how big football is, but adding the word OVAC in front of it gives it a whole new meaning. The football classic features the area schools top football players, cheerleaders, and band members. I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the 2011 OVAC All-Starr game and I have to say that the support from the valley is overwhelming, whether you are on the Ohio side or West Virginia side, everyone is cheering you on. This year's kick off is on July 27 th at 7:15 p.m. at the Wheeling Island Stadium. Although the winters here in the valley are brutal and tempt me to move south after graduating college, reflecting on the Ohio Valley's biggest events and how many memories I have made by attending them is what will more than likely make me continue to reside here. Attending these events not only allows for memories to be made, but it also helps our valley grow and puts us on the map. So get ready, because July is right around the corner.

I attended my niece, Maria Murphy's, graduation from 8 th grade at St. Michael's Parish School on Wednesday, May 28th. There were 33 graduates. When St. Michael's graduates receive their diploma, they choose an alumni of St. Michael's, usually a family member or friend, pin them with an Alumni pin. Since her brother, Vincent Murphy, graduated last year from St. Michael's, he was the alumni performing the pinning for Maria. Seeing Vincent put the Alumni pin on his little sister was pretty special. As anyone who has the pleasure of having a brother or a sister or brothers and sisters knows, there are always the occasional arguments between siblings. Seeing them in this situation was quite unique and brought a tear to my eye. They both are growing up so fast and it seems like yesterday when they transferred to St. Michael's in first and second grade. Graduations are bittersweet, as you want the graduates to grow up and be wonderful, loving, caring adults who provide for their families and others, but you also want them to stay sweet and innocent. Maria was a born prematurely, weighing only 3 lbs, 4 ounces at birth, so to see her graduate is quite awesome. She will be 14 years old on June 2. Maria has grown into a wonderful, loving and caring young lady. I know she really cares for everyone around her. For example, she composed a beautiful prayer for an assignment at St. Michael's in 2011. In that prayer, she reminds herself to pray, serve and help those around her. This prayer will give you an idea how caring Maria was in the 5 th Grade at just 11 years old! I am confident that her future is very bright. Maria's cousin and my great niece, Karli Yocum, who is 6, also graduated this year on May 23 rd from St. Michael's Kindergarten class. So, on to First Grade Karli will venture and, in another 8 years, there will be another 8th Grade Graduation. New beginnings make the world go round. As I stated last year after Vincent's graduation, I will also pray that Maria makes the right choices and develops into the best person she can in whatever she chooses. Good luck Maria! I know that you will make us all proud. Congratulations to all of the 2014 St. Michael's Parish School graduates and Good Luck Maria Murphy on the next chapter in your life at Wheeling Central Catholic High School. I will be there if you need anything.

Our local Catholic grade schools are fortunate to have such a kind and caring individual to serve as their nurse. The children of our local Catholic grade schools are the true beneficiaries of precious gold. She's known as Nurse Miss Mary Ann and you can find her stationed at St. Vincent's School. She also travels to the area Catholic grade schools, for review and maintenance of student health records and actively engages in educational services for our children. One thing guaranteed, should you run into her, you will be greeted with a smile. I happen to have been blessed to be around her for the last 45 years because she is my aunt. On May 17, 2014, Mary Ann was headed to Charleston, West Virginia, with her brother, Michael, to meet up with other family members as they were about to take a vacation trip to Hilton Head. Then it happened! The sounds of screeching, grumbling, and shattering glass struck. WOWKTV posted an article about the accident, describing that it resulted in one person being sent to the hospital. That person they are talking about that was taken to the hospital was your Nurse Miss Mary Ann and my aunt. Thankfully, we have her with us unscathed, well, compared to at least could have been, from the wreckage. A true miracle right before our eyes. But, this is not the first miracle she has encountered. In 1996, Mary Ann suddenly lost her husband, Ed, to an unexpected heart attack, leaving her in her forties with her two daughters, Tina and Molly to carry on without him. Not long after, she learned that she had ovarian cancer. Mary Ann beat those odds. In December of 2011, she was diagnosed with a meningioma tumor that, ultimately, was successfully removed in Pittsburgh at Allegheny General Hospital. And, now, this obstacle. Not once has Mary Ann complained or asked why me? Not once has she held onto any anger because of her circumstance. She has accepted these trials with complete grace. She is a true hero and an exemplary role model. So, this is a dedication and recognition to our Nurse Miss Mary Ann and how grateful we are to be blessed with her presence and guidance in our lives and to be so fortunate as to have her influence among our children. Thanks for our Ohio Valley blessing, Nurse Miss Mary Ann.

I am now a full-fledged, bona fide empty nester. But, in truth, there has been a lot of coming and going in my "nest" through the years. My daughter, Jayme, was the first to leave, heading off to WVU in 2004. She hated how big and impersonal WVU was and ended up returning to Wheeling six months later. For the next three and a half years, she lived with us again and commuted to West Liberty University, where she completed a nursing degree. Then she got married and became the first one to fully and finally leave the nest. Meanwhile my other daughter, Stacey, left for college. Unlike Jayme, Stacey found WVU to be a good fit. Stacey came home often on weekends and during the summer so it didn't seem like she had quite parted ways with the nest. Then she graduated and began working fulltime in Morgantown. But even with both of my children gone the nest wasn't quite empty. My nephew, Bryan, was accepted to the respiratory therapy program at Northern Community College so he moved from Elkins to Wheeling and began living with us. Bryan's clinicals and course work were time-consuming, but when he wasn't busy with school he was hanging out with us--working, playing and watching a lot of television together. In May of this year, however, two things have happened that will forever change my nesting situation. First, Bryan graduated and returned home to Elkins. Now he'll take his boards and go through the grueling process of applying for a job. Second, Stacey got married. To be honest, the excitement of the wedding is still in the air. But reality is already beginning to sink in--my nest is truly empty. My wife, Brenda, and I have noticed that the house seems a little bigger now than it did. And a little more quiet. Too quiet, if you ask me. No laughing or talking in the background. No footsteps. No signs of life. Just the two of us trying to cope with our big, empty house. We have great memories and both of our children live nearby so the transition hasn't been too abrupt. But it's still a transition, and day-by-day we're adjusting to the new reality in our nest. Jayme, Stacey and Bryan have all turned a new page in their life story. With God's help, so will we... Maybe you have an empty nest story of your own, or maybe you have a word of wisdom to lift the spirits of an empty nester like me. Feel free to share!

Our freedoms aren't free. The men and women of our armed forces who defend us make many sacrifices so you and I can go on about our daily lives without a second thought. Our military members are apart from family for great lengths of time. They miss births, deaths and milestones in the lives of those they love. They work in extreme conditions and, sometimes, must see, do and endure things that you and I could never fathom. There are times they face disease, debilitating injuries and mental anguish because they protected us. Yet, we've found out in recent weeks that those who have given of themselves for our freedoms, once they return home, are not always being taken care of as they should. It is being reported that more than 40 veterans have died while waiting for nearly up to two years to be seen by doctors for numerous life threatening illnesses at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Phoenix and more deaths are being reported at VA medical centers throughout the United States. Word is that the Phoenix VA works off of two lists - an "official" list that's shared with the powers that be in Washington and shows the VA has been providing timely appointments to patients. And then there's the real list that isn't shared, where wait times can last more than a year. In our own state, a psychiatrist formerly employed with the Huntington VA Medical Center in Charleston came forward this week stating that she was ordered to delay the treatment of veterans for months which resulted in at least two suicides. How can this be in a country that is first to aid those in need in a foreign land? We are failing to protect our own...those who have protected us! I recall spending time with my husband's grandfather, a veteran of World War II, who often talked of his time overseas. "Pap," one of the Greatest Generation, took much pride in the fact that he served his country as a member of the 45 th Infantry Division out of Oklahoma. Well into his 80s, he donned the red and gold thunderbird insignia on a license plate on the front of his car and wore a small thunderbird pin on his jacket and even had a sweatshirt or two with the logo. Pap was always pleased to say he served his country. It breaks my heart to think that, had he needed care and been reliant on the VA, he may or may not have received  it. We were lucky in that our family didn't have to deal with such horror. However, there are many family members of others who weren't so fortunate. Whatever the reason for the debacle within Veterans Affairs, it needs to be corrected without delay. The hardest war our veterans fight shouldn't be at home with their health care. While I believe it's important to always hold our veterans in high esteem, with Memorial Day approaching, it is the perfect time to honor our them and remember those no longer with us. Join Bordas & Bordas, along with the folks from the Ogden Half Marathon Classic, as we salute our military heroes past and present beginning at 7:45, Friday, May 23 at Wheeling's Heritage Port. A free concert will feature the 30-plus member Allegheny Brass Band playing patriotic songs. All veterans will be recognized during the event, and a special honor will be given to all World War II and Korean War veterans in attendance. I will be thinking of Pap and those who have gone before us. And to those who have served and are serving, THANK YOU!

During the summer of 1941 the attack on Pearl Harbor was still several months away. While Americans from all over the Country threw themselves into the war effort after December 7, 1941, many American men had already joined the military before that attack. My grandfather, Marvin "Jack" McGraw enlisted in the U.S. Army July 12, 1941. Jack had always been the adventurous, if not ornery, type. As a young child he, on more than one occasion, would jump trains and actually once made his way from West Virginia to the Pacific North West where he visited family. When he enlisted in the Army he was initially assigned to the Quartermaster Corps and after basic training was sent to Milwaukee, WI for training to be a vehicle mechanic. The training he received was actually through a program run by Harley Davidson. While in Milwaukee he had the good fortune of meeting a young woman named Lois Witteman. Lois and Jack began a relationship and would later be married, but not before Jack was deployed overseas and volunteered for service that would take him on thirty missions in the air over the Europe. The U.S. Army Air Corp, the predeceasor to the U.S. Air Force, reformed and expanded dramatically during World War II. The army asked its ranks for volunteers for this service. In June of 1942 Jack volunteered for that service. He was discharged from the Army and subsequently re-enlisted into the Air Corps. Within only a few weeks of joining the Air Corp., he was in the air. The McGraw family is not known for its height, so it is little surprise the position that Jack would serve during his time in the air corp. Jack became a tail gunner on a B-17F flying fortress. The tail gunner sat in very rear of the plane in a small and cramped area under the tail fin and observed the rear of the plane through small glass windows while armed with two .50 caliber machine guns. The tail gunner served as both an observer and in a defense position for the plane and other planes in the flying formation. The B-17 is one of the more romanticized bombers from the American military. The famous "Memphis Belle" was a B-17 and no doubt many of seen the movie based on and dedicated to that plane. The "Memphis Belle" was part of the 8 th Air Force's 91 st Bombing Group based out of Bassingbourn England. The 91 st Bombing Group was made up of 50-60 bombers and 2000 personnel. My grandfather was also a part of that bombing group. He served on a variety of different planes and flew 30 missions on several different B-17s. In comparison, the "Memphis Belle" flew 25 missions before it was taken out of service and placed into service at home for the war bond efforts. Among the planes that Jack flew on include the "Shoo Shoo Baby", "Skunk Face", "Chief Sly II" and "Hell's Halo." While after the war many of  the surviving planes were sold, stored and/or scrapped, the "Shoo Shoo Baby", now named the "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" is actually still in existence and is currently preserved on public display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. The plane itself has an interesting history after one of its crews was forced to make a crash landing in Sweden in May of 1944. The famous and original "Memphis Belle" is also located at the Air Force Museum near Dayton and currently under restoration. About 6,000 B-17's were lost during operations during World War II and many thousands of crew were killed and/or made prisoners of war. My grandfather was lucky. In 1943 on a mission to Bremen Germany, the plane that he was serving on suffered nearly disabling damage. The tail fin directly above my grandfather's head took flak tearing a large hole in the fin. The pictures attached to this blog were taken upon the crew's return to base. That is my grandfather standing in the open hole in the fin. My brother, Scott McGraw, was able to locate these photographs, which also appeared in a London newspaper, from the National Archives. Several years later, Scott was in a book store and picked up a book titled "B-17 Combat Missions" by Marin Bowman. Low and behold on page 130 of the book is one of the pictures of my grandfather standing on his damaged plan. The crew was very lucky to survive. In 1943 the 8 th Air Force average a loss rate of 8% per mission. Given that the number of missions necessary to complete a tour of increased and the war went on, it was statistically impossible to complete a full tour of duty. Many thousands of air men gave their lives not only in combat but also in training missions. Jack was one of the lucky ones who got to return home. He came back to the States in the summer of 1944 and ultimately returned to Milwaukee where he would marry Lois. My father, Michael John McGraw, was born in Wisconsin in 1947 and the family traveled back and forth between Wisconsin and Southern West Virginia before finally settling back in my grandfather's home community in Wyoming County, WV. I am very proud of my grandfather's service and the story that ultimately led to me being here. Had Jack not enlisted and been sent to Milwaukee he and Lois likely never meet. Had that piece of flak hit his plane only a few more inches over or lower, the plane may not have been able to return to base. Nearly all of us look back on the Word War II veterans with reverence and respect, and rightfully so. Somewhere along the line, though, it sometimes seems that we lost some of that respect for veterans of other wars. Whether you agree or disagree with a war effort or the politicians who approved the efforts, we can all agree that the men and women who actually serve on the front lines of those efforts deserve our respect. They and their families sacrifice a lot and many never get the chance to see their families grow. We at Bordas & Bordas are very proud of our servicemen and women, past and present, including our own Geoff Brown, a 1994 West Point Graduate who served in Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Ryan McQuaid who served two deployments in Iraq. As we near the upcoming Memorial Day, please continue to remember those individuals and families that have sacrificed so much for us.

Although the first day of spring was months ago, the Ohio Valley is just starting to enter the rainy season that traditionally marks the transition out of winter. Did you have property damaged in this week's hail and rain? Read on to see how attorney Michelle Marinacci has previously suggested you handle such a situation. As spring time approaches the Ohio Valley, so does the risk of severe storms damaging our homes and businesses. Being prepared in the event you sustain storm damage will make the claim process easier and, in the event your insurer does not handle your claim fairly and in compliance with its policy obligations, you will be prepared to take the appropriate legal action. Below are some helpful hints to assist you in dealing with the results of a damaging spring or summer storm: 1. Read your policy carefully. Know what is and is not covered and whether you have purchased sufficient limits to adequately protect your valuable property. For example, many types of water run-off damage are not covered under terms commonly included in ordinary homeowners' policies. If you believe your policy does not provide all the coverage you want or need, contact your agent regarding purchasing additional coverage. Additionally, the policy may impose strict time limits for reporting claims or impose requirements regarding securing property from addition damage. Knowing what is expected of you before a storm-related claim arises will make the stressful, confusing post-storm period a little easier to deal with. Reading and knowing your policy provisions beforehand will also allow you to be prepared in the event a dispute arises with your insurance company relating to your claim. Many policies contain alternative dispute resolution provisions or appraisal provisions which must be utilized before legal action may be taken or impose strict time limits on filing a claim related law suit. 2. Document your losses. Take pictures of the damage and make a list of all property sustaining damage. You should also estimate the value of all damaged personal property. While it is not necessary to go to stores and find current sale prices for damaged property, you should provide estimates that are to the best of your ability. Keep a list of all storm related expenses you incur. Even if your policy does not require you to prepare and submit such a list, it is in your best interests to do so. Remember - the adjuster handling your claim works for the insurance company and may not have your best interests in mind when documenting losses. It is helpful to have your own list prepared to compare to that prepared by the adjuster on behalf of the insurance company. 3. Communicate in writing when possible and document oral conversations. By communicating in writing with your insurer you are creating a paper trail. The insurance company documents all oral conversations and so should you. Your contemporaneous notes of an oral communication or follow-up letter may be necessary later when the insurer's "recollection" of the conversation is different than yours. When disputes arise, the timing and content of communications are critical to establishing an insurer's liability. 4. Take care to ensure accuracy. When filing out claim forms, take your time and provide the most accurate information you can. Even honest mistakes can be cited by the insurer as a reason to deny a claim. If you realize you made a mistake, correct it in writing as soon as possible. 5. Submit a competing estimate. If you get an estimate from the insurance company that seems low or unfair, get an estimate from one or more contractors you trust to the insurance company. Timely providing contrary estimates to the insurer for consideration strengthens future actions against the insurer for failing to honor its policy obligations when the insurer chooses to ignore the estimates you provide. If, after taking these steps, you are not satisfied with how your claim was handled, you should consult legal counsel before cashing any check provided to you by the insurance company or signing a release. If the insurer has not handled the claim fairly, legal recourse may be available to obtain the money you are owed under your insurance policy and repair your property damage properly. This article is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this website or any of the email links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between Bordas & Bordas and the user or browser.

It's graduation and road repair season! What does one have to do with the other? Career choices. We all expect high school graduates to attend college and become doctors, lawyers, software engineers and a lot of other high paying and high profile careers. But as I drive down the interstate to my not so high profile career, I see all of these men dressed in reflective clothing and know that it takes us all! Maybe the road workers, the trash collectors, the cashiers, the typists, etc. don't have high profile careers but where would this world be without them? We set out our trash can and know that what is inside it will disappear. We go to the store and because there is a cashier there, we can purchase food. We take for granted that the "insignificant" people are so necessary in our lives and in the lives of the entire world. No one should look down on anyone else because they are not suited for a higher education or a high profile career. And the road workers, trash collectors, cashiers and typists of this world should not feel that they are any less important than the doctors, lawyers and software engineers of this world. We are all equal in God's eyes. I truly believe that God put it in our hearts to be what we are because He knows that it takes all of us to make His world go round!!

At times this winter, the heat and warmth of the sun seemed a distant memory. But here we are again, enjoying a most-welcome spring with summer just around the corner. And while I imagine many of us will be looking to take full advantage of the sun's rays in a few short weeks, especially after being cooped up all winter, enjoying time outdoors is not without its challenges. Spending time in the sun requires a careful balancing act. After all, absorption of the sun's rays improves mood and triggers the production of Vitamin D, which is essential for a number of the body's internal processes and critical to our very survival. However, the UV light of the sun's rays also causes skin cancer and prematurely ages the skin. Compounding the issue is a growing body of research that strongly suggests that the conventional "protection" of sunscreen may be as, if not more, harmful than the sun itself. Sunscreens have been around for nearly 100 years and comprise an annual, billion dollar industry in the United States. There are 17 individual sunscreen ingredients that are FDA approved, 15 of which are clear chemicals that absorb UV light. These chemical sunscreens do not stay on the surface of the skin but are instead absorbed and quickly find their way into the bloodstream, where they are distributed all over the body without being detoxified by the liver. These chemicals can be detected in blood, urine, and breast milk for up to two days after a single application, which might be okay if they were uniformly safe. Unfortunately, they are not. Of these 15 clear chemicals, 9 are known endocrine disruptors - chemicals that interfere with the body's endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in humans. The hormones most commonly affected are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Endocrine disruptors can cause abnormal development of fetuses and growing children. They can cause early puberty and premature breast development in girls, and small and undescended testicles in boys. They can cause low sperm counts and infertility and also contribute to the development of breast and ovarian cancers in women, and prostate cancer in men. The other two FDA approved sunscreen ingredients are two minerals, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These two work very differently than the other ingredients, in that they sit on the surface of the skin and physically block UV light. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are rocks that are ground down to a fine consistency. These are better choices than the chemical UV light absorbers, but increasingly companies are processing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide into ultrafine, nanoparticles or micronized versions. A recent study from MIT and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles can significantly damage human DNA. Because the micronized versions are so small, they are likely to penetrate the skin and our body's cells much more easily than the larger sized version of these minerals and cause significant breakage in our cells' DNA, which can ultimately lead to a host of cancers and other health problems. DNA damage is particularly problematic in children, whose cells are rapidly and constantly dividing. Many popular, conventional brands of sunscreen such Coppertone Sport, Coppertone Water Babies, Aveeno, Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Bull Frog, Hawaiian Tropic and most store brands have received terrible safety ratings from the Environmental Working Group's Sunscreen Guide when it comes to these concerns. So when planning your or your family's outdoor adventures this year, avoid the following ingredients and/or properties common in today's sunscreen: Oxybenzone - the most popular ingredient in chemical based sunscreens but also a hormone disrupting chemical which penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) - A 2009 study by the National Toxicology Program found that in the presence of sunlight, Retinyl Palmitate may actually speed the development of skin tumors and lesions. Fragrance - a petroleum based product that is linked to organ toxicity and allergies. High SPF - The FDA does not regulate SPF higher than 50 and many of the higher SPFs do not provide any additional protection. Some studies suggest that users are exposed to as many or more ultraviolet rays as those who use lower-SPF products. Sprays or Powders - Sprays and powders have additional chemicals added to them for performance purposes, which can be toxic to the lungs. Instead, follow these tips to make the best sunscreen choice: Choose non-nano titanium dioxide and zinc oxide based mineral sunscreens that do not have small particles that can absorb into skin. Choose lotion-based sunscreens with water resistance. Choose broad spectrum sunscreens that protect against UVA and UVB rays. Choose sunscreen products that are rated 0-2 in the Environmental Working Group's Sunscreen Guide. For a list of products that meet these criteria, click on this link. Spending just a few minutes this summer to find the right balance to best protect yourself and your loved ones from both the sun and sunscreen offers the best chances for a safe, enjoyable summer.

I am hoping to run my third Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon this May. The Half Marathon is a great community event and it allows you to see Wheeling in a way that will change the way you think about our city. I'll never view 29 th Street hill the same way again. It's great to see our community rally around an event like that and there are many ways to participate, from the half marathon itself to the 5k to events for the kids. I ran my first two half marathons some number of years ago, so getting in shape this time has not been all that easy. I'm a little behind given how brutal our winter was. I would have needed snowshoes to start training before a few weeks ago. I went online to search for some training tips, but like a lot of other things on the Internet, there is, at the same time, too much of a certain kind of information and too little of the right kind of information. I'm not looking to win on May 24, but I do hope for a respectable performance and would like to minimize how miserable I am on the long climb up National Road above Generations at the end of the race. By the way, who decided to put that hill on mile 11? Anybody out there have some training tips for me? It's not long until the race, so I'm hoping for some good advice.