Web Site for SCMM:
Jennifer Rohl is the web master for SCMM
Following is the link to the web site:
http://www.mineralsocal.org/micro/index.html
If you are receiving the e-mail version of
Micro-Bits, you should be able to click on the above url and go immediately to
the web site..
Sunshine
Corner
We understand that Bill Reifel had a
pace-maker installed a few months ago and is doing well. We learned that he has resumed a level of
activity he was unable to manage for some time, including morning walks,
etc. Bill, we’re happy to hear the good
news.
Juanita Curtis has had her second cataract surgery, with amazing
results. This is a real help as she
continues to catalog her collection. She
sends her best wishes to all.
Carole Steele will have her first cataract surgery sometime in
August. (Julie says that, since she has
no cataracts, she is the desig-nated driver for the
family—Go, Julie!!)
Let us know of others of our members who need our support and loving
care.
J
Make a Note: $
The date for next year’s Pacific Micromount
Con-ference at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands has been confirmed:
Jan. 28-30, 2005.
Details will appear in the November 2004 issue of MicroBits,
along with registration forms, etc.
Attend the Saturday, August 21 meeting and help us formulate
plans for a successful Conference.
.
September
17-19, Devore, CA
The Orange Belt
Mineralogical Society
3rd
Annual Gem & Mineral Tailgate
Western
Regional Little League Park
6707 Little
League Dr.,
Bob Woodcox (909) 874-3697
September
25-26, Downey, CA
Delvers Gem
& Mineral Society
Downey Women’s
Club
9813
Paramount Blvd.
Hours: Sat. 10-6; Sun. 10-4
Earl Liston (562) 865-1348
E-mail: ejliston5@juno.com
September
25-26
Vista Gem &
Mineral Society
Brengle Terrace Comm. Recreation Center
1200 Vale
Terrace
Hours 10-5
both days
Mary Anne Mital (760) 758-4599
October 16-17
Mineralogical
Soc. of Southern California
Long Beach Convention
& Expo Center
300 E. Ocean
Blvd.
Hours: 10-6 both days
Justin Butt
(626) 683-1770
Show@hotmail.com
Web site: www.mineralsocal.org
See a show
August Health and Safety Tips
By Chuck McKie, CFMS Safety Chair 2004
Heat-related
Illnesses
It’s summertime, and that means activities and
fun under the sun! Whether you love
putting on shorts and feeling the warm outdoors, or find it hot and sticky,
everyone must be careful not to let a heat-related illness spoil the day.
Normally, the body has ways of keeping itself cool, by letting heat
escape through the skin, and by evaporating sweat (perspiration). If the body does not cool properly or does
not cool enough, the victim may suffer a heat-related illness. Anyone can be susceptible although the very
young and very old are at greeter risk.
Heat-related illnesses can become serious or even deadly if unattended.
Stages
of Heat-related Illness
Heat-related illness usually comes in
stages. The signal of the first stage is
(Continued next page)
August
Health and Safety Tips (Continued)
heat cramps in
muscles. These cramps can be very
painful. If you are caring for a person
who has heat cramps, have him or her stop activity and rest. If the person is fully awake and alert, have
him or her drink small amounts of cool water or a commercial sports drink. Gently stretch the cramped muscle and hold
the stretch for about 20 seconds, then gently massage the muscle. Repeat these steps if necessary. If the victim has no other signals of
heat-related illness, the person may resume activity after the cramps stop. The signals of the next, more serious stage
of a heat-related illness (often called heat exhaustion) include
Cool, moist,
pale skin (the skin may be red right after physical activity).
Headache.
Dizziness
and weakness or exhaustion.
Nausea.
The skin may
or may not feel hot.
The signals of the late stage of a
heat-related illness (often called heat stroke) include -
Vomiting
Decreased
alertness level or complete loss of consciousness.
High
body temperature (sometimes as high as 105oF.
Skin may still
be moist or the victim may stop sweating and the skin may be red, hot and dry.
Rapid,
weak pulse.
Rapid,
shallow breathing.
This late stage of a heat-related
illness is life threatening. Call 9-1-1
or the local emergency number.
General
Care for Heat Emergencies
Cool the body.
Give fluids.
Minimize
shock.
For heat cramps or heat
exhaustion: Get the person to a cooler
place and have him or her rest in a comfortable
position. Give a half glass of cool
water every 15 minutes. Do not let him
or her drink too quickly. Do not give
liquids with alcohol or caffeine in them, as they can make conditions
worse. Remove or loosen tight clothing
and apply cool, wet cloths such as towels for wet sheets. For heat stroke: Heat stroke is a life-threatening
situation. Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1
or your local EMS
number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Wrap wet sheets around the body and fan
it. If you have ice packs or cold packs,
wrap them in a cloth ad place them on each o the victim’s wrists and
ankles. In the armpits
and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels. (Do not use rubbing alcohol because it closes
the skin’s pores and prevents heat loss.)
Watch for signals of breathing problems and make sure the airway is
clear. Keep the person
lying down.
Preventing
Heat-related Illness
Dress for the
heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored
clothing. Light colors will reflect away
some of the sun’s energy. It is also a
good idea to wear hats or to use an umbrella.
Drink water. Carry water or juice
with you and drink continuously, even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate
the body.
Eat small
meals and eat more often. Avoid foods
that are high in protein which increase metabolic heat.
Avoid salt
tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
Slow
down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it
during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4:00
a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Stay indoors
when possible.
Take regular
breaks when engaged in physical activity on warm days. Take time out to find a cool place. If you recognize that you or someone else, is showing the signals of a heat-related illness, stop
activity and find a cool place.
Remember, have fun, but stay cool! Know what these heat-related terms mean.
Heat wave: More than 48 hours of high heat (90oF
or higher) and high humidity (80 percent relative humidity or higher) are
expected.)
Heat Index. A number in degrees
Fahrenheit that tells how hot it really feels with the heat and humidity. Exposure to full sunshine can increase e the
heat index by 15oF.
Heat
Exhaustion: Heat exhaustion is less dange4rous than heat
stroke. It typically occurs when people
exercise heavily or work in a warm, humid place where body fluids are lost
through heavy sweating. Fluid loss
causes blood flow to decrease in the vital organs, resulting in a form of
shock. With heat exhaustion, sweat does
not evaporate as it should, possibly because of high humidity or too many
layers of clothing. As a result, the
body is not cooled properly. Signals
include cool, moist, pale, flushed or red skin; heavy sweating; headache,
nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion.
Body temperature will be near normal.
Heat Stroke: Also known as sunstroke, heat stroke is
life-threatening. The victim’s
temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops
working. The body temperature can rise
so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooed
quickly.
Signals
include hot, red and dry skin, changes in consciousness; rapid, (Continued
next page)
August
Health and Safety Tips (Continued)
weak pulse; and
rapid, shallow breathing. Body
temperature can be very high—sometimes as high as 105oF.
For more information, please contact
the American Red Cross.
– Via the
American Red Cross - From August 2004 CFMS Newsletter
Another
Sad Farewell
Milton L. Speckels
In another crushing blow to the micromounting community, Milton Louis Speckels,
author of the little pink book we all know so well, died of a massive heart
attack on Saturday, May15th, 2004.
Milton, better known as "Speck" by his
friends, was born on 13 May, 1911, in Coupland, Texas, and died just two days after his 93rd
birthday. Holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in engineering administration
from Texas A & M, Milton worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
as a materials engineer on major dam sites in Texas and Arizona.
Called up under an R.O.T.C. commission in 1942, he attained the rank of
major with U. S. Army before his discharge in 1946. In 1954, he took up an engineering position
at the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, California, and retired there in 1975.
Milton attended the very first Baltimore Micromount Symposium.
He was the first Micromount Chairman (1960-63) for the California Federation of
Mineralogical Societies. At that time he
reinstated the micro-mounters’ trading list and
started writing the column “Micro News” in Gems and Minerals
magazine. This column became the basic
source of information for his book, The Complete Guide to Micromounts (1965),
that quickly became a standard for the hobby.
Because his publisher limited him to 100 pages, including the covers, Milton was forced to condense his writing. In doing so, he squeezed an enormous amount
of information into one small volume. He
had it reprinted in 1993, enjoying a similar success at that time.
In 1966, he received the American Federation of Mineralogical
Societies’ National Trophy for Micromounts. Milton was a charter member of the Southern
California Micromineralogists, and was Program Chairman
for their first three Annual Conferences.
He was also a member of the Northern California Micromounters
Association, and the Northwest Micro Mineral Study Group in the State of Washington, and was a Life Member of the
Mineralogical Society of America.
Once his interest in mineralogy began, Milton took ore courses in mineralogy and
crystallography, and turned to the scanning electron microscope (SEM),
discovering new crystallographic data.
He had a wide interest in minerals, but specialized in the zeolites, publishing many locality discoveries. One of his last articles was “Microminerals at Rock Island Dam, Douglas County,
Washington” in the May/June 1991 issue of Rocks & Minerals. Most of his large micromount
collection (5,200 cataloged specimens) originated in the western states. The collection was put up for sale after his
wife, Betty, died, when he moved to a retirement residence. Sales at Tucson and other shows have since spread them
across large parts of the world. An
accomplished 35-mm photographer, he presented slide shows of his minerals at
club meetings museums, mineralogical shows, and symposia. His book, his columns, and a large volume of
correspondence brought him recognition throughout the world as a master micromounter. For
his efforts, he was inducted into the Micromounters
Hall of Fame in 1991.
Above all, Milton was a friendly man.
While on a visit to the Naval Weapons Center in 1974, my wife and I dropped by his home
in Ridgecrest, California. We
were complete strangers to him at that time, but he invited us in for tea,
showed us slides and micromounts, and showered us
with specimens to take home. His book is
a standard, and so was he. He will be
missed.
- By Quintin Wight, Colonel, Royal Canadian
Air Force (Retired) for Rocks &
Minerals Magazine.
Special Invitation to Henderson County Gem and Mineral Society
Micromount Symposium
Please see the
letter (last page) sent to your Editor by our member Roger Barnett of Simpsonville, South Carolina, inviting us to participate in their
annual Micromount Symposium.
(Map of the area next page.)
Map for Henderson County
Gem & Mineral Society Symposium
Henderson County
Gem and Mineral Society
P.O. Box 6391, Hendersonville,
NC 28793
Dear
fellow Micromounters:
On Saturday,
September 4, 2004, we will
have our annual symposium, a micromounters’ workshop
and swap in Hendersonville, N.C. As usual,
this is in conjunction with the Henderson County Gem and Mineral Society’s gem
and mineral “Spectacular” on September 3-6, and with the Henderson County Apple
Festival. The gem and mineral show will
be held at the Whitmire Activity building on Lily Pond Road. The micromounters will meet at the same location as last year,
the Salvation Army building on East Fourth Ave. and Grove Street (see enclosed
map)*.
The
doors will open at 8:30 a.m., and the activities will continue into the afternoon. No fee will be charged for
participating. However, registration
will be required, and if you have lunch with us you will be asked to pay $3.00
(an inexpensive lunch). Sandwiches and
other good items will be available for lunch from 11:30 to 1:00. As usual, drinks and snacks will be available
all day.
We
will have many giveaways (including yours, if you have something to share),
door prizes, free parking, and lots of fun and fellowship. We are looking forward to lots of swapping,
selling, seeing old friends and making new ones. We hope to have with us our club members from
England again this year.
They belong to the club in Norwich.
We
provide tables, chairs, and the power for equipment. You might want to bring an extension cord in
case we do not have enough. Bring your
microscopes, tools and supplies. We may
have a shortage of tables, so bring a small table, if it’s convenient.
Plan
to come for our wonderful weekend of micros, the gem and mineral show, and the
apple festival. You will enjoy visiting
the outstanding Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County, which is only
one block away, and admission is free.
The museum has some new exhibits, which you may not have seen. You must come and have fun with us. We are looking forward to seeing you.
Roger
C. Barnett, 115
Hillpine Drive, Emily
J. Adams, 355
Pelham Road
Simpsonville, SC 29681- Tel. 864-963-5183 Greenville, SC 29615 - Tel. 864-271-3877
*Editor’s
note: For lack of a scanner, I am not
able to reproduce the map for our e-mail readers. However, if you plan to attend the symposium,
contact Roger and I’ll bet he will mail you a copy.
August 2004
Meeting, Sat., August 21, 10:00 a.m.
Jurupa
Mountains
Cultural Center
