Biz Talk - Business Blog Roanoke and Beyond

Everyone in the valley is aware of the heat wave that our area is experiencing.  I just received an email from Jeremy Holmes, Program Director, Ride Solutions.  He stated that this weekend there is a code orange issued for ozone pollution by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.  The current Air Quality Index can be found at www.ridesolutions.org/airquality/aqi.shtml. 

Elevated ground level ozone is unhealthy for sensitive groups, so please take care to avoid prolonged periods outdoors.  Please honor your commitments to the Regional Ozone Early Action Plan and implement clean air strategies.

  Who is sensitive to ozone?

Children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing lung problems, such as asthma, are sensitive to the health effects of ozone.  Even healthy adults involved in moderate or strenuous outdoor activities can experience the unhealthy effects of ozone.

  How does ozone affect human health?

Ozone is a major element of urban smog.  Ozone can limit the ability to take a deep breath, and it can cause coughing, throat irritation, and breathing discomfort.  There is also evidence that ozone can lower resistance to respiratory disease, such as pneumonia; damage lung tissue, and aggravate chronic lung disease, such as asthma or bronchitis.

  What can I do?

Spread the word! Encourage friends, family and neighbors to sign up at www.ridesolutions.org/airquality to receive these Air Quality Action Day Alerts, and forward this email to others whose health may be susceptible to high ozone levels.  Improve air quality and reduce traffic by registering with www.ridesolutions.org and sign up for our free carpool matching service, and encourage neighbors and coworkers to do the same.  Implement the following ten air quality strategies:

Ten Simple Steps to Improving Air Quality

1. Take mass transit, share a ride, or car pool.  Visit www.ridesolutions.org for our free carpool matching service.

2. Combine trips.

3. Ride your bike.

4. Walk wherever you can.

5. Care for your car and don’t idle.

6. Get fuel when it's cool.

7. Don't top off the tank.

8. Telecommute.

9. Research routes and traffic before you go.

10. Spread the word!  Forward this email, post it to a message board or your blog.  Let others know what they can do.

Stay cool and drink plenty of water! 

How many times have you wondered where the morning went?  Do you feel a constant distraction day after day?  Do you need a round tuit?  Successful entrepreneurs and business executives do recognize the 4 'D's of time management.  Maybe if you applied the 4 'D's of time management to your daily structure you wouldn't need the round tuit.

So what are the 4 'D's of time management…

Delete - never waste time by opening those junk emails.  If you don't recognize the sender or the subject it's probably spam.  If you have a friend or colleague who sends you joke after joke and those chain emails that say you'll receive bad luck if you break it, ask then to stop sending them to you or give them an email address you don't check on a regular basis.  Clear the clutter off your desk!  Delete it Shred it or Trash it!

Delay - Prioritize your tasks.  Manage your time by doing what has to be done first.  Fill in the remainder of your day with those things that benefit you, and remember you are managing your time, not others'.

Delegate - This is a hard one because NO ONE can do it like you can.  But, you must put your trust in others and ask them to help out in areas where they excel.  If you're doing work that someone else should be responsible for, give the responsibility back to them. Lighten your load!

Do - If you can't delete it, and you can't delay it, and there's no one to delegate it to…then you have to DO it.  Don't wait until you can get a round tuit! Get it done today. No more procrastinating, just DO it!

Without time management we put a lot of stress in our lives.  Stress is not good for our health and it can affect our success.  Darren Rowse of ProBlogger listed some great Productivity Tips for Bloggers.  Many of these tips can also work for non-bloggers and blog readers!

April 17, 2007 - Press Release
BLUE RIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE
Aftermath Support Project

Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare (BRBH), the Community Services Board that serves citizens of the Roanoke Valley, has announced that it is setting up a temporary emergency response center to assist anyone who may be having difficulty in the aftermath of Monday's horrific events at Virginia Tech.

While the shootings have thrust Tech onto the national news stage, for many residents of southwestern Virginia this is an intensely personal experience. BRBH is reaching out, in an effort to help those crisis responders already mobilized in Blacksburg, with a temporary location where people can go for help and support in Roanoke.

Beginning at 8:00AM tomorrow, Wednesday April 18, mental health professionals from BRBH will be available at the Marriott Courtyard to counsel friends and family of those impacted by this tragedy. Counseling staff will be on site until 9:00PM each evening through next Tuesday April 24. Hospitality staff from the Agency will be there from 6:00AM until midnight each day. You can contact this emergency center directly by calling (540) 266-9201 for information or directions.

The Marriott Courtyard is located at 3301 Ordway Drive, off Hershberger Road, near the Roanoke Airport.

Many families in Roanoke are doing without the nuriousment and protien from a favorite food. Local grocerys removed peanut better from their shelves after ConAgra Foods recalled all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter made at its Sylvester, Ga., plant after federal health officials linked the product to a salmonella outbreak.

The FDA issued a warning for consumers.

My family had 2 jars of the recalled peanut butter. We returned it to Food Lion for a full refund. During our weekly grocery shopping this weekend we found the shelves at a local WalMart were emply and our craving for peanut butter intensified knowing that we couldn’t get any.

Hopefully we will see peanut butter back on the shelves soon!