The best way to deal with a calamity is to turn it into an opportunity.

That is the path that lies open to U. S. leaders as they grapple with the current world-wide financial meltdown. We first need to restore calm to the financial markets and to make sure credit is again available both to consumers and to banks.

But we also have a need for hundreds of thousands of jobs. The best way to provide them is to complete the transition from fossil fuels to renewable fuels as quickly as possible. We have made a good start with electric cars, wind turbines, solar power and LEED-certified buildings, but now we need to give top priority to complete the greening of the economy.

Below material submitted by Olmsted County Public Health from their In Good Health newsletter. Let them hear from you! Drop them a line on how you use this information or visit them on the web. Additional information on healthy living can be found at Steps to a Healthier MN.

During fall and winter months, some people may suffer from symptoms of depression that appear gradually or come on all at once. As seasons change and spring arrives, these symptoms may dissipate.

The world of health care is changing dramatically, and that world was described in detail at a health care summit meeting in Rochester recently.

The meeting was sponsored by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce and held at the Marriott Hotel. Principal participants were representatives of the Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center.

Chris Gade, director of the Mayo Clinic's Health Policy Center, was the main speaker. He outlined a number of major changes which are needed to get the best health care results for everyone.

He said four major steps are required to build the health care system of the future.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Zoning: We met with the Olmsted County Planning Dept, and with Kutzky Park/Rochester Area Foundation to discuss what options are available to change some of our neighborhoods R2 zoning to R1 single family residential. Thanks to our committee for helping us move this forward, and we will be further moving forward with this in 2009.

Sewer: We hosted a public informational meeting with the Rochester Public Works, and WHKS & CH2M Hill to study our neighborhoods sewer system after several homes were affected from the August 2007 flood. The study is ongoing for an update go to Slatterly I&I Update

Below is a note from the City of Rochester in regard to the Sewer Infrastructure Study being done in the Slatterly Park Neighborhood:

FYI: We are continuing to gather data for the sanitary sewer I&I study…. The latest activity is we’ll have WHKS & Co., surveyors gathering elevation data from the outside of several homes. They hope to begin this survey work yet this week. They have about 120 homes in which basement inspections were accomplished (within the last one to 3 months) and inside measurements taken. We are now gathering the outside elevations of these homes to help determine the actual floor drainage elevation and compare that to the hydraulic grade line from the August 2007 event.