Community Gardens Not Only Provide Good Nutrition, But Also The Perfect Exercise

When working in community gardens, participants reap what they sow and more.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Utah showed that the health benefits of a community garden go far beyond the fresh fruits and vegetables added to your diet.

After studying the body mass index data of 198 community gardeners and their same-sex siblings, spouses and neighbors, researchers found they had lower BMIs than their non-gardening counterparts.  They were also less likely to be obese or overweight.

When a gardener’s BMI, a measure of body fat, was compared to their non-gardening spouse’s BMI, the researchers found no discernible difference.  This led them to conclude that the spouses were benefiting from the harvested food and possibly helped out in the garden.  Results were reported April 18 in the American Journal of Public Health.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/community-gardens-not-only-provide-good-nutrition-but-also-the-perfect-exercise-699885/#ixzz2cRI9PsMr

Coatesville Hopes To Boost Downtown Revitalization

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

COATESVILLE, PA — City Council is updating the city’s revitalization plans.

Council members unanimously voted to establish the Coatesville Downtown Revitalization District during an Aug. 12 meeting, with Councilman Ed Simpson and Vice President Joseph Hamrick absent.

Council President David Collins said the purpose was to target a specific area around expansion and redevelopment projects currently planned for the city.

Collins said this area will be essential to attracting new business enterprises, encouraging commercial development and expansion, improving the aesthetic appearance of the existing architecture, and building a stronger sense of community pride.

Read more:  http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20130819/NEWS01/130819663/coatesville-hopes-to-boost-downtown-revitalization#full_story

Harrisburg Heat Player Shot Multiple Times After Altercation In West Chester

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jason Hotchkin, who plays for the Harrisburg Heat, was shot multiple times and hospitalized after an altercation early Sunday morning in West Chester, Pa., according to police.

Hotchkin, 35, was admitted to the Paoli Memorial Hospital shortly after the shooting, which was reported at 2:14 a.m. in the 50 block of North Church Street, according to West Chester police.

Hotchkin was in critical condition upon his arrival but was listed as stable by a hospital spokeswoman as of 9 a.m. Monday.

A West Chester police press release states that Hotchkin was shot multiple times and sustained injuries to his leg, arms and back.  Police believe Hotchkin and another victim, 35-year-old Maffat E. Odvor, were out with two females when the shooting took place.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/08/harrisburg_soccer_star_shot_mu.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Residents Of One Scranton Neighborhood Praise City’s Blight Removals

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lackawanna County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kevin O’Boyle doesn’t own the empty lot alongside his home on Mineral Avenue in Scranton, but he is the one who takes care of it.

“I keep it clean because it’s next to my house,” Mr. O’Boyle said.

Other neighbors do the same thing, as de-facto caretakers of several vacant lots that used to have condemned homes on them in the tiny neighborhood called Sandy Banks encompassing Mineral Avenue and Barrett Court at West Olive Street near the Lackawanna River.

“It’s our neighborhood.  We want to keep it clean,” Mr. O’Boyle said of the community pride there.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/residents-of-one-scranton-neighborhood-praise-city-s-blight-removals-1.1538251

Starters Pub Owner Says Crew Found Fetus In Restaurant

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Northampton County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A dead baby was found Monday inside Starters Pub in Lower Saucon Township, and authorities are treating it as a crime, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said.

Lower Saucon police and the county coroner’s office are investigating at Starters on Route 378.

Dave Rank, the owner of Starters, said a cleaning crew went into a bathroom about 10 a.m. and had trouble flushing a toilet. He said that’s when the crew found what he described as a fetus in the tank — not the bowl — of the toilet.

Rank, who was visibly upset, said, “I feel for the baby, I feel for the mother.”

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-d-starters-pub-dead-baby-found-starters-pub-20130819,0,1312751.story#ixzz2cR5jjyaJ
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