Calhouns Can(n)ons

More Pet Food Recalls.

This email from a friend. It seems that more pet foods are being recalled as being tainted, so it ain’t over yet. If you have pets you’d better keep checking the FDA’s website for the updated lists. This new recall is especially disturbing since the Natural Balance foods are considered “specialty” foods often used by old, sick or autoimmune dogs who can’t eat “regular” foods. Next question, Did that contaminated wheat gluten end up in human food? Stay tuned.

As you know, a few days ago I sent a message to your blog that I got from D.E.L.T.A. Rescue saying Leo Grillo had been in touch with the Natural Balance people and that they had assured him that their food was tested by them and was safe. I just looked at today's USA Today Money section and its top story was a recall of Natural Balance pet food. Apparently the same ingredient that has contaminated the wheat gluten in Menu pet food products, melamine, has turned up in some of Natural Balance's food in a rice protein concentrate used in the Venison and Natural Brown Rice canned and dry dog foods, dog treats, and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food. The rice protein is mixed with venison meal. Natural Balance has received about 10 reports of sick pets, mostly dogs, since Thursday...some of the pets developed kidney failure. Apparently it was a new ingredient they had begun adding to those particular pet food products. I would just want to be sure your blog readers know this as soon as possible.

Yes, Virginia, Staying Involved & In The Loop Actually DOES Mean Something in The Hideous Sewer Wars.

Over at Ron Crawford’s blogsite (http://www.sewerwatch.blogspot.com/) Ron’s taking credit in his humorous TAC-wars for the County’s TAC changing direction and now including the Tri-W plans in the fine screening process. Before, they were simply going to get a pass as a “given.”

It’s certainly possible that Ron’s email to the TAC on this issue brought about the change. It’s also equally clear that the change came as a result of other community members attending last Monday’s PZLDF meeting to bring up that very topic with guest speaker, Supervisor Bruce Gibson, and those who attended Tuesday’s first Los Osos TAC public input meeting, where it was brought up several times by citizens who made their concerns known to the committee. In short, what happened to change the process somewhat was the result of citizens staying involved, staying in the loop, offering feedback and criticisms and ideas, which is part of the Process and is why I keep nagging folks to stop complaining to this blogsite and go attend a meeting or contact the various people in charge of this project directly.

If the Process is working right, input really is important. The members of the TAC are not Gods. They have an enormous pile on their plate, so if they’re overlooking something important, or there's a problem with GIGO, (wrong data), they rely on you, Dear and Gentle Citizen, to help bring it to their attention for consideration. So, please, attend as many meetings as you can, keep up with the printed material as best you can, offer any ideas you feel are important. Your attention will see that the Process works properly.

The next Los Osos public TAC meeting is scheduled for April 24 at 7:30 pm. in the South Bay Community Center. The area they’ll be covering will include Finance. Then on Tuesday, May 1 at 7 pm., also at the SBCC, they’ll be covering Environmental issues. Please plan to attend.