Episode 108 (Week of 4-30-12): "Ohio Valley Rain" by Cornerstone

Click to listen to episode (2:39).

Please see below (after the transcript and show notes) for links to news and upcoming events.

TRANSCRIPT

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of April 30, 2012.

This week, we feature a song and a mystery.  Have a listen for about 50 seconds, and see if you know the Virginia water  connection to the theme of this song.

MUSIC.

You’ve been listening to part of “Ohio Valley Rain,” by the Ithaca, New York, band Cornerstone on their 1994 CD, “Out of the Valley” from Folk Era Records.  The song mentions Wheeling, West Virginia and the Ohio Valley, so what’s the Virginia water connection?  While many of Virginia’s major rivers—such as the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James—flow generally southeast towards the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern Virginia the Big Sandy, Clinch/Powell, Holston, and New river basins are all part of the Ohio River basin, with their water eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico.  So when Cornerstone sings of “the river miles below, drinking rain from far away,” that rain could have fallen on Virginia!  Thanks to Cornerstone and songwriters Chris Stuart and Dave Adams for permission to use this week’s music.

For other water sounds and music, and for more Virginia water information, visit our Web site at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  From the Virginia Water Resources Research Center in Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

SHOW NOTES 

Acknowledgments:  “Ohio Valley Rain” and “Out of the Valley” are copyright Cornerstone and Folk Era Records (now managed by Rediscover Music.com, at http://www.rediscovermusic.com/), used with permission.  More information about Cornerstone is available at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cornerstone/200573266649741.  This music was previously used in Virginia Water Radio Episode 58 (week of 3-21-11).

Sources:  A map of Virginia’s major watersheds and information about each watershed (including the main tributaries) are available online from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation at http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/stormwater_management/wsheds.shtml.    

Recent Virginia Water News

            For news relevant to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Virginia Water Central News Grouper, available online at http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/.

Water Meetings and Other Events

            For events related to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Quick Guide to Virginia Water–related Conferences, Workshops, and Other Events, online at http://virginiawaterevents.wordpress.com/.  The site includes a list of Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings occurring in the coming week.

Episode 107 (4-16-12): Disposing of Medications Properly

Click to listen to episode (2:52).

Please see below (after the transcript and show notes) for links to news and upcoming events.

TRANSCRIPT

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of April 16, 2012.

This week we feature another mystery sound.  Have a listen for about 20 seconds, and see if you can guess what’s going on in this series of sounds.  And here’s a hint: If nearby fish heard this coming from your household, they would thank you, if they could.

SOUND.

That’s the sound of unused and expired medications being disposed of without flushing them down a drain.  Proper disposal of medications helps prevent unintended drug use and keeps pharmaceuticals from reaching waterways.  If medications are flushed down a toilet or drain, typically the chemicals in the medications will remain after wastewater treatment and be discharged to waterways, where they can potentially harm aquatic life.  So here are the disposal steps recommended for most medications:  1. Put medication into a sealable plastic bag.  2. Add cat litter, coffee grounds, or other material that will deter pets and children from eating the contents.  3. Seal the bag and put it in the trash.  And 4. Remove all identifying personal information from prescription containers.  Note that the federal Food and Drug Administration recommends flushing for certain medicines that pose a particular risk of improper use; a list of those medications is available at that agency’s Web site.  And you should check to see whether any local ordinances prohibit disposal of medications in household trash in your area.

Now, finally, here’s another option: on April 28, 2012, law enforcement agencies statewide will conduct the annual National Prescription Drug Take-back Day, when officers will be available at designated locations to accept medications for proper disposal. To see if a take-back day is happening near you,  call your local police or sheriff’s department or visit the U.S. Justice Department’s “National Take Back Initiative” Web site, where you can search for the take-back location nearest you.

For other water sounds and music, and for more Virginia water information, visit our Web site at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  From the Virginia Water Resources Research Center in Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

SHOW NOTES 

Acknowledgements:  Thanks to Patrick Fay for assistance in producing the week’s sounds, which were previously used in Virginia Water Radio episode 61 (week of 4/11/11).

Sources:  Information for this segment from the American Pharmacists Association’s “Smart Disposal” Web site; the U.S. EPA’s “Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products” Web site; and the Food and Drug Administration’s “Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know” Web site.  The U.S. Department of Justice’s “National Take Back Initiative” Web site is at  http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html.

Recent Virginia Water News

            For news relevant to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Virginia Water Central News Grouper, available online at http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/.

Water Meetings and Other Events

            For events related to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Quick Guide to Virginia Water–related Conferences, Workshops, and Other Events, online at http://virginiawaterevents.wordpress.com/.  The site includes a list of Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings occurring in the coming week.

Episode 106 (4-9-12): Getting the Weather Message

Click to listen to episode (2:29).

Please see below (after the transcript and show notes) for links to news and upcoming events.

TRANSCRIPT

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of April 9, 2012.

This week we feature another mystery sound.  Have a listen for about 15 seconds, and see if you know what was happening during these sounds.  And here’s a hint: what tells you whether to act?

SOUNDS 1.

You’ve been listening to rain, thunder, and Virginia Tech emergency warning sirens during a tornado-warning for the Blacksburg area in the early morning of April 28, 2011.  While tornado sirens are not too common in Virginia, most Virginians frequently receive special weather-related messages through various electronic media.  Here are three samples from NOAA Weather Radio.

SOUNDS 2.

According to the National Weather Service, an advisory highlights weather conditions that may cause significant inconvenience or threaten life or property if caution is not used.  A watch means that conditions are right for a hazardous weather event to occur, but the location or timing is uncertain.  And a warning is issued when a hazardous event is actually occurring or is very likely to occur, and people should take appropriate safety action immediately.  Information on appropriate actions for specific weather events is available from the National Weather Service, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross, and other organizations.  Take some time now to get ready for the next severe-weather message.

For other water sounds and music, and for more Virginia water information, visit our Web site at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  From the Virginia Water Resources Research Center in Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

SHOW NOTES 

Acknowledgments: Recordings of National Weather Service statements were taken from the “NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Streaming Audio” Web page at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/streamaudio.htm#audio (Hagerstown and Manassas stations’ “Hazardous Weather Outlooks,” as of 11 a.m. on 4/9/12).

Sources: Information was taken from the National Weather Service online glossary, http://www.weather.gov/glossary/, 4/9/12.  Web sites for organizations mentioned are as follows (as of 4/9/12): National Weather Service, “Weather Safety” page at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/safety.php (this page includes information on NOAA Weather Radio); Virginia Department of Emergency Management “Ready Virginia” page at http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia; American Red Cross home page at http://www.redcross.org/ (click on “Preparing and Getting Trained”).

Recent Virginia Water News

            For news relevant to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Virginia Water Central News Grouper, available online at http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/.

Water Meetings and Other Events

            For events related to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Quick Guide to Virginia Water–related Conferences, Workshops, and Other Events, online at http://virginiawaterevents.wordpress.com/.  The site includes a list of Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings occurring in the coming week.

Episode 105 (4-2-12): Spring Peepers

Click to listen to episode (2:18).

Please see below (after the transcript and show notes) for links to news and upcoming events.

TRANSCRIPT

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of April 2, 2012. 

This week, we feature another mystery sound.  Have a listen for about 20 seconds, and see if you recognize these calls and chorus, which you may have heard on spring evenings in areas near standing water.

SOUND.

If you guessed: Spring Peepers—you’re right!  These frogs’ mating calls are produced by the males when air in a throat pouch is drawn across the voice box.  Like other frogs, toads, and salamanders, Spring Peepers are amphibians and rely on water for reproduction.  Snowmelt and spring rain provide ephemeral – or temporary – ponds and pools where many amphibians’ eggs transform into tadpoles and eventually into land-dwelling adults.  For Spring Peepers in Virginia, this metamorphosis takes about 90 to 100 days.  As temperatures drop through fall and into winter, peepers enter a type of hibernation, during which parts of their bodies may temporarily form ice crystals and freeze!  In spring, as ephemeral waters thaw or reappear, the cycle begins again.  Though you may not see these tiny, one-inch frogs, their mating calls are prevalent across the Commonwealth, reminding us of the complex and crucial role of our Virginia waters.  Thanks to Heather Vereb for writing this week’s script.

For other water sounds and music, and for more Virginia water information, visit our Web site at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  From the Virginia Water Resources Research Center in Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

SHOW NOTES 

Sources: Information on Spring Peppers was taken from the Rhode Island Vernal Pools Web site at http://www.uri.edu/cels/nrs/paton/LH_spring_peeper.html (3/28/12), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Web site at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/features/spring_peepers.asp (3/30/12), and the Virginia Herpetological Society Web site at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/ (3/30/12).

Recent Virginia Water News

            For news relevant to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Virginia Water Central News Grouper, available online at http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/.

Water Meetings and Other Events

            For events related to Virginia's water resources, please visit the Quick Guide to Virginia Water–related Conferences, Workshops, and Other Events, online at http://virginiawaterevents.wordpress.com/.  The site includes a list of Virginia government policy and regulatory meetings occurring in the coming week.