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2001 » Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Special Edition
2002 » Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Special Edition
2003 » Winter
Inside this issue:The co-op is now hosting free seminars and workshops open to the public on various alternative healing therapies and related topics. These classes offer an opportunity to meet local practitioners and gain knowledge on a variety of subjects. Thanks go out to May Lin and Valerie Cherin for our first workshops in April on Falun Gong and basic massage techniques. In the following months, we will host seminars on herb gardening, homeopathy, herbalism and more. Check out the calendar in back of this newsletter for dates and times, or look for our flyers in the front of the store for details. Classes are held here at the store and are free and open to the public. Hope to see you there.
Winter is my favorite time of year. While most cannot wait for warm weather, I wait in anticipation for the magical and peaceful season of winter. For some people this holiday time of year is all about CONSUMPTION, CONSUMPTION, CONSUMPTION! Our media is constantly bombarding us with commercials, advertisements in newspapers and on radio about how much happier and better our lives will be with whatever product they are pushing. Or how your children will be happier smarter and an all around better person with -insert your product name here! I think you are starting to see the picture I am trying to create. For me I try to avoid such nonsense and focus on my true meaning of the holiday: PEACE. Peace can be shown in many ways that do not take much time and are relatively cheap; most ways to express peace are FREE!
1. Be nice to the people around you. Say Hi to the people you come into contact. Give the person who is waiting on you a smile. Even if they do not respond, you are putting out positive energy.
2. Before you express your anger regarding a situation, take a deep breath and think about the important things in your life. Does this moment warrant an angry or nasty response? Is it really that big of a deal? Try to keep things in perspective.
3. Tell people close to you that you love them. Let coworkers and friends know how much they mean to you or how much they help you. You do not have to go overboard, one or two sentences will do the trick and keep the people you care about smiling for hours.
4. Count your blessings. I know that when times are rough it is difficult. Can you read this article? That is a blessing considering that a 1/3 of the population in America is not able to read. Are you wearing clothes and have food in your refrigerator? In most countries, you have what most people only dream.
5. Donate, donate, donate - Old clothes, shoes, furniture, your time or your money. It does not have to be a lot of time or money. If everyone who could had extra money to spare, would donate $5.00 to our Adopt a Family, our family would have a holiday to remember. I truly believe that this time of year is to be kind to our brothers and sisters, and if we are able, to help people in need. I hope that these good deeds will catch on and it will be an everyday occurrence for everyone to have a smile for someone and to be able to lend a hand for someone in need.
I hope you enjoy and learn a little from our Winter Edition newsletter. I wish all of our members, customers, staff and friends of the Coop a peaceful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Gathering the newest CO-OP staffers was easy, I simply went to the CO-OP on a Saturday. Well, after all, new employees work weekends don't they? On with the questions! (and answers!)
How did you come to work at the CO OP?
Adam Raabe (AR): "I'm a dog sitter. I came here from Washington State to dog sit for a guy named Ben, my girlfriend's brother. I shopped here for two or three years and it seemed like an awesome place to work, seemed like a healthy environment."
Mary DeMare Stivers (MDS): "For my honeymoon, we spent in an RV for eleven months. Dave (her husband) got into a doctorate program so we settled here. I applied for a position advertised in the paper for office manager. Jennifer decided to stay so I found a job working with petroleum people, but I just couldn't work there so I called Janey and took a position as a stock clerk."
Kristin Hoddinott (KH): "I shopped here a lot when Jessie talked me into working here. I was looking to change jobs, and having a big passion for organic foods, I got the job."
Craig Allen (CA): "I was a shopper and noticed they were hiring."
Working at the CO-OP, what is important to you?
CA: "I don't know, ah, just to keep things flowing."
KH: "Knowledge. Learning a lot. Meeting new people. A thirst for knowledge."
MDS: "Having good people to work, where it shouldn't be hell, lucky it's not here."
AR: "Mutual understanding and good communication between everyone."
What motivates you?
MDS: "I just try to be concerned with how my actions affect others. Less negative impact, try for more positive impact."
AR: "Positive things. I respond to positive motivation. If someone that I trust and rely on asks for my help, it motivates me to help them."
CA: "Inspirational comrades, neighbors, people."
KH: "Curiosity because I know a little about some things then someone will shed more knowledge."
Do you have a quote, idea, you live by?
KH: "Love your mother, the earth."
MDS: "I can't recall the whole quote but it has something to do with if personal freedom is taken away, the government is not doing it's job."
AR: "No simple answers that apply to everything, there are little exceptions."
CA: "Life is like a river, there are so many parts to a river. There are rough times, unexpected holes, waterfalls, lots of turns, clarity, smooth rides."
What are your goals?
AR: "To become a librarian at different places all over the world."
CA: "Simple living. I want to travel, I have to explore, ah, exploration!"
MDS: "I've made paper and I want to start to sell it."
KH: "To go and live on the west coast for a couple of years to be near the mountain and sea."
In what direction would YOU like to see the Co-op grow?
Each year the Co-op holds a General Membership Meeting in February or March. This is a digression from our regular Store Meetings (held the third Thursday of each month, here at the store) in which our Board Members, Staff, and Members meet. The General Membership Meeting is meant to be a larger meeting of Members where much important business of our Cooperative may take place.
One important piece of business is electing Members of the Board. Four Stewards will have to be re-elected or replaced on this day in 2002. The General Membership Meeting is a great way to get to know who is making the decisions for your Co-op! All pertinent information will be posted on the bulletin board over the Member card files; if you can't make it, vote in absentia via a ballot box at the front of the store.
• Have you the ability and/or desire to set administrative goals for your Co-op?
• Do you have an idea of what direction you would like to see YOUR Co-op go?
• Do you have any knowledge of running a business?
• How about a strong belief in our cooperative vision and/or the benefits of natural foods?
• Do you have an understanding of long-range business planning?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you would be an excellent candidate for our Board of Stewards. You may run for a seat on the Board of Stewards at the General Membership Meeting. It is easy to run! Nominations (you may nominate yourself) must be filed with our Secretary, Robert Wieland, at least 15 days prior to the annual meeting. His phone number is available on the Store Bulletin Board over the member card files. These nominees will be included on the absentee ballot. Nominations may also be made from the floor of the meeting prior to the election. The term is two years for any elected member in good standing. As remuneration, you receive the working member discount as hours accrue. Recently, we have seen the beginnings of a financial turn-around for our store. It is an exciting and important time to become involved.
Indeed, any bylaw changes may be discussed, voted on, and changed at this meeting. Our bylaws state the organization's identity, purpose, requirements of membership, member rights and obligations, to name a few. It is an important document that outlines the overall 'rules' of how business is conducted. If you would like to propose a change to our bylaws, you may do so by providing a copy of the proposed changes to our Secretary, Robert Wieland, before twenty (20) days prior to the scheduled meeting.
Another treat, the Financial Manager and/or Treasurer of the Co-op are required to present a financial report on the Co-op's last fiscal year. Our Co-op has come a long way in the last three years! Come check on our improvements.
A notice of the General Membership Meeting will be given at least thirty (30) days prior to the event, specifying the time, date, location, and directions. In order to really do business at the General Membership Meeting, a quorum must be reached. As stated in our bylaws, 'A quorum consists of five (5) percent of the memberships or thirty-five (35) memberships whichever is less. All members in good standing shall have voting rights.'
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! Attend the next General Membership Meeting!
For Dego DiLorenzo, riding a bike isn't just something he does, but is very much a part of who he is. Few bike riders in the Newark area can boast his mileage, and I know of none with his passion for riding. This November Dego's odometer hit twelve thousand miles; an impressive number for two years of riding. But then anyone who knows Dego understands that riding a bike has simply become his lifestyle.
When Dego's car was stolen in 1993, he began using a dirt bike for transportation. He soon realized that a bicycle was all he needed to get around town. Now Dego rides every day, and although he has long since replaced the dirt bike for something more efficient, his vehicles haven't had more than two wheels since '93.
Dego says his co-workers at Chrysler keep asking him when he's going to buy a car. But as I spoke with Dego, I became aware of the quality of experience he enjoys on his bike that people riding around in the closed environments of their cars do not know. He enjoys the time to think that riding allows, and the ability to see wildlife which would normally be scared off by automotive engines. He's also aware that he owes his strong immune system largely to the amount of exercise he gets on his bike. But Dego also enjoys the challenge of breaking his own records. And he is especially proud of his endurance.
Since 1993, Dego has peddled from Newark to Camden Yards in Baltimore at least eighteen times. The ride takes him about four hours each way. Last March he rode his bike to Rehoboth Beach. To anyone who asks how he is able to ride so far, Dego replies, "the legs, the legs, the legs." And anyone who has experienced a long distance ride knows this is true.
Now that the days are getting colder, I asked Dego if the winter weather ever discourages him from riding. He told me, "I ain't gonna let the weather keep me at home." By wearing many layers of clothing, he keeps himself warm and is able to shed clothes as his body heats up. He also grows a thick beard and mustache for extra protection from the cold.
Dego compares his love of riding his bike to reading a good book, once you start you just want to keep going. With an average of five hundred miles a month, there's no question that he has kept himself going. But in November, when I saw the reading of "12003" on his odometer, I said to Dego, "no way!" To which he proudly smiled and replied, "way!"
Some of you may have noticed we are being more reserved in accepting products for return. For many years, the Co-op has followed an open return policy. However, a few 'bad apples' and years of financial difficulty have forced the Staff in to developing a NEW return policy. We think the new regulations are fair and just, and we hope you agree. Please hang on to your receipts if you feel there may be a question with a purchase. Happy shopping!
If you need to return items purchased at Newark Natural Foods, please return the item with the original sales receipt within 30 days of purchase.
No perishable items may be returned (some exceptions may be made by a manger or shift leader).
No books may be returned.
Sales on clearance items are final.
We have the right to refuse to accept the return of certain products and non-receipted items.
Oregano may be a lot more than just a tasty herb you sprinkle on pizza and spaghetti. It could turn into the next wonder drug. The herb was celebrated by the ancient Greeks as an antidote for hemlock poisoning. But the latest research suggest it may clobber fungi and bacteria-possible including the virulent anthrax bug, a potential bio terrorist weapon.
In recent tests, Dr. Harry G. Preuss of Georgetown University Medical Center, found that oregano-oil extract is just as effective as the most potent antibiotic in combating staphylococcus bacteria, which can cause deadly infections and is becoming increasingly resistant to many antibiotics. Similarly, oregano oil wipes out a fungus call Candida albicans, which causes diaper rash and other ailments.
As for anthrax, animal tests haven't started yet, but Dr. Cass Ingram of North American Herb & Spice Co., who collaborates with Pruess, says oregano oil has proved effective in test-tube experiments. So, it looks poised to make a big-time leap from the spice cabinet to the medicine cabinet.
Most of us are aware that colds and flus caused by viruses and that prescription antibiotics are ineffective when dealing with these types of infections. However, according to the Dr. Cass Ingram, in his book "the Cure is in the Cupboard", he writes that oregano oil exhibits anti-viral activity - that is - they have the ability to kill viruses directly, in addition to boosting white blood cell function and increasing lymph flow.
Oregano is one of the most diverse health aids available. Unfortunately, however, much of the oregano that the customers are familiar with contains only trace quantities of the actual species of that plant, or in some cases, none at all.
Meanwhile, researchers have uncovered numerous benefits to using oregano and extracted oil of oregano. But buyer beware, these significant health benefits are unattainable if the oregano is not the true substance.
Although there are a wide variety of plants that are confused with oregano - including marjoram, thyme and sage - true oregano grows wild in Mediterranean regions such as Greece. The wild oregano is the source of surprising potent oil of oregano. The key element in oregano is the oil. It contains carvacrol and thymol as the primary components. It takes approximately 200 pounds of oregano to produce just two pounds of oil of oregano.
In his book, Dr. Ingram unveils the health benefits of oregano oil. He notes that "wild oregano is veritable natural mineral treasure-house, containing a density of minerals that would rival virtually any food." The wild oregano is rich in a long list of minerals that include calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, copper, boron and manganese. Vitamins C and A (beta carotene) and niacin also are contained in oregano.
In addition to fighting various fungi, oil of oregano is useful against bacteria and parasites. As Ingram asserts, "oil of oregano's antiseptic powers are immense...it inhibits the growth of the majority of bacteria, something that prescription antibiotics often fail to accomplish." Other uses for oregano are combating diarrhea, intestinal gas and digestion problems, as well as sore throat and breathing difficulties. Oil of oregano can be of immediate help against bee stings and many venomous bites until medical attention can be reached. Oil of oregano has even been suggested as a treatment for dandruff, diaper rash and other skin disorders.
The benefits of oregano have gone largely unnoticed and underpublicized for far too long. As Ingram notes, oregano is "one of the world's finest natural medicines, that is if it is true oregano." So while oregano may hold the answer for a number of your health questions, be sure that it is in fact the real thing. Remember, these remedies are only attributed to genuine oregano and oil of oregano. Nonetheless, their values are much too important to be overlooked. Oregano may be the just the thing that you are searching for, or maybe didn't realize was even available.
Moving to a new home is one of the most hectic, exciting and stressful times in our lives. And once we have moved, we look back on what we should have done when choosing our new abode. Little inconveniences can be overlooked, but what if we find our choice in a new home led to a decline in our health? Well, life comes with risk. But, if you learn a few tricks to choosing a new home, you can avoid that house that leads to the burden of illness.
First, research the area. Health risks can vary greatly even within a small area. Use the internet to research local:
Secondly, consider the site of the prospective home. Are there toxic neighbors? Whether a toxic site is too close depends on:
Possible sources of toxic drift:
Finally, inspect the prospective home carefully:
The ideal home:
Ideas to reduce exposures:
You don't have control over everything. But with a little awareness, you can improve the health of your environment and reap the rewards!
Wow, what a season! We're jumpin' up and down, trying to keep up with your needs. If you see a curly-haired streak of light, it's probably me. We have brought in some lovely products for this gifty season, check out the display. Were you here for the live music on Black Friday (Friday after Thanksgiving)? We had a band so one of the busiest days of the year wouldn't be so stressful. Let's thank Michele and Jon for their talent and entertainment. YAY!
So, how are we doing? If you have any concerns, feel free to let one of us know. We're trying to make things the best we can for everybody, which often includes changing the mix of available products. If your favorite food has disappeared, it doesn't necessarily mean it's gone forever. We may be making room for a sale, we may have moved it to increase visibility. For example, we like to carry many snacks, more than we have shelves for. So, we'll have some kinds at one time, other kinds at others.
Hey, did you know we have new t-shirts? Show the world you love your Co-op; wear your t-shirt proudly. We also have new cabinets for the membership cards, new credit card machines (one for each register!), and new shelves for the cleansers and paper products, if you hadn't noticed. Anyway, if you need anything, feel free to flag me down. I'll be the one spinning in circles and running around screaming. Happy Holidays!
The product labeling bill entitled, "The Genetically Engineered Food Rights to Know Act," was reintroduced into the 107th U.S. Congress in September 2001. This bill has a year to gain support before being passed into law, and when passed, will require mandatory labeling of all genetically engineered foods in the United States.
In order for the bill to become law, it will need 218 votes from members of the House of Representatives and 51 votes from members of the Senate. The primary sponsors are Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH).
If enough concerned citizens throughout the United States send letters to Congress requesting support for this legislation, the chances of this labeling bill being passed will be excellent. The main organization spearheading this event is "The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods." To help the public with this letter writing, "Take Action Packets" are being made available. This packet will include four form letters to be sent to one Representative, two Senators, and to President Bush. To request this packet, visit The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods website at www.thecampaign.org, or telephone at (425)771-4049, or fax at (603) 825-5841.
Information about StarLink corn, genetically engineered fish, and other updated topics are included in this "Action Packet." To review other topics similar to this article, refer to "Progressive Health Newsletter" (Fall-2001).
About three years ago I wrote an article celebrating the health benefits of hemp seeds and oils. Despite these benefits and the growing popularity of hemp foods, however, these products will soon disappear from our shelves.
In October, the drug enforcement administration issued a press release which classifies hemp foods as controlled substances and therefore illegal to produce, distribute and possess. The DEA cites the reason for concern as the trace amount of THC found in hemp seeds. Now, I don't know about you, but I certainly didn't get high after eating my hemp granola this morning.
According to the press release, the public has until December 10th to respond. If the DEA finds no reason to reconsider their position, then beginning on February 10th eating a hemp burger will be an illegal activity.
If you would like voice your opinion concerning this issue, please make haste and send pleas, arguments, and reasonings to:
Deputy Assistant Administrator
Office of Diversion Control
Drug Enforcement Administration
Washington, DC 20537
Attention: DEA Federal Register Representative/CCD
To visit the drug enforcement administration website, go to www.dea.gov. You can also visit a much more user friendly website which outlines this issue in depth at Save Our Seeds: www.levellers.org/dea/.
Why not write an article for the co-op newsletter. We are looking for interesting and informative articles or tasty natural food recipes. Become involved! It's your input that can make this newsletter something spectacular. This is a wonderful way to earn work credit if you have a busy schedule. For more information please stop in, call or e-mail Jennifer Mullican at the co-op.
We are trying to come up with an easy way to communicate with members regarding product specials, storewide specials, policy change, and member benefits. More importantly, however, is the need to recruit volunteers. Our Co-op has seen a decline in volunteerism in the last decade, most likely due to the increase in the number of two-income families and the expansion of our fast-paced, convenience-based society.
In an attempt to adapt to the times, we are collecting a list of e-mail addresses in order to match people's skills to the jobs that need to be done for the store. Volunteerism is a very important function in a Cooperative structure. We need your help! Member - Workers can help curb rising payroll costs so we can pass on even more great deals. Volunteering is also a great way to become involved and let your voice be heard.
Please place your e-mail address on the index card available next to the Member card file with your name and membership number. Place the card in the secure box to ensure full privacy. Only Management and the Volunteer Coordinator will have access to this private list. The Co-op is joining the electronic community! Help us make this inexpensive form of communication work. Thanks!
And announcing the triumphant return of Cajun Jerky, discontinued by the distributor last spring, has been made available again. YAY!
