• Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
• Outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars during the winter. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
• Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm, dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
• Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
• Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
• Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
• Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
• Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him, and his fur, in tip-top shape if your dog spends a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities.
• Anti-freeze solution KILLS.  Antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.
• Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

• Chat 700 – East Brainerd Repeater is now operational.
• Chat 650 – Lookout Mountain is operational.

The availability and coverage area of free GMRS Radio Service (General Mobile Radio Service) in the Chattanooga area is growing thanks to the North Georgia GMRS Network and local citizens.  Within the next few weeks, area residents as well as travelers in the Chattanooga area will be able to enjoy three GMRS repeaters:

Chat 600 – Mt. Aetna – Rx 462.600 mHz/PL 88.5 – Tx 467.600 mHz/PL 88.5
Chat 650 – Lookout Mountain – Rx 462.650 mHz/PL 88.5 – Tx 467.650 mHz/PL 88.5
Chat 700 – East Brainerd – Rx 462.700 mHz/PL 88.5 – Tx 467.700 mHz/PL 88.5

The Lookout Mountain Repeater has been operational for some time and will be joined by two new GMRS repeaters located near Raccoon Mountain (Mt. Aetna) and another in the East Brainerd area (east of I-75).

GMRS is set of frequencies set aside by the Federal Communications Commission for citizen use:

http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/general-mobile-radio-service-gmrs

Though GMRS and the more common FRS (Family Radio Service) radios, share some channels, GMRS offers more powerful radios and greater sophistication in use with repeaters and larger coverage areas.  FRS radios (often low priced, “bubble” or “blister” pack varieties widely available in sporting goods, Walmarts, Targets, etc.) can only communicate from radio to radio and are not capable of use with repeaters.  As such, FRS radios are often seriously hampered by their low power and terrestrial interferences.

GMRS radios often take the form of handhelds (walkie-talkie) or mobile (vehicle) versions.  Power outputs for handhelds is often in the 4 watt range or up to 50 watts for mobile (vehicle) versions.

True GMRS radios with higher power outputs and the ability to use repeaters can often provide users with consistent coverage areas of up 40-50 miles.  Though GMRS radios require licensing, the license is only $85.00 for a five-year period.  It also permits one license to cover multiple users…for instance everyone in the immediate family (i.e., related by blood or marriage).

GMRS often provides backup communications services when the more normal modes of communications are unavailable.  GMRS radio is often helpful to residents, outdoorsmen, and travelers.

Use of the above GMRS repeaters requires permission of the North Georgia GMRS Network.  To obtain permission, contact the North Georgia GMRS Network at  Gary@NorthGeorgiaGMRS.com or through MyGMRS.com.  There is no charge to use the above repeaters.

The North Georgia GMRS Network operates one of the nation’s largest GMRS networks covering large areas of the State of Georgia.

‘Gotta street light or neighbor’s flood light driving you crazy at night by beaming in your windows?  ‘Noticed the indicator lights on your electronic gear that is on even when it is turned off? Turn your lights off at night and you’ll instantly notice how many gadgets you have that are lit up with LED or light bulb-type indicators.  These destroy your in-home darkness and waste millions of megawatts of power (globally) per year (causing us to have to build more power plants and pollute our environment unnecessarily).

The good news is that now there are efforts underway to reign in this insanity.  Organizations have formed to channel awareness and knowledge of this problem to the public.  The solutions are simple and straightforward and simple:

• Use reflectors on all outdoor lighting to keep the light pointed in the right direction and not toward the sky.
• When buying lighting, consider dark sky-friendly fixtures. (see Goodlights.pdf)
• Turn off outdoor lighting when not needed (use timers).
• Dim outdoor lighting after midnight if it must be left on.
• Spread the word about stopping light pollution…mention it to your family, friends, and neighbors.

We can bring back and protect the beauty and health benefits of nighttime darkness by creating public awareness and doing simple things and reduce air & water pollutions as well. Visit our Weblinks Page to learn more simply smart things we can do. Next time you notice the orange glow in the night sky, think about the careless waste of energy it represents and how it robs us of the wonders of the night sky.