The Age of Autism: Witness - (United Press International)

The Age of Autism: Witness - (United Press International): "The Age of Autism: Witness


By Dan Olmsted
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

Lebanon, PA, May. 10 (UPI) -- Frank Noonan is a family doctor in Lancaster County. When I met him for lunch last Saturday, he was still in golfing togs from his weekly game -- 'Saturdays are my 'I can breathe' day,' he says. Even so, he stayed after our meal to meet a cancer patient who phoned him at the restaurant.
He's energetic, friendly, straightforward -- the kind of doctor people want.
People such as the Amish. As a family practitioner, Noonan sees patients of all ages. He combines traditional and alternative medicine in an 'integrative' blend to suit the individual. The Amish like that approach -- they prefer to see just one doctor for all their care, and their first resort is herbs and supplements, not prescriptions and pills. For one thing, most don't have insurance.
Based on movies like 'Witness' and the image of the Amish in horse-and-buggies, many people -- myself included -- assume they have virtually no contact with such outside influences as modern medicine.
Not so.
Noonan has been a doctor in Lancaster County nearly 25 years and about a third of his patients are Amish, making his Amish practice one of the area's largest. He has seen 'thousands and thousands' of the county's 22,000 Amish residents and others who live nearby.
I found him through an Amish-Mennonite mother of an autistic child adopted from China. She told me she has seen almost no autism among the Amish, but that I should talk to Noonan because he has treated so many Amish for so long.
Based on my reporting so far, there is evidence of only three or possibly four Amish with autism in Lancaster County, where there should be dozens at the 1-in-166 prev"

Kalona News - News - 05/10/2005 - Kalona delegation protests Riverside casino proposal

Kalona News - News - 05/10/2005 - Kalona delegation protests Riverside casino proposal: "A group of some 20 Kalona and Washington residents appeared before the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission during a hearing May 4 to file a special protest of the proposed Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.
Herbert and Lloyd Mast, representing the Amish community, also appeared before the commission to refute a statement that had been made that they were in favor of - or not opposed to the casino.
'We didn't feel we had the right to protest as we did not vote in the casino referendum,' Herbert Mast said. 'However, we wanted to make it clear that a statement that had allegedly been made to the commission that they weren't opposed was completely inaccurate.'
A petition signed by 100 Kalona area Amish was presented to the commission by James Hussey, Kalona.
Following the all-day hearing in Johnston, the commission members said they would favor issuing three to five licenses. They were scheduled to announce their selection from the 10 applicants at their meeting in Johnston on May 11. (log-on to www.kalonanews.com Wednesday for results from the commission).
In his presentation to the commission, Hussey stated, 'As you know, the Washington County vote was the closest of any that passed-4.4 percent. The other margins ranged from 5.6 percent to 50 percent. You should also note that the casino picked the referendum date, lobbied hard for the shortest possible campaign timeframe, and hoped the anti-casino group wouldn't have the time or resources to muster an effective counter-campaign. Obviously, they almost lost that bet. If you must approve licenses, please give them to casinos with broad public support, not to one where a bitter election divides residents to this day.'
Hussey protested that"

Amish Sugar Cookies -- Quad-Cities Online Recipe Book

Amish Sugar Cookies -- Quad-Cities Online Recipe Book: "Desserts:
Amish Sugar Cookies
I usually get about seven dozen cookies.
Ingredients
4-1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 cup butter or oleo
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup ground nut meats (optional)
Instructions
Stir first three ingredients, set aside. Cream butter, oil, sugar and powdered sugar in mixing bowl on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, mixing well. Add dry ingredients and nuts. Chill for at least one hour. Roll dough into one inch balls and place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with the bottom of glass which has been dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how flat you made the cookies."