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As a certified news junkie and curious-to-a-fault type, I always enjoy reading lists of interesting facts about, well, pretty much anything. So this morning, I found myself  wondering whether there are any interesting facts related to the 4th of July holiday.

There are.

The least interesting of these is that July 4, 1976 was supposed to be my birthday. I was a week late, though, and now every year for 34 years and counting, my parents have never forgotten to remind me about that barbecue they missed because of me. Luckily, our forefathers were much more punctual. Maybe George Washington had Johnsonville brats.

Anyway, here we go, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau:

• 2.5 million: The estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation in July 1776. This year, the number is 309.6 million.
• $3 million: The dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags in 2009 — the vast majority of this amount
  ($2.5 million) was for U.S. flags made in China. I wonder how many Chinese flags we export to China each year? Interestingly, the Census Bureau didn’t provide a number for that. They did, however, reveal that the United States exported $920,277 worth of U.S. flags in 2009. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $333,882 worth.
• $209 million: The value of fireworks imported from China in 2009, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($217 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $42.9 million in 2009, with the United Arab Emirates purchasing more than any other country ($14.5 million).
• $331.4 million: The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks and pyrotechnics (including flares, igniters, etc.) in 2007.
• 138: Ranking of the frequency of the surname of our first president, George Washington, among all last names tabulated in the 2000 Census. Other early presidential names that appear on the list, along with their ranking, were Adams (39), Jefferson (594), Madison (1,209) and Monroe (567).
• More than 1 in 4: The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on July 4 originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 18.9 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2010 (I’m guessing most of them have “passed on” at this point). This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North Carolina (9.1 million) and Minnesota (7.2 million) were the runners-up.
• About 1 in 3: The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 34 percent of the nation’s dry, edible beans in 2009. Another popular July 4 side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia, Washington and New York together accounted for 66 percent of the fresh market sweet corn produced nationally in 2009.

So there you go. Eat up, stay safe and Happy 4th of July from Coles Marketing!

Howard Mitchell

Morton’s The Steakhouse is pleased to announce that Howard Mitchell was promoted to General Manager.

Originally from Champaign, Illinois, Mitchell has worked in the food industry since he was 16. Mitchell received his degree from Michigan State University and after graduating from college, he accepted a position as an assistant manager with Paragon Steakhouse Restaurants’ Mountain Jack’s.

Mitchell started his career with the Morton’s Restaurant Group at Morton’s in uptown Charlotte in 2002 and was offered the opportunity to become the assistant manager of the Indianapolis Morton’s The Steakhouse in February 2006 under general manager Jeff Powell. After Powell was promoted to Morton’s The Steakhouse in Atlanta, Mitchell was named general manager of the Indianapolis location.

Mitchell’s outside interests include golf, baseball and spending time with friends and family. After his immersion into the food industry for most of his life, he has a love for craft beer, small batch bourbon and single malt scotch. Mitchell is always in search of the perfect pizza outside of Chicago and great, authentic Italian food.

Summer is here and many gardeners who have been growing their seeds in a soilless media are now ready to transplant them to blocks or to soil. For maximum results and to avoid plant loss, it is critical to exercise great care during this transitional stage.

Dr. Pawan Srivastava, a highly experienced scientist, creator of innovative hydration products used throughout the global floral industry and now lead scientist for SteadyGROWpro, a new, soilless plant-growing medium manufactured in Indiana, offers tips for successful transplantation. 

First, make sure soilless media sheets or plugs are showing exposed roots along the bottom surface. Also, if the seedlings haven’t yet been fertilized, they will need basic fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (“N, P and K”) added to their watering regimen to ensure proper growth.

Seedlings or propagated plants are now ready to be transplanted. Make sure the media to which the seedling is going to be transplanted is thoroughly soaked. Once the hole is prepared, water/fertilizer the hole again before transplanting. Then, transplant the entire cell from the sheet media or the plug into the block or soil. Start watering the plants with fertilizer immediately.

For proper establishment of the transplanted plant and soilless media and to avoid wilting or plant loss, the transplanted seedling will require water multiple times per day. Keep the media or soil moist at the surface at all times. If transplanting during periods of high temperature or intense sunlight, consider shading the area until the plant shows signs of new growth.

Certain soilless media are considered low-retention, which will require more frequent watering than high-retention ones. If automatic irrigation is available, program it to distribute 150 ml to 200 ml every two to three hours. Continue this regiment until the plant looks healthy and shows signs of new growth.

Dr. Srivastava is eager to share his knowledge and experience regarding agriculture, horticulture and indoor plant growth and specific information regarding the SteadyGROWpro product. Questions from indoor growers are welcome on “Ask Dr. P” on Facebook. He will answer questions received via the social networking site within 24 to 48 hours. You can find “Ask Dr. P” by searching Facebook or by becoming a fan of SteadyGROWpro.

SteadyGROWpro is manufactured and distributed by Kokomo, Ind.-based Syndicate Sales Inc., a 60-year staple in the international floral industry that manufactures, imports and distributes more than 1,500 floral-related items in the United States and overseas.

For more about SteadyGROWpro, visit www.steadygrowpro.com. For more about parent company Syndicate Sales Inc., visit www.syndicatesales.com.

Coles Marketing Communications is the Pinnacle Worldwide representative in Indiana

Pinnacle Worldwide, a global network of independent public relations agencies with more than 50 offices worldwide, including Coles Marketing Communications in Indianapolis, has formed a strategic alliance with 27&More, an international public relations network covering 44 countries.

Established in September 2007 in Frankfurt, 27&More began as a partnership of prominent European PR agencies which all had one main focus — to provide strategic communication services with flexibility, effectiveness and an integrated approach to worldwide clients. Individual members of both Pinnacle Worldwide and 27&More have long-standing business relationships. Coles Marketing Communications is the Pinnacle Worldwide representative in Indiana.

“This alliance between Pinnacle Worldwide and 27&More gives firms like Coles Marketing Communications the opportunity to reach an even wider landscape of global coverage for their clients,” said Coles Marketing Communications Vice President Brian Coles. “It will help firms within the partnership continue to thrive and establish high-quality practices, concepts and relationships in an ever-changing business landscape.”

Ruud Bijl, President of Bijl partners in public relations in the Netherlands, and President and Co-founder of 27&More said, “The strength of our new alliance lies in the fact that we have hand-picked the best consultancies in each country rather than relying on ‘outposts’ of a big brand to deliver. That means quality consulting delivered by experts wherever the need, and for brands seeking sound strategic support and quality delivery regardless of location. That’s a very strong offer indeed.”

“With our combined strength providing access to highly-respected offices around the world, this partnership expands the reach for our clients and members alike,” said Donna Vandiver, President and CEO of The Vandiver Group, Inc., in St. Louis, Mo., and President of Pinnacle Worldwide.

Click below for the latest RN Thompson tip from the Golf Pro (Scott Morris).  Sign up for the RN Thompson Golf newsletter here to recieve more tips from the pro, specials and news from five central Indiana golf courses.

An Indianapolis Public Schools teacher and two Carmel High School graduates have won separate honors and educational grants from Bright House Networks for their entries in two national competitions.

Beth DeSalvo (in photo at right, receiving her award from Bright House Networks marketing manager Brooke Krodel), a speech-language therapist at Ernie Pyle Elementary School (IPS No. 90), won the 2010 “Get Schooled: Educate Motivate and Inspire” competition hosted by Bright House Networks in partnership with Get Schooled, a national education program co-developed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Viacom.

DeSalvo will receive a $2,000 educational grant that she’ll use to buy new books for students undergoing speech-language therapy. She started her own library in her school’s therapy room and entered the competition in hopes of receiving funding to add to her collection of 100 books, specifically obtaining more books for first- and second-grade students

Mark Hodges and Parker Myers, who graduated from Carmel High School in May, won a national honorable mention in C-SPAN’s national 2010 StudentCam competition their senior year. The duo submitted a video documentary titled “Homeless in America” that focused on homelessness and its challenges to the nation. Hodges and Myers will each receive a $500 educational grant from Bright House Networks as the local winner of the competition. Hal Espey, broadcasting instructor at Carmel High School, will receive a $1,000 educator’s grant for representing the efforts of Hodges and Myers.

DeSalvo, Hodges and Myers will be honored at a June 24 Bright House Networks Education Celebration Gala in Orlando, Fla.

On rare occasions, my work day is blessed with “believe it or not” situations. Today was no exception. At about 11:45 a.m., a water main exploded literally just outside my office, sending enormous amounts of water propelling into the air. It was just like a mini Old Faithful show. As of this writing, it is still streaming at full blast, sending mud and rocks 50 feet into the air.

Spectators have gathered to watch and we’re getting reports that the peak of the water plume can be seen as far as Louisville. Luckily, no one has been injured from this freak accident. But we have noticed this explosion has unearthed some dinosaur bones dating back to the Mesozoic era.

There has been speculation from some of the eyewitnesses that the voles that intruded into our office months ago were the cause of this great disaster, as they have been spotted bouncing at the top of the water plume.

Some of the spectators can be seen holding signs that read “ARMEGEDDON!” and “Save Our Oceans” and even one that says “iPhone 4 – Yahoo!” The guy from the basketball games has arrived with his familiar sign “John 3:16.” When asked how much water could be escaping through this geyser, staff correspondent Shawn Sorrells responded “a lot.”

Indiana Black Expo’s 40th annual Family Reunion is this weekend, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Washington Park, located at 3030 E. 30th St. in Indianapolis.

The two-day event will offer activities for families, children and the entire community. Live entertainment, food booths and children’s activities, including bounce houses, face painting, sumo wrestling and obstacle courses, are sure to draw big crowds as will an Old School Car and Motorcycle Show and the annual five-on-five Dust Bowl basketball tournament.

KidsBMV, an identification program for children that generates a photo ID and includes a child’s address, date of birth, phone number, eye and hair color and height and weight and details about any medical conditions a child might have for parents, teachers and caregivers, will also be at Family Reunion on Saturday.

Managed Health Services is the title sponsor of Family Reunion and will staff a health fair booth from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, offering free blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose screenings, one-on-one personal health counseling and advice and health-related literature and giveaways.

After 17 years in retail, Lisa Brooking took a peek at the indoor tanning industry and decided to open a tanning salon here. A year later, she opened another one. The next year, she opened three more salons. Within five quick years, Brooking expanded her southern Indiana empire to include nine True Colors Tanning locations with a corporate headquarters in Jeffersonville. True Colors Tanning salons are located in Jeffersonville, New Albany, Sellersburg, Georgetown, Scottsburg, Floyds Knobs, Charlestown, Madison and Prospect, Ky.

Brooking’s business philosophy is simple: Provide the best customer service, offer the cleanest salons in the area and provide the best equipment and products to all customers who come in.

Five years after being recognized by One Southern Indiana Chamber and Economic Development for the fastest-growing southern Indiana business, in May True Colors Tanning was awarded the 2010 Southern Indiana Business of the Year at the chamber’s 2010 Business Awards. “I was very excited to win the award,” she said. “It’s a huge deal in this area and we were up against some rather large and established businesses with international operations. I truly believe that True Colors Tanning won because we’re a good corporate citizen.”

Brooking sits on the board of Bridgepoint Goodwill and Horseshoe Foundation Revolving Loan Fund, both in Jeffersonville. She and her staff of 75 also raise thousands of dollars each year for the local epilepsy foundation. All businesses should have a charity of choice and the foundation is ours, Brooking said. Employing civic-minded individuals who can work as a team and help their communities is important as a business owner, she said. She said she looks for employees who will dedicate themselves to the business, are serious about customer service, who’ll give back to our local communities and who have serious career goals in mind. “I also highly encourage all of my employees to network in their communities,” she said. “People know what True Colors Tanning is but I want my staff to get out in their communities and know the people.”

True Colors Tanning exclusively offers tanning beds manufactured by ETS Tan, the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of tanning beds and tanning equipment. The chain is the first in southern Indiana to offer ETS Tan’s new Legend tanning bed, part of a new line of tanning beds featuring e3 technology. e3 beds are high-output beds that require less space, run at cooler temperatures and feature electronic ballasts that reduce energy consumption and can lower operating costs by up to 30 percent. e3 beds also feature illuminating mood-mode panels that are backlit, change color and add modernistic ambiance to salons. “I love these new beds because they perform extremely well, have required absolutely no maintenance and get results for my customers by providing them a superior tan,” Brooking said. “I have always chosen ETS Tan because the company builds a workhorse of a tanning bed. But with this new line of beds, ETS Tan has combined a workhorse with a racehorse. The e3 tanning beds are truly the best in the industry.”

Across her nine salons, Brooking offers 112 ETS Tan commercial tanning beds, including the Velocity, SolarForce and Rejuvasun with Omnilux models and seven spray-tan units. Customers, she said, like the new look and superior performance of the Legend tanning bed at True Colors Tanning locations where it’s offered. “They love its appearance and are buying more and more sessions in the Legend,” she said. “We’re unique in our marketplace right now because none of our competitors offer this kind of technology. We definitely have plans on adding more e3 tanning beds in the future.”

A South Bend physician has received a national award for providing quality care and clinical excellence to Hoosier children and adults enrolled in Managed Health Services’ statewide health plan.

Dr. Binod Balakrishnan has received the 2010 Summit Award for Excellence in Care from MHS and parent company Centene Corp. The award honors Balakrishnan, a primary care physician in the MHS healthcare plan who specializes in pediatric medicine at the Navarre Pediatric Group, located at 100 Navarre Place, Suite 4440 in South Bend, for demonstrating exemplary performance when following up with examinations and consultations after patients’ emergency room visits, providing routine preventive and well-care services for children and adults and establishing a medical home for new enrollees in the MHS healthcare plan.

“MHS is proud to recognize Dr. Balakrishnan for the outstanding service and quality of care he provides to Managed Health Services members in the South Bend community,” said Dr. Robert Baker, vice president of medical affairs at MHS. “Our primary focus is on delivering the best possible care to our members and we could not do that without strong relationships with our plan’s physicians. The Summit Award is one way we can thank Dr. Balakrishnan for his ongoing dedication to helping people live healthy lives.”

Balakrishnan received his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. He completed his pediatric residencies at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and at Women’s and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, N.Y. He is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and his interests include acute care, infectious diseases and asthma.