Editor's Message
By Lu Grimm, M.A.Winter 2007
As I write this message in the waning days of 2007, I look forward to another great year for the Florida Journal of Environmental Health, FEHA’s official publication. I hope 2008 brings a less stressful year for our journal, especially one without any tornadoes that effectively limited our output of issues drastically. Another year without hurricanes would be likewise appreciated by all of us living in Florida and our neighboring gulf coast states. Similarly, I hope the statewide budget deficit of 2007 resolves shortly and does not adversely impact the upcoming annual education meeting as it did our last.
Speaking of the journal, this winter issue of the FJEH may run a little late but for a very good and quite happy reason. Our graphic design/production editor, Mona Quinn, gave birth to her second son in October, necessitating her to take some maternity leave, followed by a return to work on a part-time basis for a while longer. On behalf of FEHA, I’d like to wish Mona very hearty congratulations on her expanding family, as well as a warm welcome back.
Sadly, we must also say goodbye to one of FEHA’s founding fathers, Bill Tennant. Please see our tribute elsewhere in this issue.
Meanwhile, we have a lot of great articles for you to enjoy in this issue. First of all, we have another informative radiation article from Heather Skowron. Heather is a gifted young writer who shows promise of being an ongoing contributor to the journal (which is one of my favorite types of person as an editor - someone who offers unsolicited manuscripts to be considered for publication.) We also have two perspectives on pandemic flu from Jack Pittman and Bill Brookman for you to compare and contrast. Bill is our 2007 Golden Pen Award winner, and like Heather, he is one to submit unsolicited articles that I am only too happy to receive.
Jack, however, is one of the other kinds of folks editors like me absolutely love to know. He is someone I can rely on to provide an article on a particular topic, on an as-needed basis. He obligingly produces a submission we are proud to publish, like the one in this issue. An expert in preparedness, Jack is not only knowledgeable, but accommodating in sharing that knowledge. That’s an unbeatable combination in my mind!
Also featured this issue, we have two historical overviews, including one based on a presentation former Bureau Chief of Onsite Sewage Programs and long-time FEHA member, Eanix Poole, gave at the 2007 AEM. It concerns the changes over the years in public health and environmental health in Florida. In addition, we feature a celebration of the 20 year anniversary of the program that assesses the health risks to local residents from hazardous waste sites around the state. The anniversary has special meaning for me since I’ve been involved in the program for 14 years. I wrote the article, mostly as the product of my own curiosity about how health assessments have evolved over the past two decades here in Florida. Perhaps I am not the only one interested in learning what kinds of chemicals are common to Florida waste sites, what types of sites are most frequently investigated, and what degree of risk is typically found, among other things.
Don’t miss two new installments of Jeremy Buchanon’s latest FEHA funnies in this issue, as well as news from FEHA districts and a message from NEHA too.
Our next issue promises to bring more such articles covering a wealth of topical information, keeping FEHA on the cutting edge of environmental health news and activities, including helpful information about the 2008 AEM, with a registration form and more.
If there is anything you’d like to read in our pages that hasn’t appeared yet, or want to see an update on a topic, please either submit an article yourself or drop me a line and let me know what you’d like to read all about! We’ll see if we can’t address it, whatever piques your interest.
Respond via email to Lu
Grimm, M.A., Editor,
Florida Journal of Environmental Health
