Fallen Marine’s dad to throw first pitch
He’ll honor son at Memorial Day 51s game
Richard and Rosemarie Perez first took their 2-year-old son to a baseball game in 1987 to see the Las Vegas Stars, now known as the Las Vegas 51s.
“I wonder if he’ll play,” she remembers telling her husband.
But for some reason, in his head, Richard Perez saw a vision of his son as a military man, in the desert.
And sure enough, Richard Perez Jr. joined the Marine Reserves in 2003 after graduating from Coronado High School.
Lance Cpl. Perez died in a truck accident near Ramadi, Iraq, on Feb. 10, 2005 — eight days before he was supposed to return home. He was
19.
At 7:05 p.m. this Memorial Day, his father will throw the first pitch at the Las Vegas 51s game vs. the Tacoma Rainiers. He will throw the ceremonial pitch in his son’s memory.
“Not only am I throwing this pitch for him, I feel like I’m doing it for all those guys who served our country,” the father said. “Say a little something in my head for all these guys, a little prayer for them — thank you for what you’ve done — and get that pitch over the plate. And hopefully I throw a strike.”
PITCH
“This being a vacation destination, a lot of people spend a lot of time in the sun. Sometimes, when drinking alcohol, they miss the early signs of heat-related injury,” she said.
Staying hydrated with water and electrolyte-infused sports drinks and spending time in the shade are important ways to avoid heat exhaustion, Primerano said. Be alert to symptoms like an elevated pulse and rate of breathing, muscle cramping and extreme sweating, any of which may be signs of heat exhaustion.
In addition to drinking water, doctors advise against overconsumption of alcohol, which can lead to dehydration.
And don’t forget the sunscreen, Davidson said. He’s seen what he
calls “horrendous burns,” not just from sun exposure, but from scorching asphalt when people pass out due to heat exhaustion or intoxication.
That can lead to muscle breakdown, kidney failure and death in extreme cases, he said.
Designate a sober monitor and swim clean
The pool, while a fun way to cool down, poses drowning risks, doctors say. There were 10 drownings and 53 near-drownings in Clark County last year, 80 percent of which happened in swimming pools, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
Designating a sober monitor to keep an eye on swimmers can help families avoid tragedy, Davidson said.
The health district also recommends
showering with soap before swimming and checking diapers to avoid spreading infections through pool water.
Keep food cool
If you’re grilling brats and burgers this Memorial Day, remember to keep meat chilled and separate from produce, the health district recommends. Food poisoning the day after Memorial Day is one of the most common reasons patients visit the ER at Dignity Health-st. Rose Dominican’s San Martin location, Dr. Cole Sondrup said.
“We end up seeing a lot of abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea,” he said. “Make sure your food is cooked, refrigerated and not sitting out for hours on end.”
Leaving egg and dairy products, like potato salad, in the sun too long is another common culprit in food
poisoning, Primerano said.
Lettuce should be washed thoroughly, too, Sondrup said. “We’re seeing a lot of food poisoning from salad,” he added.
Use insect repellent
The mosquitoes which can carry diseases like West Nile virus and the Zika virus live and breed in Las Vegas, but wearing insect repellents with DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, lemon eucalyptus oil (OLE) or 2-undecanone can help keep the bloodsuckers at bay, according to the health district.
Draining areas of standing water, where mosquitoes like to breed, and covering your skin can also aid in avoiding bug bites.
Contact Jessie Bekker at jbekker@ reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563. Follow @jessiebekks on Twitter.