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GCCHD offers back-to-school physicals and immunizations

In Children and Family, Education, Health, Local News on August 20, 2013 at 2:06 pm

imageXENIA, OH – The Greene County Combined Health District (GCCHD) is reminding parents and students that GCCHD offers Back-to-School physicals, sports physicals and immunizations. In the coming weeks, the District is also offering expanded hours for immunizations, including one clinic specifically designed for children entering Kindergarten and 7th grade.
For Back-to-School and sports physicals, an appointment is needed. The Child and Adolescent Health clinic is held on Mondays at the GCCHD main office, 360 Wilson Dr., Xenia, OH. The number to call for appointments and information is (937) 374-5655.

For Immunizations, walk-in clinics are held:

• Every Tuesday at GCCHD from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
• The 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at GCCHD from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

A special clinic will be held on Thursday, August 29 at the main office of GCCHD from 2:30 – 6:00p.m. for students from any school district in Greene County entering Kindergarten and 7th grade ONLY. Parents are asked to bring the child’s shot record to the clinic. These immunizations meet school requirements.
Additional School District clinic dates and times are as follows:

• Tuesday, September 3: Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools, Cedar Cliff & Yellow Springs Schools
o 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
o 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
o 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

• Tuesday, September 10: Fairborn City Schools
o 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
o 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
o 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 17: Beavercreek City Schools

o 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
o 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
o 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 24: Xenia Community Schools
o 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
o 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
o 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 26: Greeneview Local Schools
o 2:30 – 6:00 p.m.
For all immunizations, please bring all shot records. GCCHD accepts uninsured patients, and will bill Anthem, Medical Mutual, and various types of Medicaid, including CareSource and Molina. For these insurances, clients must present a current insurance card and parent or guardian’s photo ID in order to receive service.

Clients are responsible to pay any balance which is not covered by your insurance. There is a charge for immunization services and full or partial payment is required at time of service. For all other private insurances, you will be asked to pay GCCHD for services provided. We will provide you with a receipt to submit to your insurance company, if requested. Unfortunately, GCCHD is unable to accept credit card payments.
For more information, please call the Immunization Hotline at (937) 374-5657 or the immunization clerk at (937) 374-5668.

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Media distorts facts in high profile cases

In Education, Health, history, National News, Opinion, Politics, Senior Lifestyle, sociology, Uncategorized on July 16, 2013 at 9:40 am

DIH LOGOUnless you’re one of those people who can outwit the trivia nerds on Jeopardy!, you probably don’t remember the name, Stella Liebeck. It’s a sure bet, though, that you more than likely remember hearing of a woman awarded millions after spilling hot McDonald’s coffee on herself while driving – except that’s not exactly what happened.

In 1992, 79-year-old Liebeck sued McDonald’s Corporation after being severely burned by coffee spilled in her lap. Her case drew national attention to the idea of “frivolous lawsuits,” igniting a firestorm of conservative push for swift and devastating tort reform.

For those of you who slept through high school civics class, a tort is a wrongful act or infringement of rights leading to a legal liability. In other words, if someone hurts you in some way and they may be liable for the injury (physical, emotional, financial, or otherwise), that’s called a tort.

Torts exist to help protect the public from the negligence of others, whether the fault of an individual or a business. Without them, no one would ever be held legally accountable for causing accidents and injuries. Like other well-meaning legislation, sometimes greedy people abuse the system – or attempt to – just out to make an easy buck. The majority of, what might be considered “frivolous,” lawsuits die out in the first hearings or are settled out of court to avoid public scrutiny.

With rampant distortion of the facts in the Liebeck case, it’s easy to understand why people really didn’t know what happened and just assumed she was looking for a big payday from a huge corporation. Sadly, the particulars were lost in the hype, turning this poor woman into a media joke, even inspiring a groin-scalding episode of “Seinfeld.”

At the time, the media’s fractured reporting stated Liebeck was herself negligent because she was driving at the time of the spill when, in fact, she was a passenger in a stationary vehicle at the time. It really would have made little difference anyway, since the coffee in question was estimated to have been around 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Medical experts suggest that any skin in contact with liquid of that temperature for more than a few seconds would experience severe burns of, at minimum, second degree and potentially surpassing third.

As it turned out, evidence in the case showed that the fast food giant’s franchisees were required to maintain coffee at a sitting temperature between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit. The searing heat of the fast food giant’s coffee had resulted in hundreds of documented injuries. Liebeck’s burns were located on her inner and back thigh and were so severe as to require a series of major skin grafts over several months and caused agonizing pain.

HERE IS A LINK TO PHOTOS OF MRS. LIEBECK’s INJURIES – PLEASE NOTE, THEY ARE GRAPHIC IN NATURE. PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Initially, the Liebeck’s family wrote a letter to McDonald’s merely asking they cover medical bills for her treatment but with no response, they were forced to take legal action. In the end, the jury found McDonald’s liable for the severity of the injuries due to temperature policy and frequency of documented injuries.

Punitive damages (additional monetary punishment to the wrong-doer) were awarded by the jury in the amount of $2.7 million. That figure was later reduced by the judge to $480,000, but Liebeck eventually settled with McDonald’s for an undisclosed amount.

Sensational news stories like the Liebeck case should always be taken a dose of skepticism because. The court of public opinion can be devastating to a case like this, and like so many more recent ones. No media outlet is fair or balanced and no one reports all the facts because reporters are not privy to everything. Guilt or innocence should be based on the decision of the jury, not the news media.

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Greene County Combined Health District Announces “Public Health Heat Warning”

In Children and Family, Health, Local News, Science, Senior Lifestyle, Technology, Uncategorized on July 15, 2013 at 3:02 pm

dog2XENIA, OH – The upcoming days are going to be dangerously hot and humid if you’re working or playing outside, or living without air conditioning.  The Greene County Combined Health District is cautioning that weather conditions are going to remain hazardous for a few days.

The primary reason for the public notification is that GCCHD expects a stretch of days with daytime heat indices at least in the mid to upper 90’s, coupled with nighttime lows in excess of 70 degrees. These types of conditions may cause those without air conditioning to experience significant physical and mental stress. When nighttime lows fail to drop below 70 degrees, the human body has a difficult time recovering from the ongoing heat.

Greene County Combined Health District officials are stressing that everyone needs to take precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses. Physical activity should be limited as much as possible. Individuals are also encouraged to minimize prolonged exposure to high heat conditions.

It is recommended that everyone pay particular attention to the following suggestions to prevent heat-related illness:

  • Drink plenty of water and non-alcoholic fluids. Put the alcoholic beverages away until cooler weather. Alcoholic drinks can increase a person’s risk to heat-related illnesses.
  • Decrease physical activity. This is particularly advisable for joggers and high school or junior high school athletic teams. Exercise activities should occur in the morning or early in the evening. Stay in the shade as much as possible.  Greene County agencies and jurisdictions that have heat mitigation plans should implement those plans now.
  • Use air conditioning, if available. Many public buildings, libraries, malls, and other locations are air-conditioned.
  • Wear loose lightweight and light-colored cotton clothing.
  • Eat light meals.
  • Cool down with showers, baths, and recreational swimming.
  • Adjust blinds, shades, and awnings to keep out the sun.
  • Use your basement, if it is cool, during the hottest hours.
  • Be a good neighbor and check on those who may need assistance.
  • Individuals with chronic health problems, such as heart disease or lung problems, should minimize activities because the heat will add additional stress.
  • Extra caution should be taken for the elderly and young infants and children to assure that they are protected from the heat.
  • Children and pets should not be left unattended in closed vehicles. Temperatures can reach dangerous levels rapidly.
  • Individuals on various medications should check with their doctor to see if the heat puts them at increased risk.

 

Background on heat information

High temperatures and humidity stress the body’s ability to cool itself, and heat illness becomes a special concern. There are three major forms of heat illnesses: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, with heat stroke being a life threatening condition.

 

Heat Cramps

Heat cramps are muscle spasms that usually affect the arms, legs, or stomach. Frequently they don’t occur until sometime later after work, at night, or when relaxing. Heat cramps are caused by dehydration. Although heat cramps can be quite painful, they usually don’t result in permanent damage. To prevent them, drink water every 15 to 20 minutes. Sports drinks that replace electrolytes help prevent a loss of sodium caused by excessive sweating. If nausea occurs discontinue fluids and seek medical attention.

 

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is more serious than heat cramps. It occurs when the body’s internal air-conditioning system is overworked, but hasn’t completely shut down. This condition can occur when you don’t drink enough fluids to replace what you’re sweating away. The symptoms of heat exhaustion include headache, nausea, weakness, dizziness, heavy perspiration and extreme thirst.  Somebody suffering these symptoms should be moved to a cool location such as a shaded area or air-conditioned building. Have them lie down with their feet slightly elevated. Loosen their clothing, apply cool, wet cloths or fan them. Have them take sips of water or sports drinks. If nausea occurs, discontinue fluids.

 

If vomiting continues or if little to no improvement after 30 minutes, seek immediate medical attention. Victims of heat exhaustion should avoid strenuous activity for at least a day, and they should continue to drink water to replace lost body fluids.

 

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is a life threatening illness with a high death rate. It occurs when the body has depleted its supply of water and salt, and the victim’s body temperature rises to deadly levels. A heat stroke victim may first suffer heat cramps and/or the heat exhaustion before progressing into the heat stroke stage, but this is not always the case. It should be noted that, heat stroke is sometimes mistaken for heart attack. It is therefore very important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat stroke and to check for them anytime someone collapses while in a hot environment.  The symptoms of heat stroke include confusion, irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, convulsions, lack of sweating, hot dry skin, and abnormally high body temperature. If someone is having any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Seconds count. It is vital to lower a heat stroke victim’s body temperature. Do not give fluids. Pour water on them, fan them, or apply cold packs until medical help arrives.

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Rise in Near-Drowning Incidents Remind Ohioans of the Need for Water Safety

In Children and Family, Education, Health, Local News, World News on July 1, 2013 at 11:33 am
Prevent near drowning injuries with proper safety. (Photo courtesy Ohio.com)

Prevent near drowning injuries with proper safety. (Photo courtesy Ohio.com)

XENIA, OH—A recent analysis of the number of children treated in emergency departments for near drowning incidents has officials at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Greene County Combined Health District emphasizing the need for safe water practices.

ODH tracks near-drowning incidents, which are reported to the state agency by emergency department personnel on a daily basis. The emergency department data show a clear seasonal trend in near drowning incidents from the months of May-August. Children and youth are at an increased risk for drowning during these summer months. Parents should  closely monitor their children’s play during water activities.

ODH also monitors death certificates to ascertain the number of drowning deaths. In 2012 in Ohio, 29 children and 69 adults died from drowning, according to preliminary ODH death certificate data. According to the Greene County Coroner’s office, there have been only 2 drowning deaths in Greene County in the last 5 years, one in 2008 and one in 2009.

While children can drown in water anywhere, young children (aged 1 to 9) are at greater risk of
drowning in swimming pools while older youth (aged 10 to 19) are at greater risk of drowning in
natural bodies of water and is the second leading cause of death in children aged 0-4 according to the CDC.

“Swimming and water-related activities are a great way to stay fit. There are risks, however, such as water-related illness, sunburn and the risk of drowning,” says Melissa Howell, Health Commissioner for the Greene County Combined Health District.

Here are some important water safety tips:

Fence it off. Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when a parent cannot supervise them. Pool fences should  completely separate the house and play area from the pool. If children can gain access to pools through the house or poorly-latched gates, they are at risk of drowning. Door alarms, pool alarms and automatic pool covers can add an extra layer of protection when used properly, but should not replace a fence and good supervision.

Never swim alone. Always have a buddy with you when you swim. It is also good to have a watch buddy as well in the event someone needs to contact emergency personnel.

Be on the lookout. Supervise young children at all times around bathtubs, swimming pools, ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water. Partner with other parents to take turns watching children at swimming pools. While parents often believe they will hear splashing or shouting, drowning is often silent and occurs quickly.

Begin teaching children to swim early. Experts suggest starting swimming lessons after age 4. Local YMCAs offer swimming lessons for children as young as 6 months (with a parent) to adults. Also, please note that water safety programs for infants and young children are not a substitute for good supervision.

Make life jackets a “must.” Make sure all kids wear life jackets (also known as personal flotation devices or PFDs) in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers and ponds, even if they know how to swim. Ohio law requires children under the age of 10 to wear a PFD at all times on boats under 18 feet long, however older children will be safest when they wear PFDs too.

The PFD must be:

• U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II, III, or V
• In good and serviceable condition
• Of appropriate size
• Securely attached.

Learn CPR. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and get re-certified every two years. Immediate CPR can help a child stay alive and reduce the chance of brain damage.

Install drain covers and safety releases. To avoid drain entanglement and entrapment in pools and spas, install anti-entrapment drain covers and safety vacuum release systems.
For more information on water safety and other safe and healthy summer practices, please visit: www.odh.ohio.gov. For more information about the Greene County Combined Health District, please visit www.gcchd.org.

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Greene County Healthy Lifestyles Coalition To Hold 10th Annual Family Fitness Challenge

In Children and Family, Education, Health, Local News, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on June 13, 2013 at 10:11 am

Xenia, OH – The Greene County Healthy Lifestyles Coalition is hosting its 10th Annual Family Fitness
Challenge on Thursday, June 20th at Shawnee Park in Xenia from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. The event is FREE and
open to the public. Families and groups are encouraged to attend.

The Fitness Challenge is designed to motivate youth and families to adopt healthier lifestyles—specifically in
the areas of fitness and nutrition. Participants can visit fitness stations and health information booths, complete
a fitness passport and receive a free prize (while supplies last). Healthy snacks will be available.

Partners for the Challenge include the Greene County Combined Health District, the Greene County Healthy
Lifestyles Coalition, Women’s Recovery Center, TCN Behavioral Health Services, Community Action
Partnership, Greene County Parks & Trails, the Greene County Public Library, ZumbAtomic and Fairborn
Kids’ Learning Place. For more information, call Laurie Fox at 937-374-5669.

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Washington Square Shopping Center Announces First Annual Dashapalooza, Saturday, June 22nd

In Children and Family, Entertainment, Food, Health, Local News, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on June 11, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Smoked Ribs_WSQ_2011_0004Washington Twp.  –  The merchants and management of Washington Square Shopping Center are proud to announce the First Annual Dashapalooza – The Party Before the Dash, from noon until 4PM on Saturday, June 22nd in and around the WashingtonSquareShopping Center at Far Hills Ave. and Whipp Rd. in Centerville. The event is free and open to the public.

Dashapalooza is a one-day art and merchant festival on the eve of the 4th Annual Dorothy Lane Market DLM Dash 5K Run/Walk.  Along with sidewalk sales and special offerings from participating merchants at Washington Square, Dashapalooza will feature exciting physical and art-themed activities for all ages.

Participants can barrel down a giant, inflatable slide, express themselves on the monster mural, draw on the sidewalk for prizes in the sidewalk art “chalk off” or take the obstacle course challenge.  Because it is important to “keep it local”, community based artists have been invited to exhibit and sell their work throughout the shopping center as part of the event.

Plus a smoked pulled pork sandwich cookout will highlight just one of many food and refreshment options on hand. Throughout the day, visitors will be entertained by live music featuring the acoustic sounds of internationally recognized Blues Duo, Izzy and Chris.

According to Melissa DeHart, property manager at Washington Square, the majority of the stores are participating in what they hope to make a long-running partner event to extend the excitement and anticipation of the annual DLM Dash.

“Washington Square is dedicated to the community,” DeHart says. “Our neighborhood of merchants, offers some one-of-a-kind places to shop, enjoy great food and even join an exercise group.”

IMG_3128Wendy Preiser is the owner of T-Willy’s Frozen Yogurt Emporium and one of the center’s newest tenants. “Some of the shops are hosting a scavenger hunt where visitors can win some great gift baskets,” she says. “Special deals will be offered throughout the shopping center as well including 25-percent off boxed invitations at the Envelope, one free mini album to each family that visits Moto Photo, a book signing at Tropical Smoothie Café, $10 coupons toward the purchase of “Art to Wear” at Nettle Creek Interiors, and in honor of our runners, energy pops at T-Willy’s.”

Dashapalooza is sponsored in part by Dorothy Lane Market, Up and Running, Boston Stoker, The UPS Store, Montage – The Salon, T Willy’s Yogurt Emporium, Pizza Hut, Knapke Cabinets, Trophy Nut, Nettle Creek Interiors, The Envelope, Utopia Salon & Day Spa, Helms Shoe Repair, Universal 1 Credit Union, Clark’s Home Medical, Moto Photo, Fox Cleaners, and Tropical Smoothie Café. For more information contact Melissa DeHart by calling 937-535-5690 or go online to http://www.dashapalooza.com.

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Author Shares Journey of Love and Despair as Caregiver for a Mother Ravaged Dementia

In Books, Education, Entertainment, Health, psychology, Senior Lifestyle, sociology, Uncategorized on May 30, 2013 at 1:43 pm

Elaine Pereira yearbookGREENE COUNTY, OH –  Author Elaine Pereira shared the seemingly never-ending journey of caring for her mother stricken with dementia in her newly-released book I Will Never Forget: A Daughter’s Story of Her Mother’s Arduous and Humorous Journey through Dementia (ISBN 978-1-4759-0690-5). The award-winning author will be visiting Xenia for two public events, June 6 and 7.

I Will Never Forget is a powerful true story of the author’s talented mother, Betty, and her poignant and humorous journey through dementia. As their mother-daughter relationship evolves, Elaine copes with her mom’s uncharacteristic verbal assaults and watches as her brilliant mind is slowly destroyed by dementia’s insatiable appetite for brain cells.

Elaine Pereira earned a BS in Occupational Therapy and an MA in Family and Consumer Resources from Wayne State University and worked as a school occupational therapist for more than 35 years before retiring in June 2010. In this moving account, Pereira shares warm and humorous incidents as well as tragic and overwhelming encounters from the death of her father, sister-in-law, brother and her mother’s journey through a new world after her familiar world fades from her memory.

“This is a true story which validates the incredible events that happened in my mother’s life,” says Pereira. “From writing nine checks to the same payee, on five consecutive days, and later on the Great Houdini Escape when she nearly froze to death, Mom’s journey through bewildering dementia is real.

Cover I Will Never Forget 1-15-13I Will Never Forget is educational and therapeutic but is a journal full of insights that will provide helpful assistance and tips to other caregivers of dementia patients. “I want newly-commissioned caregivers to learn from my unwitting mistakes, to realize that reasoning and logic are rarely helpful dialogue techniques with a dementia patient,” explains the author.

“That approach is confrontational and often creates agitation and a fear response in someone. Redirection, re-phrasing, waiting and patience are the most helpful response strategies to diffuse potentially hostile situations.”

During the year long writing process, Pereira was able to put the troubling incidents in her mother’s final years in perspective. “The little problems faded away and the core of her wonderful life surfaced for me. That is how I want to remember her, as she was in my eyes as a child.”

Pereira’s book was named a finalist in the Best New Non-Fiction category of the 2012 USA Book Award and was an honorable mention finalist in non-fiction in the 2012 Hollywood Book Festival and was bestowed a ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Editor’s Choice award by iUniverse. The book most recently won the aging category in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Awards.

At 7PM, Thursday June 6, Pereira will speak to the members of the Western Ohio Writers Association at  Blue Jacket Books, 30 S. Detroit St. in Xenia, Ohio, with an emphasis on how and why she wrote the memoir about her experience. The event is $5 per person, open to the public, and RSVP is requested by emailing the organization’s director, Gery L. Deer, wowainprint@gmail.com

The next evening, Friday June 7, beginning at 7PM, the author will be at Blue Jacket Books, 30 S. Detroit St. in Xenia, Ohio, to speak about the experiences so many people now have in caring for a parent or other loved one suffering the ravages of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. There is no charge for this event and seating is first come first served. For information call 937-376-3522. The author will be selling and signing books at both events.

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Who am I, and what am I doing here?

In Entertainment, Health, Opinion, psychology, Religion, Senior Lifestyle, sociology, Uncategorized on May 15, 2013 at 12:04 pm

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

We’ve all had moments when we’ve turned to someone, a father, a brother, a God and asked, “What was I meant for? Am I doing what I was supposed to do?” It’s a normal exercise for us to question our situation, regardless of its status.

But we have to be careful to realize, regardless of how much we’d like the world to be a mystical place, our own choices landed us where we are and nothing was “meant to be,” that wasn’t directed by personal decisions.

I think it’s pretty normal to think we were meant for something more than we are, at least most of us probably feel that way. What many people tend to miss is how much value their lives have to others and how much would be different in the world without their contributions.

Over the last few years, I’ve written a great deal about my late mother, Lois. She passed away in November of 2011 after long battle with Alzheimer’s disease which among other things robbed her of a lifetime of memories.

Mom wasn’t an overly complicated person but she was very smart and caring, always putting others ahead of her – particularly her children and grandchildren. She only ever worked as a school volunteer, on the farm with Dad and for a time as a waitress in a little hometown restaurant where I grew up.

She might not have had the life people grow up dreaming about, but I’d like to think she felt like she had made a difference in the world. I know she did for me and my family. She didn’t have money or status or important connections, but she had wisdom and a level of understanding of her world and those in it that I truly wish I could emulate.

To some people a basic, down-home lifestyle could seem like Purgatory; a futile, pointless existence. Even though she didn’t have a list of college degrees after her name, nor did she work some high-powered job (unless you count managing my dad), her mere influence upon those around her probably had far greater reach than she ever knew.

In my mind, Mom had the life she was “meant” to live, evidenced by the efforts of those who helped care for her and offer support to our family as her illness advanced. We all have a place in the world and it might not seem like it matters at the time, but we are often more influential than we realize.

Since the kind of work life I have chosen does not lend itself to earning fistfuls of cash, far from it, I have always hoped that my labors have at least helped to enhance someone’s life, even in the slightest. Whether I am making people laugh on stage during The Brothers & Co. variety shows, or passing along my worldly observations in my writing, I always try to give people something that will help make their life better, even if it’s only for a moment. To me, that’s rewarding in itself.

Even when people don’t agree with something I’ve written, the point to take away is that they read it, and it made them think. I don’t want everyone to agree with me, nor am I trying to persuade them to alter their life paths based on my opinion of something. My job is to enhance someone’s life just by giving them something new to think about and that is the accomplishment.

So, a sense of accomplishment isn’t always derived from academic or financial achievement, and in my limited view of the world, it almost never comes from material success. Sometimes just being who you are and contributing to the world around you makes the longest-lasting difference.

Were you “meant” to be who you are, though? That’s a question best left to you. Only you can evaluate your level personal satisfaction from the world you’ve created for yourself. You are who you are, right or wrong. So like I heard once in a song, “This is it. This is life, the one you get, so go and have a ball.” And enjoy being you. It doesn’t matter how you got there.

 
Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. More at www.gerydeer.com.

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Metro FC Youth Soccer Tryouts, Delco Park, May 28-June 1

In Children and Family, Health, Local News, Sports News, Uncategorized on May 6, 2013 at 7:50 pm

metrofclogoDAYTON – According to the 2009 U.S. Census Bureau: Participation in Selected Sports Activities report, soccer is the third most played team sport in the U.S., falling just short of baseball and basketball. More than 13 million Americans play soccer each year, with most starting out in youth soccer clubs.

One of the Dayton area’s largest and fastest growing youth soccer organizations, Metro Football Club (FC), has announced that it will hold open tryouts to fill some 40 teams with approximately 800 players ranging in ages 8 through 23. Tryouts for the Metro FC 2013 season are scheduled from Tuesday, May 28 through Saturday, June 1st, at DelcoPark. 1700 Delco Park Dr., Kettering, OH, 45420. Players can register at the park on the day of their tryout, but organizers recommend early registration at the club’s website, http://www.metrofutbolclub.com.

Metro FC director of coaching and player development, Kevin Arcuri, has been involved with youth soccer in the Dayton area for over ten years. He has served as an Assistant Director of Coaching for Centerville United Soccer Association (CUSA) as well a women’s assistant coach at WrightStateUniversity from 1997 until 2005. Prior to working for CUSA, Arcuri coached in the Team Dayton organization.

“What sets us above and beyond everyone else is our top-notch training,” says Arcuri. “Our teams are trained by a professional trainer at least once a week and all of our coaches are appropriately licensed, dedicated and excited about working with the kids.”

“Our staff really goes above and beyond to help players improve and grow in their long-term development,” he says. “We try to teach good morals and good sportsmanship, avoiding the fighting among parents and players that’s so common in today’s youth sports.”

Tryouts are open to players from all over the greater Dayton region. According to Arcuri, the club has a diverse community of participants who come from all over the MiamiValley area, as far north as Sydney and east as Chillicothe.

Metro FC teams have a history of turning out some great athletes. One their best known alumnus is Drew Basil, starting kicker at OhioStateUniversity, who played for the Metro FC from U-9 to U-19.

Arcuri also notes that Metro FC is not just for those on the career track but offers something for every participant’s level of interest. “We have teams that compete at the top level, but we also have others that compete in other areas to meet the needs of kids who might be in multiple sports,” he says. “Some just want to play and enjoy the sport but have no interest in traveling for tournaments or being part of a high-level of competition and we can offer them a place as well.”

Fees to participate vary depending on the level of play. At the high school level, for example, play can cost anywhere between $600 and $1200 per year. Individual and corporate sponsorships of the club are available to those in the community who would like to help support the club’s efforts.

Metro FC is affiliated with the Miami Valley Youth Soccer Association, Buckeye Premier League, and the Midwest Regional League. For more information and to register, go online to http://www.metrofutbolclub.com or call Kevin Arcuri at 937-371-0869.

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Design Sleep in Yellow Springs offers free workshop on the healing power of sleep May 2nd

In Education, Health, Local News, Science, Senior Lifestyle, Technology, Uncategorized on April 10, 2013 at 10:05 pm
Mike Koveleski of Design Sleep and Dr. Alan Barnes from Living Well Spine Center.

Mike Koveleski of Design Sleep and Dr. Alan Barnes from Living Well Spine Center.

Yellow Springs, OH – According to Gallup Poll surveys more than 56-percent of American adults suffer from drowsiness during the daytime. As technology becomes more invasive and stress levels rise, people grow even more sleep deprived. In an effort to help people combat the problem, Design Sleep, LLC, in Yellow Springs, Ohio, has teamed up with Dr. Alan Barnes, of the Living Well Spine Center in Fairborn, to offer a free workshop that may help.

Barnes’ presentation will be at 7PM, Thursday May 2nd in Design Sleep’s showroom, 108 Dayton St. in Yellow Springs. He will cover the many ways sleep deprivation can negatively impact day-to-day life and explain how to achieve more restful, refreshing sleep to improve mental and physical health.

Design Sleep owner Mike Koveleski’s began his career building solid cherry beds, tables and chairs at Scott Jordan Furniture in the Brooklyn Navy Yard of New York. He opened Design Sleep in April of 2004, having left Manhattan following the events of 9/11. Seeking a more suitable place to raise their five children, he and his wife found that and more in Yellow Springs.

“I love people and furniture,” Koveleski says. “I found the most satisfaction and meaning from designing and selling beds because I believe sleep refreshes life.” His education-focused store offers a variety of ergonomic and organic mattresses and bedroom furniture options as well as sleeper sofas and recliners.

Koveleski suggests that most people have no idea how sleep deprived they are nor do they understand how it affects them physically and emotionally. Teaming up with Living Well Spine Center provides the perfect opportunity to enlighten his community and his customers.

Chiropractic science focuses on the structural misalignment of the spine which can compromise the overall function of the nervous system. Poor alignment during sleep can be particularly aggravating – position, posture, and so on – and may affect how the body heals and regulates itself.

“Our goal is to make people care about sleep because as a culture, we do not value sleep,” Koveleski says. “We need proper sleep to heal and most people fail to realize that. Dr. Barnes presentation will make you realize how much we take sleep for granted and how important it is to the healing process.”

There is no cost or obligation associated with the workshop. For more information or to RSVP for the workshop, call 937-767-7567 or email Mike Koveleski at mike@designsleep.com.

Watch the video featuring the two presenters:

Defeating Sleep Deprivation