Newspaper Page Text
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, July 23, 2008, Page 3B
Things You Can Do To Improve Your Community
(StatePoint) Most of us
like where we live, but
our neighborhoods and
communities can be even
better.
While many people are
concerned about the direc
tion in which our country
is heading, it sometimes
seems like one person
can’t make a difference.
However, there are many
ways - both big and small
- that you and your family
can improve your neigh
borhood and community.
Whether it’s volunteering
at local schools or church
es, working with local
organizations to improve
streets and shopping areas,
or simply voting in local
elections, there are many
relatively easy ways to help
make your community
better.
“Don’t look for other
people to lead or fix
problems. You can be a
leader and a contributor
in your community and
our country,’’ says Mary T.
Ficalora, author of the new
book, “Choosing Honor:
An American Woman’s
Search For God, Family
and Country in an Age of
Corruption.’’
“We each have the
knowledge and power to
help improve our com
munities and make our
streets safe and cleaner,
strengthen our schools and
hospitals and even help
lead our local govern
ments,’’ she added.
Here are some ways you
and your family can work
to improve your commu
nity:
* First of all, tune in,
stresses Ficalora. Learn
what’s going on in your
community, your world
and your government.
Think about what things
you would like to improve
and find out if others are
working to improve these
same areas. Either join
their groups or start your
own.
* Buy from local stores.
Local stores and busi
nesses pay taxes that
help the neighborhood
and community. They
advertise locally and help
the economy where you
live. Also, buying locally
helps the environment by
reducing energy consump
tion necessary to transport
goods over long distances.
So look to local stores and
farms for groceries and
other goods.
* Move your money into
community banks that
contribute to your neigh
borhood, state and region.
Since we all need to have
bank accounts, why not es
tablish them in places that
help your hometown?
* Remove litter near your
house, even if you didn’t
toss it there. Get involved
in local cleanup campaigns
or start one of your own.
You can get your family
and others involved and
see results quickly. These
can be great projects for
children.
* Join local neighbor
hood associations or
similar groups. If one
doesn’t exist, organize it.
You don’t need to lead
a group to strengthen it.
Be sure someone in your
family attends its local
meetings. This way you
can be informed and help
shape your community’s
future. Help get other resi
dents and local businesses
involved. Make sure your
association holds regular
meetings with officials
from local government,
as well as police, lire and
sanitation departments.
* Get the whole family
-- and even your friends
and neighbors — involved
in working in your com
munity. Giving time
together not only strength
ens your family bond, but
helps your selected cause.
“Families are more power
ful than individual family
members and communities
are more powerful than
families,” urges Ficalora.
“The more people you
get on same page, the
more united you can be
in strengthening or taking
back your community.”
* Vote in local and
national elections. Pay
attention and question
the motivation of authori
ties. Consider giving your
time to a local campaign
or cause, or even running
for office. Remember, you
can voice your opinion not
just about things that are
wrong, but about how to
fix them. Find out where
your local tax dollars are
going and get involved
to help ensure they are
directed to needy causes
- be they local schools,
emergency rooms, law
enforcement, roads, etc.
“Take action to make
changes happen in your
world and be of service,”
says Ficalora. “Find out
what is going on for
yourself. Regardless of
economic or social status,
we each have an equal
opportunity to make a
change.”
How To Get Kids To Enjoy Outdoor Activities
(StatePoint) Get out
there and do something!
All too often our families
-- especially kids — spend
their time holed up indoors
watching TV, playing
video games or surfing the
Internet.
Take advantage of the
season to come up with new
ways to get the family inter
ested in outdoor activities
and outings.
“Getting out and moving
around is a great way for
both adults and children to
get or stay healthy. Children
not only discover nature’s
wonders during outdoor ac
tivities, but getting out is a
great way for them to avoid
obesity and other ailments,”
said Mark J. Stevens, author
of the new book, “Luisa’s
Nature.”
Here are some ideas from
Stevens on how you can
make it more interesting
for kids to get out and get
active:
* Lead by example. If
you’re interested in the
outdoors, half the battle
is won. Just be yourself,
get out, and enjoy nature.
Children will sense your
enjoyment and will follow.
Pretty soon, your children
will be pulling YOU off the
couch to jog on that moss-
bedded forest path, jump
from rock to rock along the
stream, or simply enjoy the
sights and sounds of daily
family walks.
* Offer habit and variety.
Children love ritual. So
take walks along the same
path. But also offer variety.
Take a bike ride on a new
path, go for a swim in a dif
ferent lake, or ride a pony
together. Your kids will
continue to feel the warmth
of the better-known “home”
path. But an occasional
change of pace will help
expand their horizons and
wake their curiosity even
more.
* Use books about nature
and adventures to get kids
interested. Make read
ing together a routine and
choose children’s books
about nature exploration.
Let your child select a
favorite character from
each book. Discuss that
character’s discoveries in
nature. If the character
made discoveries that you
can realistically see or do
in nature nearby, make that
your goal on your next out
ing. For instance, Winnie
the Pooh and his friends set
out in one book to find the
North Pole. The pole turned
out to be a long branch that
they loudly declared the
North Pole.
* Make it fun. Your goals
in nature don’t always have
to be serious or scientific.
It’s about having fun and
bonding. The stories you
read and goals you set
before outdoor activities to
gether give you something
to refer to during walks or
swims - even something to
be silly and laugh about.
* Sit down and talk. Sit
ting at the dinner table can
sometimes be boring for
kids. But if you talk about
the color of flowers they
saw, or the height of grass
in a meadow they explored,
a visual world opens for
them and they want to
discover more. Let children
tell the story about what
they saw in nature. You can
fill in some gaps. There will
be more gaps remaining,
however. It’s those gaps you
can discuss filling on your
next outing. For example,
what color was that lichen
on the tree or the fuzzy
bumblebee?
* Include other children.
Bring along the neighbors’
kids. When children see
other kids interested in
exploring the woods or
playing hide-and-seek in
the yard, they’ll be more
motivated to get out.
For more ideas on how
to enjoy nature through
the eyes of your child, read
Stevens’ new book, “Luisa’s
Nature.”
“Healthy parenting and
interaction with nature help
drive children’s natural
senses,” said Stevens.
“Getting out and enjoying
nature together is a great
way to help them develop
and learn.”
Locals run in Loop the Lake
Special to the Ledger
Twenty-four runners par
ticipated in the Loop the
Lake 5K at Cordele, GA,
on July 19, 2008. Debbie
Jack received the Overall
Female Masters award
with a time of 22:40. In
the 10-14 years age group
(Male), Ofe Ariyo received
1st in with a time of 19:09,
Wade Stephens placed 4th
place with a time of 26:18,
Aaron Maxfield placed 5th
place with a time of 26:18,
and Zac Miller placed 11th
place with a time of 39:
18. In the 10-14 years age
group (Female), Ore Ariyo
placed 4th place with a
time of 27:08. In the 15-19
years age group (Female),
Kelsey Jones placed 6th
place with a time of 28:22.
Four of the 2008 Loop the Lake 5K (3.1 Miles),
Lake Blackshear, Cordele, GA, on July 19,
2008. Participants included Kim Spencer-42
08 (Female, 30-34—15th), Abigail Phillips -31
11 (Female 20-24—5th,), Sharon Williams -40
51 (Female, 55-59—5th), Freda Markert -39:06
(Female, 60-64—5th).
Lee County School System
2008-2009 Calendar
August 4 - 7 Pre-Planning
August 8 First Day of School
September 1 Labor Day
October 13 Student Holiday
October 14 In-Service/Student Holiday
November 24 - 28 Thanksgiving Break
December 19 Early Dismissal
December 20 - January 4 Winter Break
January 5 In-Service/Student Holiday
January 6 Start of 2nd Semester
January 19 MLK Holiday
February 16 President's Day
February 17 In-Service/Student Holiday
March 13 In-Service/Student Holiday
April 6-10 Spring Break
May 25 Memorial Day
May 27 Early Dismissal (Last Day)
May 28 & 29 Post Planning
May 30 Graduation
In the 20-24 years (Male),
Andrew Mock received
2nd place with a time of
22:02 while in the same
age group (Female) Grace
Nichols received a 3rd
place with a time of 26:21
and Abigail Phillips placed
5th with a time of 31:11. In
the 25-29 years age group
(Male), George Houston
received 2nd place with a
time of 23:25. In the 30-34
years age group (Male),
Caleb Eames received 1st
place with a time of 20:17,
Aaron Barringer placed
7th place with a time of
24:59, and David Mann
placed 8th with a time of
25:10. In the 35-39 years
age group (Male), Clay
Thomas received the 3rd
place with a time of 21:48
while Jason Miller placed
15th place with a time of
39:33. In the 40-44 years
age group (Male), Grant
Stephenson received 1st
place with a time of 20:
26 while in the same age
group (Female) Connie
Schauer placed 8th with a
time of 39:10. In the 45-49
years age group (Female),
Cathy Jones placed 7th
with a time of 27:19 and
Lori Depriest placed 9th
with a time of 28:21. In
the 55-59 years age group
(Female), Sharon Williams
placed 5th with a time of
40:51 while Brenda Gail
Wall placed 6th with a
time of 41:17. In the 60-64
years age group (Male),
Danny Wall placed 7th
with a time of 32:27 and
in the same age group
(Female), Freda Markert
placed 5th with a time of
39:06. In the Baby Stroller
5K, George Houston place
1st with a time of 23:25.
LEE COUNTY
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
& REGISTRATION
Advanced Voting for the August 5,
2008 Primary Runoff/Special Election
Runoff/Special Election will be held
July 28 through August 1, 2008 at the
Lee County Governmental Building
Assembly Room adjacent to the Lee
County Courthouse. Advance Voting
allows for voters to cast their ballot in
person, without giving a reason, on
the Monday through Friday prior to
an election. Advanced voting will be
conducted on the touch-screen units
in the Assembly Room from 8:15 a.m.
until 5:00 p.m. Hours will be extended
on Wednesday, July 30th until 7:00
p.m.
For more information, please contact
the Board of Elections and Registration
at 759-6002.
i Tricia
Quinn
For Lee County Tax Commissioner
Vote tf-to the GmJdAde With A1
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Ex^etimce to- Mcdze it Jto^pm!
I want to hear from you!
votequinn@bellsouth.net or 229-894-2409
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Paid for by the candidate.
The Child Development Center and Mothers’ Morning Out
Ministries of Byne Memorial Baptist Church are accepting
applications for enrollment for summer and fall
Child Development Center Mothers’ Morning Out
Mon - Fri 6:30 am - 6:15 pm
Tues/Wed/Thurs 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Exceptional teacher-to-student ratio,
Christian atmosphere,
breakfast, lunch and snack provided
Voted Albany Herald’s “One of the Best”
Give us a call for more information
Byne Memorial Baptist Church
2832 Ledo Road Albany, GA 31707
229-432-1591