WHAT A BLESSING IT WAS TO BE AT THE NEHEMIAH FOUNDATION INFORMATIONAL FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST THURSDAY MORNING! THE BREAKFAST HAD 188 ATTENDEES AT THE COURTYARD BY MARIOTT IN DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHELLEY LOPEZ TALKED ABOUT THE THEME, “SERVING AND REAPING TOGETHER”. SHE SAID THAT SOWERS AND REAPERS PRAY, GIVE AND ACT AND DON’T LET FEAR GET IN THE WAY. WE NEED TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR OUR CITY. CHANGING LIVES NOW MINISTRY WAS FEATURED AS WELL WITH DIRECTORS SIM AND CORRINA BOWEN. THEY USE ABOUT 180 VOLUNTEERS A WEEK IN THEIR OUTREACH TO THE INNER CITY AND SAY THEY ARE BASED ON COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS…DOING LIFE TOGETHER. THE NEHEMIAH FOUNDATION SUPPORTS AND MENTORS 25 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES AND MENTORS ANOTHER 11. BERT BARNES SHARED THAT WHEN YOU GIVE TO GOD, THE RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT IS SO MUCH BETTER! SHELLEY LOPEZ, MANDY HOLCOMB AND PAR TOLLIVER SANG A SONG WRITTEN BY WILLIAM McDOWELL THAT SAYS IT ALL: “GIVE MYSELF AWAY SO YOU CAN USE ME. TAKE MY HEART AND TAKE MY LIFE AS A WILLING SACRIFICE.” IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE NEHEMIAH FOUNDATION…HOW YOU CAN GIVE OR VOLUNTEER TO HELP ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, CALL THEM AT: 937/325-6226 OR GO ON-LINE TO: WWW.NEHEMIAHFOUNDATION.NET .
DONNA FREDERICK IS RETIRING! FREDERICK HAS LED THE UNITED SENIOR SERVICES IN CLARK COUNTY FOR 31 YEARS, THE PAST 18 AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. FREDERICK, AGE 70, BECAME VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR IN 1982 AND SAYS ITS CENTRAL MISSION OF HELPING SENIORS STAY IN THEIR HOMES CONTINUES, BUT THE MISSION HAS BROADENED, OFFERING CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES TO HELP SENIORS STAY FIT AND CONNECTED. BOARD PRESIDENT DON MARTIN SHARES THAT FREDERICK’S “VISION AND DEDICATION” STRENGTHENED THE ORGANIZATION AND “ENABLED AN EVOLUTION OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR THIS COMMUNITY’S SENIORS.”
TEEN DRIVERS REMAIN ONE OF OHIO’S MOST AT RISK GROUPS WHEN IT COMES TO BEING INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC CRASHES. TEEN DRIVERS WERE AT FAULT IN 10% OF ALL FATAL CRASHES FROM 2009-2011. WHILE CRASH CAUSES CAN VARY, SPEED-RELATED CIRCUMSTANCES ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN HALF OF CRASHES CAUSED BY TEEN DRIVERS. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR TEEN DRIVERS AND THEIR PARENTS TO BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS NEW DRIVERS FACE AND FOR THESE NEW DRIVERS TO MAKE SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS WHILE DRIVING. COL. JOHN BORN, OHIO HIGHWAY PATROL SUPERINTENDENT SAYS “NO ONE ELSE IS IN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THE PERSON BEHIND THE WHEEL. THAT IS WHY RESPONSIBILITY, AWARENESS AND SAFETY ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUNGEST DRIVERS.” IN AUGUST OF 2012, THE STATE PATROL PARTNERED WITH THE OHIO HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TO LAUNCH A PROGRAM TO EDUCATE OHIO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND STUDENT-ATHLETES ABOUT THE DANGERS NEW-DRIVERS FACE. THE “YOU ARE IN CONTROL” PROGRAM EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF DECISION MAKING AND REMINDS STUDENTS THAT THEY ARE IN CONTROL WHEN BEHIND THE WHEEL. THE PATROL WANTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THROUGH EDUCATION AND THROUGH TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT. THEY REMIND TEEN DRIVERS TO PLAN AHEAD WHEN TRAVELLING TO AND FROM SCHOOL OR ACTIVITIES TO AVOID RUSHING…AND REMEMBER THAT SAFETY BELTS DO SAVE LIVES! MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IN THE CAR IS BUCKLED UP!
A MAN WAS POURING LIQUID METAL INTO A MOLD JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT WHEN SOME OF THE METAL BEGAN GOING INTO HIS BOOT. THE VICTIM, WHO SUFFERED BURNS, WAS TAKEN TO MIAMI VALLEY HOSPITAL ABOARD CAREFLIGHT EARLY THIS MORNING.
DID YOU KNOW THAT BLOOD MAKES UP ABOUT 7 PERCENT OF YOUR BODY’S WEIGHT? THERE ARE ABOUT 10 PINTS OF BLOOD IN THE BODY OF AN AVERAGE ADULT, WITH THE PROPORTION MUCH GREATER IN CHILDREN, AND SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN MEN AND WOMEN. MEN, ON THE AVERAGE, HAVE 8-10 PINTS, WHILE WOMEN HAVE 5-8 PINTS OF BLOOD. LARGER PEOPLE AND POPULATIONS CAN GO MUCH HIGHER, UP TO 12 PINTS DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PERSON. SOME INTERESTEING FACTS FROM THE COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER! GIVE BLOOD TODAY…GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE! TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER, OR GO ON-LINE TO: WWW.DONORTIME.COM .
FARMERS DON’T USE SCARECROWS TOO MUCH ANY MORE, BUT IF YOU LOOK IN DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE ABOUT A DOZEN OF THEM! THEY ARE PART OF PROJECT JERICHO’S “PROJECT SCARE-A-CROW” WHICH GIVES SOME LOCAL FAMILIES WORKING WITH JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES OF CLARK COUNTY AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER AND USE THEIR CREATIVITY FOR A COMMUNITY EVENT! IN THE NEWS SUN ARTICLE, KAYLA SNIDER, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION SPECIALIST FOR PROJECT JERICHO, SAID THE EVENT IS IN ITS SECOND YEAR, AND THIS YEAR THEY ARE USING CHARACTERS FROM MOVIES. THE SCARECROWS ARE NEAR THE FOUNTAINS AT THE SPRINGFIELD CITY HALL PLAZA. THE PUBLIC CAN VOTE ON THE BEST SCARECROWS THROUGH SATURDAY. A MOVIE NIGHT WILL BE HELD AT 7PM SATURDAY, AND EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO BRING LAWN CHAIRS AND BLANKETS TO THE CITY HALL PLAZA AND ENJOY THE FILM “DESPICABLE ME”, ALONG WITH ENJOYING POPCORN AND PRIZES! THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THAT TIME. THE WORK OF PROJECT JERICHO IS SUMMARIZED WITH THIS QUOTE FROM ONE OF THE FAMILIES, “THE ONE THING WE LOVE THE MOST IN OUR FREE TIME AND WHAT BRINGS US CLOSER TOGETHER ARE THESE PROJECTS THAT PROJECT JERICHO ARRANGES. THEY MAKE IT TO WHERE OUR FAMILY WORKS TOGETHER AND MAKES SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL COME OUT OF IT.”
COMMUNITIES IN OHIO ARE JOINING OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN A NATIONAL “LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL OBSERVANCE.” THE ANNUAL EVENT EMPHASIZES THE VALUE OF AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GREATER CLEVELAND NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER ASSOCIATION, ALLISON WALLACE, SAYS IN OHIO, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE HELD IN SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY CENTERS AND DO A LOT MORE THAN JUST KEEP KIDS OUT OF TROUBLE AFTER THE SCHOOL BELL RINGS. WALLACE SAYS THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESEARCH THAT INDICATES STUDENTS WHO ATTEND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE MORE LIKELY TO IMPROVE THEIR GRADES, TEST SCORES AND OVERALL ACADEMIC BEHAVIOR. OVER 70 “LIGHTS ON” EVENTS, INCLUDING OPEN HOUSES AND PARTIES, ARE BEING HELD THROUGHOUT OHIO. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT: WWW.OHIOAFTERSCHOOLNETWORK.ORG .
AFTER THE RAIN TODAY, WE SHOULD JUST HAVE CLOUDY SKIES WITH LOWS DROPPING TO 43 DEGREES AND SOUTH WINDS AROUND 10 MPH. FRIDAY BRINGS A 30-40 PERCENT POSSIBILITY FOR SOME RAIN…MAINLY AFTER 3PM AND EXTENDING INTO THE EVENING. HIGHS WILL ONLY RISE TO 54 DEGREES FRIDAY, WITH LOWS GOING TO 41. SATURDAY SHOULD BE PARTLY SUNNY WITH HIGHS PEAKING AT 54 DEGREES, BUT COLD SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN LOWS DIP TO 39. SUNDAY BRINGS MORE SUNSHINE AND HIGHS NEAR 65 DEGREES. IT WILL BE WARMER SUNDAY NIGHT AS LOWS DROP TO 50 DEGREES.
