JULY 2011
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Swimming in open water increases the risk of developing the infection because lakes & ponds have higher bacterial densities.
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Freeing up that space can make your home more beautiful & relaxing or your business more tidy & professional-looking.
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When saving and income – and saving on purchases – are important to parents, they will become important to their children.
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RETIREMENT
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Workin’
for a living Retirement not an option? Compiled by Danielle Braff | Special to The Eagle
That’s the 2009 median income $31,354 of homes with householders 65 and older, according to the 2009 study Income, Poverty
and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States. That’s up 6 percent from the previous year but still lower than the median average of all households, which was $49,777.
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RETIREMENT 55 percent
A whopping 93 percent of retirees carry some amount of debt, according to the Boston-based National Consumer Law Center. But only 30 percent of those describe their debts as being a problem. Twenty-seven percent of homeowner retirees haven’t finished paying off their mortgages, and 24 percent of Medicare recipients say they have financial problems stemming from their medical bills.
Times have surely changed. In 2009, 55 percent of people ages 65 and up forewent their retirement to work full time. That came out to be 6.5 million people of retirement age who were still working, and projections indicate that by 2018, that number will reach 11 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Retirement savings Thirty-six percent of Americans say they don’t contribute to any retirement savings, such as a 401(k) or an IRA, according to a new survey released by CareerBuilder.com. And even 30 percent of people who have a salary of $100,000 or more say they are living from paycheck to paycheck – which is a 21 percent increase from last year. It’s no wonder people are taking so long to retire.
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8.9 percent The poverty rate for people 65 and older dropped from 10 percent in 2008 to 9 percent in 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 3.4 million seniors living at or below the poverty level in 2009, down from 3.7 million in 2008.
Job titles When you were younger, you probably assumed that you’d work in a management position by the time you were close to retiring. After all, the money is usually way better at the top. Well, 42 percent of you made it and are working in management, professional and related occupations, says the U.S. Census Bureau. Congrats.
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PREVENT SWIMMER’S EAR
Swimmer’s
ear Help your kids avoid the common, painful affliction By Molly Beck | Special to The Eagle
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t the evening Aquasize class at Springfield (Ill.) Racquet and Fitness Center, students drip out of the pool shaking their heads like dogs, attempting to wring out. Swim team coach Ocie Glover said this act isn’t just to get dry – it’s a preventive measure from summer’s most painful affliction: swimmer’s ear.
“It’s just water that’s left in the ear – it can happen any time, but people associate it with summer because kids are swimming,” said Glover, 20. Glover’s team is asked to wear swimming caps to prevent this painful ear infection. The infection isn’t too common on her team because of those caps. However, the ailment is a bit more common across the country.
What it is 6
Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear canal that results in an estimated 2.4 million health care visits every year and nearly half a billion dollars in health care costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Tracy Milbrandt, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Southern
Illinois University School of Medicine, said doctors at the university hospital start seeing a string of children with the painful earache about two or three weeks into summer break. “It’s pretty common. It’s an infection or irritation of the skin in the ear canal. It’s typically caused when water repeatedly gets trapped. ... Kids who are doing a lot of swimming (experience it) also because of having a wax plug, and water gets trapped behind the wax plug,” Milbrandt said.
Don’t ignore symptoms While anyone can contract the infection, children are treated for it most often, Milbrandt said, simply because they’re swimming in water more often during the summer. Symptoms include an itchy or painful ear canal, different from a regula-
tion middle ear infection because the ear will be painful to push or tug. Yellow or green, sometimes foul-smelling, drainage may be present, too, Milbrandt said. Swimmer’s ear cannot be spread from one person to another. Antibiotic ear drops are the usual treatment, frequently clearing up the infection within a week. “It can get more serious, if (kids) kind of ignore (the symptoms). You can get a deeper infection of the tissue, causing (kids) to be pretty ill,” Milbrandt said. If that occurs, fever or more severe ear pain may develop. “We usually say to try to avoid swimming” while using the ear drops, she said.
Preventive measures Swimming in open water increases the risk of developing the infection because lakes and ponds have higher bacterial densities. To prevent the infection, Milbrandt suggests avoiding using Q-Tips or similar cotton swabs because the swabs simply push earwax deeper into the ear. That increases the chance of forming a wax plug to trap water. Shaking water out of your ear after swimming will help. If a child is prone to swimmer’s ear, Milbrandt suggests creating a 1-to-1 mixture of rubbing alcohol and vinegar to drop into the child’s ear if water is trapped.
YOUNG AT HEART
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Feel like a kid again Compiled by Danielle Braff | Special to The Eagle
Play video games They aren’t just for your children and grandchildren anymore. Playing Nintendo Wii games such as bowling or golfing can slash as many calories as walking quickly, says a recent study from Brigham Young and Massachusetts universities published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Bonus: It’s also an easy way to bond with the younger set.
Check cholesterol The good and the bad types of cholesterol can actually help viruses grow, according to a study published in PLoS Biology. If you’re constantly getting sick, ask your doc to check your cholesterol to see if either type is too high. If you need to lower your cholesterol, try exercising three times a week for 30 minutes and limiting your saturated fats.
Save your knees Got achy knees? Try jogging or doing any form of high-impact aerobics. A study review in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise finds that doing any high-impact activities will help protect your knees by increasing the cartilage in them.
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Back to basics Thought you were done with baby food about six decades ago? A new study from Penn State University at University Park finds that people who ate food that included pureed vegetables cut their calories by about 360 a day. Sneak some into your pasta or soup instead of eating it out of a jar this time around.
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The benefits of video games, high-impact exercise and baby food – for you!
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ALL SEASONS STORAGE
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Reclaim your living space
Storage facilities help make more room for homes & businesses By Billy Mau
they are selling and we see people who ollege students think a just have a lot of lot about storage units belongings that are this time of year, wheth- taking up space in er they are storing extra items their home.” that can’t fit in their dorm or Storing items apartment or retrieving items can be a great way stored for the summer break, to reclaim your but there are plenty of other garage or attic by reasons to look into storage fa- taking the items cilities no matter who you are. you only use rarely Storage units are a great and getting them way to free up space and deout of your way. It’s clutter your home or business. also a great option Kit Sowders, manager at All for small busiSeasons Storage Centers in nesses whose office College Station, said she sees space is quickly a wide variety of clients with being taken up with very different storage needs. documents, unused “We have a lot of local furniture, spare contractors who use our units equipment or extra for storing building materiinventory. Freeing als,” Sowders said. “We also up that space can make your see seniors moving to the area home more beautiful and relaxwho maybe have downsized ing or your business more tidy their homes and want to store and professional-looking. their extra items, we see colWhen looking for a storage lege students, we see real estate unit, Sowders said a common agents trying to clear up homes mistake is to look only at price. The Eagle
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“You have to consider the amenities when you choose a storage facility,” Sowders said. “If you’re just looking at price, you may not realize until it’s too late that, yeah, you got a cheap price, but the place has
a dirt driveway, no gates and no security. We’ve had people come to us with their horror stories and we take care of them.” All Seasons, one of the most established storage facilities in
3201 Earl Rudder Frwy. S. College Station (979) 589-1843 8
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your items in and out of storage a snap with 24/7 access, 18-wheeler accessibility, free local use of their moving truck and free trailer pickup service. Sowders said the trailer pickup is unique and something All Seasons is very proud of. “We’re the only one in town to offer this service with deliv-
ery,” Sowders said. “We bring the trailer to your house and leave it there for you to load. When it’s ready to go, we’ll pick it up and bring it here for you to unload. Other places have trailers, but they make you tow it. We do that for you because not everyone is comfortable driving with one of those big trailers or they may not have anything big enough to pull it.” The units at All Seasons range from 5 x 5 to 10 x 30 for non-climate controlled units and 5
x 5 to 10 x 20 for the climate controlled ones. Sowders said the easy way to decide which you need is where you would store the items at home. If your items would be in the garage or attic, non-climate controlled is the way to go. If the items are more sensitive like electronics, photographs, fine furniture or documents, then climate-controlled is needed. For more information on storage units and a full list of available amenities, call All Seasons Storage Center at 979690-0500 or visit www.allseasonsstorage.us, and stop letting unnecessary clutter take over your home or business.
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the area, has made great amenities its hallmark. They offer many options and services, including some no one else in town can boast. The facility, located on the east side of Hwy 6 between Rock Prairie Road and Emerald Parkway, has more than 500 units with climate control available. They make getting
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SUMMER READING
Young voices There’s still time for summer reading, catch up on these authors who wrote something great at an early age By Paul Eisenberg | Special to The Eagle
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BOOK
“The Diary of a Young Girl” By Anne Frank
“The Outsiders” By S.E. Hinton
“Eragon” By Christopher Paolini
“In the Forests of the Night” By Amelia AtwaterRhodes
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DESCRIPTION
$5.99
She was a girl living in extraordinary and terrifying times, keeping a diary of her thoughts as she hid from Nazis in a Dutch warehouse. Her diary would eventually be considered “among the most moving and eloquent documents of the Holocaust,” according to several reviewers. Frank never experienced her fame; she was killed in a Nazi concentration camp before her 16th birthday.
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Who better to chronicle the strife between two groups of high school students than a high school student? Hinton started doing just that at age 17, and a year later she made the “Greasers” and the “Socs” famous in her 1967 book, which has become required reading at many schools. It still sells more than 500,000 copies a year.
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Paolini was just 18 when he released the initial book of what would become a four-book fantasy series that went on to sell more than 20 million copies. Initially published by his parents’ small company, his tale of a boy and his pet dragon was picked up by a major publisher a year later, and Paolini was a New York Times bestselling author at age 19.
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The author’s first foray into the world of publishing came in 1999, when she was just 13, with this book. It’s led to a franchise of young adult vampire novels that have earned AtwaterRhodes the distinction of being labeled “the next Anne Rice” by reviewers. “Forests” and its sequels have been lauded by the American Library Association, and the author has written an unrelated young adult series as well.
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Moving to the United States from China at age 7, Yi Fan finished her first novel at age 12 and sold it to HarperCollins, which issued a 50,000 first printing in 2008. The book features familiar characters – backyard birds such as cardinals and blue jays – who can speak with each other and who become embroiled in a struggle against the tyrannical hawk who has been eating their eggs.
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“Swordbird” By Nancy Yi Fan
KEEP YOUR GARDEN FRESH
By Karen Caffarini Special to The Eagle
Here’s what else you need to know Gabel said there are two methods for canning: pressure cooking for low-acid vegetables, meats, fishes and soups, and the water bath method for high acidic vegetables like pickles, salsas, and fruit jams and jellies. Pressure canning at the correct amount of time and temperature destroys the bacteria that causes botulism food poisoning in low-acid foods, according to University of Missouri Extension
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educators.
Basic equipment you’ll need include a pressure cooker with dial gauges, water bath canner, glass jars that are free of any cracks or chips, rims, new lids that go inside the rims, a jar lifter, wide-mouth funnel and basic kitchen utensils such as a wooden spoon and ladle, Gabel said. They can be purchased at large department stores, grocery and hardware stores, and produce markets.
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Check the jars to make sure they aren’t cracked or chipped, which could prevent sealing or cause jars to break, and wash them in hot soapy water, according to
the Ball book.
Heat the jars in hot, but not boiling, water until they are ready to use to make sure they don’t break. Place lids in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to simmer over medium heat.
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For water bath canning, prepare canner by filling it halfway with water and heating. Add about two to three inches of water to a pressure cooker and bring over medium heat until the jars are ready.
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Can it
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Fill jars with washed and prepared fresh fruits or vegetables, according to tested recipes. Leave recommended amount of space at top of each jar. Remove air bubbles, according to the Ball book.
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How to preserve your garden bounty our backyard garden was a huge success this summer. You have more tomatoes, green beans, squash and peppers than your family can possibly consume while they’re still fresh and are thinking of following in your grandma’s footsteps and preserving some of your bounty. But how to do it? First of all, forget Grandma’s recipes, said Candy Gabel, assistant Human Environmental Services program director for University of Missouri Extension. “Mom and Grandma may know what worked for them 30 years ago, but it may not work now,” Gabel said. For instance, some varieties of tomatoes are much less acidic than in the past and now require a pressure cooker for preserving or the addition of lemon juice to the recipe if using the typical water bath method Grandma employed. Gabel recommends using recipes approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or those in the “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving,” available through Amazon.com, bookstores and places that sell canning supplies.
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Put on the lids and rims, making them fingertip tight, and clean around the rims with a clean, damp cloth.
Place jars in the pressure cooker, with water about 2 to 3 inches high, or submerge them in a hot water bath and cook according to the tested directions. When using a pressure cooker, leave the vent pipe open and adjust heat to achieve and maintain the recommended pounds per pressure.
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When done, lift jars with the jar lifter and place them on a towel on a flat surface to cool for about 24 hours.
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Listen to the popping sound. That indicates the canning was successful. Lids shouldn’t flex when touched, the book states.
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LITTLE SAVERS
little savers
LITTLE SAVERS
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Secrets for inspiring money-savvy kids By Molly Logan Anderson | Special to The Eagle
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get a head start
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But creating sound financial habits at an early age prepares kids for the years of money management that lie ahead. Set your youngsters up for success by following our expert strategies for early financial education.
take it to the bank
Creating awareness around finances early on is a key to success, according to Paul Richard, president of the Institute of Consumer Financial Education, who also recommends grabbing kids’ attention with interest accumulation, in addition to saving, as soon as possible. “Explain and demonstrate the concept of earning interest income on savings,” says Richard. “Consider paying interest on money saved at home.”
Encourage an active role in saving by taking children with you to open an account at a credit union or bank. While Richard prefers the youth programs and higher rates of member-owned-and-operated credit unions, any savings account is a good start. And remember to allow them to use their money, too. “Don’t refuse them when they want to withdraw from savings for a purchase,” Richard advises. “You’ll risk discouraging savings altogether.”
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find lessons in real life
Look for everyday experiences in which kids participate that allow for spendingrelated learning opportunities. Richard highly recommends grocery shopping. Plan purchases in advance, check sales and clip coupons, involving your kids in every step of the process. “About a third of our take-home pay is spent for grocery and household items,” says Richard. “Spending smarter at the grocery store can save more than $1,800 a year for a family of four.” Planning before spending as children leads to a lifetime of saving, instead of a lifetime of spending. According to Richard, unplanned spending accounts for 20 to 30 percent of our overall expenditures.
PHOTOS BY Miki Yoshihito/Flickr
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create opportunities to learn
Implement a simple and consistent allowance program for children, highlighting chores that make sense. “Make allowance and work (household chores) go together,” says Richard, who urges parents not to pay for things like keeping a bedroom clean, as a child may eventually become frustrated and opt out of the allowance program. Instead, focus on tasks outside the realm of what’s expected, like emptying bathroom wastebaskets or cleaning up after pets. “Use a chores list with added opportunities to earn extra for things like raking leaves or snow removal,” he says.
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or most parents, getting their children to understand the basics of money management is a daunting task. Kids are longstanding members of the “bank of mom and dad,” and most would prefer to keep it that way.
set a good example
Taking a good look in the mirror and correcting bad financial habits is imperative before passing along financial advice to children. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, do your best to correct the situation, as children who grow up within that environment will surely become aware of it. “Children will mimic the actions of their parents,” says Richard. “When saving and income – and saving on purchases – are important to parents, they will become important to their children.”
When children learn to plan before spending, it can lead to a lifetime of saving, according to Paul Richard, president of the Institute of Consumer Financial Education.
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DAILY SPECIALS
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Stay connected with specials across the Brazos Valley
FOOD
BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse 1520 Harvey Rd. College Station Weekdays, 11 am - 3 pm Lunch specials starting at $5.49
Luby’s Cafeteria 4401 Texas Ave. Bryan Wednesday, 4:30 - 8 pm Kids 12 and under eat free with purchase of an adult meal
Casa Olé 2 Bryan & College Station locations Wednesday, 3 - 7 pm $2.99 house margaritas
Schlotzsky’s Deli 2 College Station locations Monday, 3 - 10 pm Any small sandwich or 8” pizza for $3.99
Yesterday’s Bar & Grill 4421 S. Texas Ave. Bryan Wednesday, All Day 50¢ wings
KIDS EAT FREE Tony Roma’s 980 N. Earl Rudder Frwy. Bryan Tuesday, All Day Up to two free kids meals per adult meal purchased
Schotzi’s 209 University Dr. College Station Monday, 8 pm - 2 am $1 wells
Shipwreck Grill 206 E. Villa Maria Dr. Bryan Sunday, All Day Kids eat free from kids menu with each adult meal purchased
DRINKS Naked Fish Sushi & Grill 1808 Texas Ave. S. College Station Wednesday, 3 - 5 pm $2 sake shots
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Add your favorite special to ShopBrazos. Submit a daily special for your business or restaurant by finding it on ShopBrazos.com and clicking “Add Special.” All specials subject to change, see business/restaurant for details. facebook.com/shopbrazos twitter.com/shopbrazos foursquare.com/shopbrazos
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