Northland Family - July 2016

Parks appeal to all ages

July 2016 LIBERTY TRIBUNE THE KEARNEY COURIER GLADSTONE DISPATCH THE SMITHVILLE HERALD

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Parks appeal to all ages

By Corey Edwards

Open spaces and family gatherings are what parks in the Northland are all about, according to Kearney Parks and Recreation Director Eric Marshall.

“We provide safe and enjoyable parks and recreation, not only fields, but green space, playgrounds and trails for not only kids but adults as well,” Marshall said.

In July, Kearney’s park department offers men’s and co-ed softball at Mack Porter Park on Wednesday and Friday nights. Also in the summer, Marshall said there is a children’s volleyball league that is played at Kearney High School, as well as KHRA summer baseball, softball and T-ball.

“We make sure that the grass is mowed, and we prepare all the fields — dragging and chalking. That is how it has always been done and is being done still,” Marshall said, adding the parks department is also responsible for the soccer fields at Jesse James Park.”

The park is located just off Missouri Highway 33 north of downtown Kearney.

“What we take pride in is we have

super wide-open green space for baseball fields and softball fields.

We also have a toddler park for the littler kids, as well as shelter houses that people can use for their picnics,” Marshall said. “We have a shelter at Mack Porter Park that we had done a few years ago. All of our shelters have barbecue grills, so they don’t have to bring a grill out to any of the places if they want to have a picnic or birthday party.”

Both Jesse James and Mack Porter parks also have walking trails that Marshall said can be utilized by parents when taking their children to the parks for athletic practices.

“Moms and dads can let their kids practice with their teams while taking a stroll through the park,” he said. “It is a real neat scenic trail at

Mack Porter Park,” he said. “If they are dropping their kids off at Jesse James Park to practice soccer, a lot of people will stroll the trail we have there. Or if they have siblings, they can let them play on the huge, big playground that we have out there.

Or they might take their child down and let them fish in our Jesse James Pond.”

Jesse James Park also offers an 18-hole disc golf course along with an amphitheater that showcases musical performances during the summer months.

“We have a little bit of everything all in one park, which makes it unique,” Marshall said.

Corey Edwards can be reached at 628-6010 or corey.edwards@ kearneycourier.com.

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Park and Recreation Month

AMANDA LUBINSKI/STAFF PHOTO

The playground at Jesse James Park is a popular spot to play during Kearney’s Independence Day celebration.

Since 1985, America has celebrated July as the nation’s official Park and Recreation Month. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives officially mandated July as Park and Recreation Month. Hundreds of park and recreation agencies will celebrate with their communities this July, touting the super powers of parks and recreation and all the ways these local, community resources add value to our daily lives.

Various research studies confirm that community parks and recreation, green space and time outdoors is critical for creating healthy, active and sustainable communities.

According to a study conducted by the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University and the National Recreation and Park Association, America’s local and regional public park agencies generated nearly $140 billion in economic activity and supported almost

1 million jobs from their operations and capital spending alone in 2013.

You can experience the benefits by visiting your community parks and recreation any time of the year and especially during Park and Recreation Month.

To encourage the discovery of parks and recreation’s super powers, the National Recreation and Park Association is hosting a month-long selfie photo contest. Through July 31, NRPA will issue weekly challenges for people to get out in their parks and recreation facilities and discover their super powers. The association will award weekly prizes to the photo with the most votes that demonstrates the weekly challenge. The contest can be entered via Facebook or by uploading a photo to Twitter and Instagram using #SuperJuly and #SuperParkSelfie. Visit www.nrpa.org/july for the official rules and criteria.

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Put teens in the driver’s seat

By Corey Edwards

While driver’s education is not required by the state to secure a license in Missouri, Liberty Driving School owner Dan Backhaus said it can be a valuable resource to put young drivers on the right path. “We have to be aware and heads up. You have to have some awareness to what you are doing.

The more education kids get, the safer they will be,�

Backhaus said.

According to Missouri’s Department of Motor Vehicles, “if you are a teenager applying for your first driver’s license, it’s not mandatory to complete a driver’s ed course, but you will need to satisfy the requirements of the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) graduated driver license (GDL) program.�

The DMV, however, says driver’s ed can give new drivers valuable information that will help not only with the written test, but also “help to prepare you to take on the challenges and responsibilities you’ll face as a new driver.�

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Driver’s ed teaches Missouri traffic laws and violations, safe and defensive driving practices and how to share the road with drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists. “It is a life-long skill,� Backhaus. “We are going to drive until somebody kicks us out of the car. It is always changing. Now we have blinking yellow arrows, we have roundabouts. The roads are changing, cars are changing, and technology is better.�

Anyone looking to gain a license will first need to pass the written test, road sign test and vision exam. “The state of Missouri doesn’t require any driver’s ed other than what is mandated before they take their test. They get their permit and have to have it for six months,� Backhaus said. “If they can pass their driving test, their parents just sign off saying they completed 40 hours of driving. That is hard to do in a six-month time.�

New drivers can obtain a learner’s permit at the age of 15.

Backhaus said he offers a six-hour driving program that includes driving on and off the highways and parking, among other skills.

Backhaus added that separate from behind-thewheel training, he offers a one-day class that covers bad weather, emergencies, testing and what to do if you encounter a deer on the road.

While Backhaus said a majority of his students are teen drivers, he also teaches adults and has taught students from ages 15 to 94.

His programs run year round.

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Free programs encourage summer learning Connected to Family

By Ryne Dittmer Summertime can still be a season for learning, thanks to a number of free educational programs sponsored by state and local entities.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offers families a pair of challenges to keep kids’ minds active during summer break. The first, Read MOre, Missouri, is a reading-based initiative. Through the Read MOre, Missouri website (http://dese.mo.gov/stateboard-education/commissioner/ read-more-missouri), parents and guardians can find book titles to read based on a child’s reading ability and interests. Based on the supplied information, the search engine will suggest enough books to fill a summer with reading.

DESE also provides summer support in math. By signing up for the Missouri Math Challenge (http://dese.mo.gov/stateboard-education/commissioner/

ild’s Your chnd Math e full ing a Read improve on of will hours skills l in 40 ! ve le grade instruction e It!!

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missouri-summer-math-challenge), families can receive a daily math activity to complete. The activities are based on Missouri Learning Standards and are designed for students who have just completed first grade through seventh grade.

At the end of the challenge, adults can print a certificate of completion for their child.

On a more local level, MidContinent Public Library’s Summer Reading Program (http://www. mymcpl.org/kids/srp) has returned for another season and is ready to hit it out of the park. Built around a Ready, Set, Read! theme, MidContinent and its sports franchise partners such as the Royals, Chiefs and Sporting Kansas City are encouraging children to build their reading skills before returning to school. The program has tiers for children from birth to fifth grade and offers a number of incentives for children who reach specific benchmarks.

Editor Ryne Dittmer can be reached at 389-6606 or ryne.dittmer@npgco.com.

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kids are up to date on their immunizations. While there are many required vaccines for students headed to school, one vaccine that is optional in Missouri is the one for HPV — human papilloma virus.

“This virus is responsible for cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers in women; penile cancer in men; anal cancer, cancer of the back of the throat (oropharynx), and genital warts in both men and women,” said Dr. Casey Willimann, a board-certified pediatric and internal medicine physician at The Liberty Clinic. “The vaccine is incredibly important because it prevents cancer. This is the only vaccine that we have that prevents cancer.”

Willimann is co-chair of a task force comprised of physicians from Missouri and Kansas whose goal is to improve HPV vaccination rates.

“This virus, which includes more than 40 different types, is transmitted via intimate skin-to-skin contact,” she said. “This can happen during vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has the virus. Anyone who is sexually active can get the virus, regardless of the number of partners you have had. Nearly all sexually active men and women have had the virus at some point in their lives. For some, it can cause health problems such as genital warts and cancer.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the U.S. About 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. For many, they do not develop health problems and never even know they are passing it to sex partners.

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HPV can lie dormant for years before ever showing any sign of a problem.

The CDC, along with American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Cancer Society, World Health Organization and others recommend the vaccine for boys and girls, beginning at age 11. Boys may receive this through age 21 and girls through age 26.

“The most common myth surrounding the vaccine is that giving it promotes promiscuity,” Willimann said. “It does not. The vaccine protects children from an incredibly common virus that statistics show they are likely to encounter in their lives. Without being given this vaccine, they are at risk for very serious health conditions, including cancer. The vaccine is given at a young age to provide protection before exposures occur. If we vaccinate after sexual activity, we may have missed the opportunity to protect individuals.”

The vaccine has been available in the United States since 2006. Side effects typically are mild, Willimann said, and may include fever, headache, nausea, fatigue and muscle aches.

For more information, go to www.cdc.gov or talk with your physician.

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By Chris Geinosky Believe it or not, high school fall sports practices will begin in less than one month.

If your junior high school or high school student athlete plans to play any fall sport — boys and girls cross country, football, girls golf, boys soccer, softball, boys swimming and diving, girls tennis or volleyball — they will need a physical to be eligible to participate in the first day of practice on Aug. 1. Many states, including Missouri, require schools to have physicals on file before they can allow any athlete in grades seven through 12 to engage in team activities.

The official name for a sports physical exam in the sports medicine field is a preparticipation physical examination.

The exam helps determine whether it’s safe for the athlete to participate in a particular sport.

The first part to a sports physical is your medical history. Common questions to answer and issues to address for your doctor include: • serious illnesses among other family members; • illnesses that you had when you were younger or may have now, such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy;

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• previous hospitalizations or surgeries; • allergies — to insect bites, for example; • past injuries, including concussions, sprains or bone fractures; • whether you’ve ever passed out, felt dizzy, had chest pain or had trouble breathing during exercise; and • any medications that you are currently taking, including overthe-counter medications, herbal supplements and prescription medications.

Looking at patterns of illness in your family is a good indicator of any potential conditions you may have. Most

sports medicine doctors believe that medical history is the most important part of the sports physical exam.

During the physical examination, the doctor will: • record your height and weight; • take blood pressure and pulse (heart rate and rhythm) readings; • test your vision; • check your heart, lungs, abdomen, ears, nose and throat; and • evaluate your posture, joints, strength and flexibility.

A sports physical can help inform you about and deal with health problems that might interfere with your participation in a sport. And it’s time to schedule yours.

High school athletes need one to participate

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Is your life limited by neck Parks are good for your health or back pain?

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◆ According to a 2014 article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, higher levels of green space were associated with lower symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress. ◆ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that increased access to places for physical activity led to a 25.6 percent increase in people exercising three or more times per week. ◆ Children who have easy access to a playground are approximately five times more likely to have a healthy weight than children who do not have easy access to playgrounds. ◆ The nation’s park and recreation facilities are on the frontline in the battle against the obesity epidemic and other chronic health issues. ◆ Between 2000 and 2012, more than 85 studies have been published that link parks to better physical and mental health.

SOURCE: National Recreation and Park Association

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