The
April 24, 2013
Countryy Editor
Volume 1 Number 2
South
Just good reading
Spring into action during Physical Fitness and Sports Month ~ Page 16
NYC group gives away prom dresses to Sandy victims ~ Page 18
Giganticus’ sculpture helps Route 66 renaissance ~ Page 2
Never too young to give back by Kelly Gates Alanna Wall is only 12 years old, but she has already made a big impact in this world. Alanna is the founder and CEO of Polished Girlz, a Dayton, Ohiobased nonpr ofit organization that boasts teams throughout the United States and beyond. According to the young philanthropist, she first had the idea to serve others when she was eight. But it took some tweaking to come up with just the right concept. “I originally wanted to make head scarves for young girls who have cancer, with glitter and rhinestones and all sorts of cute decorations on them, but my mother is a nurse and she was worried that the pieces could come off and be hazardous to the kids,” she recounted. “Then, when I was 10, my Nana sent me a bunch of nail polish and I immediately came up with the idea for Polished Girlz.” With mom and dad by her side, Alanna purchased all the necessary supplies to prepare for her first polish
party. When she was stocked and ready, she made her first trip to a local Down’s Syndrome Association. Then, she visited a rehabilitation service. Both places were ecstatic when the Polished Girlz girl was finished and offered open invitations for her to come back anytime. Soon, Alanna’s friends joined in and for med the first Polished Girlz team, traveling to patient treatment centers and hospitals throughout the Dayton area. Then, as word spread of the girl’s generosity, the small service blossomed into a full-fledged charitable operation. “People started emailing and calling, asking if they could be part of Polished Girlz too,” said Alanna. “We created a web site and put up a volunteer application that people could fill out if they had at least five other girls in their area who wanted to serve with them. Today, we have teams here in Ohio, in Chicago, California, New York, Rhode
Island, Washington and we’re starting up in other countries like Australia and Africa too.”
Each new team receives a free See Give Back page 2
Polished nails equal big smiles.
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John’s Kayak old interviews where this author chatted with a reporter about his life in rural Minnesota and his current acitivites — including building a rowboat with his youngest son, John. Like the sentimental female I am, I gave a brief “Awww, so sweet. That’s adorable!” But that was the end of it. I certainly never imagined that in a couple years I’d meet this boy in a packed college classroom nor did I anticipate the romantic paddle he’d take me on in that very brownand-cream boat along Lake Superior in Bayfield, WI. Today, my husband and I live in Amsterdam, NY. Apartment living in the midst of a city 1500 miles from where we grew up instilled in John a restlessness that back in Minnesota had been much more tempered. The kayak is made from Red Oak. It is 17 feet long by John has wanted to do 21 inches wide. Shortly after this step, John stretched more building for years. The 12 oz nylon over the skeleton, adding several light plans for his dream boat coats of varnish to create the skin. traveled with us to New
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by Emily Enger The first time I learned that my husband built boats, I hadn’t yet met him. I was in high school and had just finished reading a fantastic novel. In my curiosity to learn more about the author — I was an aspiring writer myself — I dug up some
York, snug safely in his “man box” — a location I bequeathed him after he fussed every time I tried to throw away odds, ends and other pieces of junk that apparently held sentimental — or “cool” — value. The boat is a Nordic Faring, a huge rowing shell that would allow John to tap into the bad boy spirit of our Viking ancestors. A fun goal, perhaps, but we have no land, no shed, no truck, no supplies and only a few of his tools here in our new home. Thus, boat building was one of the items on our growing list of “things to do when we move back to Minnesota.” But then something changed. In a sudden burst of weekend boredom after an inspirational visit from his family at Christmastime, his innovative spirit flipped on with the sudden decisiveness I had come to recognize. That same decisiveness once wore down my stubborn resistance to date him. Even had I wanted to, I knew better than to crush his dreams with practicality; there are certain arguments I just don’t get to win. My husband is an innovative man. See Kayak page 3