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LOCAL NON-PROFITS HELP OTHER LOCAL NON-PROFITS By: Amanda Teape Johnson (405) 777-6505 amanda.johnson.ok@gmail.com

Shawnee has been fortunate to see a growth in community organizations willing to help those in need. Blueprints, a non-profit organized by a Neighboring 101 ‘Getting Ahead’ Graduate, Tiffany Walker, has worked many strenuous hours, and collected numerous donations to make sure that students in Pottawatomie County have all the supplies they need to go back to school. The organization collected donations for personal hygiene products, paper, crayons, notebooks, and other school supplies, and filled backpacks for students in need.

Blueprints hosted a backpack event open to anyone in Pottawatomie County on August 12. Residents could pick up a backpack filled with supplies, and take advantage of other community resources all in one venue.

Blueprints focuses on giving back in order to build a better community for everyone through educational events that provide basic necessities to families while educating on local resources available in the community. Walker understands the necessity of all the organizations coming together to create the major difference.

Throughout the process of preparing the bags, Blueprints received donations and man hours from other organizations in Shawnee. Community collaboration allows Blueprints to fulfill their mission.

For Walker, “helping other agencies is the right thing to do, [she] wants to create a community where agencies no longer compete with services, but are able to work together to better serve the individuals and families.” Following their latest backpack event, Blueprints made a donation of backpacks to another local non-profit, Project Safe. Project Safe works with victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. “Pottawatomie County has a variety of resources available, Blueprints wants to ensure these are being brought to the people we seek to serve”, said Walker.

Those involved with this organization

Taken from Blueprints Facebook page - taken at August 12th Blueprints backpack event

understand that their events have the ability to empower others to take the necessary steps to better their circumstances. When Blueprints can eliminate the worry for basic necessities, such as school supplies or hygiene products, it

can allow individuals and families to focus on the more important issues occurring in their everyday lives. Walker said the organization does not want to provide a temporary solution for one day, but they want to offer a long term sustain-

ability to families in need.

To get involved with Blueprints, find them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ blueprints15

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Living on

Myths and facts surrounding organ donation

By Melissa Erickson

B

More Content Now

eing an organ donor is a very personal choice.

While some people have religious objections or may be uncomfortable with the idea, organ donation can save lives.

“You could save up to eight lives through organ donation and give hope to the more than 100,000 people waiting for an organ transplant,” said Dr. David Klassen, chief medical officer at the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing.

Every 10 minutes another person is added to the national waiting list

for organ donation. Each day, “92 people get life-saving organ transplants in this country, but another 20 die waiting for an organ that didn’t come in time,” Klassen said.

All organs are needed, but by far the largest number of people need kidneys followed by livers, Klassen said.

“The average is 3.5 organs transplanted per deceased donor. The same donor can improve the lives of an additional 75 people through eye and tissue donation,” he said.

Anyone can donate “People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors,” Klassen said.

You don’t even have to be

in top physical shape.

“A liver was transplanted from a 93-year-old organ donor — the oldest donor to date,” Klassen said. The first successful human organ donation was a kidney transplant in 1954.

“Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated. It’s never too late to register, and there are very few conditions that are automatic ruleouts,” Klassen said. Conditions that can rule out organ donation include current or recent cancer diagnosis or morbid obesity.

Signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor is free, Klassen said. Just fill out the form at registerme.org.

“

“You could save up to eight lives through organ donation and give hope to the more than 100,000 people waiting for an organ transplant.”

— Dr. David Klassen, chief medical officer at the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing

Sign up to be an organ and tissue donor at registerme.org

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[PHOTOPIN]

A lifesaving chain When someone is willing to donate a kidney but their intended recipient is incompatible, all hope is not lost.

“Kidney paired donation pro-grams match incompatible donor and candidate pairs with other pairs that don’t

match. A donor chain is kicked off when a living donor who gives a kidney to help a stranger is added to a kidney paired dona-tion program,” Klassen said.

Saturday, August 26, 2017 • 5

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SEFF CONTINUES THIRD FRIDAY EVENTS THROUGH THE FALL By: Amanda Teape Johnson (405) 777-6505 amanda.johnson.ok@gmail.com

Each month, on the third Friday, Downtown Block Party is the event to be at in Shawnee. Safe Events for Families (SEFF) of Shawnee invites vendors, local artists, musicians and patrons to gather together in downtown to offer safe entertainment for the entire family. The next Downtown Block Party will be held September 15, 2017. As the weather begins to cool, and Fall starts to arrive, outdoor activities are on everyone’s mind. Make sure the calendar is marked to join SEFF for the fun.

Shawnee’s Boo on Bell Fall Festival is the event that started it all. This event was started over 15 years ago and has grown every year. This year’s festival will take place on October 20th and 21st in Downtown Shawnee. Festival hours will run on Friday night from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Boo on Bell features live music, costume contests, family activities, entertainment, vendors, delicious food from all over the state, and one of the biggest trick or treat turnouts you will ever find. And do not miss the Scaredy Cat Crawl 5K on Saturday morning at 9:30. It will start and end at Celebration of Life Park on Main Street, across from the Shawnee Public Library.

SEFF Facebook page - taken at Boo on Bell 2016 event

SEFF is taking applications for vendors and food trucks for September, October, and November events. Downtown Block Party vendor fees are $15 per event. Boo on Bell’s vendor fee is $45. Non-profit organizations offering a family-friendly activity can receive booth space for free. If you are an artist, musician, business, non-profit, or patron looking to get involved in the next Block Party or Boo on Bell, email amanda. johnson.ok@gmail.com for more information.

More information about SEFF: Safe Events for Families of Shawnee (SEFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing safe family fun by sponsoring and promoting family-friendly community events.

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MOBILE TOOL COMPANY MAKES DOWNTOWN HOME BASE

United States, and it's exciting to be able to support a company that makes their product at home, and be able to support my own home community while doing it."

Amanda Teape Johnson (405) 777-6505 americantoolco@gmail.com

David Johnson has brought a Cornwell Quality Tools mobile retail store to Shawnee and the surrounding towns, with his hub being right in Downtown Shawnee.

He is proud to be an Authorized Dealer for Cornwell and excited that his business is now a part of the Shawnee community. His favorite part about having his business in Shawnee is being able to be active in his own community through his business.

The Shawnee area has been home to Johnson and his family for 20+ years. He is the proud father of two beautiful daughters, and has two spunky grandsons, and a third grandchild on the way. He and his wife, Amanda, just celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Both are active in the Shawnee community, and are excited to bring this new business to Shawnee. Johnson is a member of the local Elks Lodge, a Mason, and has joined the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce. His life has been centered around Shawnee, other than his business.

Johnson says, "when the opportunity arose to start a new business in Shawnee, it was a no brainer."

"The Cornwell products are made right here in the

Be on the lookout for Big Blue, his Cornwell truck, around town. Find him on Facebook: www.facebook. com/cornwellshawnee More on Cornwell Quality Tools: Eugene Cornwell founded the Cornwell Quality Tools Company in Northeast Ohio in the early 1900s. Eugene was a highly skilled blacksmith determined to produce "the best tools." By experimenting with various steels and heat-treating methods, he not only accomplished his dream, but also achieved widespread reputation as a top-notch toolmaker.

Eugene Cornwell began forging more than metal when he set out to produce rugged, longer-lasting tools. From his small blacksmith shop in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, he forged a company. A company that cares about doing the best it can because it's employee owned. A company that is committed to the pride that accompanies the sale of quality materials. A company that recognizes the importance of family because the company itself is family owned. And over the years that hasn't changed. With

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2009 marked Cornwell's 90th Anniversary as a corporation. Eugene initiated a notion that his company should remain in the family, and Cornwell has been family owned for its entire history. It fostered this notion by being the oldest in the business to provide direct sales through independent tool dealers. www.cornwelltools.com

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By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

A

s Americans are living longer and thriving into their 70s, 80s and beyond, they’re also dealing with the effects of old age, including memory loss.

Some are turning to dietary supplements to help preserve their minds, but “there’s no evidence these brain tonics work. They’re more hype than hope,” said Dr. Marc Agronin, board certified geriatric psychiatrist and vice president for behavioral health and clinical research at Miami Jewish Health Systems, a network of assisted living facilities.

“There’s no question with more attention on Alzheimer’s, concerns about memory loss are becoming more common. I’m seeing more and more younger people coming in complaining about memory lapses,” said Agronin, author of “The Dementia Caregiver.”

Supplements are not medicine Manufacturers are heavily marketing memory enhancers or memory pills to adults looking for drugs to help combat the effects of aging. Some make big claims that suggest their products can be used as treatments for diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently reviewed hundreds of dietary supplements claiming to improve memory and found that many made misleading claims.

“Medications are highly regulated. Dietary supplements are not. The crackdown on supplements is happening because they’re not subject to the same rules (as

THE SHAWNEE NEWS-STAR • LOOK WHO’S LOCAL!

False memory

Watch out for ‘brain-preserving’ supplements

[MCN ILLUSTRATION]

medicines). People are looking for a miracle, but these companies are selling something not helping someone,” Agronin said.

As people age, cognitive function tends to slow down, Agronin said. While it varies from person to person, memory loss

Saturday, August 26, 2017 • 9

is a normal part of aging.

“There is a decline.

There are more tip-of-thetongue experiences as we get older,” Agronin said.

Memory disorders are quite common, and age is the main risk factor, Agronin said. But, that doesn’t take into account the benefits of aging.

“Other things improve. You have more experience. Wisdom and creativity improve,” Agronin said.

Memory concerns are also subjective. What might bother one person may not concern another.

What can be treated If memory issues are frequent and bothersome, it’s worth having them checked out either by an internist, neurologist or gerontologist.

“Medically, they can see if everything is good,” Agronin said.

Often memory loss symptoms are relatively benign and more treatable than commonly thought, Agronin said. Some reasons a person may be experiencing memory loss include depression, low thyroid, sleep disorders, substance abuse and side effects from drug interactions. Many are reversible factors, but the longer you wait the harder they can be to treat, Agronin said.

To maintain a healthy brain, keep a healthy lifestyle.

“What’s good for the heart is also what’s good for the brain,” Agronin said. Eat a diet (like the Mediterranean diet) low in fat, high in fruits and vegetables. “Do things that you enjoy that keep your mind, body and soul active,” Agronin said. That can mean Sudoku or computer games, long walks or vigorous exercise, learning a new language or actively baby-sitting your grandchildren.

GEEK 10 • Saturday, August 26, 2017

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speak

Having ‘geekier’ sons has pros and cons

By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

BI

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TO C

K.C

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dmired for their intellect despite a perceived lack of social graces, geeks run the world. If you’re hoping for a son with a “geekier” nature, new research suggests fathering a baby later in life.

Sons of older fathers are more intelligent, more focused on their interests and less concerned about fitting in, all characteristics typically seen in “geeks,” according to research conducted at the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City and published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

“Our study suggests that kids of older men are not only smarter, but also better able to adapt to environments that require dedicated pursuit of one’s goals, characteristics that promote educational and, likely, career success,” said Magdalena Janecka, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Seaver Center. “We think it’s particularly important to acknowledge the benefits associated with older fathers, as these results will help better inform us about the links between higher paternal age, autism and the positive characteristics identified in the study.”

Fathering a child later in life is not without challenges. Previous research has shown that children born to older fathers are at higher risk for adverse conditions including autism and schizophrenia. This new research shows that these children may also have certain advantages over their peers in educational and career settings.

“The most surprising thing we found was that in the current, knowledge-driven economy, children born to older men are actually likely to do better in life than those whose father was

younger at conception. This was surprising as it may change the way we think of those advanced paternal age effects,” Janecka said. “Taking into account that men who delay fatherhood often do so precisely because they are successful themselves, it seems fairly logical that their offspring also displays some advantages.”

For the study, “geekiness” was defined “as having high non-verbal intelligence (logical and math skills), having a strong focus on the subject of interest and not paying too much attention to fitting in with the peer group,” Janecka said.

These days being labeled a geek or nerd is not a bad thing.

“We showed that being ‘geeky,’ which in our sample was strongly associated with older age at parenthood, is also linked with better school performance. This effect was particularly strong for the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), which were previously shown to be a much better predictor of future income than school performance overall. Although we could not verify this directly, because our participants are still young, this suggests that offspring of older men may end up

more likely to have higher socioeconomic status in the future,” Janecka said.

Of course, choosing when to have children is a delicate and personal decision.

“We very much do not want to encourage delaying parenthood, as the precise mechanisms of how paternal age affects offspring outcomes remain unknown,” Janecka said.

“Our study suggests that kids of older men are not only smarter, but also better able to adapt to environments that require dedicated pursuit of one’s goals, characteristics that promote educational and, likely, career success.”

Magdalena Janecka, Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment

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Make healthy choices at restaurants

By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

Americans love to dine out. We spend nearly a third of every food dollar at restaurants, and in 2015 the National Restaurant Association reported that Americans spent more at restaurants than at grocery stores.

Eating out may be enjoyable, but it can lead to an expanding waistline. Here are some expert tips for healthconscious

Saturday, August 26, 2017 • 11

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foodies who like to eat out: Find good options “Don’t hesitate to inquire to your server to explain cooking methods and ingredients,” said Blair Kidwell, assistant professor of marketing in the College of Business Administration at Florida International University. “Frozen or fresh, farm-raised or wild-caught, made inhouse or shipped. There are great gems out there — you just have to find them.”

According to Eat This, Not That!, typically local foods are fresher and more nutritious than those shipped or frozen, and there’s much debate about the benefits of farm-raised versus wild fish. Read up on facts and buzzwords before you head out.

You’re No. 1 “When it comes to ordering, go first!

I have noticed that if I order last, after discovering my friends have opted for cheese fries and nachos, I am likely to switch my meal to a less healthy option,” said registered dietitian nutritionist Anja

at Western Michigan University.

Order creatively “Consider ordering a healthy appetizer of salad before your entrée. Ask for low-fat or lower-calorie salad dressing,” said Denise Holston-West, instructor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Louisiana State University. Order a side salad and appetizer rather than an entire entrée, consider sharing an entrée, or ask for a to-go box immediately and put half of the entrée in the box so you are not tempted to eat the entire dish, she said.

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