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‘Healthy You in 2002’

[MARCH 25, 2002]  After the Lincoln Park District Indoor Sports Complex closed Friday afternoon, the gym went through a tremendous booth explosion. The Children’s Health Fair on Friday had only about 30 booths, all directed at children’s education. Saturday, however, at the Community Health Fair, "Healthy You in 2002," the 30 grew to over 70 displays aimed at a full range of people.

View pictures of Community Health Fair

Many of the special attractions from Friday’s children’s fair remained, such as the wheelchair obstacle course and the 32-foot-high McGruff. But, of course, there were many attractions added. Smokey Bear greeted guests at the fair, encouraging them to be safe with fire. ALMH sponsored a large display of many booths supplying various information pamphlets from the hospital and providing screenings for bone density, cholesterol and pulmonary function. And, because there cannot be a large community get-together without food, Lincoln Land Catering prepared a café serving healthy foods.

As with the children’s fair, there were many aspects of health and safety represented and endorsed across the fair. The Lincoln Police Department gave parents the opportunity to have their child’s picture and fingerprints taken as a part of the Child Identification Program.

Various booths provided information on nutrition, alcoholism, domestic violence, children’s health, women’s health, diabetes, glaucoma and soybeans.

 


[Photos by Bob Frank]

Representatives from many health service providers were also available to give information and answer questions. Among them were Dr. Frank Adubato, chiropractor; Curves for Women, a fitness center; and Jim Percival, reflexologist.

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Numerous health screenings were performed either for free or for a small fee. Logan County Health Department provided height and weight, blood pressure, and vision screenings. Graue Pharmacy had blood sugar screenings available. United Cerebral Palsy offered child developmental screenings for children ages 0-3. Pulmonary function and cholesterol screenings were provided by ALMH. Others were dry eye and tear testing by Drake Eyecare Center and hemoglobin testing by Family Medical Center. The bone density screening was provided by ALMH, Family Medical Center and Logan County Health Department.

 


[Photo by Gina Sennett]

In a section of the gym near the back, six sets of entertainers performed for guests: Richard Landry, magic; Emily Navarro and Lincoln Park District students, tumbling; Dan Dugan and students, chito ryu karate; Lincoln High School choir, patriotic songs; Lincoln Junior High, HYPE puppet show; Scott Brown and students, tae kwon do.

The wide variety of health and safety issues and the large number of guests from the community made this year’s health fair a huge success. LDN looks forward to seeing how it will be topped in next year’s fair.

[Gina Sennett]


Kids have fun and learn
about safe, healthy living

[MARCH 23, 2002]  Many people will descend today on the same gym for the annual Community Health Fair, but the fifth-grade students of Logan County received a private showing yesterday at the annual Children’s Health Fair. Organizations from all over the county and the state sent representatives to inform the children about aspects of their health.

View pictures of Children's Health Fair

Some of the booths reinforced lessons that parents, teachers and now public service ads on television teach them, such as the dangers of smoking and drinking. Each booth had a different theme. The American Cancer Society, for instance, showed the students three human lungs: one healthy, one with emphysema and one with cancer. The Logan-Mason Mental Health booth featured a video telling about the downfall of the cartoon spokesperson Joe Camel.

Many other booths taught lessons the students may never have learned otherwise — lessons involving subjects rarely covered in school. The Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities had many representatives there so the students could meet people with disabilities. The group also had an obstacle course for the students to complete in wheelchairs, which was designed to give them a greater appreciation and respect for people in wheelchairs. The course included two doors, both of which opened toward the student. Outside the first door, there was plenty of room to maneuver; the other door had to be opened in a hallway, leaving very little room for moving the chair. The second door had a high doorjamb and led to a corner with a thick carpet. Then students had to wheel up a ramp, turn a sharp corner, go down another ramp and over two bumps to the end.

There were also booths dealing specifically with certain disabilities and diseases, including blindness, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and diabetes.

Some booths provided information on how to stay healthy. CIEDC Head Start program told students about the necessity of calcium in the body. Health and Fitness Balance taught the students a few yoga exercises for maintaining good muscles and joints. And Lincoln Public Library sponsored a booth entitled "Stressbusters."

Some booths, instead of dealing with inner health, dealt with different forms of safety. The Hartsburg-Emden FFA and Farm Safety 4 Just Kids both taught about farm safety, demonstrating the importance of proper equipment handling. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources taught students about groundwater, which is the water that goes into wells and aquifers and into our homes. They tried to stress the importance of testing water from wells for chemicals such as arsenic, which is one of the most dangerous substances found in this area.

Then there was the big obstacle course. The Heart Adventure Challenge Course showed the students how blood flows from the body, through the heart, to the lungs, back to the heart and back into the body. Obstacles included small scooters, jump ropes, tunnels and hula hoops. Then students had their blood pressure and pulse checked.

 


[Photos by Bob Frank]

 

[to top of second column in this article]

After students rotated through all the booths for about an hour, the entire assembly was called over to the area held by the Lincoln Police Department for a demonstration of a roll-over accident. The Police Department, in conjunction with DARE and violence prevention, held almost a quarter of the gym. One of the new additions to the fair, a 32-foot-high, inflated McGruff dog, watched over the whole site.

The cab of a pickup truck stood on a frame attached to a trailer. Inside, a "daddy dummy" and a "baby dummy" were strapped tightly in their seatbelts. The cab began to roll around and around, but the dummies stayed where they were. The cab stopped, and the seatbelts were removed. Again, the cab began to spin. The baby fell out on the first rotation. After a few more rotations, the daddy began to flop out of the window. He was dragged along the ground a couple of times and then flew out.

The gruesome demonstration was intended to teach students the importance of wearing a seatbelt at all times.

Afterward, Sgt. Greenslate, with the DARE program, flew the remote-controlled DARE blimp around the gym, to the delight of all the students.

 

 

The two-hour session ended with students from Hartsburg-Emden High School talking to the fifth-graders about the dangers of smoking. The leaders listed a few of the chemicals found in cigarettes and told where those chemicals could be found other places, including ethanol (just like that in gasoline), carbon monoxide (like the exhaust from a car) and aluminum (like that in foil or cans). Then the high schoolers gave some of the reasons why they are nonsmokers. These reasons ranged from athletics to family members who had died of cancer.

Over the course of two hours, Logan County students learned so much about their health and what affects it. Hopefully, they will take some of that home with them to their parents, siblings and friends. And hopefully, they will remember it for their own lives for years to come.

[Gina Sennett]


Child safety seat check

[MARCH 12, 2002]  An important part of the Community Health Fair on March 23 will be a child safety seat check, a way to tell parents whether their children are as safe as possible when riding in the family car.

The safety check will be on the grounds of Lincoln Community High School on Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The health fair itself will be next door, at the Indoor Sports Complex of the Lincoln Park District, also from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dana Brown, director of support services for the Logan County Health Department, along with Sandra Wilmert and Tina Huff, support staff clerks, are in charge of the child safety seat check. All three have attended safety seat training courses in Springfield, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and are certified child passenger safety technicians.

Illinois law requires that every child under the age of 4 must be in an approved car seat, and police can now stop a driver who does not have the child properly restrained even if there is no other traffic violation, Brown said.

During the safety check, Brown and her fellow technicians will ask for the height, weight and age of each child, then check to see if the car seat the child is using is appropriate. They will take the seat out of the car, install it properly, then have the parent or guardian reinstall it to be sure it is being used correctly, Brown said.

They will also show parents how to adjust the harness straps and how to care for the covers of the car seat. While the seat is out of the car, the Health Department staff will also check to be sure it has not been recalled or is not out of date. Normally, Brown said, seats have a five-year life span.

"We don’t encourage anyone to keep a car seat that’s out of date. Parts could wear out and fail," she explained.

They will also recommend what kinds of child safety restraints the family will need in the future and be sure parents understand the instruction manual that comes with each car seat.

To keep a child safe, the car seat must fit properly in the car, must fit the child who is using it properly, and the child must be correctly harnessed in. Not all car seats fit all makes of cars, Brown explained, and she recommends purchasing a car seat at a store that will allow the parent to take the seat out to the car and see if it fits.

The style and the color of the car seat, even the cost, are not the criteria parents should use, she said, but how well it fits the child and the car. Some inexpensive car seats are very safe, she added.

Brown emphasized that children of different ages and sizes need different kinds of safety seats. Tags on the seats will tell the minimum and maximum weight the particular seat is designed for.

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Children from birth to at least 20 pounds and at least 1 year of age need rear-facing child seats.

 

 

 

Forward-facing child seats are for children over 20 pounds and at least 1 year old up to children who weigh about 40 pounds and are about age 4.

 

Booster seats are appropriate for children from 40 pounds to 80 pounds and at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Both rear-facing and booster seats are safest if used in the back seat. If they must be used in the front seat, the seat should be as far back as it will go, she said.

Ordinary seat belts are appropriate for older children large enough for the belt to fit correctly; children should be at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and weigh at least 80 pounds. Children and young people from 4 to 16 years of age must be secured in either a safety seat of some type or in seat belts.

Brown emphasized that an ordinary seat belt can harm a smaller child. For example, a lap belt must fit below the pelvic area or it may cause injury to the abdominal area. A shoulder belt may cut across the child’s neck area. Child safety seats are designed to protect the chest area of the child, and children who sit in booster seats will also have the chest area protected if they are using harnesses and shoulder/lap belts correctly, she said.

Brown said that three years ago, the Department of Human Services started a program to help people with limited means get car seats for their children. She said in some cases, the Logan County Health Department can help parents get appropriate car seats.

The Health Department also has a number of backless booster seats, donated by the Ford Motor Company, to give away. These booster seats are appropriate for children from 40 to 80 pounds, she said, and the Health Department will donate them to parents whose children fit into them.

Brown encourages parents who want the safety seat checkup to call her ahead of time at the Health Department, 735-2317, to make an appointment, but checks will also be given to those who come without an appointment.

This will be the third year for the car seat safety check to be part of the Community Health Fair, which is sponsored by the Logan County Health Department and the Lincoln Park District. A 4-H club from Mount Pulaski, the Hilltop Horse Club, will be helping the Health Department with the safety check.

Brown urges parents to get the car seat check not just so they won’t get a ticket, but for their own peace of mind. "In case you are in a crash, then you’ll know you’ve done everything you possibly can so that your child won’t be hurt."

[Joan Crabb]


Health Matters

A monthly feature from  Logan County Health Department


Lincoln Park District

Lincoln Park District notes

[MARCH 5, 2002] 

The spring session of ceramics kicks off the first week of March.  Scotty Hinman offers several class times to make it convenient for you.  This 12-week session will be our last offering until the fall.  Scotty has a great selection of green ware for you to choose from and is willing to help in any way.

Although the weather does not agree, it is time to play ball!  Registration for baseball (boys) and softball (girls) has already begun.  Representatives of both leagues will be on hand the second and third Saturday of March.  If you have any questions, they will be here from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration will take place in the front lobby.  If Saturday is an inconvenient time for you, you may sign up at the front desk between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.  If you need more information, call 732-8770.

Basic Dog Obedience returns for another four-week session.  Classes start Thursday, March 14.  Mike Beiser will be our instructor again.  Mike has been a professional dog trainer for many years.  He currently works with police departments, training officers and their drug dogs.  Handlers should be over 8 years of age.  You will need to provide your dog’s current inoculations records, a choke-chain-type collar, and a 6-foot leash.

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Lincoln Park District in conjunction with Logan County Health Department is offering the annual Community Health Fair on Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The theme this year is "A Healthy You in 2002." This fair promises to be one of the largest in our history.  Not only will there be a vast number of informational booths but many screenings as well.  There will be a minimal charge for some screenings, but many are free.

Hippity-hoppity, Easter is on its way.  The Easter bunny will stop at the park district on Saturday, March 30.  Our special thanks to Maple Ridge Care Centre and the Lincoln Kiwanis for underwriting the cost of this program and supplying the manpower as well.  We begin the egg hunt at 10 a.m. in the 0-2 age division.  Older age divisions start hunting at 15-minute intervals after that.

Finishing touches are being put on our summer programs. The summer brochure should be out in May.  If you have a question about a program we did last year, feel free to call us.  Also, if you have program ideas, don’t hesitate to share them with us. You might even be the next Lincoln Park District class instructor.

[Lincoln Park District news release]


Red Cross

Red Cross blood drives in April

[MARCH 28, 2002]  Two Red Cross blood drives in April will be at the Lincoln Sports Complex. The hours on Wednesday, April 3, will be from noon until 6 p.m. Hours on Wednesday, April 17, will be from noon until 5 p.m.

Elkhart Grade School will be the site for a drive on Saturday, April 6, and hours will be from 9 a.m. until noon.

Atlanta Methodist Church will have a drive on Thursday, April 11, with hours from noon until 6 p.m.

During March, William Tebrugge reached a goal of 29 gallons of blood donated and Leonard Krusemark reached the 16-gallon mark.

[Logan County Red Cross announcement]

 


Events

April 2002


Wednesday, April 3
WHO: Public
WHAT: Red Cross blood drive
WHERE: Lincoln Sports Complex
WHEN: noon-6 pm

Saturday, April 6
WHO: Public
WHAT: Red Cross blood drive
WHERE: Elkhart Grade School
WHEN: 9 am-noon

Thursday, April 11
SPONSOR: U of I Extension
WHO: Public; preregistration required
WHAT: “Make New Friends But Keep the Old,” presented by Patti Faughn, youth and family educator, Springfield
WHERE: Extension office, 980 N. Postville Drive
WHEN: 10 am

WHO: Public
WHAT: Red Cross blood drive
WHERE: Atlanta Methodist Church
WHEN: noon-6 pm

Saturday, April 13
SPONSOR: Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital and Lincoln Junior Woman's Club
WHO: Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders
WHAT: Baby-sitting clinic; free
WHERE: ALMH Conference Room A, lower level
WHEN: 9-11:30 am

Monday, April 15
SPONSOR: U of I Extension
WHO: Public; preregistration required
WHAT: “Dining with Diabetes,” presented by Jananne Finck, nutrition educator; first of three sessions
WHERE: Extension office, 980 N. Postville Drive
WHEN: 7-8:30 pm

 

 

Wednesday, April 17
WHO: Public
WHAT: Red Cross blood drive
WHERE: Lincoln Sports Complex
WHEN: noon-5 pm

Monday, April 22
SPONSOR: U of I Extension
WHO: Preregistered participants
WHAT: “Dining with Diabetes,” presented by Jananne Finck, nutrition educator; second of three sessions
WHERE: Extension office, 980 N. Postville Drive
WHEN: 7-8:30 pm

Sunday, April 28
SPONSOR: Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital and Lincoln Junior Woman's Club
WHO: Public
WHAT: Special Deliveries sibling class; free
WHERE: ALMH Education Room in the Family Maternity Suites, third floor
WHEN: 1-3 pm

Monday, April 29
SPONSOR: U of I Extension
WHO: Preregistered participants
WHAT: “Dining with Diabetes,” presented by Jananne Finck, nutrition educator; last of three sessions
WHERE: Extension office, 980 N. Postville Drive
WHEN: 7-8:30 pm


Honors & Awards


Announcements

Baby-sitting clinic offered April 13

[MARCH 28, 2002]  A free baby-sitting clinic will be offered Saturday, April 13, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Young people in sixth, seventh and eighth grades who are interested in learning how to be a safe and successful baby sitter are invited to attend.

The clinic, sponsored by the Lincoln Junior Woman’s Club and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, will cover numerous topics such as basic and emergency first aid, safety while baby-sitting, and basic child care for young children. Participants will also learn about the business of baby-sitting and how to do a professional job.

The clinic will be in Conference Room A in the basement at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, 315 Eighth St.

Registration is required, and the clinic is limited to the first 40 people. To register, call (217) 732-3182 or write to the Lincoln Junior Woman’s Club, Box 152, Lincoln, IL 62656.

[ALMH news release]

 


Health care career scholarship applications available

[JAN. 26, 2002]  Applications for the Dwight F. Zimmerman Scholarship, sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation, are currently available.

Applicants must be seniors graduating from Lincoln Community High School, Mount Pulaski High School, Olympia High School, Hartsburg-Emden High School, Delavan Community High School or Illini Central High School, or students currently attending Lincoln College.

All applicants who are chosen as finalists to interview with the scholarship selection committee will receive an award to be applied directly toward tuition, fees and books. The two top applicants will receive scholarships of $1,500. Other finalists will be awarded $500 scholarships.

Applications are available in the guidance offices of the above-listed schools. Applications are to be submitted to the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation, 315 Eighth St., Lincoln, IL 62656. The deadline to submit an application for the Zimmerman scholarship is April 5. For more information, call the foundation office at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 405.

People wishing to contribute to the scholarship fund may send their contributions to the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation, 315 Eighth St., Lincoln, IL 62656.

[News release]


Mobile health unit schedule

The Rural Health Partnership has announced the schedule for its mobile health unit for 2002.

 

Morning: 9-11 a.m.

 

 

Afternoon: 1-3:30 p.m.

Monday

1st and 3rd

Hartsburg

1st and 3rd

Emden

 

2nd and 4th

San Jose

2nd and 4th

Greenview

Tuesday

Weekly

Chestnut

Weekly

Mount Pulaski

Wednesday

Weekly

New Holland

Weekly

Middletown

Thursday

1st and 3rd

Elkhart

Weekly

Atlanta

2nd and 4th

Friendship Manor-Lincoln

Friday

1st, 2nd, 4th

Village Hall-Latham

1st

Beason

     

2nd and 4th

Broadwell

 

3rd

Maintenance/ special events

3rd

Maintenance/
special events

The mobile health unit does not operate on the following dates for holidays during 2002:  Jan. 21 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), Feb. 18 (Presidents’ Day), March 29 (Good Friday), May 27 (Memorial Day), July 4 (Independence Day), Sept. 2 (Labor Day), Oct. 14 (Columbus Day), Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), Nov. 28-29 (Thanksgiving break) and Dec. 24-25 (Christmas break).

For more information on the mobile health unit schedule and services, contact Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409.


Community resource list

This family resource list to save and use is provided by the Healthy Communities Partnership and the Healthy Families Task Force, 732-2161, Ext. 409.         

Agency

Phone number

Address

Lincoln agencies

911

911 (emergency)
732-3911 (office -- non-emergency)

911 Pekin St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital

732-2161

315 Eighth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

American Red Cross
www.il-redcross.org  

732-2134 or 
1 (800) 412-0100

125 S. Kickapoo
Lincoln, IL 62656

Catholic Social Services
www.cdop.org 

732-3771

310 S. Logan
Lincoln, IL 62656

Lincoln/Logan County Chamber
of Commerce
www.lincolnillinois.com 

735-2385

303 S. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Community Action (CIEDC)

732-2159

1800 Fifth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Crisis Pregnancy Center/
Living Alternatives

735-4838

408 A Pulaski St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

DCFS (Department of Children
& Family Services)

735-4402 or 
1 (800) 252-2873
(crisis hotline)

1120 Keokuk St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Heartland Community College
- GED program

735-1731

620 Broadway St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Housing Authority

732-7776

1028 N. College St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Illinois Breast & Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP)
www.logancountyhealth.org 

735-2317 or 
1 (800) 269-4019

109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Illinois Employment and Training Center (replaces JTPA office)

735-5441

120 S. McLean St., Suite B
Farm Bureau Building
Lincoln, IL 62656

Lincoln Area YMCA

735-3915

319 W. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Lincoln/Logan Food Pantry

732-2204

P.O. Box 773
Lincoln, IL 62656

Lincoln Parents’ Center

735-4192

100 S. Maple
Lincoln, IL 62656

Lincoln Park District

732-8770

1400 Primm Rd.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Logan County Department of Human Services (Public Aid)
www.state.il.us/agency/dhs 

735-2306

1500 Fourth St.
P.O. Box 310
Lincoln, IL 62656

Logan County Health Department
www.logancountyhealth.org 

735-2317

109 Third St.
P.O. Box 508
Lincoln, IL 62656

Logan-Mason Mental Health

735-2272 or
735-3600 (crisis line)

304 Eighth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Logan-Mason Rehabilitation Center

735-1413

760 S. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656

The Oasis
(Senior Citizens of Logan County)

732-6132

501 Pulaski St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Project READ

735-1731

620 Broadway St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Salvation Army

732-7890

1501 N. Kickapoo
Lincoln, IL 62656

Senior Services of Central Illinois

732-6213 or 
1 (800) 252-8966
(crisis line)

109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

U. of I. Extension Service
www.ag.uiuc.edu 

732-8289

980 N. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656

Springfield agencies

Department of Aging
www.state.il.us/aging

785-3356

421 E. Capitol, #100
Springfield, IL 62701-1789

American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org 

546-7586
(24 hour)

1305 Wabash, Suite J
Springfield, IL 62704

Community Child Care Connection
www.childcaresolutions.org 

(217) 525-2805 or
1 (800) 676-2805

1004 N. Milton Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702-4430

Hospice Care of Illinois

1 (800) 342-4862
(24 hour) or
732-2161, Ext. 444

720 N. Bond
Springfield, IL 62702

Illinois Department of Public Health
www.idph.state.il.us 

(217) 782-4977

535 W. Jefferson
Springfield, IL 62761

Legal Assistance Foundation

(217) 753-3300 or
1 (800) 252-8629

730 E. Vine St., Suite 214
Springfield, IL 62703

Sojourn Shelter & Services Inc.

732-8988 or
1 (866) HELP4DV
(24-hour hotline)

1800 Westchester Blvd.
Springfield, IL 62704

U. of I. Division of Specialized Care for Children
www.uic.edu 

524-2000 or 
1 (800) 946-8468

421 South Grand Ave. West
Second Floor
Springfield, IL 62704

Logan County libraries

Atlanta Library 

(217) 648-2112

100 Race St.
Atlanta, IL 61723

Elkhart Library

(217) 947-2313

121 E. Bohan
Elkhart, IL 62634

Lincoln Public Library
www.lincolnpubliclibrary.org 

732-8878

725 Pekin St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Mount Pulaski Library

792-5919

320 N. Washington
Mount Pulaski, IL 62548

(updated 2-15-02)

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