Grundy County’s Own Magazine

January 2014

Family reading time will serve your children well the rest of their lives

ALSO: 100 day fitness challenge • Toning your financial health

Youngachievers

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General Manager: Robert WallManaging Editor: ChristinaChapman-Van YperenShaw Media Correspondent: Jeanne Millsap

GO magazine is published four times a year by the Morris Daily Herald (A division of Shaw Media), 1804 N. Division St., Morris IL 60450. The entire contents may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or part, without written permission of the publisher. Advertisements appearing in GO magazine are not endorsements by the publisher. The publisher is not responsible or liable for errors or omissions in any advertisement beyond the paid piece of that advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission from the publisher. © 2014, Morris Publishing Company.

Inside this

month’s

Young achievers Family reading time will serve your children well the rest of their lives

6

Grundy County’s Own Magazine

January 2014

Get in the Olympic spirit with the 100 day challenge | Local physician issues exercise challenge

4

Toning your financial health | Local financial experts offer advice to those seeking to save more

10

A division of Shaw Media 1804 N. Division St., Morris, Illinois 60450 815-942-3221 www.morrisdailyherald.com

MORRISDAILY HERALD

MORRISDAILY HERALD

LocalHistory

School Days

Morris High School in Morris, Illinois.

(photo submitted by Betty Ferguson)

MORRIS DAILY HERALD • GO MAGAZINE • 3

Fitness

Get in the Olympic

spirit with the

100-day challenge

Local physician issues exercise challenge

Story by Jeanne Millsap | Shaw Media Correspondent

The Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, begins in February, when the best and the most fit athletes in the world will demonstrate their mastery of their sports.

And we’ll be watching them lying on our couches, munching snacks and sipping sodas.

Seneca family physician Dr. Lianne Holloway has a challenge she’s issuing to the community to get up and get moving: Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day for 100 days. Any kind of intentional movement counts, she said, and it can be broken up into increments of 15 minutes twice a day or even 10 minutes three times a day.

“The Olympics are a great motivator to get people moving who aren’t moving now,” Holloway said. “Especially in the winter, there’s a lot of inactivity, and people don’t realize the cost to themselves. Inactivity is the fourth leading risk for mortality in the world.”

Holloway cited a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity, that says adults need at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic workouts each week, plus muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days that work all major muscle groups.

She also cited the American Heart Association, which says exercising at least 30 minutes a day can cut the risk for heart disease. And for every one hour of walking, life expectancy lengthens by two hours. An activity as easy as walking can reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Holloway has put her feet where her words are, as well, participating in the100-day program herself. There was a three-day period in early January when she got all the exercise she needed just by shoveling snow, she said, noting that one doesn’t have to go to a gym to reach the 30-minute daily goal.

And after the athletes have received the medals for their Olympic performances, Holloway said those doing the challenge will have their own “gold medal moments.” That’s when something is achieved that a person did not think they would be able to achieve.

One of her gold medal moments came when she first started running. She completed the “Couch to 5K” program and ran her first 5K.

“I was so thrilled,” she said. “I felt like I got a gold medal.”Holloway said the 100-day challenge can include such motivators as a

couch-to-5K program, an exercise DVD, a cable television exercise program, exercise equipment, walking or running outside, swimming, or all of the above for variety.

Weight Watchers also has a good get-moving program, she said, and fitness expert Debra Mazda has a DVD she recommends for larger women called, “ShapelyGirl Fitness.”

“Just do something you like to do,” Holloway said. “Put on the Bee Gees in the basement and dance away. There’s no one there to laugh at you but your dog.”

4 • MORRIS DAILY HERALD • GO MAGAZINE

Kelly BeatyPresident, Southern Division

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Dr. Lianne Holloway challenges the community to exercise at least 30 minutes a day for 100 days (left).

Dr. Robin Trevison of Coal City can be found at Get Fit 24/7 (formerly Healthsmart Fitness Center) in Morris riding the stationary bicycle and participating in other fitness activities (opposite page, left).

Nora Colin of Morris can be found at Get Fit 24/7 (formerly Healthsmart Fitness Center) in Morris working out at least 30 minutes a day (opposite page, right).

For those who are relatively sedentary, Holloway said there are many obstacles that are probably getting in the way.

“When you confuse yourself with all the reasons why you can’t,” she said, “you miss all the reasons why you can.”

An example she cites is the fear of ridicule at a gym. Even gym-goers who are super-buff won’t look down on you, she said. They will admire you for taking that first step.

“Start slowly if you need to,” she said. “Just get up and begin. Overcome the self-defeating talk and have the courage to start. You’ll probably find something you love to do and will enjoy the experience.”

Holloway recommended remembering the pure joy you got as a child from some kind of physical activity.

“That joy is still inside you somewhere,” she said, “and it will be a great thrill when you find it.” n

• Improves sleep• Boosts the mood• Lowers the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes• Tones muscles• Strengthens bones• Increases number of calories the body burns• Slows memory decline• Lowers Alzheimer’s risk• Gives you opportunities to actively socialize with friends and family

Benefits of walking

Sources: www.arthritistoday.org and www.niddk.nih.gov

Family

Many educators say that having family reading time is by far the best thing parents can do for their children’s academic success.

Reading helps a child’s intelligence skyrocket even before he or she begins school. They are better able to handle all classroom subjects if they are read to when young, and if they read on their own as they grow older.

“Being able to read well affects every area of their education, even math and science,” said Peggy Janosek, a reading specialist at Saratoga School. “As soon as they are born,

start reading to them.”Reading to babies lets them hear the cadence

and sounds of words, and gives them special bonding with the parent, sibling or other reader. When the kids get older, Janosek said, reading to them builds their vocabulary, interests them in books and can be a calming activity before bedtime.

When children begin to learn to read, parents can alternate sentences or pages of the adult reading aloud, then the child reading aloud. Janosek advised that beginning

about fourth grade, begin reading to them above their level.

“Their ability to understand is higher than their reading level,” she said.

But don’t give them books that are above their reading level to read themselves, or they may become frustrated and not enjoy reading anymore. A rule of thumb, according to Janosek, is the five-finger rule: If there are five words they don’t know on one or two pages, that book is too much for them.

Once a child is older and reading aloud is

Story by Jeanne MillsapShaw Media Correspondent

Young achieversFamily reading time will serve

your children well the rest of their lives

Danise Dryfhout reads to her children at night

before bed.

6 • MORRIS DAILY HERALD • GO MAGAZINE

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not an option, Janosek still recommends family reading time, where the TV is turned off and the time is devoted to every family member reading.

“Tell them, ‘Turn the TV off and let’s enjoy the quiet time and let our brains go crazy,’” she said.

Danise Dryfhout, of Morris, has seven children and has read to each of them. The little ones will jump in bed with her at night and get their reading time there. The older ones have their e-readers or books. Dryfhout said she has always enjoyed reading and hopes she can convey that love to her children.

“It was something that I cherished growing up,” she said, “and I wanted them to have that as well. It’s imagination, it’s learning and it makes them smarter.”

Her family has good memories of reading time. She said she read the entire “Harry Potter” series out loud until she was hoarse when her oldest children were young.

Once a child reaches high school, spending reading time with their parents may be the last thing they want to do.

Morris Community High School Media Director Gail Janz said there are still ways to keep reading at the forefront in your home.

“It is important to keep the kids reading,” she said. “It’s been shown that reading really does support high test scores. ... Reading

pushes your brain and expands your knowl-edge. ... It’s also a good way to stay close to your kids at that age.”

Students at MCHS have required reading lists each year, with selections varying depending on which English classes they are taking. The books for their classes are listed on the school’s website, Janz said, under the English department tab.

Parents can read those books at the same time their children do, Janz suggested, then discuss them daily.

“It’s better than asking them, ‘How was your day?’” she said. “You can talk about the characters. ... The more they can discuss and understand those books, the better their knowledge of those books come test time.”

Another idea Janz suggested was to have a bit of a competition going between the parents and the kids. Put a chart up on the wall listing how many books the kids versus the adults have read that year, or how many Abraham Lincoln Readers’ Choice Award-winning books. This master list of books is recommended by teachers and librarians for high school-age students, then voted on by student readers.

Janz said that even with kids who don’t normally like to read, finding the right book for the right kid can lead to a love of reading and books and lifelong learning. n

Ways to encourage reading at homeCooking - While cooking have your kids read

recipes aloud to you while you’re cooking dinner. Eating - While your family is eating together,

discuss what your favorite characters would have for dinner – Harry Potter might like pumpkin juice and chocolate frogs, while Geronomo Silton could crave some cheese.

Put somE drama in your EvEnings - Choose a story your family knows well – like a well-read book or fairytale -- and act out the beginning, middle and end of the story.

Play “Who am i?” - Choose one of your children’s favorite book characters, then describe his or her personality traits, problems, and physical descriptions until they guess the character’s identity.

Book nooks - CrEatE “Book nooks” With your Child - comfy places to sit and read. They should have good lighting and containers filled with sticky notes, pens, pencils and a small dictionary.

Craft Bookmarks - Making bookmarks together is a great family reading activity. Just cut bookmark-sized cardboard from cereal or shoe boxes, then get crafty. Use markers to write titles, authors, and favorite quotes. Younger readers can draw or cut and paste pictures from old magazines.

source: www.scholastic.com.

Saratoga School reading specialist Peggy Janosek encourages students to read on the computer as well as traditional books (above).

Ten year old Kaitlyn Fowlie of Minooka enjoys picking out books at the library to take home and read (above, right).

8 • MORRIS DAILY HERALD • GO MAGAZINE

MORRIS DAILY HERALD • GO MAGAZINE • 9

“The Bookworm” is written by Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with her two dogs and 11,000 books.

The BookwormTerri Schlichenmeyer

Just one spark

Knickelbine recounts a little known tragedy in post-civil war history from the view of a young boy (this story is meant for kids ages 7 -10 or young historians).

Don’t play with matches!Even before you entered first grade,

that was a lesson you learned from your parents, grandparents, teachers, and neighbors. Matches were cool but they burned hot, and not only could they destroy things with the fire they make, but they could also hurt you very, very badly.

You know all about the things that fire can do - but did you know that it can cause a tornado? Read about that and one of the biggest disasters in history, in “The Great Peshtigo Fire” by Scott Knickelbine.

In 1871, America was still a young country but it was growing very fast. People were coming from all over the world to live here, and they all needed homes and furniture. Because much of our country was covered with huge forests, wood was plentiful and cheap and was often used to make those things.

In Northern Wisconsin, logging was a big industry: thousands of people worked to cut down tens of thousands of

trees every year to meet the immigrants’ demands. When loggers cut down the trees, they left behind dead branches and shrubs, which they called “slash.” Dried slash was dangerous because it caught fire easily, especially when mixed with the piles of sawdust that came from making wooden boards.

Trains, of course, were needed to bring the lumber out of the logging camps. The locomotives were run by steam, and the

fire from the engines threw off sparks. It wasn’t unusual for one of those sparks to meet dry slash and cause a disaster.

On Sunday, October 8, 1871, a disaster is exactly what happened.

It had been dry that summer, and people were already used to a lot of fires and smoke-filled air. At about 10 o’clock that night,

everyone heard a soft roar that grew and grew.

“Suddenly, big sheets of flame blew out of the forest,” says Knickelbine. Everyone

ran toward the safety of the Peshtigo River, but the fire was faster.

When it was over, the town was little more than ash. Nobody knows exactly how many people died in the flames; Knickelbine says, “… even today, we don’t know all their names.”

So why isn’t this conflagration the first topic when it comes to firefighting? Your child will learn the reason in this well-written, well-illustrated book.

Those illustrations, in fact, are a big part of “The Great Peshtigo Fire.” Yes, author Scott Knickelbine gives kids a thorough overview of life in the Upper Midwest, post-Civil War, and he explains how this disaster came to be, personalizing it a bit by including a young boy as part of the story. But Knickelbine also includes vast amounts of artwork, real photo-graphs, and weather maps to fully explain the significance – and the horror – of the deadliest firestorm in American history.

Meant for kids ages 7-to-10, I also think an older child would get a lot out of this book. For young historians, future firefighters, or kids with wide and varied interests, “The Great Peshtigo Fire” is a good match. n

Columnist

10 • MORRIS DAILY HERALD • GO MAGAZINE

Money

These cold winter months are the perfect time to sit down and take account of the condition of your finances.

With the sun dipping down early and the long evenings indoors, try spending some time looking at the big picture of your dollars that come in and where they go out.

If you don’t already have one, creating a budget is a great place to begin. Start by writing down everything you spend money on for a one-month period. The results of this financial review may surprise you. Many don’t realize just how much goes to fast food restaurants, entertainment, and even their vehicles.

“You’ll see where your money is going,” said Kevin Olson, Grundy Bank President and CEO. “Then ask yourself if you are really happy with where it’s going, and if not, figure out what you can do to change that.”

Then prepare your budget, which is a list of exactly what you want to spend your money on each month. Include categories such as rent or mortgage, electricity, gas, car payment, food and toiletries, eating out, entertainment, etc. Then stick with it.

“A budget is an excellent idea,” Olson said. “Write down your obligations, such as insurance, car payment, food, clothing, school expenses, and medical expenses, and don’t forget to pay yourself in the form of savings so that you do have money set aside for a rainy day.”

Think long-term when planning a budget, he added. Having a budget allows you to plan for some long-term goals – things you know you want or will need.

Another way to tone your financial health is to start or modify your savings. Jim Roolf, of First Midwest Bank, said that living

Story by Jeanne Millsap | Shaw Media Correspondent

Toning your fiancial health

Kevin Olson with Grundy Bank discusses ways to increase your savings and pay down your debt (left).

It is never too early to start saving (below).

paycheck-to-paycheck can be dangerous, even if things seem to be going well at the time. Financial emergencies can arise, he said, and it’s important to have resources that can be quickly and easily accessed.

“The one thing that most people fail to do is pay themselves first,” he said.

One of the simplest ways, Roolf said, is if your paycheck is direct deposited in your bank’s checking account, sign up to have a portion of those deposits immediately put into a savings account.

“You can take $50, $100, $150 out of your check each pay period,” he said,“so that you don’t even see it. It’s automatically deposited into a savings account.”

It’s like making a New Year’s resolution, to commit to begin taking care of your financial health, just as you take care of your physical health, he said.

For those who have smart phones, Roolf said First Midwest has banking apps that also make it easy to transfer money from your checking to your savings account. When you accrue enough in your savings account, it may be time to talk with a personal banker about how to begin a more profitable savings plan.

“The challenge is to have that money working for you,” he added. “Ask yourself what is the return you will be getting and what is the risk you will assume.”

Tomorrow is that day of the week when anything couldhappenNo one knows what tomorrow holds. Call today toschedule an Insurance and Financial Review to getprepared for your future.

012014-01103AC

Terri Gilmoure401 N Liberty StMorris, IL 60450815-942-9266terri.gilmoure@countryfinancial.com

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• Wilmington Branch - 120 S. Main

MORRIS DAILY HERALD • GO MAGAZINE • 11

Also look at paying off the debt you have. Begin with the debt that has the highest interest rate, and pay it off first. Olson said debt can be a good tool to achieve a goal, such as buying a house, or it can be harmful to you.

“If you’re using it to help pay the grocery bill,” he said, “then that means you’re spending more than you’re taking in, and that’s not what you want to be doing.”

Olson also said you can’t start saving too early for your retirement or your child’s college expenses.

“The hardest part is just to start,” he said. “Once you start, make it a habit. Like running, the hardest part is that first step.” n

Develop a buDget Think of a budget as how you want to spend your money. A spending plan.

Increase your savIngs Pay “yourself” first when money comes in. Put money in savings or a retirement account. Set a goal, such as a vacation, a down payment on a new home, or an emergency fund to cover the unexpected. Then establish a timeline for accomplishing the goal and outline a strategy for reaching it.

pay Down your Debt Make a plan to pay off debts that have the highest interest rates first. Try to pay more than the minimum payment each month, even if it’s just $25 more. You’ll pay off your debt faster and save more on interest in the long run.

revIew your creDIt report The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. To order one, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

protect your IDentIty Review your monthly statements for any suspicious activity. Avoid using your social security number whenever possible. Be sure that you are on a secure website — the URL will begin with https — before you submit personal information online. Be wary of opening suspicious emails — and don’t click on any attachments.

start a college funDfurther your fInancIal knowleDge

Sources: Kevin Olson of Grundy Bank, Jim Roolf of First Midwest Bank and www.commonwealth.com.

Ways to tone your financial health“The one thing that

most people fail to do is pay

themselves first”Kevin Olson - Grundy Bank

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