The Southeast Advocate (01/29/15)

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Gardener works to preserve antique varieties of camellias ä Page 2G

THE SOUTHEAST

ADVOCATE

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THURSDAY JANUARY 29, 2015 H

COURSEY • HARRELLS FERRY • MILLERVILLE • OLD JEFFERSON • PARKVIEW • SHENANDOAH • TIGER BEND • WHITE OAK THEADVOCATE.COM

Kicking kindness into high gear

Darlene Denstorff

BY C.J. FUTCH

cfutch@theadvocate.com

AROUND THE SOUTHEAST

DDENSTORFF@ THEADVOCATE.COM

All aboard at the Jones Creek library Saturday is Train Day at the Jones Creek Regional Branch Library. This daylong event, set from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include displays, working train models, Operation LifeSaver presentations and PowerPoint picture shows. Organizations contributing to the day’s activities include the Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders, the Railway Locomotive and Historical Society, the Illinois Central Railway Historical Society and individual rail fans and photographers. Call (225) 756-1180.

Annual winter hummingbird program, tour

Hummingbird aficionados have two events this week to fill their interest in the tiny birds. On Friday, Dennis Demcheck will discuss types of hummingbirds that might visit the area in winter and provide tips on how to attract these birds to local yards. The program is from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center Education Center. Admission is free for Baton Rouge Audubon members and $3 for nonmembers. Then, on Saturday, BRAS will host the Winter Hummingbird Tour. The event is free but advanced registration is required. The group meets at 7:30 a.m. at Brew Ha-Ha Coffee House at 711 Jefferson Highway. The tour is expected to end by noon. There is no charge for this event. Call (225) 757-8905.

Sixth-grader Thea Knowles spent the weekend thinking about kindness. Well, kindness, and socks. Thursday, Jan. 29, is “Kick Into Gear and Help Someone Near� day at The Runnels School, and students are encouraged to wear differentcolored socks and shoes as a Photo provided visual reminder of what they’re Aeryn Miller and Audrey trying to accomplish as a school Guess create handprints this this week. week as part of the Great As part of the Great Kindness Kindness Challenge. Challenge, the school spent the

entire week following what is already the first rule of Runnels: Be Kind. In fact, the campus has been lousy with random acts of kindness. “We’re going this weekend to shop for socks,� Knowles said Friday, the day of the school’s Kindness Kickoff Rally. Knowles and her friends already had a good idea of what they were going to buy: pink princess socks. It’s not the only visual reminder to be kind. On Tuesday, students were allowed to wear pajamas for Dream of Kind-

ness day, and on Wednesday, crazy hair and clothes for Crazy for Kindness day. The challenge included many other elements, Runnels’ Elementary Principal Marcia Mackay said, including kindness-grams — students could stop by a station set up at recess to send notes to teachers or other students this week, either to pay a compliment or to thank them. The notes were then distributed throughout the week. Students also were being kind to a school in California by helping it attempt to break

the world record for the most “kind-hearted handprints.â€? Kind-hearted handprints are handprints in paint with a heart shape in the center. Older students helped younger students make their prints by rolling paint on their hands, placing a paper heart in the center, then pressing the hand onto a contrasting color of paper, leaving a paintless heart shape in the center of the print. The school plans to send the prints off to California to contribute to the world record attempt. äSee KINDNESS, page 3G

Work of

heart

Raising awareness about heart disease in women gets fashionable

BY C.J. FUTCH

cfutch@theadvocate.com Most people tend to picture men when they think of heart disease, but it’s the No. 1 cause of death among women in the United States, said Casey Stannard, faculty adviser for Hemline@LSU, a student organization dedicated to promoting fashion at LSU. She earned her doctorate in apparel design, not cardiology, but Stannard and Hemline promoted heart health awareness among women at Macy’s Red Dress competition, held at the Mall of Louisiana on Jan. 24. For the second year, Stannard and Delisia Matthews, who is also Hemline’s faculty adviser, challenged students to create fashion using nothing but the red paper hearts distributed to donors of the American Heart Association. Matthews, who holds a doctorate in merchandising, said part of what Hemline aims to do is contribute to the Baton Rouge community, and using

Advocate staff photo by C.J. FUTCH

Amber Constantine works on her dress Saturday during the Red Dress competition at the Mall of Louisiana. fashion to attract attention to an important health topic was a perfect fit. As part of the challenge, Hemline designers submitted designs, and six of those were chosen for the competition, Stannard said.

On Jan. 24, each designer had four some used Saran wrap, which makes hours to execute her design on a man- it easy to attach the hearts.â€? Each designer was allowed up to nequin. “They were allowed to use some kind 10 percent of material other than the of foundation underneath,â€? Stannard said. “Some chose to use Spanx, and äSee RED, page 2G

Blood drive planned

Remington College is asking area residents to donate blood at its upcoming 3 Lives blood drive, a national effort to recruit minority blood donors and help supply local hospitals with blood. The effort has resulted in more than 12,000 pints of blood collected since the program began — enough blood to save more than 36,000 lives, a news release from the college said. According to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, African-American donors provide blood with unique antigens that are vital for people with sickle cell disease and patients with other blood disorders. All the blood collected will äSee SOUTHEAST, page 2G

Homewood Senior Center opens to community Advocate staff report

Advocate staff photo by PATRICK DENNIS

Visitors tour the aquatic facilities on Jan. 22 during the opening of the Homewood Senior Center and Aquatic Program.

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The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging has partnered with United Healthcare to open Homewood Senior Center and Aquatic Program. The groups held an open house on Jan. 22 to introduce area seniors to the facility. The Homewood Civic Association donated the building at 3653 Granada Drive to the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging in 2008, and in 2013, the agency made significant renovations to the pools. The partnership allows Unit-

ed Healthcare to create programs with a senior wellness and prevention focus in mind, the release said. In addition to providing a daily hot meal to seniors 60 and older, the site also will provide aquatic therapy, recreation, water safety education and swimming lessons for seniors. The Homewood Aquatic Center is also available for event rentals. For information call (225) 923-8000. “The Council on Aging is thankful for the support we have received from our corporate partner, United Health-

care,� said Tasha Clark-Amar East Baton Rouge Council on Aging chief executive officer. “Together we can provide a program that will help our seniors improve their mobility and help increase their quality of life.� The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging is a nonprofit organization serving the senior population of East Baton Rouge Parish. Annually, the agency delivers 125,000 meals through its Meals on Wheels Program and more than 85,000 meals to seniors through its senior centers and meal sites, the release said.


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