THE EARLY BIRD NEWSPAPER
www.bluebagmedia.com
SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2014
GPD joins Click It or Ticket campaign GREENVILLE – The Greenville Police Department will join local and national law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates all across the country for the 2014 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization, May 19-June 1.
During the mobilization, officers will be cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seat belts - both day and night. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52 percent
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Name the bird GREENVILLE – The Early Bird and Bluebag Media unveiled its new website last weekend and announced a contest to name The Early Bird’s iconic bird. Although a lot of great names have been received, there is still time to submit a name for the bird. The deadline for entries is May 11. To enter, visit www.bluebagmedia. com, click on the link for contests at the top of
the page or on the Name the Bird advertisements. Contestants will be asked to give their name, email address and suggestion for the name. This is an online contest only. Submissions will not be accepted by email, mail, fax or in person. The winning entry will receive a 10-inch Samsung Galaxy 3 Tablet. The winner will be notified on May 18 via email.
Register now for Poultry Days Parades VERSAILLES – Registration for the Versailles Poultry Days, Grand Parade and the Antique Car Parade is open. To register for two of the largest parades in the area, go to Activities at www.versaillespoultrydays.com. The Grand parade will be held at 11 a.m. on June 14 and ran by the Versailles Fire Department. Awards
are given for Junior Civic, Senior Civic, Commercial, Theme Award, Queen’s Trophy, Mayor’s Trophy and Chairman’s Choice. The Antique Car parade begins at 2:30 p.m. on June 15 and is preceded by car display beginning at 10 a.m. The 63rd Versailles Poultry Days will be held June 13-15 with a festival theme of “Cluck Dynasty.”
of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their safety belts at the time of the crash. In 2012, of the fatal crashes where safety belt information was known, 61 percent of the people killed on Ohio’s roadways were not wear-
ing a safety restraint. “Too many drivers and passengers are not wearing their safety belts, and it all too often ends in tragedy,” said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director, John Born. “Our goal is to save more lives; therefore, our law enforce-
ment partners will be out enforcing safety belt laws around the clock.” “Many more nighttime traffic deaths can be prevented if more motorists simply start wearing their seat belts. That’s why the Greenville Police Department is strongly support-
ing enhanced nighttime enforcement of seat belt laws during the May 19June 1 Click It or Ticket campaign,” said Chief Dennis L. Butts. “We will be out in force to remind drivers and occupants to always wear their seat belts – both day and night.”
500 walkers turn out for the annual 5K March for Babies BY BOB ROBINSON ASSOCIATE EDITOR GREENVILLE – “Are you afraid of monsters?” The response was a loud and boisterous “No!” “This one has 1,342 teeth… Does that scare you?” Once again, “No!” Then… “Well… kinda.” Julie Schmidt of GPL Puppeteers entertained nearly two dozen “family fun walkers” in the Darke County fairgrounds Youth Building while 5K runners were in the middle of their 5-mile “March for Babies” on April 26. The race kicked off at 9 a.m. with the first 1-mile family fun walkers wrapping up about 40 minutes later. A few minutes after that, timed at exactly 47:30, Dan Weaver of Ramco Electric Motors was the first home on the 5-mile run. Close behind him were Darke County Chair Shawn Daugherty, Greenville Federal, and Christina Bowersocks. According to Angele Price, March for Babies Community Director for the Miami Valley, the annual event was great and she thanked all the “wonderful volunteers who made it possible. It was a great turnout; we hope they will come back again next year.” She said she’d have to wait for the final amount raised, but reported about 500
Julie Schmidt, GPL Puppeteers, entertains children who have completed their 1-mile Family Fun Walk. (Bob Robinson photo)
walkers/runners with 30 volunteers. The March for Babies event is held every year on the last Saturday in April. The Darke County Ambassadors for 2014 are Sylaris and Kalam, 9-year-old daughters of Shannie Denney, Early Bird production manager. Greenville Technologies Inc., which raised over $40,000 this year, also had its Ambassadors, Alyssa and MaryAnne Whittaker, daughters of Wayne Whittaker and Stacy Kerg. About a dozen students from Greenville High School – Career Tech Supply Chain Mgmt and Na-
Darke County Ambassadors Sylaris and Kalam Denney helped kick off the 2014 March for Babies 5K at the Darke County Fairgrounds April 26. (Bob Robinson photo)
tional Honor Society showed up at the finish line to welcome runners
and walkers. “We’re the cheerleaders,” they said.
Family Health urges students to have more than a physical BY RYAN BERRY MANAGING EDITOR GREENVILLE – Football, soccer, and volleyball season is just around the corner and parents should be thinking now about getting a sports physical for their child if they are planning to participate. While a successful sports physical will allow your child to take the field or court, Family Health officials are warning children need more than that to assure they remain healthy. Dr. Lynne Hawley and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Steve Schellhaas pointed out the so-called “minute clinics” don’t delve deep enough to see if your child is having problems in other areas. They don’t show if your child has the onset of diabetes or hypertension. There are no checks to make sure the student is current on all of his vaccines. And, mental
health issues, such as depression or anxiety, may go unnoticed. They are encouraging parents to have a wellness check in addition to the sports physical. “We like talking to our children. We want to see kids here.” According to Dr. Hawley, family physicians and pediatricians will see a child regularly until they are about five years old and there is a huge drop off after that. The wellness checks should be done every year, especially when a child is in his or her teen years. The medical staff knows some of the dangers facing today’s youth and are prepared to make sure they are healthy. While seventh graders are required to have their DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) vaccine prior to entering their seventh grade year, several other important vaccines are being
Dr. Lynne Hawley (left) and Steve Schellhaas, PNP, are shown with their nurses Karen Neiswander, LPN, and Dorothy Petersime, LPN.
missed because the students are not being seen. Measles and mumps have made a comeback recently in Ohio. Even if you received your shot from another doctor the state data base will let your current physician know if you have received the proper doses of the Chickenpox Vaccine, Hepatitis A, HPV (human papillomavirus) and Meningococ-
cal vaccines. Dr. Hawley is extremely concerned for those not receiving the Meningococcal vaccine because meningitis causes death rapidly in a child. According to Hawley, the disease not being detected quickly because of cold-like symptoms and death can come as quickly as overnight. To help parents ensure their child not only receives their sports physi-
The Early Bird would like to honor your graduate, high school or college, in a special section, May 18, 2014. This keepsake will highlight your graduates achievement in reaching a milestone in their graduation.
cal, but also a wellness check, Family Health physicians in Greenville, Versailles and Arcanum have agreed to leave room in their daily schedule for the purpose of seeing students. Dr. Hawley pointed out the appointment times are not just for student athletes. She stressed it is important for all students to have a yearly wellness check. The doctors and nurse practitioners at Family Health will do a comprehensive exam and will include more than the normal sports physical. The thoroughness of the wellness check will allow your family physician to complete forms for any type of physical for one-year, including camp physicals or work permits. Schellhaas noted most insurance companies now allow families to have one wellness check a year, without a
Honor Your Graduate.
Please mail, drop off or email, quality photos of your graduation senior with their name, school and parents’ names, by May 12 at 5pm. 5312 Sebring Warner Road, Greenville, Ohio 45331 • editor@earlybirdpaper.com Police Beat .................pg. 2
Grumpy Side of 60 .....pg. 7
Church/Social ............pg. 4
Obituaries ...................pg. 8
On Your Mind .............pg. 7
Mother’s Day ...... pg. 18-22
co-pay, but they should check with their insurance company to be sure. Hawley said persons without insurance shouldn’t let the lack of insurance stop them from coming in for the wellness check. Family Health has several programs, including a sliding pay-scale for those who need assistance. While Family Health is currently accepting new patients, they do want to see those who already have a family physician at the medical facility. While there will be a dedicated time for wellness checks in June, July and August, Hawley and Schellhaas agreed now is the time to call and make an appointment. Schellhaas pointed out if a patient calls in July or August and needs a physical the next day chances are it is not going to fit into their schedule.
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