NWH-9-22-2013

Page 1

Arkush: Winless Steelers still a threat with Big Ben.

Sports, C1

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

WWW.NWHERALD.COM

The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.

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ANNUAL EVENT • PLANIT STYLE, 8

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS

Lakewood ‘cottage’ one of 4 homes on housewalk

Nonprofit in need of male volunteers Local, B1

COMBATING CHILDHOOD OBESITY n PART ONE OF THREE

Adam Varrassi (right) and Hunter Johnson

Last 2 set to publish tax assessments Townships wrapping up process early this year By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com

Photos by Joe Cyganowski for Shaw Media

Husmann Elementary school students sprint during a timed and measured audio program. The school is one of many in McHenry County taking steps to ensure its students are living healthy lifestyles as nearly one-third of American children are now considered overweight or obese.

HOW TO KEEP CHILDREN FIT?

Communities struggle with issue of overweight youth By SHAWN SHINNEMAN n sshinneman@shawmedia.com Land of the free. Home of the glutton. America’s aptitude for excess has reached its children, and the consequences threaten to be devastating. Within the state and across the country, the issue has gone from troubling to downright alarming. The problem of obesity itself is both straightforward and complex – stripped down to an individual level, the solu-

including weight, age, height and gender – to determine whether a child fits one of those categories. A child well above the normal weight for his or her age and height is considered obese, according to the Mayo Clinic. In 1980, U.S. children ages 6 to 11 and 12 to 19 held obesity rates of 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

tion is simply to eat healthier and increase exercise. Yet experts know that to turn the trend around, they need to understand and alter how the fitness level of children is influenced by forces such as parents, schools and society. In the simplest terms, a child with excess body fat is considered overweight or obese. Doctors take several factors into consideration –

See OVERWEIGHT, page A8

Husmann Elementary school gym teacher Aaron Litchfield monitors and tracks student advancement using a program called CATCH testing. The tests track the physical improvement of students throughout the year, putting a focus on individual improvement rather than everyone trying to reach a uniform goal for an age range.

FIGHT

TOBEFIT Children in the U.S. today face the possibility that they will live shorter lives than their parents. Changes in American society, from increased portion sizes to foods with little nutritional value to technological devices of all kinds that discourage physical activity, have led to an estimated one-third of children and adolescents being considered overweight or obese. September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The Northwest Herald presents a three-day series on childhood obesity and its effects on our children. n Sunday: The root causes of childhood obesity n Monday: Obese children risk physical, mental health issues n Tuesday: Health care and school officials, as well as parents, weigh in on how to get the whole family healthy ONLINE Visit the “Real Nutrition” blog at NWHerald.com for suggested healthy meals to feed to your kids. INSIDE Learn how to determine your child’s weight status. Page A8

The last two McHenry County townships are poised in the coming weeks to publish their assessments, starting the 30-day window in which property owners can appeal them. Algonquin Township, the county’s most populous, will publish next Wednesday, County Supervisor of Assessments Robert Ross said. And the last of the county’s 17 townships to publish, Burton Township, will do so the first week in October. The latest township to publish, Marengo Township, did so Sept. 11, giving landowners until Oct. 11 to file an appeal. Property owners in Chemung and Riley townships have until Monday to appeal if they so choose, and Nunda Township residents have until end of business Wednesday. The opportunity to appeal for all other townships has passed. The record number of

On the Net Visit http:// co.mchenry. il.us/departments/ assessments for information on the property-tax process and how to appeal an assessment.

See ASSESSMENT, page A12

Dozens killed in Kenya attack By JASON STRAZIUSO and TOM ODULA The Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya – Terrified shoppers huddled in back hallways and prayed they would not be found by the Islamic extremist gunmen lobbing grenades and firing assault rifles inside Nairobi’s top mall Saturday. When the way appeared clear, crying mothers clutching small children and blood-splattered men sprinted out of the four-story mall. At least 39 people were killed and more than 150 wounded in the assault, Kenya’s president announced on national TV, while disclosing that his close family members were among the dead.

Uhuru Kenyatta, president of Kenya, called the security operation underway “delicate” and said a top priority was to safeguard hostages.

See KENYA, page A11

LOCALLY SPEAKING

WOODSTOCK

JACOBS-HAMPSHIRE CO-OP WINS

“Kick Off” the cooler weather with a precision tune-up on your furnace.

The Jacobs-Hampshire co-op girls swimming team won only four events in the Woodstock Invitational on Saturday but walked away with the team championship. The meet is a good early season benchmark for Fox Valley Conference teams. Dundee-Crown is the only FVC team that wasn’t at Woodstock. For more, see page C1.

Lathan Goumas – lgoumas@shawmedia.com

HIGH

LOW

65 48 Complete forecast on A14

CRYSTAL LAKE: 100th-year celebration continues with more planned festivities today at Three Oaks. Local, B1

Where to find it Business D1-8 Classified F1-6 Local&Region B1-8

Vol. 28, Issue 265 Lottery Obituaries Opinion

A2 B7 A13

Planit Style Inside Puzzles F5 Sports C1-14

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