Young father invents first ergonomic carrier for infant car seats
Infant carriers can be tough on the arms—tough enough to dislocate the shoulders of even the most strapping young parents, which is why creator and young dad, Nathan Day, invented LugBug.
The Gilbert resident set out to build a sturdy, reliable and easy-to-use handle for parents to prevent strain-related injuries when lifting inherently awkward infant car seats. The result is LugBug, a lightweight, ergonomic and exceptionally strong little handle that adjusts to any single-handle baby carrier. It offers a range of better, more comfortable and enjoyable carrying positions that ease tension on the wrist, forearm and shoulder.
“The idea of LugBug was born out of necessity after I dislocated my shoulder while lugging around my infant daughter in her car seat,” said Day, a father of two young girls and a real estate developer.
“After much research, I was shocked to discover there was nothing on the market to make baby carriers easier to hold. My idea quickly turned into a sketch,
which evolved into making LugBug a reality with molds, testing, patents and now manufacturing. We just made our debut in October at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas and were overwhelmed by the positive responses from national retailers and mommy bloggers. When you use LugBug, you see how simple, yet revolutionary it is.”
North Carolina State University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering studied the effect of baby carrier handle strain on the body.
According to the 2011 study, a handle that promoted a neutral wrist posture “would increase grip stability and decrease lifting effort.” A survey discussed in the study said that nearly half of parents experienced shoulder, back or neck pain.
“LugBug is exceptionally strong. After extensive testing, we found it has a working load of 90 pounds and a breaking strength of 600 pounds. We’re currently undergoing further testing and evaluation to adhere to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requirements and
Day’s single-handle car seat carrier adjusts to any model in the market, is simple and yet revolutionary. Submitted photo
guidelines,” said Day.
Headquartered in Scottsdale, the company is accepting online orders for shipment in January. The handle retails for $39.99 and is available in six colors: raspberry, seafoam, cotton candy, robin’s egg, aquamarine and mint.
LugBug is compatible with all single-
handle infant car seats, which is nearly every major brand on the market including Graco, CYBEX, Britax, UPPABaby, Safety 1st, Baby Trend and more.
For more information or to order LugBug, visit www.lugbug.com or connect on social media at @lugbug_handle.
Registration opens for SPARK App League, high school coding competition
Gilbert is inviting high school students across Arizona to participate in the fourth annual SPARK (Students Participate in App Resources and Knowledge) App League. The annual competition is sponsored by Google and hosted by Gilbert in partnership with ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. This two-day competition will SPARK creativity through coding. A Google engineer will be onsite to help inspire the students and provide a real-life perspective on what a career in coding is like. Students will learn the importance
and power of coding by working in teams of two to three to develop a game using Scratch from MIT. ASU professors and mentors will guide the students as they build their games. All student games will be entered on the second day to win prizes based on their innovation, design and code implementation. The event is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29, at the ASU Polytechnic Campus, 7001 E. Williams Field Rd., Mesa. For more information or to register, visit www.sparkappleague.com.
Child care choices impact student achievement later
When a baby is born, many parents start dreaming about junior going to their alma mater and looking in to a college fund. But, it turns out, one of the most important educational choices parents make for their children happens even before they get to kindergarten.
Research shows 90 percent of a child’s brain develops before age 5. The positive, nurturing relationships young kids have with adults—from parents to child care and early learning professionals—shape their learning now and throughout their lives. Families are their child’s first and best teachers. In Arizona, 60 percent of children live in families where all of the adults work. So, most children spend all or part of their day learning from other adults.
Quality child care and preschool settings help children develop skills like motivation, self-control, focus and selfesteem that are crucial to their success now and once they enter school.
First Things First offers families the following tips on what to look for when searching for quality child care and preschool settings. Look for places that build on basic health and safety to include:
• teachers and caregivers who know
how to work with infants, toddlers and preschoolers;
• positive, nurturing relationships that give young kids the individual attention they need;
• learning environments that encourage creativity and imaginative play;
• hands-on activities that stimulate and encourage positive brain connections in children; and,
• caregivers who provide regular feedback to parents on the development of their child.
All of these elements combined prepare children for success in kindergarten.
But, how do parents know if their child care setting—whether at home, with relatives or friends, or in a child care center or preschool—is a quality early learning environment?
QualityFirstAZ.com, a First Things First website, gives families information about why quality matters in child care and preschool and what quality looks like. It also gives parents tools they can use to find a quality child care and preschool setting that meets their needs. This choice has never been more important, and all parents should feel empowered when making decisions
about child care that will help get their children ready for school and set for life.
First Things First is a voter-created, statewide organization that funds early education and health programs to help kids be successful once they enter kindergarten. Decisions about how those funds are spent are made by local councils staffed by community volunteers. To learn more, visit www. azftf.gov.
Quality matters in child care and preschool because 50 percent of a child’s brain develops before age 5.
• Safe and secure country-syle living
• Specially trained 24-hour onsite Caregivers
• Daily life-enrichment activities
• Open Door Policy with all family members
• Three delicious well-balanced meals daily
• Assistance with special and therapeutic diets
• Medication Administration
• Incontinence Management
• Assistance with all daily living activities (ADLs)
as many of those as we
We’re nestled in the heart of Gilbert, on 1.5 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds
• Care planning for each Resident’s unique needs
• Weekly linen and housekeeping services
• In-room cable television and Wi-Fi internet
• In-house Salon and much, much more…
STUDENT CHRONICLES
Know a student who’s doing something remarkable? Send items for student chronicles to christina@timespublications.com.
Marcus Begay, a 125-pound senior, is a member of the 2015-16 Hofstra University Wrestling team. Hofstra, a NCAA Division I program which competes in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), returns 14 wrestlers, including seven starters, from the 2014 squad that placed 13th in the EIWA and 35th in the NCAA Division I Championships.
in 1892, is a college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school for students in grades six through 12. Students in grades nine through 12 participate in R-MA’s 91st Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), and have the opportunity to learn to fly through a unique flight program. The academy also offers several summer programs. R-MA is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is located in Front Royal, Virginia.
Tyler Lynch has been named to Eastern New Mexico University’s dean’s list for the fall 2015 semester. To be eligible for the dean’s list, a student must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours with a GPA between 3.25 and 4.00. ENMU, a state institution offering associate, bachelor and master degree options, serves students from around the world. Courses are offered oncampus and online.
Hofstra University is a nationally ranked private university just 25 miles from New York City and all its cultural, recreational and professional opportunities. It offers small classes and personal attention with the resources, technology and facilities of a large university. Students can choose from undergraduate and graduate offerings in liberal arts and sciences, business, engineering and applied science, communication, education, health sciences and human services, honors studies, the Maurice A. Deane School of Law and the Hofstra North ShoreLIJ School of Medicine. Named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, and one of only two schools chosen to host consecutive presidential debates, Hofstra University is a dynamic community of more than 11,000 students known for civic engagement and public service.
Timothy Fajembola, a junior at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, Virginia, has received recognition for his superior performance on the R-MA varsity boys’ soccer team during the fall 2015 season. Timothy has been named to the Delaney Athletic Conference (DAC) All-Conference Team, receiving an honorable mention.
Timothy is the son of Oladipo and Jennifer Fajembola of Gilbert. Randolph-Macon Academy, founded
Timothy Fajembola was recently honored for his soccer skills. Submitted photo
Providing Role Models from Cradle to College
CitySkate brings winter wonderland to Phoenix
BY KIMBERLY HOSEY
I’m almost a lifelong Arizonan, but my family is originally from Buffalo, New York. One Christmas we made a trip back there, and one of the absolute highlights was ice skating...outside! We slipped and slid on real live ice as we watched the sun set. It was pretty exotic.
bystanders and skaters to a bench to lace up. CitySkate has lockers for shoes and belongings.
My son hit the ice—well, inched out onto it, mostly—and glided around to an equal mix of Christmas songs and pop hits. (Never before have I transitioned so seamlessly from singing carols to doing the whip and the nae nae.)
Well, Arizonans looking for that postcard ice-skating experience, transplants looking for a taste of ice in the desert, parents introducing their kids to the ice and just about anyone else can find it from now until Jan. 11 at CitySkate, Phoenix’s largest real outdoor ice rink, at CityScape, 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix.
The event, in its sixth year, is presented by APS. Organizers expect 200,000 guests to take a spin on the ice during the sevenweek run—but they were seeing triple the amount of visitors early this month compared to the same time last year. Clearly, the word has gotten out. Expect to wait in line.
After getting a wristband to skate (the price includes skate rental, plus unlimited skating for the day and session purchased), we made our way through
Light shows began bathing the ice in alternating shades of red, green, purple and blue at 7 p.m., but even before that we were treated to plenty of Christmas wonder, sightseeing and, yes, parental photo ops as my son skated beneath a 36-foot Christmas tree festooned in bulbs and lights and topped with a star. When he wanted a break, he sat briefly on the wraparound bench at the foot of the tree, gazing up into the gold and blue lights above.
Bystanders can have fun too: Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday Patriots Park receives a light snowfall during light show hours.
CitySkate offers ice skates as small as 11 youth (including double blades), and the smaller skates often run out quickly.
Lisa Figueroa School Leader
If you want to make sure to nab some skates, or avoid the long line and wait time, try visiting earlier on weekdays. It was a bit of an undertaking for us— we parked in the garage on Washington Street and First (patronizing any CityScape business should get your ticket validated), and by the time we reached the rink, the line snaked around the sidewalk. But we used a real live, outdoor ice rink. In Arizona! I think it was worth it.
Getting tickets
Tickets are available online or at the ticket booth. Pricing and times for CitySkate are as follows:
Day session: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily. Night session: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Kids and adults: $12 (day session), $15 (night and weekend session).
Military, kids 4-8, seniors: $8 Children 3 and younger: Free College students (with valid student ID): $12
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
If you can’t make it to CitySkate, there are several venues throughout the Valley offering ice skating experiences, from seasonal holiday wonderlands to yearround skating locations.
Public skating times vary at many locations, so call ahead or check the website for hours before visiting.
Seasonal
Holiday Ice Skating at the Wigwam Through Jan. 2
300 E. Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park (623) 935-3811
http://wigwamarizona.com
$5 10 and younger, $8 11 and older
Desert Ice Skating Rink Through Jan. 3
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess 7575 E. Princess Dr., Scottsdale (480) 585-4848
$8.50 ages 13 and older, $7.50 ages 12 and under; skate rental $3.50.
Special from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
AZ Ice Peoria 15829 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria (623) 334-1200
http://azice.com/peoria/
$8.50 ages 13 and older, $7.50 ages 12 and under; skate rental $3.50.
AZ Ice Arcadia
3853 E.Thomas Rd., Phoenix (602) 957-9966
http://azice.com/arcadia
$5.50 ages 13 and older, $4.50 ages 12 and under, skate rental $2.50
Ice Den Chandler
7225 W. Harrison St., Chandler (480) 598-9400
www.coyotesicechandler.com
$5 ages 5 and under (includes rental skates, or $3 with own skates), $6 ages 6-15 and seniors 55 and older, $8 ages 16 and older, skate rental $4. Specials: Friday Night Fever, $5 all ages (includes skates), Family Night Saturday, $8 all ages (includes skates), Holiday Skate on select days, $10.
Ice Den Scottsdale
9375 E Bell Rd., Scottsdale (480) 585-RINK (7465)
www.coyotesice.com
$5 ages 5 and under (includes rental skates, or $3 with own skates), $6 ages 6-15 and seniors 55 and older, $8 ages 16 and older, skate rental $4. Specials: Family Night Saturday, $8 all ages (includes skates), Holiday Skate on select days, $10.
www.mathnasium.com/gilbert
e are committed to educational excellence in a safe and secure environment. Our bold, New “Early College—Early Career” philosphy allows Desert Hills students to earn up to 60 college credits while still in high school. This approach to achievement has been shown to give students a dramatically improved opportunity to graduate from high school ready for life. It’s a fast-tracked, solid foundation to prepare you for college, to advance in the military or to pursue skilled post-secondary job training.
CitySkate, through Jan. 11 at Phoenix’s largest outdoor ice rink, features a 36-foot Christmas tree. Submitted photo
