“Event to raise money for Kids Together playground - WRAL” plus 1 more |
| Event to raise money for Kids Together playground - WRAL Posted: 14 Apr 2010 09:46 AM PDT Event to raise money for Kids Together playground The third annual Kids Together Family Fun & Fitness Walk is set for 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday in Cary. The walk raises money for the popular Kids Together playground at Marla Dorrel Park, which sits at 111 Thurston Dr. right off Cary Parkway. Proceeds will support the purchase of a misting station at the playground, which is a great idea. The 1.4 mile round-trip walk is stroller and wheelchair friendly, following the Hinshaw Greenway across the U.S. 1/64 pedestrian bridge to the MacDonald Woods Park where walkers will circle back to Marla Dorrel Park. There will be lots of fun activities for kids, including a bubble station; KATAL, the Kids Together dragon mascot; and contests for the coolest shoes, snazziest wheels, largest group of walkers and funniest hat. Registration is accepted the day of the event only. It's $15 per family or $5 per person. Refreshments will be served. And if it rains (and there's just a small chance of that right now), the rain date is from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 18. I spent a little time over at the playground last week. Especially if you haven't been to Kids Together, one of the best playgrounds in the Triangle, be sure to check back here on Friday for a look around.
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| Shoes in the house or not? Lacing up the debate - Chicago Sun-Times Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT Whether it's for cultural reasons or fear of germs and dangerous chemicals, many people are opting for footwear-free homes -- but some say the idea really stinksIf you're a "Sex and the City" fan, you'll never forget when fashion maven Carrie is asked to take her shoes off at a friend's baby shower. She grudgingly obliges and peels off her heels, but on the way out discovers that her high-priced Manolos are MIA. The same scenario -- minus the missing shoes -- is playing out in homes in Chicago and all across the country, as more and more Americans take on a shoes-off policy in their homes. Some are newer converts, citing dirt and germs, while others say cultural beliefs and habit spur the practice. For Wicker Park resident Sharmila Thakkar, it's a bit of both. "I prefer no shoes in the house at all," says Thakkar, a senior program officer for a family foundation in Chicago. Her parents are from South India and continued their practice of leaving street shoes at the door even as they raised kids in the United States. Now that Thakkar has two young girls of her own, she says keeping the house as clean as possible is a priority. But, she admits it's not always easy. At her last family barbecue Thakkar actually went so far as to post a handwritten sign by the door asking guests to "please carry your shoes to the back." She says she didn't want them trudging through the kids' play area and the house with dirty shoes to get to the deck out back. About 40 guests -- some slightly confused by the request -- obliged, though even her husband at first laughed at her persistence. Even kid-oriented businesses are following the shoes-off trend. At Fantasy Kingdom on the Near North Side, parents and kids can wear socks only in the play area. It's a policy they've maintained since opening more than five years ago, and while some welcome it, others initially resisted. "We live in the city and people walk their dogs, there's all sorts of stuff," says owner Mark Allen. "It keeps the germs at the door and it stops there." It's hard not to acknowledge that shoes are, well, dirty. But, few actually have documented exactly how dirty. University of Arizona's Dr. Charles Gerba is one of those few. A microbiologist with more than three decades of experience, he was asked by shoemaker Rockport in 2008 to conduct a study examining what exactly is on the bottom of people's shoes as the company launched a line of washable shoes. "I didn't realize we were walking in poop all day," says Gerba. "Some shoes had over 10 million bacteria per square inch." As part of the three-month study, 10 people were given new shoes to wear for two weeks, after which Gerba and his team sampled the bottom and the insides of the shoes for bacteria. Fecal bacteria (coliform) were found on the outside surface area of 96 percent of the total shoes tested, while 27 percent of the shoe bottoms tested positive for E. coli. Though this kind of bacteria typically dies off in a normal environment, Gerba says food particles picked up randomly on the bottom of street shoes essentially act as a food source for bacteria, which can then be tracked through your home. The carpeting in about half the homes he and his team investigated tested positive for fecal bacteria. They found it on floors and even tile, likely picked up from walking in public restrooms. Though some health experts say it's unlikely the transfer of bacteria on the bottom of shoes will result in direct illness or an infection, others say leaving street shoes at the door can at least help. "[Shoes] may be tracking pesticides into your home, especially if you're walking on grass a lot," wrote TV talk show host and Sun-Times columnist Dr. Mehmet Oz via e-mail. "This can be a larger concern if you have young children in the home, because they like to play on the floor and are more sensitive to pesticides." But, unlike parts of Asia, in the West shoes are seen as more than just a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. They can essentially make or break an outfit, prevent jeans from dragging on the floor, hide shameful holes in socks or, for the "Sex and the City" set, be a prized possession to be worn proudly and shown off. Talk about taking them off also can stir strong negative feelings. Laurel Harris still remembers the first time she was asked to remove her shoes visiting an acquaintance's home for an evening party. "I remember the sensation of being really uncomfortable and shuffling through the house in my too long pants and questioning why -- why did she ask me to take my shoes off?" recalls Harris. Though the River West resident and her family don't wear shoes in their home, she'd never dream of actually asking anyone else to do the same, nor would she feel comfortable taking her shoes off at a formal function in someone's home. For Ann Cappel, shoes are part of her safety mechanism. The 61-year-old Chicago resident suffers from multiple sclerosis and can easily slip and fall without shoes for support and traction. She says she respects differences in viewpoint and culture, but is clinging to furniture if she's barefoot and in an unfamiliar environment. Likewise, diabetics are warned by their doctors to avoid going barefoot because small injuries to their feet can spiral into big problems -- even amputation -- later. So, what's the answer? Do house rules trump guest comfort or vice versa? The question recently posted on Facebook elicited many emotional responses, with the consensus being that communication is key. Though it makes for a slightly awkward invitation, most said they'd prefer a heads up if a host requires shoes off. A basket of socks or slippers at the door can also help soothe ruffled feathers -- though it's important to wash them regularly to prevent the spread of fungus and other germs. For guests, read the signals (including the feet) around you and don't be afraid to ask before entering. And, if you're wearing Manolos -- hide 'em once you slip them off. Anupy Singla is a local freelance writer. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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