Children have many needs, and vision insurance and care can be costly. The United Way of Greater Toledo and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department began Children’s Mobile Vision (CMV), a mobile program which offers eye exams, diagnosis and referrals and glasses on the spot to low-income children. The program was developed based on a request from Woodward High School’s principal noting that many students faced difficulties seeing the blackboard. Since its inception last spring, CMV has worked with over 20 low-income elementary schools with its mobile units’ traveling equipment and volunteer optometrists. Recently, Fifth Third Bank generously donated $25,000 to the program for a van which will ensure the program’s travels into the community. “We’re also currently looking for a full time optometrist for the program,” says Kate Sommerfeld of United Way. For more info on CMV call 419-248-2424 or visit www.unitedwaytoledo.org.
Giving back
Single moms have a lot to balance — work, family, etc, but what about school? Recently, Lourdes University announced the establishment of the Irene Toth Kinsey Endowed Scholarship for single mothers. The endowment, totaling $50,000, will allow the University to award scholarships to mothers who demonstrate financial need. The scholarship is named in memory of Irene Toth Kinsey, the mother of Edward Phillip Kinsey II and Michele Kinsey Gross. For more info call 419-885-3211 or visit www.lourdes.edu. 6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania.
Winter Weekends
Friday, January 6
There may be a chill in the air, but there's still fun to be had at the Toledo Zoo's Winter Weekends beginning on Friday, January 6. Offering half priced admission, the Zoo will showcase frosty fun with Cabin Fever Feeds, where visitors can watch as their favorite creatures get a tasty treat, hands-on activities, live performances and ice-carving demonstrations. 10am-4pm (daily), 5-8pm (evenings). Call for admission prices. Toledo Zoo, 2 Hippo Way, Toledo. 419-385-4040. www.toledozoo.org
Burger Bar 419: the American classic…only better
Burger Bar 419
4400 Heatherdowns Blvd. 11B
419-724-5844
Mon-Thur: 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-1am
Sun: 11am-9pm
Think about it. If you are craving Italian food, you go to an Italian restaurant. When you’re parched and want a specialty latte, you stop by the local coffee shop. It only makes sense, that if the all-American favorite, a juicy hamburger, is what you crave — then you should head to a burger joint! Sure, there are many places around Toledo that serve up some tasty burgers with a cold draft beer and fries. However, if you are looking to take things up a notch, then you’ll want to sink your teeth into Burger Bar 419.
A classic, contemporary flair
Burger Bar 419 has been sizzlin’ since it opened last May on Heatherdowns near Eastgate. Their motto is simple: “Good Flippin’ Burgers.” It is owned by two proud T-Town boys, Moussa Salloukh and Tony House. Salloukh is also co-owner of LaScola and The Hungry I. His restaurants all have their own niche and Burger Bar 419 is no exception.
“It’s a concept I had been working on for a year and a half,” says Salloukh who loved the burger joints he visited in New York, Chicago and other metropolitan areas. “America has always had a love affair with the burger,” Salloukh explains, but he didn’t want the new restaurant to be “run of the mill” and he wanted to add contemporary flair to everything from the burgers, to the drinks, to the atmosphere. The décor feels “big city,” but comfortable. The walls are adorned with countless paintings for sale by local artists. Salloukh and House are very pro-local, and purchase everything they can from local purveyors including their beef, breads and produce.
Menu options foodies will drool over
Salloukh and House have set out to please foodies from around town, not to mention the sophisticated pallets. Therefore, their appetizers are out of the ordinary, and their burgers are a bit extraordinary. For starters, my family tried the sriracha-soy deviled eggs (with sugar bacon and arugula) for $6. Sounds a little odd for an appetizer, eh? I agree, but we just had to try them, and wow, they were delicious. Even my children were daring and gave them a try. Yes, every last one disappeared. Other interesting options include baked egg with spinach, cream and smoked cheddar, roasted marrow bones with sweet onion marmalade and garlic crostini. The list of unusual items continues and we’d love to return to try more.
The kids’ menu offered hamburgers, grilled cheese, baked mac-n-cheese (no Kraft stuff here) and cheeseburgers served with a side for $5. Drinks are extra for $1.25, or you could treat the kids to one of their handcrafted sodas for $2 or a delicious milkshake for $5. My kids’ cheeseburger orders were inadvertently put in as adult burgers, but they brought them out to us anyway and only charged us the kids’ menu prices. My children are still talking about the burgers, but even more so about the wonderful fresh cut fries and the hand-battered onion petals. Those are a definite treat.
As for the burger menu, prepare for an agonizingly tough decision. There are 15 original burgers on the menu including the good ole standby classic burger. You may also say “cluck it” and have a chicken patty in place of beef. And non-meat eaters may enjoy the salads or vegetarian sandwiches.
We tried the must-have that included bibb lettuce, grilled tomato, taleggio cheese, portabella mushrooms and balsamic glazed red onion. The more ingredients the better! The Italian included arugula, balsamic grilled tomato, basil aioli and mozzarella with pickled peppers. These are not your ordinary backyard burgers. There are burgers with a fried egg on top as well as short ribs, blue cheese, paté, cole slaw, salmon — and the list continues, seemingly unending. Every burger has the perfect blend of the best ingredients. And if you’re into ketchups, mustards and mayo you’ll enjoy their homemade selection of unique flavored condiments.
My kids really enjoyed our visit and keep asking when we can go back. After all, it just doesn’t get more American than hamburgers and apple pie.
Bottom Line: Burger Bar 419 takes an American classic and transforms it into something hip, fun and sophisticated. The distinctive menu items and unique burger concoctions will make it difficult to decide what to order first, while the kids will enjoy choices of American classic comfort food, handcrafted sodas and shakes.
Karen Zickes is a mom of three active children and freelance writer who resides in Holland. She can be reached in c/o [email protected].
Mother Mayhem goes for the gold
Every year I resolve to give up the whole “New Year’s resolution” thing. Then I get caught up in the moment and jot down the many things I want to conquer. Foolishly believing that in a week’s time I am going to be one of “those” moms who always has the right forms, has every field trip for the year on the calendar, and can return movie rentals without wearing a full disguise and trench coat to hide her identity because of late fees.
My “new me” begins at Home Depot. According to my fix-it man, a crack in my basement wall was in need of sealant caulk. He recently emerged from the basement, looked me straight in the eye and proclaimed, “Mrs. Darah. I stuck my finger in your crack and discovered some moisture. I am going back down to take another look.” “Wow,” I thought, “There is a God!” I love going to Home Depot. For some odd reason I get a kick out of being surrounded by thousands of items about which I am totally clueless. I also get this bizarre testosterone surge that usually results in talking to strangers and dipping into conversations regarding duct tape and grout. I buy what I hope is the right thing, where it will sit in my car for approximately nine weeks before finally being prodded into action after the fourth inquiry call from Mr. “You’ve got moisture” fix-it man. At this point, I intend to keep tackling my resolution list while trying to pick up the pace.
I had a surge of inspiration to clean out and disinfect the pantry after my oldest child saw a fuzzy little rodent (A.K.A. Mildred the Mouse) make a pilgrimage from the pantry to its apparent home under the dishwasher. I told myself I would not only clean the mouse feces from the pantry but also “relocate” said fugitive. I had to do it quickly. Lauren was freaked out and was wearing her “cat ears” from her Halloween outfit and Helena begged me to humanely trap the little guy. We kept Maria clueless about the situation, or she would never have entered the house again. I found myself at Home Depot looking for the right product to send Mildred off to a “better” place. Just a note of guidance that Martha Stewart will never give you: do not believe the “and simply throw away” part on the back of the sticky mouse trap box. It’s not that easy. Having a stuck Mildred look up at me with those brown eyes was gut wrenching and nearly threw me into therapy. Thankfully, things returned to semi-normal after our abode was critter-free. I was getting a little too enthused, which got me pondering — are the things on my resolution list for others or for me? I decided to rethink my list and broke it down into “Totally Doables” and “A Girl Can Dream.”
Totally doables
Let go of perfection. Martha attempted perfection and she ended up knitting sweaters in a cell block and had a daughter spill it in a “tell all” novel for everyone to read!
Rarely take yourself seriously. (As if I could!)
If you pick up something the sweeper couldn’t, throw it away. Don’t put it back on the floor to give the sweeper another chance.
Remember that making the “fairy suit” for the school play or 74 mini bagels with cream cheese strawberry “faces,” chocolate chip eyeballs and pretzel antlers means more to your child than anything you could do with a paycheck.
Bring people together (be creative: lure them with food, make up holidays and celebrate the ordinary)!
Remember, crying is not a sign of weakness but rather an indication that you have been strong too long.
Remember the words of Pooh: “You are smarter than you think, braver than you believe and stronger than you know.”
Forgive, let go, love always.
You don’t always have to follow the wisdom of Gram. I bet if I were in an accident, having clean panties would not be an issue.
A girl can dream
Write a book!
Read the operation manual first!
Believe the directions the Garmin is telling you so you don’t end up in Bono, Ohio AGAIN!
Figure out why there are four remotes and one TV and DVD player.
Be the hero of my own life’s story.
In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt (OK I’m paraphrasing BIG TIME), “Do something every day that scares the crap out of you.”
In the year ahead, I may not reach my goals but I will always keep my dreams. I am certain the statistical probability of me having a perfectly balanced checkbook and remembering to keep up with recycling, making the bed and having all those &^%$! decorative pillows beautifully arranged is pretty low, but I will continue forth, slightly crumpled, highly loved and always full of hope. Have a very Happy New Year.
Manipulation therapy
Our bodies are intricately designed to function like well-oiled machines, with individual parts and systems constantly working together. By using manipulation therapy, physicians can support the connectivity of the body with a hands-on approach.
Doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, are specially trained in manipulation therapy, although some DOs may not offer it as part of their services. Other healthcare professionals, such MDs and physical therapists may also be trained or certified to practice these techniques.
With manipulation therapy, your doctor looks at your condition in a broader scope, considering the body as a whole when recommending treatment. Then, using manipulation, massage or pressure techniques, they help improve your body’s function. Some of the techniques are the same or similar to those used by other healthcare professionals, including physical therapists.
Manipulation therapy is safe for everyone, including children. And techniques can be modified for your specific needs. For instance, very subtle movements or pressure point manipulation may be used for those who are frail due to surgery. And techniques can be altered so that you can continue therapy at home.
Manipulation therapy is an additional way for doctors to improve wellness and is often used to complement medicine or other treatments. In some cases, it may help reduce the dosage or length of time medication is needed.
So what types of conditions can benefit from manipulation therapy? You may be surprised by just how wide the range is. Here are some of the most common conditions that can benefit from manipulation therapy:
Body aches
If your profession requires that you constantly bend or sit at a desk for an extended amount of time, you may be one of many who suffer from neck and back pain. Your body has many layers, including muscles, ligaments and fascia, a fibrous connective tissue. Through manipulative therapy, a doctor can massage and open up these layers, realign your body and help relieve swollen tissue.
Your doctor may also relieve pain by manipulating other areas of the body that are connected. For instance, wrist manipulation may help alleviate shoulder pain, as the parts of the arm and shoulder are all connected.
Relieving neck and back pain through manipulation therapy may be especially beneficial for individuals, such as pregnant women, who cannot take or must limit their use of
anti-inflammatory medications.
Ear and sinus infections
Ear and sinus infections are often caused by viruses that thrive where conditions are moist and inflamed. By manipulating the sinuses or infected areas, your doctor can reduce inflammation and help get the fluid moving. This can relieve head and ear pressure, speeding recovery.
Sometimes, with infections, the relief from the manipulation therapy may only be temporary. Exercises throughout the day can help keep the inflammation down and alleviate symptoms.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is the inflammation of the air passages to the lungs. Similar to ear and sinus infections, the inflammation of the air passages causes fluid to become stagnant, making the condition worse. Your doctor may use a therapy technique called a thoracic pump with rib raising to free bronchial secretions so they may be easier to cough up. This may reduce inflammation, move fluid and help the body heal.
Other conditions
Manipulation therapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions, particularly those relating to the muscles, tissues and skeletal system. Other common conditions that benefit from this treatment include carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ syndrome (inflammation of the temporomandibular joint), plantar fasciitis (inflammation of foot tissue) and mild cases
of constipation.
A doctor of osteopathic medicine may help you alleviate pain and promote healing immediately or long-term through manipulation therapy performed in the office or at home.
Dr. Singh is a ProMedica Physician with WellCare Physicians Group. For more information, please visit www.promedica.org/doctors.