Creative thinking
Getting students to learn and think about nutrition is important for setting long-term healthy eating habits. Doing so with a class project at Columbus East High School engaged students and yielded positive results.
Students in Karen Nading’s sports nutrition class competed to create a breakfast item that would end up on the school cafeteria menu. The winning team created the protein-packed Power-Up Smoothie, consisting of peanut butter, a banana, vanilla yogurt, chocolate protein milk and ice.
Fourteen teams competed, and two groups of 50 student volunteers tasted each entry and voted for their favorite. Kudos to Nading for the creative idea that provided students a valuable experience.
Efforts appreciated
Two social service advocates in Columbus received awards for their efforts geared toward children. Crysta Shiner, a therapist at Behavioral Center for Children and Adolescents, and Bartholomew County Juvenile Magistrate Heather Mollo were honored by the state branch of the National Association of Social Workers.
Shiner, who provides mental health services to area children, received a regional Social Worker of the Year Award. Mollo, who makes decisions about the welfare of children, received the Community Partner of the Year Award.
Their work is commendable and appreciated.
Positive trend
Data can indicate many things about a community, so it was good news to learn that the 182 foreclosures in Bartholomew County in 2015 represented the fewest in at least nine years and continued an ongoing downward trend from the high-water mark of 401 in 2010.
Predatory loan conditions and questionable income-verification processes by banks and real estate brokers have disappeared since the 2008 national financial crisis. And more assistance programs — including locally — have helped homeowners avoid foreclosure.
The assistance efforts have been valuable and community homeowners have benefited tremen-dously by being able to remain in their homes.
