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You see them in backyards everywhere. Join Tidbits as we find out the story behind them!

• George Nissen was a three-time National Tumbling Champion for the years 1935–1937. As a young adult he became fascinated watching the acrobats at the circus falling into the nets from the high wire, sometimes doing amazing tricks and twists as they bounced. He also watched vaudeville acts that used springboards in their acts. One actor would pretend to fall into the orchestra pit, only to bounce back up on the stage. And he’d heard that Eskimos stretched walrus skins between stakes in the ground and then bounced up and down on them just for fun. Inspired by a love of gymnastics, Nissen wanted to invent some kind of “jumping table.”

• He started work on his invention in 1926 while still in school, scavenging materials from the local dump, and tinkered with the idea for over ten years. Finally, using the rails from a bed, rope, strips of inner tube, and some canvas, Nissen and a local gymnastics coach named Larry Griswold came up with a prototype. They took it to the YMCA where Nissen worked as an instructor to test market it. The kids stood in long lines for a chance to bounce on it.

• When Nissen graduated from college in 1938 he set about improving the invention. He called it the “trampoline,” from the Spanish word trampolin which means “diving board.” He began to mass produce them, but couldn’t understand why they weren’t selling. He found that people saw it as something suitable only for the circus or professional performers. So he strapped a trampoline to the top of his car and took off cross-country, giving exhibitions anywhere a crowd was gathered: schools, fairs, playgrounds, and sports events, taking orders on the spot.

• When World War II started, he convinced the Army and the Navy that a trampoline would be a good part of a pilot training program. Pilots training on a trampoline became less fearful of being upside-down. They learned to control the falling and the turning of their bodies, and it helped them hone their balance and body control in mid-air situations. Soldiers who used trampolines in the service ordered them when they went home after the war. Business continued to improve. In 1948, trampolining was included in the NCAA and AAU list of gymnastic events at official

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Vol 2 Issue 20of the River Region

TIDBITS® JUMPS ON

TRAMPOLINESby Janet Spencer

Page 2 Tidbits® of the River Region

TRAMPOLINES (continued) competitions. In the 1950s it swept the country as a fad.

• Nissen went on to build a very successful sports equipment empire, manufacturing gymnastics equipment and trampolines. George Nissen holds over 30 patents on sports and fitness equipment. At the age of 83, he won the Senior Fitness Award from the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Nissen works to pass on his enthusiasm and love for the sport of gymnastics, which is where the story of the trampoline began: each year the Nissen Award is given to the outstanding collegiate gymnast in the nation.

TRAMPOLINE FACTS• As a promotional stunt, Nissen taught a kangaroo to jump on a trampoline and then went to Egypt to bounce on top of a pyramid. He trained the kangaroo using dried apricots as treats and quickly learned that the best way to keep from getting kicked was to hold “hands” with the kangaroo’s front paws.

• When officials at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital did a study, they found that four percent of the patients seen in their hospital emergency room over a five-year period in the mid-1990s were there with orthopedic injuries due to accidents on trampolines. About 70% of the accidents were due to more than one child being on the tramp at one time, a definite no-no.

• Jeff Schwartz of Illinois bounced on a trampoline for 266 hours, 9 minutes in 1981, setting a world record. (That’s just over 11 days.) He was allowed breaks for eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom.

• The record for the most consecutive somersaults on a trampoline is 3,333 and was set by Brian Hudson (UK) at Jumpers Rebound Centre, Gillingham, Kent, UK on September 18, 2003.

• A world record was set on July 24, 1999 when a team of 20 members of a trampoline club in West York, UK, did 29,503 somersaults in exactly five hours using two standard trampolines. This averages out at just under 1,500 somersaults per person, or about five somersaults per minute.

• In 1986, Cleveland State University’s Delta Epsilon fraternity fielded a six-man team that set the Guinness World Record for continuous bouncing on a trampoline, with 53 days of jumping between six people. President Reagan called the team to congratulate them.

COMPETITIVE JUMPING• In 1962, West Germany was the first country to host an international trampolining event.

• On a modern competitive trampoline, a skilled athlete can bounce to a height of up to 33 feet.

• In competitive trampolining, each contestant must perform two sets of maneuvers. In the first set, everyone must complete the same ten basic moves which include the three standard shapes: tucked, piked, and straight. The second set is free-form in which contestants make up their own routines. In all routines, the contestant must begin and end on their feet.

• During a competition, a trampolinist is in contact with the trampoline bed for just 0.3 seconds between moves. In 2010, a new “Time of Flight” score was introduced into professional trampolining, which is calculated on how much time the trampolinist is in the air. To measure it, a box is fitted under the trampoline which measures every time the competitor hits the bed.

• There are five judges. When a performance is scored, the highest and lowest scores are tossed out and the remaining scores are added together to come up with the final tally.

• Nissen always wanted to have trampolining included in the Olympic Games. This finally happened in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In 2008, Nissen was able to travel to Beijing to watch the trampoline event at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He was given the honor of testing out the Olympic trampoline before the event.

• George Nissen died in San Diego, California, on April 7, 2010 at the age of 96 from complications from pneumonia, having seen his dream become a reality.

A recent report to Congress by the Consumer Finan-cial Protection Bureau details the many problems seniors have in determining whether financial advis-ers are genuine. The long title of the report was “Senior Designa-tions for Financial Advisers: Reducing Consumer Confusion and Risks of the Broker or the Investment Adviser.” It focuses on the special credentials that are used to market senior financial services. Here are a few examples:At least 50 different “senior designation” credentials are used to market advisers’ services, all designed to confuse us. Some of those titles and acronyms sound similar to others or imply a legitimacy that isn’t real, such as “Registered Senior Investment Adviser.” The report says that “all too often, these are just clever marketing ploys to bait the hook.”Those senior designation credentials give the im-pression that advisers have specialized training or expertise in dealing with the finances of seniors. The report notes that there’s a big difference between a college-level course and a weekend seminar.There’s no oversight or enforcement for the use of those designations. Another study showed that, unfortunately, seniors are more likely to rely on someone who uses one of those senior designations.Seniors are the targets of financial marketing, since it’s assumed we have loads of retirement savings, inheritance money and equity. We’re invited to “free lunch” seminars, which are ways to get us in one place to sell us financial products.To get help if you question the “senior designa-tions” you’re shown, call the CFPB at 855-411-2372. To report violators, call the whistleblower line at 855-695-7974, or send an email to whistleblower@consumerfinance.gov. The CFPB even has an Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans, so it has our best interests in mind.

Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

Don’t be Fooledby Fancy Title

“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285 Page 3

When shopping for steaks, many consumers think that only the more expensive cuts can provide tenderness and robust flavor. Due to budget constraints, some shoppers have stopped buying steaks except for special occasions. While “cheap” and “steak” might seem like an odd combination of words, there are many types of steaks that are both inexpensive and delicious.Once you familiarize yourself with the names and cuts of less-expensive steaks and master preparing them, you can enjoy a budget-friendly steak dinner more often! Here are a few varieties of “cheap” and flavorful steaks:Charcoal steak, top blade steak, chicken steak: This cut comes from the top of the shoulder blade, which is the second-most tender cut on the animal. It cooks up beautifully when prepared using high-heat methods in a pan, grilled or broiled and served rare. There is a piece of gristle that runs through the middle that is usually butterflied out when the same muscle is cut as a flatiron steak.Bistec Norteno: This isn’t the tenderest cut on the animal, as it comes from the heel of the steer. It’s lean piece of meat with a bold, beefy flavor. Serve sliced thinly.Sirloin tip/peeled knuckle: The most tender muscle in the round tip. Best prepared seared using a high-heat method and finished in a 375 F oven for both steaks and roasts. Keep a medium-rare, or 125-degree, center.Shoulder steak, shoulder clod steak, London broil: This steak can be pan seared, braised, grilled or broiled, keeping a medium-rare center and then sliced thinly.Top sirloin: Great beefy flavor and tender. Sear using a high-heat method and finish in a 375 F oven for both steaks and roasts. Keep a medium-rare center.Flank steak: Fibrous, lean, tight-grain, good beefy flavor. It’s commonly used for fajitas and stir-fry. This cut is best when grilled, but also can be pan-seared and sliced thinly.Brisket: The brisket is a fibrous and fatty muscle with significant connective tissue. It’s best cooked slow and low to achieve tenderness. A brisket consists of two parts, the point and the first or flat cut. The point is located on top of the flat and is connected by a thick

layer of fat. The grain in each piece follows a differ-ent direction and must be sliced differently for best results.The point and flat must be trimmed of fat after being separated. The flat is simpler to carve because it is more symmetrically shaped and the grain of the meat is clearly defined. The point is more difficult because of its shape and the grain is more difficult to follow.Slice the flat by determining in which direction the grain of the meat is following. Simply look at the top of the flat and the grain direction is clearly defined. It generally runs from one corner at the front of the flat to the opposite corner at the back of the flat. The flat is cut at an angle from front to back. Slice the point in the same manner, determine the direction of the grain and cut across the grain from front to back.My recipe for Southwestern Crock-Pot Brisket com-bines hearty beef brisket, pure chili powder and slow cooking to create a budget-friendly, tender and tasty dinner.

SOUTHWESTERN CROCK-POT BRISKET

For the leanest brisket, ask for the “first” or “flat” cut, without an overly fatty flap (also called the point) ly-ing on top. Trim off any surface fat; there’s plenty left in the fibers to keep the meat moist.

1 cup beef stock1/4 cup apple cider vinegar2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal1 tablespoon dark, unsweetened cocoa powder2 teaspoons ground cumin2 teaspoons dried oregano1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 1/2 teaspoons salt1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper1 canned chipotle pepper, seeded and minced with 1 tablespoon adobo sauce2 garlic cloves, minced1 (4-pound) beef brisket, trimmed of surface fat1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1. Mix the beef stock, vinegar, cornmeal, cocoa pow-der, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper, chipotle and garlic in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.2. Rub the chili powder and remaining teaspoon of the salt and pepper into the brisket. Place the brisket in the slow cooker and turn to coat. Cover and cook on high 6 to 8 hours, or until meat is fork-tender.3. Remove meat from slow cooker and skim fat from sauce. Slice meat and serve with the sauce. Serves 6 to 8***Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning chil-dren’s author, culinary historian and author of seven cookbooks. Her new cookbook is “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook.” Her website is www.di-vapro.com. To see how-to videos, recipes and much, much more, Like Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva!, on Facebook and go to Hulu.com. Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from Angela Shelf Medearis.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc., and Angela Shelf Medearis

Cheap Steak

Tidbits® of the River Region Page 4

* On May 30, 1431, in Normandy, Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who became the savior of France, is burned at the stake for heresy. Her most serious crime, according to the tribunal, was her rejection of church authority in favor of direct inspiration from God. She was 19 years old.

* On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam in John-stown, Pa., collapses, causing a flood that kills more than 2,200 people. It was the largest earthen dam (made of dirt and rock, rather than steel and concrete) in the United States. Reportedly, a baby survived on the floor of a house as it floated 75 miles from Johnstown.

* On May 29, 1914, heavy fog on the St. Law-rence River in Canada causes a collision of boats -- the Empress of Ireland and the Storstad -- that kills 1,073 people. Caused by a horrible series of blunders, it was one of the worst maritime disasters in history.

* On June 2, 1924, with Congress’ passage of the Indian Citizenship Act, the government of the United States confers citizenship on all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the country. Before the Civil War, citizenship often was limited to Native Americans of one-half or less Indian blood.

* On May 27, 1937, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge opens to the public after five years of construction. On opening day -- “Pedestrian Day” -- some 200,000 walkers crossed the bridge, which spans the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco and Marin County.

* On May 28, 1957, National League owners vote unanimously to allow the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to move to San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively, at the mid-season owner’s meeting in Chicago.

* On June 1, 1980, CNN (Cable News Network), the world’s first 24-hour television news network, makes its debut. Today, CNN is seen in more than 89 million American households and more than 160 million homes internationally. In its first years of operation, CNN lost money and was ridiculed as the Chicken Noodle Network.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Register to win at www.riverregiontidbits.com and click on “Tommy Tidbits” or click the QR-Code above. Fill out the registration information and tell us how many times Tommy appears in ads in the paper for this week. From the correct entries, a winner will be selected. You must be 18 years of age to qualify. The gift certificates will range in value from $25 to $50 each week. En-tries must be received at the website by midnight each Saturday evening or at PTK Corp, PO Box 264, Wetumpka, AL 36092.

This week’s winner receives 4 DozenDonuts from Krispy Kreme Donuts

Last Week’s Ads where Tommy was hiding:1. K & B Designs, p. 22. Allstate, p. 33. Ussery Construction, p. 4

Tommy Count______

The Lennon family of Venice, California, was a big Catholic family with 12 siblings born in the 1930s and 40s. They all crowded into a two-bedroom home, and their father supported the family as a milk man. • The four oldest sisters, Dianne, Peggy, Kathy, and Janet, formed a singing group when they were in their teens. A classmate of theirs happened to be the Larry Welk, son of Lawrence Welk. One day Larry told the girls to come home with him and sing for his father. Although his famous father was sick in bed with the flu at the time, he listened to them sing. When they were done, he picked up the phone and booked them on the next Lawrence Welk Show. That was the beginning of a great career for the Lennon sisters, who sang as regulars on the program from 1955 until 1968. At the time of their debut, the youngest sister, Janet, was only 9 years old.• During their long tenure with the

Lawrence Welk Show, they were paid only scale wages, but earned extra money by touring on the side. Welk was annoyed with their father, who insisted each girl be paid scale wages, rather than being paid at the far lower group rate. Within a few years they were earning enough money to allow the family to move into a six-bedroom home where six sisters and five brothers lived along with Grandma.• As the girls grew up, Lawrence Welk worked hard to preserve their image as fresh-faced youngsters. In 1964, Peggy Lennon married the trumpet player from the Lawrence Welk show. When pregnancies arose, Welk hid expanding tummies from the camera with artfully arranged props. • Their first hit was a single released in 1956 called Tonight, You Belong to Me. It reached #15 on the charts, and was followed a few years later by a 1961 single Sad Movies Make Me Cry, which provided them with the only #1 single of their career. They turned out albums of classic songs, as well as coloring books, paper dolls, and story books.• In 1969, the Lennon sisters left the Lawrence Welk Show in order to star in their own variety show called Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters Hour. Six weeks before the show premiered, they were forced to deal with

the shooting death of their father, William Lennon, by a delusional stalker named Chet Young, who believed himself married to Peggy and claimed her father stood in the way. Young, who often had to be removed from the front steps of the Lennon family home by police, followed William Lennon to his work place at the Marina Del Rey golf course and shot him in the parking lot before escaping. William Lennon was 53 years old when he died. His wife was left with seven school age children still at home. Two months later, the body of Chet Young was found in the trunk of his car, where he had shot himself using the same gun. The traumatized Lennon sisters kept up their schedule with their new variety show, but cancelled after the first year.• In the 1970s, the sisters performed regularly on the Andy Williams Show and toured the country extensively. They played in Vegas and appeared on numerous game shows. • In 1995, Larry Welk, Junior– the classmate who originally introduced them to his father– invited them to headline at the Welk Champagne Theater in the Ozark community of Branson, Missouri, and they’ve been performing there ever since.

THE LENNON SISTERS

Tidbits® of the River Region Page 6

* It was ancient Roman dramatist, philosopher and statesman Seneca the Younger who made the following sage observation: “While we are postponing, life speeds by.”

* You might be surprised at some of the seem-ingly innocuous things that arouse passions in a group of people. Take the venerable 1960s televi-sion show “Mr. Ed,” for example. Evidently, an evangelist named Jim Brown took issue with the show’s theme song, claiming that when played backward, the tune contains the message “the source is Satan” and “someone sang this song for Satan.” His preaching on the subject was so persuasive that members of a church in Ironton, Ohio, made a bonfire of recordings of the song.

* If you’re planning to visit the Hawaiian island of Kauai, you might want to trek up to Mount Waialeale. If you do, though, be sure to take an umbrella, as that mountain holds the distinction of receiving more rainfall than any other place on Earth, with an average of about 40 feet -- yes, feet -- of rain annually.

* A recent national survey of adult children with living parents found that a whopping 70 percent of respondents are against the idea of a parent moving in with them. If it became necessary for one parent to move in, though, two-thirds would choose Mom over Dad.

* It was noted wit Ambrose Bierce who, in his “Devil’s Dictionary,” defined faith as “Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.”

* Those who study such things say that an ordi-nary human being can live four weeks without food, four days without water and four minutes without air.***Thought for the Day: “Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.” -- Bertrand Russell

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

by Samantha Weaver

Here’s our fast version of the classic hot dog and sausage condiment.

8 cups very thinly sliced cabbage1 Granny Smith apple, cut into thin match-sticks1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar1 teaspoon lower-sodium fish sauce1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds1 teaspoon salt

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients.2. Let stand 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Can be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days. Makes 6 cups.

* Each 1/2-cup serving: About 25 calories, 0g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium, 6g total carbs, 2g dietary fiber, 1g protein.

For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/.

(c) 2013 Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved

Quick Sauerkraut

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Tidbits® of the River Region Page 8

To Your Good Health By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: While having dinner with my father, he suddenly had a blank look and stopped eating. He couldn’t speak clearly. My brothers and I got him onto a couch, and he stayed there for about 15 minutes. Finally, someone suggested he might be having a stroke, and we called 911.In the emergency room, the doctor had a CT scan done and then gave him a clot-busting drug. It worked unbelievably. He regained his speech and could move. Is this common? I thought strokes came from bleeding in the brain. What’s going on? -- T.M.

ANSWER: Strokes come in two varieties. The less-common kind is bleeding from a broken brain artery, often one that has an innate weakness in its wall. That’s an aneurysm. It has an explosive onset and produces a “worst headache ever.” This is a hemorrhagic stroke, accounting for 15 percent of strokes.The more-common kind of stroke is an ischemic (is-KEY-mick) stroke, one that results from a blockage of blood flow through an artery serving the brain. It’s similar to what happens in a heart attack when a heart artery is plugged up. Your dad had this kind of stroke. The CT scan your dad had is one way of differentiating a hemorrhagic stroke from an ischemic one.Signs of both kinds of stroke are a sudden inability to speak, an inability to understand the spoken word, loss of sensations from parts of the body, weakness of a leg or arm and vision changes.

Rapid Stroke TreatmentSaves Brain Cells

Deprived of blood, brain cells and tissues die fairly quickly. As in your father’s case, clot-dissolving drugs can establish circulation to the brain area deprived of blood. If such treatment is given within three to four hours from the onset of symptoms, people can make a complete or near-complete recovery of function.The booklet on strokes provides information on this common and often tragic malady. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 902W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son is 33. During his last visit, he happened to mention that he had floaters in his eyes, and they drove him crazy. He didn’t go into detail about this, but I would like to know about floaters and their implications. I never had them. -- L.H.

ANSWER: Floaters are dark, small spots that dart across a person’s field of vision when the person moves his eyes. They’re deposits of debris in the vitreous, a gellike substance that fills the entire back two-thirds of the eye. Nearsighted people are prone to developing them. I bet your son is nearsighted.There is no treatment for floaters. People learn to deal with them.A sudden onset of a large number of floaters indicates that the retina is tearing away from its attachment to the back of the eye. Detachment of the vitreous can do the same. If such an event takes place, an immediate examination by an ophthalmologist is mandatory.***Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

(c) 2013 North America Synd., Inc.All Rights Reserved

The iPad isn’t yet where it needs to be as a personal computer, television or consump-tion device, but it does offer some pretty compelling applications for the sports fan and news junkies in general. So far, the best news-reading application I have come across is Flipboard. What Flip-board does is aggregate news by topic, like say, the Indiana Pacers, or source, such as The Chicago Tribune. The application also allows you to follow twitter feeds and tumblrs, and when all of these components are compiled, the program turns it into an aesthetically pleasing format closely resem-bling a magazine. Its latest update allows users to create their own personally curated magazine, and being on the bleeding edge of technology, as I so often am, I have done so. The application is free, so if you have an iPad, why not give it a spin and search for the two magazines I’ve put together: “A Sporting View” (natch) and “Ali,” and subscribe. Again, there is no charge ever to do so, and it is not advertiser supported or anything like that ... it’s just a companion piece to this column. The “A Sporting View” magazine is updated daily and is an aggregate of sports stories I find particularly interesting that could be used to spur enough thought to create a column out of, and every share comes with added, ahem, “expert commentary.” The “Ali” magazine was born out of a dis-cussion I had with a casual boxing fan in his 40s who said he really didn’t know anything about Muhammad Ali -- whom I, much like Ali himself did, consider to be the greatest of all time.His father-in-law, himself a great fan of the “sweet science,” and I began to prattle on and on in a brandy Manhattan-fueled (no cherry) oration to Ali and began ticking off his major accomplishments inside and outside the ring. I also suggested he take some time to watch his fights, most of which were on YouTube, the popular Internet video service.Then it struck me like a Larry Holmes left ... why not create a Flipboard for him, a multi-media site combining the written word, photographs and videos of Ali’s greatest hits all in one site. So, on the evening that Floyd Mayweather was thoroughly outclassing a kid they call “the ghost,” I set to work on the document, and I hope it’s one that all can enjoy. If you are not aware, boxing is in a very precarious situation. The sport cannot sus-tain another death in the ring, particularly amid the increased scrutiny on head injuries in sport nowadays, and decades of pay-per-view championship bouts have shaken off a generation’s worth of would be fans. In a future column I’ll touch on boxing reform -- a concept that is way overdue -- but in the meantime, I will continue to unabashedly revel in some of the sports all-time greatest moments here, there and everywhere.

Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in Kansas City.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

Plugs and Pugs

Q: Can CFL light bulbs really save money? I’m not convinced. But my electric bill is high enough that I need all the help I can get. -- Carey T., Boone, N.C.

A: Depending on the wattage they offset (of old-fash-ioned light bulbs), compact fluorescent light bulbs can save you some money. Of course, that savings builds up over time -- months and years. They’re best used as part of an overall energy savings plan for your home. You don’t have to outfit your house with a complete solar panel array, wind turbines or other top-line (and top-dollar) gadgets to start cutting your energy bills. Savings can start as easily as turning off unnecessary lights and unplugging electrical or electronic items that don’t see much use: for example, a clock radio in the guest room.Set your summertime thermostat no lower than 68 degrees F. If you have a programmable thermostat, have it shift to a slightly higher temperature, say, 74 F, when no one is at home. And here’s a thermostat fact that not everyone knows: It’s better to simply set the

Summer Energy Savings

By Samantha Mazzotta

temperature higher, rather than turn off the air condi-tioner, during the hottest months. When you get home and want to lower the temperature to a more comfort-able level, the air conditioner has much less work to do and will cool the house much more quickly.Another enemy of energy efficiency is dust. Keep the air-conditioning vent covers free of dust, and vacuum the registers monthly. Likewise, change the air condi-tioner’s filter screen once a month during the cooling season. And, because dust can gunk up a refrigerator’s cooling coils and reduce its efficiency -- as well as its lifespan -- clean the coils and vacuum under and be-hind the fridge every couple of months throughout the year.Weatherstripping around window and door frames, usually a fall-season chore, can reduce the amount of cool air escaping the house. If you really want to tackle the problem, get a home-energy audit -- offered at low or no cost by many utilities -- to locate the areas of greatest air leakage.

HOME TIP: My husband likes to watch TV until he falls asleep, but then the TV is on all night, running up the electric bill. I solved the problem by programming the television to turn off at a scheduled time -- a feature found on the menu screen.

Send your questions or home tips to ask@thisisaham-mer.com. My new e-book, “101 Best Home Tips,” is available to download on Amazon Kindle! Pick it up it today for just 99 cents.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

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If your financial situation at home has changed, this could be the first summer where both you and a spouse are working. The question now might be what to do with school-age children while you’re at work.While summer camps for kids often are filled early, not all of them are. If you can find one, it’s likely to be expensive. Here are some that might be more realistic about their costs:

--YMCA: You might even find a summer-long day-camper program where your child will go every day dur-ing the week.--Local churches: Call all of them and ask what type of programs they have, and if any of their members watch children over the summer. You could find the perfect sit-uation with an at-home parent who’ll take on extra chil-dren for a small fee. (Beware any local requirements for daycare status and licensing when there are more than six children.)--College students: If you live near a college, count your-self lucky. Go early to the campus job center and inquire about a summer sitter, perhaps one with an early child-hood major. Not all students go home for the summer. Even a mature high-school student might be perfect.--Flex Time: Inquire at work about flex time. Taking off even one afternoon each week can make a differ-ence. Can you telecommute some of the days? Work a condensed week, with more hours on the days you go to work, giving you a day off? Can your spouse do the same?--Service Programs: Check whether your area has a Summer of Service program for “tweens,” children who are too old for a sitter and not old enough to be left alone.

They’ll spend the summer under supervision doing a variety of volunteer tasks in the community.Aim for variety week by week. Perhaps grandparents will come visit (and child sit) for two weeks. Alternate between YMCA programs, church programs, recreation department day camps, your vacation days and a hired college student.If you interview prospective sitters, check their creden-tials. Passing a safety course should be minimum. Sitter courses are even better. In the case of high-school stu-dents still at home, contact the parents and verify what their own vacation plans might be.The U.S. Census Bureau has issued a report called “Who’s Minding the Kids?” To read the statistics about what other parents are doing, go online to www.census.gov and put p70-135 in the search box.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally an-swer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Send email to column-reply2@gmail.com.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

Summer Childcare

Tidbits® of the River Region Page 10

1. Is the book of Numbers in the Old or New Testament or neither?2. In Mark 15:23, while on the cross, Christ was offered wine mingled with what? Salt, Water, Gall, Speck3. In John 21, how many times did Jesus ask Peter if he loved him? Once, 3 times, 5 times, 10 times4. In 2 Kings 5, who had his leprosy washed away in the Jordan? Naaman, Zacchaeus, Elijah, Joshua5. From Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and” what? Light, Builder, Wisdom, Strength6. Of these, who had a rod that God turned into a serpent? Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac?

1. Who was the first sec-ond baseman to win back-to-back National League MVP Awards?2. Name the catcher who holds the modern major-league record for most passed balls in a season.3. In 2012, Steve Weath-erford of the New York Giants became the third punter in NFL history to receive a franchise-player tag. Name the other two.4. Who was the first player in NCAA men’s basketball history to have a quadru-ple-double in a game? 5. In 2013, Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos became the fourth-youngest player to score 200 career goals (age 23). Who did it at a younger age?6. Who was the last U.S. man before David Boudia in 2012 to win a gold medal in Olympic diving?7. In 2013, Tiger Woods tied the mark for most ca-reer victories at one PGA event (eight). Who else holds the record?

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1. Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds, 1975-76.2. Texas’ Geno Petralli, with 35 in 1987.3. Todd Sauerbrun (2003 with Carolina) and Michael Koenen (2009, Atlanta).4. Tennessee-Martin’s Lester Hudson, in 2007 (25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals).5. Wayne Gretzky (age 21), Mario Lemieux (22) and Dale Hawerchuk (22).6. Mark Lenzi, in 1992.7. Sam Snead.

BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:

1) Old; 2) Gall; 3) 3 Times; 4) Naaman; 5) Strength; 6) Moses

Neighborhoods hum and bustle with an extra dose of activity this time of year, and some households, like the Gustafson’s, seem to be especially on the go -- make that “on the run,” but in a good kind of way. Watching the action from the sidelines, I can’t help but be inspired by this fit family. All four kids play hockey, baseball/softball and tennis, and two play soccer. Toss in the parents, and biking trumps driving the car whenever possible.No wonder mom Angie always has her favorite chewy power bar recipe handy for easy reference. She and the kids enjoy making the tasty snack that is chock full of healthy ingredients, including flaxseed, wheat germ and raisins. Reese’s Pieces are added to the mix, but she controls the amount.“The original online ‘Ultimate Power Bar’ recipe, which has been passed from friend to friend, comes from Lunds, our neighborhood market where you can easily find all the ingredients,” she says. “But, like most recipes I pre-pare, I tweak the ingredients to suit our tastes. The bars are ideal for school lunches, picnics and rest stops when we bike around town with our cycling club, the Mill City Cyclomaniacs. I don’t know a kid who doesn’t like them -- even the picky eaters ask for the energy snack.”Make a batch this weekend with your kids.

ANGIE’S ULTIMATE POWER BAR

3 1/2 cups oats1/2 cup raisins1/2 cup shredded coconut2/3 cup sunflower seeds1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds1/2 cup wheat germ1/2 cup oat bran3 tablespoons flax seeds1 tablespoon cinnamon1 teaspoon salt1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter1 cup honey4 tablespoons butter, melted3/4 cup Reese’s Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.2. In a large bowl, let one child combine the first 10 ingredients with a big spoon. Continue stirring while another child adds the peanut butter, honey and melted butter. When mixed, stir in Reese’s Pieces. 3. Spoon mixture into an ungreased 9-inch-by-13-inch glass pan. Use a spatula to pack and press it down firmly. Bake 15-17 minutes. Let cool, then chill completely before slicing. Store bars in stacks separated by waxed paper in a covered container in the refrigerator. Makes 36 bars.***Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.don-nasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”

(c) 2013 Donna EricksonDistributed by King Features Synd.

Bake Power Barsfor Energy Snack

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