NORTHEAST OHIO — The EPA has designated January as National Radon Awareness month. Each year twenty thousand Americans die from radon poisoning, the number one cause of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers. Radon is a natural radioactive gas that is impossible to see, smell or taste.

“Checking your home for radon is as simple as purchasing a do-it-yourself kit at your local home improvement store,” said Ray Toombs, co-owner of the Northeast Ohio Maid Brigade. “When you consider the fact that radon is odorless, it could be in your home and you’d never know it. We recommend all of our customers test the quality of their indoor air for harmful gases.”

The EPA has identified fifteen states, of which Ohio is one, that have adopted some form of radon regulations for radon service providers who offer measurement and mitigation services by requiring registration, certification, or licensing.

During National Radon Awareness month, make sure you spread the word to your friends and family about the potential dangers of radon and insist that they test their home. In Ohio over fifty percent of the counties are identified as having a high potential risk for radon in home construction according to the EPA website.

Building a new home? Make sure the contractor is using radon-resistant construction. The EPA has a directory of contractors across the country using radon-resistant construction. Check before you build.

The EPA offers more tips to protect your home and family from radon poisoning. Visit their website at www.epa.gov/radon. For more information on green cleaning tips visit our Maid Brigade website.

About Maid Brigade of Northeast Ohio
Ray and Margie Toombs are long time residents in the Akron/Canton area and have been proud local business owners since 2003. Margie is the former head of quality advancement for the Precision Steel Components business of the Timken Company, and Ray is a retired U.S. Army Officer. Maid Brigade provides quality GREEN cleaning with trained, bonded associates. Providing cleaning services for both residential and commercial properties, Maid Brigade is available for regular on-going cleaning or a one time service. Call Today for a free estimate: 330-453-6000 or 330-908-0099.

Convince your Fitness Facility to host a Pedal for Heroes event.

On Feb 26 fitness centers across Northeast Ohio will be hosting Pedal For Heroes events to benefit local veteran organizations.

Participants will raise money and awareness of veterans groups by pedaling for 262 minutes (one minute for every Ohio soldier fallen in the Middle East since 9/11.)

Convince your fitness center to host an event!

Watch this Pedal for Heroes video for more information. Give a little for those who gave it all. Saying thank you to our veterans is not enough.

Website Provides Horse Breeders, Horse Trainers with Resources for Selecting Electric Fence Products and Fence Charger Instructional Guides

STREETSBORO, OHIO (November 3, 2011) – Horse Safe, a website geared toward horse owners and horse trainers interested in selecting, installing and maintaining electric fences, launched recently. This robust, online equine resource provides owners of horses, ponies and colts with information for the selection and installation of electric fence energizers and equipment.
 
“Horse breeders, trainers and owners constantly seek new information about ways to keep their horses safely corralled,” said Deidra Roberts, VP of Marketing at AgraTronix. “The Horse Safe website provides online manuals, white papers, articles and the answers to frequently asked questions about the installation and maintenance of their Power Wizard electric fence products.”

At the Horse Safe website, a horse trainer will find up-to-date articles, resources, links to supply houses and troubleshooting guides to assist with grounding and electric fence maintenance. The list of articles, websites and governmental agencies on the Horse Safe resource page provides beneficial information horse breeders and horse owners will find of value.

Additionally, visitors to this equine website can sign up for the Power Wizard Horse Safe e-newsletter to receive instructional information on Power Wizard fence charger products, trends in the electrical fence industry and articles demonstrating how horse trainers use the Power Wizard products.

ABOUT POWER WIZARD
Power Wizard is the top brand of fence energizers available today based on long lasting low impedance technology.  Power Wizard has over 20 types of fencing energizers with retail prices that range from $25 to $690.  Power Wizard energizers are designed to meet the varied needs from horse trainers, horse breeders and dairy farmers, to the small hobby farmer with sheep, goats or pigs and even specialty animal owner with alpacas or llamas. For more information about Power Wizard branded energizers, visit www.HorseSafe.com or call 1-800-866-2161.

LifeCenter Plus Opens Swim Team Registration to Members and Non-Members

HUDSON, OHIO (October 6, 2011) – LifeCenter Plus Health and Fitness Club launched the first year-round swim team. The Stingrays swim team is made up of swimmers that are 6-18 years of age. The LifeCenter Plus offers multiple sessions throughout the year with each swim team session lasting nine to ten weeks. Both members and non-members of the LifeCenter Plus Health and Fitness Club are welcome to participate.

“Swimming is a great cross-conditioning exercise and our competitive swim team promotes health, wellness and a great sense of self confidence,” said Amanda Boswell, LifeCenter Plus swim coach. “Team members learn and improve their competitive swim strokes like the breaststroke, butterfly and free style using a variety of training techniques provided by our instructors while having fun.”

The Stingray swim team is open to students 6 through 18 years of age. Swimmers are grouped based on their swimming abilities and benefit from a low student-to-teacher ratio. Unlike some other competitive teams, the LifeCenter Plus swim instructors create a fun, relaxed atmosphere for swimmers by including a Penny Dive Fun Day and a time trial mock meet each practice.

To qualify for the Stingray swim team, swimmers must be able to swim continuously on their front in a free style stroke and their back, using the backstroke for a distance of 25 meters or the length of the pool.  Swim practice is offered after school on Monday and Wednesday at 5pm and Friday at 4:45pm.  Students can elect to practice once, twice or all three times each week, depending on their desired amount of instruction.

There are three home meets this fall. The Stingray swim team opener versus Kent is on Thursday, October 27, at 6pm, followed by two more home meets scheduled on Tuesday, November 22 versus the Shaw Jewish Community Center at 6pm and on Wednesday, December 20 at 6pm versus Kent.

For more information or to register for the fall swim team session, stop by the LifeCenter Plus, located at 5133 Darrow Road, Hudson, OH, call 330-655-2377 or visit the website at www.LifeCenterPlus.com.

About LifeCenter Plus Health and Fitness Club
A premier health and fitness facility, LifeCenter Plus has served the Hudson, Stow and surrounding communities since 1978. The 103,000-square foot multi-purpose facility is a full-service, four-season health and fitness club with five swimming pools. For more information call 330-655-2377 or visit the website at www.LifeCenterPlus.com.

by Kristi Upole
NORTH ROYALTON, OHIO  (August 27, 2011) – Thirty-three contestants competed at the Northeast Ohio Bible Bee, as part of the National Bible Bee, on Saturday, August 27th at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Royalton, Ohio.

Local finalists recited Bible verses during the Local Final Challenge Round, including winners by age division: Primary National: 1st place winner, Ronnie Matthews (Girard); 2nd place, Samuel Huth(Atwater) ; 3rd place, Sarah Rose (Doylestown).

Junior National: 1st place, Brandon Denney (Parma Heights); 2nd place, Joshua Toth (Newton Falls) and 3rd place, Caleb Toth (Newton Falls). Senior National: 1st place, Nathanael Toth (Newton Falls) and 2nd place, Christian Alexander (Copley).

Based on their test scores from Oral and Written Rounds relative to other Local Contests across the nation, the Northeast Ohio Bible Bee had 5 National Qualifiers who will compete at the National Bible Bee in November: Christian Alexander (Copley), Nicolas Alexander (Copley), Brandon Denney (Parma Heights), Sa muel Huth (Atwater), and Hannah-Abigail Toth (Newton Falls).

Bible Bee contestants Cliff Yang (Highland Heights) and Forest Yang (Highland Heights) also qualified for Nationals while competing in the New York City Bible Bee during their stay at the Ronald McDonald House.

Cliff Yang’s dedication to Bible study and Scripture memorization throughout his victorious battle with neuroblastoma is an inspiration to all contestant families!

SoundPOD Wearable AAC System promotes voice output from natural location

MANSFIELD, OH (July 28, 2011) – A sleek new innovation, called the SoundPOD^TM Wearable AAC System has been developed to help those who have difficulty with speech output and offers a low-cost augmentative alternative communication device. The wearable SoundPOD can wirelessly connect to an iPod or iPad converting off the shelf consumer grade electronics into augmentative communication systems for those who have difficulties generating speech.

“Besides the tremendous communication possibilities the SoundPOD Wearable AAC System affords to those in need, it offers some revolutionary innovations,” said Paul Forbes, president of Forbes Rehab Services, Inc. “For instance, the SoundPOD speaker is about the size of a credit card and can be worn on a neck lanyard, underneath clothing, allowing the voice output to discretely come from the users upper body rather than the handheld device. This helps the listener to focus on the person rather than the handheld or mounted medical device.”

The iPod and iPad based SoundPOD use affordable AAC apps, which are fully customizable to a person’s communication needs and utilize both word and phrase prediction. Additionally, the SoundPOD allows users to benefit from other forms of communication beyond voice output such as emailing, text messaging, and instant messaging, Students and educators will also benefit from the low cost educational apps available through the iTunes store.

The SoundPOD was specifically designed for those having speech challenges as well as movement restrictions. The system can be utilized even if hand/finger dexterity issues are present. The breakaway neck lanyard uses a single handed quick-release and when removed, the SoundPOD can magnetically attach to the iPod or iPad creating an all-in-one solution. Users can easily attach the iPod based system to their wrist, arm, or belt for hands free portability of their communication system.

ABOUT FRS CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
FRS Custom Solutions is a division of Forbes Rehab Services, Inc. that has provided innovative assistive technology solutions to individuals with all levels of disabilities since 1987. Forbes Rehab Services, Inc. offers a comprehensive selection of AAC devices for those with ALS, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, stroke and veterans with disabilities. For more information on the SoundPOD Wearable AAC System visit www.frs-solutions.com.

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GREEN, OHIO (June 7, 2011) — Mike and Ike, comics, film critics, film makers, stoners, make their first live appearance in several years to screen the cult classic Spider Baby Saturday, June 25th at Theatre 8:15 (located at 4740 Massillon Road in Green), while providing their unique brand of commentariffing. What’s that? Go to http://www.geekplanetonline.com/mikeandikeshow and watch any of the videos to find out.

Not only that, but the evening will be taped for a Video on Demand download for their world wide fan base to see.  (It’s true, they have fans world wide.)

Tickets are ten dollars and will be available at the door, but if you wish to reserve seats, email itsmikeandike@yahoo.com with your name and how many tickets you want held for you.

This will be the first of a three part series, so come, watch an odd movie, hear odd jokes, learn some stuff, and say hi to foreigners. Doors open at 7:30, the show starts at 8:15.

WARNING: This event will contain strong language, adult themes, drug jokes, and an excessive amount of Nell Carter.

Kathy Lindberg, MT-BC Author of Prelude to Coda: How to Create a Profitable Creative Arts Therapy Practice Now at Amazon.com

WOOSTER, OHIO (May 16, 2011) — Creative Arts Therapy Professors at nine universities and colleges across the United States are currently reviewing Prelude to a Code to include in their fall curriculum.

“It is very exciting to think that my therapy practice book may be used to help therapy students build their own private practice upon graduation.” said Kathy Lindberg, MT-BC, owner of Melisma Music Therapy Services. “In addition to the professors considering Prelude to Coda in the classroom, Immaculata University in Pennsylvania has already placed the book in their library so that students can have access to the material.”

Along with Immaculata University, Utah State, Petrie School of Music at Converse College, Radford College, Loyola University, SUNY Fredonia, Southern Methodist University’s Meadow School of Arts, University of Iowa, Western Illinois University and Maryville University are all considering Prelude to a Coda for their fall classes.

Prelude to Coda: How to Create a Profitable Creative Arts Therapy Practice, is a book designed to help entrepreneurial professionals in the creative arts therapy industry build a private practice within their community.

“So often students are taught the mechanics of using the creative arts as therapy to assist individuals of all ages, but rarely are they provided the information necessary to help themselves use those skills to develop a private practice,” said Lindberg. “I took lessons from my own experience developing and growing Melisma Music Therapy Services to create a resource that assists the reader with the tools they’ll need from marketing to sales to operational in order to help them build and grow a thriving business.”

Prelude to a Coda provides proven tips and techniques for understanding whether or not starting a business is the right decision, learning how to attract new clients, finding a profitable niche for your services, examples of the marketing materials needed, how much to charge and critical financial information.

Prelude to Coda: How to Create a Profitable Creative Arts Therapy Practice is now available as a paperback from Amazon.com or visit www.melismamusictherapy.com to learn more about this valuable resource.

About Melisma Music TherapyFounded in February 2008, Melisma Music Therapy Services provides music therapy for older adults and is a resource for other music therapists. The company’s mission is two-fold: To provide the highest quality music therapy services to older adults and clinical facilities, and to connect board-certified music therapists with opportunities for bringing music therapy programs to senior care facilities and to provide them with the latest tools and resources to operate a successful practice.

Rita Shishler of Shishler's Cheese House in Orrville, Ohio

Rita Shisler is an immediate past president of the Orrville Lions, and was president for its Charter Year 2009-2010, helping to form the Orrville Lions.

She has been appointed as Zone Chairman for Lions Zone 1, for 2011/2012. Lions International is the world’s largest service organization, with 1.35 million members in 206 countries.

Shisler, owner of Shisler’s Cheese House in Orrville, has been active as a board member of Wayne County Red Cross, Wayne County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Women’s Network, the 2007 ATHENA International Leadership Award recipient, the 2004 Wooster Chamber’s Small Business of the Year, member of Friends of Every Woman’s House, Have a Heart for Hospice, St. Mary’s Gabriel Project, Startzman Free Clinic’s Meal That Heals, Lincoln Highway Association, Akron University’s International Friendship Club, and past Volunteer of the Year for Quota International.

Rita’s sons are both in the cheese business, DJ is owner of Shisler’s Cheese House in Akron, Dennis is VP of Marketing and Webmaster for CheeseHouse.com, at the Orrville Shisler’s. When not in the cheese store, or busy volunteering, Rita spends time being Oma to Daniel, Grace and Natalia Shisler.

Two Hour Workshop Helps with the Use of Public Relations in Marketing

 AKRON, OH (April 25, 2011) – Chris Brown, president of Marketing Resources & Results, Inc., shared the latest information on effectively using Public Relations to brand and market a business and improve awareness with 21 business owners from throughout Northeast Ohio.

 “Creating a strong brand and strategically marketing to their target prospects is critically important for business owners,” said Chris Brown.  “Developing a strong PR strategy is an effective way to build awareness without a large marketing budget.”

 In the two-hour workshop, entitled “How to Use PR to Promote Your Business”, Brown talked about the advantages of public relations over advertising, offered concrete examples with instruction on how to create an effective PR strategy, and helped the workshop participants create a distribution plan.

 Attendees learned the power of a compelling press release and how to use the information to connect with customers, drive additional website traffic and improve their website’s search engine optimization on the Internet.

 During a brainstorming session, attendees worked together to outline topics and to create a distribution listing of newspapers, magazines and online resources. Brown offered suggestions for the many ways of effectively using press releases to promote a business.

 Brown’s presentation was held Thursday in Akron at the Akron Urban League at the Partnership for Minority Business Accelerator headquarters.

 With many years of Public Relations experience, both traditional and online Web 2.0, Brown is a marketing expert who helps companies attract potential customers with their target market through Public Relations. She is the author of “Press Release Power,” a 20-page step-by-step workbook on how to write, distribute and use press releases to attract customers and grow business.

 Marketing Resources & Results, founded in 1998, works with client companies in consumer products, medical professional firms, and contract manufacturing companies, among others.

 The marketing consulting services firm, located south of Cleveland and north of Akron in Hudson, Ohio, serves companies nationwide in developing strategic marketing plans. They provide market research, graphic design, website development, press releases and other marketing tactics designed to help companies achieve their sales and marketing goals. For more information call 330-656-9793, or visit www.Resources-Results.com.

 Brown publishes Branding & Marketing for business professionals with an interest in improving their branding and marketing results. The online publication has over 850 articles and a subscriber base of over  9,000 readers. Read more about marketing tools at the Branding and Marketing website, http://brandandmarket.com.

 For more information about this PR workshop or other marketing seminars or to book a workshop leader for your organization, call 330-656-9793.