kelli fontenot: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Candy In Combat Zones

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published in the May/June 2010 issue of Candy & Snack TODAY

In areas of conflict, candy serves as a welcome boost of energy for hard-charging soldiers, a valuable reminder of home and a bridge-builder to the local population.

In a massive show of support, suppliers, retailers, individuals and volunteer organizations send out millions of care packages and cases of candy to U.S. troops each year. John Hanson, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at the United Service Organizations (USO), reveals it sent almost two million care packages in 2009.

“Chocolate and candy have been a part of the military experience for a long, long time,” he says, noting candy ties in with the overall purpose of care packages, which he says is to let troops know U.S. citizens are thinking about them and hoping for their safe return. He says the USO looks for items that stand up to the conditions in combat zones and provide a lift to soldiers both physically and mentally.

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Go Green - Not Broke

In some cases, going green is synonymous with going broke. Hybrid cars and organic produce are expensive, but there are ways to conserve precious energy that will also keep you from emptying your wallet. A recently completed housing development in Lake Charles is providing a new way to find out just how much energy – and money – people can save by going green. The developer will have the opportunity to study and compare electric bills of a house with average fixtures to figures from an identical house with energy-efficient upgrades, according to CJ Tech’s Charles Abshire, the electrical contractor.

Violin professor takes center stage

Light filters in through the windows of Andrej Kurti's studio in the afternoon, splaying across the blue plush lining of his open violin case. A small icon decorated with an Orthodox Christian image rests against the neck of the exquisitely carved wooden instrument. The low, clear sound of a nearby euphonium rehearsal seeps through the walls. Kurti leans back in his chair at his computer, catching a breath after his hectic day of back-to-back violin and viola lessons and long rehearsals with the orchestra. . .

Chaplain's Lake construction captures community focus

Energy audit grants boost small businesses

Big Fun Toy Store in Coventry Village is among the businesses that are participating in the Council of Small Enterprises' grant program for energy efficiency education. Energy efficiency might not be one of the first things to spring to shoppers’ minds amid the extraordinary array of memorabilia, hard-to-find candy, retro magnets and quirky gifts sold in the city’s iconic toy store. But establishing a positive atmosphere for customers and reducing environmental impact are top priorities for Steve Presser, the store’s owner.

Adrift on the Nansene

It’s about 11:45 a.m. on Saturday and I am standing on a bridge in Dufur, aiming a zoom lens at the innertubes in the creek below. I snap a few shots and run back to the truck to get rid of the camera. When I return to the creek entrance, I expect to see someone waiting for me (I’ve got the keys to the truck, after all) but once I reach the water, I am met only with a black rubber tube and a six-foot walking stick to paddle with. Hesitantly, I wade into the water and peer down the creek. The family has floated out of sight, but voices carry across the wind and I realize if I don’t go now, I may never catch up. I am about to become a participant in The Great Nansene Creek Flotilla.

Pi Kappa Phi dinner

At one of a dozen tables in the Friedman Student Union Ballroom Tuesday night, junior journalism major Cody Bourque leaned over his plate of lasagna to turn on his iPhone without using his hands. The rest of the people at his table chuckled as they watched him repeatedly hit the touch screen with the tip of his nose. "I'm updating Twitter," he said. Across the table, another diner - who was blindfolded - said, "I feel so left out of this joke." A few people chuckled, but a long pause followed as everyone realized the depth of his comment. While the statement was offered in jest, it illustrated the alienation that people with disabilities encounter on a daily basis.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Candy In Combat Zones

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