Father’s Day gift ideas for any dad

(ARA) – Don’t let Father’s Day shopping get you worked up. The dad in your life will be excited about any gift you give him. But to really blow him away, forget flipping through Sunday’s ads, scouring online and spending sleepless nights debating your purchase – here are some great Father’s Day gift ideas that are sure to please.

For the snacking dad
Keeping dad’s stomach happy long before the dinner bell rings has never been easier. Naturally high in protein, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky is the perfect way to leave dad feeling satisfied between meals. Whether he’s watching a game, hitting the gym, in the car or anywhere in between, nothing cures snack cravings like a bag of  beef jerky.

Using only the finest cuts of 100 percent meat and seasonings that dads – men, for that matter – can’t seem to get enough of, there are more than 100 great meat snacks to choose from. Here are a few snack favorites that will fill your dad up … not out:
* The Original: Jack Link’s Original Beef Jerky
* The Classic: Jack Link’s Steakhouse Recipe Beef Jerky
* The Spicy: Jack Link’s Flamin’ Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Jack Link’s is available in grocery stores, mass retailers, convenience and drug stores nationwide. With this gift, satisfaction is in the bag. (Suggested retail price: $5.99)

For the dad hooked on angling
Does dad come home with fish stories and a smile on his face? If so, let him enjoy the new Flat Rap lure from Rapala. The Flat Rap is ideal for nearly all styles of fishing. It resembles the tried-and-true Rapala Original Floater, but features flat sides and a scooping triangular lip that generates a hard flashing side-to-side action that fish go crazy over. Put this fishing lure in dad’s tackle box and he’ll be smiling long after Father’s Day. (Suggested retail price $8.99)

For the beer connoisseur
Make your dad the envy of his friends with a beer brewing kit. Easy to set up and loads of fun, a home brewing kit allows your dad to create his own flavor of beer that will be all the rage. Brewing kits are sold with all the components that dad needs to get started. For even more fun, your dad can pair his best homemade brew with his favorite jerky flavor. (Home brewing kits are available online or at a local brewing supplies store.)

For the original chef
What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with a mouthwatering grilled meal outdoors? If the dad in your life considers himself a grill-master, a charcoal or gas grill is the perfect gift. With a new grill, dad can bring the flavor back to the patio by preparing your favorite grillable foods.  (Check your local hardware store or other retail locations.)

Courtesy of ARAcontent

RALEIGH, N.C. – Wake County residents looking for new skills and inspiration came to hear more about the Plus 50 program today at Wake Tech’s Western Wake Campus in Cary. The Plus 50 Open House featured information on the program’s latest course offerings designed with students age 50 and above in mind. Wake Tech is one of 15 colleges across the country participating in a three-year initiative to reach out to these students.

“It’s clear that ‘retirement’ has a whole new meaning for baby boomers,” says Pat Fontana, Director of the Plus 50 program at Wake Tech. “Our Plus 50 courses offer new pathways and adventures for people whose lives are changing direction.”

Wake Tech’s Summer 2010 Plus 50 offerings include:

• Find Your Ideal Career – A workshop designed to help students explore career options by discovering what they really want to do and learning how to use their strengths to their advantage.
• Internet and Email – A course that teaches the basics of the web and how to communicate through email.
• Coupon Camp – A daylong course on couponing and meal planning that includes a hands-on trip to the grocery store.

Future Plus 50 courses include Lifestyle Financial Strategies, Getting Organized and an introduction to becoming a Virtual Assistant. Classes are offered at Wake Tech’s Western Wake Campus in Cary and Northern Wake Campus in Raleigh. For information call 866-5145 or visit http://plusfifty.waketech.edu. Plus 50 is funded by a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies and is led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

About Wake Technical Community College:
Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) is a two-year, public institution providing education and training for the citizens of Raleigh and surrounding Wake County. As the second largest community college in the state, Wake Tech provides a comprehensive array of learning opportunities and serves an annual enrollment of more than 65,000 students. Wake Tech spans the region with five campuses and two training centers, and offers classes at multiple community sites as well as online, through distance education media. Curriculum (for-credit) programs in a variety of academic and technical specialties offer more than 165 degrees, diplomas and certificates, including two-year associate’s degrees in science, applied science, the arts, and general education. University transfer programs prepare students for entry into four-year institutions; focused training programs prepare students for immediate employment. Wake Tech also offers a broad scope of continuing education courses, including training for entrepreneurs and small business owners, public safety officer training (fire, rescue, and law enforcement), high school equivalency classes, and non-credit courses for personal enrichment and professional development. Wake Tech provides customized workforce training for new and expanding industries and a cooperative education program that interfaces with the corporate community. For more information, please visit http://www.waketech.edu.

SOURCE:CarolinaNewsWire

Raleigh, NC – Community Workforce Solutions, Inc. (CWS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment, held a special event May 6th to celebrate their newly established gardening program. The program will provide an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to learn gardening and plant care job skills.

Launched in March, the program teaches participants how to plant, water, weed and harvest plants, fruits and vegetables. As well as developing practical vocational skills, the program also develops knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating habits. Harvested food will be given to the program participants and other community members in need.
“It’s amazing to see what happens when people put their hearts and souls into a program that relies strictly on donations,” said Julie Griffin, Green Team Coordinator and Community Employment Manager. “The energy and effort from the community, the staff, and the participants will ensure the value and validity of this gardening program.”

CWS’ gardening program is supported solely by donation. Current donors include Atlantic Avenue Orchid and Garden, Larry’s Beans, Dynamite Plant Food, Kroger, Black Gold Compost, Pacific Mulch, Grow and Share, Whole Foods, The Cotton Company, Barker’s Hauling, Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment and Ellen Ransom of Ransomshire Building. To make a contribution towards building a raised vegetable bed and herb garden, contact Julie Griffin at jgriffin@communityworkforcesolutions.com

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

RALEIGH — A North Carolina State University researcher has discovered that bacteria transmitted by fleas–and potentially ticks–can be passed to human babies by the mother, causing chronic infections and raising the possibility of bacterially induced birth defects.

Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, professor of internal medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences, is among the world’s leading experts on Bartonella, a bacteria that is maintained in nature by fleas, ticks and other biting insects, but which can be transmitted by infected cats and dogs as well. The most commonly known Bartonella-related illness is cat scratch disease, caused by B. henselae, a strain of Bartonella that can be carried in a cat’s blood for months to years. Cat scratch disease was thought to be a self-limiting, or “one-time” infection; however, Breitschwerdt’s previous work discovered cases of children and adults with chronic, blood-borne Bartonella infections–from strains of the bacteria that are most often transmitted to cats (B. henselae) and dogs (B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii) by fleas and other insects.
In his most recent case study, Breitschwerdt’s research group tested blood and tissue samples taken over a period of years from a mother, father and son who had suffered chronic illnesses for over a decade. Autopsy samples from their daughter–the son’s twin who died shortly after birth–contained DNA evidence of B. henselae and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffi infection, which was also found in the other members of the family.

Both parents had suffered recurring neurological symptoms including headaches and memory loss, as well as shortness of breath, muscle weakness and fatigue before the children were born. In addition, their 10-year-old son was chronically ill from birth and their daughter died due to a heart defect at nine days of age.

Results of the parents’ medical histories and the microbiological tests indicated that the parents had been exposed to Bartonella prior to the birth of the twins, and finding the same bacteria in both children, one shortly after birth and the other 10 years later, indicates that they may have become infected while in utero.

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

CARY — The Cary Jaycees held their 2nd annual Amateur Photo Contest in conjunction with Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival. Any adult (19 & older) or youth (18 & under) could submit two photos in the following categories: People, Critters of Nature, Landscape and Town of Cary. There were 103 photo entered into the contest. All photos were displayed at the Boat House during Spring Daze on Saturday, April 24.

The winners in Youth Landscape were 1st place Savannah Leigh Thorne, 2nd Zoe Groves, and 3rd Callaway King. Adult Landscape winners were 1st place Scott Simerly, 2nd place Frank Everitt, and 3rd place Katrina Formosa. The category for Adult Town of Cary winners were 1st place Felicia Moore, 2nd Karen Bograd, and 3rd Katrina Formosa. Youth People winners were 1st place Mary Mudd, 2nd place Zoe Groves, and 3rd place Evie Fordham and Adult People 1st place Anna Beauchamp, 2nd place Elizabeth Adelski, and 3rd place Mary Ward Boerner. Adult Critters of Nature the winners were 1st place Donna Panabaker, 2nd Richard Stickney JR, and 3rd Melissa Van Wey.

The Best of Show photo was awarded to Donna Panabaker. The Cary Jaycees also did a People’s Choice award during Spring Daze and those prizes were awarded to Michaela Anglin (Youth Landscape) and Karl Fisher (Adult Landscape).

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

RALEIGH — On Saturday, May 1, Habitat Wake will donadonated 25% of ReStore revenue to the Habitat for Humanity International Haiti earthquake Response.

Habitat for Humanity of Wake County is one of approximately 100 affiliates that have pledged to help raise money for the Haitian recovery.

The Habitat Wake ReStore sells new and used donated, discounted building materials to the public. The ReStore is located at 2420 Raleigh Blvd. in Raleigh and is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. The ReStore is closed on Sunday and Monday. To make a direct donation for Haiti, call (800) HABITAT

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire