By Diane WetzelThe North Platte Telegraph

As part of the national Mommies Network, Lincoln County Mommiesis a free online community for moms in the area. Founded by LoriHansen in 2009, Lincoln County Mommies acts as a support system formoms .Traci Betancud, North Platte, is a single mother to Gage, 9, Austin, 6,and Nicolas 2 and her 16-year old stepson K.C. She is the LincolnCounty Mom of the Quarter.“My sons will think I’m a superstar,” Betancud joked. “When I first moved here, I didn’t have any family and didn’t know anybody,” Betancud said. “I met Lori through a group called Café Momand she invited me on to the board. Then I made my first really courageous move and went out to coffee with some of the other moms.It was the best thing I ever did.”The group was a “sanity saver” while Betancud was a stay-at-homemom, she said. Recently divorced and back in the work force, the connections she has made are more important than ever.“I’ve been through a lot this past year and their support has been amazing,” she said. Son Gage had open-heart surgery earlier this year. He is now doing fine,she said. “No matter what phase you are in, there is someone who has been inyour shoes and knows what you are going through,” Betancud said. “Itcreates a very special bond. I thank God and my blessings for all ofthem.”Betancud acts as events coordinator for the group. “I am as active as I can be, having recently gone back to work,” she said.On www.lincolncountymommies.com members chat on line in a privateforum and meet for face-to-face events around town. According toHansen, the group is a reflection of mothers in the real world,

representing working moms, stay-at-home moms, single moms, adoptive moms and new moms.“Many of the moms I met have moved to the area through their husbands jobs or their own new jobs and aren’t sure where they fit in thecommunity or how to get out and meet people,” Betancud said. “LincolnCounty Mommies is a great way to get out and connect with other people.”“My kids have made friends through play dates and other family eventswe’ve had,” she said. I’ve made good friends, and being part of LincolnCounty Mommies has made North Platte feel like home.”

Above & Cover Picture: Left to right, Nicolas, Traci ( Lincoln County Mommies’ “Mom ofthe Quarter”), Gage and Austin Betancud.

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Date Time Event Location ContactAugust 28 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM St. Patrick’s 59th Annual Bar-B-Q St. Patrick’s Church

Raffle, Silent Auction, Games & Attractions 4th & Chestnut

September 2 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Up With People "A Song for the World" North Platte Community Playhouse Kelly @ 412-559-4317& September 3 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Tickets Available at First National Bank

& 7:30 - 9:30 PM

September 10 6:00 AM - 11:45 PM Wellfleet Fall Festival Wellfleet, NE 308-289-1301or 308-963-4494

September 11 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Arts in the Park Cody Park 308-535-6772

September 17 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Wallace Fall Festival Wallace, NE Mickey @ 308-387-3403

Sept. 17 & 18 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Railfest Cody Park www.nprailfest.comor call 308-534-3648

Thru October 13 Every Thursday North Platte Farmer’s Market Platte River Mall Lori @ 308-660-01774:30 PM - 7:30 PM

November 5 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Cowboy Christmas Craft Show D & N Event Center Shelli @ 308-530-4396

Nov. 25, 26 & 27 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Festival of Trees Sandhills Convention Center Cody @ 308-532-9090

Friday Nights 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Cosmic Bowling Cedar Bowl 308-532-2800

1st & 3rd Fridays 8:45 AM - 11:00 AM MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Bethel Church - 2700 W. Philip

Every Thursdays 4:00 PM Teen Cafe North Platte Public LibraryYouth in grades 6 -12, ages 12-18, are invited to attend.

TO SUBMIT AN EVENT FOR THIS CALENDAREmail events to: megan.lister@nptelegraph.com

Please include event name, date, time, place & contact information.

No phone calls please.

The Telegraph reserves the right to edit and/or omit all or portions of events.

3ABOUT THE PUBLICATION

Continuing the celebration of Moms everywhere, The North Platte Telegraph, withthe Lincoln County Mommies, has startedthis publication for Moms in Lincoln County- LincMOMS - where mothers of all agesthroughout Lincoln County can receive ideasabout daycare, education, advice about childrearing (of all ages, of course!), and find andorganize safe and fun activities for the kidsand the family.A website LincMOMS.com will be comingsoon. This will be a social networking site forLincoln County area stay at home moms,working moms and work at home moms.Moms can connect and be entertained throughforums and blogs. Please keep reading the North Platte Telegraph for further information.The information included in this publicationis to further assist mother’s who have an

already oh so busy lifestyle. When you're aworking mother, you need all the help youcan get in order to achieve any semblance ofwork-life balance.

CHECK US OUT ONLINEAs part of The Mommies Network,LincolnCountyMommies.com is a free community for moms in Lincoln, southernLogan, southern McPherson, southeasternArthur, eastern Keith, northern Hayes andnorthwestern Frontier Counties, Nebraska.We realize that all moms need local support - and who can't use another friend?LincolnCountyMommies.com offers a simpleway to connect with local moms for friend-ship, support and fun. Members meet on our private discussion forums to share information on everything from where to getthe best haircut to tips on transitioning to a"big kid" bed. Each month, we also offermany face-to-face events for our members,their children and their families. Registertoday to access our discussion forums, eventscalendar and more! It's free and we'll keepyour info secure and private.

What is LincMOMS?10

NORTH PLATTE COMMUNITYDAY CARE CENTER, INC.

534-9222 or 532-92221210 South Ash • North Platte

State Licensed - 6 weeks to 12 yearsNAEYC Accredidation

HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY5:30 am - 11:30 pm

SATURDAY (reservation only)5:30 am - 6:00 pm

Little People Daycare1609 East 2nd Street, North Platte

308-534-3758308-520-5418

Owner: Peggy Moe

CHILDCARE & PRESCHOOL

Contact the North Platte TelegraphClassifieds Department at

(308) 532-6000

YOUR ADCOULD BE HERE

Little Monkey’s

Child Care

Children 6 weeks to 13 yearsOpen 24 hrs a day - 7 days a week

HHS approved, State licensedParental web camera system coming soon!

3302 South Willow • 308-532-4688

Where Family Comes First!• Leland F. Lamberty, M.D. • Janet E. Bernard, M.D. • Wendy J.Gosnell, M.D. • Joseph J Kezeor M.D.

500 W. Leota Ste. 100 • North Platte, NE 69101

308-534-4440

Family Medicine Associates

94

By Heather JohnsonThe North Platte Telegraph

A shortage of vaccine in the community has had parents scramblingto update their children's immunizations prior to the start of school. The West Central District Health Department hosted animmunization clinic last week at McKinley Education Center, butran out of vaccine before everyone in line had a chance to receiveit."We did get another shipment and have everything back in stockexcept the Varicella," said Tammy Hall, health services manager.This year, it's mandatory that children in kindergarten through 12thgrade have two chicken pox shots.Hall said another 550 doses of the chicken pox vaccine should bein next week. So far this month, about 500 doses have been administered. The vaccine is shipped to the health department fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA."We usually only keep in about 100 doses, and they'll only allow usto order so many at a time," said Hall. "It takes two weeks to ship,and I can't put another order in until we get about out of what we

already have. Everybody in town is out. The doctors' offices aresending people over here."It's a problem that's caused some parents to turn aggressive amidconcerns their children won't be able to start school. "They've been getting really angry at us," said Hall. "Yesterday, Ihad a woman in here who shoved one of the nurses." No additional immunization clinic is planned, but Hall said most ofthe schools seem willing to work with the vaccine shortage."I haven't talked to St. Pat's, but I've gotten ahold of most of theschools, and it sounds like they're going to be fairly lenient for thefirst month," said Hall. "I've asked them to give me the number ofkids who still need vaccines when they start. That will help me figure out how much to order."The health department, 111 North Dewey Street, is open from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.The exception is on Wednesdays, when it remains open until 6 p.m.Hall said children who need vaccinations must be accompanied bya parent or guardian or have a written permission slip with them.They also need to take a shot record, which can be accessed atdhhs.ne.gov/nesiis.

Vaccine shortage causes parents to panic CCCCOOOOLLLLOOOORRRR MMMMEEEE !!!!BE A-MAZED!PUZZLES & COLORINGHEALTH

58

What Lincoln County Mommies has to offer:Area & Support GroupsCourtesy of LincolnCountyMommies.com Newsletter

CENTRAL LINCOLN MOMMIESA private forum for members living in North Platte and surrounding areas. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=11

EASTERN LINCOLN MOMMIESA private forum for members living in Brady, Maxwell and surrounding areas http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=12

WESTERN LINCOLN MOMMIESA private forum for members living in Western Lincoln County, Hershey, Sutherlandincluding Keith County. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=13

NORTHERN LINCOLN MOMMIESA private forum for members living in Northern Lincoln County including Logan County! http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=14

SOUTHERN LINCOLN MOMMIESA private forum for members living in Wallace, Wellfleet, including Frontier, Furnas

and Red Willow Counties. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=39

BONUS MOMMIESA private forum where moms with step-children can chat and discuss issues relatedto blended families. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=44

PPD SUPPORTA place for moms experiencing post-partum depression to support each other. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=18

BABYSITTING CO-OPA private forum for members who participate in our babysitting co-op. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=47

YOUNG MOMMIESA private forum for mom! s who ha d their first child before age 22. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/admin/index.php?admin=1&sid=9533be470c5dc6d06d7eaf51d4288938

Total Time: 1 hr 10 minPrep Time: 10 min Servings: 3-1/2 doz. or 21 servings,

2 haystacks each

Photo & recipe courtesy of kraftfoods.com

EASY TO MAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

• 1 cup butterscotch chips

• 2 cups chow mein noodles

• 2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows

• ½ cup PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts

Directions: MICROWAVE chocolate and butterscotch chips in medium microwaveablebowl on HIGH 2 to 3 min. or until almost melted, stirring after 1-1/2 min. Stiruntil completely melted. ADD remaining ingredients; stir until evenly coated. DROP tablespoonfuls of chocolate mixture onto waxed paper-covered bakingsheet. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

76

Question: Is it really important that my child wear a mouth guard while playing sports?

Answer: Mouth guards do more then protect young athletes' teeth. They can also help prevent concussions by acting as shock absorbers. Studies show that concussions can cause serious, long-term consequences for

athletes, and the majority of at-risk athletes are children. 300,000 people get sports-related concussions ayear, with children and teens at the highest risk. Mouth injuries in football have dropped dramaticallysince mouth guards became mandatory. More Americans report that their child wears a mouth guard forfootball then any other sport; however, today's basketball players are 15 times more likely to sustain anor a facial injury then football players. Even more alarming, about 2 in 10 children only wear a mouthguard at games, not practice, which mostinjuries occur during practice rather thengames. Parents need to encourage theiryoung athletes to get in the habit of wearingmouth guards whenever they participate insports, whether it's for practice or a game.

Lannae Phelps, D.D.S.

By James Druman Articlecity.com

Parenting is the most important leadership role the average person will take in theirlifetime, but how many parents take it seriously? Many parents in modern-dayAmerica see themselves as playing more of a caretaker role than a leadership role,but being a great mother or father is much more than putting the food on the tableand paying the rent. If you are considering the influence you have on your child'slife, it is a good idea to cultivate good habits for example, as leading by example isone of the most effective approaches a parent can take. Here are four simple ways to use this subtle leadership style with your children.

1. Not Interrupting This one seems very minor, but it is a crucial step in learning to communicate properly. Unfortunately, many parents expect their children not to interrupt but theydo it themselves all the time, especially when they are interrupting their own children. This comes from a subconscious idea we have that what we say has moreimportance than whatever our child has to say—because we are adults, and we don'treally find interest or magnitude in the thoughts and feelings children have. This is very damaging not only because it minimizes what your child thinks andfeels but also because it teaches an unhealthy way of talking with other people. Theymay keep their mouth shut when you are talking, but in other situations, when theyfeel they are in charge, they will follow your lead.

2. Control Your EmotionsPerhaps the most important lesson by example is learning to control your emotions.Many parents have trouble with this simply because they never learned healthy

ways of dealing with emotions, and if they get angry at their child they may yell or say hurtful things. Similarly, parents often lose their emotions when arguing witheach other in front of the kids. While kids usually forgive these behaviors, they alsolearn from them. If you have problems dealing with anger and other emotions, itnever hurts to speak with a therapist and discuss more positive means of emotionalexpression.

3. Stay ActiveThese days, it is more important than ever to teach your kids to be active so they canavoid the pitfalls of modern sedentary lifestyles. The best way to do this is be activeyourself. Don't sit around the house, gorging yourself on television every time youget a chance. Instead, keep busy by tending to things that need to be done in the yardor busying yourself with meaningful, productive hobbies. Go to a gym to activelycare for your body, and regularly engage in recreational sports.

4. Play FairFinally, if you want your child to become a person with a sense of justice, you needto teach them to be fair to others. Similar to interrupting them, always using the"whatever I say goes" approach to parenting or calling authority on them is a badexample to set. You are, of course, an authority and should certainly use that for yourchild's best interest—to teach them and keep them safe—but you should never wieldthat power just because you can. Leading by example is effective because much of what a child learns from a parent is subconscious, and in the end, they will often follow your behaviors no matter what you say. Not to mention that by being a stable mentor and practicing what you preach, you earn their respect rather than demand it. And that ispriceless.

4 Ways To Lead Children Through Good ExamplesPARENTING