HINTS FROM HELOISE
GET HELP IF YOU'RE LONELY
Dear Readers: People, by our very nature, are social. We visit friends and neighbors, go to parties, go out to eat and to the theater, and wander the mall or the shops downtown for healthy and fun contact with friends, family and meeting new people. But then, here comes COVID-19.
Full stop on calling on our neighbors. Restaurants closed. And those bastions of social interaction and news of the neighborhood, beauty parlors and barber shops? Also closed.
What if you're not handling it well? What if you're lonely? Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.CDC. gov) agree; loneliness (a feeling of bleakness, sadness and desolation caused by being by yourself) is as much a health risk as smoking, being overweight, depression and a sedentary lifestyle. A greater risk of dementia, heart disease and stroke are also fueled by social seclusion.
But don't despair. Help is available by reaching out to your family doctor. He or she can connect you to outlets in your community that can help. Your doctor can advise you on how to stay active and vital. There also might be pharmacological solutions (mild antidepressants) that can assist you in feeling better.
Agencies online can help too -- chief among them, the AARP (www. AARP.org).
Things are slowly beginning to improve. Many restaurants and salons have reopened with safety protocols in place. A vaccine was approved with lightning speed. We are learning how to cope with this new normal.
Being alone sometimes is fine and healthy, but if this isolation due to the COVID pandemic is causing you emotional distress, tell your doctor and get some help. -- Heloise
TECH TALK TUESDAY
Dear Heloise: For people who sell online, their reputations are critical. Most online selling platforms allow potential new buyers to review buyers' recollections of a seller's shipping speed and price, their communication with previous buyers, the quality of the merchandise, and the online description of the item compared to what the buyer actually got.
If a buyer has a problem with an item or with a seller, I strongly recommend they reach out to the seller and ask for help. The seller will, nine times out of 10, work hard to make things right for the buyer so the buyer will be satisfied and happy.
Let us support small businesses! -- Michael T. in Ohio
North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) is pleased to announce Kylie Howatt from Northern Cass High School, as the 2021 State Champion and first place winner of the North Dakota State Poetry Out Loud (POL) contest. Kylie will advance to the National Finals where a total of $50,000 in cash and school stipends will be awarded. Lillian Kiefert of Valley City High School received second place honors. Placing third was Josephine Evenson, North Border Pembina High School.
Provided in partnership with The National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and NDCA, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the mastery of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic competition to high schools across the country. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure: beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to the school-wide competition, then to the state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals.
At the school, state, and national competitions, contestants recite works selected from an anthology of more than 400 classic and contemporary poems. The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation provide support materials for classroom instruction, including a standardsbased teacher’s guide, a comprehensive website, and a CD featuring poetry recitations by well-known actors and writers such as Anthony Hopkins, Alyssa Milano, N. Scott Momaday, and Rita Dove.
The top five finalists each presented prerecorded recitations of three poems followed by the announcement of the new State POL Champion Kylie Howatt. In recognition of her achievements, Kylie received a trophy, medallion, $100 gift card, and $200 cash award. Her school will also receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books, and the honor of displaying the POL Traveling Trophy. Second place winner Lillian Kiefert received a trophy, medallion, $75 cash award, plus $200 for her school library. Third place winner Josephine Evenson received a trophy, medallion and $75 cash award.
For additional information contact (701) 328-7593 or rengelman@nd.gov.