Newspaper honors
women with local ties
( HKl INK I I SHI-I KI.HOKI
Holly Stepp. a city native,
was recently awarded with
one of the highest honors
given hy The State, the largest
newspaper in South Carolina. 1
Stepp. 28. the education edi
tor for the Columbia-based
paper, picked up the 2002
Ambrose E. Gon/ales Award
for excellence in editorship,
photography, graphics or
design.
The award is named for
the co-founder of The State.
Alan Horton. vice presi
dent of Scripps-Howard
Newspapers, selected Stepp
to receive the award after she
was nominated by the paper's
staff.
"1 can't judge what the
education coverage was like
before Ms. Stepp took charge,
but it's exemplary now." he
said in an article recently
printed in The State.
Stepp is the daughter of
city residents Vera and Henry
Stepp. She has worked at The
State since last year. A 1996
graduate of the University of
North Carolina. Stepp worked
as an education reporter at the
Miami Herald helore going to
The State.
Valerie Bauerlein. a
reporter with a Winston- ?
Salein connection. was
awarded along with Stepp
Bauerlein. a I, a former city
government reporter for (fie
WinstoS-Salem Journat
picked up the paper's 2002
Ambrose G. Hampton Award
for excellence in writing.
Bauerlein covers the state
Legislature
Both women received
plaques and checks for
SI.000.
Aldo Rivera, a student at Kenersville Elementary School, looks at the X-ray machine.
All Smiles
Local dentist
volunteers her
time and services
to local children
BY COURTNEY GAILLARD
THE CHRONICLE
! Twenty-one percent of
(Jhildren entering kindergarten
ijn Forsyth County already
have tooth decay. That is why
t)r. Tina Merhoff, a pediatric
dentist. offered her services
free of charge to 20 under
privileged children from the
tyinston-Salem/Forsyth
(Jounty School System on Fri
day.
? Merhoff participated in
'iGive a Kid a Smile." a
Nationwide campaign that
raises awareness of children's
" 3ental needs. Merhoff. who
Npened her private practice in
April 2001, was on faculty at -
the department of dentistry of
\Vake Forest University
School of Medicine, where
she specialized in children
with special dental needs.
"These children are our
future. When a child is miss
ing school from an abscessed
tooth, when they're sick from
an abscessed tooth, when
they're being made fun of as a
young child, what kind of
start is that?" Merhoff said.
Children aged 5 to 10
years old from Bolton Ele
mentary School. Kernersville
Elementary School. Boonville
Elementary and Latham Ele
mentary School had their .
teeth cleaned, cavities filled.
X-rays, tooth extractions, flu
oride treatments and any nec
essary dental attention needed
to improve their oral health.
Most of the children Merhoff
saw during her free clinic
hours had never been seen by
a dentist before.
"The funding in our state
with Medicaid has been at a
nationwide low. and now
they're ... looking to cut it
I I
even furtHfcr. which is going
to limit the access (to dental
care) for these children."
Merhoff said. ,
Dental disease, says Mer
hoff. is just as detrimental to
the immune system as other
diseases of the body. Painful
tooth infections that go
untreated can weaken a
child's immune system, pac
ing the child at risk for other
serious infections.
April Eastridge, a clinical
assistant of Merhoff. said.
"These children don't have
dental hygiene, and it's just a
great experience to help these
kids, get them out of pain and
show them the proper brush
ing and flossing instructions,
and they go out of here in a
better state then when they
came in."
Merhoff and her staff were
also certain to talk to the kids
about their diet and nutrition.
Juice, says Merhoff. is a
major contributor to tooth
decay in young children. Chil
dren were given stickers,
toothbrushes and tips on how
to take care of their teeth at
home.
"If they're drinking
juice,..then that constant
exposure (to juice) is putting
sugar on their teeth. Juices are
high in sugar," said Merhoff.
who recommends that chil
dren begin going to the dentist
by age I.
The Health Resources and
Service Administration says
that at least 26 million Ameri
can children are suffering
from chronic dental pain and
disease. More than half of all
children in the United States
from 6 to years old have
dental decay. Fifty-one mil
lion school hours are missed
per year in the United States
because of dental-related ill
nesses.
Tina Tuttle brought 11
children from Latham Ele
mentary School to the free
dental clinic. Tuttle. who is an
ESL teacher at Latham, said
many of her students are unfa
> See Dentist n A10
I 1
Group says Bush budget
unkind to after-school
programs for youngsters
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
A slate organization that
works to make after-school
programs more accessible says
that President Bush's proposed
budget would create a road
block for its plans to make
sure that every American child
has access to such programs
by 2010.
The Afterschool Alliance
predicts that the state would
lose more than $8 million for
after-school programs next
year if Congress gives the
president's budget the green
light. The Bush budget
includes cutting funding to the
21st Century Community
Learning Centers Program, a
major federal after-school ini
tiative. by nearly half. The
alliance says that its data
shows that close to 12.000
young people in the state and
1.6 million children through
out the country would lose
access to after-school pro
grams if the budget is pushed
through.
"We are not nearly meeting
the demand for after-school in
America today. To cut back
even fur
the presi
dent pro
poses,
would be
tb betray
our chil
d r e n .
their par
ents and
the com
muni
ties."
said Judy Y. Samelson. execu
tive director of Afterschool
Alliance. "The Afterschool
Alliance is encouraging citi
zens to contact their represen
tatives to complain about the
proposed cuts."
"Everyone who cares about
keeping children safe in the
afternoons and providing them
with academic support should
oppose a cut in after-school
funding." Samelson said.
Samuelson
Dr. Tina Merhoff works on a child's teeth.
9
Medicare Complete? has no monthly plan premiums.
fortunately, there's a better option. It's
called Medicare Complete? and it's from
UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina.
With Medicare Complete? you will eryoy:
? No monthtyplan premiums
? Preventive health coverage
? $10 doctor visits
? Generic prescription benefits up to
$500/year
? Worldwide emergency and urgent care
? Wide choice of doctors
? Our 24-hour toll-free Optum? NurseLine
? Personal service specialists
? Direct Access to contracted specialists
And Medicare Complete4 costs you nothing.
You simply continue to pay your Medicare
Part B premium.
To get your free, informative booklet about
Medicare Complete the health plan that offeft
more benefits than original Medicare-simply
call the number below. There's no obligation, so
call today!
To learn more attend one of our free community
meetings listed below.
1-800-538-7777, ext. 1253
TTY: 1-877476-3463, ext. 1253
Call now to reserve your seat:.
Wednesday, March 26
Golden Corral
4965 University Pkwy,
Winston-Salem, NC
Refreshments served
11 a.m.
A sales representative will be present
with information and applications
Thursday, March 1*1
Hill's Lexington BBQ
4005 Patterson Ave
Winston-Salem, NC
Refreshments served
11 a.m.
TV If
IViedicareComplete
UnitedHealthcare
(tar Medicare Complete' products and this offer are available to persons enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and thing in the service area
You must continue to pay your Part B (and if applicable Part A) premium. Some limitations, restrictions, plan premium, and/or
inpayments/coinsurance may apph. Our Medicare Complete products are Medicare+Choice plans offered by either 1 nitedHealthcare of 0
North Carolinatlnc. or I'nited HealthCare Insurance Company. Medicare+Choice organizations. Medicare Completes contract with CMS is
renewed annually. The availability of coverage bevond the end of the current vear is not guaranteed.
?2003 United HealthCare Services, Inc. M 030129.01 CMS 02/03
I 'I I ? .
pma
Who Winston-Salem
Department ofTransportation
What US 52 Land Use and
TransportationStudy
When Thursday, March 20,2003
9 Presentation at Transportation
Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting 4:15
pm
Open House 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where Winston-Salem City Hall South
100 East First Street
Fifth Floor Council Chamber
The Winston-Salem Department of Transportation
(WS DOT) has contracted with the consulting firm of
RS&H to prepare the US 52 Land Use and
Transportation Plan for the US?;62 Corridor between
Interstate 40 and Rural Hall. A presentation will be ?
made during the TAC meeting, which begins at 4:15
pm followed by an Open House between 6:00 pm and
8:00 pm
Visit the US 52 WEBSITE at
Www.M?g??tudypom
Persons with disabilities requinng special
accommodations should cat! (336) 727
2707at least 48 hours pnor to the meeting
to make arrangements.
For mm Information contact:
Greg Errett Janice K Anderson. PE
Project Manager Project Manager
_ Winston-Salem DOT RS&H
^ (336)727-2707 (704)752-0610
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