(NewsUSA) - Marine Toys for Tots is the Nation’s flagship children’s Christmastime charity, but the Program extends to helping children and families year-round. As children prepare for the new school year, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program continues its successful Back to School Books campaign, which distributed over 500,000 books to Title I funded schools last year. The Department of Education, through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, provides financial assistance to schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging academic standards.     

One key objective of the Marine Toys for Tots Program is to support child development at Christmastime and beyond. The Toys for Tots Literacy Program, launched in 2008, has made a positive impact in the lives of underprivileged children by giving them access to age-appropriate books throughout the year. The Program provides economically disadvantaged children with the books and educational resources that can help them build the confidence and self-esteem that will help them compete academically and succeed in life.     

“This program not only brings the joy of reading to these children, but also serves as an important tool in breaking the cycle of poverty,” says LtGen Jim Laster, USMC (Retired), President & CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.     

This year, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program is providing over 600,000 books to Title I funded schools across the Nation.     Cedar Forest Elementary School, a Title I school in Fredericksburg, VA, recently hosted a back-to-school “Back to Pack” fundraiser, and families of more than 815 children enrolled at the school came to show their support. The Toys for Tots Literacy Program provided books to this Title I funded school’s event, and the students selected books that piqued their interest.     

“The biggest indicator for a child being successful in their educational career is the fact that they’ve had books read to them consistently by the age of five. Getting these books into their hands and setting them up for success is a life-changing thing,” says Cedar Forest 5th grade teacher Joselyn Beyer. Literacy is essential to developing a strong sense of well-being and citizenship -- the Program is more than just providing books!     Support the Back to School Books campaign by visiting the Toys for Tots Literacy Program Donation Page: https://www.toysfortots.org/literacy/Default.aspx for more details or to donate.     

Be sure to follow Toys for Tots on Facebook and Instagram to see how the Literacy Program is bringing the joy of reading to children in need across the Nation! Hope is just a book away.

(NewsUSA) - Looking for a family getaway that’s anything but ordinary? Look no further than Plano, where Texas-sized fun comes without big-city hassles or price tags. Just 20 minutes from DFW airport, Plano offers the perfect mix of outdoor thrills, indoor fun, colorful festivals and tempting eats. Walkable lodging, entertainment and dining areas make it easy to strike the right balance between recreation and relaxation. Here’s a head start on planning your family adventure in Plano:     

Get colorful at The Crayola Experience a wonderland of color and creativity with 22 hands-on attractions, letting kids of all ages name and wrap their very own Crayola crayon, see how crayons are made, star in their own coloring book and more.     

Go Ape! Don’t just get out in nature -- glide over the forest canopy at Go Ape! Treetop Adventure Course. Zip lines, Tarzan swings and suspended obstacles bring out everyone’s inner monkey amid 800 acres of natural beauty.     

Go back in time at Heritage Farmstead, a living history museum on a 360-acre farm that recreates Victorian-era life. For another fun, nostalgic activity, climb aboard a vintage train car at the Interurban Railway Museum in Plano’s quaint downtown arts district.     

Get festive. If you happen to visit Plano in late September, enjoy the signature Plano Balloon Festival, with its magical evening balloon “glows,” tethered balloon rides, and carnival atmosphere. But there are other fun happenings all year round and no matter when you visit, you’re sure to come across a colorful festival, street fair or free outdoor concert.     

Taste your way around Plano.  Plano has more restaurants per capita than New York or San Francisco and offers up great renditions of kid-friendly favorites like burgers, pizza, Tex-Mex and more. For those nights when everyone in your family wants something different, there’s always Legacy Hall, a European-style food hall with individual stalls offering multiple choices, from duck fat- fried chicken and lobster rolls to Belgian-style waffles to gourmet s’mores featuring house made marshmallows, all under one roof. Parents can enjoy craft cocktails, wine or beer brewed on site along with their meal of choice.   

Stay in style. Plano hotels have mastered the art of making kids feel at home and parents feel pampered after a busy day of play. Two convenient and popular options are the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center and the Dallas/Plano Hilton Granite Park.     

For further information or help planning a family adventure in Plano, go to visitplano.com.

(NewsUSA) -  

“Tune in Tomorrow”
by Randee Dawn       

A funny, thrilling and mysterious adventure into the world of alternate reality television -- perfect for fans of Jasper Fforde and Christopher Moore.  

She’s just a small-town girl, with big mythic dreams. Starr Weatherby came to New York to become … well, a star. But after ten years and no luck, she’s offered a big role -- on a show no one has ever heard of. It’s a reality show beyond the Veil, human drama, performed for the entertainment of the Fae.  

But as Starr shifts to rising fan favorite, she learns about the show’s dark underbelly -- and the mysterious disappearance of her predecessor. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep her dream job -- though she might just bring down the show in the process.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3xYTYY2.

“The Third Way”
by Aimee Hoben  

After losing her college scholarship, Arden Firth -- with the help of Justin Kirish, a law student with a mysterious past -- becomes the reluctant leader of a movement to ban corporations. South Dakota Ballot Initiative 99 is Arden’s last hope to save her grandmother’s farm from foreclosure. But as the movement grows, shadowy forces conspire to quash it, and Arden sees “99” begin to spiral out of her control.  

A novel charting the intersection among idealism, extremism, and forgiveness, fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Margaret Atwood will love “The Third Way” -- the story of a young woman struggling with her own demons while trying to articulate a vision that could change the world.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3xoXfjf.

“Cobblestones, Conversations and Corks”
by Giovanni Ruscitti  

A passionate and deeply moving memoir about a father-son relationship, a culture rooted in family, food and wine and an ancestral small town in Central Italy that was left behind after World War II. When the Germans invaded Cansano in 1943, Ruscitti’s family moved out to the unforgiving mountains of Abruzzo, living in horrendous winter conditions. When the war ended, they returned to a village so ravaged by the Germans that today it has fewer than 200 citizens.  

When Ruscitti visits Cansano and walks the cobblestones, his father’s stories are illuminated by the town piazza, the steep valley and the surrounding mountains. He relives the tales of his parents’ struggles, their post-war misery, their romance and decision to immigrate to the U.S.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3M4ZMDd.

“A Dark and Stormy Tea”
by Laura Childs  

Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning dashes down Charleston’s famed Gateway Walk in an attempt to outrun an oncoming storm. But lightning and pelting rain soon overtake her, and the normally picturesque ramble of hedges and statuary becomes a twisted labyrinth of fog and driving rain. As she approaches St. Philips Cemetery, Theodosia witnesses a brutal murder and watches as a dark-hooded figure slips away.  

While alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim as the daughter of a friend who owns a bookshop near her Indigo Tea Shop. Seeking justice, Theodosia launches her own shadow investigation. But between a raging storm, a possible serial killer and staging a Murder Mystery Tea at Chillingham Manor, Theodosia worries that she could be the next victim.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3t3th16.

NOTE: BookTrib’s Bites is presented by Booktrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Accidents happen: you hurt your shoulder fixing that broken gutter or throwing a baseball, develop carpal tunnel syndrome from your less-than-ergonomic work-from-home setup, or you suffer from painful tendon or joint conditions such as arthritis.     

In the past, many people with these and other issues have felt they have no option but to go under the knife for major orthopedic surgery. However, advances in technology have allowed the evolution of the field of regenerative medicine, in which the body’s own cells, including platelets and stem cells, are taken from one part of the body and used to promote healing in areas where it is needed, and where blood supply is limited, such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.     

“While not all surgery can be avoided, advanced technology and the emergence of regenerative medicine means the vast majority of conditions can be treated without surgery,” says Dr. Daniel Savarino, director of the Apex Center for Regenerative Medicine in Tinton Falls, NJ.     

For example, Dr. Savarino uses ultrasound imaging to target the exact location of an injury without the need for a large incision. People of all ages and activity levels can be treated with regenerative medicine, as no hospital stay is required, he adds.     

Regeneration in the body can occur in three ways. Molecular regeneration involves the small molecules that are the body’s building blocks, such as fats and carbohydrates; cellular regeneration involves the structures such as neurons that cause new cells to grow and reproduce; and tissue regeneration includes blood, skin, bone, or muscle.     

One example of regenerative medicine is the harvesting of stem cells to inject into injured areas and treat orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis of the joints, rotator cuff tears, meniscal tears in the knee, and tendon injuries such as tennis elbow. These stem cells become new cells in the injured areas to promote healing and repair without the need for invasive surgery.     

Another example of regenerative medicine is using the body’s own platelets and plasma (a technique called platelet-rich plasma injections, or PRP) to promote healing in damaged areas including tendons, ligaments, and muscles. PRP injections also have also been used to promote hair regrowth in individuals with hair loss.     

Although some orthopedic conditions do require surgery, that was traditionally less than 10% of the time. But with advances in regenerative medicine, it is now much less than that.  Dr. Savarino explains that he often treats patients who were told that major surgery was their only option. If patients are candidates for regenerative medicine, they can undergo minimally invasive procedures in an office setting instead. “Our motto is ‘Don’t Operate . . . Regenerate,’” he says.     

For more information, visit regeneratenj.com.

(NewsUSA) - The scorching sun is the major reason that skin cancer is the nation’s most common cancer type. But there’s seriously good news -- dermatologists can now cure most cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) without scalpels, pain, bleeding, infection, surgical scarring or the need for reconstructive surgery.     

Dermatologists around the country are rapidly adopting FDA-cleared, image-guided, superficial radiotherapy (SRT) as a patient-friendly treatment alternative to traditional Mohs surgery for common skin cancers.   

The contrast in these treatments, both of which generate cure rates above 99 percent, is startling. Century-old Mohs surgery involves the repeated cutting away of diseased tissue until skin samples viewed under a microscope show that only healthy tissue remains.     

With newer image-guided SRT, a patient visits the doctor for a few 15-minute sessions per week over several weeks. Each time, the doctor uses an ultrasound imaging device that lets them view a live image that distinguishes cancerous tissue from healthy tissue. Using those images, the doctor aims low-level x-rays at the treatment site, damaging and killing the cancer cells. The patient can see the tumor shrinking until it’s entirely gone. The procedure is painless, and there are no surgical scars to mark where the treatment took place. More than 500 dermatologists offer it, and that number is growing fast.     

Ruby Wepler, an 86-year-old, life long tennis player in Stow, Ohio, had Mohs surgery on her face three years ago. “It was very scary. You go into the office and they numb your face, cut that particular area and check to see if they got it all. And then you have to come back again and they go a little deeper if they didn't get it all. It was painful,” she says.     

“I was diagnosed again last year,” Ruby continues, “with cancer on my cheek and they suggested image-guided SRT. What surprised me was that it took no time at all. They went out of the room, pushed the button and a minute later they come back and it's all over. After a series of treatments, the cancer is gone and there's no scarring at all.”     

Surveys show a 99.9-percent patient satisfaction rate with image-guided SRT, which is covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.     

For more information and to learn where image-guided SRT is available, visit GentleCure.com.

(NewsUSA) - Maaco, the iconic American body shop, is celebrating 50 years of affordable auto body paint and repair with a Labor Day giveaway -- 50 pairs of gold Ray Ban sunglasses.

The contest will run from Monday, August 15, through midnight on Sunday, August 28, and is open to anyone in the United States. Entrants are invited to share their plans for Labor Day weekend and how they would enjoy sporting their new Ray Bans via the contest website. The 50 lucky winners will receive a pair of gold Ray Ban sunglasses following the closing of the contest.

“We’re hosting this golden giveaway to show our appreciation to our customers, for their decades of support,” says Chris Dawson, president of Maaco. “Over the last 50 years, customers have come to depend on us as the one to call whenever it’s time for a fresh paint job on your car or when life inevitably brings its dents, dings and scratches on your vehicle.”

Maaco was founded in 1972 by Anthony Martino, with a single shop in Wilmington, Delaware. The company now includes more than 400 independently owned and operated franchises across North America where expert technicians have repaired more than 20 million vehicles over the past 50 years.

Maaco has made a name for itself as a standout auto repair franchise because of its best-price guarantee and lifetime warranty on services performed and through servicing car fleets for large and small businesses and government agencies.     

Maaco also offers contactless procedures and an online cost estimator tool to help make car repair quick, easy and safe.     

Maaco’s gold, platinum, and diamond certified centers pass rigorous approval processes each year. These centers include experts with specialized training in repair of specific models, including Audi, Honda, Ford, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen and Lexus. These certified centers are designed to repair specific models to meet or exceed factory standards.     

“Throughout these 50 years, our dedicated franchise family has remained committed to providing the best -quality repair at an incredible value, and that’s why Maaco has such loyal customers,” continues Dawson. “It’s an honor to be a part of this iconic brand, and I can’t wait to see our communities celebrating alongside us as they sport their golden shades for the Labor Day long weekend.”     

The winners will be chosen at random on Wednesday, August 31. They will be notified through email and must respond within five business days to claim their gold Ray Bans.     

Visit MaacoGoldenGiveaway.com for more information and complete contest details.

(NewsUSA) -  

“Waves of Hope”
by Judith Keim       

Hope and determination can bring results …  

Ellie Weatherby and the four other grandmothers living at Sanderling Cove decide with only two great-grandchildren, it’s time to swing into action. So they invite their grandchildren to spend the summer at the cove, hoping to encourage romance between them.  

Elle’s three granddaughters -- Charlotte Bradford, Olivia Winters, and Brooke Weatherby -- are all at a point where they have the time to do as she asks.  When Shane Ensley is sailing with Charlotte and another “cove kid,” Eric Simon, the boom knocks him into the water unconscious. When Charlotte rescues him, it changes everything for them -- and starts the summer exactly as the grandmothers had hoped.

Purchase at https://books2read.com/u/49njy0.

“The Winning Playbook”
by Rob Welsh and Jonathan R. Scott  

A must-read for any future or current professional athlete, or any person looking to get a better understanding of their finances, “The Winning Playbook: Strategies for Life On And Off the Field” offers invaluable information you won’t find anywhere else.  

We hear so many stories of athletes who have been taken advantage of or who simply didn't have a purpose after their careers came to an end. This doesn't have to happen. Learn how money and taxes work. Learn how to keep more of your hard-earned money and put it to work for you. Learn what to look for in a financial and business team. Turn your career into your money-making machine, and become the CEO of your enterprise and legacy.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3RiuX16.

“Bit Flip”
by Mike Trigg  

Combining the corporate intrigue of Joseph Finder, the satirical cultural critique of Dave Eggers, and the domestic drama of Laura Dave, “Bit Flip” is a fast-paced contemporary thriller that delivers an authentic insider’s view of the corrupting influences of greed, entitlement, and vanity in technology start-ups.  

Tech executive Sam Hughes came to Silicon Valley to “make the world a better place.” But when an onstage meltdown sends him into a professional tailspin, he suddenly sees the culture of the Bay Area’s tech bubble in a new light.

Just as Sam’s wondering if his career and marriage might be over at fortysomething, an inadvertent discovery pulls him back into his former company, where he unravels insidious schemes that threaten to destroy the company and his own moral compass.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3MmfBWF.

“There Will Be Lobster”
by Sara Arnell    

You know her. You’ve seen her. You may even see yourself in her. If you’re arriving to the midlife crisis party -- the one that’s serving low self-esteem, desperation, unreliable behavior, forgetfulness, carelessness and the loneliness of loss -- the stories and anecdotes in this memoir will assure you that you are not alone.  

For Sara Arnell, it took a rogue lobster, a dying rock star, an eighteen-pound tumor, a meditation guru, a famous medium and a former monk to put her on a path toward light, hope, and healing.  

“Sara Arnell is the only writer I know who can make self-depreciation and wisdom look like the same thing. This is a darkly funny memoir with a big heart,” says David Hollander, author of “Anthropica” and “L.I.E.”

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3ywDqoQ.

NOTE: BookTrib’s Bites is presented by Booktrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Summer is here, and the job market for teens is hot. More travel and activities this summer are driving the need for teen workers to fill jobs as lifeguards, house sitters, dog walkers, restaurant workers and retail employees.     

Summer jobs provide a great opportunity to teach kids about managing money.     

“A summer job may be the first opportunity for kids to earn enough money to need to make more critical financial decisions,” says Don Grant, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional. Teens may be responsible for cars, and college students may be managing their own apartments. Even younger children who are earning money from mowing lawns or other endeavors can learn about budgeting and saving.     

Some key concepts that kids can learn from summer jobs include the following:     

Budgeting basics: Budgeting is finding a balance between what you earn and what you can spend, a concept that kids of all ages can understand.     

Saving savvy: Kids and teens may be eager to spend their summer paychecks, but it’s important for parents to stress the value of putting aside a certain amount from each paycheck to get them into the savings habit early. Explain the value of short-term savings for more immediate needs, such as a trip to the beach, and long-term savings for goals down the road, including college savings accounts or even retirement accounts. “A small amount saved now could grow to a small fortune over time,” says Grant. This is a good reminder for kids.     

Teachable taxes: Teens who are making enough money at jobs such as lifeguarding or retail may be surprised when they see taxes removed from their paychecks. Grant recommends using this opportunity to teach kids about filing tax returns and to explain how they might even get a refund, depending on credits and deductions.     

Smart spending: Encourage kids with summer jobs to prioritize needs and wants. Getting a handle on these concepts can provide the tools kids need for financial success at any stage of life.     

Automated options: Make a plan with your teen to divert part of each paycheck into a Roth IRA; many banks offer options for auto-deposits. Kids can learn how to live within their means and enjoy the satisfaction of watching their investments grow through compounding.     

Meeting with a financial professional can help teens and parents address any questions or concerns about saving and spending -- and can help get kids off to a good start to build habits for a sound financial future.     

Visit LetsMakeAPlan.org for more financial planning tips and to find a CFP® professional near you.

(NewsUSA) - Celebrated novelist Mike Bond’s ambitious “America” series relives the last 70 years and our nation’s most profound upheavals since the Civil War. Now, through the wild, joyous, heartbroken and visionary lives of four young people, the story continues in book three, entitled “REVOLUTION.”

The book follows the first two volumes in the series -- “America” and “Freedom.”  

The 1968 Tet uprising plunges America deeper into the abyss of Vietnam. Martin Luther King is shot, and riots rage in 130 burning American cities. Students protesting the war take over American universities and street battles in Paris nearly topple the French government. Senator Eugene McCarthy enters the Democratic presidential race against Lyndon Johnson, followed by Bobby Kennedy, who goes on to win the California Democratic primary.  

Mick joins the Paris student street battles, then returns to the US to work in Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Daisy leaves Stanford to work, also in Bobby’s campaign. Troy faces increasing dangers as the Vietnam War widens into Cambodia and Laos. American astronauts land on the moon and safely return to earth. Tara and her band shine at Woodstock. And the My Lai massacre is revealed, further darkening the tragedy in Vietnam, as America teeters on the edge of revolution.  

Midwest Book Review calls “REVOLUTION” “an extraordinary and deftly crafted novel that combines interesting characters within the context of a historically detailed background … an inherently entertaining … fascinating read.”  

The Miami Times calls “REVOLUTION” “a testament to the effect the politics and moral revolution have had on America.”  

Kirkus calls it “an evocative novel of the 1960s that hits just the right tone.”  

Mike Bond has been called “master of the existential thriller" by BBC, "one of America’s best thriller writers” by Culture Buzz, and “one of the 21st century’s most exciting authors” by the Washington Times. He is a best-selling novelist, war and human rights journalist and environmental activist. He has covered guerrilla wars, death squads and military dictatorships in Latin America and Africa, Islamic terrorism in the Middle East and ivory poaching and other environmental battles in East Africa and Asia.  

His critically acclaimed novels take the reader into intense situations in the world's most perilous places, into wars, revolutions, dangerous love affairs and political and corporate conspiracies, making “readers sweat with [their] relentless pace.” (Kirkus) and drawing them “into a land and a time I had not known, but left me with my senses reeling.” (NetGalley Reviews)  

His books have been named among the best of the year by reviewers and readers alike. He speaks multiple languages, has climbed and trekked over 50,000 miles on every continent from the Antarctic to Siberia and is at home in some of the most primitive and dangerous places on the planet.  

Learn more about Mike Bond at mikebondbooks.com and purchase “REVOLUTION” at https://amzn.to/3aLuXqe.

BookBites is presented by BookTrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Today’s Millennial and Gen Z apartment hunters are tech-savvy, smart and safety-conscious. That means they are seeking the best in high-tech features that make their lives easier, safer and more fun, and they are willing to pay more for it. Parks Associates’ research on multifamily property owners shows that a third of residents are willing to pay an additional 15% per month in rent for smart amenities.

Here are five of the top tech amenities renters want:

Keyless Entry

Smart locks are among the most-desired apartment amenities, and with good reason. Smart locks allow for keyless entry, and renters never have to fear being locked out because they have lost or forgotten a key. Many renters also prefer smart locks on shared amenity spaces for added security.

Renters want to know who is at the door, and they can benefit from the more secure, convenient and seamless access experience provided by a smart video intercom access system. Using an app like the myQ® Community app, residents can have access to one-way video calling, two-way video voice communication and a “press to unlock” feature that allows residents to easily unlock entrances with their smartphones.

Access from Afar

More people are returning to work, and many renters seek a high-tech, safe, option to allow approved visitors remote access to their space when they are away. Users of the myQ® community app can provide access for guests or other trusted visitors, such as cleaners, repair people and dog walkers.

Package Protection Prowess

As more people than ever shop online, renters want 24/7 access to package pick-up, and a smartphone access management app allows residents to see who’s at the entrance. With the ability to send a time-limited, virtual entry pass, residents can manage deliveries from work or anywhere. An automated notification system alerts residents to a package, and a secure package room ensures that couriers can access the property and complete deliveries without risk of theft by “porch pirates.”

Hands-Free Homecoming

Renters today want less contact with frequently touched surfaces. Smart access control systems that work with voice control allow residents to open doors hands-free. Users of the myQ® Community app can use Siri Voice Control, a feature that is compatible with all LiftMaster Smart Video Intercoms. Residents can ask Siri to unlock doors, from elevators to parking garages, reducing contact with high-touch areas with touch- less entry.

Visit myq.com for more information about the myQ® Community app and other top high-tech amenities that renters want.