Congratulations to Joan G. and Carole F., winners of last month's raffle drawing! Each won a $25 Walmart gift card! Scroll down and enter for a chance to win one of two $25 gift cards to Walmart!

Did you know?

Do you know why New York City began dropping a ball for New Year’s Eve? The concept was based on time balls, nautical devices used for accurate timekeeping, which is essential to the determination of longitude at sea. Ship navigators needed a standardized way to precisely set their chronometers, a time piece, which constantly required correction due to motion and humidity on boats. Each day, harbors and observatories raised and lowered a large ball on a pole at the same time to allow sailors to synchronize their instruments.



Though the ball drop became obsolete for navigational purposes by the end of the 19th century, the concept was fitting to observe the timing of the New Year. At midnight in 1907, a 700-pound, 5-foot-wide ball covered in 100 light bulbs dropped for the first time on a pole at the peak of the New York Times Building. Today, the ball is 12 feet in diameter, weighs nearly 12,000 pounds, and is lit by 32,256 LED lights.  

Strides Toward Wellness is a new monthly walking program. Get moving and learn with our doctor-led walks, focusing on a variety of health topics. The doctor will speak at the beginning and end of the walk and will be available for questions throughout. Blood pressure screenings will be offered.

Sandusky Mall, 4314 Milan Rd., Sandusky

Friday, January 19, 9 a.m.

Join Dr. Austen Smith, a weight management specialist at Firelands Center for Coordinated Care, for a weight loss medication overview; when to consider and how they work. Enter through the main entrance of the mall, the walk starts in the food court. See you there!

Pocket Programs Video Series

Click the play button above to watch our feature, "Food and the Brain," presented by Dr. Austen Smith, a weight management specialist at Firelands Center for Coordinated Care. Learn from Austen Smith, D.O., why our brains are naturally programmed to sabotage weight loss efforts, and how to reprogram our minds to make better food decisions for a healthier life.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't miss a beat on all of our new videos.

Brain teaser trivia



Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for answers.

• Which U.S. state experiences a "midnight sun" where the sun doesn't fully set in the winter?

A. Montana

B. Alaska

C. California

• How much snow does it take to equal an inch of rain?
• What is next in the following number series: 256, 289, 324, 361, ...?

Backyard events & trips

Seek adventures close to home.

Ladies in Writing

Vine & Olive, 4917 Milan Road, Sandusky

Saturday, January 27, 1-3 p.m.

Enjoy an afternoon with six Ohio authors. Food and wine samples will be available. Wine by the glass for purchase. Admission is free. Authors scheduled to be in attendance:

• Kathleen Stefancin
• Liz Ferro
• Pat Antonelli
• Linda Everman
• Tonya Sullivan
• Emilia Rosa

Ice-A-Fair

Downtown Vermilion

Saturday, February 3, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Ice sculptures, live demos, trolley rides, shopping, and dining.

4th Annual Valentine's Wine & Chocolate Walk

Downtown Marblehead Lakeside

Saturday, February 10, 1-5 p.m.

Visit participating businesses in downtown Marblehead and Lakeside while enjoying chocolate treats, wine and more. A fun souvenir is included with your ticket. Cost: $25

Magruder Hospital V.I.P. Club On-the-Go Trips Travel Presentation

Magruder Hospital, 615 Fulton St., Port Clinton

Thursday, January 25, 1 p.m.

If you are interested in learning more about the day trips Magruder Hospital is hosting in 2024, this presentation is for you.

Choose one word that has meaning and purpose for you to remind and inspire you to be your best. Put that word somewhere you will see it daily. You don’t need a gym membership, or more willpower, you just need focus. Keep that word in front of you and the reasons you choose that word for new growth. 

Click on the "Enter to Win" graphic above to sign up for a chance to win one of two $25 gift cards to Walmart!

2024 Community Outreach Vascular Screenings

Screenings available:

• Stroke/carotid artery screening-$60

An ultrasound scan which screens for fatty plaque, the leading cause of strokes. 

• Peripheral arterial disease screening-$60

Screens for peripheral arterial disease in the lower extremities.

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening-$60

An ultrasound scan that screens for the existence of enlargements in the aorta that can lead to a ruptured aortic artery.

2024 Health & Wellness Lab Screenings

Screenings Available:

• Complete Blood Count with Metabolic & Lipid Panel-$45

Includes liver and kidney function studies, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, HDL/LDL and triglyceride levels. No eating/drinking for

12 hours, water permitted. 

• Hemoglobin A1C-$25

A three-month report card on how well your blood sugars have been running. A test used to diagnose diabetes and/or evaluate how well your treatment plan is working.

• PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)-$30
• Vitamin D-$35
• TSH-$25

Brain teaser trivia answers

• Which U.S. state experiences a "midnight sun" where the sun doesn't fully set in the winter? Alaska
• How much snow does it take to equal an inch of rain? It varies depending on the type of snow, but to make 1 inch of water (rain), you need 10 inches of average snow, 4 to 5 inches of wet snow, or 15 inches of powdery snow.
• What is next in the following number series: 256, 289, 324, 361, ...? 400

Direct questions or inquiries to:

Rene Mihalic, Firelands 55+ Coordinator

mihalic@firelands.com

419-557-7722