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Judges announced for Northeast Ohio Senior Adult Spelling Bee

March 26, 2009 – Six community leaders will share their judging expertise at the 2009 Northeast Ohio Senior Adult Spelling Bee, set for Sunday, April 26 at Laurel Lake Retirement Community in Hudson. 

The judges are:

Katherine Blackbird, M.A., English Instructor at Kent State University and winner of the 2007 Outstanding Teacher Award.

Kathleen Chandler, State Representative, Ohio 68th District, and former Kent City Councilwoman and Portage County Commissioner.

Bill Hammerstrom, Editor of the Hudson Hub-Times and www.hudsonhubtimes.com.

Terry Harsney, Secretary, Akron Public Schools and winner of the 2007 Northeast Ohio Senior Adult Spelling Bee.

Audrey Kraynak, Ph.D., Licensed School Psychologist and Coordinator, Adult Development & Wellbeing at the Kent State University School of Family and Consumer Studies.

Mark Weber, Dean of Libraries and Media Services at Kent State University.

BRING YOUR "A" GAME TO THE BEE 

Sponsored by Laurel Lake, Summa Health System and the Center for Healthy Aging, this year’s Bee for adults 55 and older will have a fun "Earth Week" theme. Great prizes will be awarded to top spellers, with the winner receiving a grand prize round trip for two to the AARP National Senior Spelling Bee on Saturday, June 20, 2009 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

A WORKOUT FOR THE BRAIN

Spelling bees are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, as evidenced by the hit documentary Spellbound, the Broadway play 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and the recent movie Akeelah and the Bee.

The Northeast Ohio bee was the brainchild of clinical psychologist Dr. Paula Hartman-Stein, who advocates spelling as a way for older adults to keep socially active and mentally alert. Hartman-Stein is founder of the Center for Healthy Aging in Kent.

"Sharpening your spelling skills, whether for competition or just for the fun of learning new words, is a great way to stay mentally and cognitively alert," says Hartman-Stein.

GET INVOLVED

The Bee consists of a written preliminary round followed by an oral round. Registration opens at 2:00 p.m., with the event to begin at 2:30. No fee is required to compete, but advance registration is recommended. To pre-register, call (330) 678-9210 or e-mail cha@en.com .

Laurel Lake is located at 200 Laurel Lake Drive in Hudson, just off of Boston Mills Road.

For more information about the national bee and additional study suggestions and resources, visit www.seniorspellingbee.org . For details about the local bee, visit www.centerforhealthyaging.com .

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Now celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Laurel Lake Retirement Community is the smart choice for adults 62+ who wish to continue leading active lives filled with a variety of interests, including work, travel, fitness, environmentalism, cultural and lifelong learning pursuits. This not-for-profit continuing care retirement community offers multiple home styles within a scenic 150-acre campus. Call 1-866-650-2100 or visit www.laurellake.org for information. Laurel Lake is part of the Catholic Healthcare Partners family of healthcare and senior housing providers.