BRIEFS

Professional organizing giveaway offered

Although just about everyone seems to understand the benefits of being organized, it's not always easy to figure out just where to start. To highlight ways in which people can become more organized in their office, with their time and in their home, professionals from around the globe will be participating in the first-ever Great Organizing Giveaway.

The giveaway is part of January's observance of Get Organized Month by the National Association of Professional Organizers. The Lakes Professional Organizers in Las Vegas has teamed with Calahan Solutions in Bloomington, Ill., along with other professional organizers nationwide to mark the observance and help area residents find organizing solutions.

"There are many outstanding resources available to consumers to help them get organized, but frequently people do not know where to find them or how to start. Our solution was to get the resources available in one spot," stated Stephanie L.H. Calahan, coordinator of the project and founder of Calahan Solutions.

For expert advice, people can go to www.asktheorganizingexperts.com and sign up free resources such as eBooks, tip sheets, audio programs and more as well as enter into drawings for prizes. Information will be categorized into three main categories: office, time and home. Business professionals, parents and students will find expert material that fits their personal productivity and organization needs.

"We decided to participate in this giveaway by providing the first 10 people in the Las Vegas area to contact us one hour of hands-on organizing at no cost along with a free consultation. That's a $200 value. We want to support a fantastic start to 2010," said Christine Ruggiero, owner of The Lakes Professional Organizers.

Ruggiero received her associate's degree from New York College and became a licensed and nationally certified massage therapist. During this time she also became interested in ergonomics, which is commonly used by companies to design work areas to maximize the efficiency of their employees' work. Her organizing style is intended to maximize productivity by reducing one's fatigue and discomfort.

"I organize your home/work space so it is esthetically pleasing but I also focus on functionality and your comfort."

All unwanted items are donated to Safe Nest, which provides temporary assistance for those in domestic crisis.

Residents urged to test home for deadly radon gas

It has no smell or taste and you can't see it, but radon can accumulate to harmful levels when trapped indoors. If you haven't tested your home for it, you could be exposing your family to a known carcinogen that can cause lung cancer over time.

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is present in elevated concentrations in many homes and buildings, and is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 21,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer caused by indoor radon exposure.

Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium and is found in soil, rocks and water. As radon decays into radioactive particles, they can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe.

In efforts to educate people about indoor radon exposure, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is hosting several presentations in February to encourage people to take action by having their homes tested.

Winter is an ideal time to test a home for radon. When a home is closed up during cooler weather months, radon concentrations increase. To this end, the cooperative extension is offering free radon test kits at program presentations being offered in the community.

Presentations are scheduled for:

* Feb. 3, 6 p.m., Centennial Hills Library, 6711 Buffalo Drive.

* Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m., Rainbow Library, 3150 N. Buffalo Drive.

* Feb. 6, 1 p.m., Yucca Mountain Information Center, 2431 Postal Drive, Pahrump.

* Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m., Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive.

* Feb. 24, 1 p.m., Laughlin Library, 2840 S. Needles Highway, Laughlin.

For more information and to verify date and time of presentations, contact Laura Au-Yeung, southern area radon program coordinator, at 257-5550 or e-mail au-yeungl@unce.unr.edu.