Halloween twist to winter market opening in New Westminster

There will be a new twist to the opening of the Royal City Farmers Market winter season at the River Market.

This year it will begin with Halloweenkend on Nov. 1 when vendors and River Market tenants and artisans will be dressed in costumes handing out treats, and maybe some tricks, too. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes, too, and since it will be inside RCFM marketing manager Melissa Maltais points out they won’t need jackets.

“Halloween is such a fun time of the year, we saw a chance to extend the fun so we took it,” said Maltais.

The winter season will have five farms with local vegetable produce. River Market will also hold an artisan market in conjunction with the winter market which will run 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every first and third Saturday of the month from November to April 18.

About the Market!
The Royal City Farmers Market is a non-profit association dedicated to making a Farmers Market in New Westminster a success.

Their mission: connecting with our heritage of having a vibrant city market, the Royal City Farmers Market Association brings locally grown and produced food to the community, thereby contributing to environmentally sustainable food production, local economic development, healthy eating and food security.

The market features farm-fresh produce, plants, quality crafts from local artists and artisans, gourmet prepared foods, community information, live entertainment, and more.

Chocolate Nut Strawberries

Feeling Nutty? Yesterday was National Nut Day! Vitamin E, which is bountiful in nuts - especially almonds - protects the cells in our eyes from free radicals and slows the progression of cataracts and age-related macular generation. Try this super simple and delicious recipe!

Ingredients :

• 4 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares,chopped
• 12 large fresh strawberries,blotted dry
• 1/2 cup almonds,toasted and finely chopped

Directions :

1. In small heavy saucepan,heat chocolate on lowest heat,stirring frequently until chocolate is almost melted.
2. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
3. Pour melted chocolate into small bowl.
4. Hold strawberry by stem end and dip straight down into melted chocolate until 2/3 of the way up strawberry.
5. Immediately roll strawberry in chopped almonds in small dish until well coated.
6. Place chocolate nut strawberries on waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
7. Chill until chocolate is set.

Platinum Award Nominee!

Vision Source New Westminster is honoured to be nominated for the New Small Business of the Year Platinum Award. This award acknowledges and celebrates high achievement in New Westminster's Business Community.

Small business make up a major part of New Westminster's business community and play a critical role in driving our local economy and creating jobs.

At Vision Source New Westminster we are committed to improving and managing the ocular andvisual health of our patients. Our attention to customer service is further enhanced by state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment. We offer consultations as well as pre and post-operative management services for a variety of medical procedures and we work closely with the finest ophthalmologists to ensure the best quality of overall patient care. Our patients are our top priority.

We offer Excellence in Full Service Eye Care, including:

• Comprehensive Eye Exams (including infants, children and seniors)
• Contact Lens Fittings and Evaluations
• Retinal Digital Photography
• Visual Field Testing/Glaucoma Screening
• Advanced Vision Care Technology
• Emergency Eye Care
• Pediatric and Diabetic Ocular Assessments
• Glasses - Sunglasses - Contact Lenses

Why Choose Us?

• 2 Time Platinum Award Nominee
• Voted 3rd Favourite Place for Eyewear for 2 Consecutive Years
• We are affiliated with two of the leading eye clinics on the North Shore
• Extended hours (weekend appointments available)
• Multiple doctors
• Competitive pricing
• Diverse and unique selection of eyewear, including sunglasses
• Friendly and knowledgable team

For more information or to book an appointment, please feel free to call us at 604.553.3900 or visit us online at www.visionsourcenw.com.

Does your child have a vision problem?

From the cradle to the classroom, kids require regular eye exams at every stage to ensure they’re developing to their full potential. Read about one little girl's eye-opening experience when she put her glasses on for the first time.

At first sight

The result of a child’s eye exam isn’t always dramatic, but sometimes it can be truly eye-opening. Recently, a pint-sized patient at Dr. Scott Mundle’s Optometry clinic, who literally couldn’t see what was right under her nose, experienced an incredible transformation. “This little girl couldn’t see anything within five feet of her, and then picked up her new glasses, looked around and said, ‘Mom, I never knew you had blue eyes,” says Dr. Mundle.“Everyone was in tears.”

Parents are often unaware that their child has a vision problem, because kids think the way they see the world is normal. They have no point of comparison, so they can’t tell Mom or Dad that something is wrong. Vision problems can occur at
 all stages of development and, if left untreated, can prevent kids from reaching their full academic and social potential. “The child may seem to be functioning normally, but one eye could be operating significantly differently from the other,” Dr. Mundle continues. “The most important thing is to bring kids in to make sure they have everything they need to establish good vision.”

Doctors of Optometry recommend that infants have their first eye examination between six and nine months of age. Children should have at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and yearly after starting school, to ensure optimal vision and development.

While it’s impossible to know if a child’s vision is developing normally until they receive a full eye exam, there are some signs that parents can watch for during each stage of development.

Infants

A young baby can only clearly see the person holding them, or a toy that’s placed nearby. By three months, familiar faces can be recognized, and by six months, babies should be able to focus and see colours. Doctors of Optometry will help ensure infants eyes are developing normally by checking for signs of nearsightedness or farsightedness, lazy eye, crossed eyes and, in rare cases, even the first signs of eye cancer.

Toddlers and preschoolers

At this age, focusing, tracking and depth perception are developing. Parents should watch for red or watery eyes, an eye that consistently turns in or out, squinting, excessive blinking and eye-rubbing. Lack of concentration can also signal a vision problem.

School-age kids

Conditions that can emerge among school-age children include nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism (distorted vision at any distance). Because hand-eye coordination is developing, parents
need to watch for difficulty playing sports. Headaches, eye-rubbing, omitting words while reading, or using a finger to track words, are other possible signs of vision problems.

Visit www.visionsourcenw.com to find a doctor and to book eye exams for you and your children.

source

Children's Vision Month - Great Books!

A great way to celebrate Children's Vision Month and introduce kids to the idea of wearing glasses is through stories! Here are our top 5 books about kids and animals wearing glasses:

1. ‘Who Wears Glasses’ by Ana Galan
In this hilarious early reader safari animals talk about why they love their glasses. Each of the animals has their own style. Some are serious, some are cool, and some are just plain silly!

2. ‘The Princess Who Wore Glasses’ by Laura Hertzfeld Katz
This book is about a Princess who can’t see very far and is missing out on all the wonders of the kingdom of TuaLuna. Princess Liana goes on a journey to see Maximilian the court magician who gives her an amazing eye test and the beautiful gift of magical eyeglasses.

3. ‘Fancy Nancy: Spectacular Spectacles’ by Jane O’Connor
Nancy thinks that Bree’s new glasses are simply spectacular. After all, they are lavender. They are glittery. And best of all, they come in a silver case. So when Bree tells Nancy all about her trip to the eye doctor, Nancy can’t help but wonder if her own eyesight is perhaps getting a little blurry too.

4. ‘Arlo needs glasses’ by Barney Saltzberg
This is an interactive picture book that allows kids to help the shaggy, loveable dog Arlo rediscover how to be the best ball-catcher in the neighborhood. They interact with Arlo through reading an eye chart, looking through a fold-out phoropter and trying on different pairs of glasses.

5. ‘My Travelin Eye’ by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
This is a charming story about one very inspiring little girl who overcomes her disability and offers inspiration to others. This picture book is highly recommended for young children, ages 3-8.

When troubled behaviour is really caused by troubled eyesight

One in six school-age kids is misdiagnosed with a learning or behaviour issue, when they actually have a vision problem.

One in six school-age kids, like Edward Parker, is misdiagnosed with a learning or behaviour issue, when they actually have a vision problem. A trip to a Doctor of Optometry might be all that’s needed to get them back on track.

UP to 80 percent of what kids learn is through what they see.

Edward’s mother Renee recognized early on that her son was having some difficulty, but she couldn’t pinpoint the problem. When Edward started school he had a hard time learning the alphabet, while his classmates seemed to pick it up easily. Then he wanted to play baseball with his friends, but couldn’t catch or throw the ball like the other kids. “I was in grade one and they were making me do kindergarten work,” says Edward. Things didn’t improve by the second grade. Eventually his difficulty with schoolwork and inability to focus, in the classroom and on the playground, landed Edward with a diagnosis of ADD. “They thought he wasn’t paying enough attention when he was trying to read,” says Renee. “I was told to put him on Ritalin.”

When the school told Renee that her son appeared to be bullying other children by bumping into them, she knew something really wasn’t right and took Edward to a Doctor of Optometry for a comprehensive eye exam.

Renee knew the importance of good vision, but didn’t realize how crucial a role it plays in children’s learning and development. It turned out that while Edward had 20/20 vision, he wasn’t correctly processing what he was seeing. “Edward had a problem trying to keep both eyes moving together, which caused double vision for him,” explains Doctor of Optometry Dr. Sandy Johal, adding that reading the 20/20 line during a routine eye exam is only one of 17 visual skills needed for reading, learning and playing sports. Edward’s lack of depth perception also explained why he was bumping into the other kids and frequently tripping and falling. “His knees were in pretty bad shape!” says Renee.

Kids like Edward can’t tell their parents there’s a problem because, to them, what they’re seeing is normal. And in most cases, the parents can’t spot a problem because there are few obvious symptoms.

“As Doctors of Optometry, we are specifically trained to look at how the eyes function together, and how they take in and process information,” says. Dr. Johal. After a full examination, Johal was able to identify Edward’s problem as neuromuscular. “We basically had to re-train his brain on how to use the muscles,” Dr. Johal says.

After six weeks of vision therapy, Renee watched Edward walk with confidence for the first time. Then he picked up his old baseball glove.“Before, when we tried to play in our backyard, I couldn’t catch or throw the ball. I couldn’t even hit the ball with a baseball bat,” says Edward. “Now I get home runs.”

Visit us at www.visionsourcenw.com to book eye exams for you and your children.

Seeing is Believing