abound

Smiles abound for Boys and Girls Club's Youth of the Year selection

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RICHMOND, Ind. — Mikey Martin likes to smile, but he especially likes to put a smile on someone else's face.

It's one of the things he likes most about attending the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wayne County's Jeffers Unit.

"For me, the club has given me a place I have where I can get people to smile and I can smile," said the 17-year-old. "If I'm having a bad day, people here make me smile, and if someone is having a bad day, I can get them to smile."

Martin and his mother, Kay Martin, were all smiles Monday afternoon when he was selected Youth of the Year for the area clubs. He will now advance to a state competition that feeds into a multi-state, regional competition and, ultimately, a national competition in Washington, D.C.

"A lot of people see the Boys and Girls Club as a place to go, where they can drop their kids off at a safe place and where kids can be comfortable and get help with whatever they need," Martin said. "I wanted to represent that the best I could."

Staff member Alicia Painter has no doubts he'll continue to do that as he advances to the state competition.

"He'll do a great job representing the Boys and Girls Clubs and the impact they can have," she said.

Nine club members who had worked to prepare Youth of the Year packets and written essays about their club experiences competed Monday for the Youth of the Year honor. They were interviewed by a panel of judges one-on-one, then presented their essays to a gathering of staff, family, friends, club board of directors members and the judges.

The other candidates were Jada Jointer, Mika Parks, Dakota Mitchell, Scout Wampler, Wesley Phillips, Sam Gamboa, Natalia Hampton and Isayah Wilks.

During a luncheon catered by Radford's Meat Market, the judges, who are all board members, retreated to a private room to debate their choice, then emerged to announce Martin as the winner. Prior to announcing Martin's name, judge Nancy Wissel said the nine candidates were an "amazing group" and presented the judges with a difficult decision. She urged candidates not chosen this year to try again next year.

Martin said he tried two years ago but was not chosen Youth of the Year. That experience, though, helped the Richmond High School senior. He also said he liked the new format where candidates for the first time presented their essays to a group, because he said he could feel the support from the people in the room.

"I've been preparing myself," he said. "I felt pretty confident."

His mom said she started crying when she heard her son had been chose as the Youth of the Year. She said the family, including dad Chuck, who missed Monday's program because of work, had been hoping Mikey would win.

"He does excellent in school," she said. "He's very thoughtful, kind and very respectful."

Martin, who loves to write, said he likes to help people and might pursue psychology. He thinks he is good at talking with people and would love to listen to them and help them.

At the club, he said he has participated in a lot of community service, has worked with the Torch Club and Keystone Club, has helped with comic book and creative writing clubs and has assisted in the Cadet Room and Game Room. Painter said that when she helped him with college references she was amazed at all the activities in which Martin participates at the club and at school.

"I think his passion to help, he has strong academics and his ability to balance so many components in life," said Painter about what makes Martin a strong choice as Youth of the Year. "He's so mature and responsible and so positive. I've know the kid for so many years, and he's never had a bad day."

Tracy Matheny has worked with Martin in the Torch and Keystone clubs, which focus on leadership and community service. She said he has the ability to fit into different groups, makes the best of any situation and really is passionate about helping others.

"It's a true passion that comes straight from the heart," she said. "With him, it's never 'I.' It's always 'we,' 'us' or 'our.'"

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Mikey Martin poses with his mother, Kay Martin, after he was named Youth of the Year for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wayne County. (Photo11: Mike Emery/Palladium-Item)

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02

NBC Sports Top 25: Kentucky beats Tennessee as injuries abound

The big talking point this week comes with Kentucky’s win over Tennessee, which came just four days after Kentucky lost at home to LSU.

I wrote all about the top five battle on Saturday. Without taking anything away from what Kentucky did, I think that the way that game played out had as much to do with situation — Kentucky, at home, coming off a brutal loss against a team that hadn’t been tested in two months — and matchup as it did with what each of those two teams are.

Put another way, I still buy the idea that this Tennessee team can win it all, just like I still believe Virginia can win it all despite losing to Duke twice in the last month.

Beyond that, the toughest thing to do with ranking teams this week was figure out what to do about injuries. I dropped Michigan State to No. 17 because it appears that they have lost Nick Ward for an extended period of time. The Spartans were not all that talented to begin with and now they are down their top two scorers. I also dropped Kansas State over the uncertainty surrounding Dean Wade’s health. If he’s not 100 percent — and if Cartier Diarra isn’t playing — then Kansas State is a bad basketball team offensively.

Anyway, here is the rest of the top 25:

1. Duke (23-2, Last Week: 1)2. Gonzaga (25-2, 3)3. Virginia (22-2, 4)4. Kentucky (21-4, 5)5. Tennessee (23-2, 2)6. Michigan (23-3, 6)7. North Carolina (20-5, 7)8. Marquette (21-4, 9)9. Nevada (24-1, 11)10. Iowa State (19-6, 15)11. Texas Tech (21-5, 16)12. Houston (25-1, 13)13. Kansas (20-6, 17)14. Villanova (20-6, 10)15. LSU (21-4, 20)16. Purdue (18-7, 12)17. Michigan State (21-5, 8)18. Virginia Tech (20-5, 18)19. Kansas State (19-6, 14)20. Wisconsin (17-8, 19)21. Louisville (18-8, 21)22. Iowa (20-5, 22)23. Buffalo (22-3, 23)24. Florida State (20-5, 24)25. Wofford (23-4, 25)

Dropped Out: NoneNew Additions: None

03

ASK A DESIGNER: Options abound in flooring today

A stunning sofa or a beautiful wall color might catch your eye when you enter someone’s home. But flooring is the key to any room, says interior designer Elina Cardet.

As the visual base for every other design choice, “flooring is the most important decision,” says Cardet, interior design director at Perkins and Will’s Miami office. Beauty matters, as does durability and also comfort: “You’re going to be barefoot on this floor,” she points out.

Recent technological innovations have created a wide variety of flooring options today.

Cardet and two other interior design experts — Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio in Houston and Jacqueline Touzet of Touzet Studio in Miami — offer advice on making this key design decision:

HARDWOOD CHOICES

There are many synthetic versions of hardwood floors these days — products that promise to look and feel like solid wood but cost less. Some can look lovely, these designers agree. But they advise moving cautiously.

“There’s not enough history to know if it’s going to hold up,” says Rottet, whereas hardwood offers durability and longevity. “A beautiful wood floor is classic.”

Cardet suggests that “if it’s possible and your budget allows it, to try to invest in hardwoods that are certified, to make sure it comes from a forest that was well managed.”

Which style of hardwood should you choose? Wide plank floors are popular right now. But Rottet points out that since they have fewer joints than narrower plank floors, there is less opportunity for the floor to expand and contract over time. The occasional crack might happen, depending on your climate, and may need to be patched with wood putty and re-stained. Wide planks also tend to be more expensive.

So the traditional, narrower wood planks can be a more practical choice.

NEW TECHNIQUES AND COLORS

Cerusing is a technique involving sanding the wood, putting white paint on it, and then sanding it again to create contrast and draw attention to the beauty of the grain. It creates what these designers describe as a “smoky” look.

You can also find wood floors that have been “smoked” through a traditional process from the arts and crafts movement that involves adding ammonia to the air when the wood is being processed. Touzet says the result gives the flooring a range of colors.

What shade of stain should you choose?

Light-colored floors can make a room feel larger, but Rottet says some light oak floors can fade to a yellowish color. Gray is also popular for wood floors right now. But “you have to be careful with gray,” she says, “because it can bleach toward green.”

Keep in mind that a floor that gets lots of direct light may change appearance over time.

Dark brown, nearly black shades can also be beautiful, Rottet says. Just be aware that you may need to sweep often. Darker shades, whether in wood or ceramic tile, will also help a space feel warmer, Cardet says.

Overall, Cardet suggests making conservative choices with flooring colors and styles, then getting creative with area rugs that can be replaced if your taste changes.

CONSIDERING CONCRETE AND TILE

Concrete floors are trendy and can be beautiful. But over time, cracks can form, and there’s little that can be done to prevent them. Some people don’t mind the look, so use concrete only if cracks won’t bother you.

Concrete floors also don’t absorb sound well.

Another option is large porcelain tiles that look similar to concrete or stone.

“We love terrazzo instead of concrete,” Touzet says. “It’s been around for centuries, and you can get the aggregates pretty fine, so it almost looks like a concrete floor.”

Porcelain is generally durable, although it can chip. Cardet recommends “through-body” tile, which is made of the same material all the way through. It can be more expensive, but because the color isn’t just on the surface, the look of the floor isn’t ruined if there are chips.

In choosing tile or stone, many customers are increasingly aware of durability. “We have been seeing less of limestones that are super-precious and soft,” Touzet says. “People want an ease of living with their floor, not constantly maintaining it, putting a sealant on it.”

SECRET SAVINGS

If you don’t have the budget to do an entire room in hardwood but wish you could, Rottet has a creative solution: Put down carpeting throughout the room, but add a wood border that’s several inches thick around the edges of the room. It will appear as though your carpeting is actually a rug sitting on top of hardwood.

Carpeting is less popular these days, Touzet says, because of concerns about dust and air quality. But you can find a low-pile carpet and choose natural materials such as wool to avoid those issues.

And one affordable, retro trend that may be returning: high-end vinyl floors with the look of stone or wood.