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[ 1 ] Local Trail Association Created in Alpine County 2 Behavioral Health 2 Alpine Watershed Group.........3 First 5 Alpine 4 Give Back to Humanity 4 Choices for Children 5 TYFS Connections 6 Alpine Kids Upcoming Events 6 Support Tobacco Free Events 7 Library Events Healthy Eating, in a SNAP!..... 8 In this Issue... Community and Family Life in the California Alps Spring 2015 Community and Family Life in the California Alps Spring 2015 ALPINE THREADS Masthead photo courtesy of Alpine County photographer Todd Branscombe. Keeping our Children Safe Making sure our children and families in Alpine County are safe and healthy is part of the mission of the Alpine County Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC). April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and one of the things the CAPC will begin this month is a series of articles for the Alpine Threads about how protective factors are used to strengthen families. “Strengthening Families” is a research based strategy to increase family stability, enhance child development and reduce child abuse and neglect. This framework is coordinated by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and the information below is from their website. The guiding principles behind the “Strengthening Families” approach are that all families have and that all families need support. This approach focuses on protective factors that all families need to be healthy. 1. Parental resilience: The ability to cope and bounce back from all kinds of challenges. 2. Social connections: Friends, family members, neighbors, and other members of a community who provide emotional support and concrete assistance to parents. 3. Knowledge of parenting and child development: Accurate information about raising young children and appropriate expectations for their behavior. 4. Concrete support in times of need: Financial security to cover day-to-day expenses and unexpected costs that come up from time to time, access to formal supports like TANF and Medicaid, and informal support from social networks. 5. Social and emotional competence of children: A child’s ability to interact positively with others and communicate his or her emotions effectively. PARENTAL RESILIENCE Parental resilience is managing stress and functioning well when faced with challenges, adversity and trauma. Resilience to general life stress looks like; hope, optimism and self-confidence. It involves problem solving skills and self-care and the willingness to ask for help. It is also the ability to manage negative emotions. Resilience to parenting stress is not allowing stress to interfere with nurturing your child and a positive attitude about parenting and your child. Everyday things we can do to help encourage parent resilience are to demonstrate in multiple ways that parents are valued. Honor each family’s race, language, culture, history and approach to parenting. Encourage parents to manage stress effectively. Support parents as decision-makers and help build decision-making and leadership skills in parents. Help parents understand how to buffer their child during stressful times. If you would like more information about the Five Protective Factors visit: strengtheningfamilies.net or choices4children.blogspot.com. ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 2 ] Alpine County Threads ~ Spring 2015 Local Trail Association Created in Alpine County In the summer of 2013 the first meeting of the Alpine Trails Association (ATA) was held at Turtle Rock Park in Alpine County, CA. Interested parties in attendance included representatives from USFS, BLM, Cal State Parks, Alpine County Community Development, Carson Valley Trails Association and many local residents. The original intention of this meeting was to discuss the creation of a hiking, biking and equestrian trail between Turtle Rock Park and Grover Hot Springs. After some discussion it became clear that to accomplish this project it was necessary to first create a non-profit organization (501(c)3) and then establish small, shovel ready projects and prove our capability. This approach would allow us to receive the backing of the agencies involved and the financial support necessary to complete a project of this magnitude. Fortunately for the ATA, the BLM had just such a project underway up Airport Rd. in the Indian Creek Recreation Lands. An Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Curtz Lake Recreation Project was prepared and approved in November 2009. A new access road and parking area were created and work began on the new interpretive trail. However, problems arose when budget cuts and lack of volunteers in this remote area stalled the creation of the interpretive trail. Portions were started but did not meet the standards expected for a Class 3 trail. This was exactly what the ATA was looking for: a shovel ready project in the vicinity of Turtle Rock Park, working with an agency who had prepared the necessary environmental documents and who had tools for our new organization to use. Since the fall of 2013 the ATA and BLM have been working side by side to reconstruct and expand the trail system in the Curtz Lake area. The 1.1 mile Curtz Lake Interpretive Trail is nearing completion and is expected to be finished in late May of this year. To expand this project, the ATA recently submitted a proposal to the BLM that include connecting Turtle Rock Park to the interpretive trail. Further plans bypass a section of the road to Summit Lake which will tie into the trail leading to Indian Creek Reservoir, and a “North Saddle Trail” creating a second loop and a short “Spur” to a vista point giving 360 degree views of the surrounding area. Additional plans for the ATA include repair and maintenance of the trail to Indian Creek Reservoir and the trail to the East Fork of the Carson River. ATA volunteers are currently working every Saturday and Tuesday to complete the Curtz Lake Interpretive Trail by late May. We encourage people to come out and enjoy this trail while we are working, ask questions, and join us in our volunteer effort. More information can be found at Alpinetrails.org or visit us on Facebook. - Andy Lovell, President ATA Behavioral Health embraces the Recovery Model of Mental Health care. Recovery is a common human experience. We all experience recovery at some point in our lives, from physical injury, mental illness, or trauma. Mental illness can have a devastating impact on a person’s life. People who suffer a setback experience disconnect from others, their environments, and often themselves, as well as a purpose in life. While a mental disorder itself may cause people to feel this disconnect, the stigma associated with mental illness, including negative personal, professional, and societal values and attitudes, present serious barriers to rebuilding connections. Recovery is the process by which people with disability rebuild and further develop these important personal, social, spiritual and environmental connections, as well as confront the affects of stigma, through personal empowerment. Recovery is a deeply emotional process and involves creating a new internal vision of oneself, one’s attitude and feelings, perceptions, beliefs and goals. Understanding the Recovery Model is the first step in returning to a life of fulfillment for yourself and connecting to others. Behavioral Health Services and Wellness Centers are here to support the community and reduce the stigma of mental illness. New team members at Alpine County Behavioral Health Services: Lisa Allen - Alcohol & Other Drug Program Specialist, Nani Ellis - BHS Coordinator and Gail St. James - Clinical Coordinator ---PAGE BREAK--- Partnership to Protect Our Sierra Nevada Forests By Shane Fryer, Alpine Watershed Group The Alpine Watershed Group (AWG), in partnership with Alpine County, has received a Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) grant to carry out fuels reduction work and provide community education about the nexus between forest fire and watershed health. Our Sierra Nevada Forests are coming under increased threat. Climate change, decades of fire suppression and persistent drought are creating conditions that promote disease and allow for more intense forest fires. Sierra forest fires are getting bigger, more frequent and intense. The 2013 Rim Fire was California’s largest in recorded history, costing $127 million to fight, and millions more in restorations and lost habitat. These fires put California’s and Nevada’s water supply at risk, release additional carbon into our atmosphere, as well as threaten our natural resources. The Alpine County Hazardous Fuels Reduction & Healthy Watershed Project was developed to further the protection of our watersheds and populated areas. This project helps address Alpine County’s wildfire threat by treating fuels along County maintained roads. These fuels are at high risk of carrying wildfire into sensitive watershed resources and populated areas. Alpine County is unique in that it encompasses the headwaters of five major watersheds critical to both California and Nevada. The long-term availability of clean water in these rivers is dependent on the health of our forest and the streams that flow through them. SNC has recently launched the Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program, a collaborative effort focused on restoring the health of California’s primary watersheds. Their recent “State of the Sierra Nevada’s Forests Report” has gathered scientific information about threats to the regions forests. You can find this publication on the SNC website. Over the last decade SNC has invested over $51 million in programs aimed at conserving the Sierra Nevada region’s resources. AWG would like to recognize our other partners who helped secure this SNC Grant. These partners include the Alpine Fire Safe Council, Cal Fire, Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Eastern Alpine County Volunteer Fire Dept., Woodfords Washoe Community Council, American Rivers, and South Tahoe PUD. Please visit www.alpinewatershedgroup.org for more information about how you can become involved in watershed health. Alpine County Threads ~ Spring 2015 [ 3 ] Alpine County Public Health is now on Facebook and Twitter. Like us and follow us for up to date information and tips about healthy living and emergency preparedness in beautiful Alpine County! ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 4 ] Alpine County Threads ~ Spring 2015 John Fisher, Executive Director ~ First 5 Alpine County The Joy of Reading: Introducing Your Child to a Lifetime of Learning Reading is one of the most important skills that children need to succeed in life. Reading skills help children become better students, navigate through life and eventually lead to better job opportunities. Just as important, reading stimulates imagination, creativity, critical thinking and knowledge. First 5 Alpine wants you to know that reading aloud to your children at an early age is the best way to cultivate good reading skills and the joy of reading. Here are some things you can do to encourage your child’s reading habits. • Read aloud to your child every day. While babies from birth to six months may not understand what you are reading, your child will enjoy the sound of your voice and become used to seeing and touching books. • Read from board books with no words or just a few words. Point to the pictures and say their names. • Tell stories. Encourage your child to ask questions and talk about the story. Point to things in the books that your child can relate to in his or her own life. • Look for reading programs at your local library or programs like Even Start. If you are not a good reader, look for programs to improve your own reading skills. • Buy a children’s dictionary and teach your child how to use it. • Keep writing materials that are safe for small children to use (like crayons) at home. • Visit the library often. Begin making weekly trips to the library to participate in children’s reading programs and to borrow books. • Read yourself. What you do sets an example for your child. • Limit TV watching and watch only educational programs. Disaster Response - Help people affected by disasters ranging from home fires to hurricanes by providing food, shelter, essential relief supplies and comfort and hope. Preparedness Education - Teach families, people in classrooms, organizations and corporations how to Be Red Cross Ready for disasters and emergencies. Service to the Armed Forces - Connect families and veterans with resources in response to emergencies, train military families in coping and resiliency skills, and supply recreational and therapeutic support in military and VA health care facilities. Health and Safety Training - Teach vital lifesaving skills such as first aid/CPR/AED, babysitting, water safety and pet first aid. International Humanitarian Service - Coordinate fundraising for measles vaccines, educate youth about the Geneva Conventions and provide international tracing and messaging. Fundraising - Make it financially possible for the Red Cross to deliver its lifesaving services. The Red Cross relies on volunteers and the generosity of the American public. Leadership - Serve on a Red Cross board or decision-making committee, manage a program, or chair an activity. Contact [EMAIL REDACTED] I (916)709-3416 - Cell First 5 Alpine is funded by Proposition 10, a statewide initiative approved in 1998 to fund education, health and child care programs for children prenatal to age five. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads ~ Spring 2015 [ 5 ] Rescuing Children From Mistakes As parents, we love our children and protecting them from discomfort and hardship comes easily. Sometimes this spirit of protection is misapplied. Feeling distressed and even culpable, watching them struggle with the unpleasantness of a consequence, we dive in and rescue. It feels like help, but in the long run it be harmful. Each time our children are exposed to natural consequences, they are provided a priceless opportunity to learn. A natural consequence is something that happens as a result of something your child does (or does not do). The consequence is something that is imposed by nature or by society and not something you as a parent decide or set forth. • If you child refuses to wear a coat and it is cold outside (after countless pleas on your part), your child will be cold. • If your child forgets their homework, it will be late and points will be deducted. • If your child doesn’t take care of a personal item/toy and it will be ruined. Natural consequences are great learning opportunities for your child. By allowing them to struggle and feel the unpleasantness associated with the natural consequence, their discomfort will drive them to avoid the consequence in the future and/or create a better plan. If we jump in immediately and rescue them or solve the problem for them, we rob them of this invaluable opportunity to learn what they are capable of. Since the world will continue to offer your child their own natural consequences in your absence as they grow older, you will serve your children well by giving them skills to cope with consequences while they are still in your care. Keep love and connection in mind when guiding your reactions to their mistakes. The long term goal is to have them learn responsibility. Your child will still need your love and support during their struggle. Rather than jumping in and taking control, let them take the lead while you take a more passive role. Acknowledge their feelings and offer empathy, “It must have been upsetting to forget your homework after you spent all that time on it last night.” Help them create a plan but let them take the lead based upon their age or developmental ability. “What can you do next time to make sure you bring your homework?” Be supportive and present but don’t offer the solution. Letting your child solve their problem with your supportive presence will allow them to feel capable and self-assured. By taking the lead and assuming ownership, they will develop confidence to deal with issues which are certain to arise in the future. A word of caution: • Don’t use natural consequences if it endangers your child or others. Keep love and connection in mind. • Don’t use natural consequences if it interferes with the rights of others. e. allowing them to block a foot bridge, preventing others from passing.) • Don’t rely on natural consequences if it doesn’t bother your child. If the natural consequence doesn’t bother them, you are most likely dealing with a “parent-owned” problem. Read about it on our blog Using I Messages in Parenting. www.choices4children.blogspot.com There are no mistakes in life, only lessons. There is no such thing as a negative experience, only opportunities to grow, learn and advance along the road of self-mastery. From struggle comes strength. - Robin S. Sharma May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month Make the most of our beautiful area and abundance of clean air! ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Wellness Coalition Alpine Kids Upcoming Events Excerpts from We will keep you posted on ways to contribute and participate. Together we can achieve a healthier Alpine! For more information, contact Erin Dobyns at 694-2146 or Lisa Allen at 694-1816. It is the mission of the Alpine County Health & Wellness Coalition to build strong community partnerships promoting healthy living through outreach, advocacy and education. In pursuit of that mission, the Coalition has determined three priority focus areas for 2015: Outdoor Recreation • Nutrition • School-Based Prevention [ 6 ] Alpine County Threads ~ Spring 2015 For more information please contact Alpine Kids at: (530) 694-2934 or [EMAIL REDACTED] MAY 15th-17th Grover Hot Springs Campout JUNE 6th Story time in the Park JUNE 13th Kids Fishing Day JUNE 27th Six Flags Vallejo JULY 12th Reno Aces Game ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads ~ Spring 2015 [ 7 ] The positives of Tobacco-Free Events are endless. The benefits include: • Protecting the community from the deadly effects of secondhand smoke exposure • Providing good role-modeling for youth, demonstrating that smoking is not the norm and helping them resist tobacco industry marketing • Supporting the 86.7% of Californians who are non-smokers • Supporting people who have taken the difficult step to quit smoking by providing the reinforcement they need to succeed Sources: Urban American Indian Tobacco Prevention & Education Network Smokefree Event Toolkit and the Public Health Law & Policy Model Tobacco-Free or Smokefree Event Policy ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine Threads is brought to you by Alpine County Tobacco Control, a Prop 99 funded program. Alpine Threads Editorial Board 75 B Diamond Valley Rd. Markleeville, CA 96120 Phone: (530) 694-2146 Addressing the needs of the Alpine County Community ALPINE THREADS Standard Rate U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 3 Markleeville, CA 96120 POSTAL CUSTOMER First 5 Alpine 100 Foothill Rd. PH: [PHONE REDACTED] www.first5alpine.com Alpine County Health and Human Services 75 B Diamond Valley Rd. PH: [PHONE REDACTED] FAX: [PHONE REDACTED] The Learning Center and Local Child Care Planning Council 100 Foothill Rd. PH: [PHONE REDACTED] Disclaimer: This wellness-focused publication is not intended to provide timely news and/or personal, political or discriminatory statements. Alpine Threads Editorial Board reviews all content. Website Links l www.alpinecountyca.gov/ calendar l www.first5alpine.com l www.alpinecounty.com ATTENTION LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS & AGENCIES! If you’d like to share your website link send it to Gina at [EMAIL REDACTED] and we’ll add it to our new column. [ 8 ] Alpine County Threads ~ Spring 2015 Healthy Eating, in a SNAP! For more recipes, borrow SNAP-Ed cookbooks from the Library and the Woodfords Indian Education Center or call [PHONE REDACTED] or email [EMAIL REDACTED] Chicken Club Salad Ingredients n 1 cup pasta (uncooked whole wheat, small, such as macaroni or rotelle) n 6 cups romaine lettuce (well washed and torn, or spinach) n 2 cups fresh vegetables (green pepper, celery, cauliflower florets, cucumber, carrots chopped) n 2 cups tomatoes (chopped) Preparation 1. Wash hands. 2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and cool. 3. Place 1½ cups of the romaine in each of 4 large bowls or plates. 4. Combine chopped vegetables, chicken and pasta. 5. Add dressing; toss to coat. Divide evenly among the 4 bowls. 6. Top each serving with a few egg slices, if desired, and 1 Tablespoon of the shredded cheese. Makes: 4 servings Total Cost: $4.87 Serving Cost: $1.22 n 1/2 cup cubed cooked skinless chicken (1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken) n 1/2 cup Italian dressing (lowfat) n 1 egg (hard cooked, optional) n 1/4 cup cheese (shredded, or cheese crumbles) Recipe courtesy of USDA: http://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition- assistance-program-snap/chicken-club-salad Spring has sprung and the weather has been oh so delightful. I searched the web today for a great spring recipe that would include lots of fresh veggies and found this great looking salad. It looks easy to make and has as many veggies as you like to add. It makes a great light meal in itself and is nice for the warming weather. I hope you enjoy.