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Community and Family Life in the California Alps Fall 2019 Community and Family Life in the California Alps Fall 2019 ALPINE THREADS Drive - Thru Flu Clinic 2 What to know about Seasonal Influenza 2 NEW California Car Seat Law 3 Alpine Watershed 4 7 Tips for a Happy, Successful School Year 5 September is National Suicide Prevention Month 7 October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month 7 Healthy Eating, in a SNAP!.... 8 Masthead photo courtesy of Alpine County photographer Todd Branscombe. In this Issue... In this Issue... • Talk with your children about alcohol and other drug use throughout their adolescent years. Don’t assume they know where you stand on the issue. • Establish clear and consistent rules and consequences for use of alcohol or other drugs and then follow through. • Create family time on a frequent and regular basis. A sense of unity and shared goals reinforces your family bonds. • Encourage our children to be involved in extracurricular activities, particularly after school. • Stay connected with the parents of your child’s friends and check in regularly about activities, events, and other plans. • Give your teen an “out” to avoid dangerous situations. Be the excuse for why they can’t use. Offer to pick them up from a party, or function, with no questions asked. • Stop the denial about teen substance use. It is happening in your child’s school. Be a model of healthy and responsible ways to cope with stress. • Have fun with your teen. Find activities that you enjoy doing together. Your teen will be out of the house before you know it. For more parent education information please contact Alpine County Behavioral Health Services. Misty Dee- AOD Program Specialist [PHONE REDACTED] What Can Parents Do? Preventing teen alcohol and other drug use. ---PAGE BREAK--- DRIVE-THRU FLU CLINIC It’s that time of year again! Getting a seasonal flu shot is a proven way to help prevent the flu or lessen the severity and duration of flu-related illness. When: Wednesday, November 6th, 2019 Noon-5:30pm Where: Alpine County Health & Human Services Parking Lot, 75 Diamond Valley Rd Cost: FREE! [ 2 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2019 Alpine County Health Wellness Coalition Our mission: Building strong community partnerships promoting healthy living through outreach, advocacy and education. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads I Fall 2019 [ 3 ] CURRENT LAW Children under age 8 must be buckled into a car seat or booster in the back seat. Children age 8 or older, or who are 4’9” or taller, may use the vehicle seat belt if it fits properly with the lap belt low on the hips, touching the upper thighs, and the shoulder belt crossing the center of the chest. If children are not tall enough for proper belt fit, they must ride in a booster or car seat. Everyone in the car must be properly buckled up. FINES & PENALTIES For each child under 16 who is not properly secured, parents (if in the car) or drivers can be fined more than $500 and get a point on their driving records. Most children will outgrow an infant seat before age 1 • The next step is a convertible car seat. • Rear facing is 5 times safer than forward facing. • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ride rear facing to the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Alpine County Public Health is now on Facebook & Twitter Like us and follow us for up to date information and tips about healthy living and emergency preparedness in beautiful Alpine County! Children must be properly buckled in a car seat which is rear facing until age 2 NEW California Car Seat Law Changes Kaitlyn’s Law It’s against California law to leave a child who is 6 years ofage or younger alone in the car without the supervision of a person at least 12 years old if: 1. The keys are in the ignition or the car is running, or 2. There is a significant risk to the child. NEW ADDITION Starting January 1st, 2017 Children under 2 years old must be rear facing unless they weigh 40 pounds or more, or are 40 inches tall or more. Keep your children safe. It’s the law! ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 4 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2019 Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Monitoring By Mo Loden, AWG Watershed Coordinator In coordination with the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, Alpine Watershed Group (AWG) began a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) monitoring program to more closely track the water quality in some of Alpine County’s most popular summer recreation reservoirs. AWG began these monitoring efforts in late June of 2019 at Red Lake, Indian Creek, and Wet Meadow reservoirs. Cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as blue-green algae, are naturally present in waterbodies and are an integral part of our ecosystems. When provided with the right conditions, cyanobacteria can develop into a HAB from excessive growth. Blooms, if stimulated enough, can decrease water quality but are only considered an immediate threat to human and animal health if emitting toxins. Not all cyanobacteria produce harmful toxins, but in rare cases, toxin levels may be concentrated enough to cause rashes, diarrhea, or vomiting. If you see signs of a HAB, such as discolored, pea-green water, surface scum, or floating algae, stay out of the water, and do not allow your pets to enter or drink the water. For more information on cyanobacteria, please see the State Water Board’s California Harmful Algal Blooms Portal: AWG staff and volunteers record water quality parameters (water/air temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity) and collect water samples for lab analyses on nutrients, pigments and phycocyanin), and cyanobacteria and their associated toxins at each reservoir once a month, June through October. We are currently monitoring four sites at Red Lake, one site at Indian Creek Reservoir, and one site at Wet Meadow Reservoir. We aim to better understand each reservoir’s water quality journey from fresh spring melt waters to warm decreased summer flows, hoping to identify the drivers of the reoccurring HABs. To stay apprised of these reservoirs’ current safety statuses, please check the Public Health Briefs under the Alpine County Health Department’s pulldown menu on the www.alpinecountyca.gov webpage (under Health & Human Services), or you can contact Dr. Richard Johnson directly at [EMAIL REDACTED] if you would like to subscribe to his distribution list for Public Health Briefs. Opportunities to Get Involved! The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board invites you to learn about the West Fork Carson River Vision Project—an alternative, more flexible approach to addressing water quality impairments. We need Alpine County residents to help guide restoration and protection efforts in the Carson River watershed. Alpine Watershed Group Meeting Tuesday, September 10, 5:30-7 p.m., Woodfords Indian Education Center, Hung A Lel Ti. You can sign up for “West Fork Carson River” updates here: www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/ > Email Subscriptions > RB 6 - Lahontan Region Markleeville Creek Day Saturday, September 21, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Please come help on our biggest workday of the year. Part of the Great Sierra River Cleanup, you can choose to pick up trash, pull weeds, plant willows, or work on a stream bank stabilization project. Meet at the park next to Alpine County Library in Markleeville, carpool to your selected project site, and then return to the park to celebrate our accomplishments and enjoy a free taco bar. Email [EMAIL REDACTED] to RSVP. Grover Hot Springs State Park Planting Workday Saturday, October 19, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Help plant native grasses! Sign up at calparks.org/help/park-champions/. Scroll down to the calendar and find October 19, then select Grover Hot Springs State Park. You will be directed to the California State Parks Foundation website to complete registration. Creek Day fun! ---PAGE BREAK--- For a Happy, Successful School Year 7 Tips Alpine County Threads I Fall 2019 [ 5 ] For many children and their parents, returning to school is a joyful occasion—reconnecting with school friends and families, the excitement of purchasing school supplies and new clothes, the return to the comfort and normalcy of the school routine, and, of course, the gift of a little breathing space for Mom and Dad. But for many other children, the new school year brings with it a large dose of anxiety: Will I struggle like I did last year? Will I make any new friends? Will I be bullied or isolated? Will the teacher like me? And for many parents, the specter of another year dealing with various school- related issues, perhaps foremost of which is homework, creates its own anxiety, as suggested by the above quotes. To help reduce that anxiety and replace it with a sense of joyful anticipation of what the school year can bring, I offer the following seven parenting tips for a happy, successful school year: 1. Project a positive attitude about school and confidence that your children will experience success and happiness. Communicate to your children through words and body language that you are excited about the new school year and confident they will enjoy it. Children pick up on the messages we send, so make those messages optimistic and hopeful. 2. Establish supportive home routines. The school year calls for renewed attention to home routines, such as those surrounding bedtime, morning, and meals. One routine consistently correlated with success in school is the family dinner, all family members around the table together—make it a habit as often as possible. 3. Avoid the temptation to make schooling a competitive sport by over-focusing on grades. Let’s protect our children’s school experience from hyper-competitiveness by focusing on their own gifts and talents and avoiding comparisons with others. 4. Remember that homework is a contract between the teacher and the student, not between the teacher and the parent. Homework is the child’s responsibility, not the parents’. (And school personnel need to assist in this area by ensuring that the amount of homework is reasonable and the quality is such that the child is capable of doing it on her own.) 5. Establish family rules related to TV, computer, and video game usage. There is a place for electronic learning (and playing), but every minute in front of a monitor is a minute away from family communication. No one forms a healthy relationship with a monitor; we only form relationships with real people, and home is where those relationships and the life skills surrounding them are born and developed. 6. Make optimum use of parent/child time during trips to and from school. Make travel time between school and home a cell phone-free experience. Think of the message we send our children when our attention is given to others on the way to and from school. And think of the message we give them when we put aside our cell phone and tune into what’s going on in their lives. 7. Avoid the temptation to over-involve your children in after-school activities. How many activities our children should participate in is a personal choice, and a key word here is balance—for example, one sport at a time might be a good rule of thumb. Children need far fewer activities after school and far more family time with Mom and Dad. And one more tip for good measure: Take care of yourself. I love the metaphor of the oxygen mask, in the familiar words of the flight attendant: “If you are traveling with a small child, put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then on your child.” We are no help to anyone if we are not taking good care of ourselves. Take care of yourself—physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, relationally, and spiritually. Make it a priority—for your sake, as well as for your children’s. ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 6 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2019 What’s Happening at the Alpine County Library PO Box 187 270 Laramie Street Markleeville, CA 96120 [PHONE REDACTED] Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale! September 4th - October 26th Great reads at fantastic prices! Book Club Meets last Thursday of the month at noon Open Music Jam Every Friday 2:30-4:30pm Upcoming Holiday Closures Sat, Oct 12th I Sat, Nov 9th I Thurs & Fri, Nov 28th & 29th FREE Food Day Every 4th Wednesday from 12-2pm. Sponsored by Live Violence Free. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads I Fall 2019 [ 7 ] domestic violence awareness month October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and our mission at Live Violence Free is to help spread prevention and awareness and assist those who have experienced domestic violence. In the United States, an average of 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner every minute. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior centered on power and control over an intimate partner. Domestic violence is prevalent in every community and affects all people regardless of age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender or race. There are many different types of abuse but the most common are physical, emotional, sexual, digital, spiritual, and financial. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, trauma, or even death. The effects of domestic violence can have lasting consequences lasting a lifetime and can even carry over into the next generations. Some warning signs of domestic violence can include: • Shows extreme jealousy of your friends and time spent away • Takes your money or refuses to give you money for necessary expenses • Destroys your property or threatens to hurt or kill your pets • Intimidates you with guns, knives or other weapons • Tells you that you are a bad parent or threatens to harm or take away your children Look out for events hosted by Live Violence Free this October. The awareness color is purple! For more information or to seek help from Live Violence Free, come by our office on 100 Foothill Rd, or give us a call at [PHONE REDACTED]. OCTOBER IS • Controls who you see, where you go, or what you do • Insults, demeans or shames you with put-downs • Looks at you or acts in ways that scare you • Prevents you from making your own decisions • Pressures you to use drugs or alcohol Why Suicide Prevention? The latest data show that suicide was the 10th leading cause of death overall in the US, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people in 2017. That means there were more than twice as many suicides as there were homicides. Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the 4th leading cause of death among people between the ages of 35 and 54. Suicide rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are much higher than the national average. Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for AI/AN youth between the ages of 10 and 24. What can you do to help? Learn warning signs of suicide. Threats or comments about suicide can begin with seemingly harmless thoughts like “I wish I wasn’t here” but can become more overt and dangerous. Other signs may include talking about feeling hopeless, trapped or being a burden to others; social withdrawal from friends, family and the community; dramatic mood swings; preoccupation with death; impulsive, reckless or aggressive behavior; increased alcohol and drug use; setting affairs in order, giving possessions away or saying goodbye. Learn what to do when someone is suicidal. Taking action is always the best choice. Start by asking direct questions such as: “Are you thinking about suicide?” and “Do you have the means to do it?” In case of immediate danger don’t hesitate to call 911, otherwise do not leave the person alone but don’t try to handle the situation without help. Tell a family member or a friend about what is going on and get help from a trained professional as quickly as possible. Use local resources like 24- Hour Crisis Line: (1-[PHONE REDACTED]) or national resources like Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-[PHONE REDACTED]). Educate yourself and spread awareness. There are endless online resources right at your fingertips or books in the local library that can help you understand this matter. Join us at awareness events during the month of September in counties of Alpine, Douglas and El Dorado. For more information contact Suicide Prevention Network office at (775) 783 1510 or email Ewa Czarnecka at [EMAIL REDACTED] September is National Suicide Prevention Month ---PAGE BREAK--- Healthy Eating, in a SNAP! Ingredients l 1 Large acorn squash about 1 pound l 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar l ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon l 1 cup Water l 2 teaspoons Butter l 1/8 teaspoon Ground cloves l 1 Large apple cored, peeled and chopped l 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. Cut squash into halves and scoop out the seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. 3. Add water and bake 35 to 45 minutes or until fork-tender. 4. While the squash is baking, cook the rest of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 8 minutes or until apple is crisp-tender. 5. Cut each piece of squash in half and divide the apple mixture equally among squash wedges. Return squash to oven; bake 10 minutes more or until heated through and serve while hot. 75 B Diamond Valley Rd. Markleeville, CA 96120 Phone: (530) 694-2146 Addressing the needs of the Alpine County Community Standard Rate U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 3 Markleeville, CA 96120 POSTAL CUSTOMER [ 8 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2019 For more recipes, borrow SNAP-Ed cookbooks from the Library and the Woodfords Indian Education Center. Alpine Threads Editorial Board 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 ThreadsEditorial Board reviews all content. Website Links l www.alpinecountyca.gov/calendar l www.first5alpine.com l www.alpinecounty.com l www.alpinewatershedgroup.org l www.alpinebiomasscommittee. wordpress.com l www.spnawareness.org/ 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 column. Alpine Threads is brought to you by Alpine County Tobacco Control, a Prop 99 funded program. Spicy Apple-Filled Squash Serves 4 Preparation time: 1 hour 10 minutes ALPINE THREADS