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In this Issue... In this Issue... Community and Family Life in the California Alps Fall 2018 Community and Family Life in the California Alps Fall 2018 Masthead photo courtesy of Alpine County resident Matt O’Grady. Alpine Watershed Group....... 2 TYFS 3 Will You be Ready? 3 California Health & 4 What is an E-cigarette?......... 5 Live Violence 5 Choices for 6 Drive-Thru Flu Clinic 6 Autumn Activities 7 Music in the Library! 7 Healthy Eating, in a SNAP!.... 8 It’s Fall and that means the holidays are right around the corner and will be here before you know it! It’ll be time for snow, cookies, surprises, family get-togethers and special times with your friends. Alpine County’s Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Health & Human Services Department are once again preparing holiday food bags for the families, your friends and neighbors, who are in need of a little extra help at this time of the year. The support that this community provides ensures that all our families have a Holiday meal at their tables. We would also like to be able to provide family friendly holiday gifts for the children, once the food needs have been met. Last year, thanks to your generous donations, we were able to provide a full Christmas meal with books and games for 62 Alpine County households, with a total of 190 individual members. This year, the grant funds available will allow us to provide for approximately 1/2 of the families in need. We are asking YOU, the Alpine County community, to help us make up that difference with your donations of cash or new, unwrapped books or family games. Please bring your donations (cash or gifts) to the Health & Human Services office by Wednesday, December 5th, 2018. Donations are accepted at: Alpine County HHS Building, 75 A Diamond Valley Road, Markleeville Call [PHONE REDACTED] with questions or for additional information Your donations will go far to make the Holidays so much happier for ALL the families in our community! ALPINE THREADS Autumn Greetings, Alpine County! ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 2 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2018 Volunteers Show Watershed Dedication at Markleeville Creek Day By Julia Keane, AWG Education and Outreach Coordinator On Saturday, September 8th, 45 volunteers gathered at Markleeville Library Park for a morning of restoration work. Volunteers worked on four different projects throughout the Carson River Watershed for the 19th Annual Markleeville Creek Day, hosted by Alpine Watershed Group. Folks came from all over the watershed and beyond - volunteers from Reno to South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento illustrate the great love felt for Alpine County. Community members joined forces with the visitors to take part in projects in Hope Valley, Grover Hot Springs State Park, and Heritage Park along Markleeville Creek. Team leaders represented partner organizations including Friends of Hope Valley and California State Parks. The group accomplished the following in the Carson River Watershed: • 250 willow stakes were planted in Hope Valley aiming to stabilize over 60 linear feet of streambank. • 20 large garbage bags of invasive bull thistle rosettes were removed from Grover Hot Springs State Park. • Two brush boxes were built with willow, alder, and pine tree clippings to remediate headcuts in Grover meadow, stabilizing nearly 75 ft. of Hot Springs Creek bank. The larger brush box was approximately 7 ft. tall, 3 ft. deep, and 75 ft. wide. • 10 native trees were wrapped for beaver protection, 6 picnic tables were stained, 2 large garbage bags of trash were removed, and weeds were mowed in the picnic area at Heritage Park. • Trail to town from Heritage Park was cleared and stairway was raked. The event was a great success because of the hard work of all the volunteers and partner organizations that came together to celebrate our local waterways. Afterwards, AWG hosted a community celebration with a tasty taco bar provided through donations from Costco, Raley’s, and Trader Joe’s. Prizes donated by Alpine Watershed Group, American Alpine Club, Big Five Sporting Goods, and Tahoe Sports Ltd. were raffled off to everyone who participated in Creek Day. We are grateful to Starbucks for getting everyone off to a great start with coffee and pastries. The Alpine Watershed Group would like to thank our volunteers for coming to Markleeville Creek Day. We would also like to thank our sponsors for helping to make this restoration event possible: Alpine County Chamber of Commerce, Bentley Heritage Foundation, Carson Water Subconservancy District, and Trout Unlimited Sagebrush Chapter. Contact Mo Loden, AWG Watershed Coordinator, at [EMAIL REDACTED] to get involved in ongoing restoration and monitoring programs. Like AWG’s Facebook page and visit the website to sign up for the AWG newsletter and discover opportunities to preserve and enhance Alpine County’s watersheds! Upcoming AWG Event Tuesday, November 13th, 2018, 5:30-7:00 p.m. I Hung a Lel Ti Woodfords Indian Education Center Join Alpine Watershed Group for an educational rock talk by David Griffith and Peggy Ristorcelli, local geologists, as they present Alpine County, Where It Came From and How It Formed, a Short Geologic History of the Last 175 Million Years. [ thank you! ] ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads I Fall 2018 [ 3 ] Will You be Ready? Evacuations in the U.S. are more common than most people realize. Recent wildfires have forced people in Alpine County and other parts of California and Nevada to evacuate their homes with little or no warning. Here’s a list of things you can prepare now in case your home is ever in harm’s way: 4 Have a grab-and-go kit. Include essential supplies, such as water, food, and first-aid supplies. 4 Have copies of important papers. Keep these in a plastic, waterproof case. FYI, this stuff is priceless, because you may need to prove who you are and that you own your house. Include: 4 Safeguard pets. Make sure they’re micro-chipped and have I.D. collars. Create pet grab-and-go kits that include leashes, medications, meal bowls, and three days’ worth of food and water. 4 Prep your yard. Maintain your trees and shrubs so diseased or weakened branches won’t fall down and damage your property. 4 Know your utility shutoffs. Learn now how to safely shut off all utility services in your home. Visit www.ready.gov for additional resources to help you and your loved ones prepare for disasters. • Your driver’s license. • The deed to your house. • Proof of insurance. • Medical records. • Passports. • Social security cards. • A list of personal contacts. Alpine County Needs Mentors! Give the GIFT of TIME! Why Mentoring? • Two generations ago, half of the households had at least one adult, in addition to the parents, residing there- today fewer than 1 in 20 do. • Many children do not have the resources of having a wide variety of caring adults in their lives. • Mentoring programs do not solve all problems children have, but they can improve the lives of many children. Mentoring programs show that someone cares-something each child needs to know if they are to develop emotionally, socially and academically. • The future of tomorrow’s world is in the hands of today’s youth. To become effective leaders and responsible citizens, young people must first overcome the obstacles they face (poverty, illiteracy, crime, and substance abuse). Children look to role models to help them face their future, mentors can be a positive example, something many children seek. Mentors can help children learn to BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES! Students Speak: • Having a mentor is like having a new close friend. • The experience has made me a less shy person. • I got to go places I had never been before. I have more confidence in front of a crowd. • You can talk to your mentor about your problems and they will try to help as much as possible. I’ve learned it is important to communicate. • My mentor helped me with my homework and I got to hear about different career choices. • I enjoyed the experiences that my mentor and I shared, the activities were fun, I think I have become more open about coming up to people and talking to them. • My mentor helped me to see that I need good grades to get what I want and be successful. • What I enjoyed most about being matched with a mentor was letting out my feelings about everything to a trusted adult. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or have a child you think would benefit from mentoring please contact Misty Stewart, Mentor Coordinator with Tahoe Youth & Family. [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 4 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2018 Tips to Stop Smoking Plan Make a list of all the reasons you want to quit. Write down your reasons and carry them with you. Read them when you feel the urge to smoke. Set a goal. Make a plan to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day. Set a start and finish date. Record your smoking habits. Keep a record of when and where you smoke, and the reasons why. Support Get support. Ask your friends and family to help you stop smoking. Call them or talk to them when you have the urge to smoke. Team up with someone to quit smoking. Look for a family member or friend who also wants to quit. You can give support and share helpful tips with one another. Don’t give up. A step backward doesn’t mean failure. Begin again and don’t look back. Reward yourself. Keep track of the money you save and reward yourself with something nice. Still need help? Ask your doctor about medication. Manage Get rid of smoking reminders. Don’t keep your cigarettes handy. Put them in a place you wouldn’t normally use. Throw away all ashtrays, lighters and matches. Choose “no smoking” areas. Spend more time in places where smoking is not allowed. Manage your stress. Work to change or accept some of the problems that give you the urge to smoke. Replace the urge to smoke. Try chewing sugarless gum or mints. Keep celery, carrots, rice cakes, and other chewy, low calorie snacks handy. Find something new to do. Keep yourself busy and happy with a new hobby or project. Exercise. Exercising three or more times a week reduces your urge to smoke and boosts your confidence. Remember the facts. Smoking causes cancer and harms the health of the people you smoke around. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Please always follow your health care provider’s instructions. Programs and services are subject to change. CAHealthWellness.com © 2017 California Health & Wellness. All rights reserved. CHW_FLY005437XP00 76544632561012 (TTY:477) ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads I Fall 2018 [ 5 ] Any electronic device that can be used to deliver nicotine or other substances to the person inhaling from the device, including- but not limited to-electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), e-cigars, e-pipes, e-hookahs, vape pens, and other electronic nicotine delivery systems. What is a Juul? A new e-cigarette shaped like a USB flash drive is being used by students in schools. What’s the Bottom Line on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults? • The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults. • Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. • E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine. • Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future. Aren’t E-cigarettes Safer Than Cigarettes? • E-cigarettes expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than burned cigarettes. But burned cigarettes are extraordinarily dangerous, killing half of all people who smoke long-term. • The use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe for young people. TEACHERS AND PARENTS: That USB Stick Might Be an E-cigarette Some e-cigarettes don’t look like tobacco products, so some kids use them unnoticed in schools, including in classrooms and bathrooms. JUUL delivers a high dose of nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development. LEARN MORE about the risks of e-cigarettes for youth and access tips for talking to youth at: TOBACCO PRODUCT USE IN ANY FORM, INCLUDING E-CIGARETTES, IS UNSAFE FOR YOUTH. An increasingly popular e-cigarette, called JUUL, is shaped like a USB flash drive. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students. 1. We have a food bank every 4th Wednesday of the month, where you can receive free food. We are even able to do food drop off. 2. We accept clothing donations and have clothes available for those who are in need. 3. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Wear purple to show your support! What is an E-Cigarette? Did you know with Live Violence Free Questions? Come visit or give us a call at: 100 Foothill Road, Markleeville (530) 694-1853 the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 6 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2018 • Reading aloud on a routine basis provides babies and children a predictable opportunity to receive the undivided attention of their parent /caregiver in addition to the physical and emotional connections they make with their parent/caregiver. • Reading aloud provides children more exposure to child-directed language. Children who hear the most words directed at them during their earliest years, have greater receptive language skills (what they hear and are able to understand). Children who understand a large number of words when they enter school are set up for success as they are able to comprehend what the teacher is communicating or requesting and they are able to listen and follow along with directions and academic instruction. • Children who hear the most child-directed words also have the strongest expressive language skills. Children who use more words are set up for success since they can share their point of view or feelings, negotiate their position, ask questions, gather information and in other words, successfully navigate in their world. • Reading aloud to children also helps them become stronger readers which is a foundation skill relied upon and needed to meet most academic goals throughout their education. Having heard the word many times and being familiar with many words offers these children more experience to draw from when they see the written word. Having never heard the word makes learning to read the word more difficult. • Reading aloud exposes children to new words, ideas, beliefs, situations, cause and effect concepts, sequencing, perspectives and feelings, and so much more. Children often want to read the same book over and over again. While this may reduce their exposure to new concepts, sticking with the same book for what might seem like forever has its benefits as the level of understanding deepens with the familiarity of the words and concepts in their favorite book. The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Children are Powerful! Drive-Thru Flu Clinic It’s FREE! Alpine County Health Wellness Coalition Our mission: Building strong community partnerships promoting healthy living through outreach, advocacy and education. 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. Wednesday, October 31st Noon to 5:30pm Alpine County Health and Human Services Parking Lot ~ 75 Diamond Valley Road ~ Drive-Thru Flu Clinic ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads I Fall 2018 [ 7 ] 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! Alpine County Library in Markleeville is hosting a weekly acoustic jam session! Bring your acoustic instrument to join in the jam or your ears to enjoy the tunes! Every Friday at 3pm All skill levels welcome! Music in the Library! • Make a family holiday card photo • Pick some apples; make apple pie, muffins, cider ~ oh so yummy! • Try some indoor camping on a blustery day • Count the geese as they fly south • Make a scarecrow • Visit a pumpkin patch or corn maze; carve a pumpkin • Hand make holiday cards • Fly a kite! ~ Excellent windy days in Fall for kite flying • Pick up & decorate pine cones or make a pinecone bird feeder • Bake cookies ~ what’s your favorite? I like oatmeal-raisin • Go for a long sightseeing drive • Walk through your favorite park and look for the seasonal changes • Go kayaking or paddle boarding while the water is still warm • Take a hike! • Find and explore the smaller lakes in the area; when was the last time you went to Fourth of July Lake? • Go fishing • Disc golfing is still excellent • Play family or neighborhood football • Plant bulbs for spring flowers • Make a batch of stick-to-your-ribs chili • Teach or learn to knit or crochet or bead • Always remember what you’re thankful for Looking for something fun for the whole family this Fall? Check out these Autumn Activities: Come and visit us at the Library! • 3D Printing available to patrons. • Spanish Club Wednesdays at noon. • Book Club the last Thursday of each month. We also will be offering wellness bags for checkout with activities like board games, art projects, squeezable stress balls, and yoga cards, funded through the HHS Alpine County tobacco cessation program. Alpine County Library PO Box 187 270 Laramie Street Markleeville, CA 96120 [PHONE REDACTED] Open 9am to 5pm Wednesday - Saturday www.alpinecountyca.gov/ Index.aspx?NID=107 Fall is a great time for family fun! ---PAGE BREAK--- Healthy Eating, in a SNAP! 20-Minute Meatloaf Serves: 3 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 [ 8 ] Alpine County Threads I Fall 2018 For more recipes, borrow SNAP-Ed cookbooks from the Library and the Woodfords Indian Education Center. Ingredients l 1 Egg l ¼ cup rolled oats, crushed crackers or bread crumbs l 1 pound Ground turkey l ½ cup Onion finely chopped l ½ cup Carrot finely chopped or grated l 1 small can tomato sauce about ½ cup l 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar l 1 teaspoon prepared mustard or ¼ teaspoon mustard powder l Salt and black pepper to taste Preparation 1. In medium bowl mix egg and crackers, oats or bread crumbs. 2. Add turkey, onion, carrot, and salt and pepper. Mix well. 3. In separate bowl, make sauce by mixing tomato sauce, brown sugar and mustard. 4. Add half of the sauce to the meat mixture. 5. Shape into a loaf and place in a microwave-safe dish. 6. Spoon the sauce mixture over top of the meatloaf, just until covered. Cover with waxed paper or a paper towel. 7. Cook 5–6 minutes. 8. Turn dish in microwave and cook 5 minutes more. Repeat until cooked through. 9. Let stand for 10 minutes. total cooking time depends on your microwave. 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.