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[ 1 ] Community and Family Life in the California Alps Fall 2014 Community and Family Life in the California Alps Fall 2014 In this Issue... In this Issue... ALPINE THREADS Masthead photo courtesy of Alpine County photographer Todd Branscombe. Choices for Children 2 No Smoking, No Vaping 2 Alpine Watershed Group.........3 First 5 Alpine 4 Making Progress at the Fair! . 4 Key Facts about Seasonal Flu Vaccine 5 Meet our New Doctors! 5 Challenge Award Winner 2014...5 Holiday Food 6 Know More... Flavored Connections Newsletter 7 Health & Wellness Coalition Mission Statement 7 Behavioral Health Services Mission Statement 7 Healthy Eating, in a SNAP!..... 8 Retirement Retirement was not an easy decision for me. I tried to retire nine months ago but reconsidered and happily returned to work. This time I’m determined to move on. Still not an easy decision though. How could it be? For the last 10 years I have had a wonderful position as the only doctor in a small and beautiful mountain community. Other family doctors would agree that my patients were ideal. Mostly cheerful, interesting and appreciative, they made my day over and over again. All ages came to see me. From 100 years old to newborn babies. I will miss all of them. And too, the clinic schedule was well suited to my lifestyle: three days a week, no hospital call and I had the caring help of the entire Health and Human Services and Behavioral Health staff. So why am I retiring? First of all I can. Fortunately I have saved enough to realistically envision trying some new adventures. And, helping to care for my 95 year old blind and feeble father has given me a clear perspective of how age can ravage the human body. During a recent long car trip, Kate and I made a list of places to see, movies to rent, books to read, hikes to make, peaks to climb, and friends to visit. Some of these plans require strong legs and good eyesight. So at age 70, it’s time to get moving. The challenge for me won’t be staying busy. There seems to be no end to the chores around our place in Markleeville. Finding meaning in my life will be just as important as staying busy and happy. I plan to help with my 2 grandchildren, volunteer for the causes I believe in and find new ways to contribute to others. I am not leaving Alpine County. I love this place and the people who live here. I hope Alpiners will welcome and get to know the two new doctors who have taken my place. Dr. Rick Johnson is our new Public Health Officer and Dr. Adam Ouimet is the clinic doctor. Both are friendly, knowledgeable and care about our community. We are in good hands. Cheers, Doc Harvey Farewell Doc Harvey! You will be greatly missed. We wish you all the best in your retirement! ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 2 ] Alpine County Threads ~ Fall 2014 Avoid ‘If-Then’ Rewards During a workshop for our local child care providers, Alexis Robin, Nourish Life & Business Coach, recommended the book “Drive” by Daniel Pink. While Pink’s book is directed more toward business managers, the underlying theme is about human motivation and is a great read for any parent or adult who works with children. In his book, Pink shares with readers a study conducted in 1973 by Lepper, Greene & Nisbett. The researchers went into a preschool classroom and identified the children who naturally chose art and drawing when it was free period. They divided these children into 3 groups. l The first group had an expected reward. They were promised a “Good Player” certificate with a blue ribbon for completing a drawing. l The second group was given a certificate spontaneously after completing a drawing and they weren’t expecting the reward. l The third group was never given an award. Two weeks later the researchers returned. When given free time, the kids in group 2 and 3 still chose art equally but those in group 1 chose this activity significantly less than at the start of the study. Pink explains that ‘if-then’ rewards require people to forfeit some of their autonomy (think of this as safe power) and drains their enjoyment of the activity. Relating this to child development... avoid ‘if-then’ rewards. “If you eat all of your dinner you get dessert.” “If you clean your room you can watch a movie.” “If you help me with the dishes we can go to the park.” Instead, catch children being good. Notice good behavior as close as possible after the fact with genuine and specific acknowledgement. If a spontaneous reward follows, that works too! “Thank you for helping me clean the kitchen. With your help we finished faster. Now we have extra time to go to the park.” No Smoking, No Vaping The Alpine County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to include the use of vapor devices in the definition of smoking. (Chapter 8.08 of the Alpine County Code, Ord. 708 § 2, 2014; Ord. 657 § 2, 2004) • No smoking or vaping in all enclosed buildings and all vehicles, owned, leased or administered by the county • No smoking or vaping within 25 feet of doorways or air ducts, according to 41 CFR section 102-74.335 • No smoking or vaping within 25 feet of play areas (Markleeville Park and Elizabeth Coyan picnic area), according to CHSC section 104495 • No smoking or vaping in places of employment, according to CLC section 6404.5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Building Awareness of Alpine County’s Natural Resources By Sarah Green, Executive Director, Alpine Watershed Group The Alpine Watershed Group (AWG) had an active and successful summer of watershed activities, engaging hundreds of local residents and area visitors from Northern California and Nevada. With the annual Markleeville Creek Day and the inaugural Alpine Aspen Festival, AWG is building awareness of Alpine County’s natural resources, for their scenic value and recreational significance - both critical economic drivers of the region. AWG held its 15th Annual Markleeville Creek Day on Saturday, August 23rd. A total of 55 youth and adult volunteers were divided into five work groups to help with river clean up and restoration projects throughout the Upper Carson River watershed. The day’s work resulted in the: • Stabilization of 115 feet of stream bank on Shay’s Creek and the West Fork Carson River, • Installation of 200 feet of willow bundles in Hope Valley meadow, • Planting over 1,000 willow stakes at various project sites, • Building 15 feet of berm to protect eroding banks on the West Fork of the Carson River, • Removal of over 600 pounds of invasive weeds from Grover Hot Springs meadow, and • Collection of 56 pounds of litter from Alpine County waterways. AWG also held its first annual Alpine Aspen Festival, September 25-28, a celebration of Alpine County’s fall colors and the vital role of aspen groves in providing clean water to millions of Californians and Nevadans. Alpine County is home to the headwaters of 6 major rivers – American, Carson, Mokelumne, Stanislaus, Walker and Truckee. The Aspen Festival and Creek Day provide community-based activities which engage the public in discovering the value of watersheds as a critical common good. Mother Nature celebrated the Alpine Aspen Festival with the first snowstorm of the season. Despite cold temperatures and wet weather, over 300 people came out to celebrate the fall colors and learn about aspen ecology. Activities offered at this inaugural event included photography and Dutch oven cooking workshops, fly fishing clinics, educational hikes and other recreational activities. The Alpine Watershed Group acknowledges all of the organizations and individuals who helped make these events possible. Photos from these events can be found on AWG’s Facebook page. For more information about the Alpine Watershed Group, please check out its website at www.alpinewatershedgroup.org. THANK YOU to all those who attended the Harvest Health Fair and Drive-Thru Flu Clinic on October 4th. Flu vaccinations are still available at the Alpine County Health Clinic! Call (530) 694-2146. Alpine County Threads ~ Fall 2014 [ 3 ] ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 4 ] Alpine County Threads ~ Fall 2014 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. 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. Making progress at the Fair! The Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fair took place in Bishop over Labor Day weekend, and the Alpine County Tobacco Control Program was there! It was a great place to get the word out about the of e-cigarettes. Folks from Inyo, Mono and Alpine counties stopped by to pick up a water bottle (many thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for donating their surplus!) and chat about electronic smoking. Former smokers came by to share their quit stories (Yay!), while current smokers and their loved ones picked up information on quitting (keep quitting until you quit for good!). People from both groups were eager to talk about their suspicions that e-cigarettes are not a safe alternative to smoking. Of course, they are right. Vaping (electronic smoking) devices are still unregulated products and the vapor (aerosol) is not harmless – it contains addictive nicotine and other dangerous chemicals, exposing nonsmokers to harmful secondhand gases and particles. The Tri-County Fair took a big step in protecting its patrons from secondhand vapor this year by prohibiting the use of electronic smoking devices in all their smoke-free zones. Great work! For more information call the Alpine County Tobacco Control Program at 694-2146 x 242. Want to quit smoking? Call the California Smokers’ Helpline at 1-800-NO-BUTTS. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Threads ~ Fall 2014 [ 5 ] The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Why should people get vaccinated against the flu? Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community. Who should get vaccinated this season? Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season. Vaccination to prevent influenza is particularly important for people who are at high risk of serious complications from influenza. • Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old • Adults 65 years of age and older • Pregnant women • American Indians and Alaskan Natives seem to be at higher risk of flu complications • People with various conditions that make them vulnerable to illness – consult your health care provider. When should I get vaccinated? Since it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop in the body after vaccination, it is best that people get vaccinated before influenza begins spreading in their community. Flu vaccination should begin soon after vaccine becomes available, ideally by October. However, Vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season. What are the benefits of flu vaccination? • Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick from flu. Protecting yourself from flu also protects the people around you who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness. • Flu vaccination also may make your illness milder if you do get sick. • Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of more serious flu outcomes, like hospitalizations and deaths Where can I get the vaccination? Flu vaccinations are available at the Alpine County Public Health Clinic. Call (530) 694-2146. The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) is honored to recognize Alpine County in our 2014 Challenge Awards program, which recognizes the most innovative, cost-effective programs developed by our 58 counties. In March of this year, Alpine County and the Washoe Tribe created an unprecedented Memorandum of Understanding in order to provide child welfare services to families of the Washoe. Having this agreement in place allows the Alpine County Child Welfare Social Worker to work with all children and families within the county. This ensures that everyone can receive the full, comprehensive child welfare services available in California. Congratulations to the county’s Board of Supervisors and Health and Human Services staff for developing this program. Innovation is alive and well in Alpine County. Key Facts about Seasonal Flu Vaccine MEET OUR NEW DOCTORS! Dr. Adam Ouimet Public Health Clinic Physician Dr. Rick Johnson Public Health Officer A reception to welcome our new doctors will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd 11am to 1pm HHS Conference Room, 75 Diamond Valley Road Challenge Award Winner 2014 ---PAGE BREAK--- [ 6 ] Alpine County Threads ~ Fall 2014 KNOW MORE… Flavored Tobacco What is the big deal about flavored tobacco? In 2009, the federal government banned sweet and candy flavored cigarettes, which were enticing children to smoke. To get around this ban, tobacco companies introduced sweet and candy flavored cigars, cigarillos, hookah shisha, chew, and dissolvable tobacco products. These are often marketed in bright and flashy packaging, displayed to look like candy treats. You might not even realize they are tobacco! But, they all contain nicotine, which can get you addicted. Why would tobacco companies target youth? Quite simply, they need new customers! Just like every big corporation, they exist to make money…and with their current customers quitting and dying, they need new ones to take their place. They want young people because it is easier to turn them into long-term customers. Is anything being done about this? Though Federal Law does not prohibit companies from flavoring tobacco products other than cigarettes, states, counties and cities have begun to regulate the sale of these products. New York City and Providence, Rhode Island are two places that have done just that. Despite challenges by tobacco companies, courts have upheld these ordinances because they regulate sales, not manufacture, and because they fall in line with local goals to reduce youth access to tobacco. All photos courtesy of CounterTobacco.Org The holidays will be here before you know it! Alpine County’s Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Health & Human Services Department are once again preparing Holiday baskets for the families, your friends and neighbors, who are in need of a little extra help at the holidays. The support that this community has been providing ensures that all our families have a Holiday meal with books and family games. Last year, thanks to your generous donations, we were able to provide a full Christmas meal with books and games for 103 Alpine County families with a total of 232 individual members. PLEASE RESPOND BY DECEMBER 12th, 2014; donations accepted at: Alpine County HHS Building 75 A Diamond Valley Road, Markleeville Call [PHONE REDACTED] with questions or for additional information This year, the grant funds available will allow us to provide for approximately 1/3 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. YOUR donations will go far to make the Holidays so much happier for ALL the families in our community! HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE The BEST WAY to avoid a lifetime of nicotine addiction IS TO NEVER START smoking, chewing, vaping, using dissolvables or any other form of tobacco. By disguising the real taste of tobacco with sweet flavors, more youth are enticed to try. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Wellness Coalition Alpine County Threads ~ Fall 2014 [ 7 ] Excerpts from Alpine County Behavioral Health Services has updated our mission. We believe it is more representative of our services, staff and vision for the future. Our vision: Alpine County is a healthy community. Our mission: Build strong community partnerships promoting healthy living through outreach, advocacy and education. For more information, contact Erin Dobyns at (530) 694-2146 Please make a note of Behavioral Health Services’ (BHS) 24hr Crisis and Access Line 1.[PHONE REDACTED]. This number is answered by staff Monday through Friday 8 AM – 5 PM and by Crisis Support Services after hours and holidays. If for some reason you are unable to get through on our phone lines, please call [PHONE REDACTED]. The mission of Alpine County Behavioral Health Services is to provide safe, ethical and accessible services that inspire personal growth and development through strength-based behavioral health programs and supportive connections. We also provide a calendar of wellness and recovery focused events and programs. For more information and location of any of these programs, call 694.2638 or [EMAIL REDACTED] or [EMAIL REDACTED]. Behavioral Health has many on-going wellness programs throughout the county. Some of our programs have temporarily changed locations due to the restoration of the Wellness Center and gym at Hung-A-Lel-Ti. Monday: Senior Soak at Grover Hot Springs 11 AM (free access for residents age 50 & older) Tuesday & Thursday: Chair Exercise 11 AM & Yoga 12 PM at the Woodfords Indian Education Center (Except the last Thursday of the month- NO Yoga) 1st & 3rd Tuesday: Family Movie Night & Dinner 6-7:30 PM at the Firehouse at Hung-A-Lel-Ti Friday: Create the Good 12-2 PM Lunch & Adult Discussion at the Firehouse at Hung-A-Lel-Ti 2nd Saturday: Father’s Wellness Project (Men & Youth Activity) at the Firehouse at Hung-A-Lel-Ti ---PAGE BREAK--- 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 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 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 ~ Fall 2014 Healthy Eating, in a SNAP! Alpine Threads is brought to you by Alpine County Tobacco Control, a Prop 99 funded program. 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 Vegetable Creole Ingredients n nonstick cooking spray n 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks n 1 large onion, chopped n 1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes n 1/3 cup tomato paste Make a plan to quit this November 20th! Preparation 1. Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add chicken and onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. 2. Stir in all remaining ingredients except broccoli and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Stir in broccoli, cook for 5 minutes more. Serve while hot. Serve with brown rice and salad for a complete meal. To add spice to this dish, try sausage instead of, or with, the chicken. n 2 stalks celery, chopped n 1½ teaspoons garlic powder n 1 teaspoon onion powder n ½ teaspoon salt n ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes n 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper n 1½ cups broccoli florets