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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2006)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, July 6, 2006 New CASA volunteers sworn in Health Notes Ten reasons TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is Terrific: 1) TOPS recognizes indi- vidual needs. Who wants to be dictated to? Each chapter reflects the individuality of its unique members. 2) Who said it has to cost a lot of money to lose weight? For only a few dollars a year, TOPS members share goals and inspiration, successes and stumbles, riding out the highs and lows among their peers, learning what it takes to live a healthy life. 3) Competition and recogni- tion help make incorporating lifestyle change fun! TOPS members can earn local, state and international awards dur- ing their weight-loss journey and beyond. 4.) TOPS members learn about eating sensibly. They learn what foods to choose, how to prepare them, menu planning, and more. 5) The TOPS organization practices what it preaches. TOPS provides financial sup- port to the TOPS Center for Obesity and Metabolic Re- search at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Since 1996, TOPS has donated more than $6 million for research. 6) TOPS offers accountabil- ity. Private weigh-ins record progress, and members are there for each other to cele- brate the highs, lows, starts and stops. Changing a lifestyle takes time. Members work together and support each other collectively and in- dividually. 7) Sensible food planning is the first step to lifestyle change. TOPS members are invited to follow the Food Ex- change System described in TOPS’ handy lifestyle guide- book, The Choice Is Mine . 8) Support is key to long- term change. Psychologists say recognizing negative pat- terns (both physical and emo- tional) and working on them over time with others is the way to make the change last. 9) Viva la difference! No two people are the same, and TOPS members follow their own paths. Members are en- couraged to follow a weight- loss plan resulting from a con- sultation with their own health care professional. 10) TOPS has helped hun- dreds and thousands of peo- ple lose weight and is the orig- inal weight-loss support or- ganization, founded in 1948 by a Milwaukee housewife. TOPS focuses on people, not products. It is non-profit and noncommercial! If TOPS sounds like what your mind and body have Banks Pharmacy New Ownership Come meet M ar k S argeant, RP H Full-service pharmacy with hometown service! 10 am to 6 pm Monday - Friday 10 am to 2 pm Saturday Most major insurance plans accepted Located at Oak Village Center in Jim’s Thriftway 503-324-5780 503-324-5410 (fax) bankspharmacy@yahoo.com 040506 been looking for, call Louise Green at 503-755-2328. TOPS Chapter OR1074, Mist, meets each Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Mist- Birkenfeld RFPD. Men, women and children over the age of 10 are welcome to at- tend a meeting with no charge or obligation. Come check it out! To find a local chapter in other areas, call 1-800-932- 8677. Children of Columbia Coun- ty gained five more ‘voices’ on June 13, in the courthouse in St. Helens, when Columbia County Juvenile Court Judge Ted E. Grove swore in new CASA volunteers Suzanne Nadeau, Tara Freeman and Betty Gatten of St. Helens, and Shirley Goodman of Vernonia. These volunteers have com- mitted themselves to working toward the best interests of the children they serve while work- ing as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in the coun- ty. A CASA’s role differs from that of a judge, attorney or so- cial worker. A CASA’s sole pur- pose is to ensure that the chil- dren they serve do not have their needs overlooked while involved in the court system, and that eventually they find a permanent home. Anyone interested in more information about CASA is en- couraged to call the program at 503-397-0028, ext. 233. “Human Origami” is for people in transition Just what is “Human Origa- mi” anyway? Especially for people in transition — divorce, separation, widowhood, gradu- ation, menopause, new job, new town, new relationship — this workshop aims to help par- ticipants look at which parts of their lives are working well, which are not. Using tech- niques ranging from visioning through Psychosynthesis, and both graphic and verbal stream-of-consciousness, as well as group interaction and support, they will learn to un- cover and actualize hidden po- tential, and consciously engi- neer the next stage of their lives. Workshop leader Carol Saw- yer has been teaching adults since 1970, in India, Spain, France and the U.S. She calls herself an expert on change. She has been studying psy- chology since the ‘60s, has several counseling certificates, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Consciousness and Transfor- mation at CIIS in San Francis- co. Sawyer is also a published poet, including an Honorable Mention at the ‘99 Maui Writers’ conference, and she is both Oregon and National Senior Spelling Bee champion for 2003. This second workshop will be held Friday, July 14, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, at the Head Start build- ing on California Avenue in Ver- nonia. Later workshops will in- clude several day in Ibiza, Spain in February, 2009. Bring an open heart and mind, a notebook and pen, and if possi- ble, a piece of cardboard, like the side of a box. Fees are slid- ing scale from $50 to $75 and those who took the first work- shop in March can take the Saturday session free of charge. Call 503-429-4748 for more information or to register. Life jackets save lives when boating When the weather heats up, people flock to our state’s wa- terways, where it’s cool and comfortable. The Oregon State Marine Board wants to remind boaters and swimmers to be especially careful when recre- ating around water. “Drowning is the second leading cause of child fatalities, and we’ve already lost several children and adults this year,” says Ashley Massey, public af- fairs specialist for the Marine Board. “Don’t let a fun weekend escape turn into a tragedy. If you’re going on the water to cool off, go prepared. Wear a life jacket. Children 12 and un- der are required to wear a life jacket when in a boat, but it’s equally important to have them wearing one if they are wading near the shore of our rivers and lakes. Kids can find themselves in deep, cold water in the blink of an eye.” Massey offers other re- minders when in or around the water: • If you see someone in trou- ble in the water, do not go after them. Many times the rescuer becomes the drowning victim. Throw something to the person that floats, like an empty cooler or float cushion and call for help. • When swimming in cold water, short-term swim failure can occur anywhere from 3-30 minutes and can lead to drown- ing. Muscles and nerves in the arms and legs cool quickly. Manual dexterity, hand grip strength, and speed of move- ment can all drop by 60-80 per- cent. Even normally strong people can lose the strength necessary to pull themselves out of the water or even to keep their head above water. • Keep the alcohol at home and away from the water. Alco- hol impairs judgment and awareness, so you may take risks you normally wouldn’t or you may be unaware if some- one in your party is missing. Al- cohol is involved in one-third of all boating accidents in Oregon, which includes boat operators and passengers. Even one fatality is too many. It’s an easy choice: Wear a life jacket, boat sober and make this summer the safest on record.
