THE UNION Articles on
Health -- August
Briefs Panel needed for health funding, Union Staff, August 3, 2005
District's soda decision good for students, Editorial Board, August 2, 2005
Panel needed for mental health monies, anon, August 2, 2005
Briefs Panel needed for health funding
The Union staff
August 3, 2005
Those who want to improve mental health services in Nevada County can do so by applying to the steering committee of the local Mental Health Services Act. Applications are due Aug. 19.
Otherwise known as Prop 63, the act will bring an estimated $1 million per year to Nevada County. To receive that money, Nevada County must come up with a three-year plan that reflects both the will of county residents and the intent of the act.
The steering committee will meet weekly on Tuesdays, 5 to 7 p.m., for six sessions, from September through mid-October. To apply for a seat on the steering committee, send a brief letter detailing your interest to: MHSA Community Coordinator Joan Buffington, Joan.Buffington @co.nevada.ca.us or Project Manager Doug Bond, Doug.Bond @co.nevda.ca.us via e-mail. You can call Joan at 274-1778 or Doug at 470-2736.
The public can also give input on how the money should be spent in the medical sector today from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital's conference room in the outpatient building.
District's soda decision good for students
By The Union editorial board
August 2, 2005
It's refreshing to see that the Nevada Joint Union High School District is removing soda from its campuses without a state law requiring them to do so.
As state lawmakers consider legislation to end soda sales at elementary and junior high schools and limit them at high schools, local school officials are well into a process that removes a major source of the obesity epidemic from their campuses.
The arguments made to keep soda vending machines on campus are as a weak and flabby as the young people who feel they need a belly full of sweetened carbonated water to get them through the day.
The soda industry, which has spent millions of dollars persuading our children to consume their products and consequently fatten their bottom line, says students are going to get their soda somewhere, so let's make it easy for them to buy it on campus.
Schools, meanwhile, have come to depend on the revenue they receive from on-campus soda sales.
"We think the issue of childhood obesity runs a lot deeper than drinking soda," said Robert Ackerman, executive director of the California-Nevada Soft Drink Association. "Banning soft drinks is not the solution to (childhood obesity)."
While banning soft drinks on campus won't lead to an immediate shrinkage of waistlines, it does send a message that we don't want our schools to be part of a caffeine and sugar pipeline for a generation of children that is larger than any in history.
We much prefer that our schools be part of a positive message that emphasizes healthier choices. And since we understand the temptation that comes when the soda industry tries to sweeten the pot by waving checks in the face of school officials who need more revenue, we admire Superintendent Maggie Dietz and her staff all the more when they stick to principles that benefit students in the long run.
Panel needed for mental health monies
August 2, 2005
Those who want to improve people committed to improving mental health services in Nevada County, can do so by applying to the Steering Committee of the local Mental Health Services Act. Applications are due August 19.
MHSA, or Prop 63, will bring an estimated $1 million per year to Nevada County. In order to receive that money, Nevada County must come up with a three-year plan that reflects both the will of county residents and the intent of the MHSA.
The MHSA Steering Committee will meet weekly on Tuesdays, 5-7 PM, for six sessions, from September through mid-October. To apply for a seat on the MHSA Steering Committee, send a brief letter detailing your interest to: MHSA Community Coordinator Joan Buffington, Joan.Buffington@co.nevada.ca.us or Project Manager Doug Bond, Doug.Bond@co.nevda.ca.us. You can call Joan at 274-1778 or Doug at 470-2736.
The public can also give input on how the money should be spent in the medical sector today from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital’s conference room in the outpatient building.