Walsh County Press September 24, 2014: Page 4

September 24, 2014 Walsh County Press
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Pae 4 PRESS PERSPECTIVES THE WALSH COUNTY PRESS ° WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK... BY ALLISON OLIA4B EDITOR, FALSH COUNTY PRESS There were a lot of events going There was a benefit in honor of a on last Saturday. There was a 5K in little girl who had been dealt a honor of a man who was lost trag- tough hand. And there was an auc- ically to floodwaters. There was a tion to benefit our local hospital, softball tournament in memory of which has benefitted my family a man lost to a car accident that and myself countless times. benefitted Camp Good Mourning. I had intentions of attending a few of those events. But that Fri- day, my mother-in-law lost her mom. We drop everything for family. My husband's sister and his morn and a handful of the babies came to my house. In between the funeral arrangements and cleaning out Grandma McGuire's belong- ings at the nursing home, snuggles became a necessity. She was 95 and I had only met her a couple of times, once at a 90th birthday party and again in the hospital last week when she got to meet her great-grandchildren for the first and last time. The smile on her face when she met her great-granddaughter was worth every second it took us to get to that hospital room and back. She was gone days later. We spent that Saturday playing in the park, making salsa, watching Capitan America, talking about wills, directive care, and other mildly uncomfortable things and snuggling babies. On that day there were plenty of places I could have been but no place else I would rather be. Like'" the Walsh County Press on Facebook and check out our blog at http.'//walshcounty- press, wordpress.com Hello, , "Let 'er Buck"! To folks in the rodeo business, those words mean one thing, the Pendleton Roundup is on! I've been hearing them for years. And if you are a rodeo fan, it's one of the rodeos on your bucket list. Along with Cheyenne, Calgary, and the Finals. Well, I plan on go- ing to some again, but as ofnow, I've made it to all of them. No, I know you are figuring that I qualified and competed. Nope. Just dreamed about it. But I was a spec- tater at all of them at some time over the last twenty years. Pendleton is probably the hard- est to get to. You have to spend a couple days driving, or a miserable day in airports. Airports weren't built for big fat guys. But when you get into Washington and Oregon and see the Snake River, and the Columbia Gorge, you feel kind of sheepish that you were complaining. Because over two hundred years ago, Lewis and Clark drug a boat to the Rock- ies all the way from St. Louis, then walked over the Rocky Mountains. Those young men were tough. And determined. And they didn't get to attend the Pendleton Roundup when Hat they were there! We flew into and stayed in Pas- co, Washington. It's about an hour north of Pendleton. It's a beautiful city, with much of the development built the last ten years. If you leave there and head for Walla Walla, you drive by feedlots, cornfields, grape orchards, blueberry fields, asparagus fields, onions, apples...the list goes on and on. You drive by forests that are planted for paper. You can see grain and oil barges filling on the riv- er. You can stop and have a wine tasting experience. Of course, I wouldn't think of doing something like that. There are huge, huge fields of re- cently harvested wheat. They farm hills and hillsides that would make you nervous riding a horse on! ffyou leave Walla Walla and head to Elgin you go over the Blue Mountains. Now, they are not like the Rockies, Tips but they are a sight more than the Turtle or Killdeer Mountains! You will see a lumber mill with hundreds of thousands of trees cut and stacked waiting for the saw. You see millions of acres of timber, broken up by broad valleys of farm and ranch land. Pendleton, the home of the Pendleton wool mill, is a city of about sixteen thousand people. And they dang sure know how to put on a rodeo. The arena is huge! It is the only rodeo where the events cross a dirt racetrack and for the most part take part on grass inside the track! I don't know how many people the grandstands hold, but they dang sure fill up with rodeo fans. From the time that crowd starts the countdown to the Grand Entry; Five, Four, Three... Until the last wild cow is milked they are into this rodeo. They stand and cheer for a great bronc ride. They cheer each barrel racer as if they were a family member. The Indian Relay race, where you see some of the wildest, bravest young men you ever saw brings standing ovations. Bucking horses and pickup men jump the rail fence around the track. There are six pickup men. And they are good ones. In the rough stock events, as quick as one is done, another cowboy nods his head and the gate opens. Three pickupmen are getting one out of the arena, while the next one is bucking. The action is non-stop. But it was the onions that got Shirley. I guess Walla Walla onions are expensive in North Dakota. At least according to my shopper. We had a rented car. Every once in awhile, we could come across a spot on the highway where someone had spilled some onions off an overloaded Iruck. We would have to stop, grab a few onions, throw them in the car and proceed. Then we would find a few potatoes. Then a roadside booth selling carrots. Then asparagus. , The next time you see me, I will be working at the farmer's market on the north side of town. Let 'er Buck, Dean samaritan Happenings at Our Good Samaritan Nannette Hoeger, Activities Dir. We have had a busy week with the book sale and luncheon. Thank you to all the people that donated books, it was a big success. We ended our week on Friday with the Homecoming Pa- rade coming by to see us. We like to support our team! This week Sept. 21st-27th Sept. 21 st Worship 2:30 w/Pastor Masko, 3:30 Fall Craft Sept. 22nd 10am Men's Time, Embroi- dery Group, lpm Drive to see the fall colors, 5pm Rosary, 6:45 Bingo Sept. 23rd lpm Fill goodie bags Sept. 24th 3pm Bin- go Sept. 25th 3pm Auxiliary Luncheon hosted by Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 6:30 Movie Night Sept. 26th 10:30 Nail Time, 3:30 Out- door Strolls Sept. 27th 9:30 Mass w/Father Luiten, lpm WII Bowling, 2:15 Bingo Next Week Sept. Photo: Submitted Above: PRFL Homecoming parade marches by the Good Samaritan Center. 28th- Oct. 4th Sept. 28th Worship 2:30 w/Pastor Antal, 3:30 TV Trivia Sept. 29th 10am Embroidery Group, Men's Time, lpm De- liver Goodies, 3pm Founders Lunch, 4pm Hymn Sing, 5pm Rosary, 6:45 Beanie Baby Bingo Sept. 30th lpm Baking Kolache, 3:30 Bible Study Oct. 1 st 3pm Bingo Oct. 2nd 3:30 Paint- ing Bowls, 6:30 Movie Night Oct. 3rd 10:30 Nail Time, 3:30 Games Oct. 4th 9:30 Mass w/Father Luiten, lpm Name that tune, 2:15 Bingo Thank You to the many volunteers: Pas- tor Masko, Arnold Braaten, Shirley Sobo- ill<, Linda Larson, Lois Ydstie, Mary Seim, Pastor Hinrichs and his family for having his Birthday party with us, Barb Ellefson, Cor- nelia Wylie, Our Sav- iors Lutheran Church, Sue Fagerholt, Corinne Ramsey, Father Luiten, I am sorry if I missed anyone. If you have time and/or a talent please call Rose U1- land at 701-284-7115. WXC-00rxm 40 Healtb Walsh County Health District " ..... "" .... ""°"°" Short Shots Congratulations to the WIC program for 40 years of strength- ening families! WIC (Women Infants and Chil- dren) is a federal supplemental nu- trition program. WIC is for all kinds of families: married and single parents, work- ing or not working. If you are a mother, father, grandparent, foster parent or other legal guardian of a child younger than five you can apply for WIC. WlC gives you good foods to help you provide the best possible start for your child to grow up healthy. Foods such as fruits, veg- etables, milk, whole grains, eggs, peanut butter, cereal, formula and baby food are made available for your family. But that's not all. The WIC program also provides nutrition and health information, as well as referrals to other services for preg- nant and breastfeeding women, new morns, infants and children to age five. WIC provides: • Nutrition information, healthy foods, formula and baby food • Prenatal nutrition to give your baby a healthy start • Breastfeeding education sup- port and counseling • Health Screening such as he- moglobin testing and growth charts • Counseling on your child's eating habits and other nutritional concems you may have If you are interested in applying for WIC call 701-352-5139 and ask for the WIC Staff. Legislature Questions Intelh'gence of the Voters Measure 4 on the November ballot is the latest attempt by the Legislature to restrict citizen use of the initiative process by which voters can propose measures for a vote of the people. If passed, it would prohibit the secretary of state from putting on the ballot any citizen proposal that would direct the expenditure of money for a specific purpose. Apparently, legislators question the intelligence of the voters. This is the latest in a never- ending series of attempts by the Legislature to make it more dif- ficult for citizens to use the ini- tiative. In the past, most attempts have been aimed at raising the number of signatures required for filing petitions. They all failed. This time the Legislature wants to be sure that it has exclu- sive control over the huge sur- pluses in the state treasury. It is afraid that citizens who see neg- lected needs will win the support of the electorate to appropriate money. The Legislature should be re- minded that these surpluses would not exist without the adop- tion in 1980 of a measure initi- ated by the people to add a six and one-half per cent tax on oil production. The Legislature was doing nothing about the puny oil tax it had levied 25 years earlier. Let's look at the Legislature's track record. First, there's the Legislature's mismanagement of the money from the tobacco settlement in which North Dakota was awarded over $800 million. Even though Former Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp won the lawsuit, the Legislature was quick to grab the money for pro- grams other than fighting to- bacco addiction. To get the Legislature back on track, Heitkamp and other to- bacco fighters initiated a measure directing the Legislature to spend tobacco settlement money on to- bacco addiction. The voters ap- proved the measure. But the 2013 Legislature, in a petulant fit, refused to accept the decision of the voters. It started stripping out key provisions of the initiated measure. The effort failed only when the leadership could not muster the two-thirds vote needed to change an initi- ated measure. Meanwhile, the Legislature held the appropriation hostage until the lasL day of the session when it relented and belligerently approved funding the program to fight tobacco addiction. By proposing Measure 4, the Legislature is telling North Dakota citizens that they are not to be trusted with money. Many citizens feel the same way about the Legislature. That is why we have provisions in the state con- stitution for the initiative and the referendum. There are pressing needs that have been neglected by the Leg- islature and may require initiative petitions to appropriate money in the future. One is the need for more sup- port for clean water, conservation and parks. Even if Measure No. 5 proposing a significance in- crease in such funding is de- feated, the need will not go away. A new initiated measure may be necessary. A recent public opinion poll revealed strong public support for such programs. Another critical need is fund- ing for statewide preschool edu- cation. The last session did nothing except authorize cash- strapped school districts to raise their own money for preschool. There is wide public support for preschool education. This may require an initiated measure. Generally speaking, the gov- ernor and the Legislature have done quite well with state money. Nevertheless, the Legislature sometimes develops blind spots when it comes to new needs and new opportunities. Historically, North Dakota citizens have been very responsi- ble in dealing with money issues on the ballot. There is no justifi- cation for questioning their intel- ligence. Measure 4 an unnecessary re- striction on citizen participation in their government. Measure 4 an unnecessary re- striction on citizen participation in their government." Extension Exchange Helping Seniors Stay on Their Feet Falls are a serious public health problem, one that is largely pre- ventable. Falls increase with age. One out of every three people ages 65 years and older fall each year. In fact, it is estimated that 50 per- cent of older adults 80 years and older will fall each year. • Falls are the leading cause of injury death for older Americans • 20-30 percent of older adults who fall suffer serious in- jury • Nearly one-half of all seniors sustaining a fall DO NOT resume independent living • Fear of falls limits phys- ical activity • By 2020, the total cost of fall injuries expected to reach $55 billion In North Dakota, there were 88 falls-related deaths among adults 65 years and older in 2013. Here are a few more North Dakota falls-related facts: • Falls remain the third leading cause of injury-related fatalities in the state, behind mo- tor vehicle crashes and suicides (for all ages). • Between 2009-2013, 89% of falls-related deaths among ND residents were individuals 65 years and older. • North Dakota has seen a substantial increase in the number of deaths related to residents' falls from 2003 to 2008. Many older adults are afraid of falling. This fear becomes more common as people age, even among those who haven't fallen. It may lead older people to avoid activities such as walking, shop- ping, or taking part in social ac- tivities. If you're worried about falling there are,steps .you can do to..help yourself. ........ Exercise can help improve your balance and strengthen your mus- cles to helpprevent falls. Look for exercises that help build balance, strength and flexibility. Regularly review your med- ications with your doctor or phar- macist. Make sure side effects aren't increasing your risk of falling. Take medications only as prescribed. Get your vision and hearing checked annually and update your eyeglasses. Not wearing bifocal or multifocal glasses when you walk, especially on stairs will make you less likely to fall. Keep your home safe. You can also make your home safer by re- moving loose rugs, adding handrails to stairs and hallways, and making sure you have ade- quate lighting in dark areas. Falls are not an inevitable part of life, even as a person gets old- er. You can take action to prevent falls. Walsh County Extension and First Care Health Center are proud to be able to offer older Walsh County residents an intervention program called Stepping On, an evidence-based falls prevention program administered by the ND Department of Health, Division of Injury Prevention and Control. Currently, this 7-week program has held 2 classes in Park River with 15 participants. Initial eval- uation results indicate positive outcomes for all participants. Watch for upcoming Stepping On classes or contact me at the Ex- tension Office for more informa- tion regarding falls prevention programming. Sources: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/ aboutfalls/O l.html; http : //www.ncoa.org/im- prove-health/falls-prevention/take:conirol-of- your-health.html Extension on Ag around the state N.D. 4-H Clubs Practice Fating Smm00 Phying Hard in 2015-14 Twenty-four 4-H clubs were rec- ognized for demonstrating their commitment to a healthy lifestyle and are designated as a Healthy North Dakota 4-H Club for 2013-14. The 4-H clubs, with a total of 431 members, eamed the special recog- nition for making "Eat Smart. Play Hard." lessons part of their club meetings for the past year. Nine clubs also earned extra recognition for completing the "Family Meal- time Challenge." "Eat Smart. Play Hard. Togeth- er" is a statewide campaign that em- phasizes the importance of making healthy food choices, getting regu- lar exercise and families eating to- gether. The North Dakota State University Extension Service and Bison Athletics teamed up to launch the initiative in 2005. This was the sixth or seventh year some clubs were named a Healthy North Dakota 4-H Club. This year, each club member received a cer- tificate of recognition and a small prize. The clubs recognized this year are by county, number of members and number of years they have re- ceived the Healthy North Dakota 4- H Club recognition: Barnes - Valley Friends, 20 mem- bers, five years Burleigh - Caring Hands, five members, three years; Dakota Guys and Gals, seven members, four years; McKenzie Magnums, 15 members, five years; Northern Col- ors, eight members, two years; Sil- ver Colts, 10 members, six years Cass - Bennett 4-H, eight mem- bers, two years; Clover Friends, 15 members, one year; Dragonflies, 28 members, three years; Golden Clovers, 28 members, two years; Harwood Helpers, 20 members, four years; Kindred 4-H Friends, 17 members, seven years; Rainbow Kids, 18 members, six years; Uniters, three members, six years; Valley Adventures, 14 members, six years; Wheatland Pioneers, 14 mem- bers, seven years Divide - Flickertails, nine mem- bers, seven years Grant - City Slickers, 32 mem- bers, three years Logan - Dakota Kids, 17 mem- bers, two years McLean - Flickertail Farmers, 41 members, one year Morton- Missouri Valley Bunch, 25 members, seven years Pembina - Helping Hands, 14 members, two years Ransom - Sheyenne Braves, 32 members, one year; Tri County Ag, 31 members, three years "The clubs continue to impress us with their creative approaches to promoting good health among their members and the thoughtful, on- going service activities they conduct in their communities," says Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Extension food and nutrition specialist and Healthy North Dakota 4-H Clubs program coordinator. "For example, they leam about preparing healthful recipes through hands-on activi- ties. Some clubs do food drives for a local food pantry, while others bake items and visit community members with a treat. "These young people definitely are 'learning by doing' and we hope these lessons inspire them to maintain healthy habits throughout their life," she adds. Clubs are required to incorporate at least one nutrition or fitness ac- tivity into a minimum of six regu- lar meetings during the year to be named a Healthy North Dakota 4- H Club. 4-H clubs interested in partici- pating in the 2014-15 North Dako- ta Healthy 4-H Clubs program should contact their county Exten- sion office or visit this website: http://tinyurl.com/healthy4-hclub. Editor's Note ] The Around the County columnn was not available this week. It will return as soon as possible.