IN THIS ISSUE

·        Highridge Family Center

·        Floating Lanterns Adorn Morikami Pond at Festival

·        Water Utilities Introduces New Hydrant Awareness Program

·        Send Your Kids Back to School With a Healthier Lunch Box

·        More Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities

For more information about Palm Beach County’s programs and services, visit us online at www.pbcgov.com. To check out past issues, click here. If you have any questions or to provide feedback, you can email us at countenews@pbcgov.com or call (561) 355-2754. To unsubscribe from Count-e-News, click here.

Youth Affairs Hosts Resource Fair at Highridge Family Center

Clara Hessing has spent the past 21 years counseling Palm Beach County’s at-risk youth. It’s a tough job, she said.

“Violence is the majority of the problem,” said Hessing, a family therapist at the county’s Youth Services Bureau. “We need a lot more positive resources in our community. It’s important that we all come together.”

On Aug. 6^th, more than 40 local agencies gathered at the Highridge Family Center for the 10^th Annual Resource Fair. The free event, hosted by Palm Beach County Division of Youth Affairs, gave residents a chance to learn more about a variety of service agencies, including The Center for Family Services, Children’s Home Society, Hugs for Kids, Workforce Alliance, Inc. and the YMCA of the Palm Beaches. About 200 people attended the event. Event co-coordinator Natasha McKenzie said the resource fair continues to draw bigger crowds each year. The event also provides a networking opportunity for participating agencies, she added. “We get more exhibits and a bigger turnout each year,” said McKenzie, a family counselor at the Youth Services Bureau. “It brings us all together so all the different agencies and residents know what’s out there and who they can contact.”

The daylong event featured speeches from State Reps. Maria Sachs (District 86) and Priscilla Taylor (District 84), followed by “action planning” sessions where participants discussed issues such as bullying, female violence, faith-based programs, racism and drug intervention programs.

At the event, participants also toured the Highridge Family Center, which is a 72-bed residential treatment program for kids ages 11 to 15.

John Amen, a residential youth counselor at the center, said the overall goal of the event was to promote peace in the community. He said keeping families in tact is key to achieving success. 

“All of us can only benefit from this,” he said of the resource fair. “All of the agencies get this one-on-one contact every year and that’s how we share updated information.”

Amen works at the center which provides a three-month program for at-risk kids from Mondays to Fridays. Kids attend school and live at the center during the week, then go home on the weekends.

“We encourage kids to stay in school and stay out of crime,” he said. “It’s very rewarding work and it’s also very challenging.”

Amen said the best part of his job is watching troublesome kids blossom.

“We see kids come out with better study skills, more respect for authority; their identities are strengthened,” he said.

For more information about the Division of Youth Affairs’ programs and services, click here:

http://www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/youthaffairs/

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Floating Lanterns Adorn Morikami Pond During Annual Festival

Every year, the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens celebrates the festival Obon, a traditional Japanese holiday honoring ancestors and thanking them for the quality of life enjoyed by the living.
 This special evening event held on Aug. 11 was packed with entertainment that concluded with fireworks and Toro Nagashi, an enchanting sunset display of lighted lanterns floating on Lake Biwa.  Participants at the festival have the opportunity to create their own lanterns to honor a lost loved-one.  According to Japanese custom, the lanterns guide the departure of souls who have come for a brief visit among the living.
 Festivities included Japanese drumming performances, traditional Japanese folk dancing with audience participation, and a street fair with games and vendor booths. For more information about the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens, click here: http://www.morikami.org/.

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Water Utilities Introduces New Hydrant Awareness Program

Palm Beach County’s Water Utilities Department recently launched a new program called Hydrant Awareness & Lines Threat Prevention (H.A.L.T.) The department is urging all residents to be vigilant around hydrants and water lines. Water security is the shared responsibility of the Water Utilities, Sheriff and Fire Rescue Departments; but everyone can play a significant part in keeping our drinking water safe from potential tampering. The H.A.L.T. program will increase government and community awareness of potential water distribution system tampering and provide the necessary plan of action to immediately report suspicious activity around hydrants and water lines.

Examples of Suspicious Activity:

  Fire hydrant caps removed

  Unauthorized connection to a fire hydrant

  Unidentified vehicle parked next to fire hydrants (i.e. tanker-style vehicle)

  Work being performed on hydrants by non-County employees

What to Look for:

  County logos on vehicles

  Workers in County uniforms

  Approved hydrant meters

What You Can Do :
  Be Alert! Become familiar with Water Utilities vehicles and personnel.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings. This will help you identify any suspicious   activity or individuals.

  Get your community involved. Inform your community group.

If You Suspect Water System Tampering:

     Contact WUD Communications: (561) 740-4600.

     Do not approach anyone you think is tampering with a hydrant or water line.

Document the details of the incident as accurately as possible.

Describe any vehicle (color, make, model, license plate number).

Describe the participants (how many, sex, race, color of hair, height, weight,   clothing).

Remember: Tampering with public water supplies is a federal offense and violators will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

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Send Your Kids Back to School With a Healthier Lunch Box

Childhood obesity has become a major health concern. According to a report published by the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, by the end of this decade, nearly half of the children in North and South America will be overweight.

To off set this and other health concerns, Palm Beach County’s Cooperative Extension Service is offering parents ways to improve the nutritional quality of the lunch box. One way to do this is to substitute fruits and vegetables for high sugar and fatty foods. Practicing food safety is also important to avoid bacteria which can lead to foodborne illness. Here are some tips to help you pack a healthy, bacteria-free lunch box.

• Shop wisely. Purchase fruits and vegetables that are free of bruises. Be sure cut fruits and vegetables such as packaged salads and cut fruits were properly refrigerated at the store before buying. Keep fruits and vegetables separate from household chemicals and raw meat, poultry and seafood in the grocery cart and in shopping bags at the checkout counter.
• Handle Safely. Refrigerate packaged vegetables and cut fruits as soon as you get home. Always make sure that your hands, food preparation and eating surfaces and utensils are clean. Wash firm-skin fruits under cold, running tap water. Never use detergent or bleach to wash fruits or vegetables.
• Pack carefully. Whole, unpeeled fruits such as oranges, pears, apples, bananas, can be packed “as is.” Peeled and/or cut-up fruits and vegetables should be kept chilled. These may be packed in small plastic containers or self-sealing sandwich bags which are then placed in an insulated lunch container.

For more information about the Cooperative Extension Service, click here: http://www.pbcgov.com/coopext/Home/

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More Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities

• When the sun goes down, some animals at Okeeheelee Nature Center’s Pine Forest are just starting to wake up. Head to the park for a Sunset Safari to find out which animals stay up all night long! The event is on Friday, August 24^th from 7 to 8 p.m. and is open to adults and kids ages 7 and up. Cost is $3 per person. Reservations are required. The park is located at 7715 Forest Hill Blvd. in West Palm Beach. For more information call (561) 233-1400
• Have fun and learn while helping the Mounts Botanical Garden grow by becoming a Mounts volunteer! Whether you like getting your hands in the soil, prefer office work, or like the excitement of working special events,
  there are volunteer opportunities for every interest. For more information, call 561-233-1757 or click here: http://www.mounts.org/home.asp
• Celebrate National Library Card Sign-up Month in September at the Palm Beach County Library! The library is offering a variety of activities at various branches featuring Ronald McDonald. For more information about the event and a list of activities, click here: http://www.pbclibrary.org/story-nationallibrarycard.htm

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