Valley press, Monday August 15, 2011

LANCASTER – Antelope Valley Community Clinic got a $17,400 boost, thanks to the Boogie Woogie Mamas dance troupe. Twenty-Two members of the Boogie Woogie Mamas met at the Lancaster clinic last week to give clinic CEO James Cook a check in the amount of $17,400, proceeds from two performances June 11 at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center of their variety benefit show “A Class Act…. With a Broadway Flair.” In the last two years, the women have staged two charity shows netting a total of $32,900 for the community. “A Salute to Veterans in 2009 at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center netted $15,000 for the William J. “Pete” Knight Veterans Home in Lancaster.

The Antelope Valley Community Clinic is a publicly supported program that provides medical treatment to low-income residents who have no health care insurance or rely on state-funded Medi-Cal coverage. The Boogie Woogie Mamas a senior dance troupe that began in the Antelope Valley in 1987, has members who range from their 50s to their 80s. the group dances at local nursing homes, senior day-care centers, at the High Desert Medical Group annual Senior Expo and at other community events.

SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKERS- Members of the Boogie Woogie Mamas dance troupe pose with Antelope Valley Community Clinic CEO Jim Cook and their donation of $17,400, raised in two performances of their variety benefit show.

Wellness Home project shows how to grow produce, flowers
By Samantha Macconnel, Valley Press Staff Writer

LANCASTER- Master gardener Elizabeth O’Brien and Jean Varden helped Lancaster youngsters learn the fundamentals and value of growing their own vegetable gardens. Sixth-graders from Mariposa Elementary School met once a week all summer at the Mariposa Wellness Home to learn how to garden and successfully grow flowers and vegetables, with help from O’Brien and Varden, who is on the board for Antelope Valley Partners for Health. “The children made it known that they wanted to have a garden, so that’s why I was asked to come in and help them be their consultant for their garden,” said O’Brien, who completed a master gardening program this year. O’Brien said it’s her job to volunteer in the community and teach people how to grow their own food.

At the end of June, O’Brien and Varden started their work at the Mariposa Wellness Home which features school and community gardens for students and nearby residents to cultivate. Antelope Valley Partners for Health, in partnership with the city of Lancaster and the Lancaster School District, received a $300,000 Healthy Eating Active Living Zone grant in March as part of a Larger Kaiser Permanente investment to encourage healthy choices throughout Southern California. The Mariposa neighborhood, near 10th Street West and neighborhood advantage, though, was that wellness home was already in place to promote healthy lifestyles and serve as a source of health information, care and education in the community.

GARDEN: Four wellness homes have community gardens now!

Four schools in the school district are included in the targeted zone for the grant, including Mariposa, Desert View and Linda Verde elementary schools, and Piute Middle School, whose surrounding neighborhoods each have a wellness home. So far, six of seven wellness homes are operating and work in the same way, offering free health classes and immunizations taught and administrated by a staff of volunteers who also help residents manage and treat chronic disease. Health experts, workshops and reference materials at the home provide residents with information needed to help them. Free classes are available on a variety of topics, including; nutrition, parenting, financial strategies and anger management. The wellness homes are part of a joint operation organized by Lancaster Housing and Revitalized Director Elizabeth Brubaker and her staff along with Antelope Valley Partners for Health and sponsors such as Kaiser Permanente, High Desert Medical Group and Antelope Valley Hospital.

In addition to the Mariposa neighborhood, wellness homes have opened in the Trend the Piute neighborhood surrounding Fifth Street East and Avenue H-11; the Lowtree neighborhood near 10th Street West and Avenue J-5; the Desert View neighborhood surrounding Kingtree Avenue and Avenue H-5; and the Linda Verde neighborhood surrounding, near Fifth Street East and Kettering Street. “What we hope is that people get to know their neighbors which creates a safer neighborhood, better bonding for the kids and more playing outside together because a lot of times they won’t play outside because they don’t feel safe,” said Trish Bogna, who does community outreach for AV Partners for Health. “That’s one of the hopes, too that we’ll reduce crimes in the areas that we’re in.” Brubaker said a housing needs assessment was done to determine which housing needed the most assistance in terms of their health. “If you have healthy people, they’re more apt to receive educational material better. They also are better at coming together now.”

Brubaker said the schools where wellness homes are located are beginning to see improvements in student scores, and residents can be seen walking and riding their bikes. In one of their strategies to combat obesity, AV Partners for Health designated three plots at the Mariposa Community Garden for students attending Mariposa Elementary School to learn how to grow their own food and make healthier choices. Several other plots are designated for residents in the neighborhood to grow the garden as well.

“With this garden, we’ve had a really good response. One of the families has at least 10 kids, so we’re excited about them being able to have that fresh produce for free,” Bogna said. “it makes it a little easier.” The community garden, cultivated by Mariposa residents, includes corn, beans, watermelon, zucchini, squash and tomatoes. In the school garden, green beans, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and sunflowers, all of which were planted more than 2 ½ months ago, have grown to exceed 5 feet. O’Brien said by the end of the month they may be able to make a snack using the beans, tomatoes and carrots. O’Brien added that students may also be able to take home a head of sunflower seeds. In another plot, students grew flowers like marigolds and zinnias, which are now starting to bloom. “The kids really wanted to do flowers. They had in mind that they could take some to their mother, that sort of thing,” Varden said. “It was really kind of touching.”

O’Brien is also teaching students how to layer a compost pile with scraps, dried leaves and other materials. Since students have returned to school, O’Brien and Varden are trying to work out a schedule that will allow them to tend to the garden but not disrupt their school work. A fall garden may include lettuce and spinach, followed by a spring garden. “We might be a little more ambitious next year. Some of the kids are interested in growing more ambitious crops like asparagus and fruit trees, so we want to get some pomegranate trees along the well,” O’Brien said pointing to the bare wall running along the north side of the garden. So far, four of the wellness homes have community gardens, but each one is expected to have a garden in the future. “It’s been really successful so far, so we’re excited,” Bogna said.

Antelope Valley Press, August 24, 2011

LANCASTER – The seven winning projects for Lancaster‘s second annual Uniting Neighbors in a Team Effort, or UNITE, program have been unveiled by city officials. A variety of community organizations and neighborhood groups will gather throughout the city on Sept. 24 to implement neighborhood improvement projects ranging from health and wellness to beautification and public safety. “The residents of this great city never cease to amaze me,” Mayor R. Rex Parris said. “This year’s applicants have done a magnificent job conceiving of and preparing to implement projects that promise to improve Lancaster in a variety of ways. I’d like to thank each of them for their efforts and commitment to our community.”

Launched in 2010, UNITE Lancaster is jointly administered by the city’s Lancaster Neighborhood Vitalization Commission and city staff’s Safer Stronger Neighborhoods Committee. The groups worked together to refine the selection process for the program’s second year and to select the projects from a pool of 18 applicants. Projects, chosen through an application and interview process, were evaluated on six criteria: self-reliance, neighborhood involvement, sustainability, community benefit, partnership building and innovation. The projects selected to participate in the 2011 UNITE program are:

Agape Block Party: The event features a neighborhood concert and festivities including vendors, giveaways, a clothing drive and more.

Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge: This program aims to encourage healthy eating for area youth and their families. Participants will go through a 12-week program, during which they will learn from experts about healthy eating and lifestyle habits, in addition to competing to lose the most weight.

Come Unity Block Party: The neighborhood surrounding 17th Street West and Lancaster Boulevard will join together for a block party and meet-and-greet to strengthen ties among neighbors in the area.

Elm Avenue Community Gardens “Art in the Gardens” event: Downtown's newest community garden will play host to an art-oriented event to enhance and beautify its existing facility. Activities will include open-air painting, the installation of an artistic water fountain and lighting installation.

Planting the Seeds of Life: This event will take place in conjunction with the community garden event. It will provide an opportunity for youth and senior citizens to work side-by-side in planting a garden, which will also serve to enhance the surrounding South Downtown neighborhood.

Mural for Equality: Members of a number of local organizations will work together to paint a mural symbolizing equality, harmony and diversity at Mariposa Elementary School.

Unity by Numbers: Volunteers form the Naha’i faith of Lancaster will repaint the address on curbs in neighborhoods throughout the city, beginning with homes in the Antelope Valley High School area. This project aims to boost public are readily visible should an emergency vehicle need to find them.

For details about the UNITE Program, visit www.saferstrongneighborhoods.org

Thousands of volunteers lend a hand
January 20^th, 2013

By Claudia Lopez, Valley Press Staff Writer.

LANCASTER – Nearly 2,000 people grabbed old clothes, paint and brushes, cleaning supplies, gardening tools and more Saturday for the sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Volunteers from more than 100 community organizations, churches, business and volunteers groups spent a good part of the day at the variety of community projects designed to revamp and beautify the community.

Lancaster Community Shelter At the Lancaster Community Shelter, which was in need of 29 renovation projects, nearly 100 people from the shelter, Grace Resource Center, Desert Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Grace Chapel and Center Christian Church, among others, focused on repairing beds and outdoor cement, improving the lawn, painting and tiling. In the backyard of the shelter, dozens of people raked dirt, helped flatten the ground for cement molds and worked on a playground for children.

Quartz Hill resident Kevin Frost, with Desert Vineyard, said the playground project in the shelter would take approximately seven weeks to complete. “We are here to share Christ’s love. There is such a need here and it hasn’t been taken care of. It’s really cool that all churches are getting together during MLK to do it,” Frost said. “We are painting, we are making a playground for the children in shelter and shoveling dirt and moving rocks around because this whole area was covered with rocks and so we have raked all that out,” said Colleen Johnson, also of Desert Vineyard, as she pointed toward the yard.

Antelope Acres resident Sawyer Anderson, 15, of Grace Chapel, said he did not mind spending a Saturday helping his community and was glad he could take apart in the MLK projects. “It’s important to serve people like Jesus served people. This is the best thing you can do,” Anderson said.

The Children’s Center of the Antelope Valley Mural Project Happy dreams were part of a story that brightly colored the walls inside The Children’s Center of the Antelope Valley. Volunteers focused on lighting up the mural’s color while telling a story on it that depicted dreams of children and the accomplishment of goals with the help of loving people. Lancaster resident and school mural artist Greg Whicker designed the mural, which is called “Helping Hands.” He said his desire was to bring hope and happiness to children through art. “The idea was to build hope. To make sure kids have dreams and believe and have an optimistic outlook – rebuilding families, those are some of the things that are important,” Whicker said. “We talked about how we can create a picture that can represent those Ideas. It’s supposed to show inspiration and imagination. It’s supposed to show being creative,” Whicker said. City Manager Mark Bozigian said he found the idea of the mural thoughtful and to be an extent personal, because it focused on helping children in the center who come from difficult homes to realize dreams can come true. “I just feel complete pride in our mayor, our council and our community that this is the kind of community we are trying to facilitate and foster,” Bozigian said. “There’s 2,000 volunteers out today. It’s incredible.”

Antelope Valley Partners for Health – Desert View Wellness Home Community Garden Trimming rose bushes and grinding soil were among the activities for dozens of volunteers at the Desert View Wellness Home Community Garden. Teams including small children, from such organizations as the Boy Scouts, Yin Tae Kwon Do and the AV Partners for Health were working to tend to the garden’s plants and to add new ones in the back yard of the Wellness Home in which a gazebo stood tall. The gazebo had been built by Boy Scouts six months prior. AV Partners for Health outreach coordinator Trish Bogna said it was important for people to care about their community and to have children involved so they have a good understanding about what activities are available to them. “We are going to do mound gardening this year,” Bogna said. “It’s an experiment for us right now. This is our first year…and we are trying to give people ideas of what to do at home.” “Can I still cut rose bushes?” 8 year old Sophia Licea asked Bogna as she held out a pair of pruning shears. “Try over here against the wall, maybe there’s some rose bushes there,” Bogna replied. “They all want to help so much, it’s really helpful,” she said. Bogna said she did not expect a lot of people to show up to help and was surprised when they did. “I like cutting rose bushes,” Licea said with a smile.

Desert Vineyard “Services for Life” Clean-Up While some Desert Vineyard Volunteers were helping revamp the homeless shelter, still others spread out in the neighborhood bounded by Division Street, Sierra Highway and Avenue I and J to clean up roadways, neighborhood yards and fields. Volunteers had been advised to bring gloves and, if possible, string trimmers, rakes, brooms, flat beds, and trucks. Other projects in which residents could take part include:

-The American Red Cross “Hands Only” CPR workshop.

-Antelope Valley High School cafeteria improvements.

-Antelope Valley American Red Cross disaster preparedness.

-Assistance League of Antelope Valley cleanup.

-Be the Match bone marrow registry.

-Blood drive at AV Hospital.

-Electric waste pick-up.

-Beautifying the Elm Avenue Community Garden.

-First City Credit Union Financial Literacy Workshop.

-Grace Resource Center facility improvements.

-Habitat for Humanity remodeling a veteran’s home in Palmdale.

-Lancaster’s National Soccer Center fence painting.

-Lancaster’s National Soccer Center kiosk painting.

-Lancaster Performing Arts Center Ambassador (theatre usher) project.

-Monte Vista Elementary School campus improvements.

-Paving the Way Challenger Youth Probation Camp Community.

-Prime Desert Woodland cleanup.

-ProCare Hospice makeovers.

-Southeast Transit Village Metrolink painting project.

-St. Vincent de Paul Donation Center.

-Tapestry Commission & Agents of Change – Bridging the Gaps reading project.

-UNITE by Numbers II curb painting project.

-Valley Oasis Thrift Store floor repair.

As a part of the celebration, the Antelope Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross will have a blood drive between 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at its Charter House, 2715 East Ave. P, Palmdale. Donors must be at least 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Bring a photo ID and pre-register by calling (800) 733-2767 or going online at www.redcross.org/blood. Also, St. Vincent de Paul personnel welcome the public to help feed the homeless at 9 a.m. Wednesday at 45058 Trevor Ave., Suite B, on the corner of Trevor and Jackman Street. For more on revitalization projects and other activities in the community, visit www.cityoflancaster.org.                                                 clopez@avpress.com

 - Antelope Valley Press

HELP NEEDED Guest and speakers attend Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission meeting Thursday at the Mental Health America offices in Lancaster. The Antelope Valley has the highest incidences of depression and suicide in the county, experts said.  Christina Ramos, valley press.

Meeting highlights problems, solutions: by Alisha Semchuck, valley press staff writer. LANCASTER – The Antelope Valley leads Los Angeles County in the number of suicides and diagnosed causes of depression, and is woefully short of mental health services and treatment facilities, experts said. At the historic first meeting of the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission on Thursday at the offices of Mental Health America in Lancaster, commission member heard from mental health care professionals, elected officials, law enforcement officials, community residents dealing with mental health challenges and advocates about the lack of resources in the Valley. Part of problem was attributed to the lack of funds: Bottom lines impacted top needs for mental health services. Commission Chairman Larry Gasco called the meeting to order requesting a moment of silence in memory of some people who recently died, including victims of massacre that occurred in Connecticut. “The slaughter of the 20 children is something that touched each and every one of us,” Gasco said, linking the tragedy with the need for improved mental health care education and services. He stressed the importance of public input in developing the kinds of tools that could help prevent what he termed “this type of carnage.” “one of the reasons we’re having our meeting here is to hear from you directly,” he said.

‘With the present population of more than 430,000, we only have six to 12 mental health beds with none for children.’ –Trish Bogna, AV Partners for Health  In terms of an urgent care center, Gasco said, that’s the issue Judy Cooperberg, executive director of the Antelope Valley Mental Health America facility, brought to the commission’s attention. Cooperberg was credited by the Commission Chairman Gasco as being the driving force in bringing the mental health authorities to the Antelope Valley. Commissions heard about the lack of psychiatric emergency care and the lack of hospital beds, forcing people to travel distances of more than 50 miles or simply forego treatment. This creates situations that contribute to making the mentally ill a danger to themselves and others. Trish Bogna outreach coordinator for Antelope Valley Partners for Health provided the following statistics. Numbers of people suffering from depression based on records from the Department of Public Health in 2009 indicated that 17.1% of the Antelope Valley’s population suffers from depression compared to 13.6% in Los Angeles County on the whole. Suicides were 11.4% per capita in the Valley, compared with 6.6% countywide. One in every four adults needs mental health services, Bogna said. The Antelope Valley has population of more than 430,000 residents “and the unmet need in the AV is extremely high,” Bogna said. The Department of Mental Health and Mental Health America are the only providers for mental health services for the persistent and severely mentally ill.

“When the AV had population of 50,000, we had 60 mental health beds for adults and children. With the present population (of more than) 430,000, we only have six to 12 mental health beds, with none for children,” Bogna said. Individuals suffering from mental illness are often transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Santa Clarita, a distance of 35 miles, or to Olive View Hospital, even farther at 60 miles from the Valley, Bogna said. That creates a hardship for follow-up case management, she added. Sheriff’s Department officials said they could use some help in dealing with people who suffer mental health challenges. “We did a 10-year analysis of our response to mental health issues in Lancaster,” said Lt. Kent Kroger of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station, the mental health liaison at the facility.

“We want to improve your response. More often than not we are the first responders.” Deputies who respond do not have sufficient services in the Valley to get people where they can be helped or protected, according to Kroger. “Our resources are extremely limited in this area,” he said. On average, deputies from the Lancaster station respond to 2.6 mental health calls per day, according to Kroger. In 2010 and 2011, they respond to a “significant” number of attempted suicides and suicides. If the situations don’t meet the criteria for a “51/50 hold or crime,” the lieutenant said, deputies “must walk away.” Deputies don’t even have any places locally where family members who must deal with mentally ill relatives can get help. Kroger said the situation wants to work more closely with Mental Health America and the LA. County Commission to get more resources in the Antelope Valley. Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said the territory in the Antelope Valley accounts for 50% of Los Angeles County, yet doesn’t have the services needed. “Our challenge is daunting,” he said. “We need more resources. Look at our unemployment double-digit. It’s a difficult environment they for everybody. Mental health care at the hospital “is embarrassing,” Ledford said. The individuals who work there are “doing the best they can with what they have to work with.” He said more support for urgent care of mental health cases is also needed.

Palmdale City Councilmen Tom Lackey, a sergeant with the California Highway Patrol, said he has been working in the Valley since1996 and he believes that the people who needed mental health services are the most underrepresented population in the community. He told the story of a CHP officer who made a traffic stop on the freeway a few days ago, when a speeding motorist turned his vehicle lights off and swerved paste officer, narrowly missed him, then increased his speed, which led officers on a pursuit. CHP officers had to put that motorist in the criminal justice system, rather than get him mental health help for his behavior. That was “the only course of action,” the CHP had. “The biggest role of government is to provide public safety,” Lackey said.  ”This is a public safety issue.” Diane Grooms, chairwoman of the Antelope Valley Homeless Coalition and a Lancaster School District trustee, said the coalition undertook a three-year study to determine why so many pregnant under age 25 are homeless. The study indicated many of those women had been foster youths. The Valley also was cited as the area of the county with the highest concentration of children in foster care. As results of the study, Grooms said, “we prevented 153 children from entering the foster care system.”  As far as the homeless, Grooms said, “We have one shelter with 60 beds, and that hasn’t changed in 20 years.”

Deborah Egemo, a personal service coordinator at Mental Health America, said a man walked into the facility for the homeless assistance program, wielding a knife. He had been turned away from two hospitals. One of the staff members talked him into giving up the knife. During an evaluation he remembered he may have military benefits, and eventually the organization was able to get him the help he needed. Egemo said she “strongly recommends” funding a psychiatric mental health facility. Les Spitza, a supervisor for the Department of Rehabilitation, said one of the main issues is his agency used to have a cooperation agreement with the state Mental Health Council. “That contract disappeared. We’re left with limited resources,” Spitza said. Another problem: Some people with mental illness are also deaf or hard of hearing, and the closest place for help is the hospital in Santa Monica. Also, his agency has seven counselors to handle the hundreds of people needing treatment.  “Many are considered not severe enough to get services,” Spitza said. ”My agency only works with the very end of the spectrum.” “We do not have the money, the resources that we used to have,” Commissioner Jerry Lubin said. The Department of Mental Health has absorbed millions and millions of dollars in cuts.” Passage of Proposition 63 by the voters, the Mental Health Services Act, enabled the department to function, but many services had to be cut back, according to Lubin. The important thing to realize is that mental health is a sickness, like any other physical aliment, and the stigma attached must be changed. “These are not just nuts. These are individuals who suffer brain diseases. It’s a part of their body like any other part,” Lunin said. “It’s a controlling part of (their) body.” The Valley needs “an active and vibrant advisory committee” to address the various issues, Gasco said. “That’s an important thing to achieve,” he said. “today is the first start. We have many steps to go.”

When I was a child, my dad referred to me and other siblings as “rabbits”. When you have a Daddy and Mommy rabbit, you get little rabbits. But what is one to do when there are more than enough little rabbits and no medical coverage to help space your rabbits? The Family Planning Grant helps people with: free medical screenings, breast and pap exams. Contraceptives are also available to those who qualify.

Eligibility Criteria:

• No medical insurance
• Must be a California resident
• Must have a gross annual family income at or below federal poverty level. This is determined by the size of the client’s family and their monthly income.

For more information contact Sylvia Simpson
Community Health Out-reach Worker
(661) 945-0650 ext. 470 or ssimpson@picf.org.
Family Planning Clinic in the Antelope Valley

City of Lancaster, March 2012

The City of Lancaster, Antelope Valley Partners for Health (AVPH), Kaiser Permanente, UCLA and Walmart have teamed up to help youngsters and teens beat childhood obesity.

AVPH is overseeing the program through a grant provided by Kaiser Permanente. UCLA’s Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities in monitoring progress as part of its ongoing research project, and Walmart provided reduced cost game consoles in conjunction with private donations.

The six-week program involves exercise and nutritional education with an extra helping of video games to encourage youthful participation. But these video games are not for couch potatoes. They are active, energetic games employing Microsoft’s unique Kinect for Xbox 360 device. The motion capture camera feeds information about the player’s movements back to the game console. “Your body becomes the controller,” said AVPH Executive Director Michelle Kiefer. “It’s fun, it’s engaging and it gives you a real workout!”

The program meets three times per week and is led by exercise and health experts from community partners. The goal is to help children knock off 10% of their weight by the end of the 18 sessions, while improving their awareness and motivation to eat healthy foods.

“We hope to have nearly 300 children enrolled in the program by June,” added Kiefer.

For more information on the program, call Jennone Marshall at 661-942-4719 or visit

AV Press, August 3, 2012

LANCASTER - Kids of all ages braved the warm temperatures Thursday to participate in a variety of sports and activities at Lancaster Municipal Stadium, while others showed their knack for cooking.

About 400 kids who enrolled in city and county park summer day camps in the Antelope, Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys participated in a fitness challenge and sports such as golf, basketball and rock climbing before the fourth annual Antelope Valley Kids Healthy Cook-Off, which focuses on healthy foods.

"We wanted to make it one healthy event focusing on health for kids. They're doing fun exercise activities and they're cooking fun things," said Heather Larson, public information assistant for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

The inaugural Champions for Health event is part of an outreach effort by the county's Parks and Recreation, and Public Health departments and the Antelope Valley Partners for Health. The goal is to introduce and teach activities that participants can take home and to their neighborhoods.

Kids ages 5 to 13 rotated in and out of various activities on the baseball field and surrounding areas, including junior golf, soccer, ultimate frisbee, baseball, softball, tug a war, jump rope, basketball and disc golf.

A fitness challenge provided by Herbalife - which provides free indoor and outdoor boot camp, dance cardio and various exercise activities - created an obstacle course that had kids running, crawling, throwing and rolling a tire, then racing back to the start.

"We're challenging them to come out here and do something different," said Peg Lee, Jackie Robinson Park recreation services supervisor.

Under a tent on the home side of the stadium, elementary and high school youth ages 5 to 18 who have participated in nutrition classes at their local county parks cooked up a storm in the AV Kids Cook-Off.

The competition encourages kids and teens to develop a tasty and nutritious snack or lunch using fruit and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat foods, while avoiding use of electric or gas ranges.

"It helps them to think about what's healthy and what tastes good. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips, they might grab an apple or they might get some celery with peanut butter," said Charlotte Slater-Lunsford, community liaison public health nurse for the county Public Health department.

Slater-Lunsford said the kids previously participated in a nutritional food course with their parents. The top winners from the various parks who created winning recipes are then invited to the cook-off.

Participants from the Antelope Valley represented Everett Martin Park in Littlerock; Stephen Sorensen Park in Lake Los Angeles; Jackie Robinson Park in Sun Village; and George Lane Park in Quartz Hill - all county parks.

Kids ages 5 to 8 created a healthy snack, while those 9 to 18 prepared a snack and lunch.

A panel of judges included Lancaster Vice Mayor Ron Smith; Rosemary Mann, owner of Camille's Sidewalk Cafe in Lancaster; Donia Keys, representing the Sun Village Chamber of Commerce; two peer judges, Juan Ramirez, a Highland High School student, and his younger brother Isaac; and Christina Dierkson, owner of Eat Up on Lancaster Boulevard.

The culinary creations were judged by the ingredients used; portion size; presentation; flavor; creativity; and age appropriateness. Are the ingredients easy for kids to use?

Before the winners of the cook-off were announced, 7-year-old Anthony Woods and his cousin, Myra Johnson, 8, explained the importance of eating healthy.

"It makes you stronger," Anthony said.
"It's good for your body," Myra added.

Their first time in the cook-off after participating in the summer program at Jackie Robinson Park, Anthony made a fruit kabob and Myra came up with a snack she called "Myra's Special Cheese and Crackers."

Madelynn Boop, 9, from George Lane Park, prepared a salad containing turkey, crackers and cherry tomatoes; and for her snack, "Madelynn's Magnificent Fruit Kabobs," which included grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon and oranges.

After the judges sampled the recipes, the winners were announced.

Best of Show and grand champion was Rodney Woods, 12, who received a trophy and $50 gift certificate to Lemon Leaf. Myra Johnson, 8, took first in the 5 to 8 age group; Adrian Fohrenkam, 10, took first in the 9 to 11 age group and received a $25 gift certificate to Lemon Leaf; and Sophia Sanford, 15, took first in the 12 to 18 age group.

The competitors prepared everything from chicken fruit salad to yogurt pies to fruit kabobs. All other participants received a trophy for their participation.

Sponsors of the Champions of Health event also include the University of Antelope Valley School of Culinary Arts; Quartz Hill Woman's Club; Antelope Valley Hospital Women, Infants and Children Program; Lancaster Department of Parks, Recreation and Arts; and Mama Vega Salsa. Participants included the UAV Campus Health and Safety, L.A. County Sheriff's and Fire departments.

Southern California Edison also provided kids a lesson in electrical safety. Representatives from Edison's speakers' bureau provided a display that depicted different scenarios within the home where safety and electricity are important.

In addition, Iris Hosea, speakers' bureau manager, said oftentimes kids are unaware of the danger in touching downed power lines or getting close to power substations.

"Electrical safety is a very big priority for Southern California Edison," Hosea said.

Antelope Valley Press, August 2, 2012

The road to becoming an Eagle Scout is a long and difficult one, but for 17-year-old Robert Smith of Boy Scout Troop 408, the journey is almost complete.

The final requirement to earn the prestigious title is completing an approved Eagle Project that will bring some kind of benefit to the community.

For his project, Robert plans to construct and install a gazebo-like shade structure for the Desert View Wellness Home in Lancaster, which provides free health services, wellness information and educational classes to local residents.

“I wanted to do something for our community. I wanted to build a quality project, using the best materials, so it will last and be enjoyed for many years by the AV community,” Robert said.

While the estimated 100 hours of labor on the project doesn’t worry him, the purchasing and collection of materials is one area in which Robert is seeking the community’s help.

Items needed for the project include bags of cement, wooden boards and posts, waterproofing stain, concrete tubes, a tarp, and assorted nuts, bolts and washers.

Tax-deductible donations to purchase any supplies not directly supplied by donators are also appreciated, he said.

“There are so many people who are willing to give me assistance to make this project a success. It makes me feel good that so many people in our community care about each other.”

For details on specific materials still needed or how to make a financial donation, call (661)945-7031.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2012

Contacts:
Joseph Cabral, City of Lancaster
(661) 723-6053 or jcabral@cityoflancasterca.org
Tiara Sigaran, AVPH
(661) 942-4719 ext. 459 or tsigaran@avph.org

Lancaster HEAL Zone Partnership to Tackle Obesity by Providing
Opportunities for Residents to Eat Healthier and Be Active

Kaiser Permanente partners with Antelope Valley Partners for Health, City of Lancaster, Lancaster School District, and a community coalition, funding program through $300,000 grant

Lancaster, CA. March 27, 2012 – Lancaster HEAL Zone Partnership partners today announced the launch of their HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Zone Community Action Plan to encourage healthy eating and active living in the City of Lancaster. The Lancaster HEAL Zone Partnership is a recipient of a $300,000 grant, as part of a larger Kaiser Permanente investment to fight obesity throughout Southern California. By encouraging healthy choices, HEAL Zones aim to prevent diseases which often result from obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease.

“With more than twenty percent of the children and nearly forty percent of adults in the Antelope Valley categorized as overweight, it’s crucial that we take drastic measures to combat this epidemic,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “The HEAL Zone Partnership is a way we can work smarter, combining the health initiatives of numerous community groups, and multiplying our efforts. This project will improve the health of our community by encouraging people to exercise, advocating healthy eating habits, and promoting better nutrition in schools.”

Today’s kick-off event started with a press conference at Lancaster City Hall announcing the receipt of the Kaiser Permanente grant.

“We are thrilled to receive this funding from Kaiser Permanente because it will allow us to make changes that reflect the specific needs of our community,” said Michelle Kiefer, Executive Director of AVPH. “The partnership with Kaiser Permanente is invaluable in our campaign to promote healthy eating and active living in the City of Lancaster. We appreciate not only the funding from Kaiser Permanente, but also the expertise and technical support they are continuing to share as part of this initiative."

While funded through Kaiser Permanente’s grant, the Lancaster HEAL Zone Partnership project is spearheaded by Antelope Valley Partners for Health (AVPH), working alongside the City of Lancaster and the Lancaster School District. The project also brings together a robust community coalition comprised of local public agencies, four schools, multiple community-based organizations, employers, local businesses, faith-based organizations and health care providers to address the following goals:

• Decrease calorie consumption
• Increase consumption of healthy food and beverages (ie: more fresh fruits and vegetables, drink water)
• Increase physical activity (ie: reduce television viewing time, increase exercise)

“Obesity is one of the most pressing health concerns in our community today,” said Dr. Phillip Tuso, a Nephrologist at Kaiser Permanente Lancaster Medical Office. “Poor diet, inactivity, and obesity contribute to the risk of many health issues, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. We’re especially concerned about the high rate of childhood obesity in the Antelope Valley. That’s why it’s important that we all work together to make it easier to eat healthy and move more as part as this collaborative effort.”

The Lancaster HEAL Zone Partnership plans to focus on improving food choices in schools, while making families aware of locations with healthy food selections. In addition, the project will encourage the public to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day, particularly making use of the City’s bikeways, walkways and trails for everyday commuting, recreation, and exercise.

"It has been so rewarding to begin to work with the people of the City of Lancaster on how to make our community a healthier place—where it's easier to eat healthily and move more," said Jean Varden, Project Consultant of the Lancaster HEAL Zone Partnership and AVPH Board Member. "We are excited about the strong partnership between the school district and the City to create conditions which provide opportunities for healthy choices. “

The vision of the Lancaster HEAL Partnership is that residents living within Lancaster’s HEAL Zone will be able to eat better and move more as a part of daily life. As part of Kaiser Permanente’s Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative, the Lancaster HEAL Zone Partnership brings together a robust coalition of partners. Together, we are working to create an environment that makes healthy choices the easy choice for the Lancaster residents.

To find out how you or your organization can get involved, contact Tiara Sigaran, BS with Antelope Valley Partners for Health at 661 942-4719 ext. 459 or tsigaran@avph.org.

AV Press, Tuesday December 20, 2011

LANCASTER- Among roughly 80,000 youngsters residing in the Antelope Valley, 35,000 qualify as obese. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris revealed that statistic Monday morning at the launch of a new program being implemented to get children healthy and get them into shape. The city joined forces with Antelope Valley Partners for Health; Kaiser Permanente; the University of California’s Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities; and Wal-Mart to bring “Project Get Fit” to Lancaster’s Five Wellness Homes.

A core part of the fitness program involves exercise, which will be accomplished through the use of the Xbox 360 Kinects Fit activity time program. Parris purchased three of those programs at a cost of $200 each to kick off the project.

“We’ll put three machines in the Wellness Homes. We’re going to move them around,” Parris said. He called 35,000 obese children out of a population of 80,000 “an appalling statistic.”

Parris said the increased obesity rate will result in a “wave of diabetes” never seen before. It’s going to start in the United States and spread throughout the world, he speculated.

But for the $600 investment, they can turn the problem around, the mayor said. Wal-Mart discounted the activity time programs, he said. So the project became a true community effort and a genuine goal.

“We have huge health problems in the Valley. It’s a simple thing we have to do,” the mayor said.

The programs will be circuit training, according to Michelle Kiefer, executive director of Antelope Valley Partners for Health. In addition to the exercise routines, participating youngsters will also learn about nutrition and how to make healthy snacks, she added.

The program goes in to motion Jan. 3, said Jenonne Marshall, the Renew Program coordinator. She said the various exercises from the activity program will be projected onto a wall for the group of participating youngsters who will do jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups and other routines.

Those sessions will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays at the city’s Piute Wellness House at 45534 Fifth St. East, north of Avenue I.

“This is where the pilot is going to start,” Marshall said, as she watched three children testing the new program.

“They’ll jump rope. They’ll use exercise balls,” she said. “It’s going to be a group activity. It’s going to help condition them for the presidential testing in school.”

Laura Burdick was happy her 12-year old son Luc, a sixth grade student at Miller Elementary School, will participate in the first round of students.

Though his school is at 22^nd Street West and Avenue K, his mother said her son “comes here anyway for tutoring. The second half (of his session) will be fitness.”

At nearly 5-foot-4 and 125 pounds, Burdick said Luc “doesn’t have an issue with obesity.” His problem involves strength and endurance, his mother said.

“Those are some of the things he’ll be learning while he’s here, during the six-week period – strength, endurance and balance,” Marshall said.

“Every day Kaiser Permanente endeavors to expand health care,” said Amy Wiese, senior community benefit specialist in Kaiser’s Public Affairs office in North Los Angeles County. Wise said it’s the kind of program that can only be accomplished through partnerships. Together we are going to fight this obesity epidemic with prevention, healthy eating and exercise,” she said.

That will “improve the environment in which we live,” Wiese said. “Obesity is a key driver for chronic disease. Chronic disease is a huge cot to the community.”

“It’s great to see such a comprehensive team being brought together,” said Dr. Armando DeLeon, the community outreach manager for the National Children’s Study Los Angeles-Ventura Center from UCLA’s Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities.

Childhood obesity has tripled or nearly quadrupled in the last 30 years.” In 1980, some 7% of children fit into that category youngsters between the ages of 6 and 11 years. By 2008, the age range expanded to include youths from age 5 to 18 years. Nowadays, more than 30% of the nation’s youngsters qualify as obese the doctor said. The National Children’s Study is attempting to recruit more than 1,000 families and examine the environmental factors influencing their diet, weight and body fat ratio. That, DeLeon said, will “improve children’s quality of life.”

“When we first started addressing this,” Parris said. “It was not an issue for the city. It was falling on deaf ears.” But often cases of diabetes result from obesity, Parris said. In one Lancaster neighborhood, 76% of the households have someone diagnosed with diabetes.

The mayor believes his $600 is a worthy investment when it can help so many children. He said, “Don’t let money get in the way.”

asemchuck@avpress.com

October 13, 6PM

John P. Eliopulos Hellnic Center
Special Recognition to Wellness Home Sponsors

For the flyer, click here.

A2 Thursday May 19, 2011, Antelope Valley Press
AV Partners for Health presents full day of activities

This promises to be the social event of the season. Saturday, the Antelope Valley Partners for Health presents “Healthy People 2011” at the new American Heroes Park in downtown Lancaster. The nonprofit organization is on a mission to promote healthy lifestyles in our community, and there’s a full day of activity - rain, shine or (can you imagine?) wind.

And it’s free.

It starts with the Second Annual Warford Walk for Wellness, led by your columnist. Last year, we walked a mile; this year they are making me do a 5 kilometers (3.1miles), but the route sort of sakes around so anyone not able to go to the full course could modify it for their level of fitness.

Registration for he walk begin at 8 a.m. at the Lancaster Library (corner of Cedar Avenue and Lancaster Boulevard), and the walk begins at 9.

Then comes a full day of health and fitness related activities. The Healthy People Celebration activities run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and include the Lancaster Boulevard Mile, a farmer’s market, picnic style games (three-legged race, etc.), entertainment, resource information, health product vendors, and health and wellness seminars.

The event is part of the Lancaster Master Plan Project, sponsored by Los Angeles County and Lockheed Martin. The goal is to get as many people out as possible to show that we love our fitness and healthy lifestyles. Our community has been beset by rather unfortunate high rates of obesity, diabetes and smoking; and showing the benefits of exercise and eating right is a good way to influence others to pursue positive habits.

Last year’s walk was at the AV Mall in Palmdale and drew about 300 people. I expect all 300 of you to show up again this year and to bring a friend. You repeat participants can consider yourselves “legacy walkers,” having completed every Warford Walk for Wellness since the very beginning. OK, so there have been only two, but legacy walker sounds impressive.

Hope to see you there!

You may have noticed in the above item about the Healthy People activities that Saturday’s event is scheduled to end at 3p.m. And that’s not the only thing scheduled to end at 3p.m.

Fitness Reward

Alexis Kerpise 12, lower right, gets a high five at the start of the 2010 “Bill Warford Walk for Community Wellness” at the Antelope Valley Mall. This year’s event will be Saturday at American Heroes Park in Lancaster. Valley Press files.