Monique Carrasco, a 4th grader at Cesar Chavez Elementary in Calexico, is one of 12 kids participating at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando, FL. Carrasco was one of the top two scorers in the 9 year old girls’ division after a regional competition in Los Angeles. Photo by Jaime Chew.
The Calexico hoopster, Monique Carrasco, is one of 12 youths that have competed their way to the 2012 NBA FIT/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish National Competition that will be held in Orlando, Florida during the NBA’s All-Star weekend, Feb. 24th-27th.
Carrasco 9, is a 4th grader at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Calexico. She will be competing in the girls’ 9-10 year-old division.
“The national finalists include the top two participants from each age/gender division who received the best scores in the time-based obstacle course out of more than 40,000 participants.”
The Avon Breast Health Outreach Program has awarded Between Women Inc. a one-year grant for $20,900.00 to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection for breast cancer through their Parity Program, Mammography Outreach Program. This is the first year Between Women has received funding from the Avon Foundation for Women.
Between Women’s Parity, Mammography Outreach Program will educate Imperial County women and refer women for low-cost or free mammograms and clinical breast exams over the next twelve months. The women will be referred to IV Women’s Clinic in El Centro and Clinicas de Salud Del Pueblo, El Centro and Calexico clinics. This vital program will welcome the Between Women Promotoras to implement the facts about breast cancer and early detection information through personal survivorship.
Between Women has implemented the Friends & Families Program and the Comadre Program (Latina Outreach) for early detection education of breast cancer since 2005. These programs have collectively reached over 29,000 women and have referred over 5,500 women for mammograms and clinical breast exams. These referrals have been driven by their mission statement: Between Women’s mission is to help the women of Imperial County live longer through patient advocacy, education and the early detection of breast cancer, until there is a cure. Between Women Knows Women!
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States, and the leading single cause of death overall in women between the ages of 40 and 55. According to the American Cancer Society, 43,000 new cases of breast cancer will be detected in California this year and 4,300 lives will be lost which means, breast cancer strikes every 14 minutes. While advances have been made in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure, early detection still affords the best opportunity for successful treatment. Programs such as Between Women’s Mammography Outreach Program helps to ensure that women have access to early detection information and options, even the medically underserved women.
Executive Director of Between Women, Linda Cady stated, “We are very thankful The Avon Foundation honored our grant fundable. We look forward to working with both clinics to ensure that the women we serve together access early detection until a better plan of action gets approval.” “Again, thank you Avon Foundation for believing in our work and vision.”
The Between Women Inc. office in located on the campus of Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District and can be reached for more information and services at 760-351-1774.
The Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program (IVROP) is proud to announce a joint Open House for Project Juntos and Project Padres in celebration of National Marriage Week USA.
On Wednesday, February 8, IVROP will be joined by its partnering agencies for an Open House event at the Eagles Lodge at 661 West Main Street in El Centro from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. During the event, both projects will be showcasing is services and activities.
The open house is intended to inform agencies and the general public about these two great new services for the residents of Imperial County.
What: IVROP Open House for Project Juntos & Project Padres
When: Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Eagles Lodge, 661 W. Main Street, El Centro
Who: Open to all interested agencies and the general public
About the Projects
Projects Juntos and Padres are three-year projects funded through federal grants by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance. The core curriculums taught in the projects are nationally recognized, research and evidence-based curriculums called PREP Within Our Reach (for Juntos), Within My Reach and 24/7 Dads (for Padres). The U.S. Administration for Children & Families Healthy Marriage program awarded 60 Community-Centered Healthy Marriage grant in Oct. 2011. The Responsible Fatherhood program awarded 55 Pathways to Responsible Fatherhood grants and four Community-Centered Responsible Fatherhood Ex-Prisoner Reentry Pilot Project grants in Oct. 2011. Collectively, the ACF awarded only 120 grants to promote both healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood in Oct. 2011 in the U.S. IVROP was one of only two organizations in the U.S. that were awarded both grants.
About the Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program
The Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program (IVROP) is a non-profit, public education service which provides free, practical hands-on training, career guidance, job placement assistant and other supportive services to youths and adults. IVROP, one of 74 ROPs in California, is a joint powers entity formed by the Brawley Union, Calexico Unified, Calipatria Unified, Central Union, Holtville Unified, Imperial Unified and San Pasqual Valley Unified school districts, and the Imperial County Office of Education. IVROP provides training to acquire entry-level jobs, update/improve job skills, prepare for advanced training in education, prepare for a college major, earn credits towards high school graduation, and earn a certificate of demonstrated competencies. All IVROP classes are open to any Imperial County resident regardless of race, sex, religion, national origin, handicap, or income level. IVROP provides community and cooperative classroom training in local businesses and industries for a limited number of classes. IVROP provides additional academic and supportive services to youth and adults. Employers may participate in Program Advisory Committees and receive customized training.
A new law expands the availability of smoke-free housing in California by allowing landlords to prohibit smoking in rental units. The Smoke-Free Housing Law went into effect on January 1, 2012. While it has been legal for landlords to prohibit smoking in the apartments they own and manage, the authority to do so was not specifically articulated in state law, until now. This new law makes it explicit that landlords have the right to make their rental properties smoke-free. Approximately 42% of residents in Imperial County are renters.
“A no-smoking policy protects the health of all residents from secondhand smoke and also attracts tenants, minimizes maintenance costs, and reduces fire risks,” stated Sombra Chaney, Chair of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Imperial County.
Feedback received from tenants in Imperial County shows that they prefer smoke-free housing. Between 2004 and 2009 the Imperial County Public Health Department (ICPHD) Tobacco Education Project collected data from residents living in Imperial Valley Housing Authority multi-unit complexes throughout Imperial County. Data collected showed that 95% of residents indicated that they prefer to live in a completely smoke-free complex. Results of the study were presented to the Imperial Valley Housing Authority (IVHA) Board of Directors in February 2011. Both ICPHD and IVHA recognize the benefits of smoke-free housing and are working with Helen Tester Homes, Inc. to implement a smoke-free policy in Cedar Apartments in El Centro.
According to the 2010 US Surgeon General Report, “Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mix of more than 7,000 chemicals.” In 2006, the State of California Air Board identified secondhand smoke as a Toxic Air contaminant while the United States Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand smoke as a group A carcinogen, the most dangerous class of carcinogen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), secondhand smoke is responsible for an estimated 49,400 deaths among nonsmokers each year in the United States, including 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 deaths due to heart disease. Secondhand smoke exposure causes as many as 300,000 children in the United States under the age of 18 to suffer lower respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Imperial County is made up of community volunteers, private citizens, and/or representatives of public and private organizations not associated with the tobacco industry. For more information on adopting and implementing a smoke-free policy in your apartment complex or for additional information on the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Imperial County contact Imperial County Public Health Department Tobacco Education Project staff at 760-482-4908 or email lucyzertuche@co.imperial.ca.us .
Imperial Irrigation District announces new rebates for energy-efficient upgrades are available for attic insulation and attic fans through the district’s Energy Rewards Program.
IID customers are eligible to receive rebates of:
· $0.60 per square foot for the purchase and installation of level R-38 insulation in attics for homes built before 1978
· $0.15 per square foot for the purchase and installation of level R-38 insulation in attics for homes built after 1978*
· $125 for the purchase and installation of a solar attic fan
· $50 for the purchase and installation of an electric attic fan
“Improving a home’s insulation and air circulation are some of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce energy waste, and installing attic insulation is most cost-effective in homes where no insulation exists,” said Sabrina Barber, assistant energy manager, in charge of energy management and strategic marketing. “The less a home’s air conditioner and furnace have to work, the lower the homeowner’s energy bills will be.”
Customers can install these measures on their own or work with a contractor of their choice. IID encourages customers to be informed and read the program guidelines and equipment requirements before making a purchase. If working with a contractor, customers are encouraged to obtain more than one estimate, ask for references and understand the entire contract before signing. For additional tips on how to be an informed consumer, please visit www.iid.com/smartconsumer.
For a complete list of rebate incentives available through the Energy Rewards program, visit www.iid.com/residentialrebates, or call IID’s Rebate Processing Center at 1-877-811-8700. Rebates are limited and funding is not guaranteed.
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District will be accepting applications for the 2012 Nurse Scholarship Program beginning Tuesday, February 6, 2012 through Monday, April 6, 2012. Scholarships provide funding for qualified students who wish to pursue an education at Imperial Valley College in the field of Nursing. The program consists of four different scholarships, with monetary awards ranging from $500.00 to $2000.00
Nurse Scholarship Application packets are available from the following entities:
- The local high school advisor.
- On-line at www.pmhd.org under the heading of Human Resources.
- Imperial Valley College’s Foundation Office, Suite 1706, on the IVC campus.
Completed applications must be delivered no later than Friday, April 6, 2012 @ 5:00 pm, to the Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District’s Human Resources Department at 207 W. Legion Road, Brawley, CA 92227. For additional information, please contact Kellie Bernert-Yap at 760-351-3299 or email to kbyap@pmhd.org.
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Fair, 67 °FWEEKLY-CHRON Vol.106 No.5
