Wednesday - August 5, 2020

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U M J LI A N

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PERMIT NO. 30 JULIAN, CA

ESTABLISHED

An Independent Weekly Newspaper Serving the Backcountry Communities of Julian, Cuyamaca, Santa Ysabel, Shelter Valley, Mt. Laguna, Ranchita, Canebreak, Sunshine Summit, Warner Springs and Wynola.

Julian News

PO Box 639 Julian, CA 92036

1985

Change Service requested

DATED MATERIAL

The Newspaper of Record.

For the Community, by the Community.

Wednesday

August 5, 2020

Julian, CA.

Volume 36 — Issue 01 ISSN 1937-8416

www.JulianNews.com

Nature’s Impact On Health

ESTABLISHED

1870

YEARS

Census Deadline Approaching

Have you done your Census? If not, respond today and be counted. A counted community is a funded community. Federal dollars for the Julian community for the next 10 years are at stake. Respond today on-line at https:// my2020census.gov/1 or call 858-285-7539. Local Census employees are available to answer questions or to complete the questionnaire on your behalf over the phone. English and Spanish available. Let’s get counted Julian.

6 in 10 Adult San Diegans Face Severe Impacts If They Contract COVID-19

by José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

Six out of every 10 adult San Diegans are at extra risk for severe illness should they contract the novel coronavirus. That’s because about 57% of San Diego County adults have pre-existing medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart and lung disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. San Diegans with underlying chronic conditions are at increased risks of serious outcomes if they contract COVID-19, requiring to be hospitalized, placed in intensive care or worse, dying. To date, 95% of San Diegans who died from COVID-19 had an underlying medical conditions. “COVID-19 deaths can be prevented,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “It’s important to remember that our actions matter. We must all do all we can to prevent from contracting and spreading the virus.” It’s true that younger San Diegans with COVID-19 typically don’t need to be hospitalized, that is not the case for older adults. Of the 2,459 people who were hospitalized due to COVID-19, about 52% were 60 years of age or older. “Some San Diegans think they’re not going to get sick and therefore are not following the public health guidance,” said Wooten. “What they don’t realize is that they could get infected and pass the virus to others who are vulnerable.”

We have the good fortune of living in the most biodiverse county in the continental U.S. By virtue of this special resource, we are afforded the opportunity to engage with nature as teacher, and potential healing force in our lives. The Volcan Mountain Foundation (VMF) is committed to preserve Volcan Mountain in its natural state for future generations by conserving and acquiring land and practicing respectful stewardship through education, public outreach, and resource management. It is our hope to emphasize health and nature as an important, additional focus of the VMF. The concept of physical and psychological benefits of exposure to Nature is not new. In 2005 the Japanese government began promoting the therapeutic effects of ‘inhaling the forest atmosphere’ through the practice of ‘forest bathing’. There is now a growing body of knowledge and increasing research interest in the linkage between natural environments, health and wellbeing. This includes specific individual health benefits, and the exploration of societal fears relating to human-nature interactions. For example: “ Is it dangerous to be out here in the forest with large carnivores? What is the risk of insect borne diseases ?” Importantly, we are now aware of potential negative health consequences to children and their development due to the ‘extinction of experience’ in nature, meaning not having exposure to natural spaces. Lastly, the potential application of new technology now facilitates more detailed study of people’s interactions with nature (Soga and Gaston, 2020). A recent example illustrating some of these concepts is the review of a series of studies on college students documenting that a 10-minute period of sitting or walking in nature significantly impacted psychological and physiological markers of mental health wellbeing (Meredith et al.

by Michael A. Lang, PhD and David S. Rubenson, MD Members, VMF Board of Directors.

2020). The Children and Nature Network (childrenandnature. org) has collected an extensive library of related research publications with a focus on childhood development, physical and emotional wellbeing. Many of these ideas and findings are effectively presented in several books by Children and Nature Network Chair Emeritus and local author Richard Louv. Currently, all of us have been impacted by the Corona virus and appreciate the challenge it presents as a global public health problem. We also have begun to appreciate that global and individual health and environmental sustainability are interconnected as we witness the potential impact of climate change on our lives. We have learned that nature connectedness results in pro-environmental behaviors (Martin et al. 2020). Promoting connectedness with and sustainability of our natural world are importantly aligned with the Mission and Vision of the VMF. Thus, our outreach efforts are crafted to engage more individuals with nature in general, and Volcan Mountain in particular. With such a tremendous natural resource in our Julian backyard, visitation,

educational programming and health co-branding build public support for ongoing conservation and stewardship. VMF’s public outreach opportunities are designed to introduce children and families to the benefits of unfocused time observing nature and its effects on their individual experience. VMF educational seminars introduce participants to the body of knowledge linking nature and human health and behavior. We encourage you to actively connect children, your families and the Julian community to nature. References

Martin L, White MP, Hunt A, Richardson M, Pahl S, Burt J. 2020. Nature contact, nature connectedness and associations with health, wellbeing and proenvironmental behaviours, J Environ Psych (2020), doi: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101389. Meredith GR, Rakow DA, Eldermire ERB, Madsen CG, Shelley SP, Sachs NA. 2020. Minimum Time Dose in Nature to Positively Impact the Mental Health of College-Aged Students, and How to Measure It: A Scoping Review. Front. Psychol. 10:2942.doi: 10.3389/ fpsyg.2019.02942 Soga M, Gaston KJ. 2020. The ecology of human-nature interactions. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 287: 20191882.http://dx.doi. org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1882.

Ahead Of Wildfire Season, Red Cross Needs Local Volunteers Due To Covid-19 Volunteers Needed In San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino And Imperial Counties

Experts say we are in for a busy wildfire season and the American Red Cross needs volunteers to help in our community. “The coronavirus pandemic will make it challenging to deploy trained disaster volunteers from other parts of the country should an emergency occur. In light of this, the Red Cross is asking you to be ready to help your community,” said Sean Mahoney, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Southern California Region. “Train now to be a Red Cross volunteer and answer the call to help if the need arises here in our region.” Full information on volunteer opportunities is available here. SHELTER HELP NEEDED There is a special need for volunteers to support sheltering efforts. Because of COVID-19, the Red Cross is placing those needing a safe place to stay in emergency hotel lodging when possible. If hotel stays aren’t possible, then the Red Cross will open traditional shelters. To help keep people safe, we have put in place additional precautions and developed special training for our workforce. We need volunteers to help staff shelter reception, registration, feeding, dormitory,

information collection and other vital tasks to help those we serve. We have both associate and supervisory level opportunities available. HEALTH SERVICES SUPPORT NEEDED If you are an RN, LPN, LVN, APRN, NP, EMT, paramedic, MD/DO or PA with an active, current and unencumbered license, the Red Cross needs your support. Volunteers are needed in shelters to help assess people’s health. Daily observation and health screening for COVID-19-like illness among shelter residents may also be required. RNs supervise all clinical tasks. Roles are also available for Certified Nursing Assistants, Certified Home Health Aides, student nurses and medical students. We need volunteers who can provide care as delegated by a licensed nurse in shelters.

This could include assisting with activities of daily living, personal assistance services, providing health education and helping to replace medications, durable medical equipment or consumable medical supplies. BIOMEDICAL SERVICES HELP NEEDED The Red Cross is seeking Blood Donor Ambassadors and Blood Transportation Specialists to continue delivering services to our communities. Blood Donor Ambassador volunteers welcome visitors to Red Cross facilities or blood drives and take their temperature before they enter. There is also a high-priority need for Transportation Specialists to help deliver blood from Red Cross facilities to local hospitals. FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING If you are interested in helping our community should a disaster occur, please visit redcross.org/ volunteertoday. Be sure to review the CDC guidance for people who are at higher risk for severe illness, consult your health care provider and follow local guidance. Our number one priority is the health and safety of our employees, volunteers and the people we serve.

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters is committed to ensuring that voters can exercise their right to vote in a safe, secure and accessible manner during the 2020 Presidential General Election. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, every registered voter in California will receive a ballot in the mail for the upcoming election. Mail-in ballots give voters the option to vote from the safety of their homes. What does this mean for you? All active registered voters in California will receive a ballot in the mail. Nearly 75% of the county’s registered voters are already signed up to permanently receive their ballot by mail so the San Diego County Registrar of Voters is well positioned to manage this increase. If you need to vote in-person, polling places will be open for four days, Oct. 31 through Election Day on Nov. 3. What do you need to do? Be Vote Ready! Check your registration information. Make sure your residence and, if different, your mailing address are up to date. Have you moved or changed your name? Whether you are new to San Diego County or just moved down the street you need to reregister to vote. Are you a first-time voter? Register to Vote – it takes less than 2 minutes! Vote Safer San Diego! We urge you to vote safer at home and we are making it easy for you. Ballots will start going out in the mail nearly a month before Election Day, giving you plenty of time to mark your ballot and return by mail. Voting by mail is: SIMPLE. A mail-in ballot, instructions and “I Voted” sticker will be mailed to all registered voters starting Oct. 5. SAFER. Make voting decisions and mark your ballot comfortably at home. SECURE. Seal your completed ballot in your postage paid envelope. Be sure to sign it, date it and return it by mail promptly so it is received well before Election Day. Your signature is required for your ballot to count! Sign your name like it appears on your driver’s license or ID card. You can track your ballot every step of the way by signing up for “Where’s My Ballot?” Sign up now to receive notifications. Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters starting the week of October 5. If you haven’t received yours by October 19, call the Registrar of Voters at (858) 565-5800. Will there be polling places? YES. Polling places will be open for four days. There will be fewer locations than in prior elections, so your polling place has most likely changed. If you need to vote in person, we urge you to take advantage of early voting: At the Registrar’s office beginning Oct. 5, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. At your assigned polling place or the Registrar’s office Saturday, Oct. 31 through Monday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All will again be open on Election Day, Nov. 3, when the voting hours change to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you decide to vote in-person, don’t be surprised, lines may be long. Make sure you go to your assigned polling place. You can find your assigned polling place on the back of your sample ballot and voter information pamphlet or you can look it up online. Be prepared. Mark your selections on your sample ballot and voter information pamphlet in advance so you can quickly fill in the official ballot in the voting booth. We especially encourage older adults and people with underlying medical conditions to avoid long lines and crowded polling places by voting early. Bring your face mask and plan to maintain social distance. The Registrar of Voters is adhering to the County’s public health orders and will make reasonable accommodations when needed to ensure the health and safety of all election workers, voters and observers to our office and polling places.

No COVID-19 Testing Required Before Employees Can Go Back To Work

by José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

Based on new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is no longer recommended that employers require employees who tested positive for COVID-19 to be tested again before they can return to work. The CDC test-based strategy is no longer recommended to determine when to discontinue home isolation, except in certain circumstances. People with COVID-19 who have mild to moderate symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue continued on page 12

Thank you to all our Julian Businesses for Working So Hard!

ESTABLISHED

1870

YEARS


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