October 4, 2013 - Southingtonlibrary.org

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Friday, October 4, 2013
Our Healthy Lifestyles
I’m all in. How about you? Are you in?
I have had the pleasure
and honor to be involved
with STEPS since the beginning.
Our community had
been tragically awakened in
a short period of time when
a number of our young people
in the community took
their own lives. We had two
simple choices: We could
continue on and rationalize
that we’re no different than
other communities and this
happens everywhere. Or,
we could say no, not in our
community. We chose the
latter and forged forward
on a relentless mission to
nurture and help protect
our local children.
I think this is an appropriate
time to provide some
info about STEPS. STEPS
(Southington’s Town-wide
Effort to Promote Success)
is a community coalition
located right here in
Southington. We are an
asset based prevention
coalition that is following
the Search Institutes 40
Developmental Asset
Model.
We are made up of
leaders from every sector of
the Southington community,
all with the same intentions
of ensuring our youth
grow up to be caring, competent
and successful individuals.
Our members
come from the following
sectors: Substance
Prevention programs, our
local media, the
Southington Board of
Education and school system,
our local government
and Town Council, healthcare
professionals, several
civic and volunteer groups,
the United Way of
Southington, religious and
fraternal organizations, the
Have you ever heard
stories of people who lose a
leg but still feel that leg? It
is called phantom pain and
occurs because the person’s
brain doesn’t realize that
their limb is gone and still
imagines it is there. I think
this is a great topic and
should be explored further.
If I asked you how you
feel cold or what you see
with or how you hear, you
would probably answer, I
feel cold with my hands, I
see with my eyes and hear
with my ears. In reality,
however, those answers are
wrong. We actually feel, see
and hear along with every
other sensation with our
brains. Well, how does that
work?
Our nervous system is
like a highway. We have
northbound and southbound
traffic. The northbound
traffic starts at our
extremities or organs or
John Myers
Southington
YMCA
Southington Police and Fire
Departments,
the
Southington YMCA,
Southington Youth Services,
the Southington Chamber
of Commerce, parents, PTO
groups and most importantly,
our youth.
We are all very dedicated
to work together to make
Southington a better place
for youth.
I would like to personally
and publically thank
the following for serving on
our STEPS Advisory Board.
Heather Barley, Garry
Brumback, Nancy Chiero,
Chief Buddy Clark, Chief
Jack Daly, Kaye Dave, Rev.
Jim Debner, Kelly
DelDebbio, John Dobbins,
Dr Joseph Erardi, Mihaela
Fodor, Richard Fortunato,
Tom Gallo, Jim Garstang,
Brian Goralski, Justine
Griffin (student) Kristen
Guida, Trish Kenefick, Sarah
Lamb (student) Shane
Lockwood, Chris Palmieri,
Trevor Rogers (student),
Sue Saucier, Jackie St. John,
Victoria Triano, and Rachel
Wache. Of course a big
shout out and thank you to
our Youth Prevention
Coordinator Kelly Leppard
end units. The receptors,
for example in our fingertips
travel through our
hands up our arms up our
neck to our brains where
the brain then interprets
what we just touched. The
brain then send impulses
southbound back to the
receptors to make what
ever adjustments need to
be made.
For example, you touch
who is assisted by Evelyn
Ciaburri.
Together this dynamic,
passionate, and talented
group help fulfill our STEPS
mission with the following
expected outcomes:
Prevent and reduce substance
abuse in the
Southington Community,
youth will build core competencies,
youth will
engage in healthy activities
and our community will
offer safe outlets for recreation.
Through the support of
the Town of Southington
and from funds through the
Drug Free Community
Grant we have been able to
develop a foundation and
framework that keep this
movement of protecting
our children sustainable for
future generations. But our
work is far from over. In fact
we need more help and the
good news is that helping or
being part is not hard at all!
Let’s take a look on how
folks can help support our
children by building assets
in our children through regular
every day interactions
in their neighborhood.
A neighborhood is
more than a place where
people sleep or grab a bite
to eat. A neighborhood can
and should be an important
community in which people
of all ages feel cared for
and secure. This kind of
neighborhood isn’t the
norm in most communities,
but with a focus on asset
building it could be. Two of
the 40 Developmental
Assets (#4: caring neighborhood;
and #13: neighborhood
boundaries) focus
specifically on the important
role neighbors have in
a hot iron. The heat is
sensed by the heat receptors
in your fingers, quickly
traves up to the brain by the
pathway I described, the
brain interprets heat as a
bad thing and quickly sends
impulses down the southbound
path way to cause
you to move the hand away.
And this happens in fractions
of seconds.
Another example
would be if a friend was
calling to you. And that
friend is on your right. The
hearing receptors in the ear
send the sound to the auditory
part of the brain which
interprets that the sound is
coming from the right and
the brain sends impulses to
the muscles in your neck to
cause you to turn your
head to the right.
But just like in real
highway life, traffic jams
can occur and traffic can
slowdown or stop. Certain
building assets. Here are
ideas on how neighbors can
build assets. And we have
learned through ‘tons of
data’ that the more assets
our kids have the better
chance they have for success.
Individuals: Learn the
names of kids who live
around you. Find out what
interests them.
Treat neighbors of all
ages with respect and courtesy;
expect them to treat
you with respect and courtesy
too.
If you live in an apartment
or condominium,
spend time in gathering
places, such as front steps,
courtyards, meeting rooms,
pools, laundry rooms, and
lobbies. Greet and talk with
others there. If you have a
front yard, hang out there
once in awhile.
Take personal responsibility
for building neighborhood
boundaries. When
you see someone in the
neighborhood doing something
you think is inappropriate,
talk to her or him
about why it bothers you.
Find other neighbors
who want to make a longterm
commitment to asset
building. Begin developing
strategies for working
together to build assets in
your neighborhood.
Take time to play or
just be with the young people
on your block or in your
building. Encourage them
to talk and then listen to
what they have to say:
Invite neighbors (especially
those with children and
teenagers) to your home.
Get to know each other and
find out what you have in
common.
diseases like Multiple
Sclerosis causes damage to
the nerves themselves and
cause the transmission of
impulses to slow and stop.
Interference of nerve
impulses can also occur
with trauma, such as
whiplash. If anything
occurs to irritate the
nerves, that will change the
ability of the sensation to
transmit to and from the
brain. So if your head is
whipped back and forth,
the vertebrae can get twisted
or tilted and that can
irritate the joints and
nerves. So, while the receptors
will pick up the information
and send it up the
northbound highway, as
soon as it gets to the intersection
in the neck, a traffic
jam can occur.
Then the brain is not
getting the correct input, so
it cannot send out the correct
output. And various
results can happen.
Maybe pain will be
sensed, maybe tingling or
numbness. Maybe ringing
in the ears or constipation
will be felt. Maybe muscle
spasm or muscle weakness
will be noticed. The interference
needs to be
removed for the body to
Once in a while, leave
messages (with chalk on
sidewalks or by hanging
notes on doors) saying how
much you appreciate a certain
neighbor. Do this for
neighbors of all ages.
If you have children,
talk to other parents about
the boundaries and expectations
they have for their
children. Discuss how you
can support and respect
each other.
Figure out what you can
provide for young people in
your neighborhood. Can you
set up a basketball hoop?
Can you offer some space for
a neighborhood garden? Can
you give one hour of your
time on weekends to shoot
baskets with young people
who live near you?
If you have concerns
about your neighborhood,
talk with other neighbors
about your feelings. If others
share your concerns,
gather a group to work on
addressing them. Even if
you don’t solve all of the
problems, you’ll strengthen
your neighborhood
through the process.
Attend a game, play, or
event that a neighborhood
child or teenager is involved
in. Congratulate the young
person after the event.
Be aware of graduations
and other major
events in the lives of children.
Once you know your
neighbors, find out more
about their extended family
and friends. Some elderly
people have grandchildren
who visit. Or parents may
have custody of their children
on certain days of the
week. Get to know these
young people who periodically
visit.
Pay attention whenever
you see a young person.
Take time to smile and say
hello. If you have a few
moments, stop and visit. Do
this while you’re walking,
waiting for a bus, or waiting
in line somewhere.
Groups: Start a neighborhood
group. Focus on
safety, neighborhood
improvement, or just having
fun.
Organize a neighborhood
book swap. Ask neighbors
to donate books
they’ve already read and
have everyone come to find
new books.
Start a neighborhood
check-in program. Form
small clusters and check in
with each other on a regular
basis. If someone needs help
or support, gather a group to
pitch in and help out.
If you have problems
with crime or safety in your
neighborhood, regularly
talk with your local police
department to find out what
is being done to address the
issues. Ask them what you
and other neighbors can do
to make a difference.
See? That’s not too hard
at all!! If you can help out with
any of the ideas above – you’re
in. On behalf our STERPS
Advisory Board and staff
thanks for being part our
STEPS Coalition. If you are
interested in becoming more
involved in STEPS, please
contact Kelly Leppard at 860-
275-6285. If you’d like more
information on what’s going
on at the Southington
Community YMCA please
contact John Myers, YMCAs
Executive Director at 860-
621-8737 or jmyers@sccymca.org.
We feel, see, hear and touch through our brains
Dr. Carol Grant
Alternatively
Speaking
work correctly. And that is
what a chiropractor does.
Dr. Carol Grant, a local
chiropractor, does not
intend this column to substitute
for medical advice.
She urges you to always
consult with your personal
physician before changing
any current program.
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