the library! check it out! camas county school scoops

Congratulations to the School Library! Read for your Life! Email [email protected] for a free subscription!

The Library! Check It Out! ! Dec. 16, A.D. 2020: The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, and Nothing But the Tooth!

Camas County School scoops grant fund$ for its school library!!!!

Photos: Roxanne Bell

ool Cash for Kids’ Books! The Camas County School Library received $5,000 in grant funding from the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) for the

2020-2021 school year. The funds will be used for the purchase of high-quality, age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction books for pre-K, kindergarten, and first-grade

students. The funding also ensures that the kindergarten and first-grade students are allowed to check out at least two books per week. The goal of the ICfL’s Supporting Beginning Readers Mini-Grants are: to increase the amount of reading done in the home; to increase access to good age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction titles

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in elementary school libraries; and to increase the number of children reading on grade level. ICfL Youth Services Consultant Staci Shaw said, “Research verifies that children who are not reading on grade level by the end of first grade only have a one in eight chance of ever catching up without costly direct intervention.” Scores from the 2017 Idaho Reading Indicator show that 49 percent of incoming kindergarteners recognized fewer than 11 letters of the alphabet, and of low-income children, that number rose to 63 percent. The availability of reading material in the home, whether owned or borrowed from the library, is directly associated with children’s achievement in reading comprehension.

amas County School Librarian Roxanne Bell said, “Because of this grant, we will have enough books for our littlest, and often most underserved, students to

be able to take at least two books home per week to read with their adults.”

Mrs. Bell added, “If our students only check out one book per week during the 36 weeks of the school year, that is not nearly enough for them to develop reading fluency or interest.”

The 2012 “Idaho Public Elementary School Library Study: Children’s Access to Books,” conducted by BSU literary expert Dr. Roger Stewart, determined that just over a quarter of Idaho public elementary school libraries received $100 or less from their school to purchase new books for the entire 2011 - 2012 school year.

ICfL School Library Consultant Jeannie Standal said, “The majority of Idaho’s public school libraries do not have the funding to provide enough fiction and nonfiction books to meet the needs of Idaho’s students.” State Librarian Ann Joslin said, “A child’s educational foundation is established early, and the amount of reading done in the home is the single most important factor in the development of a child’s literacy skills.” Joslin added, “With this grant funding, which was appropriated by the Idaho state legislature, we are helping our Idaho elementary school libraries develop and foster critical early literacy skills in our next generation of Idahoans.” ❦

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From Public Health! Vaccine Distribution in South Central Idaho! South Central Public Health District (SCPHD) is preparing for the region’s first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in the next few days. The vaccine, created by Pfizer and BioNTech, was determined both safe and effective by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, December 11. Yesterday, Idaho Health and Welfare announced they would begin shipping out vaccine doses to local health districts for distribution. Idaho’s vaccine rollout plans instruct local health districts to prioritize vaccine for local hospital staff and outpatient clinic staff who are providing care for COVID-19 patients. After those facilities have been offered the vaccine, remaining doses will be offered to additional groups following Idaho’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee’s (CVAC) recommendations. The first vaccine shipment sent to South Central Public Health District is expected to contain 975 doses and will arrive sometime this week. “This is not enough vaccine to offer to every one of our frontline workers, but it’s a good start,” said Josh Jensen, SCPHD public health program manager. “We are hopeful additional vaccine shipments will arrive in the coming weeks, but for now, we are doing everything we can to make this first shipment of vaccine cover as much of our district as possible.” SCPHD has been coordinating with local hospitals to schedule vaccine clinics for their staff. Because this vaccine requires unusually complex conditions to stay viable, the health district will not ship doses to hospitals until they are prepared to handle the vaccine. SCPHD is also working directly with healthcare partners in the priority groups to prepare for vaccine distribution in future shipments. If you fit within the priority group in phase 1 and you would like to provide vaccine through your facility, please contact the Idaho Immunization Program for enrollment information. If you are a member of the general public seeking vaccine, SCPHD will release regular updates informing residents when vaccine will be available. Please do not contact the health district directly to arrange for a vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses. Because the timing of future shipments are unknown, SCPHD will hold back half of the provided vaccine doses until another

shipment is confirmed. This will ensure everyone vaccinated has access to a second dose. “We are thrilled people will have protection through this vaccine, but it’s important to remember that we won’t have enough doses for most of our residents until this spring or summer at the earliest,” said Jensen. “Please keep your guard up. Keep taking precautions. We have many more months to go and many people we still need to protect.” Common side effects of vaccines include fever, body aches, injection site pain, redness at the injection site, and headaches. These are all safe side-effects and signs your body’s immune system is responding and building protection. Some will not experience any noticeable side effects. The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourage the public to report possible side effects (called adverse events) to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). This national system collects these data to look for adverse events that are unexpected, appear to happen more often than expected, or have unusual patterns of occurrence. Learn about the difference between a vaccine side effect and an adverse event. Reports to VAERS help CDC monitor the safety of vaccines. South Central Public Health District will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. The CVAC meetings are open to the public to view online and the information from the meetings can be found on https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/idaho-covid-19-vaccine-advisory-committee/

Resources: SCPHD is running two COVID-19 informational hotlines, one in English at (208) 737-1138, and one in Spanish at (208) 737-5965. These hotlines are currently running from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Idaho Health and Welfare is also running a hotline for people feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or distressed because of COVID-19. That hotline is available 24/7 at 888-330-3010. Please refer to https://phd5.idaho.gov/coronavirus for the latest local numbers and guidance. Refer to https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/ for statewide information. ❦


! Upcoming Musher Games! Friday Boys’ Game Postponed! Home: Wednesday, Dec. 16, Girls HS Basketball vs. Glenns Ferry, 6 p.m. Home: Friday, Dec. 18, Girls HS Basketball vs. North Star Charter, Girls 6 p.m.! Boys’s games postponed! Home: Tuesday, Jan. 5, HS Basketball vs. TFCA, Girls 5 p.m., Varsity Boys 6:30 p.m. Away: Wednesday, Jan. 6, JH Basketball vs. Hagerman, Girls 4 p.m., Boys 5 p.m. Home: Thursday, Jan. 7, HS Girls Basketball vs. Richfield, 7:30 p.m.

Nasty Bütts Deposited in Soldier!!! Stealthy drive-by cigarette fiend heaves foul stubbies onto picturesque ghost town street!!!! From jolly Marlboro Man/Woman: Merry (cough!) Christmas, residents!!!! (wheeze!)

hoever has decided they can throw their Marlboro butts out on North Gooding Avenue in Soldier: STOP. None of us who live on the loop smoke and we don’t

appreciate your decision to use our road as your ashtray. You have one in your vehicle...use it.

-- Roxane Olson & Neighbors ❦

Additional Gift Items Added to Virtual Christmas Bazaar!

2020 Virtual Camas Christmas Bazaar group will be on Facebook for another week! Do you need to finish up your Christmas shopping? Have you ordered your baked goods from Camas Musher Booster Club? Besides the vendors listed last time, there have been a few more added. Check back and go through the albums as vendors have been adding new items and offering sales. If you are not on Facebook, their contact information is below.

• Caboose Tourist Info. Center – Don Gill’s Idaho poster, “The Outdoor Cookbook” & “Idaho unBound” o Shari Simon: [email protected], (208) 539-3660

• Rockin CB Creations – fleece blankets, birthday boards and a variety of other items o Cindy Brooks: [email protected]

• Simply Green Cleaning – Norwex sustainable solutions to reducing harmful chemicals in homes o Joell Olson: www.joellolson.norwex.biz

• Williamson’s Usana – Usana nutritional products, dietary supplements, and skincare products o Conny Williamson: (208) 339-4210, www.williamson.usana.com

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Fiat Lumen! The Christmas House Decorating Contest Winners!!!!!

The Chamber would like to thank everyone who participated in the house decorating contest this year. The Chamber’s judges had a tough time deciding!! And now, a drum roll: The first place spot goes to Alan Clarke! The second place spot goes to Tracy Lee! Great job everyone! ❦

#1

#2

Our Contestants!


Thanks! Health system bosses express gratitude for public leaders! hanks! As December 31 draws near, we often reflect on significant events to define the year. In 2020, many things have been unprecedented, but expressing gratitude remains essential and important. COVID-19 took center stage early this year and has not yielded its grip. However, it has not diminished our spirit.

As health care organizations, we have witnessed inspiring levels of compassion and bravery. We’ve also seen actions -- and reactions -- that cause us great concern. We want to recognize those who have continued to dedicate themselves to taking care of others, often making difficult and, at times, controversial decisions. Our elected and appointed officials, including mayors, school district trustees and administrators, county commissioners, and public health officials, as well as business and public health leaders, educators, and others, have strived to implement measures that serve the health, safety, and welfare of our communities. They have had to learn about infectious disease overnight, balancing many factors, including the local economy, public health, education, and the consequences of inaction, to name a few. None of these decisions are clear cut. These decisions would be difficult even in the best of circumstances. Still, many of our local public officials have faced the added stress of concern for their families’ safety. The threats and intimidation they receive daily by letter, email, phone, social media, and in-person before and during their public meetings, and sometimes at their own homes, must be painfully difficult to endure. They did not and should not expect to face such extreme personal threats. We thank them for their efforts to help keep Idahoans safe in this time of crisis. Their dedication and commitment in the face of such adversity is inspiring. We want to build on the good and vital work so many across our state have accomplished. Businesses large and small have innovated in so many ways; investing in safety protocols while their revenue declined; establishing new remote work environments, creating new avenues for patrons to buy essentials, entertainment, and exercise. We applaud the businesses who have implemented changes to protect the health of their employees and customers. Our non-profits have seen larger numbers of people who need assistance. They have found new ways to provide their services and have given extra hours, often volunteering their time. Educators have found new ways to teach and connect with our children, providing them with knowledge and ways to cope with a strange new reality. As we look ahead to 2021, we are filled with optimism. While our optimism, indeed, is bolstered by the promise of vaccines to help us return to a more familiar way of life, it is truly fueled by the spirit demonstrated by our leaders, our businesses, and our community partners who do so much to help others. A great deal of work lies ahead in the coming days, weeks, and months. As healthcare organizations, we are here for you. We will continue to do everything in our power to care for you, to inform you, and to advocate for you. With gratitude, Corey Chiaramonte, Boise VA Medical Center £ Andrew P. Wilper, MD, MPH, Boise VA Medical Center £ David Wood, MHA, FACHE, Boise VA Medical Center £ Charles Davis, MD, Boise VA Medical Center £ Tom Reinhardt, Cascade Medical Center £ Kevan Finley, LCPC, MS, MBA, Cottonwood Creek Behavioral Hospital £ Brian Whitlock, Idaho Hospital Association £ Micky Moyers, MBA, MHA, Intermountain Hospital £ J’Dee Adams, North Canyon Medical Center £ David Peterman, MD, Primary Health Medical Group £ Odette Bolano, FACHE, MHA, BSN, Saint Alphonsus Health System £ Steven Nemerson, MD, MSE, MBA, Saint Alphonsus Health System £ John Kaiser, Saltzer Health £ Chris Roth, St. Luke’s Health System £ Jim Souza, MD, St. Luke’s Health System £ David Pate, MD, JD, St. Luke’s Health System £ Brad Turpen, FACHE, FACMPE, Valor Health £ William Vetter, MD, Valor Health £ Ryan Zumalt, Vibra Hospital £ Stephen Hale, FACHE, Weiser Memorial Hospital £ Betsy Hunsicker, West Valley Medical Center

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CAMAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 517 Soldier Road, PO Box 430, Fairfield, Idaho 83327

Telephone: (208) 764-2242, Fax: (208) 764-2454

Travis Kramer, Chairman Galen Colter, Commissioner Marshall Ralph, Commissioner Katherine Rablin, Clerk

the library! check it out! camas county school scoops

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