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Submitted by Tony Russell
We said that we would keep you posted on the location of Arnoldsburg's Lights On! summer program. The school
system was not awarded a grant to do the work there this summer, so both the Lights On! program and Energy
Express will be at Arnoldsburg School, while Pleasant Hill's summer programs will be at the Middle/High School.
Vivian signed up for John Oshoway's "Legal Issues" class and came in last Wednesday raving about the class. "He said that
people could leave to go to the restroom or take a break whenever they wanted," she said, "but everybody stayed riveted to
their seats for the full two hours." There are two more sessions-6 to 8 p.m. on April 9 and April 16; if you're interested, you
can still sign up for those sessions. (Call Vivian at 354-7595.)
Tom McColley reported that 25 guys showed up one night a couple of weeks ago for the recreation basketball program at
Minnora Community Center. Lights On! bought the new baskets and backboards for the program; Tom has been a
volunteer who keeps track of attendance and reports it to our office. It's great news that this program is going so well; thanks,
Tom.
A new study, reported at the end of March, shows a direct link between watching TV and acting aggressively. The lead
author of the study, Jeffrey Johnson of Columbia University, is quoted as saying that "The evidence has gotten to the point
where it's overwhelming" that watching more than an hour of TV a day increases the rate of fights, robberies, assaults, etc.
The implication for after-school programs is obvious: our children and our society as a whole are a heck of a lot better off if
kids are playing games, dancing, painting, working on a computer, being tutored, or involved in any of the other activities at a
Lights On! program rather than sitting at home in front of a television.
Linda Jones's "Wildcrafts and Herbal Remedies" course is starting this Tuesday, April 9, at the Career Center, and will run for
six weeks. I was just asking Linda what they were going to be doing. She says they'll make "salves, teas, poultices, infusions,
decoctions, tinctures, and wind up with a 'wild party'." Sounds like a lot of fun, and just the right excuse to get outside now
that spring is here. If you're interested in signing up (even if you missed the first class), call Vivian at 354-7595.
Suzanne Leizear used to marvel at the way the people of Calhoun County worked together in the "Aging Well" project, and at
the commitment of the volunteers who worked on its Advisory Board. People from Charleston who come out to meet with
our FRN are startled to see a roomful of people, and to learn that those folks are active participants month after month.
That's the same experience we're having with the Lights On! Schools Partnership Committee-tremendous
community involvement and support. Folks, there is something special about Calhoun County and the number of people who
are willing to work to make it a better place for everyone. We need to see ourselves sometimes through the eyes of
others-people who know that in many communities it's hard to get anyone to volunteer to do anything, let alone stick with it for
years.
Those are our Lights On! Highlights for this week. We'll shine our flashlights in a few new places next time.
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