Categories
SAFETY

You and your family are fast asleep when the smoke alarm sounds: Do you know what to do?

Consider this scenario: It’s 2 o’clock in the morning. You and your family are fast asleep when you awaken to the smoke alarm sounding and the smell of smoke. What do you do? If you and your family
don’t have a plan in place, it could jeopardize your safety, or even prove deadly.
In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. That’s why home escape planning is so critical in a fire situation. It ensures that everyone in the household knows how to use that small window of time wisely.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” works to better educate the public about the critical importance of developing a home escape plan and practicing it. Medford Fire-Rescue is working in coordination with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),
the official sponsor of the Fire Prevention Week, to reinforce those potentially
life-saving messages. Fire Prevention Week is in October.
In support of Fire Prevention Week, Medford Fire-Rescue encourages all City of Medford and beyond  households to develop a plan together and practice it. A homeescape plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. It also includes two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window, with a clear path to an outside meeting
place (like a tree, light pole, or mailbox) that’s a safe distance from the home. NFPA and Medford Fire-Rescue offer these additional tips for developing and practicing a home escape plan:
• Draw a map of your home, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
• Close doors behind you as you leave — this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.
• A good time to remember to check your smoke alarm and change the batteries is when you “fall back” as daylight savings time ends.     
For more information visit www.medfordfirerescue.org,

Categories
SAFETY

ID Theft During the Holidays

Each year has continued to show an increase in both Identity Thefts and Scams.
Here are two types of common scams that we have seen a lot of this year:
“IRS Payment Scam” In this common scam, the caller is portraying themselves to be an IRS or some other Federal Agent. They tell the victim that they owe back taxes or fees and that if they don’t pay, that they will have a warrant issued for their arrest. In some cases, the caller has threatened to send Federal Agents to their house to arrest them. For more info, go to “IRS.gov” or search for “5 things the IRS will never do”.

The other type of fraud we have seen a lot of is the “Romance Scam”. Unfortunately, there are a lot of lonely people who go to dating sites looking for relationships. The fraudsters find people on these sites and then spend weeks and even months corresponding with them. It is important to note that many times when love or emotion (romance) enter the picture, that common sense goes out the window. We have worked cases where both men and women have fallen victim to this and have sent tens of thousands of dollars to their “online boyfriend/girlfriend” whom they have never met.

Remember, if it sounds “too good to be true”: …IT IS! Be on your guard against these scams. If you are being pressured by someone on the phone or internet to send money, Don’t Do It!! Call a trusted friend or family member first. If you have elderly family or friends, please warn them about these scams and make sure that they call other family or trusted friends prior to taking any actions.

Here are some basic guidelines you can follow and steps you can take to protectyourself during this holiday season:

Lock your vehicle.      This sounds very simple but you would be astonished at the number of reports called in everyday by citizens who failed to lock their vehicle overnight. Remember that your vehicle contains both registration and proof of insurance, which are potential information jackpot for Identity Thieves.

Carefully check your credit card and bank statements. The best way to catch Identity Thieves is to frequently check these statements for purchases you didn’t make. The sooner you catch it and report it to us, the better chance we have of successfully solving your case.

Frequently check your credit report. You are allowed one free annual credit report from each of the three credit bureaus, so be sure to take advantage of this.
Keep a close eye on your credit /debit card if it is given to a store clerk. If your card leaves your sight it could potentially be “skimmed” on a separate device.   
Take your receipts home with you and destroy them there. Don’t leave them in a trashcan outside a store. If you don’t’ have a shredder consider getting one.
When speaking on the phone to someone you don’t know, never give out your personal information.

*Choose charities and cause your familiar with and trust, and be leery of anyone claiming to be with an organization but not having any visible proof. Unfortunately, there are a lot of donation seekers who are only interested in taking donations for their own “self-interest” groups, mainly themselves.
From all of us at the Medford Police Department,
Happy Holidays!

Id Theft During the Holidays
Sgt B Mak, Financial Investigation Section, Medford Police Department
Categories
INDOOR FUN! IT'S FREE!

Kids Day at Crater Rock Museum

Kids Day at Crater Rock Museum in Central Point  is the second Saturday of every month. This is a special day that the museum sets aside to teach and expose children to the world of earth sciences, fossils, dinosaurs, and other really cool things we know they would like.
There are free 20 minute classes that start on the half hour beginning at 10:30 am and continue with the last class at 2:30 pm. Afterwards, the whole family can explore the museum and all its wonderful displays. Take a stroll through the rock yard outside the workshop. If you find a rock on the ground, it’s only 25 cents a pound for everyone on Kids Day. In the bins, it’s $1.00. On days other than Kids Day, it’s 25 cents a pound for kids and $1.00 for adults. If you have any questions, please call 541-664-6081 during business hours.
Admission – 17 years or younger – FREE (because it’s Kids Day!)
Adults – $7.00
Seniors – $5.00
 Note: If you are a Crater Rock Museum or Roxy Ann Gem & Mineral Society (RAGMS) member – museum admission is free!

For more information please visit http://craterrock.com/

Categories
PARENTING PREGNANCY/ BIRTH

Care for Mama and Baby in the Days after the Birth Day

By Rhione Zeixchel
I just returned from a 4 week baby wellness check and home visit with one of our moms. I was thrilled to see how rested, happy and bonded with the baby she was. It was a treasure too
watching Dad holding and communicating with his son, all the while, the baby making eyes and baby
sounds for him. They were all so in tune! Baby was completely comfortable in his body and parents
were obviously adept at “reading” his cues, for nursing, for changing and so many other little things. Hardly a drop of stress in the house! They wanted to share so much of what they were learning – As if they themselves had been birthed into a whole new life.
Last week I witnessed a similar thing at a 4 week postpartum visit: mom was tucked away upstairs enjoying nap time with her baby. Dad and younger sibling were downstairs making food and generally bouncing gently around the way younger kids need to do. Both of these moms felt really comfortable in their bodies, had energy and felt “recovered” from the birth and both were dedicated to spending as much time as possible focusing on baby time, nursing, resting, enjoying. The babies were totally thriving! I was told they hardly ever cried.
Parents could tell what the babies needed before crying ever happened.
The most prevalent energy in these homes was JOY!
But It can be DIFFICULT
I remember a much different picture with my own first baby. My husband went back to work the day after the birth. I rested as much as I could, but there was still food to cook, dishes and clothes to wash and all the various household chores while I was caring for a newborn, learning how to breastfeed and
recovering from the birth. Labor and birth were a true vision quest for me, unimaginably transformative, and then suddenly, boom! that’s all over, now get back to normal life. I understand now that I really needed time to rest and integrate what I had just gone through. It was certainly the biggest experience I had ever had. My other challenges included outrageous
fatigue, screaming muscles, basic overwhelm with everything being so new (I had never done this before!) and no one to share it with. I felt so alone but didn’t even know how to talk about that. Was I supposed to be enjoying this? My saving grace was the love I saw in my son’s gaze
and my overwhelming desire to mother him.
I had intended to stay home exclusively for 21 days to give my baby time to “totally come into his body” and feel 100% secure, safe and thriving. I couldn’tdo it. By two weeks I was getting “cabin fever” and went out into the world with him on some mundane errand. It was obviously a big mistake. He cried. I cried. My errand didn’t get accomplished. We both needed the slow calm attention and flexibility available at home in our nest. The simple act of driving and trying to “get something done” were moving us in the wrong direction.
During those early postpartum days, I talked to my mother on the phone (we were more than 3000 miles apart) and told her how sore, aching and tired I felt and she responded “Oh yes, I remember that’s how it is.” And that was it.
This was just “the way it was.”
No one had told me how to create a BabyMoon time for myself and my newborn. I didn’t even know I would need it! I didn’t know that I would really, really need this thing I had never even heard of. The new mom needs TIME. Time for recovery, rest, healing, bonding, adjusting, integrating – These are very real needs in the days and weeks after birth. There are physical and emotional
costs when these needs are unmet.
For my second, third and fourth babies, I was more prepared. I had helped many other women plan their postpartum “lying-in” time experience. I did my best to create a BabyMoon experience for myself and I got better at it with each baby.
We are creating a BabyMoon Project at Three Sisters Midwifery in Jacksonville that you can benefit from right now. We want to spread the word until BabyMoon is a cultural tradition. As a community we can help each other. When you sign up for our Baby Moon Project, you can receive newsletters with information and resources about how you can create your own BabyMoon. We are gathering a circle of women who can mentor and support other women to create and sustain their BabyMoon time.
Find out more at www.threesistersmidwifery.com
Three Sisters Midwifery
HomeBirth • WaterBirth • Well-Woman Care
Rhione Zeixchel, LDM Insurance and OHP accepted
Jae Rowan CPM, LDM Call for free consultation
Katie Guidotti, ND threesistersmidwifery.com
Maraya Brown CNM, MSN 1-541-833-0999
Categories
PARENTING

Birthday Parties for Kids

By Michelle Jensen, Parent Resource Center
One idea is that simple can be better. The younger the child, the simpler the celebration you may want to hold. Who doesn’t want to celebrate their child’s birthday? It’s a time for celebration, fun, family and friends. It’s a time to honor that child‘s special day.
However, many times over the years I have noticed parents who decide to go so overboard that their kids no longer expect small gifts or small parties. Not only that but because there are too many gifts and too much excitement or too many people, the enjoyment and the appreciation are missed. It’s important for a child to have fun and learn to appreciate simple things.
Compare these two experiences by reporter Julie Tilsner.
SITUATION #1:   Brigid Galloway of Grantville, Georgia, couldn’t resist throwing a huge bash when her son, Jack, turned 1. Some 50 friends and family came, but it was too much for Jack, who cried through the puppet show and wouldn’t touch his cake. “Everyone had a great time‚ except for Jack!” says Galloway.
SITUATION #2:    For her daughter Lulu’s first birthday, Julia Regalado of Berkeley, California, decided on a picnic in a local park for 12 of her friends and their kids. She made sure Lulu stayed blissfully unaware of any extra attention. As Regalado nursed her daughter to sleep under a
tree after lunch, the guests offered a hope for Lulu’s future in lieu of gifts. “There were no meltdowns, everyone had a good time and it was such a satisfying way to mark the day,” she says.
It’s important that parents get very clear about what is really needed at a Birthday Celebration. If your child is old enough to notice what other more elaborate parties are like, you may clearly state “Everyone is different and this is what our family does” (In fact, these words may be utilized anytime there is a difference in how someone else does something!)
Kids need to know you care, that you honor them and want to celebrate them. A birthday can be done simply. Use your creativity and make a list of simple locations to hold the party, how many people to
invite (younger kids need less overwhelm) and if the child is old enough to give some of their own ideas or opinions, take that into consideration.
Creating a simple experience that is fun, allows the time with family
and friends to be savored.
 
Categories
COMMUNITY

Foster Care & Adoption

A Call to Community is geared towards those wondering what the whole foster care or adoption journey is about, what it means to partner with DHS Child Welfare, and for those who want to hear the perspective of people with boots on the ground!

This is an honest conversation about both the highlights and the challenges of foster care and adoption through the Child Welfare system. It is a perfect opportunity to listen and to ask those burning questions.
We believe it will be well worth your time.

As folks in the community discern partnering with the foster care system, we value them stepping in with eyes wide open to all this worthy, beautiful, messy journey entails.

For questions please call 541-732-4046 or visit fosterORadopt.com

Categories
GOING PLACES PARENTING

My Top Four Most Valuable Toddler Airplane Travel Items

By Miranda Black
Owner and Acupuncturist at Radiant Family LLC
I have a deep love of travel. For the sake of this article, I did a count. I have seen twenty-one of our beautiful nation’s states and fourteen other countries. When I had my wee one less than two years ago, I knew I was not going to compromise my love of travel for the sake of parenthood. Our son got his first passport stamp at eight months, and will add four more at the age of two this Spring.
I can say with experience that travelling with small children is much more challenging than travelling without. It is also so much more rewarding as we make memories that I will cherish for all the years
I live. Visiting new places gives him confidence and removes possible fears.
Travel also trains him to adapt to new routines and new environments.
Don’t let possible difficulties dissuade you;whatever challenges come your way, you will never regret sharing a trip with your child.
#4: Apples. Simple, healthy, and wonderfully time-consuming. Whole apples could bounce around in my purse without fear of spills. They also take time and effort to eat whole, helping to provide entertainment over the hours on board.
#3: Pillow. Sounds silly, but “Taco Pillow” is one of my top essentials for travel with the Little Mister. It is a flat bed pillow that easily folds around him like a taco. This makes a comfy nest for him to snooze in, blocking some light and sound, and provides him with something from home he is happy to snuggle up to (other than me).
#2: Tablet. I’m not a big tech person, but having a tablet device along was a lifesaver. I thought ahead to download a number of episodes of his two favorite cartoons. This allowed us to watch them whether or not wifi was available. Letting him zone out to his favorite shows was a wonderful way to prevent a meltdown.
#1: Fold-up stroller. As a Christmas present to myself, I invested in a type of stroller called the Pockit. It folds up into a little square so you can bring it right on the plane. Not checking a stroller means you don’t have to wait for it at the end of the flight, and can just wheel on your merry way. I even wheeled him right on to the plane once when he was asleep. A good, small fold-up stroller is an investment for toddler travel that pays for itself on the very first trip.
Happy Travels!
Categories
PETS/ANIMALS

Friends of the Animal Shelter

Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1990 to support the programs of the Jackson County Animal Shelter.

Our vision is for all adoptable animals at the Jackson Country Animal Shelter to find a loving home.

Our mission is to recruit and train volunteers who will save lives by increasing pet adoptions at the Jackson Country Animal Shelter, improve the quality of life for the Shelter’s animals, promote spay and neuter, and facilitate outreach and educational activities about the humane treatment of companion animals throughout Jackson County.

Our values are: Service, Compassion and Generosity

For more information please visit http://www.fotas.org

Categories
PETS/ANIMALS

Rogue Valley Humane Society

The Rogue Valley Humane Society provides compassionate care for stray, unwanted, displaced, and abandoned animals and works toward ending pet overpopulation so that there will be no more homeless pets. We are committed to placing every healthy, adoptable animal in a loving lifetime home, teaching responsible pet guardianship, and maintaining community spay-neuter programs.

For more information please visit http://roguevalleyhumanesociety.org

Categories
PETS/ANIMALS

Spay Neuter Your Pets-SNYP

SNYP (Spay neuter your pets) remains the only animal welfare organization in Jackson Country focused 100% on prevention. In addition to helping the community at large, many Rogue Valley animal welfare organizations also rely on SNYP and regularly refer their clients to us for spay/neuter information and services. SNYP volunteer phone counselors talk with local independent animal rescue groups and community members about their specific needs and situations, providing them with the tools and ability to get the spay neuter services they need and therefore keeping many animals from ever having to enter the shelter system.

For more information please visit http://spayneuter.org