Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Health Alliance plans for its 2005 events

Get ready for a health explosion.

The Prescott-Nevada County Health Alliance has begun working on plans for the 2005 Health-A-Rama, and this includes a possible name change for the event.

While most of the screenings and medical advice available at the health fair will remain, the PNCHA is working to show people how they can live a healthy lifestyle and not go broke in the process.

The PNCHA met Friday, Jan. 14, to plan events for the year. Edie Greenwood, with the Nevada County Health Unit, said the group will look into possibly moving the health fair to the new Prescott High School gym where it would be easier to do cooking demonstrations.

Student nurses will be called upon to show people how they can prepare foods in a healthier manner. One such way is to drain the water from canned foods, wash it, then cook it in fresh water, cutting back on the use of salt and other fats, such as bacon grease.

"We need to make people aware they need to eat healthier," she said.

Other possible demonstrations discussed were a martial arts display, showing how it's a form of exercise as well as self defense and how older people can exercise without any equipment.

Children's week will be April 4-9 this year. Prissy Traczewitz said statewide training will begin soon on the theme, but no literature has been delivered about it as yet.

Head Start, she said, will be the lead agency for Children's Week in Nevada County, and will be responsible for getting it organized.

PNCHA President Phil McAdams said it may be possible to get the fire safety house back again. He explained how there was a mishap with the house in Magnolia where a power line was knocked down by the house as it was being moved. The power line wound up starting a fire, which engulfed a nearby house.

The PNCHA will also place a lot of its focus on Aging Arkansas.

The NCHU is doing a health initiative plan telling what groups are doing to help the community become more healthy. One thing to be done is a work site wellness program, to get business and industry to help get and keep employees healthy. This will include getting those agencies dealing with the elderly involved.

Greenwood said it doesn't matter what a person does, as long as they do something. Any physical activity is better than nothing.

Another thing to be addressed under Aging Arkansas, she said, will be to develop farmer's markets to raise and vegetables. This will help older Arkansans get some exercise, while they eat healthier foods and possibly earn some money with the sale of the vegetables raised.

"People need to eat more fruits and vegetables," she said. "They could save money if they exercised and ate right."

At the PNCHA's February meeting, plans are to discuss plans for Children's Week, work site wellness and consider a contest for a new name and logo for the health fair.