Reduce, reuse and recycle… and help others do the same
A multi-week course on how to become adept and fluent in the language of recycling is being offered in Florence beginning next month. Kelly Bell with the Lane County Master Recycler Program says the free course includes an overview of local waste management.
Kelly Bell – “Pretty deep look at our whole waste management and recycling system in Lane County. That prepares them to become waste prevention educators in their own community.”
The course includes 9 consecutive Friday afternoon classroom sessions at LCC in Flore,ce along with three Saturday “field trips” to explore Lane County’s system. Participants come away with a deeper understanding of recycling and reuse and are encouraged to share it with others. Local masters help out at public events, providing assistance with composting and recycling; they organize the reusable dishware program; and speak at public events.
Kelly Bell – “Master recyclers in Florence also have helped to create a recycling guide that’s specific to the Florence area.”
Information on how to sign up for the course can be found at the Lane County Website under waste management.
Free fishing weekend
Grab your fishing rod; your crab ring; or your clam shovel… you can celebrate the New Year in Oregon with any of those three activities without having to buy a license… but only for this weekend.
Saturday and Sunday are “no-fee” days for fishing anywhere in the state. Fishing in Oregon also includes collecting shellfish and crustaceans, so you can also go crabbing or clamming without having to purchase a shellfish license.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has recently stocked lakes and ponds along the coast, so fishing during winter months can bring some great opportunities. Free fishing weekends are offered as a way of introducing new anglers to the sport.
Learn a language at the library
You can add assistance in learning another language to the long list of things you can do at Siuslaw Public Library.
The Friends of the Library recently assisted in the acquisition of an ‘online’ service that offers help with 60 different foreign language courses. That will be offered to library users at no cost.
Library Director Meg Spencer said there are 60 languages… including “pirate”, American Sign Language, and “medical Spanish”.
The service also offers English courses based in 17 different languages.
An open house is set for January 7th to introduce the system, but Spencer says it is available right now.
Involve family, start small when it comes to resolutions
Some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions involve staying fit and losing weight. Often those resolutions can go by the wayside fairly quickly unless you have the right motivation. Elliot Berkman is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Oregon. He says it’s important to start with a goal that’s less abstract and more actionable than just “staying healthy”. And, he adds, start as soon as possible.
Elliot Berkman — “What you want to do is to get those immediate reinforcements as early as you can. So, it’s kind of classic advice and it’s good advice to start small, and to make sure to reinforce each little step.”
Berkman says this can be the hardest problem. Your habitual behavior… which may not include regular visits to the gym… is the easiest to fall back on. He says the best way is to find something you like doing, and connect that habit to something bigger. Berkman also says you can increase your success by connecting the resolution to your family… and don’t be afraid of technology like a fit bit, or other digital monitoring system to help you keep track and motivated.