Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, Al  36507

Carolyn Bivins

Regional Extension Agent

Human Nutrition, Diet & Health

February 10, 2009

We have TWO exciting and timely programs coming up soon and we want you to mark your calendars now and be ready to attend the one of your choice:  The first one is: Lead-Safe Work Practices on February 17, 2009 from 8 am – 5 pm at the Mobile County Extension Office, Jon Archer Agricultural Center, on 1070 Schillinger Road N in Mobile. To register for this program, call: 251-574-8445. The program costs only $20.00, and is ideal for all contractors, property managers, painters and other health and housing professionals.

This is an EPA/HUD-approved training to help you learn how to work with lead-based paint safely.  Everyone attending will receive a certificate and will help you prepare to comply with EPA’s new Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule.  Registration is required prior to this event.  Door prizes and lunch will be provided.  This program is sponsored by Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Department of Public Health and Auburn University.

 “Don’t Spread Lead” is the second seminar which is free. It is scheduled on Friday, February 20, 2009 from 10 a.m. -12 Noon. It will held at the Gulf Coast Regional Research and Extension Center (GCRREC) in Fairhope on Highway 104. To register, call the Baldwin County Extension Office at 251-937-7176.

Information on easy cleaning and remodeling tips when working in older homes will be given. Everyone attending will receive door prizes, sample cleaning materials and refreshments will be served. Visit www.aces.edu/lead  for more information. To register call the Baldwin County Extension Office at (251) 937-7176.  This program is sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Why this BIG concern about LEAD?  Are you living in or working on a home or apartment building built before 1978? That facility may contain lead paint. If you disturb that paint and create lead dust, you and your family may be at risk for lead poisoning.

Lead poisoning can lower IQ, create difficulties in school, and cause other serious health, learning, and behavior problems for children. Lead can also make adults sick.

In the United States, almost 1 million children between the ages of one to five are lead-poisoned. Most children are poisoned by breathing or swallowing lead dust from lead-based paint. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead in their bodies. Get your children tested if you think your home has high levels of lead.

In general, the older the home, the more likely it has lead-based paint. Many homes built prior to 1978 (when the Federal government banned lead-based paint from housing) have lead-based paint. To reduce your child's exposure to lead dust, get your children tested for lead, have your home tested by a certified lead-based paint professional(especially if your home has paint in poor condition and built before 1978), and use good cleaning practices and proper nutrition to reduce lead hazards.

But lead poisoning is preventable. Come to this program and learn the rules to avoid creating and spreading lead dust.

For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/lead or call 800-424-LEAD.

Alabama in Motion (AIM) begins March 1

It is time to register to participate in our eight- week fitness program, Alabama in Motion.  The program is scheduled for March 1 – April 25. You may participate as an individual or as a member of a team with three other people. 

You may walk at the location of your choice.  Each person keeps a log of how many miles he or she walks each week and reports it.  At the end of the program, we will have an AIM Celebration to recognize all our participants.

To request a registration form for the program, contact our office at 937-7176 or 943-5611, ext. 2222. Registration forms are due in our office by February 25.

Child Care Workshops

The following child care workshops are scheduled at the Baldwin County Extension Office at 302A Byrne Street in Bay Minette: March 5, 6:00-8:00 p.m., “What Does Time Mean to Children?” and March 31, 6:00-8:00 p.m., “I want! I want!! I want!!! Building Good Consumers.

These programs are a part of the Better Kid Care Program developed by Penn State.

Please call us at 937-7176 to register to attend.

Email address: cbivins@aces.edu

Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5611, 928-0860, ext. 2222

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

~Back~