Boating Not Recommended at Lake Delhi
Posted
27
July
2010
Although there are
still portions of Lake Delhi that are navigable by boat, both the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources and the Lake Delhi Recreation
Association do not recommend boating.
“At this point, we really can’t see what’s underneath the water and
there are a lot underwater hazards right now. For safety reasons, we
are asking boaters to stay away from the area,” said DNR Conservation
Officer Scott Kinseth.
Kinseth said the wakes created by boating traffic also hamper the
cleanup efforts along the shoreline.
Speak Out for Military Kids Helps Kids,
Families, Communities Face Deployment
Posted
22
July
2010
Soon 2,800 Iowa
National Guard soldiers from across the state will deploy for duty in
Afghanistan. But that’s not the whole story. According to Mikayla, an
Iowa Military Kid, “It’s not just ‘oh, a soldier’s going overseas, no
one’s getting affected except for them.’ The families are [affected]
too.”
Mikayla is part of Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK). This team of
military and non-military kids develops communication and leadership
skills as they educate the public about the challenges faced by
Military Families throughout the deployment cycle. Said Mikayla, “We
get to tell our stories.”
Their stories are powerful. Many of these kids have faced multiple
deployments, said Chris Gleason, project director for Iowa State
University Extension 4-H’s Operation:
Military Kids (OMK). “These young people have strong voices and
it’s important that we listen to them.”
Mikayla’s dad has been overseas twice. Thomas’ dad has been deployed
five times. Paige has a brother in the Air Force, another in the Army
Reserve, two cousins in the Navy and an uncle in the Marines. These
kids understand the strain that deployment places on kids and families.
Through SOMK, they’re helping other kids, families and communities
learn how to deal with the challenge.
Said Thomas, “We’re just trying to get the word out about what families
face when soldiers are deployed.”
Just check the list of places from which Iowa National Guard units are
being deployed, Gleason said. For each location, the soldiers probably
come from a dozen or more towns. Teachers, fire fighters, police,
doctors, mechanics and others are being deployed. Every soldier’s
deployment affects the community, and communities can turn to their
military kids as a resource to help others cope, Gleason said.
Be Prepared to
Support Military Families
Iowa communities need to be prepared to support Military Kids, Gleason
said. OMK partners are encouraging professionals who work with young
children, school-age children and teens to learn about the additional
stressors that military children and families experience during
deployment.
Teachers, counselors, school nurses and child care professionals all
have the opportunity to offer vital emotional support and provide the
secure, safe environments that these children need, Gleason said. These
caring adults who work with military children on a daily basis can
develop plans in partnership with parents to support military kids
throughout the deployment cycle.
“For example, community libraries and veterans groups can host story
hours that focus on supporting military kids. Schools can create
bulletin boards highlighting the military service of their students’
family members, past and present. Many schools are developing in-school
and after-school support groups for Military Kids,” Gleason said.
“We want kids to thrive, not just survive, during deployment. It takes
many caring adults in their lives to make this happen,” Gleason added.
OMK Provides
Training, Resources
Operation: Military Kids and partner agencies provide free training and
resources to school districts and communities to help them develop
community capacity to support children and Military Families affected
before, during and after deployment, Gleason explained.
Training includes understanding how the deployment cycle affects
children, identifying stress reactions and intervention strategies
designed to mitigate psychosocial stress caused by deployment, and how
to access and use resources to build community-based support networks.
“Multiple deployments put many children at risk” according to Gleason.
“Iowa soldiers have a mission to focus on, and they can do that more
effectively when they know that their children are safe and supported
in their schools and communities.”
Operation: Military Kids is funded by the U.S. Army’s Child, Youth and
School Services in partnership with USDA/4-H National Headquarters and
the land-grant universities. National and state partners also include
the American Legion, Military Child Education Coalition, Boys and Girls
Clubs of America, the National Association of Child Care Resource and
Referral Agencies, Iowa State University Extension, Iowa Army/Air
National Guard, Reserves – Army, Navy, Air, Marine, Coast Guard, Iowa
School Counselors Association, Operation Give a Hug and the Iowa
National Guard Officers Auxiliary. Information is available online at www.operationmilitarykids.org
or www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/omk/.
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