Oregon Family Magazine

Sustainable PET PARENTING

GETTING IN THE HalloweenSpirit

PUT THE Fun BACK IN FUNDRAISING

Welcome Aboard!

DANIEL PADILLA

Please join us in welcoming Oregon Family’s newest team member, Account Executive, Daniel Padilla. Daniel brings years of account management experience to Oregon Family Magazine, with exceptional client and business background from his time as a US Bank Personal Banker and current Board Member for Free Bikes 4 Kidz. Here he supports their mission of helping all kids ride into a happier, healthier childhood by providing free bikes, locks, and helmets to those in need. Daniel is an outdoor enthusiast, avid cyclist, and long time Lane County resident with a passion for community involvement and delivering strategic client solutions. Daniel, along with his best friend Bernardo Cortes, founded Border Boys Bike Club, a BIPOC cycling club focused on diversity and inclusion in our local cycling community. In his free time Daniel practices the art of Bonsai as a member of the Eugene Bonsai Society and is a virtual docent at the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, Washington where he leads virtual tours of their current exhibitions. Most recently Daniel joined Lane Transit District’s Community Steering Council serving as Vice Chair, where he along with 19 other members, work with LTD leadership to help develop a Community Outreach Frameworka foundational guide for how LTD will partner with its community. Daniel lives in Springfield with his partner Mikayla and their Shih Tzu Bella.

Getting Into the Spirit

AsYOU DECORATE AND CHOOSE costumes this Halloween, please remember you can also do something sweet and special for children who are facing health challenges. Clip the coupon below to save 10 percent off your purchases at local Spirit Halloween stores, and Spirit Halloween will donate the amount of your savings to help kids at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.

Or, if you prefer to shop online at www.SpiritHalloween.com, use the promo code DONATE23 at checkout.

For the fifth year running, Spirit Halloween’s “Spirit of Children” campaign is raising funds to help support PeaceHealth’s Child Life Program. Past donations enabled PeaceHealth to add a third Child Life specialist, Regan Muth, who focuses on patients in the RiverBend emergency department. In just the past six months, she has helped 300 children experiencing trauma or other crises.

One father recently said without Regan’s support his son would not have made it through the procedures he needed in the ED. “Our family will forever be grateful for her and the Child Life department,” he said.

The other two Child Life specialists, Barb Blair and Megan Massey, work in the Pediatrics Unit at RiverBend hospital. Spirit of Children’s mission is “making hospitals less scary for kids and their families.”

“This is a perfect collaboration with Child Life,” Megan said. “Our role is to meet children where they are and provide the developmental support they need to cope with a hospital stay. When you choose to participate you are choosing to support children in our community.” ✦

Our Contributors

Oregon Family Magazine is distributed monthly, year-round via direct mail in the greater Lane County area, and at over 150 high-traffic commercial locations. For information regarding Every Door Direct Mail, please visit www.dmachoice.org or www.optoutprescreen.com.

PUBLISHER

Pacific Parents Publishing

EDITOR

Sandy Kauten

GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT

Springer Design & Illustration

1. RICK EPSTEIN

A Dad’s Eye View contributor, also awardwinning columnist, and journalist. Author of Rookie Dad (Hyperion) and The Right Number of Kids (McKenna Publishing Group). His wife and three daughters run a living laboratory in which he is constantly tested, analyzed, and experimented upon. It’s as if a guinea pig could write.

2. TANNI HAAS

Tanni HaasPh.D. is a Professor in the Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders at The City University of New York – Brooklyn College.

3. BONNIE HARRIS

Bonnie is Oregon Family Magazine’s resident Movie Review Master Extraordinaire. She enjoys watching movies of all kinds, and has been doing movie reviews for over 9 years and counting. She lives in Eugene with her family, enjoys gardening and cooking.

4. DANIEL HIESTAND

Daniel Hiestand is Waste Wise Lane County’s Outreach Coordinator, promoting waste reduction and sustainability throughout the county. He recently graduated from Arizona State University with a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership.

5. CHRISTINE MALLIER

As Petcurean’s first-ever Sustainability and Community Relations Manager, Christine Mallier is deeply committed to sustainability as it pertains to people, pets and our planet. Christine’s dedication to this role is evident through the incredible strides Petcurean has made in just two years, including the Company’s first Sustainability Impact Report, leading the company to carbon neutrality, and making a public commitment to switch the majority of Petcurean’s bags to recyclable packaging by 2025! Her impact as a leader in sustainability extends beyond the office, with countless hours spent volunteering with organizations that share her love for animal welfare and sustainability.

6. PAM MOLNAR

Pam Molnar is a writer, storyteller and mother of three. She enjoys writing about moments and events that bring people together. When she is not writing, Pam creates escape room kits and PowerPoint games which she sells in her Etsy shop, Pam’s Party Printables.

7. RODDY SCHEER

Journalist and photographer specializing in environmental issues, the outdoors and travel. When he is not out in the field taking pictures, Roddy runs EarthTalk, the non-profit Publisher of the syndicated EarthTalk Q&A column and the EarthTalk.org and Emagazine

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Awkward Teen Heroes

BASED ON AN ANIMATED French television series, Ladybug & Cat Noir

The Movie is a fluffy adventure for the tween crowd that feels like ninety minutes of Saturday morning cartoons. The adequate animation is paired with a sometimes uneven soundtrack, and the characters

LADYBUG & CAT NOIR: THE MOVIE

Awakening Productions

Rated: PG

Streaming on Netflix

are cute, but very predictable. The hook that’ll keep a young audience watching is the Parisian backdrop, the super-hero secret identities, the tween romance, and the mean-girl subplot. When teenager Marinette discovers she’s been granted the powers of Ladybug for her bravery in accidentally saving Wong Fu, the narrator of our story, it sets in motion the creation of Cat Noir, her polar opposite. The Miraculous gems choose their mortal heroes, but these reluctant heroes have to work together to destroy the forces of evil. In this case, the

into friends.

evil is Cat Noir’s father, aka Hawk Moth. Handsome and arrogant Adrien becomes Cat Noir and little does he know that the shy, awkward girl at school is actually Ladybug. Every teen wishes for an alter ego, and once these two figure out how to blend their energies against a giant gargoyle, a twisted pantomime, and a runaway Ferris wheel, they develop a close friendship. I’d prefer more fast-paced action and mayhem to the teen romance that dominates most of the second half of the movie. Eventually,

FOR the PARENTS

Flying Lessons

A MILLION MILES AWAY

Amazon Studios, Rated: PG

Streaming on Amazon

IT’S ALWAYS EASY to write about a terrific movie and A Million Miles Away has it all. Great story, authentic characters, a challenging goal, and based on the true story of astronaut José Hernandez. As a boy, José learns important life lessons from his father, and while working in the produce fields of central California. He’s a smart kid and his lucky break comes from his elementary school teacher who recognizes his potential. But life throws every roadblock at José until his dream seems impossible. His family, his wife, and his colleagues marvel at his tenacity and drive, not understanding why going into space is so important. George Mallory, the famous mountaineer, once said he climbed Mt. Everest “because it’s there.” José can’t explain his passion, but he knows he must do what others are unwilling to do to get to NASA. Director Alejandra Abella balances light comedy and repeating farewell scenes to convey

Adrien’s father has the chance to admit his wrongdoing and reconcile with his son. Marinette rejoins her family, but not before repairing the Parisian skyline and restoring the city as Ladybug. Finally, during the school’s winter ball, the two secret identities hiding behind very small masks are revealed. Not surprisingly, the mean girl bullying Marinette is put in her place, but not really punished. And there’s a hint of a sequel, but honestly if you’ve seen this movie, you’ve pretty much seen it all. ✦

On the

launch pad.

5 Tips For Being a More

Sustainable Pet Parent

STEP UP TO SUSTAINABILITY

AND REDUCE YOUR PET’S CARBON ‘PAWPRINT’

THE FUTURE OF OUR concern for people around the world, and pet ownership is part of the equation when choosing to live sustainably. As lovers of both pets and the planet, it’s part of the job of a responsible pet parent to consider ways to keep our carbon ‘pawprints’ small. It can feel like a daunting task, but sometimes big change comes from many little actions.

From the food we choose for our precious pets to the types of toys we purchase, there are lots of small ways pet owners can make changes to become more sustainable. Plus, when we do good for our planet, we also feel good, and when we feel good our pets feel better too!

Here are five tips to help you get started on your journey to becoming a more sustainable pet parent:

UPCYCLE PET TOYS

Think outside the box when it comes to providing your furry friend with toys. Instead of adding more clutter and contributing to landfill waste, look for ways to upcycle old household materials into pet toys. Any cat owner can tell you their cat is probably more interested in the empty cardboard box than whatever was inside it, and well-loved old

clothes can easily be made into a DIY tug toy or snuffle mat.

If you are keen on purchasing a new toy, look for toys that are BPA-free and made from organic or natural materials, or from reclaimed ocean plastic. And, as with any pet toy, make sure to supervise your pet when they are playing with their new toy to keep them safe from choking hazards.

OPT FOR LESS PACKAGING

According to the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), the pet food industry produces more than 300 million pounds of flexible plastic packaging per year in North America. But, whether it’s pet food or something else like toys or bedding, a good rule of thumb is to always opt for purchasing pet products that use minimal or recyclable packaging. Premium pet food brands like Petcurean, Earth Animal, and Primal Pet Foods, for instance, have recently signed the PSC’s Packaging Pledge to make most of their packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. As a pet parent, being intentional about choosing products from companies that value sustainability as a core business objective is another way to reduce your carbon footprint.

TURN MEALTIME INTO TREAT TIME

Instead of adding purchased treats to your pet’s diet - with the extra packaging and calories your pet probably doesn’t need - consider stretching your pet’s meals out over multiple engaging feeding sessions, instead of just one or two bigger meals per day.

Try stuffing a durable food-safe toy with complete & balanced dry and wet food soaked in water and then freezing. Not only will your pet love the challenge, but their waistline will also benefit from the avoided extra calories, and you’ll appreciate the convenience, simplicity and peace and quiet while they work to get all the tasty goodness out. For an extra tasty treat on a special occasion, try stuffing and freezing healthy, natural ingredients like natural yogurt, natural peanut butter or something delicious and seasonal.

DONATE GENTLY USED PET SUPPLIES

We’ve all been guilty of over-consumption or buying a toy that your dog or cat simply doesn’t play with. Instead of tossing it in the trash, donate your gently used pet supplies to a local animal shelter. With so many pets in need, gently used items such as stainless steel food bowls, leashes, and beds are often readily accepted by pet rescue organizations.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS WHEN CHOOSING PET FOOD

Every pet parent will agree that the goal is to help your dog or cat live their happiest and healthiest life. So, it pays to do a little bit of extra research when it comes to choosing your pet’s food. After all, at two (sometimes more!) meals a day, your pet food of choice is one of the key ways you can contribute to a greener planet.

Opt for a pet food brand that not only provides optimal nutrition for your pet, but that aligns with your own values and keeps sustainability at the forefront of their business. Companies that make real commitments to bettering our planet can be evidenced in various ways - from having a dedicated Sustainability Manager, to transparency in sharing their sustainability progress, to publicly declared goals like switching to 100% recyclable packaging, and more. Petcurean, the company behind GO! SOLUTIONS and NOW FRESH, for example, is committed to sustainability across all areas of their business, from food donations to reducing plastic, to recently achieving carbon neutrality for Scopes 1 and 2 - all detailed in their second annual Sustainability Impact Report.

Choosing to live more sustainably for the ongoing good of our pets and our planet doesn’t have to be complicated. Together, we can all make small steps that make a big collective impact, and there are a number of pet companies out there to help support you on your mission to become a more sustainable pet parent. ✦

Sustainability Resources

FOR LOCAL EDUCATORS

WILDFIRES. DROUGHTS. SOARING ENERGY AND FOOD COSTS. Understanding why environmental sustainability matters is vital because real-world, climate crisis-related impacts are here and now.

Last winter, Lane County reached out to 2,000-plus county educators via survey and focus groups to gauge how much county students are learning about environmental sustainability topics. Nearly 500 educators responded to our survey, and 45 participated in focus groups.

The most significant takeaways:

• Eighty-one percent are unfamiliar with Lane County’s (and its partners’) sustainability programs.

• Fifty-three percent do not know if their district has a sustainability plan.

• Nearly 50 percent of teachers report their students engaging in sustainability topics.

• Twenty-nine percent reported rarely teaching sustainability; 26 percent taught at least once per semester, and 21 percent taught sustainability issues at least once a month.

• A lack of access to ready-made classroom materials was cited as the biggest roadblock.

To help address this feedback, Lane County hired marketing agency bell+funk to design, develop, and deploy an environmental education website for Lane County. The site, WasteWiseLane.org, is slated to launch in 2024. The platform will organize sustainability content (i.e., activities, curriculum, etc.) by grade, subject, and program focus and is geared toward teachers, parents, and district administrators.

“The project will deliver a futurefocused digital strategy that elevates local sustainability educational resources and programs,” said Waste Wise Lane County

Waste Reduction

Supervisor Angie Marzano. “We want to make this as ‘plug and play’ for educators as possible. We aim to provide curriculum for educators in varying subjects—ranging from social studies to mathematics to language learning—that adhere to required benchmarks, such as Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).”

One of Waste Wise Lane County’s longestserving partners, BRING, will be showcased along with partners such as Partners for Sustainable Schools on the site. The BRING Education program has served teachers and students in nearly every school district across Lane County for over 35 years. BRING provides waste prevention presentations, tours of Lane County waste-handling facilities, and other experiential resources to 3,000-plus students annually on average.

“This new website is so important to streamline access to teaching materials,

field trip opportunities, and community partnerships,” said BRING Director of Education Emily Reynolds. “This content will enhance the relevance and effectiveness of an educator’s lesson planning, making it easier for teachers to engage students in real-world sustainability issues and promote hands-on learning opportunities in our community and beyond.”

Marzano said this site will cater to users with varying degrees of sustainability knowledge. “Our goal is to make it easy to use and highly accessible because widespread education is critical to making meaningful change for the future.” Stay up-to-date on the site’s progress at lanecountyor.gov/ wastewise-schools or by following Waste Wise Lane County’s social media channels.

Great Halloween Apps

THERE ARE FEW HOLIDAYS

kids look forward to with more anticipation than Halloween. After all, what’s more fun that carving pumpkins, wearing costumes, and going trick-or-treating with your friends? Here are some great Halloween apps for the whole family. The best part is that they’re all free, so make sure to download an app – or three!

CARVE-A-PUMPKIN

Halloween wouldn’t be the same without pumpkin carving. How about carving virtual pumpkins to see who can create the silliest or scariest Jack-o’-lantern? Step one: download Carve-a-Pumpkin. You can choose pumpkins

of different shapes and sizes, and then create your own designs or select from a host of decorating options that include eyes, noses, and mouths. You can even decorate your pumpkins with stickers. The best part is that you won’t cut yourselves, there’s no mess to clean up, and you can experiment with different designs until you find the one that’s just right. (Available online: Apple App Store)

MAKE A ZOMBIE

While you’re at it, why not make a scary zombie or two? With Make A Zombie you can create lots of blood-curdling zombies by combining different heads, hair styles, eyes, mouths, bodies, legs, and clothes.

When you’re done, have the kids share their creations with other family members and friends for some spooky fun. They can also print them out and bring them to school share with classmates, or have them copied onto t-shirts or hoodies. (Available online: Apple App Store)

MONSTERFY

Another fun activity is to change your own face into a frightening creature like a ghost, ghoul, vampire or werewolf. Monsterfy lets you swap your face with all kinds of ghastly monsters and then brings you to life with some crazy animations. You can growl, howl, snap, and snarl, and flick your fangs while sharing images and videos with family and friends. (Available online: Apple App Store; Google Play)

HALLOWEEN GAMES FOR KIDS

Dressing up like scary monsters may be a bit much for the youngest members of the family but that doesn’t mean that they should be left out of all the fun. Halloween Games for Kids has lots of Halloween-themed games that toddlers will enjoy that include matching

funny pumpkins, tracing letters that are accompanied by Halloween-related images, and spelling a variety of Halloween-themed words. The app also has a coloring book that younger ones can enjoy. (Available at: Apple App Store)

HALLOWEEN WORDSEARCH

For the older kids, Halloween WordSearch is a great choice for some brainteasing fun.

Have the kids download the app, select the same word searches, and then see who can find the most words in the shortest amount of time. Do it once the kids are home from trick-or-treating and can’t wait to get comfy on the couch and devour their candy. The app has word puzzles at different levels of difficulty, accompanied by a scare soundtrack to make the mood sufficiently spooky. (Available at: Apple App Store) ✦

ATING HEALTHY IS

A priority for many, but knowing where to start and with what foods can be tricky. One way to level up the nutritional value of your meals is to better understand whole grains and why they are important for a heart-healthy diet.

As a key feature of heart-healthy diets, whole grains like sorghum, oatmeal and brown rice are rich sources of dietary fiber, may improve blood cholesterol levels and

RASPBERRY STREUSEL MUFFINS

Servings: 12 (1 muffin per serving)

MUFFIN INGREDIENTS:

Nonstick cooking spray

• 1 1/2 cups whole grain sorghum flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 3 large egg whites

• 1/4 cup canola or corn oil

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed if frozen

STREUSEL INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons whole grain sorghum flour

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons uncooked quick-cooking rolled oats

• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

• 2 tablespoons light tub margarine

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

PREPARATION:

1. To make muffins: Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir sorghum flour, cinnamon and baking soda.

provide nutrients that help the body form new cells, regulate the thyroid and maintain a healthy immune system.

However, according to a survey by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association, U.S. adults are least knowledgeable about refined vs. whole grains compared to other foods like fruits, vegetables and proteins. Also, when asked to identify whole grains and refined grains, most adults incorrectly believe multi-grain bread is a whole grain and only 17% believe

3. In medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, egg whites, oil, lemon zest and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture until batter is just moistened and no flour is visible without overmixing. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Top each muffin with raspberries.

4. To make streusel: In small bowl, stir sorghum flour, brown sugar, oats, pecans, margarine and cinnamon to

sorghum is an example of a whole grain when it is, in fact, a nutritious whole-grain option.

GO WHOLE GRAIN FOR A Healthy Heart E

If you’re looking to try more whole grains, sorghum is a primary ingredient in these heart-healthy recipes for Pancakes with Blueberry Vanilla Sauce, Raspberry Streusel Muffins and Garden Vegetable Stir-Fried Sorghum.

reach texture of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over muffins, gently pushing into batter. Bake 16 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The USDA recommends cooking egg dishes to 160 F.

5. Transfer pan to cooling rack. Let stand 5 minutes. Carefully transfer muffins to rack. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes.

GARDEN VEGETABLE STIR-FRIED SORGHUM

Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup uncooked whole-grain sorghum

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon gingerroot, peeled and minced

• 1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets, chopped, thawed if frozen

• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed and halved

• 1/2 cup carrot strips, sliced into matchsticks

• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

• 1/2 cup water chestnuts, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 cup green onions, diagonally sliced

PREPARATION

1. Prepare sorghum using package directions, omitting salt. Once cooked, spread sorghum in even layer on rimmed baking sheet or 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Let stand 5-10 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until cool.

2. In large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil, swirling to coat bottom. Cook garlic and gingerroot 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook broccoli, snow peas, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms and edamame 10-12 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring frequently.

3. In small bowl, using fork, beat eggs and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

4. Reduce heat to medium. Stir water chestnuts and sorghum into vegetable mixture. Push mixture to

sides of skillet. Pour egg mixture into center of skillet. Using heatproof rubber scraper, stir 1-2 minutes, or until partially set.

5. Stir vegetable mixture into partially cooked egg mixture. Cook 1 minute, or until eggs are cooked through and sorghum is heated through, stirring constantly. The USDA recommends cooking egg dishes to 160° F.

6. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining soy sauce. Sprinkle with green onions.

PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY VANILLA SAUCE

Servings: 4 (2 pancakes, 1/4 cup sauce and 2 tablespoons yogurt per serving)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

PANCAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

• 1/2 cup whole grain sorghum flour

• 1 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup fat-free milk

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon canola or corn oil

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

PREPARATION

1. To make sauce: Put cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add water, stirring to dissolve. Stir in blueberries and sugar. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1-2 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cover to keep warm. Set aside.

2. To make pancakes: In medium bowl, stir oats, sorghum flour, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.

3. In small bowl, whisk milk, applesauce, egg and oil. Stir into flour mixture until batter is just moistened and no flour is visible without overmixing.

4. Heat nonstick griddle over medium heat. Test temperature by sprinkling drops of water on griddle. Griddle is ready when water evaporates quickly.

5. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake on griddle. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until tiny bubbles appear on surface and bottoms are golden brown. Flip pancakes. Cook 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown on bottoms. The USDA recommends cooking egg dishes to 160 F.

6. Transfer pancakes to plates. Spoon sauce over pancakes. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt.

EIGHT WAYS TO PUT THE F u n BACK IN FUNDRAISING

FEW YEARS AGO, MY son’s middle school principal challenged his students to raise $25,000 to build a school in Ghana through Pencils of Promise. The $25,000 fund was in addition to the money we donated to the PTA for school events. At the time, it seemed like an impossible task. However, in a school of 1,200 students, that came to just $21.00 per student.

Their principal challenged them to find a way to support this project through their own fundraising, not a school wide wrapping paper sale or golf outing. So that’s just what those middle schoolers did. Groups like my son’s basketball team raised money through

a free throw contest. The FACS (Family and Consumer Services) classes made scarves in the school colors that they sold during lunch periods. Some individuals offered their own labor in the way of odd jobs to help raise money.

Before the end of the school year, the students exceeded their goal and raised a total of $26,297. Why was this fundraising more successful than selling popcorn tins and wrapping paper? Because they came together as a community for the benefit of another community and put the fun back in fundraising!

Here are 8 fun ways your school or community organization can raise funds for their next project:

1 THROW A SPORTS TOURNAMENT. Choose a different sporting event each month like cornhole, mini golf, jump rope, basketball, etc. Allow everyone to join the fun by choosing participants based on activity – students vs. teachers for a basketball tournament, boys against girls in a jump rope contest, classroom vs. classroom for a field day event or parents vs. kids in a Minute to Win It game. Charge each participant a small entrance fee.

2 WALL OF MONEY – SELECT A WALL IN THE HALLWAY NEAR THE SCHOOL OFFICE. Place 100 envelopes on the wall, numbered 1-100. The numbers represent dollar amounts. When a donor has cash to donate, he selects the corresponding envelope, fills it and hands it in to the office. When the envelopes are filled you will have collected $5,050!

3 A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS. This is a fun event for the whole school to participate in. Each day, the principal will announce a “This or That” type of question. For example, “Do you like cats or dogs?” Students and staff vote daily by adding a penny to a bucket with their preference. The

following morning, the principal reads the winning answer and poses the next question. On Friday, you can offer Five Cent Friday questions that are a little more complex. 4

JAIL OR BAIL. On Open House night, place the principal, PE teacher or school mascot in “jail”. The two officers outside the “cell” will be armed with cashboxes. Parents, staff and students give money to the two officers to either keep him in jail or bail him out. Charge $1 to keep him in and $5 to bail him out.

the water to watch which duck gets to the finish line first. Use some of the proceeds to purchase a gift card for the winner.

7

5

SILENT AUCTION. Parents, staff and community members donate items for the auction. Classrooms may want to create themed gift baskets like spa, grilling, movies, baking or holiday. Other auction items might include lunch with the principal, Principal for the Day or a front row spot in the pickup line that is good for one year.

CARNIVAL. Go as large or small as you want. Rent bounce houses, dunk tanks and large lawn games. Create your own ping pong toss, pick a sucker, ring toss or balloon darts. Families purchase tickets to play games. Affordable prizes are available on Oriental Trading. A puppy love booth will attract a lot of contributors. Bring in adoptable dogs from a local shelter that participants can hug, kiss or take a photo with for a small fee. Another money maker is the tape wall where students pay $1 for a 12” piece of tape to tape their principal to the wall.

8

RUBBER DUCK RACE. If you have a creek, river or water park lazy river nearby, you can sell numbered rubber ducks to race for your cause. Charge participants $5 for a duck. Participants will gather near

6

CAR TRUNK SALE. Much like a garage sale, a car trunk sale is a winwin situation. Parents or staff can gather the unwanted items in their houses and sell them out of the trunk of their cars in the school parking lot. Offer parking spots for $5-10 each. All proceeds go to your cause. You can also set up booths with food and drinks to keep your shoppers around longer. ✦

We sell our family’s Lochmead milk and ice cream at your local Dari Mart. We milk our cows just north of Junction City, and within 48 hours, the milk is in our stores. Now, that’s fresh!

We’re in your neighborhood. Come see us soon! /darimart /darimartsm darimart.com

Skeletons, Werewolves & Ghosts

(The Real, The Unreal And The Just Plain Scary)

“IfA WEREWOLF BITES YOU, would you turn into a werewolf?” Wendy, who is 3, had been watching some unsuitable television and she was a little stirred-up.

My strength as a parent is my willingness to try to answer every question, but it’s also my weakness. Sometimes answers provide material for nightmares.

“Werewolves aren’t real,” I told her.

“I know,” she said.

Wendy knows if she wants information about witches, ghosts, monsters, etc., she has to pretend to believe that they aren’t “real,” whatever that means.

She’s been told characters in storybooks aren’t “real,” but last week I caught her holding an open copy of “Good Night Moon” upside-down and shaking it, trying to get the bunny to fall out. She has been told that dreams aren’t “real,” so now her definition of “real” is totally confused.

woken up from. It’s like the final scene in “The Wizard of Oz,” where Dorothy tries to tell an affectionate but casually disbelieving audience about a whole season of terror, friendship and wonder. And they just don’t get it.

By the way, in the original book by L. Frank Baum, published in 1900, there was none of this wakingfrom-a-dream stuff. That was Hollywood. The original Dorothy had really been to Oz, and as the series progressed she’d find herself back there a couple more times – once via shipwreck and once by way of a confusing tangle of magical roads. Eventually she relocated there permanently to save herself the commute.

So you see, the movie Dorothy was righter than she seemed, lying there in bed, her big Judy Garland eyes wide with feverish excitement. In the book, Dorothy comes dashing in off the prairie and Aunt Em is ready to believe

get all those little bruises on your legs?” she replies, “It must have happened in a scary dream.”

And now, here I was foolishly explaining the rules governing werewolves and their victims, and the human-to-werewolf conversion process, all under the heading of Things Not Real. I try to make my answers reassuring, but sometimes information leaks out.

“First of all,” I said, “Werewolves can’t bite you because they are only in books and on TV. But in stories, their bite turns people into werewolves like themselves. That’s enough of that. How would you like me to read you a story about Dora the Explorer?”

She persisted, “When they see the moon, do reg’lar wolves turn into werewolves?”

“No, werewolves are people, and the moon turns them into wolves,” I said, a slave to accuracy. “But there is no such thing as werewolves,” I said, knowing as I said it that for someone who says there are no werewolves, I seemed to know an awful lot about them.

(She ought to try me on mummies – one of the few A’s I got in college was for a 30-page research paper on ancient Egyptian embalming techniques. Give me a hundred feet of bed sheets, a dead pharaoh, and a three-day weekend, and I could probably make one for you.)

Wendy’s problem is that she is fascinated and unafraid of supernatural creatures by day and spends her daylight hours gathering data. But

once she parachutes behind the lines of Reality into Dreamland, everything she’s found out comes back to haunt, pursue and terrify her.

Yet, she’ll wake up and plunge right back into her favorite subjects, often asking questions of her two big sisters, who are even worse than me when it comes to giving her fuel for nightmares.

After a Q&A with her 10-year-old sister Marie, Wendy came running to me for more information. Trembling with anxiety, she asked her most dreadful question so far: “Daddy, is there really a SKELETON livin’ inside me?”

“Well, yes,” I said. “But it’s just a bunch of bones that are part of your body – just the way there are boards nailed together inside your playhouse that help it stand up straight.”

“No!” she said. “There’s no skeleton inside me. Skeletons live someplace far, far away.” She could live with the idea of people turning into wolves, but the skeleton thing was too outlandish and horrible to be believed.

But we’ve been talking about it off and on over the past couple of months. I’d been hoping to get this issue squared away before skeletons appear in bony profusion in celebration of Halloween. Wendy is starting to get the idea. But I’ll know we are making real progress when she quits referring to her skeleton as “Him.” ✦

IfYOU ARE AMONG THE 92 percent of Americans who use email as a means of communication, you are a recipient of unsolicited batch emails called “spam.” Every day, upwards of 14.5 billion spam emails are sent globally. They may seem harmless on the surface, but the storage, sorting and transmission of unnecessary spam emails consume copious amounts of energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Emails may seem to appear somewhat magically on a phone or laptop, but any kind of electronic request actually requires a physical touchpoint, called a data center, for the information to be transmitted. Data centers need enormous amounts of electricity to function. Everything, from the servers to the infrastructure to cool the extensive computer systems, is powered by electricity. In 2014, data centers in the United States consumed 70 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity which is equivalent to around two percent of all annual American electricity consumption (the amount of electricity that data centers consume today is likely far higher). Electricity is frequently

generated from fossil fuels, and fossil fuels release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere when burned. A high demand for electricity from data centers significantly contributes to the high volume of greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, every email sent

around the world 1.6 million times.

Between the energy required to harvest addresses, store unread messages in data centers for long periods of time, filter spam and complete basic processing and transmission of messages, spam email is

The storage, sorting and transmission of unnecessary spam emails consume copious amounts of energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

and received has a carbon footprint. Mike Berners-Lee, a professor at Lancaster University, determined that each spam email has a carbon footprint of 0.3g of carbon dioxide. While a spam email’s carbon footprint is actually less than the average non-spam email’s carbon footprint, spam email accounts for the majority of all emails sent, according to some reports—and volume matters. One spam email has the same carbon footprint as driving just three feet in a car, but the total annual volume of spam has the same carbon footprint as driving

estimated to consume 22 billion kilowatt-hours annually. The same amount of energy could power 2.3 million homes in the United States. And assuming the electricity is coming from fossil fuel sources, 2.6 billion trees would have to be planted every year to offset the pollution.

Luckily, spam is unnecessary and there are steps you can take to limit its presence in your own inbox, and to make your inbox greener. Deleting emails, clearing your spam inbox regularly, and unsubscribing from unwanted subscriptions reduces the amount of data volume being

transmitted between servers and stored, which reduces demand for electrical energy. You can also choose a cloud provider, like Gmail or Microsoft Outlook, that has pledged to make their data centers carbon neutral or more environmentally friendly. Green cloud providers use a renewable electricity source or have vastly improved the electrical efficiency of their data centers. In choosing your cloud provider, take a look at Brainwave’s ranking of the “Greenest Clouds.” The impact of some of the more major cloud providers going green has had a tangible impact: while the volume of spam email has significantly increased over time, the amount of electricity spam email consumes annually has remained relatively consistent in the past few years. ✦

CONTACTS: Who Has the Greenest Cloud?  brainnwave.ai/who-has-the-greenest-cloud/; The Carbon Footprint of Email Spam Report, siskinds.com/wp-content/uploads/carbonfootprint_12pg_web_rev_na-1. pdf; How Does Deleting Emails Reduce Carbon Footprint? graygroupintl.com/blog/ how-does-deleting-emails-reduce-carbonfootprint

EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at https://emagazine. com. To donate, visit https://earthtalk.org. Send questions to: question@earthtalk.org

Is it true that spam email takes a huge toll on the environment?

—P.L., BERN, NC

Rescue Spotlight

Meet YARROW ! He is a 7-year-old Spaniel mix who is a gentle, loving canine companion looking for a calm home to call his own! Yarrow would love a family that will wake up and take him on a long morning stroll around the neighborhood and then relax on the couch for nap time. He is a very friendly pup to everyone he meets. He can be an independent guy but also enjoys being in the company of others. He deserves to be treated like a king and will provide endless love in return.

Yarrow’s new family will need to be committed to getting him groomed to keep his gorgeous black and white long hair healthy. It is unknown how he is around other dogs or cats but with a slow, supervised introduction, we suspect he would do ok. He is neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccines. Yarrow is a wonderful older pup that will adjust to a quiet home nicely.

Greenhill Humane Society is open seven days a week, 11 am – 6 pm at 88530 Green Hill Rd in Eugene. For more information call (541) 689.1503 or visit www.green-hill.org

The Cat Rescue & Adoption Network present PHINEAS (top) & FERB (bottom), a beautiful pair of bonded 2-year old male kitties. These sweet and playful boys have fun personalities, and get along great with the other cats, dogs, and gentle kids in their foster home. Black panther Phineas is the more outgoing of the two, while cute tuxedo Ferb is a little more reserved, but is very affectionate once he trusts you. They are looking for a calm, loving forever home. They have been neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and are negative for FIV & FeLV. To meet them, please call 541-2254955 option 1, or visit our website at CatRescues.org.

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