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Idaho is a Happy Giving State Are you happy? According to a recent survey, Idaho is ranked number ten in the nation for happy people. With a number of politicians touting Idaho’s low ranking in the area of wages and spending on government programs, it seems that money is not as important as some people would like to think it is, when it comes to happiness. Certainly, money can buy happiness - to a point - but once your income level reaches about $60,000 to $70,000 per year, money makes very little difference in a person’s overall happiness. Of course, one has to ask the question, “What is happiness?” or “What makes you happy?” Generally, happiness is defined as a feeling of emotional well-being. Factors that
make one happy are life/job satisfaction, mental and physical health, environment, and social connections. Besides Idaho, several western states were ranked high in happiness: Utah #1, North Dakota #3, and Colorado #4 (Minnesota was #2). One reason that has been suggested for this is that these states have better access to outside recreational opportunities. Hawaii is one of the best places to live for recreation, but the high cost of living pushed its overall happiness ranking down to #8 (money can work both ways). The other big factor in happiness is social connections, and it has nothing to do with how many facebook friends you have - it’s family. Utah came out on top of the rankings, precisely for that reason. High family values have the effect of reducing stress shared burdens are always easier to carry - and less stress means more happiness. Another ranking that may be related to this happiness is volunteerism. People volunteer, primarily to invest in making their communities better or to help others with the burdens of life. The number one state for volunteerism is Utah, followed by Minnesota (#2) and... Idaho in third place. For more information, check out Pharrell Williams “Happy” on YouTube.
Camas County Historical Society’s
1st Annual Fall Fest ~ October 4th
Horseshoe Tournament 10 a.m. ~ Pie Eating contest 1 p.m. ~ Cake Walk 2 p.m. Great Vendors all day. Hot Dogs & Beverages served.
“Camas County Voices”
History stories presented by the 9th & 10th graders COME, ENJOY & SUPPORT the Historical Society and Our Local Museum
October 1
,2014
Volume 38 ~ Number 40 News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
CourierNews.webs.com
October Energy Action Month
What is one action you can take to save energy, water, and money every day? Try replacing your old showerhead with a WaterSense labeled model! Showering accounts for nearly 17 percent of all residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. That’s about 1.2 trillion gallons of water every year in the United States! What’s more, it takes energy to heat the water when you shower. This October, The City of Fairfield is also celebrating Shower Better Month by encouraging consumers in Camas County to replace old showerheads with WaterSense labeled models to save energy and other resources. Like all WaterSense labeled products, showerhead models that earn the WaterSense label have been independently certified to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) criteria for water continued on page 5.....