Express Yourself

An inactive lifestyle could place older adults in jeopardy

By Wally Pearce Winters Elder Day Council

February was Heart Health Month, but there is important information on warning signs related to cardiovascular health and a sedentary lifestyle absent of a lack of exercise that is important year-round. No matter an adult’s lifestyle choice, a healthy diet and way of life are certain keys to preventing and managing cardiovascular disease.

For a variety of reasons, in the United States and around the world, some people spend more and more time involved in sedentary activities. Not getting enough physical activity can often lead to heart disease — even for those people who’ve no other risk factors. An acute lack of exercise can also increase the likelihood of developing other heart disease risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and Type Two diabetes.

The exact definition of a sedentary lifestyle is when someone spends six or more hours per day sitting or lying down, and lacks significant physical movement in their daily life.

The risk from a sedentary lifestyle varies with the time being inactive: was their first time overnight apart from their families and challenged them to unplug and explore nature. The Express reached out to students who attended outdoor school to find out what kind of experiences they gained from the experience.

• Low risk indicates sitting less than four hours per day.

• Medium risk indicates sitting four to eight hours per day.

• High risk indicates sitting eight to 11 hours per day.

• Very High risk indicates sitting more than 11 hours per day.

Some of the big takeaways students shared were learning about how to identify poison oak, that redwood tree bark is fireproof and that one should, indeed, not kiss banana slugs. Many of them raved about going on the night hike and the solo hike in the redwood, learning more about the different animal habitats and discovering the peace found in nature. Others enjoyed the chance to make natural paint with rocks and mud

Getting some light exercise is always better than getting none.

Individuals that have been inactive may need to start an exercise program slowly and for some, under the supervision of their medical provider.

People can also keep adding more exercise gradually. The more a person can do, the better, but they should try not to feel overwhelmed and do what they can. Getting some light exercise is always better than getting none. Eventually, the goal can be to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age and health.

There are many ways to get exercise, and it’s important to find the types that are best for a person’s ability and needs. People can also try to add activity to their life in small ways, such as at home and with friends and family. It’s never too late to start and get moving.

To access some valuable information, please conduct a webpage search by entering the report title, “Exercise & Physical Activity for Healthy Aging Get Fit for Life,” and you’ll be directed to a very in-depth free report.

Before engaging in physical activities after being sedentary, it’s always safe that a person consults their treating physician to ensure the best-desired results are achieved in a protected and healthy manner.

It is cold outside and PG&E is loving it

Something was wrong with my PG&E bill last month. I was gone for most of January but left my thermostat on when I left. I know, my fault, but $1,400 was still a shocker. At my office, the thermostat is set to what I would call, “barely warm.” We do have electric heaters by our desks, but the bill was more than double what I would consider normal, while our usage was about the same as last year.

I set the thermostat to 64 in February, when the museum is open and turned it off when I left each day. I talked to the other tenants about lowering their thermostats, and it really seemed to help. Our February bill was “only” $669. I’m not sure what you do if you are a family and want to keep your kids warm but can’t afford your PG&E bill. I’ve told everyone to wear a sweatshirt with a hood, but that didn’t go over very well.

This is nothing new. I’ve always complained about my power bill. Years ago, I remember Debra looking at me, all bundled up at her computer, as she told me, “I can’t type with gloves on.” I bought her a heater for her desk.

If I’m feeling too sorry for myself, I just turn on the news about Ukraine, where the Russians have bombed most of their power plants, leaving the citizens in the dark with no heat. It is hard to believe that we still allow countries to invade one another without the world coming together and saying enough.

To change the subject, the Historical Society of Winters is having a grand opening of the Wild World of Winters Sports exhibit this Sunday, from 1-5, during their normal open hours. Tom Crisp, retired Winters High School teacher and author of local sports books, will be talking at 2 p.m. about the people in the exhibit.

Winters has a long history of athletes succeeding outside of Winters and you will find it interesting to read about and see pictures of our famous sons and daughters.

A friend asked me to write about how volunteers have built a lot of what we are proud of in Winters. He wanted to know why we can’t build the pocket park with volunteer labor. That is a good question. There will be a committee working on a design, but when that plan is finished, let the citizens of Winters step up and do the work. It won’t be the first, or last, time that we use the talents of our neighbors to make Winters a special place to live.

I’ll see you on Sunday afternoon when volunteers at the museum will welcome you to their Wild World of Winters Sports. I’m not sure about snacks, but there will be refreshments and heat in the building. Have a good week.

The parade is marching on

Gramps Says

During the 1940 Battle of Britain, Churchill said of the RAF pilots, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.” Not meaning to compare the annual Youth Day Winters Parade to the air bombardment of Britain, but most worthwhile endeavors, such as the parade, usually owe their success to a diligent few. For over 40 years, Mike Sebastian, our parade chairman, has been instrumental in successfully promoting and organizing the parade. Although he wouldn’t want the attention, he deserves a hearty “Thank You.”

Mike mentions that there seems to be less interest in the parade now than in the past and it has been more of a challenge to keep it going. The internet is posting more competing events. Some of the supporting organizations such as the Lions Club, Soroptimist International and VFW are gone. This year the VFW from Dixon will be the color bearers. School bus transportation has been cut, and it is more difficult to bring bands from other areas. Last year the Mariachis were the only music imported from out of town. The good news is that many volunteers have stepped forward this year to help. It takes about thirty volunteers to pull it off and we only need about nine more to fill duties such as check-in, division marshals and to man barricades. Students from the High School usually fill the all-im- only could they survive without electronics, but they had the opportunity to get to know their friends and classmates better. and play on the beach.

“I learned how to work as a team and communicate as a team and as a cabin group,” Kayla Suarez said.

“I learned a lot about nature and I learned to work as a team to solve problems,” August Nelson said.

“I learned that it’s great to go on little walks or hikes once in a while,” Jayden De La Cruz said.

“It was awesome! We went to the beach and we made shelters it was the best part because I spent the whole time doing all this fun stuff it was the best,” said Ayden Poteat.

“During my week at Outdoor School Camp,

I went on hikes and saw some beautiful parts of nature that I had never explored,” Frances Lundy said.

“I learned to value nature more and sometimes just stop to smell the flowers, both literally and figuratively,” Jackelyn Cooper said.

Some students said they discovered not portant positions of pooper scoopers. If you would like to lend a hand, contact Mike Sebastian by email at mjsebast63@gmail. com.

The Shriners have performed in our parade for 45 years. Last year their go-carts were stolen but we will see them this year in newly designed carts. We are fortunate to be on their limited tour list. The California State Horseman’s Association, which comes from far and near, is entering this year as well. It is still early, most of the entries sign up between now and the time of the event.

Late breaking news is that the Kiwanis nect from electronics,” Diana Diaz said.

Some of the sixth graders are already making plans to return as camp counselors once the opportunity to apply comes in high school.

“It was really, really fun! The food was deli-

“I learned that enjoying the moment is really important because you may never get that moment again,” Zackary Strange said.

“I learned how to talk with people I never thought I would talk to. I also learned how to respect nature,” Julieta Duehas said.

“I learned to make new friends, appreciate nature, and discon-

Club of Winters will host the Duck Derby. Mike also mentions that we are fortunate to have long-standing sponsors of Youth Day events that assist in covering essential costs.

Sophie Says I will make a point to remind Gramps to recognize in this column the sponsors who help out this year. I hear that there are 25 Golden Retrievers marching in the parade. That will be a sight to see and I’m pleased to see my canine friends so honored. I’ll leave the marching to the youngsters. If I were invited to be in the parade, I would swallow my pride, take a senior benefit and let Gramps pull me in a wagon. After all at 16, in dog years, I’m over a hundred years old. I may not hear and see as well as I used to, but I still love a good cious, the hikes were awesome and I learned a lot from them,” said Jack Jordling. “It was definitely a trip with the kids in my cabin, and the nighttime activities were very fun. I will definitely go back as a cabin leader when I am in high school.” as possible during the week. Then we worked for several hours preparing this area of the school for our future, outdoor classroom/ garden with tables around it.”

No weed was spared from its fate of being yanked out by its roots by the sixth graders sporting their homemade, tie-dyed bandanas. The students’ week-long adventure was far from over, however, as Ellison and Perez took them on a day-long field trip down to the Putah

Creek Nature Park. “From 8:15 a.m. till 1 p.m., we were out there walking around the creek making observations, doing a nature scavenger hunt and doing a major trash cleanup at the low point in the creek where the salmon mural is. I thought it’d be a 45-minute activity, but the students were so into it and they didn’t want to stop,” Ellison said. “They hauled out wooden pallets, big pieces of pressure-treated lumber, garbage bags on top of garbage [bags] full of trash and tires.” Ellison wrote to the city and they sent a big pickup truck to haul it. She said she initially thought they were “just going to collect a few shopping bags full, but (the students) pulled out so much trash they left the space spotless.”

“Many of them had not been down there, so this was just a wonderful day of them discovering, being curious about and appreciating this jewel of Winters in the Putah Creek Nature Park,” Ellison said.

From beautifying their school campus to cleaning up nature within Winters, these sixth graders thrived with this unique learning opportunity. Beyond the pride, she felt watching these youngsters learn, Ellison simply sat back and enjoyed watching them smile.

“I’m in the classroom with these kids in math class for most of the year, and it’s not always the happiest place for them to be. But it was so wonderful to see them this happy. I’ve never seen most of them as happy as they were laughing, skipping and working hard and smiling the way they did when we were down there at Putah Creek,” said Ellison. “There was so much happiness

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when they were outside in nature, moving and being curious. We also went out into the yard and did some fort-building because there’d been a tree that’d fallen.

So, I brought my pruning tools, we cut it up and built stick forts in the back corner of the schoolyard. Then we did carpentry one day, and I brought in some scrap wood, hammers and nails and they just used their imagination to build stuff.”

Many of the students mentioned they had a lot of fun playing games like Capture the Flag and Sharks and Minnows, making lemonade and bracelets, and even having some time bonding together. Some of them said the experience of cleaning up the campus and the creek was valuable.

“We learned that working together can get a lot done,” said Francisco Reyes.

“Picking up trash at Putah Creek was very fun and it gave me a feeling inside that I have never felt,” said Caden Selby.

“I helped clean a lot of trash at Putah Creek — it was a lot of trash. I couldn’t believe us humans would harm Earth like that,” said Sarahi Sanchez.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case Number: CV2023-0044

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

Petitioner: Yousaf Maidanwall filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case Number: CV2023-0043

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: Anomulah Abrahemkhel filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: