Great
Links
Swingset Mamas
 The
Swingset Mamas, two rockin’ moms
whose playful tunes blend terrific
musicianship with heartfelt parenting
tips, are urging families everywhere
to practice sun-safe habits this
summer with their surf-themed ‘Sunscreen
Dance.’ The
tune is featured as a resource
on the Environmental
Protection Agency’s SunWise program website.
The Swingset Mamas are keyboard
player Marlowe Bechmann and guitarist
Lizzie Swan, award winning singer-songwriters
who infuse their rock-flavored
music with their own mom-tested
wisdom. 'Sunscreen
Dance' was inspired
by my battle with Stage IV melanoma.
After a weekend escape to Texas
to visit Marlowe (a college roommate)
during my treatment, the Mamas’ wrote
the song and embarked on their
current crusade to raise awareness
about this highly preventable,
often fatal disease. “We
hope that through our music, parents
and kids will make sun-safe habits
like applying sunscreen an automatic
part of their lives,” said
Bechmann and Swan.
Playground Fantastico
Playground Fantastico is the playground
and community gathering space in
Napa that was imagined and designed
by children, funded by community
donations and built by over 3,000
Napans in 2002. It is a whimsical,
wonderful place with water features,
climbing castles, tire swings,
musical play pieces, and so much
more. The only thing missing
is—SHADE!
The good news is that the effort
to construct shade structures at
Fantastico is underway—plans
are drawn, approvals have been
obtained and the next step is fundraising. The
goal is to install the shade structures
and start protecting children during
summer 2008.
The most exciting aspect of this
project for me is that it will
be the first public shade structure
in my hometown of Napa. It
is my hope that this is the first
of many and that eventually, Napa
can proudly call itself a SunWise
City.
If you are interested in working
on this project or donating funds,
let us know. jnslowell@comcast.net
The Earth is shielded from harmful
UV radiation by the ozone layer.
However, ozone depletion, seasonal
changes and weather variations,
cause different amounts of UV radiation
to reach the Earth on a daily basis.
The UV Index was developed by the
National Weather Service (NWS)
and Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA),and predicts the next day's
ultraviolet radiation levels. Levels
are forecasted and reported on
a 1-11+ scale, helping people determine
appropriate sun-protective behaviors.
The UV Index scale used in the United States conforms with
international guidelines for UVI reporting established
by the World
Health Organization.
EPA SunWise Program
The SunWise Program is an environmental
and health education program that
aims to teach the public how to
protect themselves from overexposure
to the sun through the use of classroom-,
school-, and community-based components.
Free Skin Cancer Screening
On
May 12th, from 9 am-12 pm, Solano
Dermatology Associates, Vallejo
office, will offer free skin cancer
screenings. No
appointment is necessary, just
come to the office.
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