Senior Center News - Feb. 15, 2019

North Central Senior Citizens Center, Feb. 18-22

Monday — Closed for Presidents’ Day holiday

Tuesday — Transportation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m .; bingo at 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday — Transportation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m; TOPS at 8 a.m .; Walmart shopping from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday — Transportation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m .; pinochle at 1 p.m .; Great Falls trip at 8 a.m.

Friday — Medical transportation will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. but people must make a request at least 24 hours in advance.

March Menu by Earlene DeWinter

(Subject to Change)

Monday — Closed for Presidents’ Day holiday

Tuesday — Roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, dinner rolls, cake

Wednesday — Swiss steak with onions, peppers and tomatoes, mashed potatoes, carrots, pudding

Thursday — Hamburger Stroganoff, buttered noodles, Harvard beets, gingerbread

Friday — Soup, salad bar, chef’s choice, dessert, milk

At 12:30 p.m. Feb. 19, we are planning a Public Hearing on our Area Plan on Aging serving Hill County for the three-year period Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2022. We hope to see you there to help us discuss various activities and/or services our seniors would appreciate adding to our calendar so they may participate as a community. We will also be accepting written comments.

Attention all seniors: Tax aides are here at the Senior Center. Appointments began Feb. 4, and will be scheduled on Mondays and Tuesdays only. Call us at 265-5464 to get your appointment scheduled now.

From police and firefighters: The Code Red system will be used to send critical communications, from evacuation notices to missing child alerts. Caller ID: When you see the following displayed, you will know the call is from us.

• Emergency Notifications

1-866-419-5000 or Emergency Communications

• General Notifications

1-855-969-4636 or General Communications

Privacy: Your contact information remains private and will only be used for community notification.

Join Our Database: To make sure you receive notifications, please register at http://www.ci.havre.mt.us/police-department/.

Scroll to the bottom and click the CodeRed box.

Understanding Emerging Diseases From A to Zika: Many new diseases are emerging every year. They are caused by microbes, usually bacteria or viruses that have not infected people yet or have moved to a new place. Part of the reason is because the genes in bacteria and viruses are always changing or mutating. Mutating helps microbes survive and spread.

Bacteria and viruses often get from animals to people by way of insects and parasites. The most common of these are mosquitoes and ticks. News in Health is funding research into where and how new diseases might arise, as well as ways to prevent and treat them.

The modern world has changed how animals, insects, and people encounter each other. Deforestation increases the chances that humans come in contact with forest dwelling creatures and insects. As people move further into underdeveloped areas, they become more likely to encounter animals and insects that carry microbes they haven’t been exposed to before. More people then moving into large cities play a role in the spreading of new diseases.

Compounding all this is trade and the ease of global travel. One person who’s been infected can introduce a disease to a new location. This is how new outbreaks happen. Awareness not panic over the number of people exposed to these diseases is also rising. But the insect-borne diseases are still less frequent than some other better known diseases. Comparing the flu over a million people get the flu in the U.S.

People should educate themselves about what is a risk in their particular region. You should protect yourself depending where you travel. Before you travel, talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated. It will also help make sure you don’t bring any serious diseases home to your family, friends and community.