Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A note from Hank Ford, Sewickley Y's Youth Director

I know this may be short notice, but if at all possible, I’d like to get the word out to those in the Cornell district about our upcoming bowling event. On Saturday, February 4th, I’ll be driving a group of 6th-8th graders from the Y to Paradise Island Bowl. We will depart the Y at 12:30pm and return around 3:30pm. The price of $12.00 (for both Y members and non-members alike) includes: 2 hours of bowling (1:00pm-3:00pm), shoe rental, two slices of pizza, and one soft drink. On our shuttle bus, we have room for myself, one other adult chaperone, and 13 fun-loving kids. Of course, if interest spikes enough in the next several days, we may be able to use a school bus from QV to accommodate a greater number of kids. To this e-mail, I have attached a flyer for the event.






Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Two recent articles highlight ramifications of teen drug and alcohol usage

Two recent Post-Gazette articles once again focused the spotlight on the tragic ramifications of drug and alcohol usage among teens. The first, found at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12022/1205272-455.stm, follows a young woman in her battle against heroin. The second, included below in its entirety, illustrates what can go wrong when teens and alchohol mix.


Woman who gave teens alcohol before deadly crash pleads guilty
Monday, January 23, 2012
By Torsten Ove,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


A Westmoreland County woman this morning pleaded guilty to supplying the alcohol at her teenage son's graduation party before a crash that killed three of the partygoers about a mile from the house.

Susan Sanders-Watt, 60, of Salem, pleaded to corruption of minors, reckless endangerment and 17 citations of serving alcohol to minors.

She admitted that she furnished a half-keg of beer for 16 teens who attended her 17-year-old son's party on June 26. Three teens -- driver Michael Simpson and two passengers, Jordon Cobb and Carly Kudray -- later died in a crash. A fourth passenger, Chad Vandergrift, was thrown from the car but survived.

All four were graduates of Greensburg-Salem High School.

No sentencing date was set.

Torsten Ove: tove@post-gazette.com or
412-263-1510.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12023/1205485-100.stm?cmpid=IPHONEAPP#ixzz1kO1GrpCz

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Sewickley Police Department sponsors drug awareness event

Special Agent from Attorney General’s office to Speak on Drug Awareness and Teens

Youth Connect is pleased to support the Sewickley Police Department’s upcoming presentation on drug awareness, slated for Tuesday, Feb 28th at 6 pm. Richard Shaheen, Senior Supervisory Special Agent from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Investigative Services, will lead the event, which will be held at Osborne Elementary School, 1414 Beaver Street.

According to Shaheen, the evening is appropriate for students in 7th grade through high school, as well as their parents and other interested community members. The event, which is being sponsored by the Sewickley Police Department, will last 45 min to 1 hour. Special Agent Shaheen has presented at Quaker Valley School District functions in the past. Youth Connect joins with the Sewickley Police Department in welcoming Agent Shaheen back to the community, to speak on this important topic.

This program is open to all community members. For more information on Youth Connect and the upcoming presentation, email youthconnect@hotmail.com.

Friday, January 13, 2012

SPL to offer Babysitting 101 class

Babysitting 101

Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 9am-3pm
In the Sewickley Public Library Community Room

Babysitting 101 (facilitated by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC) helps boys and girls ages 11 and up gain the knowledge and skills needed to become responsible babysitters. Students learn about safety for themselves and the children in their care. First aid basics, choking rescue techniques, child development, and routine daily care are covered.Students are asked to bring a bag lunch to the class. The library will provide drinks and snacks.The cost of this class is $25 per person. Interested students must register in person at the library's reference desk. Payment is due upon sign up. Cash and checks are accepted. Checks should be made payable to Sewickley Public Library. Contact the library at 412-741-6920 with any questions.

If this date doesn’t work for you, check the Children’s Hospital’s Babysitting 101 webpage for additional dates.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Some upcoming events--mark your calendars!

At the recent Youth Connect meeting, the following events were announced. Stay tuned for additional details, but in the meantime, mark your calendars so you don't miss the important information that will be shared.


Sewickley Academy will be hosting its "Superbowl for
Summerbridge" on Friday, Feb 3rd. $10 to fill your bowl or $25
to keep it. There will be salad, cornbread and chili and the proceeds benefit
the Summerbridge program. More details on the horizon!

Laughlin's 4th annual St. Valentine's Day Family Ball is Saturday, Feb. 4th
from 5 to 8 pm at the Edgeworth Club. The event is a family-friendly
dinner dance with activities for children under 12. Ticket prices are
$90/adult, or $175 for a family ticket (limit 2 adults); kids under 12 are
free! Call 412.741.4087 for details or to register.


Tuesday, Feb 28th: Officer Mazza from the Sewickley Police is coordinating
a drug and alcohol awareness event with the Attorney General's office. The
presentation will be held at Osborne Elementary. The time has not been
confirmed, but it will occur in the evening. More details will be shared
as they become available.

Friday, January 6, 2012

from Drugfree.org, dangers of hookah smoking

Hookahs Can Cause Carbon MonoxidePoisoning, Health Officials Say

Hookahs, which many people perceive as a less dangerous way of using tobacco than smoking
cigarettes, can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, health experts say.
The health effects of hookahs, or water pipes, have not been studied as rigorously as cigarettes, but
the risks are becoming clearer as the pipes grow in popularity in the United States, Thomas
Eissenberg of Virginia Commonwealth University, who has studied hookahs extensively, told The
Courier-Journal.

Hookah bars feature water pipes that are used to smoke a blend of tobacco, molasses and fruit
called shisha. Researchers say that contrary to the belief of many hookah smokers, the water in the
pipe does not filter all the harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke. The World Health Organization
(WHO) noted in a report that the smoke inhaled in a typical one-hour hookah session can equal
100 cigarettes or more. The WHO report also stated that even after it has been passed through
water, the tobacco smoke in a hookah pipe contains high levels of cancer-causing chemicals.
Henry Spiller, Director of the Kentucky Regional Poison Center, told the newspaper that he has
seen hookah users with significant carbon monoxide poisoning. He noted that regular hookah
users may develop long-term health problems from increased carbon monoxide levels, including
neurological damage. In severe cases, carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to a coma or death.

Original URL:
http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/tobacco/hookahs-can-cause-carbonmonoxide-
poisoning-health-officials-say
Share

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Recent Post-Gazette articles of interest

It's back to school and work after the holidays. Here are a few recent articles to check out as you de-decorate the house...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12003/1200970-55.stm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11365/1200483-84-0.stm

Thoughts? Impressions? Feedback? Ideas? Let us know!

While we periodically post articles like these to get conversations started, that doesn't indicate Youth Connect endorsement--instead, our aim is to help the community understand the risky behaviors teens engage in, with the hopes that together, we can reduce them. If you're interested in knowing more about Youth Connect, consider attending a Youth Connect steering committee meeting. Email us for details.