There’s always something to do on San Juan Island | Voices for Health

Remember when you were a kid and you had nothing to do? Remember saying, “Mom, I’m bored! There’s nothing to do!”? Where have those days gone? As adults we are never bored and now only dream of the days when we had nothing to do. Despite this, we can’t forget that the youth in our community do get bored, especially in the summer. This is often when poor decisions are made. There is no better time to arrange weekly activities to keep your kids happy and productive during their summer vacation.

May 4, 2010 2:51 pm

By CARRIE UNPINGCO

Welcome to the first-ever San Juan Island Prevention Coalition column!

“Voices for Health” will be a monthly column in The Journal of the San Juan Islands, as well as online at SanJuanJournal.com. There is nothing more important than keeping you up-to-date on the health of our community. This column will include voices from an array of people and sectors in our community, keeping it original and refreshing. You can always count on the Voices for Health column to find a positive perspective on prevention.

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Remember when you were a kid and you had nothing to do? Remember saying, “Mom, I’m bored! There’s nothing to do!”? Where have those days gone? As adults we are never bored and now only dream of the days when we had nothing to do.

Despite this, we can’t forget that the youth in our community do get bored, especially in the summer. This is often when poor decisions are made. There is no better time to arrange weekly activities to keep your kids happy and productive during their summer vacation.

We hear that there’s nothing to do on our small island, when in fact, there is so much to do here we can’t even fit all the “Summer Activities for Youth 2010 Calendar” onto one page. Debbi Fincher, a volunteer for the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition and parent, put together a calendar of summer activities. This calendar was distributed May 1 at the Children’s Festival, and will be mailed out to public school parents. Copies will also be delivered around town throughout May.

The activities calendar reflects a strong community system that supports the island’s youth. According to the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), communities that expose youth to positive influences potentially decrease youths’ risk of alcohol use.

Please call Cynthia Stark-Wickman, executive coordinator, at 378-9683 or e-mail her at prevention@centurytel.net with any questions regarding the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition Community Calendar for this summer. You can also e-mail Debbi Fincher with questions at fincher@rockisland.com.

Don’t forget about the U.W. Friday Harbor Labs’ Open House May 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is free and always a family favorite to kick off the summer.

Remember, there’s always something to do!

— Carrie Unpingco is administrative assistant of the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition.