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March, 2011 |
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A Letter from our Executive Director
Dear Friends of NYEP,
Come on Spring!! Here at NYEP, we are eagerly awaiting warmer weather. We plan on starting off the season with spring cleaning and gardening. We continue to focus on our goals for 2011; learning more about nutrition to stay healthy and happy, developing workforce partnerships, and converting our garage into an art studio.
This last month we were able to attend an Etiquette Luncheon hosted by Charlotte Smith. We would like to thank Charlotte for inviting us into her home. The chef was awesome, the meal was delicious, and we had a great time learning proper etiquette from our wonderful host.
We most definitely are looking forward to warmer weather and more opportunities to learn and grow. If you would like to volunteer or donate, please contact us. If you would like to learn more about NYEP and upcoming events, follow us on facebook here or become our friend here.
Sincerely,
Monica DuPea
Nevada Youth Empowerment Project
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How Weather Affects Our Mood
Study Sheds Light on Whether the Sun, Wind, Rain Sway Our Emotions
By Kelly Colihan
WebMD Health & News Reviewed byLouise Chang, MD
Rainy days always get you down?
Researchers in Germany sought to find out whether day-to-day weather affects people's moods. Researchers branched out beyond just sunny and cloudy and looked at temperature, wind, sunlight, rain and snow, air pressure, and how long the days were. The study was led by Jaap Denissen of Humboldt University in Berlin.
The study had 1,233 participants, all living in Germany at the time. Most of the participants were women, the average age was 28, with ages spanning from 13 to 68 years old. Study participants were first given a personality test that measured extraversion, neuroticism, how open one is to experiences, and how agreeable and conscientious they are. Then, participants were given a daily online diary and asked to respond to a questionnaire that measured tiredness and positive and negative mood. Examples of positive mood included feeling "active," "alert," "attentive," "excited." Examples of negative mood included feeling "irritable," "scared," "upset," "guilty." Tiredness was measured by terms such as "sluggish," "sleepy," and "drowsy." Most of the participants began the study in the fall.
Find Out More
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How To Start a Simple Vegetable Garden
Growing garden vegetables in a simple backyard garden is a great way to cut your grocery store spending while providing yourself with access to fresh, delicious and nutrient-rich produce. While growing a garden requires a bit of a commitment, it gives you full control over how your vegetables are grown, allowing you to eliminate the use of harmful pesticides, if desired. When growing your first vegetable garden, proper site selection, preparation and planting techniques are essential.
1 Find a suitable planting location for your simple vegetable garden. Select a location that receives six to eight hours of sunlight each day to ensure that your vegetables have the sunlight they need for healthy, vigorous growth. Choose a planting location that also offers your vegetables moist, but well-draining, soil.
2 Prepare the soil at your chosen planting location before planting your garden vegetables. Remove any rocks, sticks or other debris that will make it more difficult for you to work organic amendments into the soil. Clear the entire area of grass, weeds or other vegetation. Remove the root systems of existing vegetation to prevent them from growing back and competing with your vegetables for moisture and nutrients. Cover the surface of the soil with a 3-inch layer of equal parts aged manure, peat moss and perlite. Work the organic amendments 8 to 10 inches into the soil. Rake the surface of the amended soil until smooth.
3 Plan the layout of your garden and decide which vegetables you want to grow. Choose simple-to-grow vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, peas, spinach or onions. When planning the layout of your garden, situate vertically growing vegetables such as corn or pole beans in the back and low-growing vegetables in the front.
4 Stretch a piece of string tightly across the prepared planting area to mark the locations of the planting furrows. Lay a long-handled shovel on the surface of the soil and push the handle into the soil to create planting furrows that are 1 to 2 inches deep. Space the planting furrows 8 to 10 inches apart to provide adequate room for your vegetables to develop.
5 Sow your vegetable seeds in the prepared planting furrows at the depth recommended on the back of the seed packets. Plant container-grown vegetable plants in the prepared planting furrows at the same level they were growing in their nursery containers.
6 Water your vegetable seeds or plants after planting to moisten the surrounding soil. Provide enough irrigation to moisten the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.
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 How to get Started...
Spring time is here! Unfortunately, spring cleaning comes along with it! Here are some helpful hints on how to get motivated and get spring cleaning done. 1 Go from the outside in - make note of all of the projects that you would like to complete inside and out. Take cleaning one step at a time; do not make it one huge project. Include yard clean up, garage clean up, go through closets and cabinets and get rid of items that are no longer being used or needed and donate them, organize items still left, putting away winter clothes and organizing closets, wash linens and draperies, dust ceiling fans and lamps, move furniture and vacuum underneath and all around and clean carpets. 2 Work as a team - delegate tasks. Use the list that you created to delegate tasks. Give everyone in the house a fair amount of spring cleaning tasks to complete. 3 Gather tools and cleaning supplies - Make sure you have all the tools that you need to get all of the tasks on your list completed. Go through your task list and make a list for the tools that you need to get all the tasks completed. Go through the house and gather the tools and cleaning materials that you already have and set a date to purchase the tools that you will need. 4 Set a date - set a time line and make a schedule for all tasks to be completed. Also, set a date to celebrate your accomplishments, this will motivate you to get the work done and give you something to look forward to when you are done. Make sure that you follow the schedule. Try to schedule tasks on the same day so that you can work as a team. Play music and make it fun to keep yourself motivated. 5 Enjoy - enjoy your fresh clean home and the spring time!! |
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NYEP is a local 501 3 non-profit organization that provides residential and out patient programming and education to prepare willing older youth for independent self-sufficient living. |
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NYEP attends an
Etiquette Luncheon hosted by Charlotte Smith
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Visit Our Sponsor
The Alliance with the Washoe County Medical Society
AWCMS was established as a membership organization in 1947. It is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. Over the years it has also been known as "Docters Wives of Washoe County". Begining with a membership of 38 physician's wives, the organization now lists over 300 physician (spousal) members as well as medical student and resident spouses.
AWCMS has held fundraisers since 1951 that support programs for education, medical services, youth services and the arts. Members of the Alliance, predominately women have served on local county and state boards, and as elected members of the Nevada State Legislature. They are housewives, lawyers, judges, physicians, nurses, physical therapists, teachers, professors, authors, artists, skilled craftspeople, musicians, dancers, psychologists, social workers, anthropologists, archaeologists, members and leaders in Reno's Churches and Synagogs, businesswomen and men, ranchers, legislative lobbyists and community activists. This year we will honor fourteen fifty-year members, members who have contributed to AWCMS and to their community.
Over its 60 years of existence the Alliance has been effective in changing lives, in helping to provide better medical care for Nevada's Residents, has provided safety equipment for fire and sheriffs offices, and has assisted students in achieving career goals. Learn more about AWCMS here.
We would like to thank AWCMS for their generous donation of $5000. |
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Tips for Starting a Vegetable Garden in Northern Nevada
The northern Nevada climate and soil conditions provide challenges to the vegetable gardener. Northern Nevada has large fluctuations between day and night temperatures, low humidity, strong wind, a relatively short growing season and poor soil. But with careful preparation, a wide variety of vegetables are grown.
Weather Challenges- The growing season in northern Nevada averages 90 to 100 days. There are numerous microclimates and the growing season is significantly shorter or longer in some areas. With only 6 to 8 inches of annual precipitation, adequate irrigation is a necessity.
Soil Challenges- Northern Nevada soil ranges from heavy clay to deep sand. It is alkaline, low in primary elements and often with little organic matter. Soil amendments and fertilizer are necessary for a successful garden.
Cool-Season Vegetables- The date of the last spring frost is about May 15. The hardiest cool-season vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, peas, turnips and spinach, are planted between March 15 and May 1. The remainder of the cool-season vegetables, such as beets, radishes, carrots, cauliflower and Swiss chard, are planted from April 1 to May 1. Many cool-season vegetables are planted again in August for a fall crop.
Warm-Season Vegetables- Green beans and sweet corn are planted after May 15. The cold-sensitive vegetables such as melons, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash and tomatoes are planted in late May or early June. Because of the short growing season, these vegetables are often started indoors and the plants are transplanted outside after the danger of frost is over.
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Contact Us
NYEP
2030 W. 6th Street
Reno, Nevada 89503
(775) 747-2073
www.nvyep.org
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