2014

Halloween Health and Safety Tips from the CDC

Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment

 Check out these helpful Halloween Health & Safety Tips from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

We know our Oakland County Trick-or-Treaters will find this very useful!

Four young friends on Halloween in costumes eating donuts hanging off strings.

Fall celebrations like Halloween and Harvest Day are fun times for children, who can dress up in costumes, enjoy parties, and eat yummy treats. These celebrations also provide a chance to give out healthy snacks, get physical activity, and focus on safety.

Check out these tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters and party guests.

Going trick-or-treating?

Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.

Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

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Floating on Snow: Cross-country Skiing in Oakland County

Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment

skiing

Have you tried cross-country skiing?

Like rowing or swimming, it is a great workout that uses every major muscle group. And since rowing and swimming are not very practical in the Michigan winter, cross country skiing is a good way to shed a few of those extra holiday pounds you may have added.

If you are new to the sport, their are two styles of cross-country skiing: traditional and skate skiing. With the traditional skiing technique, your skis are pointed straight forward and your feet do not have to leave the ground. In skate skiing your movements are closer to those of a roller or inline skater.

Most will advise you to take a lesson your first time out. It can reduce the amount of frustration of learning on your own or worse yet, the chore of unlearning bad habits.

You will soon enjoy the peacefulness of floating across the snow. Continue reading →

Winter Solstice: The Gateway to Winter Adventure in Oakland County Parks

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WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTYimg_8985

Winter officially began at 23:03 Universal Time on December 21. That moment marked the point at which the least amount of sunlight fell across the northern half of the globe. The earliest humans on earth may not have chatted around a campfire about the winter solstice, but they managed to grasp the fact that the sun’s path across the sky, the length of daylight and the locations of sunrises and sunsets all shifted in detectable patterns. Stonehenge is one such testament to the event. Winter, in all likelihood, was a time of great challenge, when many struggled just to survive. Today we have Facebook and Twitter to mark the solstice and here in Oakland County, we have 13 parks that take on a special beauty during the slowly lengthening days of winter. Addison Oaks County Park, Independence Oaks County Park and rural Rose Oaks County Park are three of our hilly and glacially sculpted parks that are rich in winter trails and wild land adventures on the wilder side of Oakland County. Continue reading →

Oakland County Casual Day Funds Given to Fifteen Charities & Veteran

Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment

Last week, Oakland County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson, awarded fifteen charities and a veteran with $29,000 dollars in funds that were raised by Oakland County employees through their Casual Day Funds Program. The program allows employees in participating departments and divisions to wear jeans or dress casually on Thursdays or Fridays for a minimum donation of one dollar. Representatives from each charity gathered at the Oakland County Executive Office building in Waterford on Wednesday to receive their donation.

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Patterson invited each representative up to the podium to share how their charities work to serve the community. After personally giving a check to each one, he emphasized that the funds were raised by the employees of the county. He spoke about distributing the funds to local charities and said, “We’re delighted to do so, all you do adds to the quality of life in Oakland County.”

This year’s recipients include:

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