By Mary Alice Murphy

Grant County Community Health Council Director Cari Lemon gave the director's report at the regular meeting of the health council held on Nov. 13, 2017 at the Black Street office.

Lemon said, in looking at health council priorities, it seemed a good fit to partner with Gila Youth Services, a branch of Sierra Family Counseling Center, for an application to the Freeport-McMoRan Community Investment Fund grant awards.

She said Anthony Martinez, who works for SFCC, is trying to build a youth center, partly to address the Cobre Schools four-day school week. He wants to do a feasibility study. Components in his plan, include working with kids on multi-pronged programs, including counseling, vocational help, team building and taking them on field trips such, as hiking and fishing. He is building his program on leadership opportunities that the kids would have to earn.

"The bigger component is to expand it into the Mining District," Lemon said. "He is from Bayard. He wants to address the four-day school week. The feedback he received from Freeport-McMoRan is that any project they fund has to be already in existence. Freeport does not fund building from the ground up.

"We as a health council have priorities in mental health, first aid and suicide prevention," she continued. "I have submitted a letter of intent, which is a new added step to the Freeport Community Investment Fund application. Then people will be invited to apply. Sierra Counseling has vehicles for transportation, and tools, such as power tools for vocational work. He has received permission to use the Bayard Community Center in the early stages, and can use Cobre fields and equipment. He has a lot of in-kind services he can bring to the table."

Discussion ensued, with member Stewart Rooks, representing agriculture, saying when the four-day week was under consideration at Cliff Schools, he voted against it, although it did pass. "Most parents work five days a week. It's another day of non-supervision for those old enough to stay home alone, but sometimes, they have to watch their siblings who are not old enough to stay home alone."

He said when the four-day week was brought up, it was proposed that there be no extra-curricular activities from Monday through Thursday. But they have games on Tuesday nights. "I want quality classroom work and I think 10-hour days are not beneficial. And the four-day week definitely creates problems for parents."

Member Connie Glenn, representing workforce, said the four-day week creates problems for employers too.

"Why not use 4-H? What this guy is talking about, 4-H already has," Rooks said.

Co-Chairwoman of the health council, Judy O'Loughlin, said: "We could use a partner. We already have the curriculum."

Rooks said 4-H is always looking for adult leaders.

Member Marilyn Alcorn asked about the letter of intent. "Doesn't it require a 501c3?"

"I can apply through Grant County," Lemon said. "He is also trying to get his 501c3."

Alcorn suggested weaving in 4-H and asked what ages are covered in the program.

O'Loughlin said 4-H members range from third grade through seniors in high school, about ages 9-19. The Cloverleafs are 5-8.

Glenn said she was impressed with the recent Community Conversation put on by the Grant County Community Foundation. "They are trying to join together various non-profit organizations."

Rooks noted the inherent problem for after-school and Fridays is transportation.

Glenn brought up the Soft Skills program that seniors in high school have been teaching to freshmen and younger.

Rooks said Ag in the Classroom is a free program put on by the Farm Bureau. "We teach all this stuff in Cliff and we get FFA kids teaching the younger ones."

Lemon said the Gila Youth Services plan includes a community garden. The group would like to start operations in the spring, with a pilot program over the summer.

Alcorn said presumably Gila Youth Services wants to be the leader of the effort, asking where the role for the Health Council was.

"He knows families in the Mining District," Lemon said. "And he was able to get use of the Bayard Community Center."

Rooks noted that Grant County has so many 501c3s there is not enough money to go around.

Alcorn said she had the same thought and wondered why the group was moving that way.

"Because they are expanding Gila Youth Services to the Mining District," Lemon said.

The main topic of the day was the future of the Grant County Community Health Council.

"My predecessors told me to just tell the council members what to do," Lemon said. "That is not my style. For me, in my role, it doesn't make sense for me to tell you what to do. What we're going to do comes from you and your vision."

One suggestion she had thought of was that other counties have Health and Human Services committees. If Grant County had such an entity, the Health Council could be that entity and be able to join the state New Mexico Association of Counties HHS affiliate.

Former Health Council member, Sam Redford, visited the meeting. She had several valuable suggestions that included stressing the council's historical and traditional role of bringing community leaders together to address issues in the community with the Health Council as the clearinghouse.

Alcorn suggested talking points, such as a list of what the health council has accomplished in 2017 and because of waning revenues and monetary assets, a blank sheet showing what it can accomplish in 2018, without state and additional grant support of health councils.

The discussion accelerated around the table, but no firm decisions were made.

The next health council meeting, because of the legislative session beginning in January, will take place prior to the session start, with a tentative date of January 8, 2018.