Notes on Nov. 5, 2010 meeting at Thailand Restaurant

Karl, Troy, Debbie, Leah, Michael, and Richard were present. While partaking of the world’s best Tom Kha Gai we assessed the Employment forum and decided on our next forum topic.
A. Employment forum: how could we improve on the next forum?
• Time: put at night, 7-9 p.m.
• 2 people per evening max; if more people are needed to address the issue adequately, then more than one meeting—maybe one a month.
• Keep on Thursday nights
• utilize Facebook to advertise events
• As one of the many good effects of the Forum, Michelle has submitted a report on her community development thoughts to the mayor and city staff of Oakdale.

B. For the future forums:
Gaither Loewenstein had met with Debbi Gilbert, Michael Smedshammer, Bill Anelli, Richard Anderson on Oct. 29 and he discussed two routes of action Stanislaus Solutions might help him pursue. One is related to his goal of setting up a obesity/diabetes/fit/fat/healthy lifestyles program for MJC to extend to the community. His vision includes MJC hiring a full-time nutrition teacher, and taking the Ag van loaded with healthy foods to various low-income areas, teaching residents how to obtain, cook and enjoy healthy foods, the importance of physical work and exercise to burn off calories and avoid diabetes with all its harmful effects. Gaither wrote a Bee article printed Nov. 5 at:
www.modbee.com/2010/11/04/1414826_mjc-must-be-ready-to-help-residents.html

At our meeting, I believe we consolidated these ideas for us to act on:
1. Stanislaus Solutions to stage educational programs for the community on fitness, obesity, exercise, diet, and obtaining and cooking healthy foods that draws on the considerable resources within MJC and our community.
- Among the participants who might be essential are:
* nutritionist (an MJC nutrition teacher, or Mike’s wife Pam Noonan, who is an RN and dietitian.
* local community members to talk in the meetings. We need to hear from the people, not just lecture them.
* exercise physiologist (MJC Phys. Ed. Dept, or biology’s Michele Monlux)
* PE teacher from the nearest high school to where the meeting occurs
* physician explaining how diabetes is related to obesity, and how adult onset diabetes can often be treated merely by increasing physical work done (“exercise”) and decreasing calories eaten.
* Ag teacher who talks about growing one’s own food, and the Ag van. (I don’t really know what the Ag van is.)

- As part of this program, we should create a short (~ 10 min.) video of interviews with some experts whose statements we want, but whom we do not expect to be at the programs (e.g., a physician, who may want to make a statement but who doesn’t want to go out to the several productions of our program.) We might be able to get Wes Page to make this for us.
- We should offer this fit/fat program at several places: Kennedy-King Center; American Legion Hall near the Airport District; at high schools near any target areas.

2. Gaither has offered for us to help arrange a meeting of Gaither and the UC Merced president to establish a satellite of U.C. Merced at MJC. (This was one of the outcomes of the Oct. 29 meeting.)

I am excited about this effort, and the fact that we will be helping to implement the President’s goals.