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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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OZmania Comes to High Bridge

A day dedicated to the classic movie The Wizard of Oz will take place on Saturday, August 9 in High Bridge. Activities include a photography contest, a coloring contest for kids, a parade and more. The evening culminates in a screening of The Wizard of Oz at 8:30pm at the Borough Commons. “The intention behind OZmania is simply to have fun, to focus on all the wonderful things High Bridge has to offer and to create a lot of joy for all,” explains Christina Whited, OZmania sponser and owner of Inside/Out shop in High Bridge.  “I hope people will come with their families early to eat, shop, and walk the Columbia Trail, then stay for the parade and the movie in our beautiful park.”

Be sure to participate in A Red Slipper Promenade: a chance to showcase your fandom in a Wizard of Oz themed costume parade. Participation is free, but if entrants wish to compete for prizes, there is a $5 registration fee. Registration can be made the day of the event at the Commons beginning at 5:30pm. Preregistration is handled by Inside/Out.

The photography competition participants are asked to submit a digital photo of a gnome in front of one of the many gnome homes on the Columbia Trail. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and join the fun. This event is free to all.

Location: Borough Commons park, High Bridge. For more information, visit InsideOutonMain.com.

News Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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