Clay County Legislative Delegation to meet
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – State lawmakers who represent Clay County in the Florida Legislature will meet next month with local officials in preparation of the 2019 legislative session.
The public is invited to attend Dec. 18 from 4-6 p.m. in the Board of County Commissioners’ chambers on the fourth floor of the County Administration Building, 477 Houston St.
Rep. Bobby Payne (R-Palatka), Rep. Travis Cummings (R-Fleming Island) and Sen. Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island) will hear from groups who are seeking funding or want to discuss issues to be considered by the state legislature during the 2019 Session of the Florida Legislature. The Legislature is scheduled to convene on March 5, 2019 in Tallahassee. The hearing is open to the public.
For more information or to be placed on the printed agenda, contact Tammy Still, district executive secretary to Rep. Bobby Payne at (904) 966-6327, extension 6215 or by email at Tammy.still@myfloridahouse.gov.

Sign-ups underway for “Composition Camp” at UNF
JACKSONVILLE – The College of Education and Human Services at the University of North Florida is offering a camp to help students with language arts and writing as they prepare for state testing.
Camp Composition is a writing camp to help fourth- through 11th-graders earn higher Florida Standards Assessments English language arts and writing scores. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning Jan. 19 through Feb. 23 in the Tom and Betty Petway Hall in Building 57 on the UNF campus.
Camp Composition will be led by local lead area teachers who specialize in writing instruction in grades four through 11. Fourth and fifth graders will work on opinion and informative-explanatory prompts, while students in sixth through 11th grades will work on argumentative and informative-explanatory prompts.
Mandatory camp orientation is from 6-7 p.m. on Jan. 18 in the Tom and Betty Petway Hall in Room 1100A, where the camp schedule. The same night, room assignments will be provided to campers. Sign up now as space is limited.
Scholarships are also available on a limited basis to students who attend a Title 1 school or are receiving free or reduced lunch. These students would attend at no cost once proper documentation is verified. Students who are first-time attendees will be given preference.
If you would like to apply for a scholarship, register multiple siblings or apply for a UNF employee discount, a promotion code is required prior to registration. To receive a promotion code, contact Christine Weber, UNF professor in the Department of Childhood Education, Literacy and TESOL, at (904) 620-1754 or at cweber@unf.edu.
For more information about the camp and to register, visit http://bit.ly/2BaegQG.

Writers group launches anthology
ORANGE PARK – About 80 attendees celebrated the launch of the newest book about Clay County last week.
The Clay County Writers Group of the Florida Writers Association has published its book titled “Embedded in Clay,” an anthology that includes everything from poetry to historical writing.
Lynn Harlin, who edited the anthology, praised the five-years project that was managed by Maureen Jung and the writers.
“I learned so much from each piece in the anthology,” Harlin said Nov. 14.
Maude Burroughs of Middleburg, who was profiled by Jung, discussed her history at The Hill Top Community in Middleburg and her family’s role in the turpentine industry.
“One of the things that helped to shape my life was what my Daddy would tell us – ‘Don’t let anyone else define you. You define yourself, and what you want out of life.’ We learned so much. We learned about love and respect,” Burroughs said.
Book contributor Beth Eifert wrote a tribute to Frank Towers about his work at the Camp Blanding Military Museum, his service in World War Two and his efforts to rescue Jewish concentration camp survivors.
Writing professor and writer Tim Gilmore of Jacksonville read from his chapter on the old Orange Park Monkey Farm and how researchers there tried to “humanize” apes.
Diane Shepard read from “Dispatches of A Water Dog, Stories From the [Black] Creek,” and Brian Pitchford shared his poem, “Brothers Procession,” about the spirits of warriors from years past gathering in the mists to march together. Paula Hilton spoke of the life and work of Green Cove Springs sculptor Augusta Savage.
Marshall Lenne revealed the past of Green Cove Springs Senior Center – formerly an ice plant –
then, a bottling facility, and later, a Coca-Cola plant. Nancy Moore discussed difficulties J.C. Penney faced during the Great Depression when his fortunes and his health both failed. The community of Penney Farms he founded was left to find its way through dark financial times, but with help, has flourished up to the present.
Other writers who attended and were on hand to sign books were Inez Holger, who wrote about the movie and TV industry in Clay County and Joan Warren, who wrote about the women who helped form Clay County history. “Embedded in Clay” is available through Amazon, The Florida Writers’ Association and contributing writers.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Florida Department of Health in Clay County recognizes November as Diabetes Awareness Month, the time set aside each year to raise awareness about diabetes and promoting the importance of taking steps to confront diabetes as a critical health issue.
The theme for this year is The Family and Diabetes, strengthening the role of the family in the management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.
“According to FL Health Charts, in 2017 Diabetes was the 6th leading cause of death in Clay County. This chronic disease not only affects an individual it does not discriminate against the family of those with Diabetes either. Knowledge is power; therefore, Diabetes Self-Management Education is essential to the continued care and support to our clients,” said Heather Huffman Clay County Health Department administrator. “Utilizing evidence-based curriculum for health education is recommended to begin in youth and carried into adulthood; teaching Diabetes prevention to children is important for the future of our health in Clay County.”
Clay County kicked off Diabetes Awareness month by wearing blue in recognition of World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14.
Diabetes diagnoses have more than tripled in the last 20 years in the U.S. In Florida, it is estimated that over 2.4 million people have diabetes and over 5.8 million have prediabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in Florida.
There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes, diabetes while pregnant. Women with diabetes have more difficulty conceiving and may have poor pregnancy outcomes, so it is especially important for women to be aware of their risk factors for developing diabetes, family history as well as age, weight and physical activity level.
When your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes you may be at risk for prediabetes. Prediabetes is a serious health condition that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Eighty-six million American adults have prediabetes. Nine out of 10 people with prediabetes don’t know they have it. Making healthy lifestyle choices can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. A simple blood sugar test can determine if you have prediabetes. Talk to your health care provider if you should be tested.
To learn more about diabetes prevention and self-management, visit floridahealth.gov/diabetes.