Some of us keep our Christmas decorations and trimmings up well past the holiday, but for those of you who are ready to move on, put away holiday accessories and move into the new year, check with your township for the details about tree and large waste removal.

Here are some tips for those who live in Shelby Township:

If you area customer of Allied Waste and you want your tree to be recycled, please take all of the ornaments, etc. off of the Christmas tree. For a tree that is over 6 feet tall, you will need to cut it into pieces that are 3-4 feet long. Put it on on the curb on your trash day during the second week of January. Trees that you leave out for collection at any other time will be included with the trash pick-up.

Shelby is happy to see more consumers using fluorescent bulbs, but they want you to know that these bulbs have mercury, a hazardous waste product, so they should not be put out with regular trash. There is an annual Hazardous Waste Day on the last Saturday of April, but if you find you need to dispose of hazardous waste earlier, get in touch with the Macomb County Health Department (586-466-7923).

 

Food is big in America. It seems rather a simplistic thing to say, but it's true. And with our busy pace of life, we aren't just eating out of Mom's kitchen--we're eating at work, in school cafeterias, at restaurants, from hot dog carts...everywhere. More than 10 million Americans have jobs in the food industry.

The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals estimates that about 76 million cases of illness are the result of something going awry with food the patient consumed.

This is why it is so important that people who work in the food preparation industry are well-trained.

There are a variety of places that offer food safety certification classes in Macomb County, so if this field interest you, you have many options for getting certified. What follows is not a complete list, but it will give you choices that include online, classroom, and self-study programs.

Macomb County Health Department

(586) 493-5771
www.macombcountymi.gov/publichealth/forms.asp
Macomb Community College Classroom

Department of Professional Education and Certification

(586) 498-4000
Culinary Department
(586) 286-2023
http://www.macomb.edu/CCE/default.asp

NEHA Training http://www.nehatraining.com/

Oakland County Health Department

Environmental Health Division
(248) 424-7036
http://www.oakgov.com/health/calendar/food_svcmgr_cert.html

Food Systems

880 N. Adams, Suite 3
Birmingham, MI 48009
(248) 225-0706
GarstG@excite.com

Schoolcraft College

Department of Continuing Education and Professional Development
(734) 462-4448
www.schoolcraft.edu

NSF International www.nsf.org/cphe/

Hospitality Training Online www.hospitalitytrainingonline.com

Wayne County Health Department

Environmental Health Division
(734) 727-7400
http://www.waynecounty.com/hhSvcs/environ/foodMgt.htm

Rock City Kitchen
Food Safety
(313) 570-8175
www.rockcitykitchen.com

In addition to having a plan in place for you and your family, you should also think ahead about how to care for your pets or any livestock you have in an emergency.

Get information about where you could go with your pet in an emergency. Find out where you can board your pet if animals cannot accompany you to a shelter. You don’t want to show up at a shelter with your pet only to find that pets are not accepted.

Keep your pet's i.d. tags current and make sure that tags are securely fastened to your pet’s collar at all times.

Leave a copy of your pet’s medical records in your vehicle and keep one with you. You can also send a copy to a relative or friend in another city. That way, this information will be available and not completely lost if you cannot get back home to retrieve it.

An emergency kit for your pet can include:

A collar, leash or harness

A portable pet carrier

Nonperishable pet food and a can opener

Bottled water

Supplies for cleaning your pet’s waste

Medications your pet takes

Bottled water

Your pet’s medical records

The Macomb County Public Health website has more instructions on emergency preparedness for pets.

 

You don’t want to wait until the unexpected occurs to start thinking about
how you will care for yourself and your family. Thinking ahead can save lives
and lessen the discomfort you may experience during an emergency.

Start with the basics: water, food, clothing/blankets, and medical supplies.

Water
The average adult needs to drink at least two quarts of water per day and
children or people who are ill need more. You should store one gallon of water
per day for each person in your household. You cannot predict how long an
emergency will last, but consider storing enough for at least three days.

Food
The food in your emergency kit should be non-perishable, requiring no
refrigeration and little preparation. If you store canned foods, don’t’ forget
to throw a can opener in the kit.

Clothing
You will need at least one change of clothing and footwear for each person in
your household. The shoes should be sturdy. Consider including a hat, gloves,
and raingear for each person. If you do not have a sleeping bag for everyone,
at least add one blanket for each person.

Medical Supplies
It is a good idea to have a first aid kit with your emergency supplies and in
every vehicle your family uses. Add to that any medications that
your family members need.

For in-depth information on emergency perparedness visit Macomb
County Government website and ready.gov.

Look for more information about how to care for your animal
friends in an emergency later this week.

Fall is here and that means fun things like fallen leaves, apple picking, and pumpkin in everything. On the less pleasant side, fall also heralds the onset of the flu season. For some people the flu is just an unpleasant interlude of sickness, but for others a bout with the flu can become quite serious. Talk to your doctor about whether or not you and your family need to get flu shots this year.

To keep Macomb County residents healthy, so that they can enjoy turkey and stuffing rather than a stuffy nose, the Macomb County Health Department will offer flu shots. County residents can start to receive flu shots when they are at least six months old.

Each flu vaccination will cost $15 and you must pay with cash of check; the clinics will not accept debit/credit cards for this service. If you have Medicaid or Medicare Part B you can receive a flu shot at no charge by presenting your program ID card and valid proof of identity such as a driver’s license.

You can get your flu shot at one of three clinics:
Mt. Clemens 4325 Elizabeth Road
St. Clair Shores 25401 Harper Avenue
Warren 26790 Van Dyke

To get information on the hours and days when flu shots are offered, call 586-466-7923

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – It’s better late than never to get a flu shot. Macomb County has an ample supply of vaccine and the Health Department wants residents to know that getting vaccinated will still protect them through the end of the flu season.

The American Red Cross is seeing an unseasonable drop in blood donations across southeast Michigan and the Midwest this fall.

For the past two weeks, blood collections in the Southeastern Michigan Region lagged an average of 108 units a day – or about 12 percent of the amount needed to serve the 47 area hospitals.  The Region needs to collect on average 900 units of blood each day to meet the ongoing needs of patients in the area.

Macomb County is pleased to offer a Discount Dental Program to all county residents regardless of age, income or personal health. The plan is offered through the Macomb County Department of Senior Citizen Services and administered by CAREington International Corp.

COST: The discount dental plan costs $69 per year and all household members are covered. Members then receive a 20-60 percent discount on a comprehensive list of dental procedures, including annual oral exams, cleanings, x-rays, fillings, crowns and orthodontics.

As of Tuesday, 10-24-06 we are currently waiting for our flu vaccine to arrive. Watch this site or call the Health Department FLU HOTLINE at (586) 466-7923 for up-to-date information about clinics being offered by the Health Department. Details will be added as available.

The Macomb County Health Department operates the county's animal shelter. Services include pet adoptions, lost and found for pets, animal cruelty investigations, dog licensing, animal bite reports, and rescue services for wildlife and domestic animals.