1. Hope and recovery is topic of mental health conference
A conference focusing on hope and recovery for persons with mental illnesses will be presented April 8 in Tacoma. Sponsored by the Pierce County Regional Support Network and various community mental health agencies, this conference will be held at the Tacoma Landmark Convention Center on Friday, April 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. People with mental illness in varying stages of recovery, their families, advocates in the community and mental health professionals are invited to attend.
The one-day event is titled “Families in Recovery: Playing Well, Living Well and Loving Well,” and features three plenary speakers. Dr. Charles Huffine is a child psychiatrist who is working in King County to develop more effective services for children and adults. Mary Ann Nihart is a psychiatric nurse practitioner from the San Francisco Bay area who has a nationwide reputation as a speaker and trainer on holistic approaches to wellness. Frank Jose is the executive director of Seattle NAMI (The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill), who will bring a hopeful message regarding the transformation of the public sector mental health system in the United States.
The conference will also feature numerous smaller breakout sessions on topics such as the spirituality of recovery, employment and housing issues in mental health recovery.
The registration fee is $45 and includes lunch. Mental health consumers are encouraged to attend, and their conference fees will be waived. For more information about the conference or to register, call 253-396-5132. Pre-registration is recommended.
2. Roadside vegetation program to kick off
Pierce County’s annual roadside vegetation management program is scheduled to begin during the next 10 days. The program features the safe use of federal and state approved herbicides along with mechanical brush cutting to control grasses and weeds along county roads.
Using herbicides to maintain road shoulders is a money-saving endeavor practiced successfully for several years by Pierce County Transportation Services, Road Operations Division. The integrated program provides these benefits:
— Improves pedestrian and motorist safety by increasing sight distances;
— Allows storm water to freely drain from the roadway;
— Limits erosion by encouraging the growth of native vegetation species;
— Prevents the spread of noxious weeds.
The first application of herbicides for shoulder grass control will begin by the week of April 11, weather permitting, and continue through the end of May. Noxious weed control is scheduled to start in April and continue through September as needed. Brush control applications begin Oct.15 and continue through the end of the year.
Property owners can maintain the right of way adjacent to their properties under a special maintenance agreement with the county. The “Owner Will Maintain” agreement must be renewed each year prior to the application of herbicides. Agreement applications are available at the following road maintenance shops: Elk Plain, 23101 Mountain Highway E., 253-798-4980; Purdy, 13209 Goodnough Drive, Gig Harbor, 253-798-4949; Puyallup, 10411 John Bananola Way E., 253-798-3842; Lakewood, 9515 39th Ave. Ct. S.W.
