Borrego Sun - Since 1949

SCHOOL DAZE:

Both Juan Bautista de Anza Charter School and Sea View Elementary School will not be in session for the summer. However, West Shores High School has a few spaces remaining for Summer School/Credit Recovery, as follows:

• First Day of Classes: Monday, June 4

• Last Day of Classes Friday, June 29

• Student times: 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Classes will be held Monday through Friday with meal service available for breakfast and lunch. During the summer session, students must be enrolled for 4.5 hours of daily instructional time, have good attendance and display West Shores High School PRIDE – Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Excellence.

Attending credit recovery summer school is voluntary. Habitual absenteeism and violation of school discipline guidelines may result in the student being dropped from summer session.

And, a heads’ up: the first day of school for the 2018-19 school year is Thursday August 16. Watch for registration info.

Limited district transportation will be provided to and from summer school for students living within school attendance boundaries. According to state guidelines relative to credit recovery summer session, priority enrollment will be given to the following students:

1. Credit deficient non-graduates requiring summer session to obtain their high school diploma;

2. Credit deficient seniors from the Class of 2019

3. Credit deficient Juniors from the Class of 2020

4. Credit deficient Sophomores from the Class of 2021.

Acceptance to the program is by application. Please direct any questions regarding the application process or summer school, itself, to Mrs. Angela Alvarez, Counselor, at 760-848-1363.

Salton Sea Sluggers:

Much Ado About Something. Saturday May 29 brought the closing ceremonies for West Shores’ Salton Sea Sluggers baseball. This year, there were eight teams ranging in age from 4+ (now, that’s hilarious!) to 17 +/-. In addition to learning basic baseball skills, starting with the right direction in which to run the bases to how to field a fly ball and, of course, how to hit, behavioral skills were stressed, as well: good sportsmanship, sharing, leaving an attitude off the field. At the ceremonies, presided over by founder Patrick Pinedo and his dedicated wife, Vanessa, ample recognition was given for parents, players and sponsors who, according to Pinedo, really help the wheels of spring baseball go ‘round. This year’s sponsors include: LR Bennett Insurance, Nelson Rivera Enterprises (South Cali Air Conditioning), Blanton Appliance Repair, Ray and Carol’s Motel, Salton City Travel Center aka AM/PM, All-Valley Graphics, Inka Screen Printing, JD Built Signs and Designs, Frontline Ministries and the West Shores Lions Club.

Bennett Insurance also received a special commendation from the California State Assembly for service to the teams above and beyond the call of duty, as did Lion Jerry Adams (the Hot Dog King) who showed up every Saturday to man the hot dog grill in the league’s snack bar and Johnny Ramirez, a West Shores LEO member who served as Jerry’s right hand man.

We are grateful for everyone who stepped up to the plate to help our community’s kiddos have a resource for fun and educational activity.

I know this is early, but we certainly are hopeful that, around February 2019, we will all heed that clarion call, “Batter up!” and hustle toward next year’s baseball season.

From West Shores Fire Chief Mark Murray:

2018 is the worst rattlesnake season this area has had for many years. Not only have we seen a much larger number of rattlers, we have seen larger snakes (5-6 feet) along with the younger, smaller ones.

Please pay attention to what you are doing. Please be extra careful where you step or put your hands. Snakes love to sun themselves on semi-protected doorsteps in the early morning and along the side of the roads in the evening. This is because the desert floor (their preferred habitat) cools at a much faster rate than concrete, pavers or asphalt.

If you live in the West Shores area and need assistance with snake removal call, Salton Community Services District office at 760-394-4446, during normal business hours OR call the West Shores Fire Department at 760-219-3454.

Rattlesnakes are not confined to rural areas. They have been found in urban areas, on riverbanks and lakeside parks and at golf courses. The following safety precautions can be taken to reduce the likelihood of an encounter with a rattlesnake.

• Be alert. Like all reptiles, rattlesnakes are sensitive to the ambient temperature and will adjust their behavior accordingly. After a cold or cool night, they will attempt to raise their body temperature by basking in the sun midmorning. To prevent overheating during hot days of spring and summer, they will become more active at dawn, dusk or night.

• Wear sturdy boots and loose-fitting long pants. Never go barefoot or wear sandals when walking through brushy, wild areas. Startled rattlesnakes may not rattle before striking defensively.

• Children should not wear flip-flops while playing outdoors in snake country.

• When hiking, stick to well-used trails. Avoid tall grass, weeds and heavy underbrush where snakes may hide during the day.

• Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see. Step ON logs and rocks, never over them, and be especially careful when climbing rocks or gathering firewood. Check out stumps or logs before sitting down, and shake out sleeping bags before use.

• Never grab “sticks” or “branches” while swimming in lakes and rivers. Rattlesnakes can swim.

• Be careful when stepping over doorsteps as well. Snakes like to crawl along the edge of buildings where they are protected on one side.

• Never hike alone. Always have someone with you who can assist in an emergency.

• Do not handle a freshly killed snake, as it can still inject venom.

• Teach children early to respect snakes and to leave them alone.

• Leash your dog when hiking in snake country. Dogs are at increased risk of being bitten due to holding their nose to the ground while investigating the outdoors. Speak to your veterinarian about canine rattlesnake vaccines and what to do if your pet is bitten.

• Various locations throughout the state offer snake aversion/ snake avoidance training. The internet is a great starting place for check out the possibilities for Fluffy or Fido.

What to do in the event of a snake bite:

Though uncommon, rattlesnake bites do occur, so have a plan in place for responding to any situation. Carry a cell phone, hike with a companion who can assist in an emergency and make sure that family or friends know where you are going and when you will be checking in. In the event of a bite:

• Stay calm but act quickly

• Remove watches, rings, etc., which may constrict swelling.

• Transport the victim to the nearest medical facility.

• For more first aid information, please call the California Poison Control System at (800) 222-1222.

What you should NOT do after a rattlesnake bite:

• DON’T apply a tourniquet.

• DON’T pack the bite area in ice.

• DON’T cut the wound with a knife or razor.

• DON’T use your mouth to suck out the venom.

• DON’T let the victim drink alcohol.

• If you need help with a venomous bite or if you have a poisoning emergency, call your Poison Center immediately. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. Poison Centers across the country now have a new national emergency phone number: 1-800-222-1222.

Symptoms of a Rattlesnake Bite

• One or two puncture marks

• Pain, tingling or burning at the area of the bite

• Swelling at the area of the bite

• Bruising and discoloration at the site of the bite

• Numbness

• Nausea, weakness and lightheadedness.

• Difficulty breathing.

Resources: reference*, desertusa.com., 10fac.com/rattlesnakes, Arizona-sonora desert museum, Reptile Knowledge

MEMORIAL DAY FACTS:

This United States federal holiday is celebrated on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military.

The custom of honoring ancestors by cleaning cemeteries and decorating graves is an ancient and worldwide tradition, but the specific origin of Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was first known, are unclear.

In early rural America, this duty was usually performed in late summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics. After the Civil War, America’s need for a secular, patriotic ceremony to honor its military dead became prominent, as monuments to fallen soldiers were erected and dedicated, and ceremonies centering on the decoration of soldiers’ graves were held in towns and cities throughout the nation.

After World War I, the day expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. No less than 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, and states observed the holiday on different dates. In 1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress; it is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.

The Poppy, A Symbol of Memorial Day.

The wearing of poppies in honor of America’s war dead is traditionally done on Memorial Day (not Veterans Day). The origin of the red poppy as a modern-day symbol of this day was actually the idea of an American woman, Miss Moina Michael.

In war-torn battlefields, the red field poppy (papaver rhoeas) was one of the first plants to grow. Its seeds scattered in the wind and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground is disturbed – as it was by the very brutal fighting during World War 1. The practice of wearing of poppies was further inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by Canadian soldier John McCrae.

He saw the poppies in burials around his artillery position in Belgium. Today, poppies are both the symbol of loss of life as a symbol of recovery and new life, especially in support of those servicemen who were damaged physically or emotionally.