Safe Fun-Fit at the Bayfront
Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – City Manager Peter Zanoni has created a new health and wellness initiative called “Safe Fun-Fit at the Bayfront” to increase physical activity and promote a healthier Corpus Christi. Many people enjoy exercising along the shoreline including biking, walking, jogging or running and now they can do so in a safe environment – a designated 1.25-mile fitness lane from Cole Park to Lawrence Street! The public is invited to use the fitness lane every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., starting Saturday, May 23 – August 29, 2020. The fitness lane will help to reduce the overcrowding of the sidewalks and enable social distancing of at least six feet while exercising.
An expanded fitness lane has been created along Ocean Drive to Shoreline Boulevard that will temporarily close northbound traffic from 6 a.m. – 12 p.m. for residents to bike, run, jog and walk along the bayfront from Cole Park to Art Center of Corpus Christi.
In coordination with Victor Betancourt of VFit Productions and the City’s Park and Recreation Department, the City will offer “Safe Fun-Fit at the Bayfront” exercise and wellness events for adults of all abilities on Saturdays from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. from June 6 – August 29, 2020 at The Water’s Edge, 602 S. Shoreline Blvd. All the sessions, except Zumba, will be held on The Great Lawn located between the two large parking lots. Zumba will be held at the Islanders Pavilion next to the playground.
The 40-60-minute sessions will include:
Walk to Run (7 a.m.-7:40 a.m.)*: teaching individuals the skills needed to increase their endurance through proper running and walking techniques.
Fitness Moves (8 a.m.- 8:40 a.m.)*: fitness training through a variety of techniques including bodyweight training, conditioning and circuit training.
Walk the Bayfront (9 a.m. – 10 a.m.)*: Instructor-led 2-mile walk along the fitness lane.
Yoga (9:00 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.)*: guiding individuals through a series of poses to improve physical and mental strength.
Zumba(10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.)*: an aerobic fitness program featuring movements inspired by various styles of Latin American dance.
* Healthy Meals 101 (offered after each class): free weekly recipes and plans for families on healthy eating.
Class sessions are limited to 20 participants per class. The public can register for classes in June through the online registration link www.cctexas.com/safefunfit
Measures will also be taken for appropriate physical distancing for the safety of the participant. In addition, participants are encouraged to bring their own face coverings, yoga mat and water, as appropriate, for their workout.
“Corpus Christi has a naturally beautiful backdrop for outdoor exercising,” said Peter Zanoni, City Manager. “This program will provide a safe opportunity for families to run, walk, bike, and take select classes to improve their health and wellness,” added Zanoni.
Reasonable accommodations are provided upon request and in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For assistance or to request a reasonable accommodation, please call 361-826-3460, in advance.
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AgriLife Extension - Free Online Training For Child Care Providers
Press Release
AUSTIN - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service today announced a series of free online trainings for child care providers and parents who are either in need of, or who will be providing care for, children of essential employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first three trainings are available on Texas A&M AgriLife’s online learning platform. Additional free training sessions will be rolled out incrementally and will address health and safety guidelines, practices for staffing, essential materials for child care operations, developmentally appropriate activities, adult-child interactions and more. Trainings will also address topics such as emergency management planning, stress management and self-care for caregivers, planning at-home activities for children, parent-child communication, and supporting children’s emotional needs. Additionally, Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott provided an introductory video for the child care training sessions.
"These trainings provide crucial health and safety information to parents and child care providers affected by the COVID-19 response, and ensure that providers and parents alike have the tools they need to effectively care for young Texans," said Governor Abbott. "I am grateful for this ongoing collaboration with our public and private partners to support Texans throughout this challenging time."
"AgriLife Extension has long been a leader in providing practical, research-based, objective information to the people of Texas so we are very well positioned to help them address various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic," said AgriLife Extension director Jeff Hyde, Ph.D. "I’m proud that we were able to develop these trainings to help support the Texas Frontline Child Care Task Force in providing important information and assistance to essential employees and their children during this difficult time."
"In my role leading the Frontline Child Care Task Force and as chair of the Texas A&M Board of Regents, I knew the people in AgriLife Extension not only had the knowledge and expertise needed to develop these online trainings, they also had credibility with child care providers," said Texas Frontline Child Care Task Force Chair Elaine Mendoza said. "I asked Dr. Stephen Green, head of AgriLife Extension’s Family and Community Health Unit, to put together a team of early childhood experts from his agency and any state agencies that could advise and support them in developing a series of trainings."
These online training courses were developed through a collaboration between the Governor's Texas Frontline Child Care Task Force, specialists in child and early child development, health, disaster assessment and recovery and family economics from AgriLife's Family and Community Health Unit. It also included experts from the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, Children’s Learning Institute, Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Texas Department of State Health Services.
The first three trainings available now are:
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Texas Receives Approval for SNAP Online Grocery Purchases
Press Release
AUSTIN –Texas Health and Human Services recently received federal approval to allow Texans to purchase groceries online using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pilot program is expected to start by May 18 statewide.
"By allowing SNAP recipients to purchase groceries online throughout the COVID-19 response, we are removing barriers to healthy and nutritious food for many families in Texas," said Governor Greg Abbott. "I am grateful to our federal partners at the USDA for approving this request. As the Lone Star State continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are exhausting all avenues to both protect the health and safety of Texans while ensuring families, including recipients of SNAP, have the ability to provide for their families during this challenging time."
“Because families, including SNAP recipients, have had to adjust to social distancing and staying home when possible, some homes have encountered challenges when finding certain grocery items,” said HHS Access and Eligibility Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter. “Adding another option for Texans using SNAP to get the healthy and nutritious food their families need helps ease the minds of families and limit their exposure to COVID-19.”
With approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, HHSC is implementing a pilot program to allow online grocery purchasing for SNAP clients in Texas. Walmart and Amazon are the first retailers to join the pilot in Texas, scheduled to start by May 18.
This announcement is the latest change Gov. Abbott and HHSC has made to the SNAP program in response to COVID-19, and SNAP clients are now receiving their maximum eligible allotment and have also had renewal requirements temporarily waived.
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Question of Obamacare Validity
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TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE - Health and Kinesiology Department
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| Alyssa Fick |
Alyssa Fick, a senior exercise science/pre-physical therapy student from Corpus Christi, won the Undergraduate Scholar Award as the top undergraduate exercise science student in Texas. Fick also is the Exercise Science Major of the Year for the department of health and kinesiology and the American Kinesiology Association Undergraduate Scholar. She will be entering the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in fall 2020.
This is the sixth time a Texas A&M-Kingsville student has won this prestigious award since 2010. Dyana Bullinger won in 2010; Ricky Balderas in 2011; Samantha Cantu in 2015; Joel Perez in 2016; and Meagan Cantu in 2017.
No other university in Texas has had their students receive this award more times than Texas A&M-Kingville.
Fick was not the only winner at the Texas ACSM meeting. The Texas A&M-Kingsville Student Bowl team placed third for the second year in a row. And for the second year in row, the team of Javelinas finished higher than any other team from the Texas A&M University System.
Members of the team are Isabel Soto; Kadi Shipman; Alyssa Fick, captain; Blessing Tamez, alternate; and Jessica Hinojosa, alternate.
The Texas ACSM Student Bowl is an annual event where teams of undergraduates from universities all over the state compete in an academic quiz bowl devoted to exercise science and sports medicine topics.
A&M-Kingsville students were not the only ones coming home with honors. Dr. Robert Kowalsky, assistant professor and pre-physical therapy program coordinator, was elected to the Board of Directors of the organization by the membership. He will serve a three-year term as a non-medical representative.
About Texas Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (Texas ACSM)
Texas ACSM is one of 12 regional chapters of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). ACSM is the largest exercise science and sports medicine professional society in the world with over 50,000 members. Its members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of the exercise sciences and sports medicine.
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