Dear Community Members,

While the leaves may be changing color,🍁 the air certainly hasn't turned crisp. Despite the unexpected warmth, October marks the beginning of an important month for public health. This month brings both festive activities and key health awareness initiatives.

As the sun sets earlier, we want to highlight the importance of visibility for everyone using our roads and sidewalks. Remember the key safety rule: See and Be Seen.

If you enjoy exercising, walking, or cycling during dawn and dusk hours, it's important to be visible. Wear reflective gear or bright clothing and use lights.

Similarly, as Halloween🎃 approaches, here are a few quick tips for safe trick-or-treating:

Visibility: Incorporate light colors or reflective materials to costumes. Flashlights or glow sticks are great for visibility after dark.

Supervision: Children often stay safer when accompanied by an adult or when traveling in organized groups

Inspection: Have an adult inspect all treats before they are eaten.

🎗 Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Screening Information

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to underscore the importance of early detection tools like mammograms.

UVM Health - Elizabethtown Community Hospital are offering FREE Women's Health Screenings for qualifying individuals. Screenings include PAPs, breast exams, and mammograms.

Appointments are available on the following dates:

Thursday, October 16th from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in Ticonderoga

Monday, October 27th from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in Elizabethtown

To schedule your appointment, please call 518-565-8598. You can find additional information regarding breast cancer screening here.

Review of Second Annual Recovery Day

The Second Annual Recovery Day at Hunter Way Farm successfully took place on Saturday, October 4, 2025, in Moriah. This event was focused on supporting individuals in recovery from addiction, as well as their family members, friends, and supporters.

We appreciate the attendance and participation of everyone who helped make the day a wa and welcoming space for the community to gather. The event included face painting, lawn games, and engagement with local law enforcement. It continues to highlight that recovery is a process supported by community involvement.

Happy Fall!

Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are the most likely sources of lead exposure for our children. 

Houses built before 1978 are likely to have some lead-based paint. The deterioration of this paint into chips or dust that are ingested (swallowed) or inhaled (breathed in) by children puts them at risk for lead poisoning.

Learn more about our lead program and other family health programs here.

If you or your pet have been bitten, scratched or have had contact with the saliva of any animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water, call this Department for assistance in planning treatment.

Wrapping Up a Wonderful WIC-n-Pick Season!

We were lucky to welcome our fourth guest chef, who led a hands-on cooking class with the kids using our Charlie Cart mobile kitchen. She brought so much energy and made learning about healthy cooking exciting and interactive. The night got even better when a guest staying at the farm joined in with his guitar and played some children’s songs—it turned into a real community moment!

We ended the season with our WIC-n-Picnic, and it was the perfect way to celebrate the close of our fourth year. Thank you to all the families who came out and made it such a joyful gathering!

Thanks to our partnership with The Essex Food Hub, an additional 60 WIC families have received healthy meals and meal kits made with fresh, local ingredients—delivered right to their homes. This collaboration helps make local food more accessible for our families while supporting area farms at the same time.

Here’s to another great year of cooking, community, and connection—see you next season!

Early Intervention:

The Local Early Intervention Coordinating Council (LEICC) serves as an advisory group that supports the work of the Early Intervention Program (EIP). The group includes parents, Early Intervention providers, teachers, and staff from local agencies that work with children and families.

The council meets to share ideas and talk about how the Early Intervention Program operates in our community. These meetings help make sure that families and providers have a voice in how services are planned and offered.

Anyone interested in learning more about Early Intervention or sharing their experiences is welcome to attend (registration not required). It’s a great way to stay informed, meet others, and help improve services for children and families in our area.