'Robotripping' Law Takes Effect January 1, 2012

The following is from a press release regarding Senate Bill 514, prohibiting the sale of over-the-counter cold and cough medications containing dextromethorphan (DXM) to minors. This bill was supported by the Junior Leagues of California's State Public Affairs Committee.

On January 1, California will become the first state in the nation to prohibit the sale of over-the-counter cold and cough medications containing dextromethorphan (DXM) to minors. Senate Bill 514, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian of Palo Alto, will require store clerks to check identification to ensure that no one under 18 purchases these medications, which are known to cause a potentially life-threatening high when consumed in high doses. 

According to WebMD and the Consumer Healthcare Productions Association, 1 in 10 teenagers say they’ve used DXM to get high – making it more popular than LSD, cocaine, ecstasy or meth. The California Poison Control System reports that DXM abuse calls for children under age 17 have increased 850% in the past ten years, making DXM abuse the most commonly reported type of abuse in this age group.

“The truth is that ingesting too much cough medicine can be as dangerous as abusing alcohol and other drugs,” Simitian said. “Until now, these drugs have been easy for young people to obtain. By putting age limitations on these drugs, we’re communicating to kids and their parents that, when used inappropriately, these are dangerous drugs with serious consequences.” 

Restricting the sale of DXM was a winning submission in Simitian’s 2004 “There Oughta Be a Law” contest from Wayne Benitez and Ron Lawrence, both with the Palo Alto Police Department at the time (Lawrence is now the Rocklin Police Chief). The legislation stalled in 2004, but Simitian successfully reintroduced the bill earlier this year. 

Senate Bill 514 was supported by the Junior Leagues of California's State Public Affairs Committee, Consumer Healthcare Products Association (manufacturers of these products), the California Peace Officers Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the California State Board of Pharmacy, among other groups. A violation of the new law will be an infraction. The law provides an exception for sale to minors with a prescription.

Click here for a video relating to the SPAC-supported bill, which goes into effect January 2012.

Blogging! Team Activity from September GMM, Bundle 5

By Michelle Hostrup, Social Media Assistant Chair


This is Part V of a series of team blog submissions from the September GMM. See Part I on the 12/7/11 blog post.

Team Blog Activity from September GMM, Bundle 5

Among your table, what are some of your money saving tips?

Submitted by Rosa Singh and Team

1. Shop in bulk (Costco) 2. Comparison shop 3. Use cash as you will spend less 4. Pay bills online to save on postage 5. Buy from The Shop 6. Cook on Sundays and freeze meals 7. Have a vegetable garden 8. Swap books and toys 9. Use the library for DVDs and books 10. Use Coupons 11. Bike or walk to work

Submitted by Dana and Team

1. Shop at the Shop 2. Coupons 3 Use Groupon 4. Cook from scratch 5. Watch HGTV - Design on a dime 6.Take a lunch 7. Shop at Marshalls and TJ Max 8. Shoe repair for your heels 9. Wait 24 hours to think about a big purchase 10. Make twice the amount of food and save the rest in the freezer for lunch 11. Public transportation when its cheaper (and its green) 12. Drink during happy hour 13. Share clothes with your girlfriends 14. Rent a movie and make dinner at home for a romantic date 15. Shop Palo Alto mother's club for deals on kids stuff.

Submitted by Emily Cunningham, Erin Reyes, Nina Bailey, Calla Griffith, Lauren Wald and Regine Nelson

1. Don't go to Stanford Shopping Mall 2. Go to the grocery store with a list 3. Brew your own Peet’s or Starbucks at home 4. Only buy what you need 5. Develop a budget

Thanks for Having Us!

By Ansley Jentz, Member Resources Committee

On behalf of the ladies of the Member Resources Committee, we sincerely appreciate the hospitality of your committees over the past few months. We were welcomed into your meetings, given time on your agenda, and allowed the chance to meet you in person – which is, hand-down, the best part of all.

Member Resources Committee (L to R) Miriam Huntley (holding Ashlyn Levy),
Marissa Levy, Ansley Jentz, Liz Wood, Gabriella Cirelli, and Mary Grundy
Not pictured: Leticia Gonzalez-Ratchev and Stephanie Pearson-Phillips

As our committee discussed the committee visit experience, we all agreed that the visits are invaluable. Meeting the women that we represent is what it’s all about. As a liaison, the committee visit is our chance to say hello and put a name to a face – which allows a better connection for the coming year.

We likely missed several of you if you were not at “that meeting” – so below is an abbreviated overview of what we shared:

Member Resources Committee members are your partner in the League and want the best for you. We are the ones you reach out to when you need:

• To change your membership status – for example, due to outside circumstances you cannot complete your commitment and need to take a Leave of Absence
• To discuss your League experience – whether you’re having a fabulous experience thanks to your fellow committee members and leaders, or if you feel that you need to switch and explore another committee placement
• To confirm that you’ve met your membership obligations as the year moves along – we are the ones who will give that gentle reminder of any missed obligations
• To express your interests for your League future – we need to know whether you’re interested in doing a community project, or fundraiser, or an internal placement in the next year

So, we are sorry if we missed you, but certainly hope to have the chance to get to know you in the months ahead. You can look for us at the January General Membership Meeting… we have bright-colored flowers that we’ll be wearing.

Be sure to reach out to us with any concerns or questions about your League year.

Happy Holidays, and thanks again for having us!

Blogging! Team Activity from September GMM, Bundle 4

By Michelle Hostrup, Social Media Assistant Chair

This is Part IV of a series of team blog submissions from the September GMM. See Part I on the 12/7/2011 blog post.

Team Blog Activity from September GMM, Bundle 4

What are your table’s top 10 summer activities around the Peninsula?

Submitted by Jan Woolsey (pictured below), Jessica Escalante, Rachana Shah and Kristin Huguet

1. Go cart racing in Millbrae 2. Shopping at Stanford 3. Museum at Stanford 4. Antiquing in San Carlos (Laurel St) 5. Concerts at Shoreline 6. A day at Half Moon Bay 7. A day at Filoli 8. Farmer's market 9. Wine tasting at Savvy Cellars in Mountain View

Jan Woolsey responding to the
Blog activity question on her ipad

Submitted by Caitlin Hyatt, Kathleen Castaillac, Katy Cecere, Angela Espinosa, Heather Bauer, Carmina Littlefield, Heather Caelius, Helen Ungerman, Angie Dupree and Courtney Zanini 

Who knew there were so many things to do with family and friends in the area! Home Tour's Top 10 summer activities will wow even your grandparents. 1. Wednesday's concert in the Park – in Menlo Park 2. Raging Waters 3. The Circus came to town! 4. Menlo Charity Horseshow - and yes the kids love it! 5. Connoisseur’s Marketplace in Menlo Park or Palo Alto! 6. Happy Hollow 7. San Mateo County Fair 8. Gilroy Gardens 9. Downtown Redwood City Movie in the Park on Friday nights! 10. San Carlos Farmers Market - hurry!! the last one is this week or next!?!

Submitted by Maggie Furey, Laura Wiley, Lauren Brown, Olivia Sorell, Jennifer Donegan, Katie Anderson, Sara Malek Compani, Rebecca Williamson and Laura Martin

Bungee Jumping, Skydiving, Giants Games, Fireworks on the pier, Napa Valley, The beach, Spa, Hopping in HMB, Dish hiking w/ Claritan, Menlo Charity horse show, Movies in the Square – RWC, Downward Facing Dog @ Stanford

Tune in for the last Blog post of this series on Wednesday 12/21/2011!

Blogging! Team Activity from September GMM, Bundle 3

By Michelle Hostrup, Social Media Assistant Chair


This is Part III of a series of team blog submissions from the September GMM. See Part I on the 12/7/11 blog post.

Team Blog Activity from September GMM, Bundle 3

If you could forever eliminate one task from your daily routine, what would it be and why?

Submitted by Amy Truel and Team


Amy Truel and League members

Laundry! If we didn't have to do laundry, we would have time to do the following: 1) Have time to donate clothing to the Shop 2) Go to lunch with a Junior League Member 3) Volunteer for every Junior League event on the calendar 4) Have time to submit blog entry daily for Junior League 5) Have time to write Piper articles 6) Comment on every Junior League Facebook post 7) Buy enough Junior League t-shirts to wear 365 days a year

Submitted by Stacey Harbeson and Team

In our perfect world there would be no dishes to do. We all would have a dishwasher fairy that would whisk away our plates after dinner, place them in the dishwasher, and empty it while we sleep. There would be no crusty dishes from husbands who don't rinse and dry chapped dishpan hands.


Submitted by Chris Sapyta, May Matsui, Rebecca Siegel, Taylor Fleeson, Stephanie Dugary

CS: I'd l eliminate dish washing and laundry.TF: shaving legs and laundry RS: putting on makeup or straightening my hair MM: I'd get rid of washing dishes. SD: I would eliminate the colossal waste of time that is sitting in traffic.

Blogging! Team Activity from September GMM, Bundle 2

By Michelle Hostrup, Social Media Assistant Chair


This is Part II of a series of team blog submissions from the September GMM. See Part I on the 12/7/11 blog post.

Team Blog Activity from September GMM, Bundle 2

League members working on the Blog activity

Share with us a placement you've learned the most from in the League

Submitted by Joy Peacock

I was the assistant chair of the Spring Gala. I had never been in charge of solicitations before and a month after I took the position, I found out I was pregnant. I learned to be fearless and juggle many priorities.

What’s the best gift you ever received?

Submitted by GMM Group

1. Port-a-potty for the boat. 2. Puppy. 3. Having a child, after being told by two doctors that I wasn't able to give birth to a child. 4. Large photo from a loved photographer. 5. Trip to Rome. 6. My grandmother's engagement ring.

Congratulations Home Tour Committee

The Provisional Class Tailgated and Volunteered!

By Molly Sundstrom, Membership Development Committee

November was a susy month for the Provisional Class!

We kicked off the month with our social by tailgating at the Stanford-Oregon football game on November 12. Although Oregon defeated Stanford, everyone had a great time BBQ-ing and socializing with other Junior League members.

Provisional Class November meeting presentation
about Kids in the Kitchen by Jacquetta Lannan

Our Provisional Class met on November 15, and we learned about the different service opportunities within the League. We were privileged to presentations about our biggest fundraiser—Finishing Touches Home Tour—and discovered the many opportunities to volunteer at The Shop. The Shop is an upscale second hand store in downtown Menlo Park and each provisional will have an opportunity to volunteer. We were filled in about Kids in the Kitchen, and even learned how to solicit donations in order to ensure a successful event. The Kids in the Kitchen initiative promotes healthy eating and exercise with the help of the San Francisco 49ers Academy and will be held in April of 2012. All the provisional members were excited to volunteer and are looking forward to the event.

The Provisional Class volunteered at Finishing Touches Home Tour, December 2nd and 3rd. Volunteers worked at Mistletoe & Martinis, the Home Tour and the Boutique at the Rosewood Sandhill Resort.

Also coming up, we have our Holiday Social, which will be on Wednesday, December 14, at the Gatehouse. This year’s social will be co-hosted by the Membership Enrichment/Outreach Committee and is a cookie exchange in which provisionals, actives and their guests will bring their favorite cookies and recipe to share. The social will also feature a contest with prizes for the best tasting, best presentation and most original cookies! To attend, RSVP here!

Blogging! Team Activity from September GMM, Bundle 1

By Michelle Hostrup, Social Media Assistant Chair

The JLPA-MP had a very busy Fall and start to the 2011-12 League year. Now that things are starting to quiet down as we enter the holiday season, I will be posting a few blog articles that were written after the September GMM, but never published. The responses are too good not to be shared, so here they are!

The first General Membership Meeting of this league year was on September 14, 2011. There were at least 20 tables set-up in the meeting room, each completely full – the room was packed! President Meaux Costello kicked off the meeting with a warm welcome and announcements, followed by project and event updates from the different committee’s.

Summer Brill, Communications VP, gave an update on the League’s Communications focus for the upcoming year, including three main areas:

• Marketing - Streamline the process for using communications outlets for League
• Interaction - Facilitate and encourage sharing and interaction among members
• Branding - Increase awareness of the League in the community

During her presentation, Summer introduced a group activity related to our League blog. Each table received a blog topic and was given instructions to discuss their topic, create a unique blog post, and submit the blog post by logging onto the JLPA-MP website.

The blog posts submitted during the activity were extremely creative. From the submissions I developed five bundles of responses from the various teams. The remaining team response bundles will be published over the next few weeks, so check back in to read each one!

Team Blog Activity from September GMM, Bundle 1

Tell us about a situation you experienced with the League that you wouldn't have experienced outside of the League

Submitted by Naomi Chavez Peters and Board Members

Naomi Chavez Peters & Team

The League turned Sally into a master fundraiser. The biggest auction ever held in the League was her year running the auction at the Fashion Show! "Being a League member brought me out of my shyness," says Sustainer Anne. "It's a safe place to try things and not be judged" says sustainer, Kathy. "I would never have become a CPR instructor without the league training." She got Red Cross CPR training through the League in the 80's. “And both my husband and I became gourmet cooks after writing two "Private Collection" cookbooks!" Kathy ended up with over 700 cookbooks! "I got the opportunity to be the 'mom and consultant' I always to be, through my association with the Junior League," says Naomi, who just returned from a trip to West Texas (Amarillo and Odess) training League leaders in those communities.

If you were given 30 days free of all responsibilities (work, childcare, etc.), what would you do with that time?

Submitted by Christina York

We would travel, read, eat, sunbathe, shop at The Shop, go running, garden, and volunteer.

Stay tuned for more team responses to be published.

Member Recognition Awards - November 2011

By Mary Grundy, Member Resource Committee


Pictured left to right, Brenna Preston,
Noelle Santamaria and Kristin Najarian

Did you enjoy the 11th Annual Pancake Breakfast with your family? Did you know this year's Pancake Breakfast achieved a fundraising record? Thanks to our DIAD committee and the particular efforts of Jen Baker and Noelle Santamaria, the event was a tremendous success!



Have you heard the buzz about the Holiday Home Tour? Did you buy your tickets yet? Do you know how much goes into this huge and important event? Our Home Tour committee has some gals working very hard to make sure it all runs smoothly, with a BIG turnout. Courtney Zanini and Heidi Bullock are just two of the Home Tour committee members going above and beyond to make this year’s event the best ever!





Pictured left to right, Helen Ungerman,
Courtney Zanini and Miriam Huntley

 

All four of these amazing ladies demonstrated incredible enthusiasm, energy and dedication to their committee projects. Please join Member Resources in congratulating Jen, Noelle, Courtney and Heidi on jobs well done! Thank you for all of your hard work and for going “above and beyond” in your efforts to support the League! You’re an inspiration to us all!