Think Pink — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Have you had your mammogram?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the HALO breast test is discounted to $50 until Oct. 30. The regular price is $75.

Tahoe Women’s Care is among the few OB/GYN practices in the region to offer the new HALO breast test which collects breast fluid to be tested. There are no others in Northern Nevada and the closest in California is San Diego.

Designed to detect abnormal cells, a HALO test may identify precancerous breast diseases up to eight years earlier than a lesion might be found by a mammogram.

Breast cancers typically originate in the ductal system. A woman with atypical cells has a four to five times greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who do not produce fluid.

The HALO test does not replace mammography or self-exam, but identifies high-risk women. About half of all women won’t secrete fluid, which puts them in the lowest risk category. For those who do and have abnormal cells, Tahoe Women’s Care will monitor them closely and counsel them on lifestyle changes, and may recommend imaging options such as an MRI, ultrasound or diagnostic mammogram, or discuss minor surgical or pharmaceutical options.

A HALO breast test is not covered by insurance however some or all of the resulting lab tests may be covered by insurance.

Tahoe Women’s Care sees patients on Fourth Street in South Lake Tahoe and on Mica Drive in Carson City.

To make your appointment, call Tahoe Women’s Care at (530) 544.8333 or (775) 267.6700 or visit www.bartonhealth.org/HALO.

Barton Health received more than $20,000 from the Susan G. Komen for The Cure Foundation to pay for screening and diagnostic mammograms for uninsured or underinsured women and men in South Lake Tahoe, and Douglas and Alpine counties.

Apply for the free mammograms at the Barton Community Clinic on South Avenue across from the hospital’s main entrance in South Lake Tahoe

During the past 10 years, the Komen Foundation’s Northern Nevada affiliate has granted more than $2 million to local programs, including more than $87,000 to Barton’s Community Clinic in the last three years.

For more information, call Pam Stoddart at (530) 543-5632.

Application forms are available for the Womens’ Opportunity Award Scholarship and the Violet Richardson Award Scholarship, which are sponsored by Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe and Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra.

The Violet Richardson Award, which is a monetary award, is open to young women 14-17 years of age. Applications may be picked up at Whittell High School, South Tahoe High School, El Dorado County Library, Douglas County Library and online at www.sitahoesierra.org or www.sislt.org . This application is due Dec. 1.

The Women’s Opportunity Award Scholarship is a monetary award open to women who are heads of household and are returning to the workplace or school and need financial assistance. This application can be picked up at Lake Tahoe Community College, both Douglas and El Dorado County libraries or online and is due Dec. 9.

For any further details, please call (530) 318.5356.

After a yearlong grant process, Tahoe Youth & Family Services was awarded $50,000 each year for the next three years from the California Wellness Foundation.  The $150,000 in grant funding provides core operating support to sustain the Drop In Center and services for homeless and runaway youth. More specifically, these grant funds will enhance counseling and case management services for homeless and runaway youth in and around the South Lake Tahoe area.

The Community Foundation of Western Nevada recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Tahoe Youth & Family Services through their Community Partnership Grant Program. This funding will be used to help sustain operations in light of the difficult national and local economies.

Kim Wyatt, publisher of Bona Fide Books in Meyers, sends a reminder that this is Banned Books Week.

The American Library Association provides a list of banned and challenged books. (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/index.cfm)

Wyatt says, “Celebrate the First Amendment and our freedom to read by picking up a banned book.”

Supporters of Kindertown will meet Oct. 3 at 11am at the Miller’s Outpost parking lot in South Lake Tahoe. The peaceful march will end at Kindertown Preschool with a barbecue. Supporters are protesting the state wanting to close down the facility in mid-October.

Details about the case are at: https://www.laketahoenews.net/2009/09/state-forcing-kindertown-to-close/.

The salmon are here — and just in time for the 20th annual Kokanee Salmon Festival at Taylor Creek Visitor Center on Highway 89 on the outskirts of South Lake Tahoe.

The Oct. 3-4 event is from 10am-4pm.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the salmon started their migration up Taylor Creek on Sept. 13.

For information, call (530) 543.2674.

The El Dorado County Health Services Department, Mental Health Division is inviting the public to review and provide comment on the Prevention and Early Intervention Component of its Mental Health Services (MHSA) Act Plan. The goal of the three-year prevention plan is to help identify and help youth, older adults and others who are at risk for mental health problems and to prevent suicide. The prevention plan, which is available for review at Mental Health’s website – www.edcgov.us/mentalhealth – will be posted for public review and comment through Oct. 21.

A public hearing to receive input on the plan is scheduled for Oct. 21 at 5pm. The hearing will be conducted simultaneously at two locations:

El Dorado County Mental Health Clinic

670 Placerville Dr., 2nd Floor

Placerville, CA 95667

and

El Dorado County Mental Health Clinic

1900 Lake Tahoe Boulevard

South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

In addition to the public hearing, members of the public with comments and questions about the plan can also send these to:

El Dorado County Mental Health

MHSA Project Management

670 Placerville Drive, Suite 1B

Placerville, CA 95667

E-mail: MHSA@edcgov.us

Congestion along the main artery to South Lake Tahoe — Highway 50 — will be the subject of a special El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting Oct. 5 at 6pm.

Supervisor John Knight is spearheading the discussion about traffic through El Dorado Hills.

At the meeting the Board of Supervisors will receive updates from a variety of transportation and traffic sectors including a report from the county Department of Transportation on the Capital Improvement Plan for the El Dorado Hills area. Key projects and issues such as the Highway 50/Silva Valley interchange, the Capital Southeast Connector, and the Folsom sphere of influence will also be discussed.

The meeting will be in the El Dorado Hills Community Services District Pavilion at 1021 Harvard Way in El Dorado Hills. For questions or additional information, contact Knight or Loretta Featherston at (530) 621.5650 or bosone@co.el-dorado.ca.us.