VTSF Reminders

It's SITE VISIT time so be sure to contact me with your availability in January/February for these important grant-monitoring meetings. The site visit usually takes 1-1.5 hours and is a good mid-year opportunity for us to touch base on all things related to your VTSF grant like program status, financials, overall grant administration and your plans for the future.

Also QUARTERLY REPORTS are due Tuesday, January 15.

Smoke-Free in 2008

Check out the latest clean indoor air legislation and cigarette tax increases happening around the country and be sure to visit http://blog.smokefreevanow.org for updates on Virginia's effort to support smoke-free air.

Illinois: Statewide ban goes into effect Jan. 1.
Colorado: Statewide ban extends to casinos Jan. 1.
Kansas: Kansas City suburbs' smoking bans go into effect Jan. 1 & 2
Maryland: Baltimore smoking ban goes into effect. Jan. 1.
Texas: McKinney, Sugar Land and Fort Worth restaurant smoking bans go into effect Jan. 1.
California: Smoking ban in cars with kids goes into effect Jan. 1.
Wisconsin: $1/pack cigarette tax hike goes into effect. Jan. 1, raising tax to $1.77.
Maryland: $1/pack cigarette tax hike goes into effect. Jan. 1, raising tax to $2.

From Tobacco.org Updates, 1/2/2008

Virginians for a Healthy Future

Since you're all savvy blog-readers now, I've got one more for you to bookmark. http://blog.smokefreevanow.org/ -- it’s a blog from the Virginians for a Healthy Future Coalition and it’s written by Cathleen Grzesiek from the American Heart Association. The VFHFC will use the blog to post relevant info about smoke-free issues and news in Virginia, particularly for this General Assembly session. Click on over to it now to see the great happenings with clean indoor air policies in the Tidewater area.

New VTSF video

Check out the latest and greatest VTSF promotional video which can be viewed

from our homepage at

http://www.vtsf.org/index.asp

or under the About Us section at http://www.vtsf.org/global/about.asp.

It's a fabulous new tool that we can all utilize in spreading the word about VTSF initiatives. It is about six minutes long and highlights some grantee programs, research projects, youth access efforts and the world reknown Y Campaign. This video is the perfect introduction to VTSF for those who are still getting to know our organization. Kudos to our PR genius Richard Foster for such a nice polished product!

Save a stamp!

As a reminder, invoices can be submitted electronically each month. If you/your fiscal staff have not yet made the switch, be sure to do so and save some time and money. Contact me if you have questions.

Share your story in the VTSF newsletter

Calling all grantees --- we're looking for short articles to include in our upcoming VTSF newsletter. Can you describe a little bit about your organization, who you serve and how VTSF funding is helping the kids in your community in 300-400 words? If so, contact Richard Foster at rfoster@vtsf.org. This is a great opportunity to highlight your program for all of our stakeholders statewide. Articles must be submitted by January 14, 2008.

Life Skills Training at Bridle Creek Elementary

I had the pleasure of visiting Bridle Creek Elementary School this week to watch Michelle Stamper in action with the Life Skills Training curriculum in Mrs. Young's third grade class. Kudos to Michelle and the entire Grayson County Schools team for making their first VTSF grant program such a success - keep up the good work!