in other words
Creature Comforts ~ Feral Cats and Kittens
By Michal Smith
Last month was all about con-
trolling late hatching fleas, catching feral
cats and raising kittens. This month we
take it to the next level in controlling the
feral cat population and preparing for the
holidays.
Creatures, as have several vol-
unteers in the community, cared for
many feral kittens associated with the
valiant and commendable efforts of Kim
Tierney, City Council Member, and the
partnership she was able to form with
Feral Cat coalition of Oregon (FCCO)
on behalf of Vernonia residents. Resi-
dents have been “managing” the feral
cat overpopulation for years since the
flood but it has become somewhat out
of control in the last year. Kim heard
the complaints and concerns and took
action. The last count had 104 cats and
kittens caught and turned in by Kim and
local residents to be spayed/neutered by
the FCCO– WOW!
The OFCC provides this service
free of charge, but does ask for a $30
donation to help defray the expense of
the surgeries. They are providing a great
service for our community. If you’re
looking for a great cause to support with
a donation this one should be high on
the list. All donations are tax deductible:
Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon P.O. Box
82734 Portland, OR 97282
Kittens that are caught and re-
turned to Vernonia following their sur-
gery are looking for a good home. It
probably goes without writing, Crea-
tures will be full of sweet little darlings
looking for their forever homes through
the month. Please consider adopting and
spread the word to co-workers, family
and friends. The kittens will be “fixed”,
will have received first shots, been given
worming and flea treatment and are well
socialized. As always, the adoption fee is
low to encourage adoption and to cover
only the associated costs of their care.
Thank you in advance for being willing
to open your hearts and homes to these
‘lil guys!
Also, going on at Creatures in
November is the kickoff of the 2 nd annu-
al Paper Puppies and Kitten sale and pet
food collection to benefit Bailey’s Pantry
at Vernonia Cares Food Bank. Bailey’s
Pantry is the arm of the local food bank
that provides pet food to families in need
who have pets too! Each paper puppy or
november7
2013
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kitten is sold for $1 through Dec. 31st
and placed in the stores windows. Last
year, just over $375 was raised and do-
nated in food, so this year we’ll shoot for
$425!!
If that’s not enough, begin-
ning shortly after Thanksgiving, you’ll
be able to pick up your live and locally
grown Christmas tree at the store. These
beautiful live trees will be delivered
fresh weekly from Mike’s Christmas
Tree Farm!
On sale this month are all flea
topical treatments when purchased by
the 3, 4 or 6 month supply and all Aspen
large dog beds (see store for details)!
Open Monday-Friday
10-6; Satur-
day 10-5; Sunday 12-4; 503-429-PETS
(7387).
WOEC Current: Saving Energy During the Holidays
By Sarah Rossi
West Oregon Electric Cooperative is proud to
sponsor this year’s Vernonia Spirit of Christmas House
Decorating contest. Start planning the decorations you
are going to use now, and get ready to make your home
stand out and represent the warm glow of this special
season. Check out the energy efficiency tips below
for some helpful hints on how to decorate with LED
lights and keep that holiday spirit alive without wasting
energy.
Decorating:
• Consider replacing older strings of holiday lights
with more energy efficient light emitting diodes, LEDs.
Most stores now sell LED lights, and many of the new
outside Christmas decorations are already made with
them. Minimize fire hazard risk with LEDs, as they
are shatterproof, shock resistant, safe to touch, and
shouldn’t overload your electric circuits. LEDs save
up to 80-90 percent of your decorative lighting energy
costs, and use 10 times less energy than incandescent
mini-lights and 100 times less energy than standard
bulbs.
• Wait until dark to turn on your Christmas lights and
make sure to turn them off before you go to bed. Six
hours or less of daily use is a good goal to aim for.
• Using holiday lighting wisely can lower power
consumption. Timers and photo cells can help reduce
power usage by turning the lights on at dusk and
turning them off at a desired time. Just make sure that
the timer you use is rated to handle the total wattage of
your lights.
• Fiber optic trees and decorations are the ultimate in
energy efficiency. In most cases, they use a single light
bulb located in the base of the unit to light the entire
decoration. That makes them energy smart and budget
smart.
• Turn your room lights off when your tree lights are
on. The lights on your Christmas tree may provide
more than enough lighting to navigate around the room.
• Christmas lights are nice, but so are candles. Set
up luminaries along your walkway and use candles
throughout your home to achieve a beautiful holiday
glow, without adding to the electric bill. Just be sure to
use them safely and never leave them unattended. Also
the new LED flameless candles are great for giving a
room that candle glow without the dangers of an open
flame, all with one little battery that lasts a very long
time.
• Don’t pre-rinse your dishes. Dishwashers today are
powerful enough to clean without the necessity of pre-
washing everything. Just scrape the big stuff off and
put them in the dishwasher to cut back on water use and
energy by letting your dishwasher fulfill its purpose on
its own.
• While entertaining guests, you can turn the thermostat
down. The extra bodies in the house means extra
warmth at no cost to you.
• Remember entertaining guests after dinner can be
as simple as playing some board games, or taking
Cooking/Entertaining:
a walk around Vernonia to look at Christmas lights
• Use your microwave and toaster oven for small and decorations. The important part of the season is
holiday cooking tasks, and save the oven for big spending time with your family and friends.
cooking tasks.
• The holiday season is a big time for baking. Make the
We wish everyone a Very Happy Thanksgiving
most of your oven and the energy that goes into heating and energy efficient holiday season. Remember a few
it, by cooking several dishes at once. Remember: it simple changes can make a difference in your energy
takes the same amount of energy to heat a full oven as bills. Using just a few of these tips can keep you festive
it does a nearly empty one.
and energy smart without your family and friends
• Whether preparing holiday feasts or simply doing even noticing the difference. Good luck to all of the
some baking, don’t be tempted to open the oven door. house decorating contestants and enjoy the upcoming
Every time you do, the temperature goes down 25 Holidays!
degrees, forcing your oven to work harder and use
more energy.
• Use lids on your
pots; foods cook faster
(meaning less energy
use) when the lid is on
and you use the right
cookware. There is a
lot to be said for proper
tools in the kitchen, and
investing in the right
cooking
instruments
can actually help you
cut back on your energy
use while helping you
create delicious holiday
treats.
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