eclipse news
august17
2017
Viewing the Eclipse
in the Backcountry
Whether you choose to
watch the eclipse from an iconic
National Park or a lesser known
(and just as beautiful) public
land, these tips will help you
have a safe and memorable ex-
perience while respecting your
public lands:
• It is NEVER safe to look at the
sun during the eclipse. Except
during the very short period of
totality, do not look directly at
the sun without approved solar-
viewing devices.
• Get your maps. Some public
lands are remote areas along un-
maintained roads and are often in-
ter-mingled with private land, so
know where you’re going. Con-
tact your local Bureau of Land
Management, National Park Ser-
vice, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-
vice, or Forest Service offices for
camping and jurisdiction maps.
Before you head out, make sure
you are familiar with the area you
are going to and ensure you have
appropriate gear, equipment, and
supplies.
• Use designated spots for camp-
ing. While most campgrounds are
already booked, there are some
locations that offer first come,
first serve campsites. Remember:
whether in a developed camp-
ground or at a dispersed site, you
can usually camp in an area for
up to 14 days. Learn more about
camping guidelines.
• Don’t forget your eclipse glass-
es. You’ll be able to buy eclipse
glasses at some public land visi-
tor centers, but to ensure you
have them for viewing, it’s best
to purchase them before leaving
home. Learn more about pro-
17
Drive Safely During the Eclipse
tecting your eyes during a solar
eclipse.
• Please use designated routes
and trails. Going off road dis-
turbs wildlife and habitat and in
dry conditions can spark a fire.
• Bring plenty of water. It can get
hot during the summer, and wa-
ter can be limited. Always carry
at least one gallon of water for
every person in your group.
• Pack the sunscreen. Even though
this event is about the sun’s rays
being blocked out, you’ll prob-
ably spend some time waiting in
the sun. Protect yourself.
• Remember to pack it in, pack
it out. Remove all trash (includ-
ing your viewing glasses and any
food scraps like apple cores).
• Know the fire risks and respect
fire restrictions. August is peak
wildfire season for public lands,
and a small spark can rapidly
become a large fire. Be sure to
properly put out campfires, and
in many areas, vehicles are re-
quired to have a shovel and fire
extinguisher or a gallon of water.
• Be patient and don’t expect all
services to be available. Many
small towns within the path of the
eclipse expect their infrastructure
and community services to be
stretched to the limit during the
event. Be early and patient and
expect traffic on rural roads.
• Don’t expect cell-phone recep-
tion as it is already spotty in rural
areas and may be overtaxed by
the high number of users.
Information provided by Co-
lumbia County Emergency
Management and the Vernonia
Rural Fire Protection District.
ODOT expects many Oregon highways
to be very crowded in the days around the
August 21 total solar eclipse. Many crashes are
the result of distracted driving and traveling
too fast for conditions. So we’re encouraging
you to Drive Safely: Keep your hands on the
wheel, your mind on the task, and your eyes on
the road - not on the sky. It also means you
must plan your travel well in advance.
Because of the expected large crowds,
please treat the 3-hour eclipse as a 3-DAY
event: Arrive early, stay put and leave late.
• Showing up Monday morning is too late: You
could be in a long traffic jam; you could still be
on the highway when the eclipse occurs.
• Trying to leave immediately after the eclipse is
too early: That could put you into another long
traffic jam - perhaps one of cosmic proportions.
• Can you travel with others? Carpool!
Visit
www.drivelessconnect.com/2017-
eclipse/ for more information.
• Move over before you pass a vehicle on the
side of the road that is displaying warning
lights, if you can. If you cannot safely move
over, or you’re on a two-lane road, you must
slow down to at least five mph under the speed
limit before you pass by.
• The shoulder is for emergency stopping, not
parking - and not eclipse viewing. Blocking the
shoulder could keep emergency vehicles from
reaching victims.
In the days leading up to the eclipse,
ODOT will have crews posted along critical
travel routes to keep motorists safe, and will be
providing travel updates via www.Tripcheck.
com and 511 so you can be prepared with the
most current travel information available. Trip-
Check’s speed map has been enhanced: you can
now see how fast (or slow) traffic is moving on
all city, county and state roads in Oregon.
Plan to have a good time in Oregon
viewing the eclipse. Plan ahead, so you will.
TripCheck Launches Speed Map
Data shows how traffic is flowing
around the state – just in time for
the eclipse
In an update to Oregon’s traffic and
road conditions website, TripCheck, motorists
can now see how fast (or slow) traffic is moving
on nearly all roads across Oregon. Previously,
this feature was only available in the Portland
metro area and was called the Portland Speed
Map.
Now, a new statewide layer of data
is using near real-time traffic congestion
information to reflect movement on roadways
throughout Oregon. ODOT has partnered with
Esri/ HERE to provide the traffic data.
When you visit TripCheck.com, simply
zoom in to see the traffic flow on the various
roads. Traffic is displayed as a percentage of
free-flow speeds (frequently the speed limit or
more practically, how fast cars tend to travel
when unencumbered by other vehicles). The
streets are color-coded as follows:
• Green (fast): 85 - 100% of free-flow speeds
• Yellow (moderate): 65 - 85%
• Orange (slow): 45 - 65%
• Red (stop and go): 0 - 45%
When you are on the website, to see
what the colors mean, click on the Live Traffic
drop down menu on the left. There, you’ll
also see another significant enhancement to
TripCheck: the interactive map legend. The
map layer controls are now integrated with the
legend, simplifying the layout and providing
a cleaner mobile experience. You can click on
layers such as Waze Traffic to add or remove
information.
TripCheck will receive another update
later this year with a freshened interface for
searching text reports. This update will allow
users to create custom queries to search for
incidents, weather, cameras and more based on
their criteria.
Bridge Street Bits
filled the position that was originally going to
be represented by her mother Penny Dean,
REMEMBER to stop by or call our local library
Thanks Tobie Finzel for stepping in
for whom the Senior Board and community
for information on book deliveries for those
writing this column when circumstances find
wishes to express our sincere condolences on
who cannot get out or have no transportation.
me away from the computer.
her passing.
It’s a great service!
TAKE NOTE: Even though “Bargains on Bridge
FOOTCARE SERVICES are available at the
Street Thrift Store” is now closed on Mondays, FIVE AREA LUNCH is at Clatskanie Center this
Health Center. This is one of the more
month, the LAST Monday of August, on the
due to staffing, the meal certificates will
popular services we offered at our senior
continue to be issued through the senior office 28 th . Some months from now the Vernonia
center building in the past, done so efficiently
Senior Center will be back once again hosting
in the same building as the store on the first
by Marilyn Albro. Call Joyce Jossi, RN at her
one of the 5-Area Lunches! (Rainier, Clatskanie,
and second Monday of each month. Please
number to schedule an appointment and
St. Helens, Scappoose, Vernonia ) Exciting days
enter by way of the side patio door, between
leave a message. (503) 753-7745.
are on the horizon!
10 am and noon.
SENIOR SIGN OFF: Service is nothing but love
MANY OF US had a most wonderful day at the
THE VERNONIA THRIFT STORE is in need of
in work clothes. THANK YOU to our volunteer
Columbia County Fair. The band that played
volunteers. If this seems like something you
Board Members who meet once a month to
on the stage that day played 50s and 60s
might be interested in, your help would
make decisions and discuss ways to propel our
music and Pat Ray and I loved it, although I
be very appreciated. Background check is
future Senior Center on to becoming a reality.
required, at NO cost to you. Come in and see couldn’t get anyone to get up and do the twist
Stay tuned and travel along with us on this
with me. At some point a couple of senior
store manager Pam.
journey. All member voices welcomed at our
ladies popped up but not one senior gent…
FOR DIAL-A-RIDE SERVICES and info call
monthly meetings: Next up: SEPTEMBER 8
takes some of us gals to break the ice, huh?
CC Rider Dispatch at (503) 366-0159. This
10:00 am at the American Legion Hall.
A BIG SHOUT OUT TO TINA BREWINGTON
is the number on their website: www.
Call me with any questions and concerns: (503)
who so capably represented Vernonia in
columbiacountyrider.com
429-0273.
July at the Columbia County Fair as Vernonia
I KNOW some of you are taking advantage
See ya’ around town...
Princess in the My Fair Lady contest. Tina
of senior meals at a reduced rate: Check out
By Karen Miller
Mariolino’s, Black Iron Grill, and Blue House.
Vernonia Senior Center • 939 Bridge Street • (503) 429-3912