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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2017)
community news november2 13 Leptospirosis Strikes Sea Lions Along Oregon Coast: Keep Pets Away 2017 Oregon and California are seeing an increase in the number of stranded sea lions along the coast due to leptospi- rosis, a bacteria that can also sicken dogs, livestock, people, and other wildlife. “Over the past few months, we have been getting calls for multiple sick or dead sea lions daily, which is higher than normal,” said Jim Rice, an OSU Marine Mammal Institute researcher who works at the OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. At least eight cases of leptospirosis have been confirmed through OSU’s Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory since the outbreak began in late September, mostly on beaches in Lincoln, Tilla- mook and Clatsop counties. While leptospirosis oc- curs worldwide, outbreaks oc- cur only sporadically in marine mammals, with the last Oregon outbreak seen in 2010. The dis- ease can spread when an animal comes into contact with urine or other bodily fluids of an in- fected animal and can lead to kidney failure, fever, weakness, muscle pain, and other symp- toms. In Oregon, young male sea lions are typically affected and usually show signs of dehy- dration, depression and reluc- tance to use their hind flippers. While there is a small risk of transmission to people, dogs are most at risk of becom- ing infected by approaching stranded sea lions on the beach or coming in contact with body fluid from sick or dead sea li- ons. People walking their dogs on the beach should keep their dogs on a leash and not allow them to get close to stranded sea lions. “Pets should be kept away from sea lions as leptospi- rosis can cause severe disease,” Martin Arms Opens Storefront Bipartisan Legislation to Boost Apprenticeships continued from page 12 industry about four years ago, where he worked in Portland and the suburbs, and moved his family to Vernonia, looking for a slower pace and a career that would be less stressful. “We liked the slow- er lifestyle here and wanted to raise our kids in a smaller community,” says Petra. “We wanted to get out of the rat race,” adds Dennis. “We are in love with Vernonia. This town is awesome. People have really been supportive in both our business and our personal lives.” Dennis says one of the most important things for him as a gun shop owner is safety. “The best way to emphasize that is to educate people, es- pecially young people,” says Dennis. “They need to know how to handle a firearm respectfully and know and understand the basic rules and habits.” Martin Arms carries a variety of gun locks and sup- ports a variety of gun safety and training classes in the community. “We want to start introducing more and more of that because I’m a big believer in it. It’s important that kids get the concepts of what these are and understand that these are a tool.” The Martins say they are happy to be part of the Vernonia community and collaborate with other gun owners. “On a daily basis there is someone who stops by and visits with me,” says Dennis. “I enjoy idly growing sectors like health care and technology. We can build pathways to get more people back to work and provide our nation’s businesses with a skilled workforce that will im- prove productivity and efficiency.” “The Central Education Center in Newnan led Geor- gia by implementing an innovative style of apprenticeship that prepares our young people for 21st century careers,” said Ferguson. “I am introducing this bill to allow workers across the nation to have access to work-based training. The Unit- ed States needs a workforce that’s competitive on the world stage, but we must also face the stark realities of our current fiscal situation. By using H-1B visa fees to fund a direct path into the workplace, we can ensure the next generation receives an education for success at no cost to the American taxpayer.” Bonamici crafted the legislation with input from the Oregon Employment Department, Worksystems, Inc., and Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. “Registered apprenticeships, and the employer partnerships that lead to coordinated multi-em- ployer apprenticeship programs, are a critical part of Oregon’s workforce strategy,” said Kay Erickson, Director of Oregon Employment Department. “The value of a nationally recog- nized credential that is part of a career pathway is proven. Pri- oritizing funds for helping employers expand these programs is an essential part of our state’s workforce solutions.” Bonamici and Ferguson are strong advocates for apprenticeships and work-based learning programs in Con- gress. One of Bonamici’s first bills, the WISE Investment Act, aimed to foster collaboration among local businesses and workforce training programs. Bonamici supported the Work- force Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) when it passed Congress in 2014, and she has led efforts to increase funding for WIOA and apprenticeship programs. Mist-Birkenfeld Fall Festival that. We sit around and talk hunting, we talk guns, we talk about our kids, and we talk about life in a small community.” As another way to outreach to the commu- nity, on Thursday, November 2 from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, Martin Arms was hosting a pop up display with local Damsels in Defense distributor Nicole Pen- ney. Dennis says he is interested in support- ing the start of a trap shooting team at the Verno- nia High School. “The high school trap shooting state championship is held in Hillsboro every year,” says Dennis. “The high school trap shooting league starts up in March each year. I know there has been some interest around the community in starting something like that. Personally, I’m too busy to coach that right now, but I’m hoping someone will pick that up and run with it. It would be great to add that as a sport in Vernonia.” Martin Arms is located at 725 Bridge Street. (971) 777-4108. Hours: Tue-Sat 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. NEW LOCATION 825 Bridge Street 503-429-0214 D DM an e rm D r continued from front page Open Every Day at 6:00 am Vernonia Dental h . r C State Police at 1-800-452-7888. (OSP shares these reports with the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network.) Even when sea lions are healthy, it’s never a good idea to approach them. It’s also a vio- lation of federal and state laws to harass, disturb, touch, or feed marine mammals. For more informa- tion about leptospirosis, visit ODFW’s fact sheet or the Center for Disease Control website. For more information about wildlife diseases, contact ODFW’s wildlife health hotline at 1-866-968-2600. Fresh Roasted Coffee espresso • baked goods Please bring your family and join the Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle for their Fall Festival on Saturday, November 4. Held at the Mist School, 69163 Hwy 47. h p o is t said Emilio DeBess, state pub- lic health veterinarian of the Or- egon Health Authority. “Note that there are vaccines avail- able to protect dogs and horses against leptospirosis, please contact your veterinarian for more information. If your dog becomes ill after being exposed to sick or dead sea lions, contact your vet- erinarian immediately,” added DeBess. People who observe sick sea lions or other marine mammals on the beach should say at least 50 feet away from them and report them to Oregon M er . h S c eu 622 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR 97064 phone (503) 429-0880 -- fax (503) 429-0881
