Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon May 27, 1994 PAGE 9 Remodeling to ensure options for safety, access by Norma L. Simpson The American Association of Retired Persons has many programs to help people to live better in later life. In April I received a copy of The Do-Able Renewable Home. Only today did I have a chance to really see the many practical things in the booklet which would be very helpful here in Warm Springs. It includes ways to help those who have problems associated with growing older, vision and hearing loss, hand limitations, limitation of the range of reach like the top shelves in your in your closets, and mobility impairments like the stairs that you can no longer climb without handrails of a whcelchairl ramp. I have ordered some additional copies of the book which includes drawings like these: Until the Do-Able Renewable Home booklets arrive, there are some other suggestions from the OSU Housing Specialist, Mary Ann Sward. There are five basic features that make any home easily and inexpensively adaptable to the use of a walker or wheelchair. ' ' First, be sure that you have one bathroom, the kitchen, a living area and a room which could be converted to a bedroom located on the entry level of the home. This arrangement permits a person unable to climb stairs to have access to important areas of the home. Second, be sure interior doors are at least 32 inches wide (36 inches is even better), to permit easy entry of walkers and wheelchairs. Changing the door width later can be very expensive, but when it's done as part of a room remodel, the cost is moderate. You may never need the extra width yourself, but it can be important resale feature. Third, be sure all stairways have good lighting and handrails are anchored to wall studs. Railings should be added to outside entries if you do not have them. Fourth, add grab bars in the bathroom, especially in the tub area. Leave room for grab bars to be installed later around the toilet. Like the bathroom door, the toilet is traditionally wedged into the smallest place possible. If you're remodeling a bath be sure to plan a little extra room around the toilet, if you ever need to install a taller toilet and grab bars for wheelchairs use you can do so fairly inexpensively. If you don't have the space it would require major remodeling and major expense. Fifth, be sure halls and entrances to rooms off those halls have sufficient room for a wheelchair to turn. Ideally, a five foot radius is best, but a smaller radius will work if you place doors opposite each other so a thrce-pointcd-tum is possible. Remake the doorways 18 to 24 inches away from the wall near the door. That means that the wheelchair operator can easily open the door. Remake the doorways at least 32 inches wide. If the door is not essential, remove the door. Slide Bolts are fairly easy to operate if at the right height and nearly the same security as dead bolts. Narrow doorways make it difficult for people using a walker and impossible for those in wheelchairs. AW owGnnsMTt umversttv creiNisioN sewice Information provided bv: OSU Extension at Warm Springs 1110 Wasco Street 553-3238. Arlene Boileau Bob Pawelek Norma Simpson Carol Stevens Crystal Winishut Tim Wojtuslk Clint Jacks OSU Extension Staff: 4-H & Youth Livestock Home Economics 4-H 4-H Assistant Agriculture Staff Chair, Madras The above individuals are devoted to extending research-based information from Oregon State University to the people of Warm Springs in Agriculture, Home Economics, 4-H Youth, Forestry, Community Development, Energy and Extension Sea Grant programs. Oregon State University, United States Department of Agriculture, Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs cooperating. The Extension Service offers its programs and materials equally to all people. EDUCATION THAT WORKS FOR YOU Family events planned for summer Oregon blessed with many butterflies- by Carol Savonen Oregon is blessed with more than 150 species of butterflies. A little more than half these species are found only in eastern Oregon and about 30 species are found only in Western Oregon. Home gardeners don't need a large yard to provide the basics for butterfly survival. All they need are nectar plants, larval host plants, resting areas, sun and water, explained Gail Gredler, home horticulturist with the Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service. Grow nectar plants for butterflies in anything from window boxes to wildflower meadows. Nectar-rich wildflowers include aster, bleeding heart, butterfly weed (Asclepias or milkweed), clarkia, coreopsis, goldenrod, iris, larkspur, lupine, nettle owl clover, Indian paintbrush, thistle, sedum, columbine and yarrow. Non-native flowers . including beebalm, dahlias, cosmos, dian thus, day lilies, geraniums, impatiens, lavender, marigolds, statice, sweet william, zinnias, and many of the members of the mint family are also great nectar sources for butterflies. . Native flowering trees and shrubs including wild roses, red flowering current, butterfly bush (Buddleia) twin berry Oregon honeysuckle, Piper's willow and snowberry also provided nectar for butterflies. Caterpillars, the voracious larvae of butterflies, also must have food. Plants that provide caterpillars food includealfalfa, anise, clover, fennel, hollyhock, mallow, lupine, milkweed, nasturtium, snapdragon, sunflower, violet Cottonwood, poplar, willow, oak and horse chestnut. In particular, Western tiger swallowtail larvae love members of the parsley family such as fennel, dill and cow parsnip. Nettles and hops are favorites of the red admiral. And painted lady caterpillars love borage, burdock and centaurea. For resting and sunning, shrubs provide a safe place out of the wind for butterflies. Rocks placed in the sun or sunny bare patches out of the way of foot traffic are also great resting spots. Butterflies cannot drink from open water. The best way to provide drinking water is to have wet mud somewhere in the yard where butterflies can land safely and sip. Or mist your plants early in the morning and they will sip from the water droplets. Avoid misting plants later in the day to avoid fungus problems. Avoid the indiscriminate use of pesticides in the yard. Butterflies have become increasingly uncommon in urban and suburban areas because of pesticides and habitat loss. For more information on creating a heal thy habitatforbutterflies.consult'The Audubon Society Handbook for Butterfly Watchers," by Robert Michael Py le, published by Charles Scribner's Sons or "Butterfly Gardening," Sierra Club Books and the National Wildlife Federation. by Norma L. Simpson Just before I sat at the computer to write my Spilyay articles for this week, I had a meeting with Carol Allison. The Community Center staff has scheduled three days of activities to explore countries and peoples of other countries around the world set aside some time July 19-21 in the Social room. It's exciting for me to be invited to participate, because I love to share my experiences that I've had living and working around the world. So today we made plans to show clothes, games, drums, housing styles and cooking equipment of many countries. We will share stories, plays, music, songs and dreams of a better place to life that we can build. When I went to these countries to work, I always took bcadwork and moccasins from the Ft. Hall Reservation, near my home in Idaho. I took brochures of the changes that took place following the development of the phosphate mine and traditional events that took place at Ft. Hall. It was in Brazil that I purchased my first puzzle of a Native American in full regalia. Not only was the puzzle purchased in South Building friendships in families important for bonding Building friendships within the family is very important for creating stronger family bonds. What do friends do? They talk with each other. They listen. They share common interests. They have fun together. They help each other. Benefits of building friendships within the family include closer, more enjoyable family relationships and a greater ability of each family member to deal effectively with crises and stress. Suggested Family Activities for June: 1. Plan a family vacation that will offer something enjoyable for everyone in the family. 2. Support each other's interests. For example, go to your child's karate practice sometimes. 3. Have a family fun night at least twice this month. Play cards or board games. Put together a puzzle or bake cookies. 4. Plant a small vegetableorflower garden together. 5. Attend a family reunion or other family gathering. If one isn'tplanned, let your family take the lead. .. . 6. Talk with other family members about their interests, goals, dreams, and concerns. Really listen! 7. Help other family members with their chores, projects or problems. 8. Treat family members as you treat your friends. Criticize less, laugh together, or share a fun secret. America, but it was printed there too, in the Brazilian Portuguese language. I wonder why you can't find puzzles like that in the USA. Maybe we should start a small industry with Native American puzzles with the kinds of information that display the pride of our indigenous nations. Everywhere I went the people were very interested in Native Americans. And now is the time to share interest in their cultures. From Nigeria to Ethiopia, Peru to Paraguay, Philippines to Papua, New guinea. Keep in mind that Warm Springs children and their parents have a treat in store during July 19-21 at the Community Center. We're just beginning the plans and we'd love to hear from others who would like to share their experiences too. Cattle to be moved Two calves were born within two weeks, which brings the herd total to seven animals. One more calf is due anytime now. The fences at the 4-H Range at Sidwalter are being repaired, after which the cattle will be moved from the pasture at Tenino road. The hay crop looks goos; it's all dryland as the irrigation equipment is a wreck. Luckily we have had some good showers just when we needed them. This effort is to clean up the weeds, after which the pasture will be planted in range grasses for winter grazing. Dust mites feed directly on organic components of house dust by Jack D. DeAngelis OSU Extension Entomologist Ever ask yourself, "What is house dust"? Obviously the answer depends on where you live and what time of the year it happens to be. In general, however, house dust is composed of ash, cloth fibers, hair, plant pollen, skin (human and animal), soil particles and fungal spores. In many households, human skin flakes (scales) make up much of this flying debris. Consider that, on average, an adult sheds about 12 oz of skin every day! With all this yummy stuff floating around, is it any wonder that some creature has figured Stockman's Roundup: Llamas plentiful in Central Oregon w nil Bob Pawelek OSU Extension Agent Livestock and Range Stockman's Roundup: About Llamas Driving through Deschutes County last week to a meeting of Extension livestock agents, I counted 13 llamas. This was just off Highway 97. 1 kept asking myself why anyone would want one of these critters. As luck would have it, I noticed a llama "rancher" out feeding her "stock". So I pulled over and struck up a conversation. "Morning ma'am," I said as the sixty-ish lady bucked alfalfa from the back of her sixty-ish Chevy pickup. Introducing myself, I explained who I was and what I was doing. She was less than impressed, however. Undaunted, I asked about her "herd" and what these critters are good for. "Llamas," she stated, "are as close as you can get to unicorns without dying." According to Ms. Bemer, as she referred to herself, the animals have a quiet, calming presence and can be very friendly, affectionate and loyal-but don't get too close too fast. They take their time getting to know people. They're more like cats than dogs in this respect, she said, and they often strike people as aloof at first. They're very much their own 'person'," she asserted, "they don't like being touched by strangers." In answer to my first question, about what these animals are good for, Ms. Bemer went on to say that there are about 80,000 llamas in North America. Only about a fifth of them serve as pack animals, helping hikers carry their gear on mountain treks. Most are kept as companion animals. Llamas come from South America, especially from the Andes Mountain range in Peru. They were domesticated around 5,000 years ago by the Incas. Like their smaller cousin, the alpaca, their wool has been highly prized for centuries. Ms. Berner told me that she is breeding her llamas for eventual wool production. Llamas are large enough to do some real damage if so inclined. They run from between 280 and 350 pounds. With their long necks, they sometimes get as tall as six feet. But most tend to be very gentle, they are tidy, usually choosing one small area for a sort of litter box. And they generally don't mind traveling by trailer or truck. Their gestation periods are 1 1 months to a year, then the cria is born. Their life span averages from 16 to 20 years. Ms. Bemer went on to say that llamas hum. It's like purring, a sound they make when content. I have to admit, I did not hear any humming during my visit, although one of then did try to spit at me. According to Ms. Bemer, spitting is a Hamas way of telling someone to back off. It's a a territorial thing. An interesting note is that llamas bond with other animals. Some ranchers in the Rocky Mountains keep llamas with their sheep. The llama adopts a protective role towards "their" flocks and help keep coyotes away. Their keen eyesight, hearing and curiosity are the main tools they use for this job. "They are drawn toward anything unfamiliar, Ms. Bemer says,"that, combined with their size is all it usually takes to scare off a coyote." Llamas are not for everyone. But they have carved a space in the countryside of Central Oregon that they will continue to occupy. out how to use it? Enter the House Dust Mites. Tiny mites that feed directly on the organic components of house dust. Now, that could well be the end of the story. Since these mites are so small we might never be aware of their existence, even though they were first discovered in 1694. But, what goes into the mite as a flake of skin comes out the other end as an Allergen, capable of stuffing up your nose (rhinitis) or causing an asthmatic attack. House dust mites are not the only source of allergen in our indoor environment but they may be one of the most important. Mite Biology. The cycle from egg to adult takes about 1 month under ideal conditions, the mites feed on pollen, skin flakes, natural fibers and dander. Growth occurs between 50 and 90 degrees and they require fairly high relative humidity (60-90). For this reason dust mites tend to be more numerous in the spring and fall when the humidity indoors is a little higher. Winter heating dries out houses and therefore reduces dust mite numbers. House dust mites DO NOT bite or otherwise cause harm. Damage. The importance of house dust mites is in the allergen formed by their activities. When inhaled, the allergen can cause asthma, in the extreme case, or rhinitis (stuffy, inflamed nose). The allergen is composed of mite fecal material and fragments of the mites themselves. Obviously, individuals differ in their tolerance to the mites. Some people never exhibit any allergic reaction, while in others a life threatening asthmatic attack may occur. Continued on page 10 Newspapers piling up for WSCP; Thanks! by Timothy Wojtusik A little more than a month ago the Tribal Utilities Department kicked off the Reservation recycling program by installing five newspaperdumpsters in the community. The response has been extremely positive and community members participating in the recycling program should be proud of their efforts. According to Utilities Department employees, over a ton and 12 of old newspapers have been collected so far and delivered to the Composite Products at the mill. The light green dumpstcrs with the triangular recycling logos have been free of garbage so far, showing that people really care about recycling and that it can make a difference. By putting our old newspapers in these recycling dumpsters instead of throwing them in the trash we are increasing the life span of our landfill, keeping the community clean, and providing material for Composite Products manufacturing process. These are things we can all be proud of. The newspaper recycling dumpster in the Industrial Park has been moved from near the Commodity Foods Warehouse to near the Garment Factory to make it more visible and convenient for people to use. If there are community members with questions or ideas on how to make this recycling program even more successful I would like to hear them. In the mean time I hope that the good job continues and that more people become involved in this programs that will benefit all of us and help take good care of our planet. Congratulations Warm Springs community, you're doing great! Remember to keep hot food hot, cold food cold to prevent poisoning by Norma L. Simpson Nearly every yearl've written stories about the importance of keeping hot food hot or cold food cold. That's because it is so important to practice when we prepare food for others. This time I'll try to say it in a different way by giving you details of how Chicken Fried Rice caused many Virginia day care children and staff to become very sick. At a recent Food Safety Update Training, I learned the details of the bad example about preparation of the chicken fried rice. It took less than one ounce (2 tablespoons of rice) to make them sick. Here's what happened. The night before the lunch was served, the caterers cooked the rice, and cooled itat room temperature before refrigeration. That gave the bacteria. Bacillus cereus, plenty of time to multiply before the rice was cooled. Then the refrigeration put them to sleep for the night. The next morning the caterers pan-fried the rice in oil with pieces of cooked chicken. That probably means that cold rice was combined with cold chicken without getting the mixture hot enough to destroy many bacteria, just hot enough to wake up the bacteria and get them in the mood to multiply again. OUCH. Then the warm rice was delivered to the day care center 90 minutes before it was served. It was held without refrigeration and served without reheating. All the time the bacteria were multiplying like crazy. When the lab tested the chicken fried rice for bacteria, there were 1,680,000 Bacillus cereus in one ounce of food. Within 4 hours the children suffered from abdominal cramps or pain, diarrhea and nausea. The vom it from one child had nearly as much bacteria in it as the fried rice even though acid in the stomach had killed some of the bacteria. What To Do 1. If you cook quantities of rice ahead of time or have left over rice. Put it into shallow pans in the refrigerator as soon as possible so that the rice will cool faster and prevent bacteria from growing. 2. Cut up the chicken, heat it thoroughly before refrigerating. 3. Thirty to sixty minutes before serving, pan-fry the rice until it is piping hot. In a separate pan, pan-fry the chicken until it is thoroghly heated. Heat other vegetables like onions, carrots or drained water chestnuts. 4. Just before serving, mix the rice and the chicken with the other vegetables and serve piping hot Other Outbreaks Associated With Bacilllus ceres Rice was responsible for outbreak of illness in Maine and another notable outbreak came from macaroni and cheese in a college cafeteria. In other cases the spores of the bacteria had survived the cooking process which means that the temperature of the food was not hot enough to destroy the bacteria.