4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ AUGUST 22, 2015
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
DISASTER PREP
B Y D AVE R OBINSON
Special to the Siuslaw News
D
isaster preparedness doesn’t have to
be expensive. Many of the things we
need can be incorporated into our
weekly shopping routine without breaking the
bank. Food supplies can be slowly increased
without shredding your budget, and if you’re
watching carefully, other things can be gradu-
ally added as well.
There are, however, at least five items that
you should have that aren’t cheap, but neces-
sary to survive a disaster.
1. A means to cook your food when the
power goes out. Cooked food is more nutri-
tious, a morale booster and just plain better to
eat than cold food. If you don’t own a camp-
ing stove, get one. A new Coleman (or similar
brand) starts out somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of $50. There are more expensive, fanci-
er models on the market, but if you just need
a basic, heat-your-food stove, that will do the
trick.
I picked up a near-new condition Coleman,
propane stove at a citywide garage sale some-
time back for $15. Still in the box. Of course,
there are solar ovens, rocket stoves and all
manner of food-cooking devices, but the point
remains: Get one!
2. Have the capability to purify your
drinking water. If you live out in the country
and normally get your water from a well or
spring, this may not pertain to you. Either
your water has been tested and meets health
criteria or you already have a self-contained
means for purification.
Although I live a ways out of town, my
water comes from a municipal water source
and is filtered and chlorinated by the city. If
for some reason the city ever loses that capa-
bility, then many of us are on our own. If
water still comes out of the tap, it may not be
purified. I recommend a stand-alone filter
such as the “Big Berkey” or a variation. These
filters require no electricity and the impure
water is simply poured in the top half, the
water trickles down through a filtration sys-
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
5 essential items
tem into the lower half of the unit. The ceram-
ic filters take out the smallest particles (down
to .02 microns) of anything that will make a
person ill.
Boiling and bleaching are also recommend-
ed method of purification. Boiling is the safest
method, but filtering the water through a stack
of coffee filters, or some cheesecloth, then
adding a 1/8 teaspoon of chlorine bleach
(unscented) to a gallon of water is an accepted
method of purification.
I also recommend storing water, but it is
impractical to think you can store enough
water to get you through a prolonged period
of time. Still, a stack of cases of bottled water
in your back bedroom is good insurance and
brings some peace of mind. Just remember to
rotate your supply every few months.
3. Battery-powered radio. Keep in mind
the three basic rules of disaster preparedness
are: get a kit, make a plan and be informed.
Keeping informed is made possible with a
battery powered radio. There are some pretty
cool radios on the market.
Some have built-in solar panels, hand
cranks and also run off standard batteries.
Most models have AM/FM bands and several
channels capable of picking up the NOAA
weather alerts. Cost will be in the $50 range
for a good quality radio.
4. A backup light source. Everybody
knows about Coleman lanterns. (There are
also other brands, but Coleman is the most
popular.) They are propane (or liquid fuel)
powered and put out not only a very bright
light, but a significant amount of heat as well.
The drawback is anything that puts out light
requires either fuel or batteries. So be sure to
include fuel or batteries in your plan.
Battery-powered devices come in either the
rechargeable type or regular version. Either
way, when the power goes out, it’s pretty
handy to be able to lay hands on a flashlight
or lantern within minutes of the failure.
Another suggestion is to pick up a few of
YESTERDAY’S NEWS
those little flashlights you see at most check-
out counters. Keep them together in a dresser
drawer, and during a power failure, give one
to each family member. That way if they need
to leave the room, they don’t have to take the
primary light source with them.
A word on candles: I’m a big fan of can-
dles, but they are an open flame so use appro-
priate caution. If you have propane or natural
gas, don’t be too hasty to light a candle. In an
earthquake, those fuel lines can rupture, and if
you strike a match, it could have disastrous
consequences. Next trip to the store, pick up
something that makes light, as well as batter-
ies in a variety of sizes.
5. Cash. With widespread power outages
comes widespread inconvenience. That debit
card you carry in your wallet is worthless.
Same with the money stored in your savings
or checking account. When the power is off,
ATMs aren’t going to be working. Neither are
credit card processing machines.
One day last week, I visited a local bank, or
should I say I tried to visit. The doors were
locked. A helpful employee directed me to the
drive-through (I was on foot). It seems some-
one somewhere had inadvertently snipped a
fiber-optic cable and their computers were all
down. I was still able to transact my business,
but if there is no electricity, you’ll need some
cold cash. How much you keep on hand is up
to you and your budget. I recommend mak-
ing it small bills and keeping it in a secure
location.
There are many other items you will want
to add to this list, but these are the starters.
Get these on the shelf and you’re on your way
to being prepared for a disaster.
Dave Robinson is the postmaster in
Bandon, Ore., and author of “Disaster Prep
for the Rest of Us.” He may be contacted at
disasterprep.dave@gmail.com. Visit his web-
site for more disaster preparedness tips,
www.disasterprepdave.blogspot.com.
MOMENTS IN TIME
The History Channel
• On Aug. 28, 1877, Charles Stewart Rolls,
co-founder (with Henry Royce) of the Rolls-
Royce automobile company, is born in London.
In 1900, Rolls reportedly was responsible for
changing the national speed limit from 4 mph
to 12 mph.
• On Aug. 30, 1918, in Belfort, France,
Colonel Arthur L. Conger plants a false opera-
tional order for an impending Allied attack in
the wastebasket of a hotel where a German
agent was on staff. As intended, the order was
found and the Germans chose to withdraw from
the area.
• On Aug. 26, 1939, the first televised Major
League baseball game is broadcast between the
Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at
Ebbets Field. There were only two stationary
camera angles: down the third base line, and
above home plate.
• On Aug. 29, 1949, in Kazakhstan, the
USSR successfully detonates its first atomic
bomb. To measure the effects of the blast, the
Soviets constructed buildings and bridges, and
placed animals in cages nearby. The atomic
explosion destroyed those structures and incin-
erated the animals.
• On Aug. 24, 1958, Maria Teresa de
Filippis, the first woman ever to compete in
Formula One racing, drives a Maserati in the
Portuguese Grand Prix. Her racing career
began after two of her brothers made a bet that
she couldn’t drive fast.
• On Aug. 27, 1967, Brian Epstein, age 32,
manager of the Beatles, is found dead of a drug
overdose in his Sussex, England, home.
• On Aug. 25, 1984, Truman Capote, author
of the pioneering true-crime novel “In Cold
Blood”, dies at age 59 in Los Angeles. After
reading about murders of a farm family, Capote
traveled to Kansas to do research with his
childhood friend, Harper Lee, who later wrote
“To Kill a Mockingbird.”
(c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to
the editor concerning issues affecting the
LETTERS
Deport Trump
As inconceivable as it seems, if
Donald Trump were to become
the next U.S. President, the first
person he should deport is him-
self. If that didn’t happen, he
wouldn’t need to worry about
immigration because many of us
would voluntarily deport our-
selves.
Julie M. MacFarlane
Florence
House that
jazz built
In its 15 years the Florence
chapter of Habitat for Humanity
has built 26 houses supported by
generous donations of money,
time and talent.
The Habitat benefit concert on
Aug. 16 was sponsored and host-
ed by exceptional musician
Robin DeVour and featured his
brand new delightful Pacific Jazz
Septet.
When it comes to the psychol-
ogy of music, DeVour, a retired
psychologist, is an encyclopedia
of arcane information he loves to
share.
Before
the
millennium,
DeVour played piano at
Lovejoy’s restaurant located in
the Pier Point Inn Best Western.
He produced a gorgeous CD
titled “Love Songs and All That
Jazz,” with standards like “The
Florence area and Lane County.
Nearness of You” and “Here’s
That Rainy Day.”
DeVour
created
Coastal
Steamer, a jazz combo that
played Florence and Eugene, and
in the classical genre, the Oregon
Coast Chamber Orchestra, still a
vibrant ensemble.
DeVour and the Pacific Jazz
Septet devoured the stage in the
FEC concert hall with the swing-
ing sounds of composers like
Jimmy VanHeusen, Thelonious
Monk, Hoagy Carmichael, Luis
Bonfa, Irving Berlin and DeVour
himself.
“Jett Black and Blue” is a live-
ly blues tune written for Jetter,
one of his guide dogs and perhaps
the only canine honored with a
community wake. In addition to
DeVour, seasoned septet musi-
cians are: Chris Rowbotham,
trumpet; Lou Invernon, saxo-
phone; Virgil Walkely, trombone;
Ed Petry, guitar; BSRK, acoustic
bass; Mike Swain, drums; and
Denise Dee, vocals.
Florence Habitat’s annual
BeachWalk is set for Saturday,
Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1p.m.,
from the North Jetty to Driftwood
Shores, where the Pacific Jazz
Septet will swing with the tides
and the sands of time.
Everyone is invited to join the
fun, hike the beach, and help
build more houses with jazz.
Burney Garelick
Florence
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WHERE TO WRITE
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the National
Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore.
Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax
541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com.
Pres. Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line 503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416/ 800-944-9603
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
West Lane County Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@co.lane.or.us