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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 2016)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ MARCH 19, 2016 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 DISASTER PREP B Y D AVE R OBINSON Special to the Siuslaw News ne of the most vulnerable groups is that of our “seasoned citizens.” Whether it’s mobility issues, health concerns or just simply the “alone factor,” our seniors often have different needs than the younger crowd. This week’s column is provided especial- ly for our seniors, although the information is just as relevant for the post-boomer gen- eration as well. As I have mentioned before, when disaster occurs, the first responders are overwhelmed. YOYO then becomes a reality: You’re On Your Own. The American Red Cross recommends you create a Personal Support Network made up of several folks who will check in on you, ensure your wellness and give assistance if needed. This network can con- sist of friends, roommates, family members, relatives, personal attendants, co-workers and neighbors. Ideally, a minimum of three people can be identified at each location where you regularly spend time, for exam- ple at work, home or volunteer site. There are seven important items to dis- cuss and implement with a personal support network: 1. Make arrangements, prior to an emer- gency, for your support network to immedi- ately check on you after a disaster and, if O RYAN CRONK , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ Opinion Seasoned preppers needed, offer assistance. 2. Exchange important keys. 3. Show them where you keep emergency supplies. 4. Share copies of your relevant emer- gency documents, evacuation plans and emergency health information card. 5. Agree on and practice methods of con- tacting each other in the event of an emer- gency. Do not count on the telephones working. (Dave’s note: Check out FRS radios or consider sharing the cost of a goTenna with someone; gotenna.com.) 6. You and your network should always notify each other when you’re going to be out of town and when you will return. 7. The relationship should be mutual. You have a lot to contribute! Learn about each other’s needs and how to help each other in an emergency. You can even col- laborate on making preparations to be ready for a disaster. The single most important thing anyone can do to prepare for a disaster is to organ- ize their neighborhood — and it doesn’t cost a cent! Contacting your neighbors, especially fellow seniors can build a sense of community and camaraderie along with an assurance that no one need to face adver- sity alone. Introduce the topic at the Senior Center, or your church group or the quilting group. Collaborating on projects can not only bring some peace of mind, but just may bring some new friends into your life. Keep in mind you may want to stock up on certain medications. Most doctors are sympathetic to your needs regarding plan- ning for disaster and are willing to cooper- ate by prescribing most maintenance med- ications in advance. The difficult thing here is to get your insurance to get on board with that concept. So any advance preparations you make in that regard may have to come out of your own pocket. Then, be sure to take special care to mind the expiration dates on your meds. Also, try to see your way clear to pick up an extra pair of eyeglasses. Finally, some of us have enough trouble keeping track of our glasses even without a disaster, so adding a pair of drugstore “cheaters” to your kit just might not be a bad idea. ______________________ 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 website for more disaster preparedness tips, www.disasterprepdave.blogspot.com. LETTERS Extraordinary person AJ Brauer is indeed an extraordinary person (“Extraordinary People,” March 9). As a practicing physician, I have met sever- al individuals during my 25 years in practice who are truly inspiring, and he is one of them. He has contributed to my philosophy and practice as a friend and colleague. Florence owes a great deal to this wonder- ful doctor and person. Bruce Watanabe, MD Orthopedics, PeaceHealth Medical Group Vote for Woody I truly endorse Woody Woodbury for Justice of the Peace of Lane County. Woody has served in several leadership roles, such as Chamber of Commerce presi- dent for two years and was on the board for seven. He served on the Florence Food Share board, the Florence Urban Renewal Agency board and Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue board. Woody supports many groups, including the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County, Power of Florence, PTA, Siuslaw Athletic Booster Club and many others. In 2014, Woody received a special Distinguished Service Award for his many acts of generosity to the Florence community. Woody’s business, Grocery Outlet, donates about 20,000 pounds of food annually to Food Share. Please vote for Woody. He is the hallmark of a true leader, striving to make Florence a better place. Eric Tanikawa Florence Celebrating Shawn’s life The people of Florence certainly knew how to celebrate the life of Shawn Morgan, and that’s just what they did last Saturday at the high school. It was absolutely marvelous. Hundreds of people stood in a long line to pay their respects to this young man and his family. For most of them, he was known as a former police officer, but since he was 13, Shawn was raised in Florence, so he was also a classmate and friend. EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Atop a fire truck ladder in the front of the school, the American Flag was flown on high, as lights flashed on the truck. The crowd walked between two lines of police officers when they entered the school and made their way to the gym, where they heard the lovely strains of hymns being played on a handmade wooden flute. Near the end of the service, countless people shared memories of times that they recalled dur- ing Shawn’s lifetime, including moving recollec- tions given by his two sons, Justin and Aaron. The minister also read a letter that Shawn’s sister Shanna had sent to Shawn. The service concluded with a wonderful slideshow of the 48 years of Shawn’s life. Truly this was a glorious celebration of the life of Shawn Eric Morgan, police officer and friend. Bonnie Schmoll Florence The butterfly effect The big problems that overwhelm us take up much of our emotional bandwidth these days. We often feel powerless to change things. But sometimes working on the small things can create solutions and positive changes for the future. Overlooking the smaller details can obscure larger effects as in the “butterfly effect” (“the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one ... system, can result in large differences in a later state”). The metaphor is a butterfly flapping its wings in one place that can cause the action of a hurri- cane in another. As we populate the world, we struggle to maintain our quality of life and tend to over- look the necessary attention to basics. I was reminded the other day when I planted crocus- es. A large bumblebee began busily checking out the stamens. I have seen no bees this spring and was pleased to watch. In a few minutes he suddenly fell over and stopped moving, and I remembered I had bought these plants at a local “box” store where the plants have been treated with neon- ics (short for neonicotinoids, found in Round- up and Bayer treatments). They are ubiquitous in home and agricultural uses. According to the Texas A&M website: “New research points to potential toxicity to bees and other beneficial insects through low level con- tamination of nectar and pollen with neonicoti- noid insecticides used in agriculture.” And what about butterflies and hummingbirds? Insects are the source of food for many birds, and we are los- ing our birds as well. Fewer birds, more insects, more toxic chemicals, more toxic foods, more health problems, etc. Shouldn’t we start where we are and be more careful? Thirty percent of our agricultural crops depend on pollinators. Bees are a major neces- sity. Without them, we lose much of our fruits, nuts and flowering vegetables. Without those, we may face food shortages, higher food prices and a loss of what we need for good health. This is one small example of how our small actions have a much wider effect. On a larger scale, we are dealing with cancerous chemicals in our agricultural programs and in aerial forest sprays. At home we can make a difference: stop using insecticides, plant bee-attracting plants, control insects by attracting birds, plant with good compost for stronger plants, grow your own vegetables, and let’s get rid of the chem- icals that pollute our water table and soil, and which endanger our pollinators. We need to find ways to work with nature, not against it. We will all be better for it in the long run. For more information on the toxic chemicals on our produce and flowering plants, go to organicconsumers.org. Joann Henderson Florence Wonderful care Florence was a pleasant coastal town with a fine local hospital, we were told two years ago while looking for a home. We had occasion to learn that first hand recently when my wife faced a life-threatening health event. From the ambulance personnel to the emer- gency room staff to the nurses and doctors in the ICU, the general hospital and the walk-in clinic, my wife has had wonderful care. She continues to get better and better, every day. Thank you, very much, PeaceHealth. Stan Pusieski Florence YESTERDAY’S NEWS MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel On March 22, 1765, to raise funds to pay off debts and defend the new American territo- ries won from the French, the British govern- ment passes the Stamp Act. It levied a tax on all materials printed in the colonies, from newspa- pers and pamphlets to playing cards and even dice. On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burns down, killing 145 workers. Owners had refused to install sprinkler systems and take other safety measures in case they needed to burn down the shop to collect fire insurance, a not uncommon practice at the time. On March 23, 1937, Craig Breedlove, the first person to reach land speeds of up to 600 mph in a jet-powered vehicle, is born. He designed a three-wheeled, rocket-shaped vehi- cle powered by a surplus military jet engine and dubbed it the Spirit of America. On March 27, 1945, Nazi Germany launches its last V-2 long-range rockets, killing 162 civilians in England and Belgium. The V-2 could carry a 2,000-pound warhead and became the precursor of the ICBM of the post- war era. On March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announces that he has successfully tested a vaccine against the virus that causes polio. In 1952 — an epidemic year for the crippling disease — there were 58,000 new cases reported in the U.S. On March 21, 1965, in the name of black voting rights, 3,200 civil-rights demonstrators, led by Martin Luther King Jr., begin a historic 54-mile march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capitol at Montgomery. On March 24, 1989, the worst oil spill in U.S. territory begins when the supertanker Exxon Valdez runs aground on a reef in Alaska’s remote Prince William Sound. An estimated 11 million gallons of oil was released and eventually covered 1,300 miles of coast- line. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR P OLICY The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor concerning issues affecting the Florence area and Lane County. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. All letters should be limited to about 300 words and must include the writer’s full name, address and phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Libelous and anonymous letters as well as poetry will not be published. All submissions become the property of Siuslaw News and will not be returned. Write to: Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News John Bartlett Jenna Bartlett Ryan Cronk Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Jeremy Gentry Publisher, ext. 327 General Manager, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Advertising Director, ext. 326 Office Supervisor, ext. 312 Production Supervisor Press Manager DEADLINES: Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Monday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Friday 5 p.m. Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Thursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m. NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $71; 10-weeks subscription, $18; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $94; 10-weeks subscription, $24; Out of State — 1-year subscription, $120; Out of United States — 1-year subscription, $200; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: www.TheSiuslawNews.com 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
