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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2016)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ MAY 21, 2016 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 DISASTER PREP B Y D AVE R OBINSON Special to the Siuslaw News T his is parts three and four in a seven- part series on building your kit. It seems that lots of folks don’t know where to start or what items to include in their kit. How about sitting down with your family and make a list of what you would need if you couldn’t go to the store or get to the bank for several days? Then go to work and bit by bit, build your kit. It can be a fun family project that has an added benefit of offering a greater piece of mind when a dis- aster does strike. Besides, everyone is invested in the project. Building a kit following this seven-part, step-by-step plan will give you the basics. You will have a 72-hour kit. It is my experi- ence that most kits expand over time and eventually you will want to have a 14-day kit on hand, but this is a good beginning. Things to buy for Week 3: 1. Dust filter masks. Look for the ones rated “N95,” they are designed to keep out airborne dust, pollen and possibly protec- tion from disease. 2. Whistle to signal for help. 3. Finish buying water, at least one gallon per person per day. 4. Cash. Set aside as much as you can reasonably afford. Small bills are best. During a widespread power outage your debit card is of no value. Neither is the money you have stashed in a savings account. 5. Make copies of your important family documents. You can scan them to a flash drive and store in either a “go bag” or other safe location away from your home. These documents may include copies of insurance policies, deeds, passports, birth certificates and titles to your vehicles. 6. Regular, unscented, household bleach for purifying water. Also pick up an eye- RYAN CRONK , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ Opinion Kit building: Weeks 3 & 4 dropper. Experts recommend 16 drops of bleach to purify one gallon of water. 7. Juice. Get the single-servings as refrig- eration may not be available. 8. Nutrition/high energy bars. Tips for Week 3: Plan and discuss how you would evacu- ate your home in the event of a sudden emergency. Tap water may need to be purified with bleach in the event of a disaster. Consider purchasing or building a stand-alone water filter. (Email me for a free set of plans to build an effective, low-cost filter.) Plan to have at least one can of meat or meat entree for each family member per day. Select two places to meet with your fami- ly after an emergency or disaster — one near your home and one outside of your neighborhood in case it’s not safe to return. *** By way of review, nearly everyone agrees that we should be prepared to ride out a disaster. Some folks are unsure how to go about being prepared, what to do, what to buy and how to proceed. I actually encourage having a 14-day kit, because some disasters don’t know they’re only supposed to last for 72 hours. In the case of our area, some experts predict a massive earthquake. When an earthquake of that magnitude occurs, it may be weeks before stores can be restocked as roads leading to and from our region may be closed. Things to buy for Week 4: 1. Disposable camera with flash for doc- umenting damage. While I’m on the topic of photographic documentation, now would be a good time to get a video inventory of your home and its contents. If you have a video camera, simply walk through your house and give a running commentary on your possessions, value and when pur- chased. 2. Utility knife and/or scissors. This is separate from the scissors in your first-aid kit. These are for heavy-duty cutting. There are hundreds of uses for sharp cutting instruments. 3. Heavy duty trash bags. 4. Matches in waterproof container. Be sure to get the “strike anywhere” style. Matches are like duct tape, batteries and zip-ties, you can never have too many. 5. Sanitizing wipes. Good for cleaning things other than the baby’s bottom; like your hands, face and elsewhere. 6. Extra set of car and house keys. Store them in a secure location away from your primary residence. 7. Fruit, canned or snack-pack. Tips for Week 4: Begin thinking about packing a “go bag” with a condensed version of your home emergency kit in case you need to relocate temporarily. Stay in the habit of keeping your gas tank at least half full and keeping your cell phone charged. If you need to evacuate, be sure to remember your car phone charger. Better yet, get an extra and carry it in your glove box. ______________________ 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 Thanks, coach I’m a football fan, all levels. Since moving to Florence after retirement, I have attended every possible Viking home game and many away from home. This pro- gram has been so competitive and successful under the leadership of Coach Dodson. I’m sure that parents, players and just plain fans (like me) want to thank Coach for the years of wonderful high school football in Florence. Enjoy your retirement, Coach Dodson. Barry Henry Florence Mapleton school bond passes The Mapleton School District Board of Directors wants to thank the Mapleton community for their support to our school in passing the bond measure, providing the much needed funding to make repairs to our aging facilities. The school is the heart of the community and our students will benefit immensely in the days to come as we move forward with the renovation project. The board will scrutinize proj- ect costs closely. We feel there are opportunities to save dollars EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM throughout the project, which will be added back into the con- struction budget for addressing other priority maintenance items on the list of improvements. Mapleton School District is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. We believe that “Strong Schools Make Strong Communities.” Thank you for being a part of the community and school district. Carl West, Michelle Holman, Mizu Kinney, John Simington and Marilyn Fox Mapleton School Board Protect ourselves Health care — there is nothing affordable about it. Our homes are full of Wi-Fi. We have phones that will let us talk to anyone any- where we happen to be. Seems like a new class action suit comes along every month. We have drugs to treat some ailment, then we get more drugs to counter the effects of some other drug that we have been tak- ing sometimes for years. There are some who are find- ing other alternative methods of treating their health. One of those methods is pro- viding nutrition that lets our bod- ies repair themselves. One of those methods is nutrition that stimulates our biological machines to do their own repairs. Nutrition that helps produce stem cells. When we were young, those little rascals are out and about finding the broken bones, the abrasions and even the disrup- tions inside. As we get older, those tiny ras- cals would rather stay at home in our bones than to venture out into the world that we have done to it. All the crud that the feds allow manufactures to go into it. Though no one wants to admit it, electro magnetic frequency (EMF) probably contributes to our poor health. Our homes are full of them. Ever heard of Wi-Fi? How about cell phones? Well duh, nearly everyone uses them. Each individual is responsible for their health. We have to do it. We have to have proper nutrition and protect ourselves from the ever-growing EMFs that sur- round us because the feds are not going to do it. Jim Selby Florence Mature campaign You can’t expect to make America great again until you learn to conduct an election cam- paign with maturity. One way would be to discuss issues instead of personalities. Charles Walker Florence YESTERDAY’S NEWS MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel On May 24, 1883, after 14 years and 27 deaths during construction, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River in New York is opened, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. It was the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date. On May 26, 1897, the first copies of the classic vampire novel “Dracula,” by Irish writer Bram Stoker, appear in London book- shops. Stoker published 17 novels in all, but it was “Dracula” that brought him literary fame. On May 23, 1900, Sgt. William Harvey Carney is awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery on July 18, 1863, while fighting for the Union as a member of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry. Carney was the first black soldier to receive the Medal of Honor. On May 29, 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, the so-called Bonus Expeditionary Force, a group of 1,000 unem- ployed World War I veterans seeking early cash payments for their bonus certificates, arrive in Washington, D.C., eventually reaching 20,000 strong. President Herbert Hoover ordered the army to forcibly evict them after the Senate voted down a bill to pay the bonus. On May 28, 1961, The London Observer publishes lawyer Peter Benenson’s article “The Forgotten Prisoners” on its front page, launch- ing the Appeal for Amnesty 1961. The move- ment would become the human-rights organi- zation Amnesty International. On May 27, 1971, during the Vietnam War, Sweden reveals that it has been providing assis- tance to the Viet Cong, including some $550,000 worth of medical supplies. The sup- port was primarily humanitarian and included no military aid. On May 25, 1994, the ashes of 71-year-old George Swanson are buried in the driver’s seat of his 1984 Corvette in Pennsylvania. Swanson had bought 12 burial plots to ensure that his beloved white Corvette would fit in his grave with him. (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
