SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017
Make a plan
DISASTER PREP
B Y D AVE R OBINSON
Special to the Siuslaw News
O
f the many (mostly lame)
excuses I hear for not prepping,
one of the most common is that
it takes too much time. Now I won’t
mislead you. There is some time
involved. It also takes some thought,
some effort, some planning and some
expense.
But there are plenty of things you
can do that will get you going in your
preparations, that won’t take up much
time. This week’s column will give you
some simple tips that take little time
but are invaluable in the event of a dis-
aster.
Tip No. 1: Purchase a notebook for
accumulating information, phone num-
bers, insurance policies, and the like
for reference in case of an emergency.
Either that or store your information
“on the cloud” and you can access it
from any computer. Just remember that
in a disaster, you may not be able to
get online.
Tip No. 2: Wash out some empty
juice jugs. Swish a bit of bleach, rinse
and fill with water for an emergency.
Be sure to date them and refill after a
year. Another idea is to put some of
these (not quite full) in your freezer so
when you lose power you can transfer
certain items to an ice chest and the
frozen jugs will keep things cool for a
few days. Then when the ice melts,
you can still drink the water.
Tip No. 3: Place a plastic garbage
bag under your bed containing, shoes,
socks, work gloves, and a flashlight
with batteries (or light sticks). If you
wish to include a pair of jeans and
sweatshirt, that’s always a good idea in
case you have to leave your house
quickly. Some folks tie them to the leg
of their bed so it doesn’t get misplaced.
Tip No. 4: Discuss with the rest of
the family where you will meet up after
a disaster. Pick three or four locations
and play “what if.” Cell phones may
not be working and communication can
be limited and getting re-connected
with loved ones is vital after a disaster.
Tip No. 5: Choose an out-of-state
relative with whom you can relay mes-
sages if necessary. Often it is easier to
get a message out-of-state than it is to
get connected locally.
Tip No. 6: Introduce yourself to a
neighbor you have not met. Exchange
phone numbers. Don’t worry about
what he might think. He’s probably
been wanting to meet you anyway.
That guy may just be your first respon-
der in an emergency.
Tip No. 7: Purchase a manual can
opener on your next visit to the store.
Try one made by Swing-A-Way. The
long crank handle makes it easy to
crank open cans, even big ones.
Tip No. 8: Check out the website at
FoodSafety.gov. Print off the food
safety charts and attach them to the
inside of a cupboard door. They will
tell you how long you can safely store
certain foods without refrigeration.
Tip No. 9: Mark your canned goods
as you purchase to remind you to rotate
them out one year from now.
Tip No. 10: Pick up a few extra
canned goods each time you visit the
grocery store.
Tip No. 11: Locate your utility shut-
off valves and review the instructions
for turning them off. Affix a shut-off
tool nearby.
Tip No. 12: Test your smoke alarms.
______________________
Dave Robinson is the postmaster in
Bandon, Ore., and author of “Disaster
Prep for the Rest of Us.”
He may be contacted at disaster
prep.dave@gmail.com.
Visit his website for more disaster
preparedness tips, www.disasterprep
dave.blogspot.com.
Brooks-Anderson artwork on display at OPB
Oregon Pacific Bank is dis-
playing the creative artwork of
well-known local artist Pattie
Brooks Anderson during the
month of February.
Brooks-Anderson is an
award-winning painter, print-
maker and multimedia artist.
Her work is inspired by visual
images that come to her from
poetry, quotes, philosophy and
lately the ancient practice of
Qigong.
A landscape painter for
many years, she is absorbing
the light and terrain of the
North Coast and finds it
appearing in her current work,
sometimes unconsciously.
She is intrigued by her latest
COURTESY PHOTO
“Spirit Bear” painting by Pattie Brooks-Anderson
Library to screen documentary
that spotlights repeal of ACA
With the future of the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) in
serious doubt, millions may
lose their health insurance,
with Medicare and Medicaid
benefits potentially downsized
or drastically cut.
Florence area Democrats
have been sponsoring a series
of community-wide healthcare
meetings concerning these
issues. The next meeting will
be Sunday, Feb. 26, from 2 to 4
p.m. in the Bromley Room of
the Siuslaw Public Library.
The meeting will feature a
screening of the new documen-
tary, “Now Is the Time:
Healthcare for Everybody,” by
Laurie Simons and Terry
Sterrenberg, with music com-
posed by Clifford J. Tasner.
This documentary explains
how the ACA can be replaced
with something better, that
costs less and covers everyone
with better health outcomes.
The film explains what
Medicare-for-All Single Payer
healthcare is, how it saves
money, what has been keeping
lawmakers from providing
healthcare for everyone in the
U.S. and what can be done
about it.
This documentary gives an
opportunity to look at another
option for healthcare that has
not been given much consider-
ation as an alternative to the
current system.
The screening is free and
open to the public. There will
be a discussion after the film
lead by representatives from
Healthcare for All Oregon.
For more information, con-
tact Pat Reno at 541-991-0557.
Siuslaw News
Photo Gallery
NOW SHOWING THESE GALLERIES AND MORE
SOS March Against Domestic Violence
Florence Festival of Books • Oktoberfest • Rods ‘N’ Rhodies
Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops • Relay for Life
View at
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medium, watercolor and ink,
and exploring all its possibili-
ties. Brooks-Anderson has
taught fine art and commercial
art at the high school and adult
school level.
A long-time member, and
current president of Backstreet
Gallery, her original works can
be viewed there.
As Brooks-Anderson said, “I
have been creating art in a mul-
titude of media for many years.
The concepts of metamorpho-
sis and rebirth are constant
themes for me, and within
these themes, an overall aware-
ness of the interconnectivity of
all forms of life.”
Civil rights work to be
recognized at library
On Saturday, Feb. 25,
KXCR
and
Citizen’s
Democracy Watch will com-
memorate 400 years of social
justice activism. The event will
be held in the Bromley Room
at the Siuslaw Public Library,
from 1 to 3 p.m., and is free to
members of the public.
The event will include a
remembrance of those who
gave their lives to work for
equal rights from 1717-2017.
The meeting will conclude
with a conversation discussing
issues of social justice.
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