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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2019)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 | 5A Community Voices Natural Perspective — For the birds W By Emily J. Uhrig, Ph.D Special to Siuslaw News ith temperatures dipping, it’s a good time to stay indoors, perhaps clutching some hot chocolate by a fire. While doing so, you may feel sorry for the little birds hopping about outside and decide to offer them food. Although our local species are adapted to cope with our cli- mate, winter can be a challenging time for birds as food resources are scarcer and keeping warm in low temperatures requires extra energy. Anyone who enjoys feeding backyard birds probably notices their feeders increasing in pop- ularity during cold weather. In our area, juncos, chickadees and other small birds often descend in droves, sometimes emptying feeders within hours. In some ways, such feeding is beneficial. Studies have shown that supplementing birds’ natu- ral food sources with feeders can increase health and boost winter survival. There are also benefits for hu- mans as bird watching is fun pas- time and attracting certain birds may help with insect control. However, if not done responsi- bly, there are potential down- sides to feeding wild birds. While offering seeds, nuts or suet can be helpful to birds, feeding bread should be avoided. Indeed, the popular childhood activity of visiting a duck pond with a loaf of bread can actually be detrimental. For birds, bread is like a junk food: it has relative- ly little nutritional value, and a bird filling up on bread may have a reduced appetite for nutritious foods. Additionally, diets high in carbohydrates can lead to wing deformities that affect flight. Beyond the type of food on offer, feeder hygiene can affect birds’ health. Feeders can har- bor harmful mold and bacteria. This is a particular concern if the food has become damp, which easily happens in our climate. Feeders can also spread disease among birds simply by bringing many individuals together in one place. To reduce these risks, feed- ers should be regularly cleaned. Simply taking them apart and running them through the dish- washer is usually sufficient. Another common hazard to birds visiting feeders is your home’s windows. Particularly if there is a reflection of trees and sky, birds are prone to colliding with the glass, often fatally. To reduce such risks, try affixing de- cals to the window. Paper snow- flakes are a seasonally fitting op- tion, but, if you’re less artistically inclined, sticky notes work too. So, if you’re feeding feathered friends this winter, take a mo- ment to assess the health and safety factors. Then sit back with your cocoa and enjoy! Military Heritage Chronicles — Civil War in Oregon Cal Applebee Special to Siuslaw News W hen you mention “Civil War” these days, par- ticularly in Western Oregon, most folks immediately think of the annual battle between orange and green, not the bat- tle between blue and grey that took place in the southeastern United States 158 years ago. Although the annual collegiate battle first took place nearly as far back in 1894, other than the common name reference, the similarities probably end there. However, while none of the battles from the war between the states took place here in Oregon, that doesn’t mean Oregon didn’t feel the impacts from that war. When the real Civil War started in 1861, Oregon was a fledgling state, having attained statehood only two years ear- lier. The United States Army already had considerable pres- ence in Oregon, but primarily because of conflicts between the growing number of settlers who were newcomers and the multiple native American tribes around the state, who had been here first. As the troop demands for the Civil War increased, the North began withdrawing fed- eral troops to feed that need. To fill the gap for keeping peace, volunteer cavalry replacements were recruited, and the 1st Or- egon Cavalry was activated in 1862. While numerous army posts were established around the state throughout our early years, Ft. Stevens was specifically de- signed to protect the mouth of the Columbia River from potential Confederate raiders. Although the authorization act for its construction came out of Congress in 1862, the Civil War was over before Ft. Stevens was fully operational. It would how- ever, go on to play significant roles in WWI and WWII. The Civil War left its im- print on Oregon in other ways, besides the veterans who are buried in some of our local cemeteries. Ft. Stevens itself was named after Isaac Stevens, former Governor of Washing- ton Territory, who, as a Union Officer, was killed in 1862 in the Battle at Chantilly. Harney County in Eastern Oregon was named after Wil- liam Harney, a Union Officer who survived the Civil War, and known for his pre-war success with Indian tribes. Baker County and Baker City were named after Edward Bak- er, another Union Officer killed in 1861 at the Battle of Balls Bluff. Closer to home, Lane County was named after Joseph Lane, the first Governor of our State, but who was also a southern sympathizer and ran unsuc- cessfully for the vice presidency against the Lincoln ticket. Even after his retirement from polit- ical life to Douglas County, he remained a believer in separa- tion of the states. There are other connections between Oregon and the Civil War, and you can hear about them plus more detail about the events mentioned here, at our next Military Heritage Day on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Flor- ence Municipal Airport. Board Member and Volun- teer Dave Burkett, a Civil War living historian, will regale you with more fascinating tidbits about this element of Oregon’s military heritage. Perhaps at the next collegiate Civil War match up, you’ll have a different perspective of that game’s title! The Oregon Coast Military Museum is located at 2145 Kingwood St. in Florence and is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. You can learn more at www.oregon coastmilitarymuseum.com. Us TOO Florence — My Prostate Cancer Journey – Update & giving back By Tom Wilson Special to Siuslaw News T he second part of my jour- ney was first published in February 2015. After a steadi- ly increasing PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) and three biopsies, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, Gleason Score 7. Nine of the 12 samples were positive, with seven of them over 90 percent cancerous. I decided to be treated with external beam radiation in- stead of surgery because there was a chance that the cancer had escaped the prostate gland and radiation, extending be- yond the prostate, could kill any cancer in that area. Because testosterone feeds prostate cancer, I was offered a clinical trial to lower my testos- terone before starting external beam radiation. The clinical trial required me to take a pill every morning to lower the tes- tosterone instead of an injec- tion every few months, which is usually prescribed. I started my nine-week, 45 treatments at Oregon Urology Institute’s Radiation Center in Springfield on March 24, 2015, ending May 26. The clinical tri- al to keep my testosterone level low ended on June 1. At that time, using a standard PSA test, my PSA was undetectable, and my testosterone level was 9. An average testosterone level is around 600 and low is anything under 250. I continued getting PSA and testosterone tests monthly for three months and then was tested every four months until March 2016. At that time my PSA, using an ultra-sensitive test, was 0.032 and testosterone had come up to 146. Ultra-sen- sitive PSA tests continued at six-month intervals until Feb- ruary 2018 with PSA results of 0.054 and testosterone 259. I am now on a one-year testing schedule and my latest results, as of January 2019, are PSA 0.093 and testosterone 301. It’s normal for my PSA to fluctuate since I still have a prostate. My urologist is Dr. Bryan Mehlhaff from the Oregon Urology Institute (OUI) in Springfield. At this time, he feels that my chances of being cured are good and recom- mends that I continue annual tests for the rest of my life. As long as my PSA tests do not be- gin to rise significantly, chances are that the cancer is gone. My recommendation is that all men get a single PSA test in their mid-40s to establish a baseline and ensure that their PSA isn’t elevated, then start annual testing in their 50s. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. It is vitally important that prostate cancer be caught early and treated before symp- toms develop. Believe me, it’s better to know than not know. I continue to attend Us TOO Florence Prostate Cancer Ed- ucation and Support meet- ings monthly because I feel a responsibility to share (give back) some of my experienc- es and knowledge to help men who are just beginning their prostate cancer journey, like so many men did for me when I began my journey. These meet- ings are an excellent source of information for anyone who has questions or concerns about their prostate health. The meetings are attended by prostate cancer survivors, men who are undergoing treatment, have recently been diagnosed or are just concerned about their prostate health. Spouses are encouraged to attend. The meetings are the sec- ond and third Tuesday of each month, the first in the evening at 5 p.m., attended by Urolo- gist Dr. Bryan Mehlhaff, and the second at noon, attended by Urologist Dr. Roger McK- immy. Both meetings are held at the Ichiban Restaurant in Florence. Giving back in another way, I recently started driving the Friends of Florence bus to Eu- gene and Springfield. This bus has been taking patients to the Willamette Valley Cancer and OUI’s Radiation Center, Mon- day through Friday since 1985 and 2008, respectively. This is a no-cost means of transportation to and from the medical centers for people re- ceiving radiation treatments. I highly recommend this vol- unteer job to anyone looking to help people in our communi- ty. It doesn’t take a lot of your time, only one day per month, and is very rewarding. If interested, contact Bart Mealer, 541-997-8663. oil for the car. Waited in the car. Came home. Found glasses case and searched for sun- glasses. Instead, found bananas in pantry where I hid them from myself, under cards and pa- pers that I whisked from the counter before guests arrived. The bananas were too rotten even for banana bread. (Un- fortunately, I accused some- one of stealing them!) Disposed of the bananas. Looked for sunglasses. Found the glasses next to the basin where I combed my hair. Ralph grinned. “See! I told you that you had accom- plished a lot, I counted 20 items on your list.” What do you think? Did I? The Moral of the Story — A Very Busy Day By Karen D. Nichols Special to Siuslaw News A fter reading a joke on an email about fogey for- getfulness, I was motivated to write this true tale of woe. Yesterday, I told Ralph that I was really mad that I hadn’t accomplished a damn thing all day! Nothing! Ralph scratched his head. “That simply isn’t true! Just think back at everything you’ve done. You’ll see.” So, here’s my list. Got up. Took a swim. Dried and dressed. Couldn’t find bananas. Ate breakfast anyway. Cleared the breakfast table while Ralph loaded the dish- washer. Answered emails. Froze gravy and chicken to make a potpie later. Assem- bled and packed food to give to a friend. Was temporarily indis- posed. Combed hair. Brushed teeth. Lost sunglasses. Looked for sunglasses but gave up. Assisted Ralph in finding Friend’s house and avoiding hump in driveway. Delivered food. Hugged Friend and said we’d see each other soon. Hung out with Ralph on his drive to the gas station and waited while the tank filled. Accompanied Ralph to buy The moral of the story: Something is not nothing. Always Something Happening 541.997.1994 | 888.968.4086 715 Q UINCE S TREET | F LORENCE , OR 97439 | WWW . EVENTCENTER . ORG WHAT’S COMING UP: SEACoast presents in Our Community. Nicole Henry Thank You. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this generation’s First Lady of Jazz. February 14th 7 p.m. FEC Indoor Yard Sale February 23rd, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC