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4A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL August 12, 2015 O PINION Disaster or no, it's high time we got neighborly BY JON STINNETT Sentinel Editor A ll this talk of disaster preparedness has me considering a new initiative, and it might be something others want to look into as well. On Saturday, July 4, a small earthquake that re- portedly originated near Walterville shook many locals awake to begin their Independence Day. The next week, a har- rowing account of the massive earthquake that should one day rock the Pacifi c Northwest ap- peared in the “New Yorker” magazine, and sud- denly talk of disaster preparedness dominated the local discussion. In speaking with representatives of the De- partment of Geology and Mineral Industries, I noticed my own personal lack of preparedness in the event of a quake or other natural disaster. The suggestion of a two-week stockpile of sup- plies to have on hand in case of emergencies brought on the realization that, at present, my family has precious little in the way of resourc- es to weather any storm until help may arrive. This Saturday, the City of Cottage Grove is hosting its fi rst Emergency Preparedness Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the helipad at Peace- Health Community Medical Center, located at 1515 Village Drive. In addition to the informa- tion necessary to begin preparing for emergen- cies, the event also aims to introduce and famil- iarize the community with the fi rst responders and other agencies that will work toward the safety and well being of residents in the after- math of any disaster. I’m looking forward to learning how to be more prepared, and I hope others are as well. But the possibility of impending calamities brought on another realization. In speaking with Cottage Grove City Planner Amanda Ferguson, it came to my attention that the people who live around us may have the opportunity to be just as helpful in an emergency as the fi rst respond- ers we typically associate with our safety. “This will test us as a community — how we work together,” Ferguson said. “I think small towns will fare much better than larger cities because a lot of us know our neighbors here and can speak to those who are actually doing the work.” This statement in particular struck me, as I re- alized a sobering fact — I don’t really know my neighbors. My small family has moved around Cottage Grove quite a bit in our time here, and with a couple exceptions, we’ve never really gotten close to those who lived closest to us. Perhaps we’re just busy people, and we in- deed fi nd ourselves hustling from work to play and back with little time to spare, especially this time of year. Maybe we’re spending too much time inside and not venturing out to con- nect with those around us. And we’re likely not the only ones. But it seems to me that we could be failing to make these connections at our own peril. There are many reasons to get to know those around us, not the least of them being the fact that, sim- ply due to their proximity, our neighbors can be of profound assistance in dark times — and vice versa, of course. Absent a disaster, there is still a wealth of possibility involved in getting to know those around us, not the least of which could be the simple satisfaction of saying a sin- cere hello in the morning or loaning out that cup of sugar to make a favorite recipe possible. And so I’m vowing to reach out, to offer that fi rst hello to my closest neighbors and see what may or may not come of the effort. It’s past time to do it, I know, but there’s also no time like the present, and who knows what wonders we may discover. Offbeat Oregon History The wreck of the USS Shark: Navy’s loss was Cannon Beach’s gain BY FINN J.D. JOHN For the Sentinel O n Aug. 23, 1846, the doomed American warship USS Shark pulled away from Fort Vancouver for its fateful voyage down the Columbia and thence — so her captain thought — out to sea and back toward home. The Shark’s captain, Lt. Neil M. Howison, was already behind schedule, and with each passing day he got more anxious to get out to sea before the rest of his crew melted away into the sur- rounding communities. He’d already lost at least six, possibly more. And the Shark was a Baltimore Clipper rigged as a topsail schooner — a seagoing hot rod of the fi rst order; she required a lot of men to handle her. It wouldn’t take many more defections before they were all stuck here, half a world away from home. But fate seemed just as determined to delay the ship as her captain was to speed her along. First, when Howison was getting ready to depart, he learned that a commercial barque, the Toulon, had hired the only river guide available. To have the services of a local in get- ting their ship safely out to sea, they’d have to wait, possibly weeks, for the Toulon. Howison determined that he was not going to wait for the Toulon. When he embarked, it was without the benefi t of a river pilot. But a few miles down- stream, he found himself waiting for the Toulon after all. Her newly hired river pilot had guided her straight onto a gravel bar. Naturally, Howison couldn’t just sail blithely past — although he surely must have wished he could. And so the Shark’s departure was delayed yet again, by three days, while her crew toiled with the Toulon’s to get her into deep water again. Then, at last, the little warship was CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Cottage Grove City Hall: 942- 5501. www.cottagegrove.org/ Garland Burback, Ward 3: 942-4800 Cottage Grove Mayor Tom Munroe: 942-5501. Lane County Commissioners: Cottage Grove City Councilors: Mike Fleck, At Large: 942-7302 Heather Murphy, At Large: 942- 3444 Faye Stewart, East Lane Com- missioner Lane County Public Service Building 125 East 8th Street Eugene, OR 97401 Phone: (541) 682-4203 Fax: (541) 682-4616 Oregon State House of Representatives: Jake Boone, Ward 1: 653-7413 Jeff Gowing, Ward 2: 942-1900 Rep. Cedric Hayden (REP) District: 7 900 Court Street NE Suite H-379 on her way. But now it was the weather’s turn to be the agent of delay. A stiff headwind forced the little ship to tack relentless- ly back and forth for days, gradually working her way down to the mouth of the river. When she fi nally arrived at the mouth of the river, Howison spent a day reconnoitering before choosing to cross the bar at the start of the ebb the following afternoon. But, not having a pilot on board (or even a decent map of the channel), Howison didn’t realize what a serious mistake that was. So out onto the bar the little ship ven- tured, just as fast as she could sail. Actually, she was moving quite a bit faster than she could sail. The current during the ebb tide can be an amazing force on the Columbia bar, with all the tidewater of the lower Columbia fl ow- ing out to sea. When conditions are right, it can top nine miles per hour. And it doesn’t always follow the deep- est part of the channel. And so, on the afternoon of Sept. 10, Howison and his crew found them- selves racing past the northern shores of Oregon — riding a current carrying them straight toward Clatsop Spit. Belatedly realizing his predica- ment, Howison hastily tacked across the headwind and tried to make for the northwest. It was no use. The pressure on the ship’s keel from the current was too great for the sails to overcome. The ship continued slipping out toward the breakers that lined the south side of the channel. In desperation Howison ordered the anchor dropped. Again, though, the force of an eight-knot current pushing a 200-ton ship with its keel spread out like an underwater sail was simply too much. The anchor line snapped “like a packthread” (Howison’s words), and then there was little to do but brace for impact. When that impact came, it was de- fi nitive. The vessel stuck fast, and im- mediately the mammoth boarding seas “began to break over her broadside,” Howison recounted (after he was safely back on shore, of course), “and told us too plainly that she should fl oat over its surface no more.” Giving up the ship for doomed, the crew then turned its efforts to getting on shore before the relentless seas Salem, OR 97301 Phone: (503) 986-1407 Fax: (503) 986-1130 Email: rep.cedrichayden@state. or.us Oregon State Senate: Sen. Floyd Prozanski (DEM) District: 004 900 Court Street NE Suite S-319 Salem, OR 97301-0001 Phone: (503) 986-1704 Fax: (503) 986-1080 Email: sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us could reduce the little warship to its constituent timbers. The fi rst thing they did was launch the ship’s gig, with sev- eral crewmembers along with $4,000 in gold. But as they lowered it, the rock- ing ship and pounding seas carried the ship’s remaining anchor around from where it hung beneath the bows and smashed the little gig just as it hit the water. With the help of some heroic work by other crewmembers, all the oc- cupants of the gig were hauled back aboard the ship. The box full of gold, however, was gone, along with all the ship’s papers. Captain and crew alike took the hint. They weren’t getting off the ship yet. But the ebbing tide suggested another possibility: Could they but hold out for a few hours, the tide would fi nish going out, and they might be able to make for shore. So the crew of the Shark settled in as best they could, hanging on tightly as walls of green-and-white water roared down on them again and again. And a few hours later, sure enough, Please see OFFBEAT, Page 5A Indoor tanning—more dangerous than sunbathing BY JOEL FUHRMAN, MD For the Sentinel M elanoma incidence has climbed steeply in the U.S., doubling between 1982 and 2011. The rise in melanoma is projected to continue. One con- tributor to these ris- ing rates of melanoma is the use of tanning beds and $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM 116 N. Sixth Street · P.O. Box 35 · Cottage Grove, OR 97424 ADMINISTRATION: JOHN BARTLETT, Regional Publisher.............................. GARY MANLY, General Manager................942-3325 Ext. 207 • publisher@cgsentinel.com ROBIN REISER, Sales Repersentative...............942-3325 Ext. 203 • robin@cgsentinel.com E. SCURRY ELLIS, Sales Repersentative......... 942-3325 Ext. 213 • esellis@cgsentinel.com MELISSA WARE, Inside Sales Repersentative......... 942-3325 Ext. 203 SPORTS DEPARTMENT: MATTHEW HOLLANDER, Sports Editor...................942- 3325 Ext. 204 • sports@cgsentinel.com CUSTOMER SERVICE CARLA WILLIAMS, Office Manager.................942-3325 Ext. 201 • billing@cgsentinel.com LEGALS.............................................................942-3325 Ext. 200 • legals@cgsentinel.com NEWS DEPARTMENT: JON STINNETT, Editor......................................942-3325 Ext. 212 • cgnews@cgsentinel.com GRAPHICS: RON ANNIS, Graphics Manager (USP 133880) Subscription Mail Rates in Lane and Portions of Douglas Counties: Ten Weeks ............................................. $9.10 One year ..............................................$36.15 e-Edition year .......................................$36.00 Rates in all other areas of United States: Ten Weeks $11.70; one year, $46.35, e-Edition $43.00. In foreign countries, postage extra. No subscription for less than Ten Weeks. Subscription rates are subject to change upon 30 days’ notice. All subscritptions must be paid prior to beginning the subscription and are non-refundable. Periodicals postage paid at Cottage Grove, Oregon. Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424. Local Mail Service: If you don’t receive your Cottage Grove Sentinel on the Wednesday of publication, please let us know. Call 942-3325 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Advertising ownership: All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by the Cottage Grove Sentinel become the property of the Cottage Grove Sentinel and may not be reproduced for any other use without explicit written prior approval. Copyright Notice: Entire contents ©2015 Cottage Grove Sentinel. other indoor tanning devices by young people, especially young women. Young women use in- door tanning most frequently, especially those in their late teens and twenties. About 20 percent of female high school students and young women 18-25 engage in indoor tanning. Indoor tanning in young people is especially alarming, since indoor tanning before the age of 30 increases melanoma risk by 75 percent. Melanoma is the type of skin cancer respon- sible for the most deaths . In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classifi ed UV tanning devices as carcinogenic to humans. In an analysis of 31 studies, using indoor tanning at least once was associated with a 16 percent increase in melanoma risk, and more than 10 sessions with a 22 percent increase in risk. Indoor tanning is also as- sociated with elevated risk of other skin cancers—squamous cell carcinoma (67 percent) and basal cell carcinoma (29 percent). Tanning devices also increase the risk of ocular (eye) melanoma. It is important to understand that ultraviolet radiation can promote cancer even if sunburn does not occur. Even among people who have never had sunburn, those who use indoor tanning are much more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma.7 Though commonly associated with a “healthy glow,” it is im- portant to keep in mind that tan- ning of the skin is not healthy; in fact, tanning occurs after skin damage has already occurred, as the body’s attempt to prevent sunburn with further sun expo- sure. Tanning is the body’s re- sponse to DNA damage in skin cells from UV exposure, DNA damage which is also a trigger for skin cancer development. Compared to sunbathing, UV radiation from indoor tanning is more intense. Tanning devices emit both UVA and UVB radia- tion, but primarily UVA; both types contribute to skin cancer. Tanning devices my emit UVA doses 10-15 times higher than the UVA emitted by midday sunlight, giving indoor tanning the potential to be much more risky than sunbathing. Giving up indoor tanning is diffi cult for many people who tan frequently, possibly be- cause they have developed a dependence. UV-induced DNA damage, in addition to causing tanning, also increases the ex- pression of beta-endorphin, a substance which has a positive effect on mood, leading to rein- forcing effects of indoor tanning device use. One small study giving opiate-receptor blocking drug to frequent tanners report- ed they experienced withdrawal symptoms, implying addiction- like effects. Using sun protection when you spend time outdoors and avoiding indoor tanning de- vices are the primary means of preventing melanoma and other skin cancers. Also remember that carotenoid-rich foods, such as leafy greens, orange vegeta- bles and tomatoes help the skin to combat the DNA damage from UV light. Dr. Fuhrman is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and a family physician special- izing in lifestyle and nutritional medicine. His newest book, The End of Dieting, debunks the fake “science” of popular fad diets and offers an alternative to dieting that leads to permanent weight loss and excellent health. Visit his informative website at DrFuhrman.com. Submit your questions and comments about this column directly to news- questions@drfuhrman.com. The full reference list for this article can be found at DrFuhrman. com. Letters to the Editor policy The Cottage Grove Sentinel receives many letters to the editor. In order to ensure that your letter will be printed, letters must be under 300 words and submitted by Friday at 5 p.m. Letters must be signed and must include an address, city and phone number or e-mail address for verifi cation purposes. No anonymous letters will be printed. Letters must be of interest to local readers. Personal attacks and name calling in response to letters are uncalled for and unnecessary. If you would like to submit an opinion piece, Another View must be no longer than 600 words. 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