COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL February 10, 2016 Slow Ponies galloping into town Avoid any monkey with a pet Chihuahua L ocal favorites the Slow Ponies will be playing a show at the Axe and Fiddle on Friday, Feb. 19 at 8:30 p.m. The Slow Ponies are an all-woman group that plays classic cowgirl music from the silver screen era. The band is comprised of a veritable who’s-who of regional folk artists: Acclaimed author Shannon Applegate, renowned visual artist Susan Applegate, Kalapuya elder, story-teller and educator Esther Stutzman and area and internationally touring musicians Linda Danielson, Liz Crain and Melissa Ruth. The group has headlined numerous events including the Ore- gon Coast Music Festival and performs about six times a year. BY NED HICKSON News Media Corporation A COMMUNITY BRIEFS Fun Fly The Cottage Grove Armory will be the venue for a “Fun Fly” scheduled Friday, Feb. 19 from 4-6 p.m., an event that aims bring electric helicopters and planes and their fans to- gether. The South Lane RC Modelers and Cottage Grove’s Youth Advi- sory Council will host the event, and the public is encouraged to bring small electric aircraft to fl y in the Armory. Participants under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. More information can be ob- tained by contacting Marvin Goins at 541-942-0530. Learn fi rst aid A First Aid class is being of- fered on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the Cottage Grove Seventh-day Adventist Church, 820 S. 10th St. The course is free; however, there is a $20 fee for those who need a course completion card. Books will be available for student use at the class. Those interested must call 541-942-6943 to pre-register for a spot in the class. New 2-1-1 hotline in operation for pesticide incidents Oregonians involved in pesti- cide incidents impacting people, animals or the environment can now report those incidents to a telephone hotline seven days a week, 24 hours a day. By call- ing 2-1-1, concerned or affected individuals will receive imme- diate information and referral service regarding a pesticide incident, no matter what time or day. The free referral and informa- tion helpline was funded by the 2015 Oregon Legislature as part of House Bill 3549, relating to pesticides. The Oregon Depart- ment of Agriculture provided training to Oregon-based 2-1-1 staff on what to do upon receiv- ing pesticide related calls from the public. The three-digit tele- phone number generally pro- vides information and referrals to health, human and social service organizations. Persons in Oregon calling 2-1-1 are immediately offered a menu of choices that includes options for reporting pesticide incidents or asking for pesticide informa- tion. At that point, they are connected to a person. Call- ers asking for information are referred to appropriate agen- cies and organizations. Callers involved in pesticide incidents will be asked to provide basic information. Within one hour of completion of the call, all infor- mation recorded by 2-1-1 will be forwarded to the Pesticide Analytical and Response Center (PARC) for further referral and response within one business day. Information about PARC can be found at . In the event of a medi- cal emergency related to pesti- cide exposure, people need to call the Oregon Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 or 9- 1-1 directly. ‘Parallel Lives’ The Opal Center for Arts and Education announces its up- coming production of “Parallel Lives” directed by Peg Major, which runs Feb. 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27. Doors opening at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $12 each and are available at opalcentercg. org or at The Crafty Mercantile in Cottage Grove. This show is rated R for adult content and is not intended for anyone under 16. “Parallel Lives” is not a play, but a se- ries of mostly unrelated comic sketches written by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy. This produc- tion of Parallel Lives stars Mir- iam Major and Nikki Pagniano, who will portray a variety of characters in a series of satiric sketches. Blackberry Pie So- ciety hosts School Bond Presentation The Cottage Grove Blackber- ry Pie Society will host a pre- sentation by South Lane School District Superintendent Krista Parent on the District’s school bond proposal from 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Healing Matrix, 632 E. Main Street in Cottage Grove. Superintendent Krista Parent will share information and an- swer questions about the school bond, which will appear on the May 17 ballot. The bond aims to replace Harrison School, provide safety and security up- grades to all district schools and PET DENTAL Oral Care Essential for Dogs’ Health Dogs, like people, are living longer thanks to advancements in preventative health care. That means that illnesses and parasites that once were the culprit behind a short life span are no longer the threats they once were. Now oral health care issues have become a leading problem for dogs. Fortunately, such problems are largely preventable. While it’s largely believed that eating and gnawing on bones is enough to keep plaque and tartar build-up at bay, this isn’t the case. Dogs need routine brushing of their teeth for optimum health. Failure to do so opens dogs up to the build-up of food and bacteria, which can contribute to tartar and gum disease. Research indicates as much as 85 percent of all dogs have some form of gum disease. In addition Zen Paws LLC Pet Spa, Unique Retail & Photography (541) 942-9634 160 Gateway Blvd. 1/2 OFF Teeth Brushing 10% OFF Dental Toys zenpaws.webs.com renovate the existing Warren Daugherty Aquatic Center. The bond would also tackle major deferred maintenance projects and improve technology access for all students in the district. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be available. For more information about this event, contact: Blackberry Pie Chairperson Leslie Rubin- stein at 541-521-2887 or black- berrypie@gmail.com. Damm promoted to manager Ashley Damm has been pro- moted as manager of Wells Far- go’s bank branch at 1500 E. Main St. in Cottage Grove. In her new position, Damm is responsible for the customer service, sales, professional de- velopment and community in- volvement efforts of fi ve team members. Damm initially joined Wells Fargo in 2007 as a teller in Cen- tral Point. She later served as a lead teller, customer sales & service rep and service manager before being promoted to her current position. Wells Fargo has recognized Damm in the past for her supe- rior service. She was also nomi- nated for and completed a Wells Fargo leadership training pro- gram last year for future branch managers. “Doggy breath” could be a sign of periodontal disease. Teeth-brushing remains the single best way to prevent tartar buildup. HEALTH A new puppy comes home full of life and with sweet breath. As a dog ages, however, foul breath can become the norm and make interacting with a pet an undesirable affair. Bad breath is one of the key signs of poor oral health and an indication that owner should take action. 9A • Consult with a veterinarian if the problem is bad. He or she may have to perform a professional Ideally, a dog’s teeth should dental cleaning, which is conducted while the dog is be brushed at least once a under anesthesia. day. But many people do • There are many bones not take the time to brush and other dental-health dogs’ teeth. At the very products that can help least, the task should be remove plaque scaling from done once a week. This is the teeth. the single best way to help keep periodontal disease • Observe a dog’s behavior at bay and prolong a pet and look for problems that companion’s life. There are could indicate mouth pain, other steps to take that can such as pawing at the reduce tartar build-up and mouth or trouble eating. i ght bad “doggy” breath. As in people, periodontal • Use antibacterial wipes disease can lead to other (found at the pet supply issues, including heart store) to reduce the amount disease, and should be of bacteria in a dog’s taken seriously. Maintaining mouth that can contribute healthy teeth and gums is to plaque. an easy task and one that • Routinely inspect the can greatly prolong the life gums and teeth to check of a furry pal. for discoloration or tartar build-up. s a journalist, I’m trained to recognize the most subtle signs of trouble. A misspoken word. A reluctant glance. A gang of monkeys destroying a library. Thanks to my training and experience, and several high- lighted newspaper clippings sent in by concerned readers, I have painstakingly pieced together what I, as a member of the conservative media, believe is undeniable evidence that animals are planning to take over the world. We will begin in eastern India, where scores of monkeys have overrun Loreto College in Darjeeling, an institute of higher learning that had once taken great pride in its slogan: Unlimited tea and monkey-free. “That has all changed now,” said one student, who refused to be identifi ed out of fear of monkey reprisal. “They inter- rupt my classes, steal my lunch, hassle me and the other stu- dents. It’s like high school all over again.” According to the article, which was fi rst reported by the Indo-Asian News Service and sent to me by Norman Buck- ner of Atlanta, Ga., the biggest problem is that the monkeys have no fear of humans. This in spite of repeated threats by angry school offi cials to “fail each and every student without an opposable thumb.” As unsettling as that article was, it wasn’t until reading this next piece from the New York Post that I began to consider canceling my PETA membership. This story was frighten- ing for two reasons. First, because it involves rats (which, as many of you know, I would recall from Earth given the proper authority), and second because the thought of rats popping up in a toilet has caused me to consider switching to a full-time liquid diet. According to the link sent to me by Tammy Ruger of DeSoto, Texas., a Brooklyn woman heard splashing in her commode one night and, after lifting the lid, was startled to fi nd... You guessed it: A monkey! Okay, not really. It was a rat. Possibly experiencd in pearl diving. The wom- an, who has since moved to a fi fth-story apartment in Idaho, said that upon seeing the rodent swimming in her commode, she immediately dropped the lid and called the city’s Pub- lic Works Department, where she was told she wasn’t alone, and that there were rats everywhere! Emerging from the sewers and consuming people in SLOBBERING, RABID HORDES! This was followed by screaming, laughter and a dial tone. Public Works offi cials later explained that sewers in many larger cities have rats, and that they can sometimes scurry up a pipe and into someone’s toilet bowl, leaving residents “a little shaken.” Or, in the case of one humor columnist who asked not to be identifi ed, too traumatized to sit on anything other than a hammock. Our fi nal piece of evidence comes from Doreen Kimble of Santa Clara, Calif., who called my attention to an incident in which hawks, specially trained to keep pigeons from do- ing what pigeons do on visitors to the Boston Public Library, were grounded after one raptor scooped up an unsuspecting Chihuahua. The dog’s owner, who asked not to be identifi ed for fear of reprisal (mostly from his Chihuahua), said he believes his dog was mistaken for a rat — which seems strange since they weren’t anywhere near a commode… (Ned is a syndicated columnist with News Media Corpo- ration. His book, Humor at the Speed of Life, is available online at Port Hole Publications, Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble. Write to him at nedhickson@icloud.com) to bad breath and tooth loss, periodontal disease can increase a dog’s risk of heart disease. Get a 12-Month Subscription *Not valid on e-edition, must be paid in advance. 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