8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL NOVEMBER 8, 2017
Kennedy
Continued from A7
Wednesdays one of the cohorts go to Quamash Prairie
where they assist with wetland restoration.
The ﬁ nal group is the GED program. This program of
15 students meets every day in the morning to prepare
students to take tests in social studies, science, math,
reading and writing. While other GED programs are
more laid back, Ketcher, who ran the program before
becoming principal, prides herself on the setup of the
program.
“We do a hands-on GED program. So, the kiddos come
in, the teacher is teaching lessons. She’s teaching math,
science, language arts, social studies every day. And
so, they’re coming in – Monday through Friday – and
they’re coming in they’re getting instruction,” said Ke-
cher. “And they have to meet attendance requirements
in order for us to pay for them to take tests because
we’re investing in their success, they have to invest in
their success.”
In addition to the three groups, the students also have
opportunities to work and go on trips on Fridays. One
way to work is through the crew program that works
8-3 (Mondays for GED and Odysseyware students and
Fridays for cohort students) on conservation work that
includes trail maintenance, wetland restoration and
planting trees. The students have to submit a resume
and ﬁ ll out an application for this work and then get
paid minimum wage. To even have the chance to work
crew, students must have at least 90 percent attendance
in school.
Once a month, a teacher takes a group of 15 students to
experience hands on learning. From salmon spawning
to a three-day trip to the Redwoods, the trips take stu-
dents to learning experiences and add in a college visit
for students as well.
Changes
"Kennedy High School. I like the sound of that," South
Lane School Board President Sherry Duerst-Higgins
said during a school board meeting last June.
The agenda called for the consideration of changing Al
Kennedy Alternative High School's moniker to strip the
school of ‘alternative.’ It was the second in a string of
changes to hit the school this past summer.
"The staff was hesitant when we approached them but
75 percent of the students said they'd like the 'alterna-
tive' removed," Ingman, who was in the middle of his
transition to Cottage Grove High School at the time,
told the board.
"That's not to say that 25 percent of the students want-
ed to keep 'alternative.' They had other suggestions," he
said.
However, no other name changes were considered.
The board voted unanimously to approve the name
change just days before appointing Ketcher to her po-
sition as principal at Kennedy and a handful of weeks
before students would begin helping her move the en-
tirety of the school from its place in the portables next
to the community pool to its home at Delight Valley.
“I never liked the alternative label. It’s just one of our
schools,” Parent said. “It used to be that you had to
fail terribly at Cottage Grove High School to go to
Kennedy. But now, that’s a choice. I’m a big advocate
of giving kids a choice. What works for you, may not
work for me.”
Are you ready?
D ISASTER P REPAREDNESS
routine
As the clocks fall back a one hour and fall gives way to winter,
here are some useful tips for keeping your home safe and sound.
Fix-it list for winter
A new kitchen or a bathroom remodeling job
might be dream projects for many homeowners,
but the right home improvement project at a giv-
en moment is not necessarily the most glamorous
project. Sometimes safety upgrades around the
house must take precedence over more popular
projects.
Accidents or injuries can occur in any part of
the home, but homeowners who take certain pre-
ventative measures can greatly reduce their injury
risk. The security resource A Secure Life points
out that more than 18,000 Americans die every
year from injuries that take place in the home.
Unintentional injuries account for millions of
medical visits each year. Home injuries also are
prevalent elsewhere in the world. In the United
Kingdom, the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Accidents reports that there are approximately
6,000 deaths every year that result from accidents
at home.
Periodic inspections for potential hazards can
keep everyone safe. The following are a handful
of ways for homeowners to ensure their homes
are as safe as possible.
• Check for sturdy handrails and prevent trip-
ping hazards. Falls are one of the leading causes
of home injuries. Falls can be a particular threat
for youngsters and the elderly. To help prevent
falls, make sure that staircases feature sturdy rail-
ings and that there is ample lighting in walkways.
Remove obstructions from frequently used paths
inside and outside the home. In addition, insert
nonslip padding beneath runners or throw rugs.
• Check for frayed wires or faulty outlets. Ad-
dress any electrical problems around the house,
including frayed wiring and faulty outlets. Sparks
can lead to ﬁ res, and poor wiring may cause un-
foreseen problems behind walls. Repair or replace
any loose or frayed wires on all electrical devic-
es. Be sure that cords do not run under doorways
or rugs. Replace outlets that are in disrepair and
install ones with ground-fault current interruptors
as an added precaution. If small children live in
the home, use plastic safety covers over unused
outlets.
• Practice window safety. Young children are
curious and do not always recognize the inherent
dangers around them. Children excited to see the
great outdoors may climb up to peer out windows,
and open windows are falling hazards. Screens do
not offer an adequate barrier against falls. Con-
sider locking windows or use safety bars to guard
against falls. Test to see how easily screens can
be pushed out, replacing any that do not provide
adequate resistance to curious youngsters’ hands.
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Replace the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon
monoxide detectors at least twice per year, and
test them to make sure they’re in good working
order at least once per month. The National Fire
Protection Association recommends replacing
hard-wired smoke alarms every 10 years. Bat-
tery-operated alarms may need to be replaced
even sooner. Many carbon monoxide detectors
work for ﬁ ve to seven years. Check the back of
alarms for a date stamp that indicates how old the
product is and when it expires.
Safety checklists are an important part of home
maintenance. A proactive approach can prevent
both injuries and damage to the home.
Who is most likely to suffer
from SAD?
The Mayo Clinic notes that
SAD is diagnosed more often
in women than in men, and
MHA notes that three out of
four SAD sufferers are women.
Young people are more likely
than older people to get winter
SAD, with MHA reporting that
the main age of onset of SAD is
between 18 and 30. Symptoms
of SAD may worsen among
people who have already been
diagnosed with clinical depres-
sion or bipolar disorder.
More information about sea-
sonal affective disorder is avail-
able at www.mentalhealthamer-
ica.net.
Getting your chimney ready
As temperatures drop and
thoughts once again turn to
lighting ﬁ res and sitting down
with a good book, it’s important
to revisit chimney maintenance.
Even though chimneys do not
require daily upkeep, regular
maintenance efforts help chim-
neys operate safely and prevent
deaths and injuries while pro-
tecting homes from ﬁ re.
Various problems can arise
when chimneys are not well
maintained. Such problems
include chimney ﬁ res, carbon
monoxide poisoning and early
failure of the chimney and heat-
ing sources that the chimney
vents.
Carbon monoxide can be
scary, as it is virtually invisible
without a proper detector. The
National Vital Statistics System
says that, in 2015, 393 deaths
resulted from unintentional
carbon monoxide poisoning in
the United States. When car-
bon monoxide is breathed in, it
builds up quickly and combines
with the blood, reducing the
blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
The Canada Safety Council says
that body tissue and cells can’t
function without oxygen.
Chimney ﬁ res are another
potential byproduct of poor
chimney maintenance. The
Chimney Safety Institute of
America notes that chimneys
expel the byproducts of com-
bustion, including smoke, water
vapor, gases, unburned wood
particles, hydrocarbon, tar fog,
and assorted minerals, which
can condense on the inside of
the chimney ﬂ ue. The residue,
called creosote, is highly com-
bustible. With the right condi-
tions, a chimney ﬁ re can occur.
To avoid chimney ﬁ res and
other risks, take these precau-
tions, courtesy of CSIA, Ho-
meAdvisor and Popular Me-
chanics.
• Have chimneys inspected
annually and properly cleaned
by a professional chimney tech-
nician.
• Make sure tree branches and
other obstacles are cleared away
from the top of the chimney.
• Use seasoned hardwoods
that have been split for several
months to a year. “Green” wood
creates more creosote.
• The top-down method of
building a ﬁ re produces less
smoke. This means using larg-
er pieces of wood on the bot-
tom and the smallest twigs and
kindling at the top. The ﬁ re will
burn from the top and down,
igniting the wood beneath as it
goes.
• Put a cap on the chimney to
keep out rain, snow and small
animals.
• Keep ﬁ res small; otherwise,
the intense heat may damage
bricks and mortar in the chim-
ney. Repair any damage prompt-
ly before lighting another ﬁ re.
• Open the damper and ﬁ re-
place doors so that air supply
ﬂ ows freely and can vent the
smoke promptly, reducing res-
idence time in the ﬂ ue; other-
wise, creosote can form.
• Install smoke and carbon
monoxide alarms throughout
the home and routinely check
the batteries.
Learn more about chimney
maintenance and ﬁ nd a certiﬁ ed
chimney sweep at www.csia.
org.
Adjusting to the time change
The tail end of Daylight Saving Time in 2016 occurs on Novem-
ber 6, when millions of people will turn their clocks back one hour.
Few people enjoy turning the clocks back in autumn as much as
they enjoy turning them forward in spring. Turning the clocks for-
ward affords many people, in particular working professionals who
spend much of their weekdays working indoors, a chance to enjoy
some sunlight when leaving their ofﬁ ces each day. However, once
the clocks are turned back, professionals typically ﬁ nd themselves
leaving their ofﬁ ces under a cover of darkness.
Some people easily adjust to less daylight, while others experi-
ence a condition known as season affective disorder, or SAD. SAD
is a disorder related to changes in seasons. According to the Mayo
Clinic, the majority of people with SAD begin to experience symp-
toms in the fall and continue battling those symptoms throughout
the winter. The end of Daylight Saving Time occurs in early No-
vember, and the onset of SAD symptoms is no doubt related to
the decreased exposure to daylight many people experience once
clocks have been turned back. Those who suspect they might be
susceptible to SAD can get a better grasp of the condition so they
are capable of recognizing and responding to it should any symp-
toms appear.
What is SAD?
Mental Health America, a leading community-based nonproﬁ t
dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental ill-
ness, deﬁ nes SAD as a mood disorder associated with depression
and related to seasonal variations of light. Though many people
may be saddened when the clocks are turned back and the sun sets
earlier than it does in the warmer months, MHA notes that a diagno-
sis of SAD can only be made after the symptoms of SAD have ap-
peared for three consecutive winters and have gone into remission
once spring and summer have arrived.
What are the symptoms of SAD?
Simply feeling bummed out that winter is on the horizon does
not mean a person has SAD. The following are some of the more
common symptoms of the disorder:
• Depression marked by feelings of misery, guilt, hopelessness,
despair, and apathy. A loss of self-esteem may also occur.
• Feelings of anxiety that include tension and an inability to tol-
erate stress
• Mood changes that are sometimes extreme; some SAD sufferers
experience feelings of mania in spring and summer.
• Changes in sleeping habits, such as a desire to oversleep and
difﬁ culty staying awake. Some people may experience disturbed
sleep and ﬁ nd themselves waking up in early morning when they
are unaccustomed to doing so.
• Feelings of fatigue and an inability to adhere to one’s normal
ARE YOU READY FOR WINTER?
Outdoor faucet covers & heat tape available!
Family owned and operated for over 47 years.
LANDSCAPE AND
BUILDING MATERIALS
Open 7 days a week!
79149 N. River Road
541-942-4664
Make sure all the pieces are in place to render you and your family prepared in the event of a natural disaster.
• Listen to radio or television newscasts for the latest weather information, and follow all evacuation directions and suggestions.
• Keep a stock of non-perishable food items as well as bottled water on hand inside your home.
• Keep a 72 Hour Kit on hand inside your home that is easy to get to in the event of a disaster.
For more information and tips on disaster response and preparedness, contact your local emergency services center.
South Lane Fire & Rescue • 233 Harrison Ave, Cottage Grove 541-942-4493 • 55 South 1st Street, Creswell 541-895-2506
Twitter: @southlanefi re
Facebook: southlanecountyfi reandrescue