September 11, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 5A
How can we be better prepared for the ‘Big One’?
G UEST C OLUMN
A lot of people read “The Really
%ig One,” .athryn Schulz’s New
Yorker article about the Cascadia
earthquake and tsunami that are
forecast to strike the Paci¿ c North-
west.
The article caused shockwaves of
its own across our region.
The information is not new to
most of us here at home, but the viv-
id description of the risk to lives and
the regional economy has generated
a really big amount of anxiety in Or-
egon.
It’s alarming to read that the larg-
est natural disaster to hit North Amer-
ica might happen right here at home.
%ut as a lawmaker, I am also deeply
concerned about the article’s remind-
er that we are nowhere as prepared
as we can and should be given how
much we know about this threat. In
the article, OSU earthquake expert
Chris Gold¿ nger discusses the grow-
ing gap between what we know and
what we should do about it.
I have made closing this gap a
priority in my work in Congress.
I’ve supported additional research,
advocated for federal investment
in resilience, and raised awareness
among my colleagues in Congress.
%ut there is still work to be done.
Many Oregon communities are
already taking action. For example,
Cannon %each set up cache sites in
By
U.S. REP. SUZANNE
BONAMICI
evacuation areas where residents
can store food, water, and supplies
in barrels. Last year, I participated
in their Race the Wave . walkrun,
which followed the tsunami evac-
uation route from the beach to the
cache site so residents and visitors
are familiar with the route.
At the state level, Oregon law-
makers authorized The Oregon Re-
silience Plan. This comprehensive
plan recommends policies to pro-
tect lives and the economy during
and after a Cascadia event. Oregon
Emergency Management is working
with FEMA on Cascadia Rising, an
earthquake and tsunami function-
al exercise that’s planned for next
summer. And the Legislature just
passed several resilience-building
bills, including provisions for seis-
mic rehabilitation of schools and
other critical infrastructure.
The state is making progress,
but the federal government can and
should do much more. FEMA and
the National Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Administration are engaged
in earthquake and tsunami research
Boac’s Bird Notes
ERICK BENGEL/THE DAILY ASTORIAN FILE
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., explains the importance of invest-
ing in tsunami preparation to the fun run participants in October. Tak-
ing measures now, she said, will not only help to ensure that more peo-
ple survive, it will make it easier for cities to rebuild aft er the disaster.
and education, but these efforts are
not nearly enough. Oregonians face
the complicated task of needing to
prepare for an event on a scale not
experienced in more than 315 years.
Unfortunately, federal funding for
hazard mitigation and resilience is
generally limited to events that have
already occurred and caused damage,
like Hurricane .atrina or Superstorm
Sandy. This tendency to be reactive
rather than proactive is shortsighted,
and I’m committed to doing what I
can to work on prevention.
We can start by providing fed-
eral funding for research and de-
velopment. The U.S. Geological
Survey just awarded $4 million to
universities in the Paci¿ c North-
west and California for an earth-
quake early warning system. And
I am pleased that one of the ¿ rst
bills the U. S. House passed this
session was my bipartisan Tsunami
Warning, Research and Education
Act. Once it passes the Senate, this
Act will support NOAA’s tsunami
research and community-speci¿ c
outreach and resilience activities.
It’s a good start, but only a small
part of a long list of research and
outreach needs.
Local and state governments also
need resources to assess, plan, and
respond to a Cascadia earthquake.
At an implementation meeting for
the Oregon Resilience Plan last
year, we discussed the importance
of planning and response training
for communities. The disruption to
transportation and communications
systems will likely mean that many
communities, particularly in rural
areas, will be cut off from relief ser-
vices. Communities need to be able
to react and respond so people are
safely evacuated, able to shelter in
place, and endure winter weather,
¿ re, medical emergencies, or food
and water shortages.
The scope of what we face can
seem overwhelming, but it is not
insurmountable. I will continue to
advocate for preparing for a Casca-
dia earthquake and tsunami. Smart
investments now will save lives,
property, and money later, and will
help the regional economy recover
faster. Join me in building on this
momentum toward a more resilient
future for Oregon and the Paci¿ c
Northwest.
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici,
D-Ore., represents the 1st District.
SUSAN BOAC
How to identify the immature song sparrow, cowbird
Paradoxically for me,
identifying birds is the
tricky part of birding and
it’s the most interesting
part of birding. Not only
are some species very very
similar in certain regards,
they can be especially
challenging to tell apart as
juveniles and during molt.
Sometimes Song Sparrows
don’t look like song spar-
rows to me at this time of
year!
I had moments of won-
der this breeding season,
watching momma birds
feeding their babies. Like
on the ¿ rst Sunday %ird
:alk in &annon %each
Aug. 2, I saw an adult spar-
row feeding an immature
cowbird!
%rown-head-
ed cowbirds don’t build
SUSAN BOAC
nests, they lay eggs (up to
three dozen a summer) in
others with the hopes they
get adopted, like the one I
saw. The size difference
was comical! Cowbirds are
much larger than most spar-
rows.
In our area, song spar-
rows and friends start
SUSAN BOAC PHOTO
A song sparrow in Cannon Beach.
molting about mid-August,
sometimes through Sep-
tember. Researchers have
found that females start
LET TERS
Mental health outrage
Regarding the article
“In Clatsop County, gaps
in mental health safety net”
(The Daily Astorian, Aug.
24): My professional life
has been spent in the area of
human social services, pub-
lic and private. I am very
aware of the signi¿ cant and
complex issues with institu-
tionalization pre-1960s, as
well as de-institutionaliza-
tion from the 1960s to to-
day. I understand the heavy
burden and heartbreak
lack of services and fund-
ing causes for individuals,
families, neighbors, cities,
counties and states.
Clatsop County, tragi-
cally, is typical. I am writ-
ing this letter, however,
because of my newest out-
rage resulting from reading
the second to the last para-
graph of the above article.
It follows: “On Sunday af-
ternoon, four days after he
was picked up by the state
trooper for having a mental
cannonbeachgazette.com
to molt a little later than
males. I start to notice a lot
of little brown birds with no
tails at my feeding stations.
These little guys are able to
À y during molt, but without
a tail, landing can some-
times be rather comical!
That makes me smile even
more than usual.
I take a plethora of pic-
tures this part of the year,
in my attempt to identify
and become familiar with
all these little friends. And
I keep hoping I am seeing
something new. Mostly,
I ¿ nd that by will alone I
cannot transform a molting
adult or juvenile into a new
species no matter how hard
I try.
First Sunday bird walk
Something new! Please
join a group of people on
the ¿ rst Sunday of the
month for birding in the
Cannon %each area. :e
will meet at the Lagoon
Trail parking lot on Second
Street at 9 am and bird until
about . %ring binoculars
and wear appropriate cloth-
ing. Everyone is welcome!
Susan has spent her life
enjoying the great outdoors
from the lakes and woods
of Northern Minnesota,
Mt. Adams in Washington
and now the Oregon beach
environs. After spending
many pleasurable hours
driving her avid birder
parents around, she has
taken up birding as a pas-
sion, to the mixed emotions
of her husband Scott.
The Boacs reside on the
Neawanna Creek in Sea-
side where their backyard
is a birder’s paradise.
LOC AL HAPPENINGS IN BRIEF
breakdown on Highway 26,
the man was given a courte-
sy ride to the Astoria Transit
Center. Police bought him a
bus ticket to Portland.”
The untreated (the lack
of services was clearly de-
scribed in previous para-
graphs), ill person was
placed, apparently alone,
on a public bus for a 2-hour,
100-mile ride to Portland.
What does this “solution”
say for the welfare of the
man, the bus driver and
passengers, as well as other
motorists on the road at that
time?
I thought public safety
was the primary concern
of sworn of¿ cers in our
cities and counties. What
would be the city’s liabil-
ity if an “accident” had
occurred? Granted, a cour-
tesy drive to Portland by
an of¿ cer would be costly,
but consider the possible
alternatives.
Melissa Cadwallader
Cannon Beach
New volunteer
training at the Harbor
Volunteer training with the
Harbor begins Tuesday, Sept.
29. Class will be held Tues-
days and Thursdays from 5:30
to 8:30 p.m. Come learn the
basics in compassionate com-
munication, crisis intervention,
active listening, the impact of
oppression on individuals and
communities, domestic vio-
lence and the law and more.
The training includes educa-
tors from the Harbor as well
as experienced guest speakers
from the community.
Volunteer opportunities
are available at the shelter,
during community events and
special projects. Some volun-
teers work in the Harbor’s cli-
ent service of¿ ce, Dpjj Vu’s
donation center, and as ongo-
ing advocates for individuals
accessing services.
All volunteers will need to
attend the first training. Training
requirements vary depending
on the type of volunteer posi-
Cannon Beach’s
Largest Selection
of Oregon and
Washington Wine!
U P C O M IN G TA STIN G S
Sept 12 • N orthw est C ellars
Sept 19 • W alnut C ity W inew orks
Sept 26 • S ineann
O ct 3 • H olloran V ineyard s
O ct 17 • E lk C ove V ineyard s
“Best W ine Sh op on th e
O regon Coa st.” - W ine Ju lia
Sh ack H ou rs
D aily • 11am to 6pm
Tastin g R oom H ou rs
Sat • 1pm to 5pm
124 N. Hemlock, Cannon Beach
503.436.1100 - www.beachwine.com
tion. Contact Chris, volunteer
coordinator, at 503-325-3426,
or visit 1361 Duane St, Astoria
to pick up a volunteer packet.
Add your voice to
Cannon Beach Chorus
The Cannon %each Cho-
rus, under the direction of
Dr. John %uehler, will begin
the fall 2015 performance
season on Monday, Sept.
14, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the
Cannon %each Community
Church, 132 E. Washington
St., Cannon %each. Enter-
ing their 27 th year, the chorus
will begin rehearsing choral
literature representing music
from the 1800s to the present
and includes Mass in G by
Franz Schubert with organ
and string quartet; a collec-
tion of carols by %ritish com-
poser, John Rutter and a col-
lection of seasonal favorites,
all of which will be presented
at the December concerts.
The 55-voice chorus is
open to singers age 16 and be-
yond. For more information
about the Cannon %each Cho-
rus, visit cannonbeachchorus.
org or call 503-436-0378.
Bereavement support
at Providence Seaside
A six-week bereavement
support group, “Journey
through Grief,” for family
and friends of those who have
lost a loved one takes place at
Providence Seaside Hospital
Mondays, Sept. 21-Oct. 26
from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The group
will meet at Providence Sea-
side Hospital Family Consult
Room. There is no charge for
the sessions but pre-registra-
tion is recommended.
The hospital is located at
725 S. Wahanna Road. Call
Cynthia Livar at 503-717-
7233 to register.
Workshop will teach
how to use Excel
Clatsop Economic De-
velopment Resources will
hold a workshop Sept. 15
on using Microsoft Excel.
The workshop will teach
participants how to navi-
gate worksheets, organize
data into rows and columns,
format text and cells, write
formulas and create charts.
The workshop costs $15,
payable at the workshop
by credit card. The ¿ rst in-
stallment takes place at the
South Count Center, 1455
N. Roosevelt Drive in Sea-
side, from 8:30 to 10:30
a.m. Sept. 15. The second
runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
in Towler Hall Room 105
on the college’s main cam-
pus, 1651 Lexington Ave.
Visit
http:tinyurl.com
qy78tjn for more informa-
tion.
:HOFRPH'U:LVEH\0DUWLQ
Erin Wisbey Martin, MD
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Family Medicine
Dr. Wisbey Martin specializes in
Women’s Health (Obstetrics and
Gynecology) and Family Medicine.
She is accepting new patients
and looking forward to building a
practice in North Tillamook County.
Please join us in welcoming Dr.
Wisbey Martin and her husband to
the community.
To make an appointment, call:
(503) 368-2292
Manzanita Primary & Specialty Care
10445 Neahkahnie Creek Road, Manzanita
adventisthealth.org/trmc