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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2018)
June 1, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 5A How to train your dog for a day at the beach A t last, it’s safe to sport your favorite pair of shorts! Your dog’s excited too, and sans his winter onesie, he’s bounded from the car wearing nothing but his walking harness. He’s ankle deep in sand when you note his eyes locked on to the ocean, and for a moment you panic. It’s not the water you fear, it’s the whir of rubber and its metal tonnage. As you grab the leash, a car horn sounds in the distance, and a woman’s voice, screaming her dog’s name. Those who live in Clatsop County and wish to enjoy beach fun with their dogs have choices, but also challenges. Gearhart and Warrenton residents must share their entire beach strand, 24/7/365, with automobiles. Luckily, modern dog training offers survival skills to help protect your dog. “Touch” and “loose leash” behav- iors can be trained quickly and built on over time. To prepare for training, cut one cup of unseasoned, unheated turkey hot dogs and hard cheese into pea-sized cubes and place in a non- breakable bowl. Find a private, quiet room in your home, with no other animals in or near the space. CANINE CORNER RAIN JORDAN & DAHLIA Sit on the floor, in a chair, or on a bed. Place the bowl of food near your hand but out of your dog’s reach and view. Have the scent of food on the palm of the hand with which you will be training — that is helpful for the first several touch- es. Here are the steps for teaching touch: 1. Gently place and hold your open palm in front of dog’s nose, about one inch away. 2. Wait until dog touches palm with nose, then immediately say yes! and retract your hand. 3. Immediately after saying yes, take one tiny piece of food from bowl and deliver to dog’s mouth from your hand, then retract hand. Once dog has eaten it, repeat the first three steps three times. Repeat three more times, but now placing your palm 3 inches farther from dog’s nose. 4. Once your dog is comfortably RAIN JORDAN Rain Jordan of Elevate demonstrates the “Touch” method with a for- merly feral dog. executing the touch behavior, add the word “touch” as you present your palm. As your dog gains confidence with touch, continue increasing the distance of your palm several inches at a time, always adding the word “touch” as well. Eventually, this Touch palm cue will become a short-distance recall behavior. The steps for teaching “loose leash” are as follows: 1. Dog is on walking harness and leash; your leash end is against your stomach with one hand; food is in or accessible by your other hand. 2. Walking a slow or normal pace, for every one to two steps your dog does not pull on the leash, say Yes!, then deliver one tiny piece of food as you walk. Repeat as many times as needed depending on your dog. (If the dog begins checking in with you — looking back at you —while walking, that’s a plus! Reinforce that with a yes! and delivery of food.) 3. Increase goal to three or four steps with leash slack, then five or six, etc. Your dream goal: An entire walk with the leash remaining slack. Rule: No punishments or “correc- tions” as these can negate learning, trust, and confidence. How do these skills help your car-beach challenge? Touch-recall increases off and on-lead, visual, and voice guidance while Loose Leash training creates a habit and mindset that reduces the risk of your dog yanking the leash away and ending up in front of a car. Teach- ing, combining, and positively re- inforcing these good behaviors will keep your dog safer and provide you with greater peace of mind. Rain Jordan of Elevate Dog Training & Behavior is a certified professional dog trainer and behav- ior specialist in Gearhart. Plastic pollution, a world problem Hope and change for our environment By Katherine Lacaze For Seaside Signal It’s not new information all the world’s continents are connected by water; as a re- sult, however, all civilizations across the globe also share responsibility in curbing the “mammoth problem” of plas- tic pollution threatening the environment. “This issue is way bigger than us in the United States,” Charlie Plybon, Oregon poli- cy manager with the Surfrid- er Foundation, said during a Listening to the Land lecture at Seaside Public Library on May 16. Plybon’s presentation, “Plastic Pollution: Acting lo- cally to curb a new world or- der in ocean pollution,” was the final lecture of the 2018 Listening to the Land series, presented by the Necanicum Watershed Council in partner- ship with the library. While the current trends related to plastic pollution are worrisome, Plybon’s lec- ture was not about doom and gloom, but rather “a hope- and-change kind of presen- tation,” said Chrissy Smith, coordinator of the Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, a north coast-based volunteer organization. The scope of the problem Plybon, who has a degree in marine biology and is a member of the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council, shared important statistics, giving listeners a glimpse of the magnitude of the plastic pollution problem. According to a 2016 re- port called “The New Plas- tics Economy,” by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum, if plastic pollution continues being generated and entering the environment at its current rate, it may outweigh the to- tal mass of fish in the world’s ocean by 2050. Such a pres- ence of plastic has the power to change entire ecosystems and species, Plybon said. Additionally, multiple studies suggest there are more than 2.25 trillion particles SURFRIDER FOUNDATION Plastic pollution was the topic of the Necanicum Watershed Council’s May Listening to the Land lecture. of plastic currently floating in the ocean, and fish off the west coast ingest more than 12,000 tons of plastic per year. Humans also ingest plas- tic microfibers, which were found in 83 percent of tap water samples collected from at least a dozen countries on five continents, according to a study commissioned by data journalism outlet Orb. For the United States, 94 percent of water samples were contami- nated by plastic. A brief history How did this happen? Plybon shared insight into a cultural shift that transpired around the mid-21st century. In 1955, Life Magazine ran an article called “Throwaway Living” that celebrated the convenience of single-use products and disposable items. The consumerism mindset that began proliferating at the time can be summed up in a quote attributed to Victor Lebow, an economist and retail analyst: “Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spir- itual satisfaction and our ego satisfaction in consumption.” “We need things con- sumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded at an ever-increasing rate,” Lebow wrote. Such a system is not sus- tainable, however. Humans cannot exist on a finite plant with linear system, Plybon said. “Everything goes one way and into the trash,” he said. “That’s just not the way we can live. Eventually we will Experience Family Dining in a Relaxed & Friendly Environment Serving Seafood, Pizza, Sandwiches, Espressos, Beer, Wine, Ice Cream and our Homemade Desserts We have a fabulous patio where you can enjoy the weather and your meal. “TO-GO” Orders Welcome 156 N. Hemlock • Cannon Beach 503.436.9551 Owned and Operated by the Cleary Family run out.” Solutions such as recy- cling, incinerating, or convert- ing microfibers into synthetic fleece are not sufficient, or even effective, in keeping plastic out of the environ- ment. Also, China, the world’s largest importer and recycler of plastic, has implemented increasing restrictions on for- eign waste in the past couple years; most plastic items — save thin-necked plastic soda and water bottlers — are no longer recyclable in the cur- rent system. “Your ‘recycling’ isn’t be- ing recycled,” Plybon said. Solutions in the system Most importantly, people need to consider the entire life cycle of the items they con- sume, and ask themselves. “Be aware of what you’re buying, and be aware of where it’s going to go,” Plybon said. “If it’s single-use and it’s plas- tic, it doesn’t make sense for it be around forever after you used it once.” In addition to consuming less in general, individuals can switch to alternatives and embrace a Bring Your Own culture, using reusable mugs, water bottles, to-go contain- ers, straws, zip lock bags, jars, and more. Buying in bulk is not only affordable but also allows people to avoid the wasteful packaging that of- ten accompanies single-serve food products. The next step is finding community solutions, such as setting zero-plastic waste goals at schools or workplac- es; conducting educational events to raise awareness; holding outdoor cleanups; implementing local plastic-re- duction policies; creating bans on plastic bags or poly- styrene; or putting together a municipal plastics solution committee. Advocates can en- gage large-scale suppliers to ensure nonplastic alternatives are accessible and affordable for restaurants and other busi- nesses. The Surfrider Foundation recently launched its Ocean Friendly Restaurants certi- fication program in Oregon, giving restaurants a way to demonstrate their commit- ment to sustainability. To participate in the program, restaurants must follow four criteria: No using expanded polystyrene (also known as Styrofoam); following prop- er recycling practices; using reusable tableware for onsite dining and only providing dis- posable utensils for takeout food upon request; and no of- fering plastic bags for takeout orders. Additionally, restau- rants must choose a minimum of three other criteria from a set of six. Finally, individuals need to take their concerns about plastic pollution directly to the companies producing the items – the first point of the linear system. The world’s largest corporations make more money than most coun- tries, and that depends on consumerism and constant buying. Engaging irrespon- sible companies through let- ter-writing campaigns, phone calls, or strikes, and support- ing companies with responsi- ble practices can lead to tangi- ble results, Plybon said. “We are the ones that can be empowered,” he added. “If we want to change the system we’re in now, we have to be advocating at a higher level.” The Listening to the Land speaker series offered January through May, with presenta- tions held the third Wednes- day of every month at the li- brary. The program, which is free and open to the public, is finished for 2018 and will re- sume in January 2019. SUE CODY Jeanne Nasby, Marion Blake and Jack Bland play bridge at the Astoria Senior Center. Socializing through games and movement improves health By Susan Cody For EO Media Group Did you know that so- cializing and playing games can keep you healthier lon- ger? In the comfortable lobby of the Astoria Senior Center a few people are relaxing and talking. About 20 bridge players are in another room gearing up for an afternoon of cards. In the cafeteria, another 18 people gather to play pinochle. Similar to the Bob Chisholm Center in Sea- side, activities abound for residents to get out and do something. Whether it is line dancing, music, yoga, exercise classes, free mov- ies, cards, board games, education or a musical jam session, there are ways to engage and meet like-mind- ed people. The Astoria Senior Cen- ter is a great place to social- ize, says Larry Miller, the center’s director. The new space is designed for many activities that don’t inter- fere with each other, such as playing pool, using comput- ers or eating lunch. “Everybody enjoys it,” Miller says. “It is welcom- ing and friendly, and you can get lots of snacks and coffee. The coffee’s always on.” The benefits of playing games “Researchers have dis- covered that mentally chal- lenging games such as bridge are well suited for older people because the games offer intellectual and social stimulation on a rou- tine basis,” AARP reports. “A study in 2000 at the Uni- versity of California, Berke- ley, found strong evidence that an area in the brain used in playing bridge stimulates the immune system.” Paul Buckman of Astoria, says he was mourning after his wife died. He tried group counseling, then took some bridge lessons. He found bridge was much more help- ful than counseling. “You sit down at the bridge table and every- thing else just melts away,” says Sue Kroning a Seaside bridge instructor. Buckman says, “It’s a fascinating game. It keeps me away from TV and nap- ping on the couch.” LEWIS & CLARK TIMBERLANDS Recreational Access Permit Public Notice All recreational activities on Lewis & Clark Timberlands Oregon will require a no fee recreational permit effective June 1, 2018 To acquire a permit (available 5/21/18): Go online to greenwoodresources.com and click on Recreation Access, or Scan the QR code using your smartphone at one of our access gate signs. Call 503.755.6655 for recorded information. Our goal is to provide a quality recreational experience while improving communications with our timberland visitors.
