Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, August 19, 2004
Hood to Coast coming through
Columbia County on August 28
One weekend a year the
population of Columbia County
swells by fifty percent as the
annual Hood to Coast Relay
Race jogs a diagonal path from
Scappoose to Mist-Birkenfeld
on its way to Seaside. This
year the relay will be held on
August 27 and 28.
This will be the 23rd year for
the relay, which spans 196
miles from the top of Mount
Hood to the shores of the Pacif-
ic Ocean. There are 36 legs to
the race, ranging from 3.9
miles to 8.2 miles in length.
Each runner is required to com-
plete three legs.
The relay, along with com-
panion events, the Portland to
Coast Relay Walk and the Port-
land to Coast High School
Challenge Relay, are expected
to bring 20,000 participants
and up to 2,000 support vehi-
cles through Columbia County.
The first runners are expect-
ed in Columbia County at ap-
proximately 8:00 a.m. on Satur-
day, August 28. All participants
should be through Columbia
County by about 1:45 p.m. on
Saturday.
With the number of people
and vehicles on the road, one
of the main concerns is making
sure that support van drivers
follow traffic laws and relay
rules. Citizens who have com-
plaints about relay vehicles or
participants are urged to call
the relay’s 24-hour hotline at
503-913-5851. Callers are
asked to report the nature of
the complaint and the team
number of the vehicle, which is
posted on the front and rear of
the vehicles. Race officials will
issue “tickets” to teams violat-
ing race rules, which could lead
to penalties or even disqualifi-
cation if the offense is serious
enough.
LANDSCAPING?
WE’VE GOT IT!
Sand
Barkdust
Soil Amendments
Decorative Rock
Cedar
Chips
Concrete Blocks
Railroad Ties
Boulders
Stepping Stones
Compost
Lawn Ornaments
Driveway
Rock
Drain Rock
Flagstone
Edgestone
WE DELIVER
Open Mon thru Fri 7 to 4:30
Sat 8 to 4:30 • Sun 10 to 4
Scappoose
Sand & Gravel Co.
503-543-8821
Health Notes
By Audeen Wagner
This is one in a series of
health-related reports.
Child Safety
Car Safety: Most states
have laws about infant
and child car seats (You
must have a proper one
installed to bring your
child home from the hospi-
tal!). Oregon’s seat belt laws extend to all ages,
so Buckle Up is not just a slogan, it’s the law. It
takes only a second or two for an adult to buck-
le up; it takes only a couple of minutes to get a
baby into the safety seat. Take the time to be
safe–even when you are going a short distance.
Most cars nowadays have air bags to protect
front-seat passengers—they work very well for
adults and older children, but not so well with
small children and infants in child seats. Air bags
inflate very quickly, and can harm your infant
passenger. Even if the child is in a rear-facing
seat, the air bag can hit with enough force to
cause injury or death.
So, what to do? The rear seat is the safest
place for children of any age to ride. An infant in
a rear-facing child seat must ride in the back
seat, especially if the car is equipped with air
bags. Make sure that all young children are
properly secured in age- and size-appropriate
restraints. Know how to properly install your child
seat in the vehicle. And, always set a good ex-
ample by buckling yourself up. Physician’s As-
sistant Judy Hargis emphasizes, “Children will
sometimes fuss and want out of car seats – it’s
always better to let them fuss a little and know
they're safe!"
Want more information? Contact the Nation-
al Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Log on
to their web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov, or call the
Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT.
The following chart summarizes requirements
and needs for children:
PROPER CHILD CAR SEAT USE
WEIGHT
INFANTS
Birth to 1 yr at
least 20-22 lbs.
TODDLER
Over 1 yr and Over
20-lbs.-40 lbs.
YOUNG CHILDREN
Over 40 lbs
Ages 4-8, unless 4'9"
TYPE OF
SEAT
Infant only or rear-
facing convertible
Convertible
Forward-facing
Belt positioning booster seat (to 60
lbs.–some states require 80 lb.)
SEAT
POSITION
Rear facing only
Forward-facing
Forward-facing
Up to one year
and at least 20 lbs
in rear-facing seats
Harness straps
should be at or
above shoulders
Belt positioning booster seats must be
used with both lap & shoulder belts.
Harness straps at
or above shoulder
level
Most seats require
top slot for
forward-facing
ALWAYS
MAKE SURE:
Lap belt must fit low and light across the
lap/upper thigh area and shoulder belt fit
snug across chest and shoulder.
WARNING: All children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat.
Bike Helmets: Oregon requires all children un-
der 16 to wear a helmet when riding a bike. Even
a low-speed bike crash can cause serious brain
damage. A bike helmet reduces the risk of seri-
ous head injury by 85%!
When buying a helmet, correct fit is very im-
portant. Helmets meeting safety standards are
available at bicycle shops and at some discount,
department and toy stores. A helmet should fit
snugly on the head, be level from front to back
(not tilted to the rear), and should cover most of
the forehead. Also, look for a strong, adjustable
chin strap with a tough fastener. The chin strap
should be adjusted to fit snugly.
“Parents should be sure their children wear
helmets for biking. Youngsters should also use
knee, elbow and wrist pads when roller blading
or skate boarding, in addition to helmets,” said
Judy Hargis of the Vernonia Clinic.
More information? Contact the Oregon Dept.
of Transportation Bicycle Safety in Salem at 1-
800-922-2022. Contact Providence Clinic in Ver-
nonia with questions on any aspect of child safe-
ty—a pretty important subject!
Immunization clinics available in Washington Co.,
call for appointment, bring shot records for child
It is time to update children’s
immunizations for the coming
school year. Parents who are
on the Oregon Health Plan,
have major medical insurance
that doesn’t cover immuniza-
tions or lack health/medical in-
surance, are encouraged to
take advantage of multiple im-
munizations clinics throughout
Washington County.
The clinics will be held on
Saturday, August 28, from 10
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Beaverton,
Hillsboro, Cornelius and Tigard.
Parents are requested to bring
shot records for each child.
Those wishing to make an
appointment may call the
Washington County Depart-
ment of Health & Human Ser-
vices at 503-846-8851, or one
of the Virginia Garcia Memorial
Health Centers. In Cornelius
the number is 503-359-5564,
Hillsboro is 503-846-3360, and
Beaverton is 503-352-6000,
The clinics are sponsored by
Virginia
Garcia
Memorial
Health Centers and the Wash-
ington County Department of
Health and Human Services.