Page 22
The INDEPENDENT, April 21, 2005
TV found to cause problems in kids
Pioneer Museum has new officers
Many parents are concerned
about the content of television
programming, particularly the
impact of TV violence, but a
study published in the April,
2004, issue of Pediatrics raises
questions about whether ba-
bies and toddlers should watch
television at all.
The study of 1,345 1- and 3-
year-olds found that for every
hour per day pre-schoolers
watch TV, their chance of de-
veloping attention deficit prob-
lems increases by about 10
percent. And the more televi-
sion, the more risk. One-year-
olds who watched three to four
hours of television had a 30
percent to 40 percent in-
creased risk of attention prob-
lems compared to children
whose parents kept the TV off.
Interestingly, it wasn’t the
content of the programming
that was causing attention-
span problems, but the unreal-
istically fast-paced images on
the screen. Those images, the
researchers suggested, may
Have you run, walked,
jogged or ridden past the Ver-
nonia Pioneer Museum lately?
If so, you may have noticed a
flurry of activity surrounding the
Museum. The Museum volun-
teers have been at work.
The museum will be open
during River Fest on April 23, 1-
4:00 p.m. Come see what’s
been done and what still needs
doing. Be sure to sign the guest
book as the Museums funding
is partially dependent on the
number of visitors.
Guided tours are available
for groups, classes and organi-
ENJOY River Fest
April 23.
alter normal brain development
in very young children.
Two out of every three small
children live in homes where
the TV is on at least half the
time, and one out of every
three small children live in
homes where the TV is on
nearly all the time. According to
a 2003 Kaiser Family Founda-
tion report 56 percent of chil-
dren in non-heavy TV homes
can read by the age of 6, com-
pared to only 34 percent of chil-
dren in heavy TV homes.
It’s difficult for parents to
keep their children totally away
from the TV, but efforts in that
regard will be rewarding for
their children. So the time has
come, not just for TV Turn-off
Week, April 24-30, but TV
Throwout Month. Many Ameri-
can homes have a TV for every
person, which surely makes it
more difficult for family mem-
bers to know each other as in-
dividuals. A television set in the
family room is fine, but get the
TVs out of the kids’ bedrooms.
The statistics all but guarantee
that a kid will flip on the latest
rerun of Star Wars before pick-
ing up a book on the solar sys-
Mike James
Horseshoeing
503-429-4017
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The American Academy of
Pediatrics saw enough of the
studies on the effects of televi-
sion to declare that older chil-
dren should be limited to one to
two hours of daily entertain-
ment media. The academy rec-
ommended no television for
children 2 and under. The latest
study on television and atten-
tion problems makes it even
more important to pay attention
to what we are doing to our
kids.
So often, we park our kids in
front of the electronic baby sit-
ter because we are tired and/or
busy. That excuse is no longer
valid now that we know that the
passive baby sitter in our home
may alter a child’s brain per-
haps even more permanently
than a bag of dope.
More research is needed to
examine how TV watching af-
fects brain development, but
the study’s findings should be
enough to convince parents
that the safest course is to turn
off the TV when the little ones
are around. That won’t do their
children any harm, and it may
do a lot of good.
zations. Drop by on the week-
ends or call 503-429-3713 and
leave your name and phone
number for a return call.
You can help preserve Ver-
nonia’s heritage by signing up
to help at the Museum. Assis-
tance is needed in the short
term (an hour, half-day, all day)
and in the long term.
New officers are President
Genny Schwab Fisher, Vice-
Presidents Carol Johns-Cline
Davis and Donna Webb; Sec-
retary Barbara Larsen and
Treasurer Kathy Larsen.
Trout stocking at Vernonia Lake
for Youth Angling event April 23
Young people interested in
learning to fish will find a great
opportunity April 23, from 9:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Vernonia
Lake.
The Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife will stock
more than 3,000 rainbow trout
for the event, as part of the
Youth Angling Enhancement
Program. ODFW also supplies
rods and reels for use by young
anglers who do not have their
own fishing equipment. Plan-
ned activities include a casting
contest with prizes, and fish
printing.
The program is made possi-
ble by the Oregon Legislature
in partnership with the Oregon
Wildlife Heritage Foundation,
which is working with ODFW to
develop and promote youth
fishing opportunities through-
out the state.
See page 23
Fair & Plant Sale will have plants plus information
From page 11
grown by Nelson’s Nursery in
Warren and Shaft Farms in
Scappoose, both members of
the Columbia County Master
Gardener chapter. Many other
vendors will be there with gar-
dening wares, also.
There will be a plant clinic
Columbia Humane Society in St. Helens has a variety of wonderful
pets available for adoption. Find the pet that’s right for you in the shelter
at 2084 Oregon St. Monday through Saturday, 11 am. to 5 pm.
Jacques is a wonderful male
Shepherd/Husky mix, about 1
year old. He is very sweet
natured, and very affectionate.
He can also be quite playful, and
somewhat goofy. He seems to
get along well with other dogs,
and will make a great family pet.
◆ SALE ◆ SALE ◆
1 25
$ 49
1
$
3’ wide, 28-ga. GALVANIZED
All pets placed for adoption are current
on shots, spay/neuter and a free 14-day
local vet visit included.
The Columbia Humane Society is a No-Kill non-profit shelter
dedicated to helping friends find each other since 1985.
(500 ft. minimum while supplies last)
The Pet of the Month is Sponsored by:
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composters, a cold frame and a
mason bee nesting box. Raffle
tickets for a variety of prizes will
be on sale for $1.00 each.
For more information, con-
tact the OSU extension office at
503-397-3462, or go to <www.
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and education tables with liter-
ature on vegetables, ornamen-
tals, roses, shrubs, conifers,
and identifying garden pests.
Learn to identify weeds with a
“match the weed” quiz. Master
Gardeners will be there to help
solve gardening problems.
There will be examples of
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