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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 2005)
Page 12 The INDEPENDENT, August 4, 2005 Washington County helps fight West Nile with small, hungry fish Washington County is dis- tributing Gambusia fish to resi- dents interested in reducing mosquito habitat on their prop- erty, thereby helping to prevent the spread of West Nile Virus. The fish, pronounced “gam- BOOZ-ee-ah,” are intended for ornamental ponds, water troughs and other outdoor fix- tures not connected to natural waterways. “Don’t be fooled by the miniscule size of these fish,” said William T. Mary, the coun- ty’s West Nile Virus prevention coordinator. “They have a hearty appetite for mosquitoes and their larvae and are an ex- cellent way for residents to pre- vent the spread of West Nile right in their own back yard.” Reducing mosquito breeding areas is one of the key meth- ods used by government agen- cies to help prevent the spread of West Nile. Their effort in- volves placing environmentally friendly larvicide into catch basins along city streets, main- taining active mosquito and bird surveillance and providing the public with educational ma- terials and information. Citizens can also take action to prevent contracting the virus. State and county officials rec- ommend that citizens “fight the bite” by: • Using tightly fitting screen doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out. • Wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts when out- doors. • Eliminating standing water, including clogged gutters, bird- baths and old tires. • Avoid play and work out- doors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. • Using mosquito repellent, preferably one containing DEET, Picardin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Always follow the directions on the label. When applying repellent to children, first rub it on your hands then on each child. Oil of lemon eu- calyptus should not be used on children under three. West Nile Virus is a natural disease of birds that has exist- ed in the United States since 1999. Mosquitoes become in- fected from feeding on an in- New phone scams seek banking information In the past three weeks the Washington County Sheriff’s Office has investigated several cases in which victims gave their banking information to strangers who called them on the telephone. In one case the victim was led to believe that money gen- erated from the 9/11 disaster would be deposited in her ac- count. In two of the cases, the male suspect led the victims to be- lieve that he was a law enforce- ment officer and that he had a person in custody for using the victim’s credit card. In one case the victim re- ceived what appeared to be an automated telephone call telling her to give her credit card information so that her brother could make telephone calls from the Washington County Jail. The jail personnel R A CI NG SA T UR DA Y NI G HT A UG U ST 6 TH J IM ’S T HR I FT W A Y 10 0 FOR STREET STOCKS, PURE STOCKS AND LIMITED LATE MODELS. GATES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT 5:00 PM PIT GATES OPEN AT 2:00 PM HOT LAPS AT 5:00 PM - RACING AT 7:00 PM ADULTS: $12.00 SENIORS: $8.00 CHILDREN: AGES 6 TO 12 $6.00 CHILDREN 5 & UNDER FREE Don’t Forget to make a pit stop for Jim’s Famous Bar-B Q Fri. & Sat. 660 So. Main, Banks • 503-324-2171 do not call people and ask for credit card information. In all of the above cases the victims gave the suspect their banking and personal informa- tion. Deputies want to remind citi- zens to never give their bank- ing or personal information to unknown persons on the tele- phone or the internet. A victim of identity theft or fraud should notify the appropriate law en- forcement agency, report the incident to their bank, and noti- fy any credit card issuer. S TRASSEL ’ S A UTO R EPAIR & H YDRAULIC H OSES 2-4-6 S PIRAL W IRE F LANGE H EAD • S UCTION H OSES A DAPTORS - 3/16” TO 2” B ULK O IL P RODUCTS 276 S UNSET , B ANKS 503-324-9808 SUNSET LAUNDRY Wash…$1.00 Dry…25¢ 180 S. Main St. Banks, Oregon fected bird. The infected mos- quito can then transmit the virus to other birds, humans and horses. No cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in Wash- ington County or the greater Portland area. Most people who become in- fected, about 80 percent of cas- es, do not become ill. Some may develop mild flu-like symp- toms. In rare instances, less than one percent, the virus causes a more serious condi- tion called encephalitis or in- flammation of the brain. Gambusia fish are available to residents of Washington County at no cost. To request Gambusia fish (by appointment only) or for more information, call (503) 846-4930. Additional information is available from the Washington County West Nile prevention in- formation line at (503) 846- 8890 or the Washington Coun- ty Web site at <www.co.wash ington.or.us/>. Home offices are germ magnets The home office is a surpris- ing repository for germs. A study at University of Arizona indicated that the average desktop has more bacteria than any surface in the bath- room! Germs live on the tele- phone receiver, lurk on desk- tops, and hide out underneath piles of clutter. To get at surfaces that need cleaning, start by establishing a simple routine: Deal with It – File it – Pitch it. To put this into practice, make three piles. Deal with It is for anything that needs to be acted upon im- mediately, such as bills to pay and messages to return. File It is for things that are not urgent, but need to be saved, such as bank state- ments, receipts, etc. Label the sections in this pile by subject, month or category – whatever works best for you. Pitch It is for things that can be tossed or recycled Once clutter is gone, clean- ing can begin. An all-purpose disinfectant cleaner will take care of dirt and germs on the phone and desktop. To keep these surfaces continuously clean, add a pop-up container of wipes to the roster of desk accessories. Dust mitts and cloths, either the electrostatic variety or those embedded with a dusting product, are great for easy cleaning of picture frames, desktops, computer screens and office accessories. Vacuuming the carpet will get rid of those “dust bunnies.” For the floor, use an all-in-one mopping unit with wet wipes or squirtable liquid to get rid of surface grime on vinyl, ceramic tile, laminate, linoleum and fin- ished wood floors. BANKS MINI STORAGE Pay 1 Full Month and get 1 Full Month FREE* Move in Truck Available Check us out and you’ll want to check in! * Special available for new customers on sizes up to 10 X 10, for a limited time only. Gates Operate Daily 7 AM - 9 PM Office Hours: Mon- Fri 10 AM - 6 PM Sat 8 AM - Noon 140 E O AK W AY , B ANKS • 503-324-0552