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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2005)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, September 15, 2005 Now is the time to get chimneys and woodstoves ready for winter Oregonians will be turning to their woodstoves or fireplaces to keep warm now that cold weather is upon us. However, state and local fire safety offi- cials urge you to take the nec- essary safety precautions. The Oregon Hearth, Patio and Bar- becue Association advises people to follow these steps for a safe fall and winter: • Maintain your smoke alarm. Smoke alarm mainte- nance is one of the simple pre- cautions that can prevent not only extensive property dam- age but the loss of lives as well. Change smoke alarm batteries twice a year and replace any older than ten years. Vacuum and test smoke alarms to en- sure they are working properly. • Clean and inspect the chimney. Fireplace inspection is perhaps the most essential precaution. Every year firefight- ers respond to chimney and flue fires that could have been easily prevented had the home- owner taken the time to clean and inspect their fireplace sys- tem. The most important step is to clean the stovepipe or chim- ney before lighting the first fire in the fall. A chimney fire can occur in a dirty chimney if you do not clean the flue. You can clean it yourself but fire officials recommend hiring a profes- sional chimney sweep. The cleaning process in- volves special tools to clear away creosote, the sooty buildup made of tiny unburned particles of wood fuel. Creosote is very flammable. Flue fires start because accumulated cre- osote heats up until it turns bright red and ignites. As air rushes in to oxygenate the ig- nited creosote, temperatures inside the chimney can surpass 2000º Fahrenheit. The rushing air may sound like loud roaring inside the stovepipe and may shake loose sections of pipe, emitting burning particles and flames into the house. These intense fires can cause exten- sive damage, igniting the house inside and out, and cre- ate enough smoke to be fatal to indoor occupants. Should you experience a flue fire, shut off the air supply to the woodstove, get everyone out of the house and call 911. • Dispose of ashes properly. Another precaution includes disposing of ashes properly in a covered metal container. Keep the metal container outdoors and at least three feet from anything flammable. • Keep combustibles away from heat sources. Com- bustible materials such as fur- niture, drapes, and decorations should be kept away from the fireplace or woodstove itself. Using a fireplace screen can also help prevent sparks and ashes from escaping the fire and landing on surrounding fur- niture and carpet. • Do your part to preserve air quality. In Oregon, thousands of homes rely on outdated woodstoves or fireplace inserts installed during the energy cri- sis of the late 1970's. Many of these have not been installed or maintained properly. In addi- tion, these old stoves produce far more smoke and burn less efficiently than modern emis- sion certified woodstoves, pel- let stoves or non-woodburning systems like natural gas. Certified woodstoves have a certification label on the back of the stove from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If you own a woodstove that does not have this label on it, it is most likely an uncertified and high-pollut- ing stove. Oregon law allows the use of uncertified wood- stoves only if they were in- stalled according to the building code prior to September 1992. Resale or reinstallation of an uncertified stove is prohibited. Homeowners who upgrade their woodstove should request that the installer recycle their old stove. For information about chim- ney sweeping and a list of pro- fessional chimney sweeps, check out <www.ocsa.com>. For more information on wood- stoves and other fireplace products, call the Oregon Hearth, Patio & Barbecue As- sociation at 503-585-8254, or check out our website at <www.oregonfireplaces.com> or <www.hpba.org>. For infor- mation on wood smoke pollu- tion, go to the Oregon DEQ site <www.deq.state.or.us>. Welcome Addition Seth Nikolaus Scheuerman Seth Nikolaus Scheuerman was born August 25, 2005, to Christopher and Erin Scheuer- man of Vernonia. He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20- 1/2 inches long. He joins his brothers, William and Jared, at the fami- ly home. Grandparents are Karen Wilson of Beaverton and Judy and Mike Scheuerman of Beaverton. Kidney Disease Awareness Walk will help kidney patients impacted by Hurricane Katrina PeaceHealth’s Dialysis Team will host a “Kidney Dis- ease Awareness Walk” around Lake Sacajawea September 25. Walkers will meet at the Lion’s Shelter at 2:00 p.m. The dialysis team will share infor- mation about the risks of kidney disease, and help raise aware- ness of risk factors. Participation in the walk is free, and donations will be ac- cepted for the American Kidney Fund. In light of the medical needs created by Hurricane Katrina, the American Kidney Fund has set up a special pro- gram to help patients impacted by Katrina. Those funds are be- ing used for emergency trans- portation, clothing, prescription medications, and more. Dona- tions to the American Kidney Fund are tax deductible. Kidney Facts: Chronic kid- ney disease (CKD) is the slow progressive loss of kidney func- tion over several years. CKD can create a need for dialysis or kidney transplantation. The goal of treatment is to slow or halt the progression of kidney damage. U.S. Statistics: 20,000,000 Americans have kidney dis- ease. 20,000,000 more are at Jazzercise will perform for Cycle Oregon A new fall schedule is now available for Vernonia Jazzer- cise classes. Instructors Penny Costley and Orissa Burghard will teach classes at the First Baptist Church, 359 A Street. L “Traditionally, we see an in- crease in enrollments this time of year as people settle back into a regular routine,” said Costley. “So, I’ve designed my class schedule to make atten- Pi zz a & Gr i l l on in for a Pi l a zza Ped e on e tt i ’s 721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018 dance as convenient as possi- ble for anyone interested in ex- ercising.” The 60-minute Jazzercise class includes a warm-up, high- energy aerobic routines, mus- cle-toning and cool-down stretch segment. Look for Jazzercisers at the Cycle Oregon entertainment stage on Friday, September 16, at 6:00 p.m. when they will be teaching a 30 minute live demonstration class followed by a performance routine at Hawkins Park. For Jazzercise information call Costley at 503-429-0196. risk of developing chronic kid- ney/urinary tract disease. 370,000 have to take dialysis treatments or receive a trans- plant to stay alive. 60,000 will die this year because of kidney and urinary illnesses. 86,129 are currently awaiting life-sav- ing organ transplants; only half will receive them. High blood pressure and dia- betes are the leading causes of kidney diseases. Sadly, over half of the people who will go on dialysis this year could have avoided it if they had taken the proper steps. People at higher risk for developing kidney dis- ease can benefit by paying greater attention to their level of kidney function. Because the early stages of kidney disease show few symptoms, it is im- portant to begin regular moni- toring through simple blood and urine tests. Many cases of kid- ney failure can be delayed or prevented through early diag- nosis and intervention. Save Time and Money Shop Local S UPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO KEEP YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FREE