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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2009)
The INDEPENDENT, October 1, 2009 Don’t let your dogs eat salmon Dogs that eat even a small amount of uncooked Salmon, Trout, or Steelhead are at risk of getting potentially fatal Salmon Poisoning disease. A microscopic organism, Ne- orickettsia helminthoeca, the cause of Salmon Poisoning, sometimes lives in a parasite, Nanophyetes Salmoncola, that can infect the Salmon family. The germ is killed by cooking, freezing or hot smoking fish. If a dog eats infected fish, symptoms start from a few days to five days later. Symp- toms include: • Decreased energy level • Increased temperature • Loss of appetite • Swollen lymph glands • Vomiting • Diarrhea (turning bloody within a day or two) If untreated, 90 percent of dogs with symptoms will die within 7-14 days from dehydra- tion and blood loss. Fortunately, if caught early enough, Salmon Poisoning is treatable with antibiotics. In se- vere cases, intravenous fluids may be needed. Get the dog to a veterinarian as soon as Salmon Poisoning is suspect- ed. The longer before treat- ment starts, the harder and more expensive the treatment will be and the greater the chances that treatment will not be successful. If your dog is seen eating fish, talk to your veterinarian about a preventive shot of an- tibiotics to avoid Salmon Poi- soning. Most dogs are immune to fu- ture Salmon Poisoning, once they have had and survived it. Special emphasis on MOST, not all dogs develop immunity. Preventive measures in- clude disposing of raw fish waste in a can with a tight fit- ting lid, leaving dogs home when fishing, or leashing dogs when near water. Can reading make a difference? by Chris Thomas Oregon News Service Mercy Corps, an Oregon- based humanitarian aid group, has launched a contest, asking book clubs to read “Half the Sky” and take action. It’s part of the group’s “One Table” cam- paign, an appeal to women to support programs that help oth- er women lead their families out of poverty. Members of book clubs typi- cally read a book every month and get together to discuss it. But Mercy Corps wants them to do more than talk – to actually get involved in solving the problems presented in “Half the Sky,” a new book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wu-Dunn. The authors cite real-life exam- ples of women in developing countries in order to examine the issues of lack of education and health care, and sex traf- ficking. It’s an unforgettable read, according to Mercy Corps sen- ior community relations officer Minda Siebert, “These are first- hand stories of women who are empowered by an organiza- tion, their family or themselves to make a change. And it has a powerful message, even though the stories are heart- wrenching and really make you shake your head about what’s going on in the world.” To raise awareness and money to support its programs that empower women, Mercy Corps will send the authors of “Half the Sky” to visit the book club that achieves the most im- pressive record of activism. Clubs can sign up on the Mer- cy Corps Web site, www.mer- cycorps.org. So far, Siebert says, more than 60 book clubs in Oregon have signed up for the national challenge. “We weren’t exactly sure how many book clubs would re- ally engage in this project. You know, do they read a book once a month, talk about it and then move on with their lives? Or do they do something else? We are finding that this book is really connecting with people, and they do want to do more.” Released in September, “Half the Sky” is published by Knopf and costs $27.95. Page 15 Power of the People By W. Marc Farmer, General Manager, West Oregon Electric Cooperative National Cooperative Month October is National Co- operative Month and cele- brates the long history of Cooperatives and their vi- tal role in communities and the lives of their members. Cooperatives were a central hub in a lot of communities bringing peo- ple, products, services, and resources together for the betterment of all. It is this spirit of commu- nity that has been a driving force in our own elec- tric Cooperative. West Oregon Electric Cooperative has been in existence now for over 65 years. It was formed to provide electricity to those who were left with- out power in the rural areas. The large investor- owned utilities would not extend power unless the return was there for the shareholders, and rural areas didn’t provide enough financial incen- tive for them. The area that West Oregon serves didn’t make much financial sense to them then, and doesn’t provide enough for now. For this reason we continue to exist to make sure the members of our electric Cooperative receive the same opportunities and power as their more densely populated neighbors. The most unique difference that separates us from other utilities and makes us a Cooperative is the fact we are owned by our members, who elect a seven member Board of Directors to rep- resent them. This process continues to be an in- tegral part of our Co-op and was evidenced in this year’s election as two of the three board po- sitions up for election had challengers, with one of the challengers being the successful candi- date. The Board of Directors meets monthly to provide the direction, policies, budget, and goals of the Co-op and oversees the management of the utility. The ownership, direction, manage- ment, and employment are all locally controlled and operated. The margins made all stay with the Co-op and its members, not sent to share- holders that reside somewhere else. This sys- tem has served us well for over 65 years, and we strive to protect this important heritage for our members. In keeping with the theme of working for the benefit of our members, it is important for our members to know that during these turbulent economic times that we are being diligent in watching over the financial condition of the Co- op. We are doing our best to keep the cost of do- ing business in check. We did not budget for nor anticipate the 7% increase in our wholesale rates from BPA this year and as a result we had to pass these costs through to our members in a rate increase this month. We would not have in- creased our rates this year had this event not oc- curred. Once we knew that a rate increase was imminent from BPA and how much it was going to be, we placed a hiring freeze on one of our va- cant Line Crew positions. We are carefully watching the economy as we begin budget preparations for 2010. Our members can be assured that Staff and the Board of Directors elected by the member- ship take their roles seriously, and carefully weigh each decision we make. We carefully bal- ance the needs of the Cooperative to operate as a successful business with the needs of the members. Keeping the lights on and serving our members continues to be our top priority. 4-H awards from county fair, continued Horse, Gaming, Key Race, Senior: Red Award – Alishea Jones, Rainier; McKenzie Tarkalson, Vernonia. White Award – Chelle Grab- horn, Scappoose; Lindsay Paulson, St. Helens; Ashley Paleck, Vernonia. Horse, Gaming, Pole Bending, Junior: White Award – Taylor Halverson, Clatskanie; Madison Dreyer, Deer Island; Natalee Cook, Rainier; Azaya Holmes, Rainier Megan Tarkalson, Vernonia. Horse, Gaming, Pole Bending, Senior: White Award – Brianna Carr, Vernon- ia; Ashley Paleck, Vernonia; McKenzie Tarkalson, Vernonia; Rose Brady, Warren. Horse, Gaming, Flag Race, Junior: White Award – Taylor Halverson, Clatskanie; Madi- son Dreyer, Deer Island; Azaya Holmes, Rainier; Megan Tar- kalson, Vernonia; Morgan Tar- kalson, Vernonia. Horse, Gaming, Flag Race, Senior: White Award – Ashley Paleck, Vernonia; McKenzie Tarkalson, Vernonia. SHEEP Crossbred Meat breeds color incl., Spring Ewe Lamb: Blue Award – Ashley Savage, St. Helens; Megan Ely, Vernon- ia. Market Lamb: Blue Award – Elizabeth Green, Clatskanie; Austin Haas, Clatskanie; Miles Haas, Clatskanie; Brad White, Mariolino’s Clatskanie; Cassi White, Clat- skanie; Sadie Harris, Longview; Brett Keller, Port- land; Michael Keller, Portland; Haley Burnham, Rainier; Tristin Burnham, Rainier; Shelly Crape, Rainier; Logan T. David- son, Rainier; Keaton Knox, Rainier; Cray McDaniel, Rainier; Sarah McDaniel, Rainier; Beau G. Groom, Scap- poose; Ashley Savage, St. He- lens; Lane Sullivan, Vernonia; Meghan Sullivan, Vernonia. Sheep Showmanship, Ju- See 4-H on page 21 Hungry for a Great Lunch? Starting Monday October 5th Daily Soup & Sandwich Specials 721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018