Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, November 19, 2009
Turkey tips for Thanksgiving
To Your Health!
By Judy Hargis, P.A., and Audeen Wagner
VERNONIA PREVENTION COALITION
Vernonia has a new ally in the fight against drug abuse. The
Vernonia Prevention Coalition (VPC) is a group of adults and
youth who are working together to prevent alcohol, drug and to-
bacco use by children. The director of VPC is DeAnna Pearl, and
although she has been in this position only a few months, big
strides have been made from her office in the Learning Center.
DeAnna’s job is basically to work with the community in many
diverse areas involving young people and adults. She sees herself
as mentor/train-er/cheerleader, leading adults and young people
into prevention programs, and supplying information to schools
and the community.
A large part of what she does is teaching – “preparing the community to prepare kids to become
responsible adults,” she says. The goal of VPC is to help Vernonia become a community “where
healthy decision making is fundamental and being drug-free is the norm.” That is the “Vision” part of
the mission statement; the rest of it is “To develop safe and healthy neighborhoods through collab-
orative planning, community action, policy advocacy and enforcement.” The idea of securing a drug-
free community in today’s society is not just a dream. While it seems that drug traffic and use in our
cities is sometimes accepted as normal and inevitable, a healthy and safe community can be a re-
ality. That is the mission of VPC.
DeAnna is well-prepared for her role as director and teacher and facilitator. She says, “I’m a small-
town girl, born and raised in Reedsport,” so Vernonia feels right for her. She holds a Bachelor’s De-
gree in Education from Western Oregon and a Masters in Teaching from George Washington Uni-
versity. Her most recent job before coming to Vernonia, was a rewarding experience. She was Alco-
hol and Drug Abuse Prevention Coordinator in Siletz, covering an 11-county area in northwest Ore-
gon. She developed prevention programs for communities in alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Her
projects with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, members of other tribes, and non-tribal mem-
bers received national recognition.
This young woman is a high-energy, dedicated, enthusiastic person, and her office is a whirlwind
of activities. A couple of exam-
ples:
• She has a program under-
way called Strengthening
Families, a 7-week project
where parents and their chil-
dren learn strategies for a
healthy lifestyle. She is already
getting inquiries from families
about signing up for the next
session, starting in January.
• A two-day training session
with John Underwood, a na-
tionally known speaker and ad-
vocate for healthy and safe
communities, focusing on the
effects of alcohol on the per-
formance of athletes. The Ver-
nonia session will be Novem-
ber 19 and 20, and is open to
Please see page 20
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could give bacteria a chance to
grow. Stuffing could be baked
in a separate, covered dish for
45-60 minutes.
To bake, allow about 15-18
minutes per pound for unstuffed
birds and 18-24 minutes for
stuffed ones. Use a meat ther-
mometer to determine done-
ness. The temperature should
reach 165°F in the inner thigh.
The stuffing temperature should
be at least 165°F as well. Allow
the turkey to sit for about 20
minutes before carving.
Food safety continues to be
important after baking. Al-
though many people procrasti-
nate, it’s very important to re-
frigerate leftovers right away.
Because bacteria grow rapidly
at room temperature, turkey
and other perishable foods
shouldn’t be kept on the table
or counter for longer than 2 to 3
hours after cooking. Remove
the stuffing and cut meat off the
carcass. Refrigerate or freeze
in meal-size portions in shallow
containers.
Source: Carolyn Raab, Extension
Foods and Nutrition Specialist,
Oregon State University
What do you do with a wild turkey?
“Bag” your holiday groceries
in the outdoors by going turkey
hunting. Oregon turkey hunters
are in the field now and lots
more will be soon defrosting
the bird they got this spring.
Here’s information provided
by the Oregon Department of
Fish & Wildlife on preparing
your wild turkey to become the
centerpiece of Thanksgiving
dinner.
Dressing your turkey: First,
decide if you want to skin or
pluck your bird. Plucking is
considered the traditional style
of preparing a wild turkey.
Though it does take more time
and produces more of a mess
than skinning, it will help keep
your turkey moist and prepare
it to be roasted, smoked or
whole deep fried.
To pluck, first dip the bird in
hot water – some people use
boiling but others say 140-de-
gree water is optimal for pluck-
ing a bird. Then pluck off the
feathers. Plucking can be done
before or after dressing (re-
moving entrails) of the turkey
but if possible, pluck the turkey
before you dress it (to keep wa-
ter from going inside the bird’s
See Wild turkey, page 22
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Mental Health
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
1-800-784-2433
or
1-800-273-TALK(8255)
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When planning holiday
menus, keep your time sched-
ule in mind. Although many
families enjoy roast turkey, it’s
time-consuming to prepare. Be
aware that shortcuts could re-
sult in food safety problems.
If the turkey is frozen, allow
thawing time. It’s best to thaw
in the refrigerator, allowing
about 5 hours per pound. That
may mean starting 4-5 days
before the meal. To speed up
thawing, submerge the wrap-
ped bird in a sink of cold water,
allowing about 30 minutes per
pound. Change the water every
half hour so it stays cool to
slow bacterial growth. Turkey
can also be thawed in the mi-
crowave. Cook immediately af-
ter thawing.
Bake at 325°F. Cooking
longer at lower temperatures
could result in bacterial growth.
It’s unsafe to put the turkey in
an unheated oven that is timed
to turn on early in the morning
or to partially cook a turkey and
then finish it the next day. Be
aware that stuffing the bird in-
creases baking time. Stuff just
before baking. Stuffing ahead
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