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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2010)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, February 18, 2010 Recent earthquake email debunked Family meals bring extra benefits A number of folks from around Columbia County have been recently receiving a for- warded e-mail regarding “new” procedures for earthquakes, such as curling up in a fetal po- sition or evacuating buildings during earthquakes. The origi- nal information in the e-mail claims to come from a person who has worked in earthquake recoveries. However, the information goes against proven earth- quake response protocols, ac- cording to local emergency pre- paredness officials. “The information in this e- mail does not align with what the vast majority of scientists and emergency planners say work,” says Derek White, inter- im director of Columbia County Emergency Management. “It is important that people have the right information when it comes to protecting themselves and loved ones during an earth- quake.” Earthquakes are a very real threat to Columbia County. The Cascadia Subduction Zone, an earthquake fault that sits off the Oregon coast, ruptures every 300-500 years, with the last quake occurring in 1700. Sub- duction zone earthquakes are major seismic events, causing earthquakes and tsunamis like those seen in Anchorage in 1964 and Indonesia in 2004. “While this is the most likely cause of a future earthquake for us, there are some other faults nearby, so employers and citizens alike need to be prepared,” White adds. The procedure that has proven to work best is drop, One of the best pieces of ad- vice we can offer families these days is to make sure you eat together as a family most nights of the week. Eating to- gether as a family provides a variety of positive benefits for all family members. Parents who regularly eat with their children can help their children develop lifelong healthful eating habits. Chil- dren who regularly eat meals with their family eat more fruits and vegetables and less fried food, saturated fat and soda, than children who do not. They also have a higher intake of calcium, iron, fiber and vita- mins. All of these nutrients are important for the growth and development of children. Here are some additional benefits: • A University of Illinois study of 7-11 year old children found that children who did well in school and on achievement cover and hold on. This means dropping to the floor where you are, getting under a sturdy desk or table, and staying there until the earthquake ends. Some other helpful tips from Columbia County Emergency Management include: • Do not evacuate during the earthquake. You are very likely to be hit with debris, such as pieces of ceiling and glass. “It is highly unlikely with a Casca- dia subduction zone quake that you will be able to walk at all in any regard,” White says. • If you cannot get under something, drop beside a desk or something else that is rela- tively stable (low-to-ground file cabinets, interior walls, etc.), cover your head and stay there. • Try to stay away from win- dows and the outside walls. • Do not stand in door thresholds or frames as you are likely to be hit with debris. • If you are outside, go to an open space away from build- ings and power lines. Stay away from the bottoms of hills or underneath cliffs, where there could be landslides or rock falls. • Once the earthquake ends, try to evacuate before tremors start. Try to turn off electricity at breaker panels and gas lines as you leave. If you are stuck, try to save your breath by tap- ping on debris around you so that emergency responders can locate you more easily. For more information re- garding earthquake safety, go to http://www.earthquakecoun- try.info/dropcoverholdon/ . For further information on local emergency preparedness, con- tact Emergency Management at 503-366-3931 or emergency. management@co.columbia.or. us , or visit the Emergency Management blog at http://col umbiacountyem.blogspot.com . tests regularly ate meals with their families. • A study conducted at Har- vard’s Graduate School of Edu- cation found that young chil- dren who regularly participated in family meals had increased vocabulary, which helps with reading skills. • The National Center on Ad- diction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that teens who eat dinner with their parents six or seven times per week are less likely to smoke cigarettes or marijuana and less likely to consume al- cohol. They are also less likely to have sex, get into fights and have thoughts of suicide. • A study at the University of Minnesota found that girls who participate regularly in family meals have less eating disor- ders. How can a busy family make family meals happen? See Family on page 21 Sometimes you have to rip the cover off the book by Robert Evans Wilson, Jr., www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com On a summer weekend in 1977, my friend Tony and I made plans to go waterskiing. When he picked me up there were two people in the car that I did not know. He introduced his new girlfriend, Sue, and her brother, Bubba. Bubba was the quintessen- tial redneck. Within minutes of getting on the boat, he stuffed a wad of chewing tobacco the size of a baseball in his cheek, then chugged several beers. In less than an hour we were dealing with an irritable drunk. He belched loudly, spit con- stantly, complained incessantly, and couldn’t string two words together without inserting a profanity. In short, Bubba made our visit to the lake completely unpleasant. Eventually he passed out in the back of the boat and we enjoyed the rest of the day. My opinion of Bubba’s char- acter, talent and intelligence could not have been lower. I looked upon him as a total los- er. A dimwit who would never amount to anything. At the end of the day, Tony drove Sue and Bubba home first. When we arrived at their home, Bubba was awake and 503-901-1705 somewhat sober. Sue asked Tony to come inside and see the new dress she’d bought. Then she turned to Bubba and said, “Why don’t you show Robert your chickens?” We walked around to the back of the house and Bubba pointed toward a miniature barn. It was the cutest little building I’d ever seen. Round- ed roof, little windows, bright colors and lots of lacy ginger- bread all around. “Where’d you get this?” I asked. “I built it,” replied Bubba. “From a kit?” I asked. “No, I built it after my grandfather’s barn.” For the first time that day, I was impressed by Bubba. When we went inside, the first thing I saw was a display case full of blue ribbons. Dozens of them. These were first place awards from around the coun- try that Bubba had won for his chickens. Then he started showing me his chickens and telling me about them. Sudden- ly the cussing and complaining Bubba became eloquent. As we walked around the barn, he showed me more than 50 of the most beautiful and ex- otic looking birds I’d ever seen. Unusual looking birds that I would never have known were chickens. These were not birds for eating or laying eggs – these were prize show chick- ens. He explained to me that chickens originated in the jun- gles of Asia. He told me how he bred and raised them. What he did to make their plumage bright, colorful and plentiful. I was amazed by the extent of his knowledge and I listened eagerly to everything he said. He spoke with an enthusiasm and energy that I could not have imagined earlier. The dif- ference was that I had entered his real world. The world he loved and was excited about. Here was his hobby, but he was so motivated by it that it brought out the very best in him. I learned a big lesson that day. I’d always heard my teach- ers say, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but until then I had not witnessed the truth of that proverb. I decided then and there that I would never judge another person completely by my first impression. That if time and opportunity allowed, I would look further, deeper. When you discover some- one’s passion, you have dis- covered what motivates them. And, that is the key to commu- nicating with them in the most productive way possible.