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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2010)
Page 14 The INDEPENDENT, April 15, 2010 Outdoor hazards and your pets won’t mix well this Spring From Page 5 made from fossilized remains of one-celled algae. It feels like talcum powder, but scratches and absorbs the wax layer on a bug’s surface, leaving it to die from dehydration. Fermenting Liquid: Set out shallow containers of yeast, water and spoiled yogurt or beer, and bury the container flush with the soil surface. Slugs love the scent of yeast. Cocoa Mulch & Dogs – Ac- cording to the ASPCA Poison Control Center, “Dogs who con- sume enough cocoa bean shell mulch could potentially develop signs similar to that of choco- late poisoning, including vomit- ing and diarrhea. In cases where very large amounts of mulch have been consumed, muscle tremors or other more serious neurological signs could occur.” The key is to watch what your pet ingests, especially if they have a tendency to ingest organic matter. If you suspect that your pet has ingested any toxic or potentially toxic sub- stance, call your veterinarian. Flea and Tick Control Prod- ucts – A common cause of pet poisoning in the spring and summer months is improper use or application of flea and tick control products. Use such products responsibly and ac- cording to package instruc- tions. Overuse and misuse can be deadly. Never apply 45-65% perme- thrin “spot-on” products to cats, even in small amounts. Highly concentrated permethrin can be extremely toxic to cats. If you have both dogs and cats in your household, you should be aware that using a permethrin “spot-on” product on a dog may cause illness or death in a household cat. Never use flea medications intended for a dog on a cat in- stead. It is important to use only flea and tick products specifi- cally designed for cats, and to administer the proper dosage. All flea and tick “spot-on” products – even those with nearly identical brand names – are not alike. Check the label to identify the active ingredient before you apply it. Poisonous Plants – Inges- tion of even small amounts of certain plants can be harmful or fatal to a pet. Highly toxic plants include: lilies (to cats), azalea, rhododendron, yew, foxglove, oleander, kalanchoe, and sago palm. Symptoms of plant poi- soning include: Irritation to skin and/or mouth, diarrhea, sei- zures, lethargy, unconscious- ness, and vomiting. Poison Control & Emer- gency Veterinary Care – It’s al- ways a good idea to have on hand the phone numbers for your veterinarian, a local emer- gency animal hospital, and poi- son control. If you suspect that your pet has accidentally in- gested a potentially hazardous product, such as those noted above, call the ASPCA’s Poison Control Hotline (1-888-426- 4435, fee) or the Pet Poison Helpline (1-800-213-6680, fee) or your veterinarian immediate- WEATHER REPORT MARCH 2010 DATE Want to know what happens around here all year? Get The Independent delivered to your home for a year for only $20.00 Call today to start your subscription 503-429-9410 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 TEMPERATURE HI LO 58 55 54 52 57 63 53 47 43 49 47 48 47 51 63 55 52 57 64 68 55 52 59 67 41 54 63 53 47 42 49 35 40 32 32 32 29 31 32 32 31 40 36 33 29 39 34 32 31 25 27 42 32 31 31 37 36 33 43 37 34 31 PRECIP. AMT. -- .02 .03 T -- -- T .30 .22 T 1.38 .51 .02 T -- .02 -- -- -- .01 .15 T -- .36 .94 T .23 .82 .63 .28 -- Temperature and precipitation amounts are from the official U.S. weather station at the Vernonia wa- ter plant. Measurable precipitation in March totalled 5.92 inches. ly. The sooner treatment is started, the better for your pet. The Oregon Veterinary Med- ical Association is a nonprofit organization of veterinarians who are dedicated to helping people give their animals a high quality of life. Cowlitz Coin Club Show on April 25 The 42nd annual Cowlitz Coin Club’s Coin Show will be held April 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the AWPPW Hall, 724 15th Ave., Longview. There will be coins, paper money, tokens and related items. Admission is free, and there are door prizes, and a $25 gold piece will be one of the raffle prizes available. Letters From page 3 You can help reduce sexual assaults To the Editor: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). This year, Columbia County Women’s Resource Center is marking SAAM by rolling out a new awareness campaign, which is also the theme for SAAM: Prevent sexual vio- lence…on our campuses. This campaign asks for us all to get involved in ending sexual violence in our commu- nity as well as our schools. While sexual assault impacts individuals, its root causes are interwoven throughout our cul- ture, and therefore to eradicate violence we must all evaluate the prevailing language, atti- tudes, and cultural beliefs about sex, sexuality, and gen- der. Sexual violence takes many form, including rape, incest, child sexual abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. These crimes are not committed in dark alleys by strangers so much as they are committed in our schools, our workplaces, our streets and our homes by people we know. The victims are not impersonal stereotypes. They are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, and possibly even you and me. Statistics show us that one in six women (17%) and one in thirty-three men (3%) reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape at some time in their lives. About 2 out of 1000 children in the United States were confirmed by child protec- tive service agencies as having experienced sexual assault in 2003. Available data greatly underestimate the true magni- tude of the problem. Rape is one of the most underreported crimes. In 2002, only 39% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforce- ment officials. In fact, 93% of sexual assault survivors are vi- olated by someone they know and trust, oftentimes before the age of 15. Among high school students surveyed nationwide, about 8% reported having been forced to have sex. Females (11%) were more likely to re- port having been forced to have sex than males (4%). These numbers underestimate the problem. Many cases are not reported because victims are afraid to tell the police, friends, or family about the abuse (CDC, 2010). Talk to your children now. Talk to your friends now. Talk to your grandparents now. Make sure you address any inappro- priate behaviors that you see now. The simple act of speak- ing up may seem frightening, but it changes the world in ways that you can’t imagine. During Sexual Assault Aware- ness Month, show your support by wearing a teal-colored rib- bon. Wear your ribbon proudly to let others know that you do not accept sexual violence in your community. The climate that we collec- tively create around us every day can continue to be one of rape culture – where misogyny, racism, homophobia, and sex- ist attitudes persist; or it can be transformed into one which supports equality, safety, com- munication, and embodies a world without violence. It’s up to all of us to rise to the chal- lenge every day to bring this new world into being. Please see page 21