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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 2010)
The INDEPENDENT, November 18, 2010 City of Vernonia provides some home water leak detection tips In recent months on more than one occasion, the City of Vernonia Public Works Depart- ment has suspected that high water consumption may signal that a household or commercial water customer has a leak. The City of Vernonia provided the following information. check the sweep hand location again. If the sweep hand has moved, you may have a leak somewhere in your system. • Most meters have a red “telltale” indicator. If you see it moving when all water is off, you may have a leak. How to Find Your Leak • Your toilet may have a silent leak. Drop a little food coloring into the tank. Wait about 10 minutes without flush- ing. If color appears in the bowl, you have a leak. • Check for moist spots around and under the house plumbing and around outdoor plumbing. • Replace worn washers in faucets and showerheads. Even a small drip can waste as much as 170 gallons of water each day, or 5,000 gallons per month. Undetected leaks can be costly. If you think you may have a water leak, your water meter is your best detective to help you find it: • Turn off all faucets and wa- ter-using appliances, such as the dish and clothes washers. • Locate your water meter and lift the cover to see the me- ter dial. • Note the position of the sweep hand, or use a marker on the lens cover. • Wait 20-30 minutes and Looking For Leaks Smaller homes are greener homes A recently completed report commissioned by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, in collaboration with the Oregon Home Builders As- sociation and Earth Advantage Institute, concludes that con- structing smaller homes is among the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation from the resi- dential construction sector. The report concludes that, of 30 different material reduction and reuse practices evaluated, reducing home size was the most beneficial. DEQ exam- ined environmental benefits from each of these practices against a “standard” Oregon home, defined for the study’s purposes as a 2,262 square- foot, newly constructed home built to 2008 state energy codes. The study considered a “small” home to be about 1,630 square feet and an “extra- small” home to be 1,150 square feet. Many environmen- tal benefits from small homes come in the form of reduced electricity and fuel use in the home, but also include the ben- efits of avoided materials pro- duction, according to the re- port. Residential home construc- tion, maintenance and demoli- tion make up about 10 to 15 percent, by weight, of total waste generated in Oregon each year. The report, “A Life Cycle Ap- proach to Prioritizing Methods of Preventing Waste from the Residential Construction Sec- tor in the State of Oregon”, is available on DEQ’s website at http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/s w/wasteprevention/greenbuild ing.htm. Page 15 Power of the People By W. Marc Farmer, General Manager, West Oregon Electric Cooperative Heroes at West Ore- gon Electric Co-op The term “Hero” derives from the original Latin ser- vare “to save, deliver, pre- serve, protect.” Under this definition, three of the WOEC Linemen certainly qualify as “Heroes” to Kim Oblack-Morrison. On their way back to the Co-op after working on an after-hours outage, Ryan Delemos, Jamie Mullins, and Terry Pike were traveling down Hwy 47 between Big Eddy Park and Scappoose Junction about 9:00 p.m. when Terry noticed tail- lights off the road. The three Linemen stopped their trucks and went back to investigate. A sin- gle vehicle had gone off the road and was on its side down the embankment. Being the first ones on the scene, the lessons learned from their nu- merous Safety, CPR, and rescue trainings paid off as they immediately assessed the situation. Two of the Linemen, Ryan and Terry, went to work and established communications with the driver, who was pinned in the car, to determine her condition. Jamie made radio contact with PGE Repair via the radio as there was no cell service in the area. He apprised PGE Repair of the situation and had them make a call to 9-1-1 for paramedics. Terry and Ryan soon realized that Kim was seriously injured and would need medical atten- tion as soon as possible. From their training, they knew not to move her despite her repeated- ly asking them to remove her from the vehicle. While they took turns keeping her comfortable and stabilized, they also took measures to se- cure the vehicle so it would not roll over again causing even further injuries. They remained with her as volunteers and help arrived. The jaws of life delivered to the site were not sufficient for the task, so the WOEC Linemen supplied a Pu- laski that was used to remove the windshield and enable rescuers to extricate her from the ve- hicle. Life Flight was able to land close by, but in- coming fog made it unsafe for them to take off. Paramedics transported Kim to the hospital by ambulance. Before the EMS crew arrived, a couple of hunters came to the scene and wanted to re- move Kim from the vehicle, but the Linemen re- fused, knowing from their training that this was not a safe or wise thing to do. In a thank you note to the WOEC Linemen, Kim thanked them for, “making the critical deci- sions and cautious approach taken,” as she had a broken neck and if she had been moved wrong, “could have had a devastating outcome.” She was grateful that they stayed with her until the paramedics arrived, for being caring and great citizens, and said she truly appreciated all they did to ensure her safety. Kim is recovering well, thanks to the quick response, careful ac- tions, and caring attitudes of these “Heroes.” The West Oregon Electric Co-op Board of Di- rectors unanimously voted to recognize Ryan Delemos, Jamie Mullins, and Terry Pike with a special commendation for their swift and heroic efforts on behalf of one of our citizens and mem- bers. We are very proud of them and the profes- sional manner in which they handled the situa- tion. They are not only excellent employees, but are also excellent men and fellow citizens. Thank you gentlemen! See picture on page 1. Tips to help prepare for winter As you gear up for the rain, wind and snow season, follow these simple steps to keep your home warm and secure this winter: • Insulate pipes in your home’s crawl spaces and attic. Exposed pipes are most sus- ceptible to freezing. • Seal leaks that allow cold air inside. Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents and pipes. Use caulk or insulation to keep the cold out and the heat in. • Disconnect garden hoses and, if practical, use an indoor valve to shut off and drain wa- ter from pipes leading to out- side faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in the short span of pipe just inside the house. • Clean out your gutters. Cleaning out gutters will help prevent water from spilling over and accumulating near the foundation, which can cause damage. As you prepare for freezing weather do not forget that win- ter = rain for the Northwest. These steps can help keep you dry as the rain settles in: • Exterior Walls should be kept well painted and sealed. Peeling paint can allow water into wood. Check for discol- orations of paint or caulking and swelling of window and door frames. • Roof repairs are needed if there are cracked or missing shingles or missing granules. Leaks are particularly common around chimneys, plumbing vents and attic vents. • Finally, act quickly if dam- age occurs. If water is flowing into the home from a burst pipe or an opening, shut off the wa- ter supply or board up the hole, immediately remove standing water as well as all moist mate- rials, and contact your insur- ance agent to file a claim. These tips were provided by State Farm Insurance. Meyers ‘ Auto Body,Inc 503-429-0248 493 Bridge St, Vernonia, OR