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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2011)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, October 19, 2011 First Oregon 2011 flu hospitalization reported October is named Domestic Oregon Public Health offi- cials have received the first re- port of an Oregonian hospital- ized with the flu. The Lincoln County Health Department re- ported that a 61-year-old wo- man who was hospitalized with influenza has recovered. Al- though flu activity remains low so far this season, this is the first report of hospitalization for flu. “Every flu season is differ- ent, and influenza can affect people differently,” said Paul Cieslak, M.D., of Oregon Public Health. “Even healthy children and adults can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year.” There are plentiful supplies of flu vaccine throughout Ore- gon. Public Health officials rec- ommend that everyone 6 months of age or older get vac- cinated. Vaccination is espe- cially important if you’re in one of these groups: • Pregnant women. • Children 6 months through 4 years of age, and especially those 6 months to 23 months of age. • People 50 years of age or older. • Anyone with underlying medical conditions such as chronic pulmonary conditions including asthma; cardiovascu- lar conditions, (except isolated hypertension); renal, hepatic, neurological, hematologic or metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus; and immuno- suppression, including those caused by medications or HIV. • People in long-term-care facilities. • People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from the flu. In addition to getting immu- nized, it’s also important to ward off the flu and other virus- es and bacteria by these meth- ods: • Protect yourself and others by washing your hands often. • Cover your mouth with something other than your hand when you cough. • If you’re sick, go see the doctor but otherwise try not to go out and expose others to your illness. To get more information about influenza and to find out where you can get vaccinated against the flu, visit flu.ore gon.gov. ODFW says be “Bear Aware” this fall With the arrival of fall, wildlife biologists from the Ore- gon Department of Fish and Wildlife are reminding Oregoni- ans that, at this time of year, bears are on the move and conflicts between these ani- mals and humans can occur. Biologists say that by following a few simple steps people can minimize the possibility of con- flicts with bears. “Fall is a critical season for Oregon’s black bears,” said Tonya Moore, a wildlife biolo- gist with ODFW’s North Willamette Watershed District. “Winter is around the corner and bears must get down to the business of accumulating fat reserves to see them through.” Moore explained that during 503-901-1705 late summer and fall, bears typ- ically consume large amounts of tree fruits, berries, and nuts in order to increase their body fat by as much as 35 percent in preparation for winter. To meet these extra demands for food, bears also look to other sources of food to gain the extra fat they need to tide them over through the winter. ODFW often receives more bear damage complaints in the fall as a result of bears moving into residential areas to find easy meals, including garbage, fallen fruit, compost piles, pet foods and livestock feed. Moore said black bears may forage up to 20 hours a day and roam constantly through- out their home range to find a meal. Once habituated to finding food near homes, bears can quickly become a threat to human safety and must often be killed. ODFW recommends that people follow these guide- lines to protect both humans and bears: • Keep pet food indoors. • Remove fruit that has fallen from trees. • Add lime to compost piles to reduce odors – do not com- post meat, bones, fruit, dairy products or grease. • Secure garbage cans in a garage, shed or behind a chain link or electric fence. • Purchase bear-proof gar- bage cans if necessary. • Clean garbage containers regularly with diluted bleach to reduce odors. • Use electric fencing to keep bears from orchards, gar- dens, compost, beehives and berries. • Store livestock food in a secure place. • Never, ever feed a bear. Moore noted that dispensing foods for other wildlife like birds, squirrels and deer can also attract black bears and is therefore discouraged. She recommends that people in areas where bears show up from time to time, play it safe by refraining from feeding wildlife. In addition, working with neighbors to remove at- tractants can benefit the whole neighborhood, including the wildlife. “Working with your commu- nity to make sure everyone is doing their part to avoid attract- ing bears is the best step you can take to minimize the risk of a serious bear conflict,” Moore said. For more information about living with black bears, see the ODFW website at www.dfw. state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/b lack_bears.asp . Violence Awareness Month Domestic violence is every- where. One in four women will be assaulted by a partner at some point in her lifetime, re- gardless of her socioeconomic status, race, religion, age or education level. Domestic violence has a sig- nificant impact on the commu- nity, affecting children, schools, employers, hospitals, law en- forcement and the judicial sys- tem. Statewide: • Safety from domestic vio- lence would save more than $35 million a year in health care costs in Oregon. • Safety from domestic vio- lence would save more than $9.3 million annual lost rev- enue and prevent a leading cause of homelessness for women and children. • 1/3 of child welfare cases have a domestic violence com- ponent. • Domestic violence is a fac- tor in 1/3 of all violent crimes in Oregon. • Access to domestic and sexual violence services re- duces re-assault by 70%. In Columbia County: • Last year the Columbia County Women’s Resource Center (CCWRC) fielded al- most 1,750 crisis line calls and had to turn away 220 individu- als seeking shelter. • Approximately 225 people were served in the emergency shelter last year, including boys up to age 17. • Over 3,000 services were provided to men, women and children. Domestic and sexual vio- lence services save lives, fami- lies and communities. During October, CCWRC is joining with communities across the nation to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, celebrating progress made in reducing domestic vio- lence, and to recommit to mak- ing everyone's home a safe place for them. Throughout the month of October (and all year long) shop at Norma’s Place, 164 Lit- tle Street, St. Helens, where your thrift store purchases sup- port the Resource Center and a successful job training program that is building new lives. CCWRC is the only agency in Columbia County that serves survivors of domestic and sex- ual violence. Columbia County Domestic Abuse Mental Health Hotline 800-294-5211 503-397-6161 ----------------- or Suicide Hotline 866-397-6161 1-800- ----------------- 784-2433 or 1-800-273- TALK(8255) Military Helpline 888-HLP-4-VET (888-457-4838)
