Americorps Volunteer Does Emergency Planning for Vulnerable Residents

Jamila Freightman with Gary Barber of Shangri-La

An Americorps volunteer recently hired by Lincoln County Health and Human Services will begin assisting Lincoln County agencies serving vulnerable residents with their emergency operations planning. Licensed facilities providing such care (e.g. foster homes, group homes, and nursing homes) can now work with

Jamila Freightman, a recent graduate from Georgia State University. Freightman’s year-long project focuses on emergency preparedness, helping vulnerable populations and facilities that serve them increase their self-sufficiency in the event of an emergency. Freightman arrived in August 2011. “During a community disaster, lack of planning makes anyone more at risk,” she said. “I am really excited to help the most vulnerable members of the community. When I…provide an assessment, it’s a chance to enhance the safety of the clients and at the same time be reminded of everyone’s individual commitment to preparation that is sometimes overlooked,” Freighman said.

A statement from Lincoln County Health and Human Services said the aftermath of disasters like the 2011 Japan earthquake revealed a continuing need to plan to help the “at risk” population. Local governmental and non-governmental agencies are encouraged to develop a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), an all-hazard emergency plan to ensure the business can function after an emergency. According to the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, the COOP specifies succession of authority, provides information on keeping vital records, identifies alternate operation facilities, provides communication plans, and validates plans through tests, training and exercises. Freightman’s role is to create a simple COOP template that can be tailored to facilities that serve vulnerable populations. As a leader with the local Red Cross, she will host emergency preparedness workshops county-wide, and meet individually with facilities to assess and evaluate. For more information on creating a COOP, call 541-265-0449, or send an email jfreightman@co.lincoln.or.us

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Letter to the Editor: On Corporate Personhood

What if I told you that the campaigns for all future Presidents and Congressmen as well as State and local elections would henceforth be purchased and controlled with corporate money and the government would be run for the benefit of corporate profit?

The 2010 US Supreme Court decision “Citizens United” declared, corporations no longer need obey the same campaign donation rules they once followed. In truth, they no longer have rules. They are now allowed to spend as much money as they want to buy elections and candidates.

Politics has always been run by big money, but we the voters have been repeatedly assured by corporate media that we are still in control. Feeble attempts at “campaign finance reform” have led us to believe falsely, that big money could be reined in. Citizen’s United changed that in an astounding deviation from common sense and a terrible distortion of our Constitution’s true intent.

Corporations are now far more powerful than people in politics. Google ‘corporate personhood’ if you want the entire history. In the Citizens United case, an activist Supreme Court created a feedback loop where political clout increases profits, increasing political clout again, and so on.

Here’s some perspective. In 2008, a million people donated about 750 million dollars to the Obama campaign, the most expensive presidential race in US history. 750 million dollars is only 5% of one quarters profit of Exxon for that same year. With mere pocket change an Exxon or McDonnel-Douglas or Halliburton or Fox News or Monsanto corporation could literally buy their very own President.

That’s a terrifying thought.

Corporations have the dollars, but we have the strength of numbers. There is a grassroots movement to compel an amendment to the Constitution to outlaw ‘Corporate Personhood’ and the privileges this implies. Few of us like the idea of amending the Constitution, but it has been necessary 27 times in our past and is necessary again. There is no other legal way to reverse this decision. Cities large and small have already taken action, as have unions and civic organizations across the country, passing resolutions recognizing corporations are not persons and that money is not speech.

The Newport City Council will be asked to consider this issue February 6 at 6:00 p.m. A convincing crowd is needed for Councilors to understand how important this is. By investing an hour or two you can tell your children and grandchildren you stood up for democracy at such a dangerous time. I hope to see you there.

Stephen Farish

Waldport, Or.

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The Yaquina Wavelength Goes Dark Wednesday

The Yaquina Wavelength will join an international protest against censorship Wednesday, January 18 and will voluntarily go offline for the day. A growing number of popular websites, including Reddit, WordPress, MoveOn and Mozilla have announced they will also go dark for a time Wednesday to protest proposed Congressional legislation. The House bill known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and a companion Senate measure known as Protect IP Act (PIPA) would allow law enforcement to shut down websites for alleged copyright violations. The proposed laws would make it so a simple allegation of copyright infringement, with no review process, could lead to a shutdown of websites. Other large websites like Wikipedia are considering a blackout, and there is pressure being put on other giants like Google and Yahoo to join in.

We oppose SOPA and PIPA. While we strongly agree that copyright infringement should be stopped, we oppose the methods in these bill. We agree with those who say they violate the First Amendment and would have a chilling effect on free speech. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said he will lead a filibuster against the PIPA bill, and Oregon’s Jeff Merkley is on record opposing the two bills.

We urge you to contact your member of Congress and the House and Senate leadership to oppose these measures. And please, spread the word.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

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Oregonian News Network Adds Lifestyle Component

The Oregonian News Network (ONN) is rolling out the second phase of its online partner program. The Yaquina Wavelength is one of eight pilot partners who began working together in April, 2011. Three other sites have joined since then. The original ONN program includes independent local news sites like the Wavelength who allow their local news content on the OregonLive.com website and share content with one another.

The ONN expansion brings aboard more than 50 community blog partners – people from around Oregon and southwest Washington who “blog regularly and authoritatively about their passions,” according to a statement on the ONN site. They include award-winning authors like Laini Taylor and Bart King; gossip maven Byron Beck; travel writer Chris Guillebeau; food writers Kathleen Bauer and Deena Prichep; gardening guru Darcy Daniels; and cartoonist Matt Bors.

A ONN statement continues: “We’re excited to present this collection of unique and interesting voices. You may already share a common interest like birding, literature or parenting. Or you may want to explore a new topic like urban foraging or Portland’s geek culture. Either way, we invite you to join us as we make the most of this new partnership. The community blog partner program is all about making connections. By sending more readers to websites they might not know about otherwise, we aim to help build audience for our partners while serving as an online town square.”

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CERT Training Still Taking Students

Toledo’s newly organized Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) begins a nine-week training sequence Monday (January 16), and is still looking for volunteers to learn search and rescue, fire suppression and first aid. Toledo Emergency Manager and Fire Chief Will Ewing said, “I am very excited to have CERT as part of our emergency response team. They are all very large-hearted people interested in helping the community.” He described their role as working alongside Toledo emergency responders to effectively mitigate hazards. Toledo CERT received an $11,000 grant from FEMA for purchase of supplies and equipment. Training sessions are held Mondays from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. from January 16 through March 5 with a day-long disaster simulation Saturday March 10 at the Toledo Fire Hall (285 NE Burgess).

Training Schedule:

Monday Jan 16 6-9 Disaster Preparedness

Monday Jan 23 6-9 Introduction, Fire Control

Monday Jan 30 6-9 Search and Rescue

Monday Feb 6 6-9 Psychology

Monday Feb 13 6-9 Medical Operations

Monday Feb 20 6-9 Medical Operations, Continued

Monday Feb 27 6-9 Cert Organization

Monday Mar 5 6-9 Terrorism and Cert

Saturday Mar 10 9-2 Fire Control Practicals, Course Review and Disaster Simulation

Monday Mar 12 6-9 Final Test, Graduation

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