Drug Take-back Day April 28

Saturday, April 28 is designated as “Drug Take-Back Day” in Lincoln County. The public is reminded that unwanted or expired prescription drugs can be dropped off at police and sheriff stations around the county, to prevent pill abuse and theft. The Toledo police department has a 24-hour prescription drug drop-off site at its office. Other permanent drop-off sites are at the Newport City Hall and the Lincoln City Police Department. A temporary site is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s sub-station behind Waldport City Hall. Drop-off is anonymous, no questions asked. The event is sponsored by the Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency. In 2011, Americans turned in 377,080 pounds (188.5 tons) of prescription drugs. Experts say the initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, that medicines left in home cabinets become susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. People are also being advised that historic methods for disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety, environmental and health hazards.

According to the DEA, medication abuse continues to rise across the country among youth, adults, and older adults. The intentional abuse of prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines is often mistaken to be less harmful than using illicit drugs since prescription and OTC drugs have been tested and approved for medical use. Law enforcement recommends:

1. Take inventory of all prescription and over-the-counter medicines in your home.

2. Secure all medicines, prescription, and OTC. Lock doors and windows when no one is home.

3. Properly dispose of unused, unwanted, and expired medicine; take advantage of permanent disposal sites where available.

4. Take all medicines exactly as prescribed.

5. Talk to your children about the dangers of medication drug abuse.

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Community Radio Provides Live May Day Coverage on its Website

May 1, 2012 will be a day full of activism across Oregon and across the country. Many groups, including Occupy, immigrant rights groups, labor unions and others will rally, march and conduct events to remind the public of the economic inequality in today’s society, and call for change. Lincoln County’s future community radio station, KYAQ, will host live nationwide coverage on its website, at KYAQ.org. The coverage begins at 10:00 a.m. and continues until at least 9:00 p.m. It is being done by members of The Media Consortium and hosted by Free Speech TV, and will feature live video reports from Media Consortium member reporters and free-lance journalists from New York to LA, from Seattle to New Orleans. There will be live video feeds from cities large and small, an interactive map of coverage with real-time updates and links to breaking stories, and in-studio analysis.

“Tens of thousands of citizen activists will be involved in these events and I’m sure there will be virtually no coverage on major news outlets,” said Bridget Wolfe, President of Firebare, Inc. which is building KYAQ-FM. “KYAQ is not yet on the air but we are already working to bring coverage of relevant, people-powered events to the Central Coast through our website. This type of coverage shows why community radio is so important – it allows us to hear the voices of our neighbors, of real people, instead of just the talking heads that dominate corporate media. Please tune in online May 1 and experience what independent community radio sounds like. If you like what you hear, contact us and find out how you can donate, or get involved.”

The Media Consortium, comprised of more than 50 independent journalism organizations, is pooling its resources to provide coverage of May Day activities “so people can get a sense of the movement, its messages, and the ways in which it is succeeding and not succeeding,” said Jo Ellen Kaiser, Media Consortium Executive Director. “Mainstream media will not cover these events accurately or completely,” she said. Occupy Wall Street and other groups have called for a general strike May 1, not in the traditional sense, but a day in which “members of the 99%” take whatever actions they can to withdraw from participating in the normal workings of the economic system – not working, shopping or banking if any of those are options.

May Day, also known as International Workers Day, commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago. It is a national holiday in more than 80 countries around the world. The Media Consortium’s membership includes nationally-known independent media outlets like The Nation magazine, Mother Jones, Democracy Now!, Free Speech TV, Free Speech Radio News, Ms. Magazine, Brave New Films, AlterNet and many others. Get more information at www.themediaconsortium.org.

(Disclosure: Wavelength co-owner Alan Searle is volunteer project manager for KYAQ)

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Letter to the Editor: On Racial Profiling

End Racial Profiling Week came to a close April 20, and both Houses of Congress have started deliberations on the End Racial Profiling Act legislation before them. Racial profiling is investigation and subsequent action based on stereotypes and assumptions; not on facts and the evidence at hand. It burdens the innocent more than the guilty. Profiling places government in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

On behalf of the Information Immigration Response Team (IIRT) of Lincoln County, I urge all citizens to contact each of their State and National legislators and urge them to support this necessary legislation. This legislation complements legislation now in effect prohibiting public discrimination based on age, gender, national origin. race, religion or sexual orientation, but is necessary to end a practice that is regularly apparent.

We at IIRT urge everyone to take a stand for the elimination of notable prejudice that dominates our country and diminishes concern for human dignity, justice and equality.

Don Searcy, Newport

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Council Allocates Local Charitable Contributions

The Toledo City Council April 18 approved its Contribution Committee’s recommendations to disburse $7,345 in the next fiscal year to 11 organizations. The amounts to 15% of the estimated annual state shared liquor tax and cigarette tax revenues for FY 2012/2013 of $48,965. The largest single grant of $2 thousand went to Senior Meals/Meals on Wheels, which served 6,216 meals during the year. The East County Backpack weekend nutrition program gets $1,000. $500 each were granted to Shangri-La, Central Coast CDC, Samaritan Senior Companion, Oregon Coast Community College and the Flowerree Community Center. Smaller amounts were designated to My Sister’s Place, Toledo History Center, LC Child Advocacy Center, Samaritan House, CASA of Lincoln County and RSVP.

Senior Meals/Meals on Wheels: $2,000 (Served 6,216 meals)

My Sister’s Place: $445 (Served 33 Toledo residents w/478 services)

Toledo History Center: $250 (Museum/Main Street enhancement)

LC Child Advocacy Center: $400 (Served 21 Toledo children)

Shangri-La: $500 (Coastal Firewood production plant)

Samaritan Senior Companion $500 (Served 16 residents w/2,771.5 hours service)

East County Backpack Program: $1,000 (Served 50 Toledo students)

The Flowerree Community Center: $500 (Summer program, 30-50 Toledo families)

Samaritan House: $250 (7,953 shelter nights, 15-20% Toledo residents)

RSVP: $250( Served 26 Toledo residents)

Central Coast CDCL $500 (Served 38 families and 48 students)

Oregon Coast Community College: $500 (Scholarship funding, 106 students in Toledo)

CASA of Lincoln County: $250 (Served 27 children in Toledo)

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Merkley Still Pulling For Eddyville Post Office

Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced legislation to keep small rural post offices open. The Senate this week is debating closing thousands of rural post offices, including dozens in Oregon. In a statement, Merkley said, “In many small towns, post offices are a critical piece of the local economy. It would be a huge mistake to close them. Yet that is exactly what the Postal Service is talking about doing in a misguided effort to save money.”

You can see Merkley’s entire statement here:

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