The Philomath Sensational Senior Society has been busy and we have had a lot of fun.
In early October, we created cork pumpkins at our regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month meeting at Maxtivity (1604 Main St., a former bank building that for a time served as a liquor store in Philomath). We meet the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. at Maxtivity, and on Nov. 3, we will be working on a button picture craft. All are welcome. There’s no cost, but small donations of $2 to $5 are accepted to help pay for supplies (donating is not required).
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, we met at City Hall and learned a great deal about emergency preparedness from Benton County Emergency Manager Bryan Lee. Bryan gave us a lot of very helpful information, and if anyone is interested, we will be getting copies of his teaching slides via email.
If I had to put what we learned in a nutshell, I would say that able-bodied citizens should be prepared to take care of themselves as much as possible for three days. Whether it’s a wildfire that requires evacuation or an earthquake that disrupts electric, internet and phone service, we all should be prepared. He recommends that we put together a “go bag” to help us be self-sufficient for three days.
He recommends the go bag include:
- Water for three days
- Food for three days (minimal — granola bars, nuts, crackers, peanut butter, jerky, protein drinks and other nonperishables)
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Battery/solar charger
- Durable clothes for the weather
- Rain jacket, poncho or tarp
- Work boots
- Multifunction tool
- Hygiene items (wet wipes, toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper)
- Handheld radio
- Cash in small bills ($1 and $5 bills)
- Important documents (copies or flash drives with your ID, birth certificate, medical, car and home insurance cards, immunization records, passports, titles, deeds, wills and power of attorney — things that are important to have in case a fire levels your home)
- Medications (especially prescription medications, plus a copy of your medication list from your doctor or online patient portal)
- A basic first aid kit
- An old pair of prescription glasses
In an evacuation, if there is time, grab important family pictures. In advance, it’s a good idea to take photos on your phone of the rooms in your house to help with insurance — and even photos of your important family pictures in case there isn’t time to grab them on the way out.
First responders will do their very best to help anyone in trouble or with mobility issues. The rest of us need to follow directions and take care of ourselves and our families to the best of our ability.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m., we will again meet at City Hall, this time to learn how to navigate City Hall — its website, how to find information, how to make a suggestion and more. Assistant City Manager Chelsea Starner will guide us through the ins and outs of communicating with our local elected officials, as well as how to find the meeting schedule, agendas and topics to be covered. There’s even a new feature that allows you to monitor your own water usage through an online water meter, and she will show us how to use it.
Our second-Tuesday meetings are often educational and come with a lot of information to help seniors live independently. We really hope you all can make it! These educational meetings are open to anyone of any age who is interested in learning. Please put us on your calendar!
Our December meetings are Dec. 1 and 8 — stay tuned for more information!
(Diane Crocker is a co-organizer of the Philomath Sensational Senior Society. She can be reached at 6cr@peak.org.)
