Image Up Advertising & Design

Earthquake Preparedness Tips No matter where you are when it happens, you need to know how to protect yourself and your family during an earthquake. • Practice taking cover as if there were an earthquake and learn the safest places in your home and work. • Practice getting out of your home and check to see if the planned exits are clear and if they can become blocked in an earthquake. • Practice turning off your electricity and water. Note: The water shutoff valve is typically located below the hose bib location in the garage or in front of the house. The electrical service disconnect is found on the main breaker panel located on the exterior wall of the garage. • Know how to turn off the gas, but do not practice this step. In the event of an earthquake, once you turn off your gas, only your utility company should turn it back on for safety reasons. Tips to Consider: • When in a HIGH-RISE BUILDING, move against an interior wall if you are not near a desk or table. Protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not use the elevators. • When OUTDOORS, move to a clear area away from trees, signs, buildings, or downed electrical wires and poles. • When on a SIDEWALK NEAR BUILDINGS, duck into a doorway to protect yourself from falling bricks, glass, plaster, and other debris. • When DRIVING, pull over to the side of the road and stop. Avoid overpasses and power lines. Stay inside your vehicle until the shaking stops. • When in a CROWDED STORE OR OTHER PUBLIC PLACE, move away from display shelves containing objects that could fall. Do not rush for the exit. • When in a STADIUM OR THEATER, stay in your seat, get below the level of the seat back and cover your head and neck with your arms. Don't forget to… • DUCK: DUCK or DROP down on the floor. • COVER: Take COVER under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture. If that is not possible, seek cover against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid danger spots near windows, hanging objects, mirrors, or tall furniture. • HOLD: If you take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, HOLD on to it and be prepared to move with it. Hold the position until the ground stops shaking, and it is safe to move. Clearly, earthquakes are not planned events. Prepare and plan for the unexpected. It is a good idea to have a three-day supply of food and water on hand if roads are inaccessible making travel to supermarkets difficult. Have an out-of-state contact who everyone in your family or household can touch base with should local phone or mobile service be unavailable or shut down. ~ Frank Hilberg, hilberg frank@ gmail.com 26 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | APRIL 2022 Conservancy's winter slumber is over and all nature, small and large, is emerging to once again grow, mate, and continue the existence of their species. Most notable now will be catkins. Catkins are flowers adapted to be pollinated by wind. Hello sinuses. Their dangling habit is part of this adaptation, and pollen is released from male flowers when wind causes them to shake. These worm- like blooms are actually hundreds of tiny flowers strung together. Each catkin is either male or female, but both sexes may or may not be carried on the same plant. If a single plant produces both male and female catkins it is considered 'monoecious.' Some tree and shrub species have separate sexes and produce only male or female flowers on a single plant, meaning they are 'dioecious.' Catkins fall to the ground and will cover the trails by the end of spring. ~ Len Tavernetti Ad Hoc Conservancy Neighborhood Watch & Community Awareness

• Cover