The Scotia independent

CHRISTMAS 2013 WWW.TOWNOFSCOTIA.COM VOLUME I, ISSUE XVII

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M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S , S C O T I A !

Frank

Talk

with Frank!

Hello Friends. On behalf of the Town of Scotia Company, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a joyous and Happy New Year! Perhaps like almost all of you, we've been busy getting ready for the holidays. In Scotia that means decorating, not just a home or a tree, but the whole of our proper-ties along Main Street Scotia. This year we have erected more lights than have ever graced the public spaces in Scotia — ever. As you've no doubt noticed, the scene along our small town center is again dazzling after the sun goes down. We've supple-mented the colorful strings of lights along the whole Scotia Shop-ping Center, from Hobys Market to the Hardware store, and in re-cent years we added an active, oversized Christmas Tree display to the Winema Theater, the site of many Holiday programs and presentations this month. Since the PALCO reorganiza-tion, of course, the Town of Scotia has had neither ownership and control nor access to the commer-cial Timberland East of the high-way, where PALCO used to stake out a tree shape with lights at Christmas time. TOS has no trained tree climbers on staff, no insurance covering such activity, and no right, license or entitlement to maintain electrical wires or lights in that location or on that property, so we have redoubled our efforts to decorate the spaces which we DO own and operate -- in the Town of Scotia. Now, for the first time, we have wrapped the Scotia Inn in hundreds of bright white lights, from the ground to the third floor and on both Main Street and the Mill Street facades. The Lobby of the Inn is also beautifully decorated and offers a great place to meet Friends and Family during the Holi-days. I know many of you have heard that Jeanne Doris will be focusing on her catering and cafe facility in Fortuna in the coming year, and she will no longer be managing the Scotia Inn. We at TOS are work-ing through several concepts and proposals, and we hope to have a

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Even in black and white, central Scotia is dazzling once the sun goes down. Photo by José Quezada.

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Scotia Christmas Wishes by Lisa Baney If you could wish for absolutely anything at all — the sky’s the limit, no holds barred — what would you wish for this Christmas? That was the question posed to twenty-one residents and former resi-dents of Scotia as they went about their business in town recently. Would you wish for fame, to be mobbed by adoring fans whenever you stepped outside, treated like a minor deity just for showing up some-

Cindy Rose Postmaster Relief, Scotia post office

“I would want everyone who has a family, and everyone who has a home and the means to buy gifts for those they care about, to realize how blessed they are. Because we forget that there are those whose Christmas wish is just to have a warm meal, or to be able to feed their kids, or to have something to give their chil-dren.”

Rose Wicke, Unemployed; former PALCO and

HRC employee

“My Christmas wish is to find a job. I have one more computer class to take in the retraining program at Col-lege of the Redwoods, and I’ll have my certificate. So I’m looking for a receptionist job, an office job, some-thing where I could use my computer skills.”

Jack Saffell Head gardener,

Scotia

“My Christmas wish is for every-one who really wants to work to have a great job. Because I was just at a point where I couldn’t work, and it’s really depressing. Also, being out of work really eats up your savings, even if you’re on disability.”

where? Would you wish for money, the ability to afford extravagant big-ticket items like a Maserati in every conceiv-able shade of red or your very own island? Or would you wish to find that special person who’d anticipate all your needs, never disagree with you, and generally make their purpose in life your blissful happiness? Well, if you picked any of the above, or anything like the above, you would’ve been in a minority of one in this group. Yes, really. Because, be-

lieve it or not, as tough as it is to make ends meet these days not one person wished for more money. No one pined to be fawned over. And nobody was asking to be gifted with their own personal soul-mate/love-slave. So, what exactly did everyone wish for? Check it out. And, from everyone here at the Scotia Independent, we wish all of you a wonderful holiday season!

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Libby Titus, Sales associate, Humboldt Redwood Company

“I wish for all my family to be safe and healthy.”

Natasha Brooks Office clerk and cashier, Scotia Hardware

“I have two kids, age one and three. My wish would be for them to always be taken care of, for them to always have what they need.”

Corinne Silva, “The cleaning lady at the post office”

“I wish we could go see the grandkids; the last time we saw them was in the spring. But they’re in Arkansas and flying there is just too pricey.”

Gabe Sandberg, Student, 7th grade, Scotia school

“My Christmas wish is for my school to get money for the sports program. The state funds school sports pro-grams, but we don’t have enough money to buy balls and stuff or to keep the gym open.”

Arlene Mock, Fiscal assistant, Humboldt County Health Department

“I wish all of my kids could be together as a family. We’re spread out so far.”

Leona Bishop Independent housekeeper, yard worker, houseplant caregiver

“I’d like to see all our servicemen home. I know that isn’t going to happen, but I wish for everybody to have their kids with them like I will have mine.”

Continued from “Wishes,” page 1 management agreement or lease in place with a qualified new operator very soon and without any signifi-cant interruption of service at the Inn. As the gateway to Scotia and a popular and unique historic venue for all kinds of events, gatherings and celebrations during the holi-days, we wanted to really doll it up for the season. In the coming year, we plan to continue to make the Scotia Inn a place we can all be proud to have in our town. At this time of year, when we're all getting together to deck the halls, trim the tree, light the fireplace and enjoy a family feast, inevitably we'll read about one or more holiday catastrophe right here in Humboldt County. Unfortunately, you can safely bet there will be a few Christmas tree fires and cases of food poison-ing in the news over this happy season. Always, it seems, the harm could have been easily avoided with just a little foresight and prep-aration. We sure hope that nothing of the sort dampens your spirits or affects your household this season, or ever. So by way of a 'stocking stuffer' from TOS, we've compiled some of the best information avail-able and collected wisdom from our specialists, consultants, em-ployees and institutional tenants to produce some helpful Holiday hints and timely tips for avoiding ruina-tion at your family gatherings. So please, have a safe and Mer-ry Christmas this year, and enjoy a Happy, Prosperous New Year in 2014. Celebrate sensibly and be carefree. Frank

Christmas Tree Safety Tips Teach children Christmas tree safety. Do not leave matches, light-ers, lit cigarettes, candles or heat-ers unattended for small hands and inquisitive minds. Wash debris off tree. When you get your tree home, spray it with water to remove all dead nee-dles and dust. Place tree in a water bowl. The water bowl should hold 2 to 4 quarts of water. Never put your tree in a wood stand unless the stand is supplied with a water bowl. Water your Christmas tree dai-ly. An average tree may consume between a quart and a gallon of water per day. If the water level drips below the trunk cut of the tree, a seal will form and prevent the tree from absorbing water. Do not overload your tree with lights. By decorating the tree with a large quantity of lights you add a constant heat source to your tree. Discard lights or cords that are frayed, have exposed wires, loose

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Continued from “Frank,” page 1 Mark Richardson Interim General Manager for Scotia Community Services District

“After a noisy family Thanksgiving, I wish for a quiet day on the ocean for Christmas.”

Jonna Randall Floor manager, Scotia Hardware

“I wish for all the lonely people to have one day of happiness.”

Dottie Gillam, Retired, former PALCO employee

“My only Christmas wish is that the town would light the tree on the hill again. I’ve loved that tree since I was a baby.”

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connections or broken sockets. Use only decorative indoor lights approved by a recognized labora-tory. Never use outdoor lights on an indoor tree. Always unplug lights before going to bed or when leaving your home. Do not burn the Christmas tree in the fireplace. Burning your tree in the fireplace may cause a chimney fire. Test tree for freshness. This may be done by taking 10 needles from the tree. If 2 out of 10 snap, the moisture content in the tree will allow it to continue to drink water. Make a fresh cut. Cut about half an inch off the bottom of the tree. Trim branches from the bot-tom of the tree so that there is approximately 8 to 12” clearance from the floor to the lowest branch. Fill bowl to the rim with fresh clean plain water. If getting to the water bowl is difficult, place ice cubes in the bowl instead of wa-ter. The longer you wait to place your tree in water, the greater the chances that your tree will lose the required moisture con-tent to keep it fresh during the holidays. Place your tree in an area that is away from any heat source. Heaters, downdraft of heater vents, wood stoves, fireplaces, large appliances and direct sun-light cause trees to dry out very fast — once a tree loses its re-quired moisture it will not look or remain fresh. Never use candles on or near a tree.

Holiday Food Safety

'Tis the season to be jolly. Par-ties. Family and friends. Great food and drink, Christmas and then New Year’s — opportunities one right after another for fun get-togethers. And, unfortunately, for food-safety problems. At this time of year, many of us are preparing foods in larger sized quantities and under tighter time pressures than usual. As a result, the chances for compro-mised food safety increase. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that food-borne diseases cause approximately 76 million illness-es, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year. Three bacterias alone — salmonel-la, listeria, and toxoplasma — are re-sponsible for 1,500 deaths each year. That’s the bad news. The good is that you can do something about it with a few simple precautions. Here are my tips: Step #1: Clean •Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for a full 20 seconds

Madisen Frye Student, 7th grade, Scotia school

“My wish is to get my whole family together again. My sister moved to Washington, my brother moved to Virginia for school, and I want to see my niece and nephew for Christ-mas. My brother’s coming home for sure but we’re still working on getting my sister home.”

Rich Berti Manager, Hoby’s meat department

“My Christmas wish is that I can be healthier next year.”

Hailee Pollard, Cashier, Scotia Hardware

“My wish is for my son to be happy on Chr istmas morning , that he en joys i t . I ’m exc ited , because he ’ l l be two on De-cember 23 .”

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Garrett Lockhart Forklift operator and cashier, Scotia Hardware

“My Chr istmas wish is about my mom. I haven’ t seen her s ince I was in middle school . Even though I don ’ t ta lk to her—and she tr ies but I don’ t—I wish she could know that I love her .”

Robby Ewing Student, 7th grade

“My Chr istmas wish is to spend the hol iday with my fami ly . And a lso ra ise enough money to open the gym back up . I t ’ s been c losed for a couple of years now—it doesn ’ t have heat ing any-more.”

Matthew Wennerholm Vice president, Aqua Dam

“ I wish for an end to squab-b l ing in the workp lace .”

Elizabeth Heiss Pharmacy technician, Palco Pharmacy

“My Christmas wish for the town of Scotia is the Christmas tree to be placed back on the hill behind the Inn where it looks so beauti-ful.”

John Broadstock Scotia Fire Chief

“I have no wish for myself. Every-thing’s good for me; I’m very fortu-nate. But I wish others could get by in today’s world, to somehow make it. And to have real happiness.”

Susan Pryor Real estate agent

I’m really grateful my son will be able to come home for Christmas, and that family lives close so we can be together—everyone except my older brother, who’s working on the East Coast and will have to spend the holiday alone. But my Christmas wish is that everyone, everywhere, could enjoy the magic of Christmas.”

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before and after handling raw products. •Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards. Cutting boards should be run through the dishwasher at a high temperature setting — or thoroughly washed with soap and hot water — after each use. Step #2: Combat cross-contamination •Store raw meat, poultry and sea-food on a plate or tray so raw juices don't drip onto other foods. •Use one cutting board for raw meat products and another one for salads and other ready-to-eat foods, or wash cutting boards thoroughly be-tween each use. •Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood. •Don't spread bacteria with dirty sponges, dishcloths, or towels. Bacteria often thrive in the moist areas of these items where bits of food may also exist. Use paper towels or freshly cleaned sponges or cloths and soap and hot water to clean food preparation surfaces. Step #3: Cook safely •For meat, poultry and other dishes, use a food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to a safe internal tem-perature. When cooking a whole tur-key, use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature in the inner-most part of the thigh. The internal temperature should reach a minimum of 180°F. It is recommended to cook stuffing outside the bird. Meats like pork and beef should be cooked to 170°F. (See full chart below.) •Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm or reach 160ºF on a food thermometer. Don't use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked. Cook egg dishes until they reach 160ºF. •Cook fish until it's opaque and flakes easily with a fork. •When microwaving, make sure there are no cold spots in food (where bacteria can survive). For best results, cover, stir, and rotate food for even cooking. If there's no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. •When reheating sauces, soups, and gravies, bring them to a boil. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165ºF. Step #4: Chill thoroughly •Make sure the refrigerator tempera-ture is 40ºF or below and 0ºF or below in the freezer. Verify these temperatures regularly using an appliance thermometer. •Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within 2 hours. •Never defrost or marinate food at room temperature. Use the refrigerator. You can also thaw foods in airtight pack-aging in cold water (change the water every 30 minutes, so the food continues to thaw). Or, thaw in the microwave, if you'll be cooking the food immediately. •Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator. •Don't over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe.

Proper Cooking Temperatures •Sometimes the most important part of healthy cooking is just getting things hot enough to be safe. The following are recommended minimum temperatures for safe food preparation. You should always check the interior temperature of holiday meal meat dishes with a probe or meat thermometer. Ground meat Turkey, chicken: 170ºF Veal, beef, lamb, pork: 160ºF Beef Medium: 160ºF Well done: 170ºF Veal Medium: 160ºF Well done: 170ºF Lamb Medium: 160ºF Well done: 170ºF Pork Medium: 160ºF Well done: 170ºF Poultry Chicken, whole: 180ºF Turkey, whole: 180ºF Poultry breasts, roasts: 170ºF Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird): 165ºF Duck and goose: 180ºF Ham Fresh (raw): 160ºF Precooked (to reheat): 140ºF Seafood Shrimp: 5 minutes boiling Fish: Till flaky Clams: 5-10 minutes, steamed

Oysters: 5 minutes.

This year there are more lights than ever before in central Scotia, including for the first time all the way to the 3rd floor of the Scotia Inn. Photo by José Quezada.

Holiday decoration is an abiding tradition in Scotia, on private homes as well as public spaces. Photo by José Quezada.

A Scotia kitty cat stretches in front of strings of Christmas lights.