Tattler Reporter & Editor:  Steve Ban

John Dunne introduced John Matzinger

Nathan Twining brought Tor Benson

President Doug introduced Glenn Bailey, Rotarian from Honolulu Sunset Rotary Club, Classification Magician, his wife Loren, Brother Roger and Sister-in-Law Iris Bailey

Paul Grey introduced Sarah Janigian from Rotary Club of San Jose a club of over 400 members.

Members on Zoom: Loch Trimingham, Sandy McIntire and Dick Tucker

Chuck Snyder from Arizona

Mystery Photo:  John Harris

 

John Dunne provided an excellent summary of this historical non-fiction about the lives of homeless and marginalized people during Seattle's long history. The author, Josephine Ensign, a nurse who experienced homelessness earlier in her life, describes the individual lives of overlooked and long-silenced people who have lived on the margins of Seattle's society. This process allows her to examine how a large, socially progressive city like Seattle responded to the health and social needs of people marginalized by poverty, mental illness, addiction, racial/ethnic/sexual identities and homelessness. Given the homelessness problem here in Whatcom County, John felt this book was a worthwhile read for all of us.

    

Program director John Moffat introduced our main speaker, John Gargett. John is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in Risk, Safety, Security, Emergency and Crisis Management as they apply to all public and private entities. He has worked in over 45 countries and has testified before the US House of Representatives. John is currently Deputy Director for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management and Communications.

 

Prior to his main topic, John, a former Rotarian, paid tribute to Rotary as an organization which has made a significant positive impact both internationally and locally. He pointed out that a large percentage of the leaders of Third World countries are Rotarians. In Whatcom County, the large Flood of 2021 caused $250 million worth of damage and the county's Rotary Clubs provided a significant amount of physical and financial help.

 

Although John's topic was earthquakes, he began by pointing out that there are four other possible natural events which pose a bigger hazard to Whatcom County. Topping the list is flooding, which occurs almost annually. Some low-income people are still homeless from the 2021 flood. Next are winter storms, then wildfires. John reported that there are three active wildfires in our county currently. Fourth on the list is the risk of Mt. Baker erupting. This last occurred some 6,000 years ago and changed the course of the Nooksack River, from being a tributary of the Frazier River to emptying into Bellingham Bay.  

 

Finally focusing on earthquakes, John discussed the one most people in the Northwest worry about, the "Big One", which will be the collision of the North American Plate and the Juan de Fuca Plate along the Cascade Subduction Zone, about 175 miles off the Olympic Peninsula coast. It will register 9.2 on the Richter scale and cause about 5-7 minutes of violent shaking. Whatcom County will be somewhat protected from the quake's destructive effects because of its distance from the county. Also, Vancouver Island will decrease the size of the resulting tsunami to about 18 feet.

 

John next discussed a possible earthquake which would potentially cause much more damage in Whatcom County than the Big One. This is a quake along the Kendall Fault Line in the north county. It would be a magnitude 6.0 quake, with 3-5 minutes of shaking. This would cause at least twice as much damage locally as the Big One because of its proximity. It would destroy Sumas and Everson and cause extensive damage to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The resulting tsunami would come up from the mouth of the Nooksack River.

 

John closed by offering three ways to prepare for and protect yourself during an earthquake:

1. Hydration - Instead of storing bottled water, stock up on non-dairy milk, which will provide some nutrition as well as hydration. 

2. Nutrition - Have two weeks of food at home, which most middle class households will already have.

3. During an earthquake, sheltering in your car (parked outdoors!) provides some protection from falling debris and can keep you connected via the car radio and the ability to charge your cell phone.