Be ready

October is earthquake preparedness month in Helena. On Oct. 18 and 31, 1935, quakes measuring 6.3 and 6.0 on the Richter Scale struck Helena, causing more than $4 million in damage and four fatalities, Lewis and Clark County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Paul Spengler said in a press release.

The same temblor today would cause nearly $2.5 billion in damage to buildings, roads and bridges.

Spengler encourages residents to assemble a three-day survival kit with food, clothing, water and necessary medications and other items. Use the example of a three-day camping trip to prepare the kit.

If an earthquake strikes, take cover under sturdy furniture and stay away from windows. After the quake, go to an area away from buildings and overhead utility lines. If driving, pull over and stay in the vehicle. Only keep driving if the vehicle is on or under an overpass.

Shut off utilities if they are damaged.

All schools in the county will hold earthquake drills Oct. 18. Personnel at the Lewis and Clark County Courthouse, the Law Enforcement Center, the City-County Building, and various state government buildings will hold drills the same day, and City-County Health Clinic staffers will hold the drill Oct. 25.

For more information, contact Spengler at 447-8285 or visit www.co.lewis-clark.mt.us for fault and liquefaction maps.

Books awarded

The Lewis and Clark Library and Helena Public Schools' Project for Alternative Learning were recently awarded more than 30 books in a three-part reading and discussion series called the Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens and Books). The books were provided by the American Library Association, with funding from Oprah's Angel Network.

Students in Renee' Driessen's and Jeri Rittel's morning classes will read "Born Blue" by Han Nolan, "The First Part Last" by Angela Johnson and "Stuck in Neutral" by Terry Trueman. The award includes discussion and research questions for the students, along with 11 copies of each book. Lewis and Clark Library Youth Services Librarian Candice Morris said each book focuses on a character who struggles with a serious challenge.

Stream tour set

The Lewis and Clark County Water Quality Protection District is inviting the public to tour local watershed stream projects. The bus tour will begin at the fairgrounds pond Thursday at 3:45 p.m. and conclude at 6.

Attendees will learn about riparian planting projects at the fairgrounds pond and visit fencing, watering, bank stabilization and stream channel restoration projects along Tenmile Creek, District Outreach Coordinator Jim Wilbur said Monday.

"This is a chance for people to see what can be done on streams in Montana," he said.

The tour includes a portion of Tenmile Creek that was recently restored. Workers stabilized 1,500 feet of stream bank and dug 500 feet of stream channel, Wilbur said, to restore a bend in the creek. The bend had been cut off years ago, resulting in erosion problems, he said.

Growth model

Jennifer Boyer of the Sonoran Institute will share a model of growth projections for the Helena area at the regular meeting of the Prickly Pear Creek Watershed Group on Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Montana City School Library.

Boyer on Monday said the institute - based in Tucson, Ariz., with a regional office in Bozeman - has analyzed the residential, commercial and industrial growth in Montana counties over the last century. The model used by the organization identifies triggers that spur development and attempts to map future growth, including the number of homes, she said.

The meeting is open to the public.

- By Larry Kline,

IR Staff Writer