April 11, 2017
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read®
Issue 00313
• Armstrong • Cherryville • Coldstream • Fintry Please • Lavington Lumby454 • Spallumcheen • Vernon • www.tidbitsvancouver.com Westside Rd • Bold Medias Publishing For Advertising Call•(604) - 1387
For thousands of years, crude oil bubbling to the surface trapped Ice Age animals in sticky goo, leading to a trove of fossils. Come along with Tidbits as we visit La Brea Tar Pits! A STICKY TRAP • For millions of years, the remains of marine plankton collected in the bottom of an ocean basin off the coast of what is now California. Over time, this deposit was transformed into crude oil. As the continent drifted and the California coast lifted, the oil crept through cracks in the rocks, pooling on the surface in what is now downtown Los Angeles. • Beginning about 40,000 years ago, the sticky oil gathered in pools, where lighter compounds evaporated, leaving thick asphalt behind. Covered by water, leaves, and weeds, these tarry pits looked like normal ground. Animals would walk over the crusty top, then suddenly find themselves mired in the muck. Predators and scavengers trying to prey upon the victims would also get stuck. Their bones sank to the bottom and became fossilized. • The native tribes used the tar to seal baskets and boats. Spanish explorers made the first written record of the tar pits in 1769. The first permanent settlement was established in the late 1700s. The Spanish word for tar is “brea” and the area became known as Rancho La Brea. THE TAR PITS DEVELOPED • Eventually a man named George Hancock went into business drilling the oil and mining the asphalt at La Brea, which was used to pave roads, preserve railroad ties, and waterproof pipes. Animal bones were dug up often. However, it was believed the bones belonged
What do you have left over when you eat a La Brea tar peach? A La Brea tar pit!
Want to run your own business? Publish a paper in your area, and become a part of the family. 1.866.859.0609
Make a difference in your community today. www.tidbitscanada.com .tidbitscanada.com • Advertising for Tidbits Vernon (250) 832-3361 •
Page 2
info@TidbitsVernon.com •
•
•
•
•
“I Love that little paper!” either to ranch animals who had wandered away, or recently killed wildlife. In 1875 a professor traveled to the tar pits and wrote about finding fossilized bones, though his report garnered little notice. It was a geologist working for an oil company in 1901 who was the first to draw attention to the fact that the bones belonged to prehistoric animals, now long extinct. In 1913 George Hancock granted the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County the exclusive rights to excavate the area. In the next two years, they dug up over 750,000 fossils. Hancock subsequently donated 24 acres to the county, stipulating that the fossils found there be preserved and displayed. The area is now called Hancock Park after him. In the 1940s the first fossilized mammoth bones were pulled out of the pit, generating much excitement. A museum was constructed in the mid-1970s, named after philanthropist and founder George C. Page. Over 3.5 million fossils have been uncovered so far. More than 650 different species have been identified ranging from mammoth and mastodon to the tooth of a baby mouse. Archeologists have found over 231 species of vertebrates, 159 species of plants, and 234 species of invertebrates. The tar pits are not actually tar. They are really asphalt. Asphalt is what remains when crude oil is exposed to air, and the lighter elements such as kerosene and butane evaporate off, leaving the heavier residues behind. Tar, on the other hand, is what’s left behind when woody materials such as coal or peat is distilled.
FAST FACTS ABOUT LA BREA • So far over 3 million fossils have been recovered from the pit. Based on the number of bones found, and the number of years the tar pits have been bubbling away, scientists estimate that if only one large animal had become trapped once every ten years, that would account for the number of bones found. • The dire wolf is the most common large mammal found in the pits, with over 3,000 individuals identified so far. Dire wolves were the size of a large timber wolf. Most were probably trapped when they tried to feed on other animals stuck in the muck. • Bones from over 2,000 saber tooth cats have been found, making them the second most common animal found. Saber tooth cats went extinct about 10,000 years ago. • In third place is the coyote. The oldest bones found in La Brea so far belonged to a coyote who died there approximately 44,000 years ago, according to carbon-14 dating. • About 15 mastodons have been found. • Camels evolved in North America before migrating to Asia, Africa, and South America, and the remains of a species called Camelops hesternus has been found in the pit. It looked very much like a camel but was actually more closely related to the llama. • A giant sloth called the Harlan’s ground sloth is the largest species of sloth found in the asphalt deposits. It weighed up to 1,500 lbs. (680 kg). • Many other species that still exist today have also been found there, ranging from horses and bison to rabbits, coyotes, and skunks. • Under normal circumstances, it’s difficult to find a really good fossil of birds because their bones are hollow and delicate. But birds that got trapped in the tar are well preserved, giving researchers a trove of over 100,000 bird fossils of many different species. • Many nearly microscopic fossils have also been recovered from La Brea, including crustaceans, insects, seeds, leaves, and pollen. The 159 species of fossilized plants help scientists track the history of ice age climate change. • Interestingly, many of the saber tooth cat skeletons show evidence of healed injuries and diseases that would ordinarily have been fatal, suggesting that the animals were social creatures who depended upon each other for help when an individual was hurt or sick and needed time to recover. Saber tooth cats were more closely related to bobcats than to tigers.
Call Today (250) 832-3361 * “Safety-pin fitted sheets and mattress pads together on the edges when washing and drying. It keeps other items from balling up inside.” -- M.W. in Iowa * Here’s a great (and super simple) tactic for making a cool, delicious treat, from L.O. in New Mexico: “Purchase a six-pack of single-serve yogurt tubs with a paper or foil lid. Poke a wooden ice-pop stick into each on and put the whole thing in the freezer. The next day you have a pack of yummy yogurt pops, which have nutrition and taste great.” * Great grapes! This tip will be a hit at your next outdoor barbecue: Serve wine (and punch, too) with frozen grapes as ice cubes. Wash and rinse a bunch of grapes and stick them in the freezer. They make a tasty snack all alone, but will keep a glass of white wine chilled while not watering it down.” * “To charge your phone a bit quicker, try putting it in airplane mode. It really does help.” -- W.E. in Mississippi * Get all the tomato paste out of the can with this kitchen hack: Open up one side of the can, then run a butter knife around the inside perimeter to separate the paste from the can. Finally, flip it upside down on a plate and open the other side of the can. Remove the can with a bit of a shake, and it should slip out just like cranberry jelly! * Don’t remember how long you’ve had those eggs? Here’s a handy tip to check any egg: Submerge in a glass of water. Fresh eggs lay flat on the bottom. Aging but still good eggs stand up, but remain submerged. If your egg floats, better not chance it. Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
• Lions that were very closely related to modern African lions have also been found in the pits, but in far fewer numbers than other carnivores. Perhaps they weren’t very common, or maybe they were smarter than other animals and avoided being trapped. • One of the most interesting items discovered is a nearly complete mammoth skeleton. The only pieces missing are a vertebra, a rear leg, and the top of its skull. The mammoth is fondly known as Zed. Because of the size of the teeth and the state of their wear, researchers know that Zed was a male, and he was perhaps 50
info@TidbitsVernon.com The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read® Call Today (250) 832-3361
Page 3
to the surface, continuing to trap bugs, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and the occasional stray pet. The tar pits are most dangerous during warm weather when the asphalt is stickiest. Amazing Plants
years old when he died. The story told by his bones tells of a hard life: several of his ribs were broken and then healed. He had arthritis in his joints. He suffered a strange growth on one of his jaws. Because his bones were mineralized and showed no sign of scavengers, it’s possible that he died in a streambed where he was covered with water before his remains became encased in asphalt. • The process is on-going. Asphalt still bubbles
SEE $25
SA SAW IT Y YOU IN TID BITS
THE GEEKS
Computer Support
Windows • Apple • Android
OFF PC or M TUNE ac UP
SEE Chris Willan Head Geek
Book your appointment online, anytime! Trusted • Convenient • Affordable • Secure
www.iseethegeeks.com
Proudly supporting the Okanagan for over 22 years
Toll Free . CA . US . MX
1. This animal whose fossils are commonly found in the pit is now the California state fossil. 2. Have any dinosaur bones been found there? 3. Have human remains been found there? 4. How deep are the tar pits? 5. Are there more herbivores (plant eaters) or carnivores (meat eaters) found in the pits?
• Kudzu is a fast-growing perennial vine rumored to have “eaten the South.” Although the plant grows quickly – up to a foot per day – rumors of the South’s destruction by kudzu have been greatly exaggerated. • In 1876, kudzu was imported to the U.S. from its native Japan and Asia and displayed at the World’s Fair. It didn’t attract much notice. However, horticulturists soon found that kudzu grows more quickly in the southern U.S. than it does in its native environments for two reasons: first, it established a symbiotic relationship with a certain fungus found in the soils in particular areas, and second, it was free of the biological controls that limited its growth in its homeland. What was a normal vine with a typical growth rate back in Asia became a monster vine growing at phenomenal rates in the southeastern U.S. • In the 1930s, American farmland was being ravaged by erosion due to over-plowing, and Congress declared war on soil erosion. The Soil Conservation Service grew millions of kudzu seedlings and paid farmers $8 an acre to plant it (equal to $115/acre today). Railroads and highways were cutting gashes into the land, and kudzu seemed ideal for stabilizing the raw cuts. When planted in these locations, the kudzu vine would grow fast enough to completely cover anything in its path: road signs, trees, abandoned buildings. By the 1950s, kudzu was no longer being recommended as erosion control because that’s when researchers found out how difficult it is to kill. • Each node on a kudzu vine can turn into either a root or a tendril, meaning the plant can climb and creep at astonishing rates. Each branch can reach a length of 100 feet (30 m) or more, and when a branch becomes separated from the mother plant, it continues growing apace. • Kudzu requires a huge amount of herbicide applied regularly to kill, and any tendril that isn’t doused survives to start the growth all over again. Any part of the root left in the ground can regenerate, so plowing it under or burning it off doesn’t work well. If it’s chopped, any part of the chopped vine that is left on the ground can put down roots, and in order to kill it by mowing, it must be mowed every few weeks for several years. • Lately researchers have been developing biological controls, including weevils that eat the stems, beetles that eat the roots, and flies that eat the leaves. The problem is that those insects may also damage adjacent crops. One promising development involves using a specific fungus which kills kudzu, with the main drawback being that this strain of fungus is harmful to livestock. Livestock themselves are a good agent of control, because they eat the plant
1.855.558.GEEK
KUDZU
Page 4
info@TidbitsVernon.com
right down to the soil line. • Still, the menace of kudzu is over-stated. It cannot survive cold winters or heavy shade. The iconic photos of kudzu-covered buildings and kudzu-smothered forests are generally taken in areas of little use anyway, where there’s high traffic and a lot of people gawking. Although abandoned buildings are easily covered by kudzu, inhabited buildings rarely are. And what can’t be seen from the window of a car is that the kudzu cannot penetrate beyond the margin of a forest. • Kudzu currently covers about 227,000 acres in the southern U.S., equal to the size of a small county, or .01% of the South’s 200 million acres of forest. Its coverage increases at the modest rate of about 2,500 acres per year. • And there are useful aspects to the plant: the vines can be used to make baskets; the leaves and tendrils are edible by livestock and humans; honey bees appreciate the abundant fragrant flowers; and it fixes nitrogen in the soil which benefits other plants in the vicinity. TAUTOLOGICAL NAMES • Given that “la brea” means “the tar” in Spanish, if you say that you’re going to visit the La Brea tar pits, you’re actually saying you’re going to visit “the the tar tar pits.” This is called a tautological place name. Tautology means saying the same thing twice using different words. “Taut” is the Greek word meaning “same.” Tautological names are common when two different languages are combined using words from each language that both mean the same thing. Let’s visit some other tautological locations. • The River Avon comes from the Welsh word “afon” meaning river. There are various Avon Rivers located in England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. • “Hatchie” means “river” in the Muskogean language, the tribe native to the southeastern U.S., and the Hatchie River runs for 238 miles (383 km) through Mississippi and Tennessee. • Speaking of Mississippi, the Algonquin word meaning “big river” is “mississippi,” so the Mississippi River is “the big river river.” There is also a Mississippi River in Ontario, Canada. The Mississippi River in the U.S. is the largest river on the North American continent, running for 2,320 miles (3,733 km), whereas the one in Ontario runs for only 120 miles (200 km). • The Rio Grande River forming the border between Texas and Mexico is another big river, from the Spanish “rio” meaning “river” and “grand” meaning large.
“I Love that little paper!”
Call Today (250) 832-3361
info@TidbitsVernon.com The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read® Call Today (250) 832-3361
*Expires April 30, 2017
INSECTELOPE The name of the geological epoch that the La Brea fossils date to.
Page 5
• “Walla” means “river” in the native Sahaptin tongue, and when repeated “walla walla” it means “little river.” So the Walla Walla River near Walla Walla, Washington is literally “the little river river.” • In California, there’s Laguna Lake, with “laguna” being Spanish for “lake.” • Lake Tahoe straddling the California/Nevada border comes from the English version of the Washoe word for lake, “da-aw.” Lake Tahoe is the 6th largest freshwater lake in the U.S. after the Great Lakes. • Lake Chad, located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, comes from the Bornu word for lake, “tsade.” This lake shrank by 95% between 1963 and 2001 due to overuse. • The Sahara Desert comes from the Arabic word meaning “greatest desert.” • The Gobi Desert comes from the Mongolian word for desert, “govi.” The first dinosaur eggs were found in the Gobi Desert. • Then you have all the places all over the world that are named “Glendale” with the Gaelic word “gleann” meaning “valley” and the Norse word “dail” also meaning “valley.” • Even the Milky Way galaxy is a tautological phrase, since the word “galaxy” comes from the Greek “galaxias” meaning “milky vault.” • Tautological phrases are not limited to places. For instance, there’s chai tea, when the word “chai” is Russian for tea. The Italian word for shrimp is “scampi” so “shrimp scampi” means “shrimp shrimp.” • There’s even a whole separate category of tautological abbreviations, known as RAS syndrome which is short for “redundant acronym syndrome syndrome.” A perfect example is when you use your PIN number at the ATM machine, since PIN stands for “Personal Identification Number” and ATM is short for “Automatic Teller Machine.” Then there’s the VIN number on cars (“Vehicle Identification Number number) and LCD displays (Liquid Crystal Display display).
1. True or false: More Ice Age fossils have been found here than at any other place on the planet. 2. Name the gas that causes the bubbling in the tar pits.
Page 6
info@TidbitsVernon.com
“I Love that little paper!”
Call Today (250) 832-3361
. . . Goes to the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre
Rhubarb-Walnut Sticky Buns These might be a bit messy -but they sure will taste good with some fresh rhubarb! 8 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls 2 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed 1/4 cup water 1 (4-serving) package Jell-O sugar-free strawberry gelatin 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light Margarine 1/2 cup Splenda granular 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1. Spray an 8-by-12-inch baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray. Evenly space frozen rolls in prepared baking dish. Cover with a cloth and let thaw and rise. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. In a medium saucepan, combine rhubarb and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until rhubarb softens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add dry gelatin. Mix well to dissolve gelatin. Stir in margarine, Splenda and walnuts. Evenly spoon hot mixture over top of rolls. 3. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes. Place baking dish on a wire rack and let set for 10 minutes. Carefully remove rolls from pan and continue cooling on wire rack. Serves 8. TIP: If you use frozen rhubarb, thaw by rinsing in a colander under hot water for one minute. * Each serving: 116 calories, 4g fat, 4g protein, 16g carbs., 151mg sodium, 30mg calcium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Fat; Carb Choices: 1. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
See y o there u !
info@TidbitsVernon.com The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read® Call Today (250) 832-3361
Page 7
by Samantha Weaver * Those looking for a new, somewhat more relaxing line of work might want to consider becoming air farmers. Yes, that is an actual job title. Since 2015, the British company Aethaer has employed air farmers to “harvest” air in jars at locations all over the British Isles -- largely in rural areas, away from roads and their attendant pollution. This pure British air is then sold for $115 per bottle, mostly to consumers in China, where cities are plagued by unprecedented levels of pollution. * Everyone, it seems, has a patron saint -- even those oft-reviled professionals, dentists. Images of Saint Apollonia show her holding a molar in one hand and an enormous pair of pliers in the other. * If you’re both a lover of books and a travel junkie, then the Tolstoy Train is just the holiday for you. On this luxuriously appointed train -- complete with a library -- you can take a 14-hour overnight journey between Moscow and Helsinki, Finland, traveling through pine forests, rolling hills and quaint Russian villages. * Pepsi-Cola was introduced originally in 1898 with the far less appetizing name “Brad’s Drink.” * Those who study such things say that when a woman’s husband dies, the length of her remaining life does not seem to be affected. When a man loses his wife, though, his lifespan decreases -- unless he marries again.
The V.J.H Auxiliary’s 2nd Annual Huge Garage, Book and Plant Sale is coming up on Saturday May 6th at People Place Parking Lot from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm.
Gently used donations would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off in the hospital’s upper parking lot (off 31A St-look for the balloons)
on April 8th, 22nd & 29th from10:00am to 2:00 pm.
No heavy furniture, electronics or clothing please. For more info call 250-542-8844 or 778-475-1586
N e e d Wi n d o w C l e a n e r / H e l p e r. Please fill out the Questionnaire a t : h t t p s : / / w w w. z i p r e c r u i t e r. c o m / job/e1b3afdf OR email clearfx@ icloud.com with your information for window cleaning position. Will train. Locals only please. Must have valid Drivers license. Cannabis Consultant for Vernon dispensary. P/T work. Medical background a plus; customer service, people-oriented, reliability, and organizational skills a must. Send cover letter and resume to info@thhc.ca.”
SPECIALITY SHARPENING
All your sharpening needs, and for your convenience, drop off and pickup at Vernon’s Water Store. 180, 4400 - 32 St (250)308-4866
Time to plant Boyne and Creston raspberry canes $10/dozen. Trees and Shrubs: Maple, Plum etc. Several rolls of page wire plus fence posts. 250-503-0781 ( Vernon)
Build a Shaklee business online while keeping your present job, using your computer and phone. Go to www.naturalfreedom.net to learn more.
Thought for the Day: “Success isn’t how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.” -- Steve Prefontaine (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
BOOK WAREHOUSE #35, Alpine Centre, 100 Kal Lake Road OPEN on WEDNESDAYS and SATURDAYS 9 AM TO 1 PM Quality used books & more, most priced $1 or less Supporting Special Olympics, Vernon & other local charities Phone 250-275-2676 for more info. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
• Big Bag Boy golf cart $25, •Right hand Medicus golf driver + putter trainer + instruction cd $60, •Wine rack holds 20 bottles $30, • Coleman Air Matress with pump $40 (250) 550-8486 Call after 6:00 PM. ( Vernon)
Interested in some added exposure for your business? There are still booths available for the Lumby & District Community Showcase coming up on April 29th! For more information call us at 250-547-2300 or email
lumbychamber@gmail.com
Happy Easter! Kids Easter Egg Hunt at Memorial Park Hosted by the Armstrong Ladies Club 10:15 am start Ages 0 to 10 years For other activities visit www.aschamber.com Or Armstrong100 fb page
Overheard at the La Brea tar pits, as one lady turned to the other and said, “Isn’t it remarkable that such amazing animals lived right next to Wilshire Boulevard in the middle of Los Angeles?”
Why Join the Chamber? Extensive research shows that when consumers know that an organization is a member of the chamber of commerce, they are 49% more likely to think favorably of it and 80% more likely to purchase goods or services from that organization in the future!
For information on GVCC membership contact Jamie Morrow at membership@vernonchamber.ca 250-545-0771
1. The saber tooth cat is the California state fossil. 2. Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years before the tar pits were formed. 3. The only human remains were of a woman age 25 who died10,000 years ago, found next to the bones of a dog, leading researchers to conclude she was buried there ritualistically rather than being caught in the tar. 4. The tar pits are a few inches to a few feet deep. 5. Carnivores outnumber herbivores by a ratio of nine to one, perhaps because carnivores were attracted in large number to the trapped herbivores.
Page 8 info@TidbitsVernon.com “I Love that little paper!�
PLEISTOCENE
1. True: More Ice Age fossils have been found here than at any other place on the planet. 2. The gas that bubbles up through the tar pits is methane, which comes when bacteria eat the oil and then fart out methane.
you Say t in saw i
Call Today (250) 832-3361