in other words
Smoke Free Cars for Kids
It can now cost you a
$500 fine for smoking in the car
with kids present.
Effective January 1,
2014 in Oregon, smoking in a
motor vehicle with any youth
under the age of 18 present is a
secondary traffic violation. The
penalty is a $250 fine for the first
offense and up to $500 for the
second or subsequent offenses.
This is a new law passed
to further protect children from
the dangers of secondhand
smoke. Secondhand smoke is
classified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) as
a Group A carcinogen and
is shown to cause cancer in
humans. According to the EPA,
secondhand smoke in cars is
especially harmful to children
because of the small, confined
space. Secondhand smoke
levels are more concentrated,
which is particularly damaging
to developing lungs. Children
in an estimated 50,000 Oregon
families are currently exposed
to secondhand smoke in motor
vehicles, according to the
Oregon Health Authority.
Studies have found
that rolling car windows down
while smoking does not protect
passengers from dangerous
levels of second hand smoke.
According to the American Lung
Association children exposed
to secondhand smoke are more
likely to suffer from respiratory
infections like bronchitis and
pneumonia, ear infections, and
worsened asthma symptoms and
attacks.
Police officers have the
authority to enforce the law only
if they have already stopped the
driver operating the vehicle for a
separate traffic violation or other
offense.
If you or anyone you
know is interested or ready to
quit using tobacco products, the
Oregon Tobacco Quit Line can
help. Please call 1-800-QUIT-
NOW (1-800-784-8669) or go
to www.quitnow.net/Oregon/.
The Spanish Quit Line:
1-855-DEJELO-YA (1-855-335-
3569).
If you are interested
in learning more about the
new law, please contact the
American Lung Association in
Oregon at 503-924-4094 or visit
smokefreecarsforkids.org. If you
are interested in local tobacco
prevention efforts in Columbia
County, please contact Ashley
Baggett, Tobacco Prevention
and Education Coordinator for
The Public Health Foundation
of Columbia County: abaggett@
tphfcc.org.
Creature Comforts ~ What’s New
By Michal Smith
Creatures is continuing to grow and change in
almost every aspect of the business. Aside from hav-
ing just learned and implemented our new “high tech”
software (allowing us more efficient tracking, ordering,
and inventory reporting, etc.) we’ve also been growing
the general inventory in our regular departments giving
customers more overall selection in the store. Although
we can’t stock all things for all people we can always
order items in for pick-up if what you’re looking for
isn’t here!
This month we’ve added even more reasons to
come visit. We’ve picked up where the Clever Cricket
february6
CAT Program
continued from page 6
Community
Ac-
tion Team, (CAT) has been
building Mutual Self-Help
housing since 2000. CAT
has helped to build nearly 20
houses in St. Helens, Oregon.
Mutual Self-Help building is
a unique program to achieve
homeownership. The stan-
dard program model utilizes
building groups of between
eight and 12 families who all
build new homes next to one
another over a 10-12 month
period. This traditional mod-
el requires that everyone con-
tributes labor to each other’s
homes and all of the families
move into the new homes
at the same time. Self-Help
homes in the standard pro-
gram range from 1100 and
1400 sq ft and have mortgag-
es between $140k and $160k.
CAT’s innovative
left off when they closed last year and are carrying Me-
lissa and Doug brand toys, puzzles and games. These
are high quality, unique and durable for age infant
through tween. You’ll also be able to find western
style gifts and accessories from Ozark Leather along-
side basic tack supplies!
Pet Odor Exterminating Candles continue to be
a huge hit with new fragrances available just in time for
Valentine’s Day!
And, as spring rolls around, for many it will be
time for large animal vaccinations. Creatures can order
many types of vaccines for goats, cows, pigs and hors-
es. Large animal vaccine orders will be taken in person
only so we’re sure to have exactly what you need. (kit-
2014
7
new program will benefit
both the future homeowner
and the community. The staff
at Community Action Team
is very proud to be one of a
handful of agencies approved
to do this work and are eager
to help members of our com-
munity to become homeown-
ers.
For information or if
you have questions, Sally can
be reached at 503.366.6544
or smclaughlin@cat-team.
org. Casey Mitchell, pro-
gram director, can be reached
at 503.366.6550 or cmitch-
ell1@cat-team.org.
Let us help you be-
come one of the 15 new hom-
eowners! If you or somebody
that you know are interested,
please contact us as soon as
possible, as slots are limited.
ten/cat and puppy/dog vaccines are always available
in-store).
We continue to be a hub for Bailey’s Pantry pet
food donations and have been able to provide regular
food deliveries in the last few months – THANK YOU
to all who have helped with this amazing endeavor and
watch for the next FUNdraiser soon!
We keep hearing our customers proudly ex-
claim that they are consciously making an effort to
“keep it local” please know that we at Creatures deeply
appreciate your patronage! Come in and see what’s
new Monday-Friday 10-6 ; Saturday10-5; Sunday 12-
4! 503-429-PETS(7387).
WOEC Current: Adding Valuable Services for Our Members
By Sarah Rossi
Online Bill Pay is now available
directly on the West Oregon Electric
Cooperative website, www.westoregon.
org. WOEC members have access
to an easy-to-use online bill pay and
account information system. SmartHub
provides convenient account access
available 24/7 by computer, tablet, and
smart phone. This new system delivers
account information, mobile payments
and more in a secure environment. There
are two options on the website, the “Pay
Bill” button is a quick pay system that
you only need to have your account
number and name to be able to complete
a payment, the “SmartHub logo” at the
bottom of the home page and the “My
Account” button at the top of the home
page are links to the full SmartHub
system that will show your account
information and usage history.
Some of the features of
SmartHub include:
• View bill and account information
• Contact customer service
• Bill payment and set up recurring
payments
• Request paperless billing
• Electric usage details
SmartHub provides a safe and
secure environment for your private
information and payment transaction.
Go to our website for more information
or call the office at 503-429-3021 if you
have any questions about this new way
to pay your bill and see your account
information!
West
Oregon
Electric
Cooperative is also pleased to announce
our new partnership with Energy
Efficiency Services (ESG) to provide
additional energy efficiency support for
our member programs. ESG became a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Ruralite in
May of 2013, which added value and
services to what both companies offer
to electric utilities. With the trusted
relationship WOEC has with Ruralite,
it was a natural fit for us to start using
ESG as our energy efficiency support.
WOEC has a long history of providing
conservation and energy efficiency
rebates and programs to our members,
and this new collaboration with ESG
will expand and enhance our program
offerings.
Energy Efficiency (EE), which
can be defined as doing more with
less energy, is by far one of the most
important energy resources available to
each and every one of us. It saves you
money, it is good for the environment,
and can also improve the economy.
Even just changing out a few regular
light bulbs to CFLs or LEDs, and adding
some caulking around leaky windows
and door trim can help you become more
energy efficient in your home without
costing you a lot of money. WOEC
provides other helpful EE hints on our
website (www.westoregon.org) under
the Member Services tab. Some are no
cost / low cost and others like installing
new windows and additional insulation
are more costly to begin with, but if
you have electric heat as your main heat
source, may be eligible for EE rebates to
help lower the cost.
Details about our newly
expanded program, and a chart of
available EE rebates can be found on the
“Rebates: Energy Efficiency” page on
our WOEC website. All of the eligible
rebate forms are on that website page
in fillable PDF form for our members’
convenience. We also have a new
“Frequently Asked Questions” section
on the website rebates page about our EE
programs and rebates. WOEC members
may now call 1-888-883-9879 to talk to
a dedicated energy efficiency specialist
that can answer questions and follow up
on EE rebates.
Home Energy Audits for
residential members as well as
commercial lighting project audits
will continue to be offered free of
charge to WOEC members. Expert
energy efficiency auditors will make
appointments with WOEC members
who request an audit to assess their home
energy usage. The auditors will then
prepare a report with helpful information
on reducing electric usage and measures
such as new windows and insulation that
could be done to increase the member’s
energy efficiency. Just call 1-888-883-
9879 to schedule an audit.
WOEC looks forward to
working with the professional staff at
ESG and being able to provide additional
programs and services to our members.
Please take this opportunity to check
out the energy efficiency pages on our
WOEC website to learn more about what
you can do and how WOEC can help!
• Kitchen & Bathroom Remodels • Finish Carpentry
• Ceramic Tile Work • Custom Home Construction
• Additions • Commercial Tenant Improvements
Jim Morrison, Jr.
General Contractor
CCB# 112057
Ph: (503) 429-0154
MorrisonRemodeling@hughes.net
Vernonia, OR 97064
• Licensed • Bonded • Insured
