july7 2016
VERNONIA’S
volume10 issue13
www.vernoniasvoice.com
reflecting the spirit of our community
Open Air Market
is Back for Another Season
The Vernonia Open Air
Market is back for another season
with a great group of vendors.
The market has returned to
the same location on Adams Avenue
where they had a successful season
last year. The market is open on
Saturdays from 10:00 am until 2:00
pm.
The Vernonia Open Air
Market features local vendors selling
fresh grown produce, baked goods,
locally roasted coffee, textiles,
pottery, jewelry, art, and more.
“Our rule is that anything
sold here has to be handmade or
homegrown,” says market organizer
Bill Langmaid.
Langmaid says he expects
there to be more produce for sale
as the market gets further into the
growing season.
Signage on the Linear Trail
and at the entrance to town has
helped make the market more visible.
“The park hosts at Anderson Park,
Mel and Adam, have been sending a
lot of people our way as well,” says
Langmaid.
“We had a few down years while we
were trying to find a permanent home,” says
Langmaid. “It was good to connect with the
city and get permission to close and use Adams
Avenue again this year.”
A Facebook page has also been created
to help promote the market. Go to “Vernonia
inside
jail operations report
8
rescue pets
at creatures
9
summer in vernonia
10
4th of july parade
Columbia Pacific CCO
Exceeds Oregon Health Plan
Performance Measures
Open Air Market” and like their page and keep
watching for online coupons for discounts.
The page recently featured a coupon for 10%
off. Customers could show each vendor the
coupon on their hand held device and receive
the discount at each booth they shopped at.
Langmaid says there will be more coupons
and specials advertised on the Facebook page
throughout the season.
Langmaid says there is always room for
more vendors at the market. Anyone intersted in
more information should contact Bill Langmaid
at bill@rangelights.com or call 971-998-3705.
Langmaid says the market has been
averaging eight vendors each week; during the
4 th of July weekend there were 11 vendors. The
market will be open during Jamboree weekend.
It will run through the end of September at their
location on Adams Avenue, and will have their
final weekend at the Salmon Festival in Hawkins
Park on the first Saturday in October.
Columbia Pacific CCO
achieved 100 percent in Oregon
Health Authority’s recently
released fourth annual Metrics
Report. The metrics show
how well each of the state’s
Coordinated Care Organizations
(CCOs) do in caring for their
Oregon Health Plan members.
The report showed
that Columbia Pacific CCO
met or exceeded all 18 quality
performance metrics for which
CCOs are accountable. The
report also shows the amount of
incentive payments CCOs will
receive, based on their overall
results. In addition to achieving
100 percent of the quality
measures, Columbia Pacific
CCO will receive additional
funds from a bonus pool.
“This shows the great
strides that primary medical
care, dental care, and mental
and behavioral health clinics
and organizations working with
Columbia Pacific CCO have
made in the past four years,”
said Safina Koreishi, MD,
medical director for Columbia
Pacific CCO. “They continue to
develop and implement systems
and processes to improve
clinical care. Every year the
improvement target is raised,
so continued improvement is
always needed to get patients the
health screenings and care they
need.”
“The latest performance
report shows CCOs across the
state are providing higher qual-
ity care for Oregon Health Plan
(OHP) members,” said Lynne
Saxton, Oregon Health Author-
ity (OHA) director. “OHP pa-
tients are enrolling in patient-
centered primary care homes,
using emergency rooms less
frequently and getting more ef-
fective care for chronic diseases.
Oregon’s incentives are produc-
ing better results for members
and for taxpayers.”
“Columbia
Pacific
CCO works with our clinical
partners and provides technical
assistance to help implement
better treatment processes
to improve patient care and
access to health services,” Dr.
Koreishi said. “We also offer
patients small incentives for
getting preventive care and
immunizations, to better protect
their health.”
Over the past year,
Columbia Pacific CCO has
implemented the following
health and wellness support
for the communities it serves
in Clatsop, Columbia and
Tillamook counties:
• Clinical education for health
care providers about chronic
pain and opioid prescribing,
as well as two new clinics for
patients with persistent pain
(now each county in the CCO
has a pain clinic).
•
Rehabilitation
and
detoxification services in St.
Helens.
• The First Steps program, which
gives incentives to women who
get early prenatal care and do
healthy activities for themselves
and their babies.
• A text to quit smoking
cessation program is offered free
to anyone living in the CCO’s
region, not just OHP members.
continued on page 13
Community Action Team: The First 50 Years
Part 3: Making Co-
lumbia County Homes
Safer and Healthier
By Leanne Murray
3
free
Community Action
Team (CAT) is celebrating
its 50 th anniversary. For 38
of those years this local non-
profit agency has been in the
business of helping Colum-
bia, Clatsop and Tillamook
county residents make their
homes healthier, safer, and
more energy efficient. One
of CAT’s primary strengths
lies in the fact that there are
three “sides” to the organiza-
tion. Staff members are able
to refer clients internally to
multiple programs, ensuring
as many of their needs
are being met as possible.
This article introduces
readers to the impact
CAT has had in Colum-
bia County through four
of their Community In-
vestment
Department
programs. Affectionately
known as the “sticks and
bricks” programs, this
department assists clients
in the three-county area
with their physical struc-
tures.
CAT’s Lend a Hand Program has improved livability and safety for Jan
The Lend a Hand Rogers. She is now able to watch the birds she loves from her wheelchair.
Program provides minor
cial capacity to complete the nomical.”
repairs and necessary ac-
work on their own. That may
Rogers has lived
cessibility upgrades that in-
not sound like a lot, but for in Columbia County for al-
crease livability and safety
CAT client Jan Rogers* in most 40 years; five years ago
for senior, disabled and vet-
Scappoose, “the changes it she purchased a single-wide
eran homeowners and renters
made in my life were astro- manufactured home just a
who do not have the finan-
continued on page 11
