community
april6
2017
13
Columbia County Hosts MIP Class
On March 6, 2017 the Columbia
County Department of Community
Justice- Juvenile Division hosted its first
Minor in Possession (MIP) class at the
Columbia County Road Department
Conference Center. The class was
previously hosted by the Columbia
County chapter of Mothers Against
Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) until the
retirement of beloved community
member Lynn Chiotti in 2016. Her
final class was in July of 2016. Without
a local host, youth and families were
referred to attend this class in Portland.
The Juvenile Division has
always recognized this class was an
excellent tool to inform about, and deter
current and future alcohol, tobacco, and
other drug use and abuse by youth. The
Juvenile Division receives more than
60 referrals a year from police agencies
for alcohol and marijuana violations.
Probation officers meet with the youth
and families and subsequently perform
a risk and needs assessment using a
Statewide-approved assessment tool.
Youth who use alcohol or other drugs,
or who associate with peers and adults
who use or abuse alcohol or other drugs,
pose a higher risk of continued alcohol
and drug use, poor school performance,
poor health, negative peer and other
relationships, and delinquency. We hope
this early intervention program will start
Columbia County Transit
System to Begin Online Sales
CC Rider monthly passes,
“singles-in-multiples” included
CC Rider, Columbia County’s
transit system, is making it easier for
customers to pay for a ride on the bus.
Beginning March 27, passes and single-
ride tickets sold in bulk are available
online through the transit service’s
website at columbiacountyrider.com.
“Online ticket sales are much
more convenient than buying from a
driver or having to go to the Transit
Center during open hours,” said Michael
Ray, Columbia County’s transit director.
“It’s also better for drivers, whose main
goal is getting riders to where they need
to go on time.”
As monthly passes are gener-
ally sold at the end of each month, driv-
ers will no longer be responsible for
large amounts of cash at very predict-
able times, making it easier for them to
focus on driving.
The new online system is also
safer for riders, as they won’t need to
carry large amounts of money to pay for
their rides. “Many people pay for their
monthly passes early in the morning
or late at night while waiting for their
bus,” Ray said, “so this makes it better
for them.”
Passes and single tickets in
multiple will continue to be sold at the
St. Helens Transit Center at 1155 Deer
Island Rd. Monthly passes and multiple
single-ride tickets sold online will be
delivered through the mail.
The new payment system also
makes it easier for companies and
the conversations about the impacts of
these choices.
The class was presented by the
Legacy Emanuel Trauma Nurse Talk
Tough Program Nurse and Educator
Shelley Campbell.
The class was
attended by 16 youth from Columbia
County, along with 11 of their guardians,
who had been referred to the class for
possession or consumption of alcohol or
marijuana by the Juvenile Division, the
City and State Courts, and schools.
Ms. Campbell shared her
experiences as a trauma nurse of more
than 40 years as she educated the group
about brain and other organ development.
Many participants seemed surprised to
learn the brain is not fully developed
until around age 25. The liver is not
fully developed until around age 23.
This left most participants feeling that
people should refrain from the use of
alcohol or other drugs until at least age
23.
The Juvenile Division plans
to host the MIP class every three
months. The next class is scheduled for
Wednesday, May 24 from 5:00 pm until
8:00 pm. The cost of the class is $50 for
youth who attend alone, it is reduced to
$20 if youth bring a parent or guardian as
we feel it is paramount that parents and
guardians receive the same information.
The proceeds of the class go to the
Legacy Emanuel Trauma Nurse Talk
Tough Program. For more information
or to refer or register for the class, please
email Stacey Dague at Stacey.dague@
co.columbia.or.us or Ryan Moore at
ryan.moore@co.columbia.or.us
agencies that purchase passes or bulk
tickets for employees and clients to do
business. Many businesses already use
online payment methods, so they can
now pay for passes without having to
write checks or bring cash to the Transit
Center office.
Ray expects bus operator sales
to stop before summer. He thinks most
people will find the new system to be so
convenient that it will soon overshadow
the current system of buying passes
from drivers. “Once riders are used to
purchasing online, we will stop selling
passes and multiples of single tickets
on buses altogether. After that, drivers
will only accept exact cash for walk-on
riders taking a single trip.”
The online program will also
help the CC Rider to better monitor
pass and ticket sales. CC Rider has
seen an increase in ridership this year.
In 2016, the transit system transported
95,303 passengers, a 16% increase over
2015 numbers.
Bus passes and tickets can
now be purchased on-line though
the
following
website:
www.
columbiacountyrider.com.
CC Rider is Columbia County’s transit
system. With a fleet of buses that connect
with Sunset Empire Transportation
District to the west, River Cities Transit
to the north in Longview, and TriMet
in the Portland metropolitan area, the
system carries nearly 100,000 riders
each year. CC Rider also provides a
route to Portland Community College’s
Rock Creek campus in Washington
County.
Register Now
for Early Childhood Screening Fair
The Early Childhood Health and Education Screening Fair is
being provided for all 2, 3, 4 and 5 year olds of Columbia County.
This free screening fair will provide parents and guardians
information about their child’s development as it relates to
current health and education guidelines.
Friday, May 19th
Sunset Park Community Church
174 Sunset Blvd, St. Helens
Parents and guardians are requested to make
appointments by May 12 so materials can be mailed
and completed before attending the screening fair.
Please call the NW Early Learning Hub
for an appointment
(503) 614-1443 or (503) 366-4100
Notice of Budget Committee Meeting
A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Columbia County 4-H & Extension
Service District, Columbia County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for the fiscal
year July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, will be held at the OSU Extension Service office,
505 N. Columbia River Hwy, St. Helens, OR. The meeting will take place on April 19,
2017 at 12:15 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and
to receive comment from the public on the budget. A copy of the budget document may
be inspected or obtained on or after April 18, 2017 at the OSU Extension Service office,
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. This is a public meeting where deliberation
of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and
discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee.