Page 13
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 18, 2006
JoCo tobacco vendors
not selling to underaged
A STEP AEROBICS pro-
gram developed and im-
plemented by Illinois Val-
ley High School students
in the third-period expe-
ditionary learning class
taught by Cheryl Shep-
herd is a big hit at Lorna
Byrne Middle School.
The IVHS students have
been working with 35
LBMS pupils in the pro-
gram, which also has
involved classroom in-
struction, weight train-
ing, and Tae-Bo. The
IVHS students, besides
developing the program,
are learning problem
solving, working with
younger persons, and a
variety of other related
aspects.
During 14 undercover
tests in Josephine County
during 2004 to check to-
bacco sales to underage per-
sons, no clerks were cited,
said Oregon Dept. of Hu-
man Services (ODHS).
Josephine County had
the most of the federally
required inspections. The
county was among 15 of the
state’s 36 counties where
clerks did not sell tobacco to
underage persons.
Throughout Oregon, the
2005 sales rate of 17.8 per-
cent surpassed the ‘04 rate
of 14.6 percent. January of
this year marks the begin-
ning of the 12th year of the
inspections.
They will involve ap-
proximately 400 of the
state’s 2,800 tobacco retail-
ers, where a person younger
than 18, accompanied by a
retired Oregon State Police
officer, will try to buy to-
bacco. Clerks who sell to a
minor are subject to a fine of
$100 to $600 under a Class
D violation of endangering a
minor.
Last year, the least
number of sales were re-
corded in 81 visits to mini-
marts, where clerks sold to
minors 6.2 percent of the
time. The highest sales rate
was 40 percent in five at-
tempts to purchase at to-
bacco shops, and in 10 at-
tempts at stores in an
“other” category comprising
RV parks, bowling alleys
and marinas.
“We want store owners
and clerks to put themselves
into the shoes of parents --
including those who smoke
-- who don’t want their kids
to start smoking,” said Rey
Agullana, prevention spe-
cialist in ODHS.
He added, “We know that
people who haven’t started
smoking by the time they’re
18 probably never will.”
(Photos by
‘Illinois Valley News’)
God bless America!
MARK THESE TAX DEADLINES IN RED
Circle these dates on your 2006 calendar if any of the following upcoming tax deadlines
apply to you or your business.
• January 17-Due date for the fourth and final installment of 2005 estimated tax (unless you
file your 2005 return and pay any balance due by January 31).
• January 31-Employers must furnish 2005 W-2 statements to employees. 1099 information
statements must be furnished to payees by banks, brokers, and other payors.
• January 31-Employers must generally file 2005 federal unemployment tax returns and
pay any tax due.
• February 28 -Payors must file information returns (such as 1099s) with the IRS. (March 31
is the deadline if filing electronically.)
State emergency medicine grade C-
With a C-, Oregon’s
state of emergency medicine
was diagnosed in “serious”
condition, according to a
new, first-time report card
released by the American
College of Emergency Phy-
sicians (ACEP).
The Oregon College of
Emergency Physicians
(OCEP) commended state
policymakers for recent ef-
forts to improve advanced
life-support ambulance ser-
vices, which if addressed,
“will improve the state’s
low ranking for this measure
(49th).” The group also
called on state policymakers
to increase the need for
more hospital-staffed beds,
and nurses.
These findings are
based on the ACEP National
Report Card on the State of
Emergency Medicine, the
first comprehensive analysis
of how much support states
provide their emergency
medical-care systems.
ACEP said that it began this
intensive effort more than a
year ago by appointing ex-
perts to a task force.
It developed 50 objec-
tive and quantifiable criteria
to measure the performance
of each state and the District
of Columbia. Grades were
then assigned based on a
comparison to the best
state’s performance using
weighted and aggregated
measurements.
All 50 states and the
District of Columbia re-
ceived an overall grade, on a
scale of A-F, plus separate
weighted grades in four
categories: Access to Emer-
gency Care (40 percent),
Quality of Care and Patient
Safety (25 percent), Public
Health and Injury Preven-
tion (10 percent), and Medi-
cal Liability Environment
(25 percent).
Oregon earned a C+ in
the Access to Emergency
Care category, ranking
fourth in the nation for its
number of board-certified
emergency physicians and
eighth for its good supply of
trauma centers.
However, other rank-
ings in this category lowered
its grade, including 49th in
the nation for its lack of hos-
pital-staffed beds, 40th for
its shortage of registered
nurses, and last place (51st)
for its low percentage of
pre-hospital personnel with
access to online medical
services.
“Oregon emergency
physicians provide high-
quality services despite
overcrowded conditions,
physician and nursing short-
ages, and efforts by the Ore-
gon Legislature and Dept. of
Human Services to alter
those services,” said Dr. Jim
Jensen, OCEP president.
“Emergency physicians
in our state continue to lead
the fight against alcohol and
drug-related traffic incidents,”
he said, “and advocate for
continued use of helmets and
other safety equipment for
motorcycles, bicycles and all-
terrain vehicles.”
Oregon earned its best
category grade for Public
Health and Injury Preven-
tion (B+), ranking eighth in
the nation and scoring well
for its safety measures, such
as primary seat belt and mo-
torcycle helmet laws. It also
ranked best-in-the-nation for
(Continued on page 14)
• February 28 -Employers must send W-2 copies to the Social Security Administration.
(March 31 is the deadline if filing electronically.)
• March 1-Farmers and fishermen who did not make 2005 estimated tax payments must file
2005 tax returns and pay taxes in full.
• March 15-2005 calendar-year corporation income tax returns are due.
• April 17-Individual income tax returns for 2005 are due unless you file for an automatic
extension. Taxes owed are due regardless of extension.
• April 17-2005 partnership returns are due.
• April 17-2005 annual gift tax returns are due.
• April 17-Deadline for making your 2005 IRA and education savings account contribu-
tions.
• April 17-First installment of 2006 individual estimated tax is due.
• June 15-Second installment of 2006 individual estimated tax is due.
• September 15-Third installment of 2006 individual estimated tax is due.
• October 16-Deadline for filing your 2005 individual tax return if you filed for an extension
of the April 17 deadline.
Karen M. Bodeving, CPA PC
We’ve Moved to 564 N.E. E St.
Grants Pass OR 97526
Phone: 479-3625
Grants Pass Office hours:
9 to 3 Mon. - Fri.
Other hours by appointment