1
P age
J une 15, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
B 2
New
Vanalco
Child Care Accused Of
Regulations Cheating
Employees
The 1993 O regon Legislature
passed laws that make many family
child care providers subject to child
W orkers at Vanalco stage rau­
care regulation for the first lime. The
cous protest against m anagem ent’s
C hild Care D ivision is now in the
“two-faced” pay policy. Members of
process o f developing administrative
US W A Local 9337 believe that Clark
rules relating to these laws for regis­
C ounty’s third largest em ployer may
tered family child care homes. These
have cheated workers out o f more
rules will go into effect on August 15,
than a hundred thousand dollars in
1994.
pay. M assing at the front gate with
The new law requires those who
signs, chantas, and informational leaf­
provide child care in their own home
lets, they seek a complete audit o f the
to be registered by the Child Care
payroll system and the return o f the
Division if:
“ stolen” pay.
• They care for day care children for
This w ouldn’t be the first time
more than 70 days in a calendar
workers were cheated by Vanalco.
year, and
The alum inum com pany recently
• They care for more than three day
settled a lawsuit for $ 1.1 m illion after
care children at any one time who
workers charged the company worked
are form more than one family.
them through lunch w ithout pay.
Public hearings on the imple­
W orkers at the aluminum com ­
mentation of this law are scheduled
pany are paid on an hourly basis, but
for:
Vanalco has calculated deductions
• 5 p.m., M onday, June 13,1994, in
from their paychecks as though they
the W illamette Room, W ilsonville
were salaried workers. Under this
Library, 8200 W ilsonville Road,
systems, if an employee is able to
W ilsonville, Oregon.
work only a few days in the pay-
• 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 14,1994, in
period, the person would be payed for
room 105, Family Resource C en­
those hours actually worked, but the
ter, Linn-Benton Community C ol­
deduction for the Labor & Industry
lege, 6500 SW Pacific Blvd., Al­
insurance premium would be calcu­
bany, Oregon.
lated as if the employee had worked
• 6p.m .,T h u rsday , June 1 6 ,1 9 9 4 ,at
the full pay-period.
The Job Council, 3069 Crater Lake
The union is advised that L&I
Avenue, Medford, Oregon.
premiums for hourly workers can be
Interested persons may com m ent
deducted only for those hours actually
orally and in writing at the hearing.
worked. The rate for Vanalco w ork­
The public may also send written
ers would be just under 35 cents per
comments to Gary Scoot, Child Care
hour worked. Under the alleged pay­
Division, Employment Department,
roll deduction scam, an employee who
875 Union Street NE, Salem, OR
worked only 35 hours in a pay-period
97311. Comments must be received
suffers a $19.03 over-deduction.
by June 21. A copy of the proposed
W orkers dem and to know if
administrative rules may be obtained
Vanalco paid the money to the state,
by writing to the address above.
reduced Vanalco’s share o f the pre­
mium at the w orker’s expense, or
simply pocketed the extra dough. The
D epartment o f Labor and Industries
has ju st begun auditing V analco’s
records in response to the U nion’s
inquiries.
Portland C om m unity College
will offer two classes in Arabic con­
versation this sum m er at the Cascade
Cam pus, 705 N. K illingsw orth St.
Both classes w ill meet for eight weeks
Operation Rescue Kids needs
in Room 218, Terrell Hall, starting
volunteers for its Homeless Youth
W ednesday, June 22, Osama Qutub
Recovery Program, House o f Help
will teach a beginning term section
Projects, and upcoming Sum m er
one from 6 to 8 p.m. and beginning
Fund Raising events. Call (503)
term two from 8 to 10 p.m. Cost of
940-8363 for more info.
each class is $38.
Arabic Classes
Scheduled At
PCC Cascade
Volunteer
Qrace Collins
Memorial Center
/ •
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■ r .
Vancouver
.ARMERS.
Summer Playground/
USA Meals Start June 27
V ancouver Parks and Recreation D epartment Sum m er Playgrounds
Program swings into action M onday, June 27 through Friday, Aug 12. The
program runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features arts, sports, tennis
lessons, field trips, and weekly themes with special events. A free USDA
meal is’included. The program is for children ages 5-12 years old. A $3
one-time fee is requested for supplies. However, no child will be denied
participation if the family cannot afford the fee.
The program is a non-structured recreational program . It is not a
licensed day care operation. Children can come and go as they please. They
can participate in activities or not. The playground site is unsupcrvised
after 2 p.m.
C h ild re n ages 18 an d u n d e r can eat free lunches a t these sites:
• P e te r S. O gden E le m e n ta ry School; 11:30 a .m .- 12:30 p.m.; 8100 NE
28th Street
• Roosevelt E lem en tary School; 11 a.m. - noon; 2921 Falk Road
• M a rtin L u th e r K ing E lem en tary School; 11:55 a.m. - 12:55 p.m.;
4801 Idaho Street
• H arn ey E le m e n ta ry School; 12:15 p.m. - 12.55 p.m ., 3212 E. Ever­
green Blvd.
. H ough E lem en tary School; 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m .; 1900 Daniels
• F ru it Valley E lem en tary School; 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.; 3301 Fruit
Valley Road
• W ashington E lem en tary Schoo,; 1-2 p.m.; 2908 S. Street
The program is jointly sponsored and operated by the U.S. Depart­
ment o f Agriculture, the City of Vancouver and Vancouver School
District.
W alkers and bicyclists who en­
joy V a n co u v er’s popular B urnt
Bridge Creek Trail will be relieved
to know that an offensive odor com ­
ing from a sewer line has been elim i-
128 NE R ussell St
June 25th, 1994
12:00 Noon
to
2;QQpm
'. I ' •
'• '• f
X
Stink Stoppers Subdue Stench
is having a
Summer Carnival
•V
TANCOUVEl
nated.
City workers installed 16 car­
bon absorption units on the inside of
vented sew er covers adjacent to the
well-trod trail east of Fruit Valley
Road. The units are called Sweet
Street, a new product developed to
capture and neutralize the noxious
. Í
MOZZARELLA
fumes given-off by sewer lines.
“We want to be responsive to the
complaints of our citizens,” said Vic­
tor Ehrlich, city engineer.
Portions o f the public recreation
trail are just three feet above the city’s
high-volume main sewer line. If the
absorption units work effectively, the
city will consider using them in other
locations.
Cost o f the units was $13,000,
which was allocated from the city’s
sewer fund.
Help For First-Time Home Buyers
FRIGO
V ancouver is helping ease the financial burden for some first-time
home ow ners by paying interest-free laons for up to half their down
Varieties; I
payment.
The Down Paym ent Assistant Loan Program is funded with a $ 150,000
grant from the federal Community Development Block G rant and HOME
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program s.
The program is for Vancouver residents with low and moderate incomes.
“The City o f V ancouver wants to encourage pride in our neighbor­
hoods by increasing home ow nership,” said Karen McGrath, o f the
Vancouver Departm ent o f Community Preservation and Development.
The loans do not have to be repaid until the property is either re-sold
or transferred. The purchase price o f the home cannot exceed $90,000 and
other qualifeations m ust be met.
The program is being coordinated through First Interstate Bank and
Northwest National Bank. Additional lenders are expeted to be added in the
future. The am ount o f the loan will be determined by the lender, after a
review o f other available funding sources and buyer finances, and then
TILLAM OOK BUTTER
approved by the city.
The monies will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Home buyers should contact a participating lender for more details.
-S*
QUARTERS
Vancouver Housing
Center Elects Board
A C o m m u n ity H ousing R e ­
s o u rc e C e n te r to se rv e C la rk
C ounty has e le c te d its initial board
o f d ire c to rs.
R ic h a rd W o lf w ill serve as
chairp erso n . W o lf cu rrently chairs
th e V a n c o u v e r N e ig h b o r h o o d
C o a litio n a n d M eadow H om es
N e ig h b o rh o o d A sso ciatio n .
E le c te d to b o ard p o sitio n s are
Bob D yer, a ssista n t v ice-president
at F irst In te rs ta te B ank; H eidi
P o w e r, c o m p lia n c e o f f ic e r a t
N o rth w e st N a tio n a l B ank; and
S a ra M a n n in g o f S ara M anning
R eal E sta te .
T he c e n te r ’s w ill a s s is t r e s i­
d e n ts w a n tin g in fo rm a tio n and
re fe rra l on h o m e o w n e rsh ip is ­
su e s and re n ta l p ro p e rty q u e s ­
tio n s. It w ill o p e ra te a tele p h o n e
in fo rm a tio n service and d e v e lo p
o r c o o rd in a te e d u c a tio n p r o ­
g ra m s, in c lu d in g hom e m a in te ­
n a n c e and o w n e rsh ip c la sse s.
O f sp e c ia l in te re st are p la n s
fo r a p re -p u rc h a se co u n se lin g
se rv ic e to h elp guide first-tim e
hom e b u y e rs through the so m e ­
tim es d iffic u lt p ro cess o f b u d ­
g e tin g , se a rc h in g and o b ta in in g
a lo an for a hom e.
At present, the board is seeking
operational funding tc allow the
center to begin operation in the early
fall. Also, the board is recruiting
additional board members and is
seeking a no or low-cost location for
the center’s operation.
T he c e n te r has already g a th ­
e re d $ 2 7 ,0 0 0 , w ith re q u e sts for
an a d d itio n a l $ 3 7 ,0 0 0 .
Fun Wagon Tours City Parks
It’ll be a summer full of fun for children visiting the city’s
traveling Fun Wagon. Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department
staff will operate the Fun Wagon from Monday, June 27 through
Friday, Aug. 12. The Fun Wagon travels to the city’s neighborhood
parks with free activities and games for children of all ages.
Rain or shine, the Show goes on.
Call the Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department at 696>
8065 for more information.
Mediators Seek Volunteers,
Train Problem Solvers
City-sponsored mediation pro­
grams based in Vancouver and G re­
sham, Ore. are pooling resources to
train mediation volunteers. Both cen­
ters opened in 1993 to help neighbors
and others handle disputes peacefully
and to their mutual satisfaction. Both
seek people interested in conflictreso-
lution and prevention. A 40-hour ba­
sic skill training is scheduled this fall.
The city ’s mediation service is
free. Citizens can call 696-8060 or
com e in to the office on the basement
level of City Hall, 210 E. 13th St.
Mediators discuss issues such as bark­
ing dogs, loud stereos, disputed park­
ing, challenged boundary lines, property
maintenance and interpersonal disputes.
Volunteers are needed during the
day and/or occasional evenings in
either Vancouver or Gresham. People
fluent in more than one language and
who want to serve the region’s di­
verse populations arc especially en­
couraged to apply.
The training schedule is:
• Tuesday, Sept. 27; 6:30 p .m .-9 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 30; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 8; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 11; 6:30 p.m. - 9
p.m .
• Saturday, Oct. 15; 9 a .m .-5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 18; 6:30 p.m. - 9
p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 22; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 25; 6:30 p.m. - 9
p.m.
Training is free but resource
materials costabout $30. Some schol­
arships are available. Volunteers
m ust attend the full training course
and to work six to eight hours a
month for at least a year.
For a Vancouver application or
for more inform ation, call Kate
Madson at 696-8060 or visit the
N eighborhood M ediation office.
Volunteers for the Gresham area
may contact Anndy W iselogle at
East Metro Mediation, 1333 NW
Eastman Parkway, Gresham, Ore., ]
(503) 669-2684.
Vancouver applications must I
be received by Monday, Aug. 22.
Key Bank Partners With Innovative Housing, Inc.
? 1
L *
YOUR NOT-SO-ORDINARYGROCERYSTORE
WE RESERVE THE
RIGHT TO LIMIT
QUANTITIES
SPECIALS EFFECTIVE TUESDAY through SUNDAY
JUNE 14 through 19, 1994
M E M B E R O F U N IT E D G R O C E R S
STOW HOURS
W IIKDATO
SUNDAY
• • m U lR .m .
FOR YOUR NEAREST KIENOWS STORE CALL: 659-5220
HOME DELIVERY IS AVAILABLE CALL: 245-4595
<
A special ceremony was held this
week todedicate the Morrison Park apart­
ments located at 6th and Morrison. This
project is the third partnership between
Key Bank of Oregon and Innovative
Housing Inc. to provide special needs
housing. To assist IHL Key Bank pur­
chased S6.2 million Federal low-income
housing tax credits form the organiza­
tion to provide equity in their projects.
This investment has enabled 1HI to offer
affordable rents to special needs indi­
viduals and families.
In addition to these three joint ef­
forts with IHL Key Bank has also been
involved in two other affordable housing
projects providing a total of $ 14 million
in tax credits equity. Key Bank and IH1
projects include Village Square Apart­
ments with 72 units of multi-bedroom,
low-income housing in Gresham; the
Foster Building offering 96 studios units
to the low-income elderly; and the
Morrison Park complex with 48 studios
and 6 one-bedroom and 6 two bedroom
apartments. The two other low-income
housing projects Key Bank has partici­
pated in are the Alder House Project,
which provides 132 units of low-income
housing in downtown Portland, and cur­
rent! y under construction, the Berry
Heights project which will provide 152
garden court apartments in Oregon City
slated for completion in November 1994.
The completion of these more than 500
affordable housing units would not have
been possible without the Bank’s in­
volvement. Key Bank also continues
to work with the Network for Oregon
Affordable Housing (NOAH) and has
extended NOAH a S2 million line of
credit to facilitate the perm anent fi­
nancing o f low -incom e housing
projects.