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Energy & Environment Fair
Can Warm Up Your Winter
Avoid Wind Damage Repair Scams
Last Tuesday’s wind storm
caused massive damage to build­
ings in many parts o f the state
Experience has show the Con­
struction Contractors Board that
scam repair businesses flourish af­
ter weather-related emergencies.
The board, a state consumer
p ro tectio n
a g e n cy ,
w arns
homeowners not to hire unregis­
tered, i I legal contractors to fix roofs,
gutters, patio coverings, concrete,
fences and other damaged caused
by the storm. Cutting down stand­
ing trees also requires board regis­
tration
B o a rd a d m in istra to r K e n
Keudell says that although most
contractors are honest people, con­
struction is like any industry and has
its share o f fraud.
Keudell suggests being careful
o f contractors who offer home re­
pairs door-to-door. They often de­
mand a full or partial down payment,
do little or no work, leave and never
return. O r they do a very shoddy job
with poor materials. C heck them out
with the board before contracting
with them.
O fficials also said to be wary of
telephone solicitors, but if you make
an appointment with them, call the
board first.
Registration does not guarantee
competence but it does mean they are
bonded and have liability insurance
which is some financial protection
for consumers if there are problems
later. C all the board at 378-4621,
extension 4900, to check on a con­
tractors’ registration and open
claim s status.
The board also advises not to
contract for any repairs until you
have been given a written contract
that says exactly what w ill be done
and at what price.
Do not offer 100 percent o f the
payment up front (legitimate con­
tractors often ask for a th ird up front
to cover materials).
Keudell also suggests that own­
ers trust their gut feelings.
“ I f it doesn’t feel right, don’t
hire them and if it seems to good to
be true, it probably is,” he said.
Whether you want to stop that
cold draft under your front door or
insulate your attic, the C ity o f Port
land’s Energy and Environment Fair
is the place to find free help weather­
izing your home. Workshops on do-
it-yourself weatherization w ill run
throughout the Fair, and the first 150
people attending w ill receive a free
kit including reusable plastic storm
w indow s and w eatherstripping.
Households that qualify based on
their income w ill be able to sign up
for free insulation for their home’s
attic, walls, or floors. Homeowners
and renters are welcome to partici­
pate. To qualify for free insulation, a
Property Tax Appeals Due
T h e O rego n D epartm ent o f
R evenue is re m in d in g ta xp a y­
ers that they m ay appeal prop­
erty valu e s on their property
tax statem ents by f ilin g an ap­
peal no later than Ja n . 2.
A p p e a l form s are a v a ila b le
from county cle rk or county as­
s e s s o r s ’ o ffice s.
I
T a x p a y e rs must file their
appeal with the county board o f
•equalization, w hich meets from
Jan. 13 to A p r il 15 to co n sid er
the appeals o f the a sse sso r’ s
estim ate o f value.
Linder O rego n law , ta xp a y­
ers who appeal m ust present
evid en ce to support he value
they are ap p e alin g.
T h e e vid en ce co u ld be an
a p p ra isa l done b y an indepen-
d e n ta p p ra ise r or co m p ariso n o f
n earby properties that recen tly
so ld .
B efo re ta xp aye rs file an ap ­
p eal, they can ta lk to the s ta ff in
the co u n ty a s s e s s o r ’ s o ffic e
about the real m arket value o f
the t a x p a y e r ’ s p ro p e rty and
sa le s data.
T a x p a y e rs can also ch eck
the inform ation in the a sse sso r’ s
file used for the ap p raisal.
M ore in fo rm atio n is a v a il­
ab le from the co u n ty a sse sso r’ s
o ffic e .
store items on the stove top; they
could catch fire. Keep kitchen appli­
ances clean and in good condition
and turn them o ff after use. D on’t
overload electrical outlets, and don’t
use appliances with frayed or cracked
wires.
Prepare for H o lid ay Parties -
D ecorate o n ly w ith flam e -retar­
dant or n on com bustible m ateri­
als. A v o id u sin g can d les d urin g
p arties. I f guests w ill be sm o kin g
p ro vid e them w ith large, deep
a sh tra y s and ch e ck them fre ­
q uently. A fte r the party, ch eck in
side and under u pholstery and in
trash cans for cigarette butts that
m ay be sm o ld e rin g.
Designate a D riv e r - When at­
tending a party, always designate a
non-drinking driver. If you are the
host o f a holiday gathering, be sure
there are non-alcoholic beverages
available for guests who are driving.
B uckle lip - During the holiday
months, people travel more than ever.
A Landscape Service Maintenance Company
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! $25.00 GIFT CERTIFICATES
Call Richard Dobbins
503 335-8525
or (pager) 503 202-9428
Service Special for
Dec/Jan/Feb
Gutter Clean-out $28.99
(average size, one story,
single family home)
$25.00/hour for larger homes
Wearing a seat belt is the easiest and
best way to prevent injury in a motor
vehicle collision. Ensure that all pas­
sengers are also wearing safety belts.
Keep C h ristm as T rees F resh -
Choose a fresh Christmas tree and
secure it in a sturdy stand. Place the
tree away from heat sources and ex­
its, and water it daily. Ifyou purchase
an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled
as fire-retardant. I f you plan to hang
stocking on your fireplace, don’t burn
fires in it.
BeC'autiousw ith Portableand
Space heaters - Place space heaters
at least three feet (one meter) away
from anything combustible, includ­
ing wall paper, bedding, clothing,
pets, and people. Never leave space
heatersoperatingwhenyouarenot in
the room or when you go to bed.
D on’t leave children or pets unat­
tended with space heaters and be
sure everyone knows that drying wet
mittens or other clothing over space
heaters is a fire danger.
Motorists Should Celebrate Responsibly
Motorists are being urged to do
their part in making this a safe hol­
iday scasuii by pai tie ¡paling in the
second annual A A A Oregon D esig­
nated Driver Program.
The program was developed as
an easy, no-cost alternative for mo­
torists to return home from holiday
parties and get-togethers.
“ It’s A A A ’s way o f encourag­
ing motorists to celebrate responsi­
bly and make the holidays safer for
all who share the roads," said A A A
President Roger Graybeal.
Each year, hundreds o f lives
are lost in alcohol-related crashes.
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During the holidays, the incidents o f
alcohol-related crashes increases.
Last year, alcohol-related crash­
es claimed the lives o f 200 people on
Oregon roads. Alcohol is a contrib­
uting factor in more than 40 percent
o f all fatal accidents in the state
“ The cost o f these crashes, inju­
ries and fatalities is staggering,” said
Graybeal. “ In addition to the person­
al tragedy, we as a nation pay at least
$46 billion in lost productivity, med­
ical costs, property damage and oth­
er direct expenditures.”
T h e D esignated D riv e r P ro ­
gram rein fo rces p o sitiv e b eh av­
prizes such as compact fluorescent
lightbulbs, Tri-M et tickets, and a
watering can full o f water conserva­
tion items. Hot coffee w ill be served,
and Northwest Natural G as w ill be
on hand givin g out free hot dogs.
Free child care w ill be provided.
Those with questions about the event
should call Matt Emlen at 823-7224.
People with disabilities who need
assistance to attend should call 823-
7224 or T D D / T T Y 823-6868.
Energy & Environment Fair
Saturday, January 6-9:00 A M to
1:30 PM
B oise-Eliot School-620 N Fre­
mont
L W K l)©@
Licensed • Bonded • Insured
CCB#108942
o lid d if S a f e t y T ip s
Beware of Holiday Lighting -
Take care when burning candles. Be
sure they are kept away from decora­
tions or other combustible materials.
D on’t leave children unattended in a
room with lighted candles, and al­
ways keep candles, as well as match­
es and lighters, out o f the reach o f
children. Never display lighted can­
dles in windows or near exits.
Test T ree T rim m in g - When
decorating with lights, be sure to
purchase only those labeled by a
testing laboratory. Never use can­
dles to decorate Christmas trees. For
outside decorations, use only those
lights labeled for outdoor use. D on’t
overload electrical outlets, and al­
ways unplug all lights before leaving
home or going to bed. Never put
electrical lights on a metal Christmas
tree.
C o o k with C a re - Wear tight
fitting clothing when cooking; loose
clothing can be ignited by hot burn­
ers. Alw ays turn pot handles in. Don’t
fam ily o f four would need to have a
combined income less than $1,800
per month. A single person with an
income less than $ 1,200 per month
would qualify. Anyone with higher
income can come to the Fair to find
out about rebates, loans, and do-it-
yourself information. According to
Matt Emlen in the C ity o f Portland
Energy Office, households can save
over $ 100 per year through weather­
ization.
In addition to energy conserva­
tion. the Fair w ill feature exhibits on
water conservation, bicycling, recy­
cling, and a number o f community
services. A free raffle w ill include
ior w h ile e n co u ra gin g m otor­
ists to be co g n iza n t o f the role
a lco h o l p la y s in crashes.
Th e g u id e lin e s fo r p a rtic i­
pating in the program include
the adoption o f a zero-tolerance
p o lic y for d riv in g after consum ­
in g a lco h o l, ch o o sin g a d e s ig ­
nated d rive r before celebrations
or h o lid a y g ath erin gs begin and
sh arin g d riv in g re sp o n sib ilitie s
with others.
Volunteer to be a designated
driver and set an example for your
children, your loved ones and your
neighbors, officials said.
OTHER SERVICES:
• Leaf Clean-up & Disposal
•OneTlmeLandscapeClean-up
• Horticultural Consultations
Care Info-Small Company
With A Big Heart
In the small office o f her heme,
Roxanne Kendrick, owner, answers
the phone, “Care Info, how may I
help you?” Care Info is the only
statewide Elder Care Information
and Referral Service, and is devot­
ed entirely to the needs o f the elder­
ly and their families.
Conceived in 1994, Care Info
is growing steadily, a piece at a
time.
Care Info offers a “one phone
call” method to locating help any­
where in the State o f Oregon. The
database currently carries Adult Day
Care, Adult Foster Care, Assisted
Livin g , Residential Care, Senior
Adult Housing, Hospice, Home
Health services, and Elder Care spe­
cific legal counsel, as well as, which
state agencies assist with what. A
complete “ Who to see, where to go,
what to do” service.
Why statewide? Kendrick ex­
plains, “ Fam ilies are more transient
today and often children move away
due to careers, or schooling needs.
Now the Baby Boomers, o f the 4 0 ’s
and 59’s, are faced with the decision
making process concerning care for
their elderly or ailing fam ily mem­
ber.
Many times, families have to
make several calls, tryingto pin down
exactly what’s available in different
areas o f Oregon. It can be an exas­
perating and trying situation. For in­
stance, a lady called who lived in
Terrebonne, one ofher brothers lived
in Portland, and another brother in
Klamath Falls. The recent death o f
their father necessitated the need for
them to make decisions about care
for their mother, (who, by the way,
lived in Eugene) I he fam ily needed
information on services available in
each area. Care Info was able to
supply them with the information
they needed in order to make and
informed decision. I provide more
than just a name and phone number,
I am able to give them details on
each particular home or service. It
doesn’t do any good to refer some­
one to a service that wouldn’t be
able to help them or that doesn’t
offer what they need or want.”
“ Lifestyle transitions are some-
tim es p a in fu l and tra u m a tic ,”
Kendrick says, “ it just seems to me,
that it should be a whole lot simpler,
it’s unnecessary to add confusion to
the process. Sim plify it!”
Care Info is supported by par­
ticipating businesses and services.
T o ask about adding your service/
business call (541) 928-6476. For
information on Elder Care Services
in Oregon C a ll 1-800-933-6164.
Fuel Prices For Holiday Travel
The A A A Oregon Fuel Gauge
Survey shows the average price for
regular unleaded mini-serve gaso­
line at $ 1.28 per gallon, down 2 cents
since the Thanksgiving holiday and
up one cent from this time a year ago.
The average prices per gallon
for other fuels are as follows: mid­
grade unleaded, $1.36; premium un­
leaded, $ 1.46; diesel, $ 1.33.
Availability And Prices
O f the stations surveyed, 53%
plan to be open on Christmas day.
Fuel is most expensive in the
western region, and least expensive
along the I -5 corridor.
Travel Tips
Air travel:
• Travel with photo identifica­
tion. Have it handy in case you're
asked to present it.
• Reconfirm your flight directly
with the airline 24 to 48 hours prior
to departure.
• Consider using public trans­
portation or having a friend drive
you to the airport to avoid the in­
creased traffic and parking delays.
• Arrive at the airport at least an
hour and a half prior to a domestic
flight, two hours prior to internation­
al flights.
• Keep carry-on baggage to a
minimum. Overhead bin capacity is
often limited during peak holiday
periods.
Auto travel:
• Check your vehicle’s fluid lev­
els and make sure the ties, including
the spare, are in good condition and
properly inflated.
• Plan your route in advance.
Keep a map handy.
• Carry emergency items in your
car, including a flashlight with fresh
batteries, blankets, jumpercablesand
a flare or reflective triangle.
• If driving to a cold weather
destination, carry an ice scraper, tire
chains, an small shovel and a small
bag o f abrasive material such as sand
or non-clumping kitty litter.
• Carry a cellular phone.