sportiani» (Observer Page 16 Attention Soul D istrict Businesses and Residents ailing 5*000 Shoppers! Join NNEBA as we kick off our Annual Membership Drive and the Holiday Season in Inner N/NE Portland Events Include: • Sat Nov 30 N atio n al S h o p S m all Day: Spend your holiday dollars with our local inner N/NE small businesses as part o f the national movement to celebrate small business. • Sat Nov 30 N/NE C o m m u n ity T ree Lig h tin g 5-6:30pm (MLK Gateway Heritage Marker square* NE Grand, Hancock & MLK) o Music from local artists o Com plim entary Coco, coflee and sweet treats o Raffle: Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Martha's Pantry and receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win some great gifts from Soul District businesses • Sat Dee 7 Food Cart Pavilion Feat: Visit the food carts for special holiday feasts (NE MLK/Jarret & NE Fremont Vancouver) • Sat Dec 14 H itzville Motown Review: 7:00pm at the Oregon Convention Center. Tickets: www.eventbrite/event/8923844459 • Wed Dec 18 Jingle Holiday Dash: 6:45pm join the festive No Po Run Club for Running, Caroling & Libations. • Sat Dec 21 Specialized Holiday G ift Wrapping: by B.A.G. & Company Interior Design at 311 N. Ivy St - Noon to 6:30pm/ For More Information: (503) 789-7074. E'or More Info on these and other great Soul District Events follow us on Facebook: NNEBA North/Northeast Business Association PDX Make a difference in our community by joining NNEBA Today, w inner o f the 2013 Spirit o f Portland Award. Call: 503-841-5032 Coming Soon: ww w N NEBAportland.org We Would like to thank the following sponsors for _____ Investing in the Soul o f Portland! Eubank h « n ry PAOFIC POWER \C/ C o n c o id i * © r TARGET »— — *•* ^ Jnrllaith (Observer Help for Troubled Insurance Exchange sure every person who wants in surance by Jan. 1 will have it," Kitzhaber said. The g o v e rn o r also said he should have been paying more attention to Cover O regon's woes. "In retrospect, I should have been m ore engaged in the project. I didn't realize the problem s were so significant," he said. Cover Oregon is supposed to allow people to shop online for health coverage, find out w hether they qualify for tax credits under the federal health care law, and enroll in an insurance plan or M edicaid. But O regon's system c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 2 King has faced growing pres sure from the Legislature and the exchange's governing board to ex plain what went wrong and how it will be fixed. The governor said the prob lems with the exchange have been "frustrating" and the state will do a post-m ortem analysis o f what wrong - but not until later. For now, the state is focused on get ting O regonians enrolled via the m anual paper system , he said. "We have lim ited time, so we're putting all hands on deck to make «MMM N o vem b er 27, 2013 has struggled to accurately deter mine w hether people are eligible for M edicaid or tax credits. S ta te o f f ic ia ls say C o v e r Oregon's online enrollment should work for individuals by m id-D e cem ber, but not in tim e for people to get coverage that begins Jan. 1. To have coverage at the start of the year, applications m ust be postm arked by Dec. 4 and a plan must be selected by Dec. 15. Kitzhaber has been a staunch supporter of the exchange, persuad ing state lawmakers to approve a robust, ambitious platform. While other states building their own in surance exchanges have compro mised on certain features, Oregon has held on to its vision of building a complicated clearinghouse that could screen people for a wide range of public assistance programs, not just health care. IHM8WMM Soul District Tree Lighting The com m unity is invited, to experience the wonder o f the holi day season by jo in in g a Tree Lighting C elebration at the gate w ay e n tra n c e in to n o rth and northeast Portland. The event will be held Satur day, Nov. 30 at the M artin Luther K ing B oulevard G atew ay and H eritage M arkers plaza on the corn er o f N o rth east Schuyler, Hancock and G rand Avenue. The at the event. cerem ony will begin at 5 p.m. with The N orth/N ortheast Business the lighting at 5:30 p.m. There will A ssociation and its annual “Illu be live m usic and entertainm ent m inating the Soul H oliday C am by local artists, and a raffle for paign” is the sponsor o f the event. prizes. Inner north and northeast Port For every non-perishable item land was coined “the Soul o f Port o f food you bring to the celebra land” over 15 years ago by NNEBA tion for M artha's Pantry, you will Board m em bers, com m unity part receive one raffle ticket for the n e rs a n d c ity o f P o r tla n d opportunity to win various prizes officials. SHOPPING FOR? ATRIO HEALTH PLANS M o re th a n 1 0 0 plans 4 va lu e tie rs . W e re open and r CoverOregon.c OVER REGON