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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2003)
The INDEPENDENT, January 2, 2UUJ Common school Fund allocations From page 10 The Oregon Constitution es tablished the State Land Board as trustee of the Common School Fund. The State Land Board is composed of the Gov ernor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer; DSL is the ad m inistrative agency for the board. At statehood, the federal government granted Oregon roughly six percent of the new state’s land for the use of schools. The Constitution dedi cated the school lands and their mineral, timber and other resources to the Common School Fund. The State Treasurer and Oregon Investment Council in vest the fund. Fund values in recent years have ranged from $600 million to $800 million, de pending on market conditions. Twice a year, earnings from in vestments are distributed to counties for the support of schools according to a formula established by the State Land Board. “While the supplemental dis tribution provides a much- needed boost for schools, the Land Board is looking at changes in investment and dis tribution policies to both stabi lize and increase the amount of money available to public schools over the long term from the Common School Fund,” said Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. Bradbury said he expects discussion of this issue to be a high priority for the Land Board early in 2003 after Gov. Kulon goski begins serving as Land Board chair. Distributions for the 2000- 2001 fiscal year totaled $40.8 million. Distributions for the pri or 1999-2000 fiscal year totaled $35.2 million. Annual distribu tions in recent years have fluc tuated from $9 million to $40.8 million depending on board policies and market conditions. The value of the Common School Fund totaled $683 mil lion on November 30, 2002. Common School Fund Distributions 12/30/02 December 30, 2002 COUNTY 4 I POPULATION* Clatsop Columbia Washington 8,449 11,201 109,651 DISTRIBUTION r-f * W Mr $258,408.58 $342,577.17 $3,353,622.80 * Population ages 4-20 from Portland State University as of 10/25/01 Please su p po rt the advertisers who make y o u r com m unity newspaper possible. Confused by Medicare? Help is available As Medicare has become choices. All volunteer contact more and more complex, the with clients is kept confidential. federal government has also Examples of the kinds of supplied a source of advice. In questions the trained SHIBA Oregon, it’s the Senior Health program volunteers can help Insurance Benefit Assistance with are: program, known as SHIBA. > What Medigap plans are This program provides free in available in Oregon? surance help and information, > Do you need a Medigap in person or by phone, to peo policy? If so, which one is best ple on Medicare and to their for you? caregivers. > Medicare wouldn't pay for Although funded by the fed one of your medical bills. eral Centers for Medicare and Should it have? Medicaid Services (CMS), the > How can you appeal a State Health Insurance Coun payment denial? seling and Assistance pro > Can you get any help grams are administered by from your state in paying your each individual state. The Ore Medicare premiums? gon Insurance Division, which > Do you need long-term is part of the Department of care insurance? Consumer & Business Ser > What are the differences vices, sponsors the SHIBA pro between original Medicare and gram. MedicarePlusChoice? SHIBA is a statewide net > What are the differences work of trained volunteers who educate, assist, and serve as among health-maintenance or advocates for people with ganizations, preferred provider Medicare. SHIBA volunteers organizations, and other > MedicarePlusChoice pro help people with Medicare un grams? derstand their rights and op > What do the various items tions in health insurance, so that they can make informed on your Medicare bill mean? > How can you organize all your medical paperwork? In addition to one-on-one help, SHIBA also offers brochures or other written infor mation on understanding health care. SHIBA offices can refer people to other sources of help, such as social services or legal services. The SHIBA pro gram does not sell insurance and has no links to any insur ance company. The information they provide is meant to be in dependent and unbiased. SHIBA also offers an oppor tunity to become a volunteer, helping other seniors with their insurance problems. Here's what volunteer assistants do: Answ er questions about Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare + Choice, or supplemental in surance, or refer clients to someone who can assist them. Answer questions about long-term-care insurance and provide clients with information to help decide whether to pur chase long-term -care insur ance. Help clients understand and Please see page 17 Class on how to prevent hazard trees “How to Prevent Hazard Trees,” a day-long continuing education seminar, will teach landscape professionals, high way maintenance personnel, utility workers, etc., how to pre vent trees from becoming haz ardous. The Oregon Depart ment of Forestry (ODF) and the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Ar boriculture (PNW-ISA), which is headquartered in Silverton, It’s John Deere D At Washington County Fairgrounds Tuesday, January 7th, 7:00pm Main Exhibit Hall COME SEE: The John Deere Day Movie Featuring the Largest Introduction of Equipment of All Timel Enjoy: Refreshments and Door Prizes. are sponsoring the educational opportunity in Albany, Rose burg and Coos Bay. “ Usually ODF helps ar borists and landscape profes sionals identify whether or not trees are a likely hazard,” said Paul Ries, ODF urban forester and seminar instructor. “Con ducting this seminar is a new approach. Instead, we will be trying to reach people who don’t regularly work with trees. We’ll show them how to work safely around healthy trees to prevent them from becoming a hazard.” The development of the seminars was prompted by a severe windstorm that impact ed Coos, Curry, Douglas, Linn, Lane and Benton Counties in February, 2002. During the storm, several trees were uprooted and many fell on powerlines. “Human in fluences can impact whether some trees will withstand strong winds, while others snap like matchsticks," added Ries. The seminar will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Linn Ben ton Community College in Al bany. The seminar will also be held in Roseburg and Coos Bay. The cost is $20 and registration forms can be downloaded from www.pnwisa.org/news.html The seminars are funded, in part, by a grant from the Feder al Em ergency Management Agency and Oregon Emer gency Management. For more information, contact the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Inter national Society of Arboricul ture, 503-874-8263. 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