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
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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
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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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