Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, January 15, 2004 SOLV offers new small grant funds, staff assistance Banks Board SOLV, the statewide volun- teer and community-building nonprofit, has new financial and staff resources available to volunteer projects through their Project Oregon program, which assists anyone coordinating a SOLV project anywhere in Ore- gon. Application forms, time- lines, and other information are available at (800) 333-SOLV or at . The first deadline is February 1, 2004. SOLV will have some small grant funds of up to $250 for project costs, and increased staff time to assist with project planning, volunteer recruit- ment, and other aspects of projects. It also provides limited insurance, materials, and statewide recognition to five Bring your appetite for Crabcake Dinner A Crabcake Dinner will be served on Saturday, January 17, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Banks Community United Methodist Church, 151 De- pot Street in Banks. Dinner menu includes crabcakes, salad, fresh baked rolls, homemade pie and ice cream. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Banks' Curves, 163 N. Main, Suite B or at Cornelius Vision Clinic, 195 N. Adair St., Suite E. Proceeds will benefit the church’s Family Retreat Fund. For more information call Carl Ness at 503-939-8132. projects each year. The combination of intensive staff assistance and some small grant funds are intended to help volunteer efforts around the state in a way SOLV hasn’t been able to provide in the past. “We’ve doubled the amount of staff time on this pro- gram,” said Neil Schulman, SOLV Outreach Coordinator. “That will mean that that we can actively help plan projects, en- gage SOLV volunteers around the state, and take some of the load off those organizing efforts at the local level. Ultimately, SOLV’s help will prove to be as valuable as the relatively small amount of funding.” SOLV has also reinstated some of the small grants that existed before 2001, that can help pay on-the-ground project costs. “Our fundraising strug- gled these past few years, and the lack of funds really affected volunteer projects,” Schulman said. “The amount we have for 2004 is limited, and we won’t be able to offer a grant to everyone who deserves one. But at least we have some funds, and the combination of some grants and time to help with projects will make us a cat- alyst for volunteer projects around the state.” SOLV supports a wide range of volunteer projects, including tree plantings, watershed res- toration projects, downtown en- hancements, and other efforts, in addition to the more well- known cleanups. A good SOLV project has three elements: It includes building community through volunteerism, has an on-the-ground result that en- hances the community, and is open to Oregonians from all backgrounds and walks of life. Project coordinators will be asked to apply for SOLV for as- sistance before various dead- lines, one every two months beginning February 1. As in the past, the application is short and user-friendly. SOLV will look at all the projects to best allocate both funds and the staff time to actively help out. SOLV’s goal is to support 160 projects around the state in 2004. It also strives to support new coordinators who have not coordinated volunteer projects before, and continues to offer Volunteer Action Training. County offers family care-giver classes About one-fourth of Ameri- can families provide care in their homes for a person with a disability or an elderly family member or friend. “Most caregivers don’t label themselves as caregivers,” said Jill Getz of Washington County’s Disability, Aging and Veterans’ Services (DAVS), “for many, the role of caregiver is something that’s taken on as a ‘family responsibility,’ and they tend to think little about the role.” Being a caregiver can be very stressful, however, and there are easy-to-learn tech- niques and skills that make caregiving simpler. To help caregivers, DAVS has sched- uled three eight-week courses to train families in the skills of 503-640-6311 CARPET SERVICE Truck Mounted Extraction Cleaning • Installation Repairs • Stretching • Hard Surface Cleaning Restoration • Floor Covering Sales: carpet, pad, vinyl, laminates, tile Don’t be fooled by gimmick retail sales & carpet scams seen at home improvement centers! We use a contractor showroom to get great prices for YOU. We take time to educate our clients so you get the best quality carpet for your money. Our Rotary Jet Extraction cleaning method may rejuvenate & save your carpet. Saving you hundreds of dollars in replacement costs. For honest, reputable & faster service call Extract Away! Owner operated servicing YOUR area since 1988 We accept – VISA & MASTERCARD CCB #68842 caring for an elderly person or a person with a disability in their home. The new session, Communi- cating Effectively with Health Care Professionals, focuses on helping family caregivers com- municate effectively with health care professionals. Topics for this session will in- clude the following: • Improving appointment and hospital visit communication and planning. • How to list questions in a concise and focused way. • Better understanding of the barriers to good relationships with health care providers. • How to plan for doctor vis- its and hospital stays. • Becoming more assertive in establishing and presenting needs and concerns of the care recipient and the family. The eight week training ses- sions are scheduled as follows: • King City Rehabilitation and Living Center, 16485 SW Pacific Hwy, Tigard – Tues- days, January 20 through March 9. • Camelot Care Center, 3900 Pacific Avenue, Forest Grove – Thursdays, January 22 through March 11. • Maryville Nursing Home, 14645 SW Farmington, Bea- verton – Wednesdays, January 28 through March 10. Respite care is available so that caregivers will be able to attend. For further information or to register, call Coryll Martin at 503-615-4676. BANKS MINI STORAGE For every month you pay we’ll give you an additional month FREE* (up to six months) P a y 1 M o nt h g e t 2 n d M o n th F RE E Pa y 2 M o n th s g e t 3 rd & 4 t h M o nt h s F RE E Check us out and you’ll want to check in! * Specials available for a limited time only. Gates Operate Daily 7 AM - 9 PM Office Hours: Mon- Fri 10 AM - 6 PM Sat 8 AM - Noon 140 NW O AK W AY , B ANKS • 503-324-0552 Banks school board en- gaged in a lively discussion, at their January 12 meeting, of how best to preserve the dis- trict’s assets. After hearing the results of the 2002-2003 audit, the board spent the remainder of the meeting discussing the new athletic facility. Project History Ron Alley had received ap- proval from the board more than two years ago to build a wrestling facility, using donated funds, labor and material. Though the project began with more than adequate funds to complete the building, in the af- termath of 9-11 and the decline in the local economy, the build- ing remains unusable, al- though it is 85 percent com- plete. Additionally, the design of the building changed as it became apparent the district needed a more sophisticated facility than the simple wrestling building originally proposed. Alley approached the board last month to request $45,000 to complete the facili- ty. During that discussion it be- came clear than additional funds would be required to meet the district’s needs, so the board asked Superinten- dent Marilyn McGlasson to re- turn in January with a proposal for completion of the building as a multi-use facility. Because board member Gene Kelly was unable to at- tend the December meeting, McGlasson first summarized that discussion about the facili- ty, then reminded the board that the district has $114,878 from the sale of the Buxton School, with an additional $317,000 balloon payment due. According to McGlasson it was clearly understood at the time the school was sold, that funds from the sale of the school be preserved for future capitol investments. McGlas- son said that the current facili- ties have a capacity of 1500 students and, with enrollment at 1211 students, would remain well below capacity even if West Hills Development builds additional homes. However, there is a need for additional gymnasium space, she ex- plained, with the space current- ly available in continuous use from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Please see page 11