The INDEPENDENT, June 17, 2004
Is your deck, porch, balcony safe for company?
When you dust off the grill
and prepare to party on your
deck, porch, or balcony this
summer, will your structure
safely take the heat, rather, the
weight? Taking steps to ensure
deck safety could prevent a
tragedy. The State Building
Codes Division (BCD) of the
Department of Consumer and
Business Services offers five
tips:
1. Prevention is better than
any cure, so if you’re planning
to build a deck, porch, or bal-
cony, get a permit from your lo-
cal jurisdiction; you are re-
quired to do so if it will be more
than 30 inches above the sur-
rounding grade. A permit en-
sures that the structure has met
safety, strength, and stability
standards and that it has been
inspected by a professional be-
fore guests ever set foot on it.
2. If your home has a deck
or balcony more than 30 inches
above grade, check with your
local building department to
see if the deck or balcony was
properly permitted when it was
built. If so, the structure was
determined safe at that time;
however, Oregon weather
takes a toll on wooden outdoor
structures. Find out whether or
not structural conditions have
changed or the wood has dete-
riorated enough to make it un-
safe.
3. Any time a deck, porch, or
balcony is so crowded people
have difficulty moving about, it
is probably overloaded. Don’t
be timid about ushering guests
into other areas.
4. You (or a qualified inspec-
tor) should inspect your deck,
porch, or balcony twice a year
and repair or replace the follow-
ing:
• Split or rotting wood
• Loose or missing nails,
bolts, or screws.
• Missing, damaged, or
loose support beams and
planks.
• Wobbly, loose, or missing
handrails or guardrails
5. If you have any doubts
about the load your deck,
porch, or balcony will safely
handle, get an expert opinion
from a structural engineer. You
can find listings for structural
engineers in your phone direc-
tory.
If repairs are found to be
necessary, you may need a
permit. Call City Hall to ask
which building jurisdiction you
should contact. For more infor-
mation, visit BCD’s web site at
<www.permitsprotect.info>.
to be replaced, faulty wiring or
plumbing need to be upgraded,
or a new furnace installed.
Low-to-moderate
income
homeowners may qualify for
loans with no interest and no
monthly payments for various
structural repairs, foundation
work, or energy saving meas-
ures.
Homeowners living in City of
Vernonia and throughout Co-
lumbia County may apply for
the loan program to rehabilitate
homes and perform critical
health and safety repairs.
City of Vernonia is partner-
an Oregon Community Devel-
opment Block Grant to provide
loans for home repairs. There
is a Public Hearing on June 21,
2004 at 6:30 p.m. at Vernonia
City Hall. All homeowners inter-
est are urged to attend.
CAT is seeking applicants
from Vernonia and throughout
Columbia County for zero per-
cent, deferred payment loans.
No payments? Please contact
Katie Lewis at CAT. The office
is located at 125 N. 3rd St., St.
Helens, OR 97051. Phone 503-
397-1675 or 1-800-955-1675,
fax 503-397-1672.
The Volunteer Literacy Tu-
toring Program at Portland
Community College is search-
ing for a few volunteer tutors.
The program needs volun-
teers to help adult immigrants
and refugees learn English and
to assist both native and non-
native English speakers in im-
proving their basic literacy
skills. The volunteers will also
help prepare them for the GED
or High School Equivalency
exam.
Training for tutoring at PCC
will take place from 9:00 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, June
19 and 26 at the Central Port-
land Workforce Training Center
near OMSI. To register for the
training or learn more about
this volunteer opportunity, call
503-244-6111, extension 3700.
For more information, call 1-
800-322-8715.
PCC’s Literacy
CAT grant offers home repair loans program seeks
Does your home need re- ing with Community Action
pairs? Perhaps your roof needs Team, Inc. (CAT) to apply for few good tutors
Welcome Additions
Keilyn Rae Futter
Sadie Elizabeth Gump
Keilyn Rae Futter was born
May 12, 2004, the first child of
Tandle and Mike Futter of
Beaverton. She weighed 7
pounds, 8 ounces and
was 19 inches long.
Grandparents
are Gunny and
Dayle Cox of
Vernonia
and
Robert and Anna
Futter of Pilot
Rock.
Great-grand-
parents are Fyrne Taylor
of Hillsboro, Bill Futter of Pilot
Rock, and Kay Christensen of
Roseburg.
Sadie Elizabeth Gump was
born May 28, 2004, to Jeana
and Justin Gump of Vernonia.
She weighed 6 pounds, 7
ounces and was 18-1/2 inches
long.
She joins her brother,
Christopher Kaiser, 12, and
two sisters, Laura
Kaiser, 10, and Sa-
vannah Gump, 2, at
the family home.
Grandparents are
Ray
and
Jennifer
Gump
of
Cornelius,
Bruce and Terri Jenness of
Keizer, and Beverly and
Gearhard Bachmayer of Vien-
na, Austria.
New times for
Comm. Church
Beginning June 27, Vernon-
ia Community Church has an-
nounced a new schedule for
services and activities.
Sunday breakfast will be at
9:00 a.m., with worship at 9:45
a.m., and B.L.A.S.T. at 10:00
a.m.
For questions or additional
information, call Pastor Grant
at 503-429-6790.
Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Ah –
h o w
m a n y
times a
day have
y o u
started
f o r
some-
thing in
town and then remembered the
wait on the hill?
Thank goodness, the lake is
on my side and so is Farm-
woman’s Nursery.
Yes, believe it on not, I got
out in my yard with rake, hoe,
shovel, and a good friend. I al-
most don’t think it’s my yard. By
the time this is in print the
woodchips will be in place.
Whoopee.
Have you priced a 2-yard
dumpster lately? Well, I have,
now I’m looking for a strong
back with a pick-up that can go
to the junk dump.
How have gas prices affect-
ed your around-town travels?
Are you keeping MPG records
with each fill up? Got a new air
filter for your car lately? Not
that it helps gas mileage, but a
new set of wiper blades helps
keep a cleaner window to enjoy
the view as you travel.
I didn’t make it to the Coun-
cil meeting on June 7, but I un-
derstand Horse Poo on the trail
was again the topic of the
evening. I like horses as well as
the next fellow but, as with dog
poo, if I’m on a walking path, I
want to walk not skip, hop or
side step. Maybe there should
be a Carry Your Horse Poo Bag
and use it sign at the head of
the trail. Yes? No?
By now school is Out. More
kids and dogs running around,
cars zipping here and there. So
be careful, you may hit a duck
crossing the road or a flying
skateboard.
If you don’t understand my
humor you haven’t lived in Ore-
gon long enough to enjoy the
changing weather.
The South American four-
eyed fish can simultaneously
see objects above and below
the waterline with equal clarity.
Maybe some of the lake fish
are learning this trick with only
two eyes.
Laurie’s House Cleaning
Reliable College Student Experienced In
Cleaning Residential, Rentals &
New Construction. References Available
503 429 0177
Have you heard the howling good news?
Dog Obedience is back for the summer.
Classes will fill up fast!!
To register call Lisa Orth
(503) 429-3018
Now Let’s Have Some Fun!!
L eonetti’s
Pizza & Grill
$2.00 OFF ANY EXTRA LARGE PIZZA
With this Coupon
Offer expires June 30,04
Served in Air Conditioned Comfort
MON. - FRI. 5 A..M. - 9 P.M. • SAT. 6 A.M. - 9 P.M
721 Madison Ave., Vernonia • 503-429-5018