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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2005)
The INDEPENDENT, June 2, 2005 Don’t be a victim of construction scam artists this summer or fall By Karen Miller M em orial Day • Pay in installments. Make may may payments in stages as the work be past, is completed and has passed but we inspections. Don’t pay in cash. want to Make checks out to the con e xp re ss tractor as the contractor’s our ap name appears in the contract. p r e c ia tion for our ' V iti TT ìTffi' ■**' "*** ***** 1 U 1 1 S ----------- all senior veterans that have served this great country and Benjamin Roy have been the foundation of Dennis Powell the freedoms we enjoy today. Support our troops past and present; take time to thank a vet any day of the year! THANK YOU to all who made our plant sale a great success. Romanna Manusos, you did it again; thanks for your fundraising efforts along with your helpers, Linda Tellef, Pat Lloyd, and Sharon Gibson. We appreciated donations from Iwasaki Nursery, Woodstock Nursery, and our own Farm- woman’s Nursery here in Ver nonia. And, not to forget, Benjamin Roy Dennis Pow thanks to Alan Russell for his ell was born May 27 at Meridi donations of plants that didn’t an Park Hospital to Penrhynn stay long!! Thanks to everyone. and Jarod Powell of Tualatin. We had a great time He weighed 7 pounds, 7 oz. Wednesday, May 25, with The and was 20-1/2 inches long. Grove Assisted Living gals’ ice Grandparents are Schann cream sundaes. Congratula and Dennis Nelson of Vernon tions to Eleanor Libel from Mist ia, and Kathy and Mike Powell in winning our “wearing of the of Stayton, most lavender” contest on Great-grandparents are Wednesday, May 18. Our sec Richard and Marjory Wysong ond and third place winners of Vernonia, and Marian and were Jacqueline Ramsay and David Andersen. Elderly and retired people are prime targets of construc tion fraud. Construction scam artists target homes in obvious need of repair or maintenance. They know these homes are of ten owned by trusting, isolated or lonely homeowners. Oregon Construction Con tractors Board (CCB) Chief In vestigator Bruce Buffington says, “factor in the low proba bility of physical resistance, re duced memory, eyesight, hear ing or mobility and it’s easy to see how seniors can be cre atively separated from their money.” “Typically,” says Buffington, “there is a knock on the door. The victim opens it and some one claiming to be repairing roofs, driveways, or fences in the neighborhood has some materials left over.” The victim is offered repair services at a 50-60 percent re duction. If the homeowner shows an interest, the con artist will ask for money up front and promises to begin the job right away. Often the con artist will give the victim a legitimate looking contract, showing the name of the company and al leged state contractor's license number. “After they get a full or partial payment, scam artists do little or no work, leave and never re turn,” Buffington continues. Anyone who does repairs, remodeling or new construction must be licensed with the CCB. The CCB recommends Ore gonians do a little investigating before hiring a contractor to do work on their homes or busi nesses by following these guidelines. • Before hiring anyone to do construction work, verify the contractor’s license by visiting the CCB website at <www.cc b.state.or.us> or by calling 503- 378-4621. Licensing does not guarantee quality work, but does provide some financial and legal protection for the consumer. • Get two or three written bids. The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies here. A higher bid may be worth the price in better materials, work manship and reliability. Eleanor Thompson. Thank you City Administra tor Robyn Bassett for your help on preparing our building for painting. Remember everyone, we’re not done making Vernon ia shine...there’s more to come!!! What a grand time the standing room only crowd had at Faith Reynold’s 90th birth day party at the Scout Cabin on May 21. Faith’s love for others was returned to her on that special day as her friends and family joined together in a well deserved celebration. We love you, Faith. Apologies to all of you who were signed up for Wellness Clinic on June 11. Due to cir cumstances beyond my con trol, mainly lack of funding, this free clinic cannot continue as of now. July 1 we will revisit what we can do. Thank you to all who participated. Call my office for further information. Footcare; $15 per person. Judy does a great job and is well worth every penny! She is here at the center on the sec ond and last Friday of each month. Call for an appointment. COOL CYBER R E SOURCE: Medicare official website <www.medicare.gov> Page 7 provides an official program profile, plan details, publica tions, and contacts. Top 5 Family Activities: 1) Make caramel corn 2) Plant a tree 3) Run through the sprinkler 4) Play Charades 5) Make a stained glass dec oration. Have fun!! REMEMBER: • Pastries and bread Wednesday and Saturday a.m. • Bingo, Mondays at lunch. • Music with the Golden Oldies on Wednesdays. • Games on Thursdays. • Willoughby Hearing every second Friday at 11:00 a.m. • Jazzercise class at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays. • Free blood pressure checks the first and third Tues days, 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. • Sign language class at 9:00 a.m. on Mondays. If you know of a senior who would like a visit from the Se nior Advocate or has any senior needs and concerns, call our office. INFORMATION NUMBERS Senior Advocate...429-9112 Senior Center...... 429-3912 Transportation..... 429-4304 N ew H o ng K o ng R e s ta u ra n t ¿7- New O w n e rs elcom êfou Bes tC h in e s ê u i s i n e F a sta n d F rien d S g E zice F a m ilß ty lB in n e r s Sun-Thu, 11:30-9:00 L u n c iß p e c ia ls F ri-S a t, 11:30-9:30 669 N Mist Dr, Vernonia ( M ia □ L e L ti^ a ir r a r i'U - Large Hom ey Apartm en ts • Creative M ©ais Laundry • Housekeeping • T ransportation 333619tlA v en u eg o rearovd 5 0 3 3 5 9 - 1 1 2 9 Marquis Care Skilld^jrsing^are • Rehabilfltion Long Term Care • AdultDay Care 330019tlA venueEoreSlrove( 503 3 5 7 - 7 119
