The INDEPENDENT, July 5, 2007
Bits & Bites
Skills Park ground breaking held
The official ground breaking
was held Saturday, June 30, for
the Bicycle Skills Park project
at the 60 acre O-A mill site.
Those in attendance were
Mayor Sally Harrison, Parks
and Budget Committee presi-
dent Scott Laird, Planning
Commission president Dan
Brown, business owner Rietta
Behnke and Ric Balfour of Ric
Balfour & Associates.
The Bicycle Skills Park re-
ceived an initial conditional use
permit at a planning commis-
sion meeting (later confirmed
by the city council) and public
hearing on May 17. The pro-
posed uses for the 60 acre mill
site include the bicycle skills
park, a senior center including
Vernonia Cares Food Bank, an
event center (privately owned
and operated), an interpretive
center, skate park, R.V. parking
By Jacqueline Ramsay
and supporting facilities (such
as restrooms, loading ramps,
picnic areas, concessions and
parking lots - 42 parking places
for the Senior Center, plus an-
other 100 paved and 150 grav-
eled overflow). Each project
proponent appeared before the
Planning Commission on
March 15. The Planning Com-
mission asked for a conditional
use application from each pro-
ponent.
The planning commission
was told that public sewer, wa-
ter and power are available at
the site but are unimproved
and that each proposed user
will have to address installation
as development takes place.
The bicycle skills park will ini-
tially use portable sanitary facil-
ities and a compacted gravel
parking lot (estimated cost to
Please see page 15
Every-
body, sit
down,
put your
feet up,
loosen
your tie
or unbut-
ton your
shirt,
take a deep breath, now ex-
hale. Ok, I forgot to tell you be-
fore you sat down – get a tall
glass of whatever – now you’re
to take a gulp of whatever and
pass out or just relax, but don’t
sleep too long or you might
miss the 4th of July. I think I’m
going to stay in bed all that day.
I’m getting too old for the
mouse race. Think I’ll retire.
Perhaps you readers didn’t
think me serious last paper
when I said Vernonia Cares
Food Bank needs muscle pow-
er. This past week, five women
and one man had to keep us on
our feet. It shocks me to think
every able-bodied male in Ver-
nonia has a job with a pay
check. I know I’m putting my
face on the line, but read it how
you will. Facts are showing.
Now to the lighter side of life
in our town – I’ve heard lots of
“kudos” for the way things went
for KUPL’s day. Also, the Cycle
Oregon folks enjoyed our hos-
pitality, sun and our showers.
Quite a sight was Tent Town
and all the flags along Bridge
St. I was tied up so didn’t get to
“Stub” Park. I hear the view
from the top is awesome.
Due to the weather – a
Free help for those about to make Medicare choices
A state program that uses
volunteers to offer free, unbi-
ased help to people making
Medicare decisions has re-
ceived a $417,631 federal
grant to continue outreach to
Oregonians in 2007.
The Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) grant
goes to the Senior Health In-
surance Benefits Assistance
(SHIBA) network and will allow
the program to expand its vol-
unteer network into several un-
derserved rural areas of Ore-
gon. This year’s amount is six
percent larger than the grant
SHIBA received in 2006.
The grant money pays for a
state SHIBA office, 22 local
program sponsors, and approx-
imately 250 volunteers who
counsel Medicare beneficiaries
and their family members.
Here’s how the program
works:
1. People with Medicare
questions call Oregon’s toll-free
number (1-800-722-4134) and
enter their ZIP code using the
telephone dial pad.
2. The caller is routed to a
SHIBA sponsor volunteer coor-
dinator in their county service
area or to the state SHIBA staff
if no local program is available.
3. The volunteer answers
the caller’s questions and then
offers to set up a one-on-one
meeting. It may be at a local
program office, such as an
Area Agency on Aging (AAA) or
Seniors and People w/Disabili-
ties field office, other communi-
ty centers, or the home of the
client.
Certified volunteers are
trained to answer questions
Page 9
about all aspects of Medicare,
from supplemental policies to
help fill “gaps” in coverage, to
how to obtain and enroll in pre-
scription drug plans.
This year, SHIBA will provide
one-on-one counseling to a
minimum of 15,000 Medicare
beneficiaries. It will also in-
crease the number of volunteer
counselors; provide training
and outreach assistance to vol-
unteers and other program
partners; and establish SHIBA
sponsors in counties that do
not have a local SHIBA sponsor
organization, including Umatil-
la, Morrow, Grant, and Malheur
counties and some areas on
the Oregon coast.
In 2006, SHIBA provided
free counseling services to
more than 20,000 Medicare
beneficiaries and others. The
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large number of contacts was
due mainly to Medicare’s open
enrollment for Part D prescrip-
tion drug coverage.
For more information on how
to get help with Medicare or be-
come a SHIBA volunteer and
help others: Visit www.oregon-
shiba.org or call toll-free in Ore-
gon: 1-800-722-4134.
In Oregon, SHIBA is part of
the Department of Consumer
and Business Services. The
department is Oregon’s largest
business regulatory and con-
sumer protection agency. For
more information, visit www.
dcbs.oregon.gov.
question. If I want to swim in
the river, what do I wear??
Rubber suit? 1920’s swim
wear? Cut off jeans and fur-
lined T-shirt? Or, just forget it.
Do you believe the weather re-
ports anymore?
I haven’t been able to stroll
Main Street yet, either, but lots
of new looks are catching my
curiosity button. Some places
I’d like to look in don’t fit my
hours, but I’ll keep trying. No
money to spend but I do love to
“look shop.”
Well, it’s time to roll up the
streets, turn out the lights and
go to bed, so – Good night till
next time.
PS. These thoughts are my
own.
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