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The INDEPEPENDENT, August 2, 2007
Homeowners beware: Construction scammers arrive with summer
Jeffrey Douglas Wood-
house, 34, Vancouver, Wash-
ington, was arrested July 18 by
the Oregon State Police at the
offices of the Construction Con-
tractors Board (CCB) on war-
rants stemming from a joint in-
vestigation by Florence police
and the CCB Enforcement sec-
tion’s Special Investigations
Unit.
Woodhouse was arrested on
Theft II charges and working as
an unlicensed contractor for al-
legedly taking a deposit from a
78-year old Florence woman
for a garage door installation
and not doing the work.
Woodhouse is also suspect-
ed of taking construction de-
posits from other elderly home-
owners and not doing work in
Warrenton, Eugene, Reedsport
and Albany. The CCB has re-
Eyes Wide Open for all humanity
From page 1
hopes, “We can bring back
some empathy for the people
of Iraq and see that they are
like us.” He asks that people,
“Really look at their American
values. Is it an American value
to occupy a country against
their will and to spend scarce
resources that are badly need-
ed at home?” “Our soldiers are
good people who love their
country and have been put in
an awful situation,” Hunter
added.
Regardless of anyone’s po-
sition on the Iraq War, this ex-
hibit offers well-researched in-
formation and a powerful look
at the human toll. If you get a
chance to see it, you will be
moved.
The exhibit will be at Reed
College in Portland on August 4
and in Lincoln City at the Lin-
coln City Cultural Center Au-
gust 24-26. For more informa-
tion, go to www.afsc.org/eyes.
ferred the cases to the respec-
tive police departments and the
Oregon Department of Justice.
“Older adults are often targets
because they tend to be more
trusting,” said Gina Fox, CCB’s
Public Information Officer.
Protect Yourself From
Construction Fraud
Every year, unscrupulous in-
dividuals pretending to be con-
tractors, make their way city-to-
city, through neighborhoods
and manufactured home parks,
looking for victims, mostly the
elderly. Sometimes, they offer
to pave your driveway, repair
your roof, paint your house, or
some other improvement with
supplies left over from another
job.
This is a scam. If they do any
work, it is completed very
quickly, the quality of the work
is poor and the repairs usually
cost more to fix than the origi-
nal estimate.
Community Calendar
VERNONIA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Mondays & Thursdays
6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
American Legion Post #119
2nd Thursday
7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue
Arts & Crafts Society
2nd Thursday
2:00 p.m., City Library
Booster Club
2nd Wednesday
7:00 p.m., VHS Library
Boy Scout Troop 201
Tuesdays
7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin
Boy Scout Troop 860
Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., LDS Church
Cemetery Beautification Comm.
2nd Thursday
6:30 p.m., City Hall
CERT
4th Wednesday
For Info Call 503-429-3018
Chamber of Commerce
2nd Wednesday
For Info Call 503-429-6081
Community Coalition
2nd Monday
12:30 p.m. School District Ofc.
Cub Scout Pack 201
Scout Cabin
For Info Call 503-429-4250
Friends of the Library
1st Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library
Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2
For Info Call 503-819-0143
Hands On Art Committee
1st & 3rd Thursdays
4:00 p.m., City Hall
Izaak Walton League
3rd Thursday
For location call 503-429-7193
Lions Club
1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant
Municipal Airport Committee
4th Thursday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Narcotics Anonymous
Saturdays
7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
Pioneer Museum
For Info Call 503-429-3713
Public Works Committee
4th Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Cares Directors
For Info call 503-429-1414
Vernonia City Council
1st & 3rd Mondays
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Community PTA
3rd Thursday
7:00 p.m., WGS Library
Vernonia Grange
3rd Monday
7:00 p.m., Grange Hall
Vernonia Health Center
2nd Monday
6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St.
Vernonia Learning Center
1st Wednesday
7:00 p.m., VLC
Vernonia Parks Committee
3rd Wednesday
6:30 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Planning Comm.
1st & 3rd Thursdays
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Pride
3rd Thursday
1:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Ridge Riders
Last Thursday
7:00 p.m., Senior Center
Vernonia RFPD Board
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
Vernonia School Board
2nd Thursday
6:00 p.m., District Office
Vernonia Sr. Center Board
2nd Friday
1:00 p.m., Senior Center
Vernonia Transfer Station
2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Behind VHS
Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Thursday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters
2nd Monday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
WOEC Directors
3rd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., WOEC
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Sometimes they just take the
money and never return.
Scam artists working a home
improvement scheme typically
will be driving a commercial van
Please see page 22
Low interest loans available for
home repairs, energy saving work
Low to moderate income
homeowners may qualify for
loans with no interest and de-
ferred payments for structural
repairs, foundation work, ener-
gy-saving measures or other
health and safety repairs. Oth-
er eligible repairs include
plumbing, electrical work, roof-
ing, windows, weatherization
and foundation work. Also in-
cluded are siding, furnace and
heating systems, dry rot, and
septic and drainage systems.
Not eligible are new construc-
tion, additions, furnishings, ap-
pliances, repairs to outbuild-
ings, landscape and fencing.
Community Action Team ad-
ministers the loan program in
Columbia, Tillamook and Clat-
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sop counties. To qualify for the
program, you must own and re-
side in a home in one of the
three counties. Homeowners
must meet income guidelines
and eligibility requirements.
Depending on the source of
the loan funds used, loans
must be paid back when the
property is sold, if the title to
the property changes or if the
property is no longer the resi-
dence of the borrower.
For more information, home-
owners may call Katie Lewis at
800-955-1675 or 503-397-
1675.
Contractors interested in
learning more about the pro-
gram may call Cindy Peake at
503-325-8098.
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MIST-BIRKENFELD
M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg.
2nd Tuesday
M-BRFPD Board Workshop
4th Tuesday
M-B Ambulance Drill
1st & 2nd Thursdays
M-B Fire Drill
1st & 2nd Wednesdays
M-B Helping Circle
2nd Monday
M-B SAR Drill
3rd Wednesday
M-B Volunteer Assoc.
1st Tuesday
Natal Grange
2nd Wednesday
T.O.P.S.
Mondays
Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-2401
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OCTOBER
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7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall
6:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
BANKS
Alcoholics Anonymous
Fridays
7:30 p.m., Methodist Church
Alcoholics Anonymous
Wednesdays
7:30 p.m., Methodist Church
American Legion Post #90
2nd Tuesdays
7:30 p.m., Main Street Post
Banks City Council
2nd Tuesday
7:30 p.m., City Hall
Banks Fire District #13
2nd Wednesday
7:00 p.m., Station 13
Banks Library Commission
3rd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Library
Banks Planning Commission
Last Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Banks School Board
2nd Monday
7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library
Banks Youth Group
Sundays, Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg.
Chamber of Commerce
1st Thursday
12:30 p.m., Fire District Office
CPO 14
3rd Monday
7:00 p.m., City Library
Friends of the Library
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Library
Lions Club
1st & 3rd Mondays
7:00 p.m., Brown Derby
Sunset Park Assoc.
3rd Wednesday
8:00 p.m., Gun Club
T.O.P.S.
Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg.
COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.)
Board of Commissioners
Wednesdays
10 a.m., Courthouse
Citizens for Senior Justice
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church
Columbia Soil & Water District
3rd Wednesday
7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes
County Fair Board
2nd Monday
7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg.
County Parks Commission
3rd Monday
6:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St.
Mental Health Advisory Comm.
3rd Tuesday
10 a.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse
Comm. on Children & Families
3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 550 N. Hwy. 30
Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. 2nd Tuesday
3:00 p.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse
Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to
The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.