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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2007)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, November 1, 2007 Join the annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving at the Oregon Zoo The Oregon Zoo invites run- ners and walkers of all ages to the annual Turkey Trot at the zoo on Thursday, November 22. The Thanksgiving Day event, organized by the Oregon Road Runners Club, includes a four-mile run and fitness walk beginning at 8:00 a.m. and a one-kilometer Tot Trot begin- ning at 9:30 a.m. A portion of the Turkey Trot proceeds fund animal care and conservation programs at the Oregon Zoo. “For more than 35 years, the Oregon Road Runners Club has encouraged thousands of people to take steps to improve their health by walking and run- ning,” said Dave Cook, ORRC president. “The Turkey Trot has become an annual tradition for Oregon families and their rela- tives visiting from out of town. It’s a great thing to do prior to sitting down to a big Thanksgiv- ing Day meal.” Events are noncompetitive and do not include awards. Clocks at the start and finish lines are available for self-tim- ing. Each event starts across from the zoo at the World Forestry Center and finishes in- side the zoo by the concert am- phitheater. More information and registration forms are available at w w w. o r r c . n e t / r a c e s / t u r key_trot/turkey_tba.htm. No pets or rollerblades are allowed in any of the events. Strollers and child-carrier back- packs are allowed only in the four-mile fitness walk and must start at the back of the group. Volunteers wishing to help with this benefit run may call the ORRC at 503-667-0480 and leave a name and phone number. The ORRC, a nonprofit or- ganization, was founded in Seaside in 1970 as an out- growth of the Trail’s End Marathon, the first marathon in the Pacific Northwest. The club is a member of the national Road Runners Club of Ameri- ca, and is one of the largest RRCA running clubs in the United States with roughly a thousand members. The club conducts races and develop- mental programs for children, adults, runners and walkers, and plans and organizes more than 15 running and walking events in the Portland vicinity. Visit www. orrc.net for more in- formation. CHS to hold dinner and auction Columbia Humane Society’s second annual Silent Auction and Benefit Dinner will be held at St. Helens Elks Lodge, 350 Belton Road, on November 10. Join in for an evening of fast paced fun and excitement, all to benefit the Columbia Hu- mane Society. There will be a two course buffet dinner (oven Action Ads INEXPENSIVE – EFFECTIVE 503-429-9410 $4.50 for the first 10 words, then just 10¢ for each additional word roasted chicken and roast beef) with two sides, salad bar, dessert, coffee or tea, and a no-host bar. A silent auction will be held and there will be gaming ta- bles. Tickets are $30.00 each or $50.00 per couple. Tickets are available on-line at www.columbiahumane.org through Paypal, or may be pur- chased at the shelter (cash or check only) and at All About Pets. Only cash and checks can be accepted the night of the event, though there is an ATM on site. Call 503-397-4353 for fur- ther details. Pet of the Month Columbia Humane Society in St. Helens has a variety of wonderful pets available for adoption. Find the pet that’s right for you in the shelter at 2084 Oregon St. Monday through Saturday, 11 am. to 5 pm. 503-397-4353 Edward and Eden would like to be adopted into a home together. These two brothers LOVE each other so much! They are often found just snug- gling up to one another. Their brotherly bond is apparent. It would be a dream come true to keep these boys together and have them adopted out as a pair. If you have the room for these two boys they would show you all the love and attention you could handle! They love to play around with one another, rolling around in their cage and playing a good game of pass with a toy ball. Up for adop- tion separately or together they are ready for their fun loving home! Come down and meet with the "E" brothers. This Adopt a Pet is Sponsored by: Senator Betsy Johnson Turkey Trot runners are not the only ones who celebrate Thanksgiving at the Oregon Zoo, the meerkats receive papier-mâché turkeys (filled with crickets) during the annual holiday tradi- tion. Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy Oregon Zoo. Take steps to pick best Medicare plan From page 8 you to find and compare Medicare prescription drug plans and health plans in your area. You can also call 1-800- MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). • www.healthdecisions.org/ guide offers an easy-to-use, in- teractive online publication. This is a service from America’s Health Insurance Plans, a na- tional association of health in- surance companies. Remember, no matter which Medicare health plan you’ve chosen previously, you can switch to a different plan be- tween November 15 and De- cember 31. Consider these points: • Cost – How much will you pay for premiums, deductibles, and co-payments? Plans with lower premiums may have higher out-of-pocket expenses (the amount you pay when re- ceiving care, such as co-pay- ments, deductibles, and coin- surance). The inverse is also true: if you’re paying a higher monthly premium, your out-of- pocket costs may be less. • Benefits – Does the plan include all Medicare benefits in Part A and Part B? Does it also include prescription drug cover- age? • Doctor and hospital choice – Do the doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other pro- viders you use accept the plan? Are they conveniently located? Once you understand what benefits you want in a health plan, you’re ready to visit the Websites of specific health plans and compare. Narrow it down to plans offered by two or three insurance carriers and learn more about these plans. Step Four: Find out if you qualify for extra help. If you have limited income and re- sources, you may qualify for help paying for your Medicare health coverage, including pre- scription coverage. To find out if you qualify for assistance pay- ing for Medicare health cover- age, contact the Oregon Medic- aid office or call Social Security Administration at 1-800-772- 1213. If you use a TYY, call 1- 800-325-0778. If you are satisfied with your 2007 Medicare coverage and don’t intend to make any changes, you do not need to take any action during the en- rollment period. You will be au- tomatically re-enrolled for the same plan for 2008.
