The INDEPENDENT, August 21, 2008
Hazardous Waste Event scheduled
Every month Columbia
County hosts a free Household
Hazardous Waste Event to
help you and the environment.
What’s in your garage? Do
you have fertilizers and pesti-
cides left over from this year’s
gardening? Lawn care prod-
ucts, pool and spa chemicals,
and automotive fluids are haz-
ardous and can be a hassle to
dispose of.
Are you making the switch to
environmentally friendly home
care products? What’s under
your sink?
Dispose of household haz-
ardous waste safely and at no
charge.
Columbia County Solid
Waste and Land Development
Services hosts a Household
Hazardous Waste Collection
Event Saturday, August 30,
from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the
Columbia County Transfer Sta-
tion in St. Helens.
Small businesses in Colum-
bia County can get help with
hazardous waste disposal, too.
If you own or work for a small
business and would like more
information, call 503-397-7213.
Accepted HHW items in-
clude: oil based paints and
stains, thinners and solvents,
pool and spa chemicals, pesti-
cides, herbicides, fertilizers
and poisons, motor oil, an-
“Undie Sunday”
now til Sept. 17
This year’s “Undie Sunday”,
a month of giving, started Au-
gust 17 and will end on Sep-
tember 17.
This project responds to the
need of many children in Co-
lumbia County for basic neces-
sities like underwear and
socks. Churches, schools, or-
ganizations, and community
members are asked to partici-
pate by collecting new under-
wear and socks for children
from birth through high school.
The range is even broader, in-
cluding diapers for little ones
and slippers for the elderly.
To donate, drop off items at
Wal-Mart, Columbia County
Commission on Children and
Families (at 230 Strand St.,
Room 301), or one of your lo-
cal churches. The donations
will be distributed through Co-
lumbia County schools.
tifreeze and other automotive
fluids, household cleaners and
disinfectants, batteries, art and
hobby chemicals, aerosol
spray products, propane tanks
or bottles from barbecue grills,
fluorescent lamps and ballasts,
items containing mercury, med-
ical sharps, and small arms
ammunition. No containers
larger than five gallons please.
Standard household gar-
bage is not accepted at HHW
events. At this time, the Trans-
fer Station does not accept ra-
dioactive material or electronic
waste at HHW collection
events or during regular opera-
tions.
Recycle. Antifreeze, used
motor oil and automotive bat-
teries, as well as many other
recyclable materials, can be re-
cycled at the Transfer Station
any time.
The HHW Intake Facility is
located at the Columbia Coun-
ty Transfer and Recycling Cen-
ter, 1601 Railroad Avenue in
St. Helens (Highway 30 to St.
Helens, East on Gable Road at
Walmart, to Railroad Avenue,
Right on Railroad Avenue 1/8
mi).
Page 15
Power of the People
By W. Marc Farmer,
General Manager,
West Oregon Electric Cooperative
Care to Share 2008
Each year our staff works to raise funds for our “Care to Share” program.
These funds are then overseen by St. Vincent De Paul to provide energy as-
sistance to our Co-op members throughout the year, especially during the cold-
er winter months. In the past we have sold popcorn, had a large garage sale
in our truck bays, and had our own staff donate funds. In the past three years
we have raised $1,500, $2,000, and last year we raised $2,500 which our
Board of Directors matched. The Board will match the funds we raise this year
as well. Our goal is to raise $3,000 this year.
Our popcorn machine became an unfortunate victim of the flood and had to be thrown away. We
also felt that our garage sale might not be as big and successful as in past years, plus we still have
flood recovery items in the space we normally use for the sale. Several of our staff members will in-
stead be selling personal items during the annual garage sale day and will donate a portion of their
funds to “Care to Share.” They will be selling them in our parking lot across the street.
This year we have decided to have a bucket raffle to raise funds. There are four different prize
buckets we are raffling, and the winners will be drawn on September 15. Tickets are one for $5 or
five tickets for $20 and can be purchased at the West Oregon Electric Cooperative Office.
So what is a prize bucket? There are four buckets and you purchase your tickets and place them
in the bucket which has the prize you would like to win on the bucket. The four prizes include: 1) a
fishing package with a Guides Choice Lamiglas fishing pole with and Abu Garcia reel with a retail
value of $200; 2) a hunting package a pair of 100 percent waterproof Leupold Cascades 8x42mm
binoculars valued at $320; 3) a tool package with RYOBI 18v power tools containing a flashlight,
saws all, drill, and skill saw retailing at $199; and 4) a weekend retreat in wine country with overnight
accommodations at a beautiful log home on 20 acres in Yamhill County. You can come and view the
prizes at the Co-op headquarters in Vernonia.
We are excited about the quality of the prizes we are raffling and the wonderful donation by one
of our members for the log home stay. Together with our matching funds by our Board of Directors,
we hope once again to be able to provide some much needed help to our neighbors and friends who
could use some assistance to provide for their energy needs. We appreciate all in the past who have
supported our efforts to do so, and we ask for your support in this effort to raise funds for “Care to
Share.” On behalf of our staff and members, we thank you all so very much.
Norbom named as State senior regional volunteer
Volunteer Columbia has an-
nounced that Sally Norbom, a
Columbia County RSVP volun-
teer serving at the Columbia
County Courthouse, has been
selected to receive the State of
Oregon Governor’s Volunteer
regional award from the Out-
standing Senior Volunteer (55
+) category.
The Governor’s Volunteer
Awards recognize individuals
and organizations for their ded-
ication, commitment and deter-
mination in promoting and sup-
porting volunteerism through-
out Oregon with the purpose of
inspiring individuals to make a
positive
difference
and
strengthening Oregon commu-
nities.
This nomination was consid-
ered alongside other regional
winners for the statewide
awards. On August 14, the
statewide winners were an-
nounced. The winner of the
Statewide award for the Out-
standing Senior Volunteer (55
+) category was Barbara L.
Sackett, volunteering with The
Arc of Benton County, in Cor-
vallis.
Greg Russo, Wil Warren and
Ken Corliss from Volunteer Co-
lumbia and their Advisory
Board of Jan Kenna from Co-
lumbia County Commission on
Children and Families, Nancy
Harwood from Columbia Coun-
ty Retired Senior Volunteer
Program (RSVP) and Kathye
Beck from United Way of Co-
lumbia County all extend a well
deserved thank you to Sally
Norbom.
Volunteer Columbia is a pilot
project sponsored by the State
of Oregon to match volunteers
to volunteer opportunities with-
in Columbia County.
For more information about
Volunteer Columbia see www.
volunteercolumbia.com.
VERNONIA INN
Enjoy a quiet weekend with us.
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• Commercial Rates
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL
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©2008
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