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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2010)
The INDEPENDENT, July 15, 2010 Locksmiths must be certified and licensed by state Beginning July 1, 2010, Ore- gon law requires locksmiths to be certified and the business li- censed through the Construc- tion Contractors Board (CCB). “In the past, locksmiths have self-governed themselves by personal ethics and self-certi- fied through professional or- ganizations,” said Ernie Blatz, President of Pacific Locksmith Association. “We believe this law will help protect consumers from bait and switch practices and other fraudulent activities that have increased over the years.” The new law requires any- one who services, installs, re- pairs, rebuilds, rekeys, repins or adjusts locks, safes, vaults, or safe deposit boxes to be cer- tified. There are exemptions built into the law, such as those who only cut keys at a fixed location or tow truck drivers who open a car as part of the towing com- pany’s service. The list of ex- emptions can be found on the CCB website. “The general rule of thumb,” said Gina Fox, spokesperson for the CCB, “If a business is advertising as a locksmith, the business must be licensed and have a certified locksmith doing the work.” Consumers needing a lock- smith should verify that the business is properly licensed and the locksmith is certified by checking the CCB website at www.oregon.gov/ccb and click- ing on “Check a Contractor’s License”. The CCB is a state agency licensing more than 41,000 contractors. Information is also available by calling 503-378- 4621. Hate crimes can be reported to state AG via Internet Oregon Attorney General John Kroger has unveiled a new online hate crime reporting form as part of a broad effort to protect the civil rights of all Ore- gonians. “It’s crucially important that people feel safe to report hate crimes,” said Attorney General Kroger. “This new online report- ing system will give us a better handle on the scope of the problem.” Attorney General Kroger also announced that he is working on a report that will document hate crime incidents over the last few years. The announcement of the new form follows a community meeting last week in which members of the LGBTQ (les- bian, gay, bisexual, transgen- der and queer) community re- counted incidents of gay-bash- ing that went unreported to law enforcement. “We’re thrilled that the Attor- ney General’s office has taken such an immediate action and More Oregonians need food assistance More Oregonians than ever before continue to count on public services to help their families get through economic tough times. Demand for Sup- plemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (formerly food stamps) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) increased again last month, and the trend is expect- ed to continue into next year. In May, a total of 706,653 Oregonians received SNAP benefits, an increase of 17 per- cent from one year ago and 46 percent since the beginning of the recession in July 2008, when Oregon’s unemployment rate was just above six percent. Last month, a total of 26,885 families received TANF — up five percent from a year ago and 35 percent from July 2008; this program is available only for very low-income Oregon families. SNAP benefits provide an important bridge for people who are unemployed or under- employed and earn too little to meet their basic nutrition needs. TANF helps families pay for shelter and other ne- cessities that parents would not be able to otherwise afford. It also provides case manage- ment services for families struggling due to unemploy- ment, underemployment or in- capacitation of a primary wage earner. In order to keep up with the increased demand, DHS has transformed its intake process to reduce wait times and elimi- nate backlogs. Because of the streamlining efforts, Oregoni- ans receive their SNAP bene- fits an average of nine days sooner than they did before – and in most places, it is same- day service. There are 160 DHS loca- tions across the state where Oregonians can apply for SNAP, TANF and other benefits for which they may be eligible. Many state and federal pro- grams have online applica- tions: Go to www.oregon.gov/ DHS/ assistance. offered such a tangible re- sponse to the requests made by the LGBTQ community at last week’s important forum,” said Kendall Clawson, Execu- tive Director of Q Center. The new form can be found at https://www.doj.state.or.us/ hate_crime_report.shtml on the Oregon Department of Justice Web site. The Criminal Justice Division will review the com- plaints, make follow-up calls and determine whether to refer the cases to other law enforce- ment agencies for investigation and prosecution. The Depart- ment of Justice also will use the information to get a better han- dle on the scope of hate crimes and analyze trends. The new form is not a substi- tute for reporting crime to local, state or federal law enforce- ment agencies. It is designed for people who have concerns about their safety and to better track the incidences of hate crimes in Oregon. A person who has just expe- rienced or witnessed a hate crime should call 9-1-1, and victims should still report these to local law enforcement. The complaint forms are public records, although they have a box that can be checked in order to seek confi- dentiality. The Department of Justice will do what it can to re- spect that confidentiality to the extent that the law allows. Attorney General Kroger campaigned for office in 2008 on a pledge to create a civil rights unit at the Oregon De- partment of Justice. The 2009 Legislature approved funding for the unit. Page 5 Dennis Electric changes name to DA Nelson, LLC Vernonia area residents and businesses have known Den- nis Electric, Inc., and Dennis A. Nelson for many years. In the 1950s there was Frank’s Elec- tric, owned by Frank Boyd in Rainier. In 1976, Dennis L. Nel- son, father of Dennis A., bought out Frank’s Electric from Frank Boyd. When his father died, Dennis A. took over the busi- ness, moving it from Rainier to Timber Rd. in Vernonia, where the business was operated with his wife, Schann. Now, after 35 years in oper- ation, the business has been restructured to better serve the community in these tougher economic times. Dennis Elec- tric, Inc. has now become DA Nelson LLC, but the tradition continues. Dennis A. Nelson is still the owner/operator and the business is still affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #48, as it has been since its start in the 1950s. One change that customers will appreciate is the new, low- er, hourly rate. DA Nelson LLC has reduced the hourly rate by 10% with the restructuring. “Company costs have not gone down,” Nelson said, “but we are determined to increase effi- ciency and reduce costs to our customers.” Customers will still receive the same superior work from highly trained, experi- enced electricians. DA Nelson LLC continues to be determined to meet the needs of rural residents and communities for professional wiring services. Nelson has served as the electrician for both the City of Vernonia and the City of Clatskanie. The company still does both com- mercial and residential jobs. Remodeling, service replace- ments and trouble calls are just some of the services still of- fered. “We thank our many loyal customers, who have support- ed us over the years,” Nelson added. It’s not too soon to consider having an Emergency Genera- tor Transfer Switch put in place so you’ll be ready when, and if, the power goes out next winter. So call today for a free esti- mate. You can still get all of your electrical needs taken care of by calling the same number, 503-429-8930, to reach DA Nelson LLC. Meyers ‘ Auto Body,Inc 503-429-0248 493 Bridge St, Vernonia, OR