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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2011)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, January 6, 2011 CASA program helps children Before and after pictures above show a flood buyout property on Mist Dr., Vernonia. Photos courtesy of Jamie Jones. Some flooded properties become new green space by Jamie Jones, Housing Rehabili- tation and Demolitions Specialist, CAT, Inc. (One in a series of occasional articles to explain the process involved in the demolition of severely flood-damaged properties.) What begins as the acquisi- tion of a severely flooded home, ends in the demolition of the home, and the property be- comes green space, forever. Community Action Team, Inc. (CAT) is working with the dem- olition contractor as their liaison with city, county and federal agencies in completing this process. In their Requests for Qualifi- cations, the City of Vernonia and Columbia County required demolition contractors to show that they were able to recycle as much of the materials as possible. Custom Excavating by Dean Larson,Inc., won the bid for these homes, with its sister company Trails End Re- covery. This team out of War- renton is known for its commit- ment to reducing waste in the landfill. They have projected that they will be able to recycle, on average, 90 percent of the materials coming from these homes. The staging area at the Mill site that was pictured in the De- cember 2 issue of The Inde- pendent showed a pile of wood from three of the homes being demolished. That pile of wood only covers about one-sixth of the cemented area it sits on. This staging area is where ALL of the recycled materials are being sorted, so EVERYTHING on that cement pad will be reused or recycled in some way. When you see how much material is being stored there, you can appreciate the amount of materials coming out of these homes that is NOT going to a landfill. It’s important to note here that the big transfer bins out- side of the homes being demol- ished, or at the mill site, are NOT garbage bins for everyone to dump their stuff. Custom Ex- cavating and Trails End Recov- ery (CE-TER) sort the materials as they go and, while some things do go to the landfill, most do not. Simply put, dumping garbage in these bins is illegal; it is called “theft of services.” This additional material adds to the cost of labor and time to sort it and dispose of it proper- ly. So CAT, CE-TER and the City of Vernonia are asking that people do not dump their garbage in the transfer bins, and that neighbors keep an eye out for such behavior. CAT and CE-TER have re- ceived inquiries and requests as to what was going to happen to specific items on some of the properties, so CE-TER has ini- tiated a process to allow local citizens to take items that do not have a particular market value attached to them. If they do have a value attached, CE- TER is willing to work with local residents to come to some sort of agreement. Either way, CE is doing their best to give back to the community and they intend to do so until the project is fin- ished. CE-TER is also interested in recycling as many materials lo- cally as possible, and in using local labor, resources and stores as needed. In order to preview any items available, CE-TER requires you to sign a Letter of Indemnity, which basi- cally translates to “enter at your own risk”. Additionally, before picking up any items, you will need an approved, itemized list, and you will need to arrange with the Field Manager for a designated time to pre- view or pick up any approved items at either the properties or the collection sites, as it is a li- ability issue to be on the site when they are working. State Farm ® Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Bunny Girt, Agent 503-901-1705 1229 N. Adair PO Box 543 Cornelius, OR 97113-0543 Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667 bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com There have also been nu- merous instances of vandalism on these properties so, if stopped by the local police, you will need to prove you belong on the premises by having the documents CE-TER provides. For additional information on how to preview or request items from the contracted prop- erties, please contact the CE- TER Field Manager at 503- 741-6867 and leave a voice- mail. You may also leave a message at the main office, 503-861-6030. We want to thank the citi- zens of Vernonia for all the as- sistance and patience you have shown in making this a smooth and successful process. Look for the next article “Deconstruc- tion and Demolition” explaining the methodology of the decon- struction and demolition pro- cess. Columbia County Mental Health 800-294-5211 ----------------- Suicide Hotline 1-800- 784-2433 or 1-800-273- TALK(8255) From page 7 and also can call witnesses of their own or question other par- ties’ witnesses. Under state law, the CASA’s role is to: • Investigate all relevant in- formation about the case; • Advocate for the child, en- suring that all relevant facts are brought before the court; • Facilitate and negotiate to ensure that the court, Depart- ment of Human Services, and the child’s attorney fulfill their obligations to the child in a timely manner; • Monitor all court orders to ensure compliance and to bring to the court’s attention any change in circumstances that may require a modification of the court’s order. CASAs make a 1-1/2 to two- year commitment so that they advocate for the child or sib- lings until the end of the case. “Often, a CASA is the one con- sistent presence in the child’s life during that time period,” said Bourn. Caseworkers, ther- apists, and even foster families often change during that time- frame. To learn more about volun- teering, people can visit the CASA for Kids website at www.casaforkidsinc.org or contact CASA for Kids at 503- 366-4133 or info@casaforkidsinc. org. Domestic Abuse Hotline 503-397-6161 or 866-397-6161 ----------------- Military Helpline 888-HLP-4-VET (888-457-4838)