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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, March 17, 2011 Page 5 Apply now for Century Farm/Ranch Columbia County farmers may qualify for disaster aid County farmers tion included programs from the which deals with major emer- program or Sesquicentennial Award are Columbia eligible for disaster assis- USDA and, due to the way the gency preparedness and re- Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 award year of the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program, a statewide recognition program honoring farmers and ranchers who have worked the same land for at least 100 years. Ap- plications are also available for the Sesquicentennial Award, in- troduced by the program in 2008, honoring families with farms or ranches continuously worked for 150 years or more. To date, 1,117 families have formally received the Century designation and 22 families have received the Sesquicen- tennial Award. In its 53rd year, the program is administered through the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation (OAEF) in Salem, and is partially funded by the Oregon Farm Bureau, the State Historic Preservation Office (Department of Parks & Recre- ation), the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Trav- el Information Council, various county farm bureaus, agricul- ture-based organizations and individuals. Family farmers and ranchers throughout Oregon are encour- aged to apply for the Century Award and/or the Sesquicen- tennial Award by the June 1 deadline. Successful applicants receive a personalized certifi- cate with acknowledgment by the governor and the director of the Oregon Department of Agri- culture. A durable metal road side sign to identify the farm or ranch as having Century or Sesquicentennial status is also available. Each family will be honored during a special cere- mony and reception at the Ore- gon State Fair September 3, at 3:00 p.m. For more information on the program or to obtain application guidelines for either award, vis- it www.oregonfb.org or contact Sharon Leighty, Oregon Centu- ry Farm & Ranch Program Co- ordinator at 503-400-7884 or cfr@oregonfb.org. Scammers use tragedies for gain From page 1 be pleased to receive a contri- bution by check. Don’t send contributions with a “runner,” by wire or overnight parcel pick-up service. • Beware of calls, emails and texts requesting fast money. If you are unfamiliar with the charity, always ask for written materials. No legitimate organi- zation will insist that you donate immediately. Watch out for so- licitors who employ dramatic, emotional or heart-tugging sto- ries. For example: Dear Sir/ Madam, My Name is Abdul Colins, I am the head of the Malaysia humanitarian aid to japan. Japan has suffered the worst disaster since WWII. The earth- quake and tsunami that took place recently have killed over 10,000 people and caused widespread damage. There are at least 100,000 people who are in mourning for their lost loved ones or who are injured. There are many more that are without food, water or elec- tricity. A lot of children are homeless, it has been a sad and bad story to tell for some of us that have been there. We will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist the little children and some homeless families. Please use the name blow to send whatever u can through western union Money Transfer. Name: Abdul Colins Address: 17A, Jalan Kuchin Seksyen, Mahkota Melaka, Malaysia After you have send the money, email to us the western union money transfer control number or you can attach and forward to us the western union money transfer receipt so that we can pick up the money fast for their help. Thanks for your help Abdul Colins Scammers and identity thieves pose a significant threat to Oregon consumers. Last year Oregonians reported los- ing nearly $2 million to scams. The Oregon Department of Justice is committed to protect- ing Oregon consumers. Anyone who thinks they may have been contacted by a scammer should call Consumer Protec- tion Hotline at 1-877-877-9392 or go to www.oregonattorney general.gov. tance from the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture (USDA) for potential losses from January’s storms. President Barack Obama declared a disaster for several Oregon counties, including Clatsop County, on February 17, for damage from rain and landslides that occurred Janu- ary 13-21, 2010. This declara- USDA disaster declaration process works, farmers in counties contiguous to those counties declared are also eligi- ble, making the declaration ap- plicable to Columbia County. This declaration opens up certain types of assistance for farmers, according to Derek White with Columbia County Emergency Management, Resource Fair for young people with intellectual, developmental disabilities Project Employ, a training and technical assistance pro- gram for young people with in- tellectual or developmental dis- abilities, will offer a free Mini- Conference and Resource Fair, open to the general public, on Wednesday, April 20, from 3:30 to 8:00 p.m., at Westview High School, 4200 NW 185th Ave., Portland. Project Employ is a joint project of the Arc of Oregon and the state Office of Voca- tional Rehabilitation Services. It has been partnering with fam- ilies and community organiza- tions in Washington County throughout the 2010-11 school year, providing training and technical assistance to help students successfully transition from school to employment. The Mini-Conferences and Resource Fair are designed to assist students with develop- mental disabilities age 16 – 21, and their families learn about the resources and services available to help them become successful in their pursuit to employment and/or higher edu- cation. The Resource Fair will feature a variety of workshops, speakers, and exhibitors pro- viding information about transi- tion and employment services. Representatives from self-di- rected support service broker- ages, Washington County De- velopmental Disabilities Pro- gram, Vocational Rehabilitation Services and benefits coun- selors will be participating. Washington County Devel- opmental Disability Services provides case management services to a number of the in- dividuals who receive services in Project Employ, and links them with resources for long- term support. For more information, con- tact Cynthia Owens, The Arc of Oregon at 503-581-2726, or pr ojectemploy@arcoregon.org . Redistricting determined by law From page 1 tion for them in their State Leg- islature,” said House Redistrict- ing Committee Co-Chair Chris Garrett (D-Lake Oswego) “Redistricting is not just about lines on a map. The type of representation that local communities send to Salem and Washington, D.C., will be in large part determined by the shape these districts take. These hearings are an opportu- nity for communities to identify the type of voice they want to represent them, and what other communities they have com- monalities with,” said Senate Redistricting Committee Vice- Chair Chair Chris Telfer. The Oregon Legislature has the responsibility of redrawing the state’s 60 House districts and 30 Senate districts, as well as the five U.S. Congressional districts, following the release of the federal census. The crite- ria that the Legislature will con- sider when drawing legislative and congressional boundaries includes maintaining contiguity, equal population, existing geo- graphic or political boundaries, communities of interest and connection by transportation links. Visit the State of Oregon Re- districting website at http://ww w.leg.state.or.us/redistricting/ for additional information about the redistricting process, the public hearings and to view the full schedule of locations and times. sponse. “Farmers here are able to apply for disaster assistance from the Farm Service Agency. That assistance, if the applicant is eligible, ranges from emer- gency loans to supplemental revenue assistance payments”, White says. Farmers have until October 17 to apply. Assistance applica- tions must be filed at the near- est Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, which is located at: Washington County FSA, 1080 SW Baseline, Suite B2, Hills- boro, OR 97123. For questions about the pro- gram, contact the Washington County FSA office at 503-648- 3174. County jobless rate remains unchanged Columbia County’s season- ally adjusted unemployment rate was to 12.2 percent in Jan- uary, unchanged from the pre- vious month (12.2%) but lower than the year before (12.7%). The rate was above the statewide rate (10.4%) and the national rate (9.0%). Total em- ployment dropped by 136 to 21,645 and the number of un- employed people increased by 297 to 3,235. Total employment this January was 439 more than one year before and there were 162 fewer people unem- ployed this year. Council approves other business From page 4 In other business, council: • approved two Funds Verifica- tion Reports, one for $3,409 for Columbia County Homeland Secu- rity and Emergency Management Commission, and the other for $6,000 to LOC for the city adminis- trator hiring process (opposed by Parrow). • authorized the police chief to update the Vernonia Police Dept. policy manual. • approved Resolution 08-11 adopting new and revised council rules. • approved Resolution 09-11 au- thorizing Dan Brown, CAT Flood Administrator, to approve decreas- ing contract price on Flood Mitiga- tion Demolition Project contracts. The next city council meeting is scheduled for March 21, starting at 7:00 p.m., at city hall.