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.