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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2011)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, August 3, 2011 Information available on what to do if you are facing foreclosure Oregon’s foreclosure rate spiked 236% in April. Current trends in the real estate market are not likely to reverse course anytime soon. Oregon Depart- ment of Justice (DOJ) offers this advice to people who may be in danger of losing their homes. Get help right away. If you receive a foreclosure notice or are having a hard time making your mortgage payments, seek help right away. You may be able to obtain forbearance or a loan modification. Call 1-888- 995-HOPE or visit www.hope now.com to get connected with free counseling or assistance contacting your mortgage com- pany. The FTC’s mortgage website, www.ftc.gov, also pro- vides lots of important informa- tion for homeowners facing foreclosure. Make sure your counselor is HUD-approved. If you decide to work with a foreclosure counselor, make sure they are HUD-approved. Scammers may contact you by mail, on the phone, online or in person, and sometimes try to appear associated with your lender or the government. Ask your counselor if their agency is HUD-approved, and then dou- ble check for yourself. Visit the HUD website, www.hud.gov, or call 1-877-483-1515 to confirm that your counselor is HUD- approved. Never agree to pay up-front fees for foreclosure counseling. Up-front fees are illegal under Oregon law. Charging exces- sive up-front fees is one of the most common foreclosure relief scams. Keep a record of everything you do. When working with your mortgage company, keep excellent records. Note the times and days that you call and the name of the represen- tative who you speak with. Make copies of every docu- ment you sign or provide to your lender during the loan modification process. Write down the confirmation number and dates of every transaction. If problems develop, your notes and records will help you reach a resolution faster. Don’t get scammed. Those who are facing foreclosure are particularly vulnerable to scams. That is why DOJ aggressively pursues mort- gage and foreclosure fraud. Mortgage-related scams can include phony offers of coun- seling or help, cons where homeowners unknowingly sign away their home, and lease-to- own schemes where a scam- mer purports to sell a house and pockets all the payments. Learn to spot the signs of a scam at www.doj.state.or.us . If you think you have been victimized, or want to notify DOJ about an individual, com- pany or agency that may be engaging in mortgage or fore- closure rescue scams, com- plete a Consumer Complaint Form, at www.doj.state.or.us, or call the Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline at 1-877- 877-9392. Kay lost latest round of appeal Former Vernonia Police Sergeant Michael Kay lost his latest appeal to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). On July 28, the DPSST board met and unani- mously agreed with the recom- mendation of the Police Policy Committee that Kay’s police officer certification should be revoked for life. Kay now has 60 days in which to request a contested case hearing. If the hearing is not requested, his certification will be revoked. If Kay does appeal, the contested case hearing is forwarded to the Department of Justice. The City of Vernonia termi- nated Kay’s employment as of July 27 after a unanimous vote by the city council. Kay was placed on paid administrative leave after DPSST first stated their intention to revoke his cer- tification on March 15 of this year. City responds to councilors From page 1 ialist and David Nelson, a City County Insurance representa- tive. Discussion was held regarding the legal implications and risk management issues related to the personnel issue with employee Michael Kay. All five Council members were present. Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street Alcoholics Anonymous Thursdays (Big Book Study) 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue Booster Club 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m., Library CERT 4th Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-3018 Chamber of Commerce 2nd Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-4250 Friends of the Library 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2 For Info Call 503-819-0143 Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Kiwanis Club 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Municipal Airport Committee 1t Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Public Works Committee 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Garden Club 2nd Tuesday 1:30 p.m., Vernonia Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 3rd Thursday 6:30 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Learning Center 1st Wednesday 6:00 p.m., VLC Vernonia Parks Committee 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Pride 2nd Thursday 1:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m., District Office Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Friday 10:00 a.m., Senior Center Vernonia Transfer Station 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind VHS Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., WOEC MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday T.O.P.S. Mondays Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous American Legion Post #90 Banks City Council Banks Fire District #13 Banks Library Commission Banks Planning Commission Banks School Board Banks Youth Group Chamber of Commerce CPO 14 Everybody’s Hometown Band Friends of the Library Lions Club Sunset Park Assoc. T.O.P.S. Friday Wednesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Wednesday 3rd Tuesday Last Tuesday 2nd Monday Sunday, Wednesday 1st Thursday 3rd Monday Tuesdays 2nd Tuesday 1st & 3rd Mondays 3rd Wednesday Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 9:00 a.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post 7:30 p.m., City Hall 7:00 p.m., Station 13 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., City Hall 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., BHS Music Room 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby 8:00 p.m., Gun Club 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesday 10:00 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Comm Mental Health 1st Tuesday 5”30 p.m., 58646 McNulty Way Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Tuesday Times vary, 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Comm. on Children & Families 3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plan. Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.
