Page 4
The INDEPENDENT, October 3, 2012
Jobless rate up very slightly
Some who lost homes will get settlement
Columbia County’s season-
ally adjusted unemployment
rate was 9.5 percent in August,
essentially unchanged from the
previous month (9.4%), but
lower than the year before
(10.3%). The rate was higher
than the statewide rate (8.9%)
and the national rate (8.1%).
Total employment fell by 87 to
22,435 and the number of un-
Attorney General Ellen
Rosenblum announced Sep-
tember 24 that claim forms are
going out to more than 23,000
Oregonians who may be eligi-
ble for payment under the na-
tional mortgage foreclosure
settlement.
Qualifying Oregonians could
get cash payments of $840 or
more. To be eligible, borrowers
must have lost their homes to
foreclosure between January
1, 2008, and December 31,
2011, and had their mortgages
serviced by Ally/GMAC, Bank
of America, Citi, JPMorgan
Chase or Wells Fargo.
The nation’s five largest
mortgage servicers agreed to
the payments as part of a $25
billion settlement with the fed-
eral government and attorneys
general for 49 states and the
District of Columbia.
The “Big Five” servicers
have already paid $29.3 million
employed people dropped by
106 to 2,319. Total employment
this August was 111 more than
one year before and there were
164 fewer people unemployed
this year.
For comparison, the Port-
land metro area’s seasonally
adjusted unemployment rate
was 8.1 percent in August, un-
changed from July.
A R E Y O U RE G IS T ER ED T O V O T E?
I S
Y O U R V OT E R R E G I ST R AT I ON U P TO DA T E ?
You must be registered if you want to vote in the
General Election on November 6, 2012.
In Oregon, the last day to register is October 21, 2012.
To check your registration status, update your registration,
and much more, go to: oregonvotes.org
Y O U R V OT E IS YO U R V OI C E !
I F
YOU DO NOT VOTE , YOU ARE LETTING
SOMEONE ELSE MAKE YOUR DECISIONS .
to the state as part of the settle-
ment. They have also pledged
$300 million worth of loan mod-
ifications and other assistance
to current Oregon customers.
About $1.5 billion of the set-
tlement is earmarked for 2 mil-
lion borrowers nationwide. The
exact payment will depend
upon the total number of bor-
rowers who decide to partici-
pate.
“This payment is intended
as partial compensation for the
mortgage servicers’ improper
conduct,” Rosenblum said. “By
participating, borrowers do not
give up any legal rights.
They’re free to participate in
this settlement and also pursue
other legal remedies such as
filing a lawsuit or participating
in a class action, if they so
choose.”
Borrowers must return their
claim forms by January 18. The
national settlement administra-
tor has mailed notification post-
cards to eligible borrowers na-
tionwide. In Oregon, packets
with a letter from the Attorney
General, claim form, instruc-
tions and answers to frequently
asked questions are being
mailed to eligible borrowers
through October 12.
Attorney General Rosen-
blum urged eligible Oregonians
to complete their claim forms
and return them as soon as
possible in the envelope pro-
vided, or file them online at
www.nationalmortgagesettle-
ment.com. The deadline for all
claims is January 18, 2013.
Payment checks are expected
to be mailed in mid-2013.
The one-page claim forms
are simple to complete. How-
ever, borrowers who have
questions or need help filing
their claim can contact the set-
tlement administrator, toll-free,
See Foreclosures, page 5
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., WGS 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
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
Emerg. Preparedness Comm.
4th Wednesday
6:30 p.m., WOEC
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
Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 7:00 p.m.,Vernonia Grange
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 Comm. Learning Center 1st Wednesday
5:00 p.m., VCLC
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 Library Board
1st Wednesday
9:00 a.m., Sept-June, Library
Vernonia Parks Committee
3rd Wednesday
6:30 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Planning Comm.
1st & 3rd Thursdays
6:00 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.
3rd 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
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
7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall
9:00 a.m., Main Fire Station
7:30 p.m., Methodist Church
7:30 p.m., Methodist Church
7:00 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 9-1-1 Board
3rd Thursday
9:00 a.m., 9-1-1 meeting room
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
2nd Thursday
4:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St.
Comm. on Children & Families
3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30
Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. 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.