City of Columbia City

RESOURCES FOR WINTER TRAVEL

Reprinted from the Traffic Safety Connection Newsletter.

ODOT offers travel information via the Internet, by phone, and on cable TV. Visit www.TripCheck.com, ODOT’s travel information website. In addition to text-based reports, the site offers camera images from urban areas, mountain passes, and other key locations throughout the state. Maps detail road conditions and trouble spots and include information about weather, road construction, and maintenance work and traffic incidents.

In the Portland area, a speed map provides average travel times for local commuters and other highway users. You can also develop a custom camera page to check specific routes at a glance. The QuickCheck page brings camera and incident information together in a text-based format for easy access.

TripCheck.com has links to bus, airport, train, bicycle and trucking information. A mileage calculator allows you to estimate distance and choose the most direct route. Other features include detailed information on scenic byways, safety rest areas, and SnoParks. Motorists can access winter driving information at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/winterdriving.shtml. Topics include preparation for stormy conditions, driving in the rain, low-visibility driving, chains and traction tires, road conditions and travel information.

Travelers in Oregon can dial 511 to access TripCheck road and weather information by phone. You can select updated reports about driving conditions by highway, mountain pass, or major city from easy-to-use menus. The 511 system responds to voice as well as touch-tone commands. Calls to 511 are local calls when dialed from a pay or wire line phone. Wireless phone users are responsible for airtime and roaming charges according to their service contracts. If you cannot use 511, call toll-free (800) 977-6368 for road and weather information. Outside Oregon, call (503) 588-2941.

Comcast subscribers in the Portland area can view full-motion video from 18 freeway cameras from 5 AM to 9 PM, Monday - Friday, on Channel 14 (CNW14).

CAPLES HOUSE/KNAPP SOCIAL CENTER

SPECIAL HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

The Caples House Museum will be hosting “a plum pudding Christmas” celebration on Sunday, December 9, 2007 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. at 1915 First Street. There are lots of family fun activities planned, come and check it out.

PLANNING TO GET AWAY?

This time of year many residents escape to warmer locations or make plans to visit family out of town. The Columbia City Police Department would like to remind you that they could periodically check your home while you are away. To receive this service, please register with the Columbia City Police Department before you leave. Forms are available at City Hall.

T THANK YOU T

We'd like to extend a very special thank you to:

T Judy Anderson, Karen Bates, Marian Calnon, Nell Harrison and Vonnie Walker for helping with the newsletter and utility billing in October.

T Libby Calnon for donating icicle lights for the Community Hall.

T Columbia River PUD for hanging lights on the Community Hall and the Caples House Museum buildings, and for hanging our holiday banners.

REMINDER FOR ALL PET OWNERS

We'd like to remind pet owners that the City's Animal Control Ordinance prohibits animals from running at large. Pet owners are required to have control of their pet at all times when it is off of their private property. Pet owners are prohibited from allowing their pets to deposit waste upon property not under their ownership. If their pets do deposit waste on property other than their own, they are required to immediately remove it.

BE PREPARED FOR THE COLD & FLU SEASON

Reprinted from a Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon Flyer.

The winter months signal the return of the cold and flu season! This year, why not take some steps to help prevent the annual attack.

Hand-to-Hand Combat. Remember how you were taught to always cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze? That actually helps spread the infection.

As a result, you leave the virus behind on everything you touch.

It also means that you can catch a cold from touching things that other people have touched—like coffee cups, door handles, telephones or drinking fountains.

To help prevent this “catch-and-spread” cycle:

1. Wash your hands often.

2. Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, preferably with a tissue or arm (not hands);

3. And don’t put your hands around your eyes, mouth or nose until you have had a chance to wash them.

Try to avoid people who cough and sneeze. Adults may be able to infect others 1 day before getting symptoms and up to 7 days after getting sick. So it is possible to give someone the flu before you know you’re sick as well as while you are sick.

What is the Flu? The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.

Be Aware of Common Flu Symptoms. The flu usually starts suddenly and may include these symptoms:

v Fever (usually high)

v Headache

v Tiredness (can be extreme)

v Cough

v Sore throat

v Runny or stuffy nose

v Body aches

v Diarrhea and vomiting also can occur but are more common in children

Preventing the Flu. The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each fall.

Who is High-Risk? Some people are considered at high risk for complications of the flu.

v People 65 years of age and older

v Children ages 6 months to 23 months

v Residents of long-term care facilities

v People age 2-64 years with chronic illnesses

v Pregnant women

v Health-care personnel who provide direct patient care

v Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children ages <6 months.

Where Can You Get a Flu Shot? Check to see if there is any community flu shot clinics being held in your area. Many communities have public sites that offer flu shots during October, November and December. If you are at high risk, call your doctor about getting a flu shot.

Tender Loving Care. Treating the flu or a cold is mostly a matter of relieving your symptoms. There are some things you can do to be more comfortable:

1. Get as much bed rest as possible. How you feel indicates how much rest you need. Once the fever is gone and you feel like being up and about, then go ahead. You’re the best judge of how you feel.

2. Take aspirin or ibuprofen every 4 hours. It’s still the best medicine for fever and muscle aches for adults. Children can be given ibuprofen or acetaminophen (remember, never give aspirin to a child unless directed to by your child’s doctor).

3. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water and fruit juices, and eat a proper diet. Fluids help keep the mucus more liquid, and help prevent complications such as bronchitis and ear infections.

Foods That Soothe. Hot tea with a little honey is a tried-and-true remedy for a stuffy nose—but chicken soup works even better! Nobody knows why, but steaming chicken soup does a better job of clearing mucus from your nasal passages, making you feel better while getting rid of a lot of virus. And that can speed up your recovery.

Add Some Spice. For a vigorous effect on your sinuses, try something spicy. Hot, spicy foods unplug your nose and clear your sinuses as well as your lungs. Use lots of horseradish, mustard, cayenne, chili pepper and garlic on your food.

Following these easy tips can help you be prepared when the cold and flu season strikes this year.

Text Box: REMEMBER.....
Library books can be dropped off at City Hall if the Library is closed. LIBRARY NEWS

Our Thursday volunteer has recently started working for money, so we are looking for additional volunteers who are able to work on Thursdays. There are frequently slots open on Saturdays too, so if you are able to help out, please sign up. We are a community-supported library, and most of our open hours are staffed by volunteers. Even four hours a month can make a difference!

You will see our new space taking shape over the month of December. The bookshelves have arrived, and soon everything will be rearranged so that we have more space available for all parts of the collection.

We have received some wonderful book donations at the library recently – thank you to everyone who has donated current books to the library! If there are particular books you would like us to have, please fill out a book request slip at the library. Now we can start working to fill up the new shelves!

Please return overdue books!

New at the Library…

California Fire and Life by Don Winslow won the 2000 Shamus award for fiction about private investigators. Jack Wade was the rising star of the Orange County Sheriffs Department’s arson unit, but a minor scandal cost him everything, except his encyclopedic knowledge of fire. Now working as an insurance claims investigator, Jack is called in to examine a suspicious claim: real estate millionaire Nicky Vale's house has burned to a crisp—with his young and gorgeous wife in it. Jack follows the evidence into the crime infested inferno of the California underworld, filled with Russian mobsters, Vietnamese hoods, American crooks, and enough smoldering vice to char the entire gold coast. Things get so hot and deadly that Jack might not make it out alive . . . that is until he decides to fight fire with fire.

Dream House by Rochelle Krich is a 2004 Agatha award winner. Friday, October 31. 9:37 P.M., 100 block of South Martel, a vandal threw a pumpkin through the front window of a house and several eggs at the front door. The police report read like just another Halloween prank–a nasty, petty act. But the attack is one in a recent spate of increasingly violent vandalisms targeting residents who have paid millions of dollars for their dream homes in the ritziest enclaves of Los Angeles.

In her second Molly Blume chiller, award-winning novelist Rochelle Krich takes us right inside L.A.’s most exclusive neighborhoods and into the elegant old houses whose wrought-iron fences and barred windows offer scant protection from violence. Even in a dream house, life can turn nightmarish in a heartbeat.

Story Time:

11 AM every Monday

Friends of the Library Meeting:

No meeting for December

Novel Quilters Meeting:

Wednesday, 12/19/07 - 6:30 PM

Staffed Hours:

Monday & Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM

Wednesday, 4 PM to 8 PM

Thursday, 2 PM to 6 PM

CLOSED: Monday, 12/31/07

Phone: (503) 366-8020

E-mail: cclibrary@opusnet.com

Address: 205 "I" Street

DO WE HAVE YOUR CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION?

We may need to call you for one reason or another. We might want to:

· let you know about a water leak we discovered while reading your meter, or

· notify you of a temporary street closure that will impact your access, or

· let you know your water will be shut off due to a waterline break or other repair work, or

· let you know your dog was spotted near Highway 30, or

· we may even need to reach you in the event of an emergency.

For whatever the reason, we hope we have your current contact information in our records when we attempt to call you. If your work phone number has changed, or you have a new cell phone or home telephone number, please keep us informed so we can update our records. Thank you!

HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

Christmas trees:

· Purchase a fresh tree that isn't dropping needles.

· Make a fresh cut across the tree base and let it soak in a bucket of water for several days before you bring it inside.

· Continue to water the tree often.

· Dispose of the tree as soon as possible after the holidays.

· Never dispose of Christmas trees or wrapping paper in your woodstove or fireplace.

Lights:

· Make sure the lights are UL approved.

· Make sure you have good connections at all outlets.

· Make sure cords are in good shape.

Candles:

· Never leave candles unattended.

· Never place candles on or near combustibles.

· Keep matches/lighters/candles away from children.

· Always rest your candles on a fireproof surface, away from drafts.

· It is best to keep candles lit for no more than 4 hours at any time.

· Before lighting, always trim the wick to 1/4 inch to prevent the candle from smoking. If you see the candle smoking or if the flame grows too large during use, extinguish the candle, trim the wick, and re-light.

· Keep any wick trimmings out of or away from the candle.

· If the flame grows too small during burning, carefully pour off the liquid wax.

Smoke detectors:

· Make sure your home has working smoke detectors outside of each sleeping area and on each level.

Text Box: Don’t Forget
Christmas Ships
Saturday, December 15th

POLICE ACTIVITY – 09/05/07 TO 10/17/07

09/05/07 Theft reported in the 3600 block of Fifth Street.

09/05/07 Nuisance related call reported in the 400 block of Skookum Court.

09/05/07 Disturbance reported in the 2100 block of Second Street.

09/06/07 Animal complaint reported in the 400 block of Skookum Court.

09/06/07 Harassment reported at the Columbia City Grade School.

09/07/07 Theft of a cell phone reported in the 1600 block of Fourth Street.

09/07/07 Barking dog complaint in the 2400 block of Sixth Street.

09/07/07 Utility trailer blocking mailboxes in the 2300 block of Sixth Street.

09/10/07 Audible alarm reported in the 3300 block of Fifth Street.

09/10/07 Suspicious vehicle reported near Sixth and “A” Streets.

09/11/07 Noise complaint reported near Second and “K” Streets.

09/12/07 Noise complaint reported near Second and “K” Streets.

09/12/07 Audible alarm reported in the 1900 block of Second Street.

09/13/07 Threats reported by a resident of Metlako Way.

09/13/07 Suspicious circumstances reported in the 3000 block of Fifth Street.

09/13/07 Citizen assisted at City Hall.

09/13/07 Ordinance violation in the 300 block of Lincoln Street.

09/14/07 Traffic complaint near Highway 30 and Pacific Street.

09/14/07 Report of suspicious persons with flashlights in the new homes under construction on Third Street.

09/15/07 Vacation premise checks conducted.

09/15/07 Suspicious person reported in the 1300 block of Second Street.

09/15/07 Noise complaint near “D” and Fifth Streets.

09/15/07 Suspicious vehicle checked at Pixie Park.

09/16/07 Vacation premise checks conducted.

09/16/07 Suspicious person checked near Third and “E” Streets.

09/17/07 Citizen assisted in the 2100 block of First Street.

09/17/07 Trespass reported at Dixieline Lumber.

09/17/07 Suspicious person reported near Highway 30 and Pacific Street.

09/18/07 Citizen assisted at City Hall.

09/18/07 Missing juvenile reported from the 400 block of Belle Street.

09/19/07 Agency assisted in the 300 block of “A” Street.

09/19/07 Animal complaint near Highway 30 and “A” Street.

09/19/07 Suspicious person near Highway 30 and “E” Street.

09/20/07 Complaint of loose dogs in the 400 block of “L” Street.

09/22/07 Vandalism reported near Third and “G” Streets.

09/22/07 Vacation premise checks conducted.

09/22/07 Suspicious person reported near First and “I” Streets.

09/22/07 Suspicious person reported near Highway 30 and Pacific Street.

09/24/07 Follow-up investigation in the 400 block of Skookum Court.

09/25/07 Damage done to property by possible animal in the 3000 block of Sixth Street.

09/25/07 Fraud activity reported at the Post Office.

09/26/07 Public assist in the 2100 block of Second Street.

09/27/07 Hazard checked in the area of Highway 30 and Chimes Crest.

09/27/07 Domestic dispute in the 2100 block of Second Street.

09/28/07 Animal complaint in the 400 block of “A” Street.

09/28/07 Theft reported in the 1600 block of Sixth Street.

09/28/07 Disabled vehicle checked in the area of Highway 30 and Chimes Crest.

09/28/07 Agency assist in the area of Highway 30 and “E” Street.

09/29/07 Welfare check in the 300 block of “A” Street.

09/29/07 Agency assist in the 1400 block of Fourth Street.

09/29/07 Noise complaint checked in the 3500 block of Park Drive.

09/29/07 Theft reported in the 2500 block of Sixth Street.

10/01/07 Nuisance call in the 400 block of Skookum Court.

10/01/07 Vandalism reported in the 200 block of “L” Street.

10/01/07 Theft reported in the 3400 block of Tahoma Street.

10/02/07 Theft reported in the 500 block of Pacific Street.

10/02/07 Animal complaint reported in the 400 block of “D” Street.

10/03/07 Disturbance reported near Highway 30 and Pacific Street.

10/04/07 Outside agency assisted in the 1600 block of Fourth Street.

10/06/07 Vacation premise checks conducted.

10/07/07 Minor in possession of alcohol incident investigated in the 2400 block of Seventh Street.

10/09/07 Theft reported in the 300 block of “A” Street.

10/10/07 Vandalism reported at the Columbia City School.

10/11/07 Intoxicated subject reported at the Mini Mart.

10/11/07 Harassment reported in the area of Columbia City Estates.

10/12/07 Harassment reported in the area of Columbia City Estates.

10/13/07 Disturbance reported in the 400 block of “C” Street.

10/13/07 Follow-up investigation in the 1700 block of Second Street.

10/13/07 Follow-up investigation in the 1400 block of Second Street.

10/13/07 Welfare check in the 2200 block of The Strand.

10/15/07 Suspicious circumstances checked in the 1500 block of Second Street.

10/15/07 Death investigation conducted in the 400 block of “C” Street.

10/15/07 Welfare check done at a residence in the 3300 block of Tahoma Street.

10/16/07 Suspicious circumstances checked near Highway 30 and Pacific Street.

10/16/07 Harassment call investigated in the 2900 block of Sixth Street.

10/17/07 Public assist in the 1800 block of Second Street.

*City of Columbia City*
About Columbia City	Agendas	City Charter & Ordinances
City Departments	City Government	Employment Opportunities
Meeting Calendar	Meeting Minutes	Newsletters