BY CATHY HOLLAND, COMMERCIAL CIO PRESIDENT

Your Tualatin Citizen Involvement Organization (CIO) volunteers want you to be aware that the Holiday season is a great time to “Rock the Sock” with handy emergency preparation items for those hard-to-buy-for adult friends and family.

Here are just a few ideas for the gift-giving season. You can find most of these items at our Commercial CIO local retail members including REI, Dicks, Cabela’s, Fred Meyer, Safeway, or nearby hardware stores. Try to shop locally, if you can!

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Enjoy these upcoming events in our hometown, compiled by Tualatin Tomorrow, the citizen long-range vision committee where arts and culture-related goals identified by residents are monitored. To submit an item, email larry.mcclure@gmail.com.

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BY REID IFORD, TUALATIN LIFE

Bob’s Auto Café might not be what you would expect from the name. There’s no one named Bob, and it’s not a café, but it’s very much about automobiles. It’s a school, but not your typical school. It fills a serious need in the automotive industry for mechanics by offering an intensive training program to people interested in becoming ASE Certified mechanics and entering the field. But there’s another unique angle which is rarely found in technical training schools.

“Bob’s Auto Café is a Christ centered organization,” explains Daniel Lacy, who developed the concept and now serves as executive director. “We believe in teaching with morals and ethics in place, foundational to building good employees. We want to train the full employee, not just a partial employee. We want them to respect themselves, their customers, and their employer.”

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BY REID IFORD, TUALATIN LIFE

When one door closes, another opens… hopefully. Longtime Tualatin fixture Ancient Wonders, a board game and comics shop which for 21 years occupied a small building near Clark Lumber, closed it’s doors towards the end of November. However, it may be too early for its loyal customers to mourn the loss of their favorite location for buying comics and gathering to play fantasy board games.

Tony Rains, Ancient Wonders manager for the last 8 years, has formed a new corporation and made an offer on a Tualatin location in which he wants to open a similar business. Like Phoenix risen from the ashes, Tony plans to resurrect the spirit of Ancient Wonders under a new name.

If all goes according to plan, “Legends of Gamers” will be Tualatin’s new go-to place for fans of Ancient Wonders.

“I’ve done all the state and federal paperwork, and sent in my financials to the property company which manages the building I want,” explains Tony. “Now I’m just waiting to hear from the management company. I want to keep it in Tualatin, if possible.”

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BY SUSAN NOACK, CHAIR, TUALATIN AREA AGING TASK FORCE

The holiday season has begun and social isolation becomes magnified to those less fortunate, in need or alone. As a community, let us not forget how we can help our senior citizens and families who may be struggling.

First, we can help each other in a personal way – be aware of your neighbors, especially if they are alone or elderly. Watch for lights to come on in the evening, activity in and out of the home. If anything looks amiss, check it out. Are newspapers still in the driveway, mail in the mailbox? It’s not interfering to knock on the door to check on someone. It is a show of kindness. It only takes a minute to keep your eyes open. If you have concerns, you can always call the Police Department at 503-691- 4800 to ask for a wellness check. Our police officers are trained and prepared to do this.

Second, Tualatin is very lucky to have several non-profit organizations that can help us help others whether they are our seniors or families and children in need. When you are grocery shopping for holiday dinners, pick up extras for the School House Pantry. When you are cleaning out your closets, donate your gently used clothes to the Caring Closet for our homeless children and children in need. When you buy a new piece of furniture, new pots and pans or kitchen items, or a new bed, donate your old ones to Community Warehouse.

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It takes a village…or a whole community to get these wheels in motion! The Tualatin “America’s Best Communities” (ABC) Team is excited to launch the Mobile Makerspace (MMS) next month thanks to the work of so many volunteers, businesses and community partners who have given countless hours, donations and more to get this trailer ready to roll out to schools, community events and neighborhoods to bring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education to youth in Tualatin. The trailer will house equipment and hands-on activities that will make STEAM learning fun and engaging, and will inspire kids to consider STEAM careers.

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BY DIANE BONICA, TUALATIN ROTARY

What happens to people of limited means when they have a toothache? If they are lucky, they will be treated at one of the dental vans operated by Medical Teams International, a Christian-based organization which provides emergency dental and medical care both locally and globally. And if you live in Tualatin, your chances of receiving needed dental care are better, thanks to the Rotary Club of Tualatin.

Tualatin Rotary presented a check for $6,000 to Mike Shiffer from the Tualatin School House Pantry. The funds provide two dental van visits per month at our local community food bank, located in the basement of Rolling Hills Church.

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Sue Parman at the Tualatin Public Library

BY ANGELA WRAHTZ

New and exciting artwork full of conversation and created by award winning artist Sue Parman are on now on display in the Living Room Gallery at the Tualatin Public Library from December 2016 through the end of February 2017. An anthropologist, Parman has always been an observer of human relationships and has taken interest in stories told by faces. A special feature of this art show comes in the pairing of paintings which speak to each other, encouraging conversation as they bounce off each other.

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BY JONATHAN CRANE, PAST PUBLISHER

JC – So how about an update as to your health? Are you 100% at this point or do you have lingering issues?

Jessi – As far as my health goes, I feel abundantly better than I did before. Sometimes, when I push myself too hard, my head will start to hurt, but feels more like a normal headache, and it is just my brain warning me that I may be doing too much and to take it down a notch. As time goes on, I do think this will improve, but the headaches are by no means debilitating. The biggest issue I would say is my neck. They had to cut through my muscles for the surgery, and that has been giving me problems, but I would happily live with this the rest of my life, compared to what I was feeling like before.

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BY CYDNI KLAUSS & KATHLEEN KARAPONDO

It’s that time of year… time to choose the best health care plan for you and your family. Open enrollment launched November 1st and runs through January 31st. What does that mean for you? It means that, if you don’t have coverage through an employer, you can sign up, renew, or change your current health insurance plan. As you may be aware, insurance rates are going up; in Oregon, the average rate increase is about 27 percent – although many consumers will see higher rate increases. But there is financial help available, so don’t let that stop you. Talk to a health insurance agent and learn all your options.

Knowledge is Power

For many, the process of finding health coverage is a like navigating a minefield; we’re all afraid of taking a wrong step. Is uncertainty keeping you from getting health insurance? Here are some common roadblocks that keep consumers from getting the health insurance they need.

“I just can’t afford the premiums.”

Of the nearly 132,000 Oregonians enrolled in individual coverage on the marketplace in 2016, about 95,000 of those consumers received financial help. The average premium tax credit they received was $250 per month. And, federal data shows that 62 percent of current Oregon marketplace consumers could obtain coverage for $100 or less after applicable tax credits in 2017 – regardless of the health plan selected.

“I’m very healthy; I never go to the doctor.”

Health insurance protects you from unforeseen medical bills, which can be very expensive. For instance, if you have a nasty fall on your bike and need surgery to repair a complex bone fracture, you could expect to pay as much as $38,945 or more for your hospital stay alone. Additional charges for the surgeon, anesthesiologist and ambulance would be billed separately.

“It’s so complicated. I’m out of my element. I don’t know where to find help.”

There are multiple ways to get FREE help from experts in Oregon. Visit OregonHealthCare.gov. You can:

• Find an enrollment center. Oregonians can get free, local help to answer their questions and enroll at Oregon’s agent storefronts.

• Use helpful online tools such as live chat and a search tool to find an agent or community partner near you.

• Get free help in your language and to fit your unique needs with an expert in your community.

• Learn about local enrollment events that help Oregonians get connected with free experts.

“I’m worried that everything will change now that Donald Trump has been elected.”

Post-election, Donald Trump stated that there are many positive aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) which he may chose to keep. While no one knows what changes will eventually occur, the time-consuming process of dismantling the entire program is unlikely to happen in the first year of the new administration. If you decide not to enroll before January 31st, you will likely find yourself without health coverage for all of 2017. That could be catastrophic if you or a family member require hospitalization, and you could find yourself facing mounting medical bills that you would solely be responsible to pay.

Ring in 2017 with peace of mind. Know that you got the information you need to make good health insurance decisions and avoid the tax penalty for not having coverage. Expert help is absolutely free; insurance companies pay agent commissions so there is never a fee to you. Invest as little as 30 minutes to understand your options and another 45 if you chose to enroll. You’ll be glad you did.

Cydni Klauss is owner of Healthy, Wealthy & Wise and has resided in Tualatin for 25 years. You can reach Cydni at 503-704- 0926 or cklauss@live.com.