September 26, 2009 - Police on Alert for Attempts to Sell Pieces of Foreclosure

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

Mike Vaughan was surprised when an elderly couple was willing to pay $60 for some old kitchen cabinets from an east Medford home that is heading into foreclosure.

The couple had seen an ad the 30-year-old Vaughan posted on Craigslist Wednesday that offered to sell almost every fixture in the house on Cedar Links Circle — including the kitchen sink.

Vaughan, who said he didn't think anybody would really want the old cabinets, was even more surprised when two Medford police fraud investigators approached the couple as they were leaving Thursday. They informed the couple it was against the law to sell anything attached to the house.

"I didn't know that," said Vaughan. "They could tell I was really surprised."

Medford police say they have bumped into this problem a few times before, and they want people to know that it is illegal to strip a house threatened with foreclosure. No arrests have been made in other cases.

The two Medford fraud investigators, alerted to the ad by some observant citizens, decided not to press charges against Vaughan, who previously lived in the house, which was owned by his father-in-law.

"We were able to catch it in time so that no crime was committed," said Medford Detective Sgt. Mike Budreau.

Budreau said he suspects that stripping houses is likely more common than people think and is greatly under-reported to police.

After questioning Vaughan, the detectives determined he didn't realize he was doing anything illegal and he agreed to stop. He had been paid $60, but the couple planned to come back later after he removed the cabinets from the wall.

After a discussion with the detectives, Vaughan gave the money back and removed the Craigslist ad, which offered to sell sinks, a mirror, bedroom doors, a laundry door, cabinets, light fixtures, ceiling fans, stair rails, attic stairs and an old water heater.

He said he had done a lot of work on the house, which his father-in-law bought with the provision that Vaughan would make the monthly payments. He said the house wasn't in foreclosure yet, though he said it would be at the end of the month.

Michael Woods, Vaughan's father-in-law, purchased the house in February 2007 for $279,000, according to county records. The assessor's office estimates the real market value now at $248,530.

Budreau said banks and other lenders have been sending letters to police agencies advising that it is illegal to take items that are attached to a house during a foreclosure action. He said the key issue for law enforcement is whether there is an intent to defraud someone, but he said the issue could get into a gray area depending on the status of the loan.

"It does get tricky," he said, noting that many police agencies have relatively little experience dealing with foreclosures.

Detective Brenda Garich, one of two investigators who went to the house, said Vaughan was cooperative, but he had been eager to sell the fixtures.

"He was trying to get money any way he could, probably," she said.

Garich pointed out that a man from Damascus, near Portland, was convicted recently of aggravated theft and after stripping a house that was in foreclosure.

"Sometimes you can get a homeowner that is mad and thinks 'I'm going to be sticking it to the bank,' " she said.

At this point, Medford police would prefer to educate people about the law rather than put anyone in jail, Garich said.

"People are already in hard times," she said.

Vaughan has a wife and three children, and said he is struggling to support his family after losing his marketing job. They tried to refinance the house, but the loan got transferred from one lender to another, and Vaughan's work situation didn't improve.

"I'm in financial trouble, too, with everything going on," Vaughan said.

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail dmann@mailtribune.com.

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September 25, 2009 - Medford Explores Hwy. 62 Bridge

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

Medford — City Council members Thursday decided a bridge would make more sense than a signal to help route traffic onto a proposed Highway 62 bypass, but worried how the $100 million project might disrupt businesses along the busy thoroughfare.

The project still is mostly conceptual, and some council members expressed frustration about endorsing it before they know how businesses in possible work areas might be affected.

"I have a difficult time providing you with a direction unless I have all the information," Councilman Chris Corcoran said.

Despite initial reservations, council members agreed to explore building a bridge, located to the west of Whittle Avenue, that would accommodate vehicles driving toward Interstate 5 on Highway 62. Motorists traveling away from the freeway would have the option to drive under the bridge to reach the bypass, which roughly would follow the old Medco Haul Road.

Tim Fletcher, project manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the Butler Truck Center, which has moved, no longer is located on Highway 62. The property where the truck center was located would become a major part of the bypass access and is located on land now owned by the county.

Drivers travelling toward Medford on Highway 62 no longer would be able to make left turns into businesses such as Hubbard's Hardware, Guitar Center or Abby's Legendary Pizza, and there would be restrictions on right turns. Those businesses are located in the area where traffic would merge left to get onto the bypass.

A transportation advisory team will take the City Council's recommendation into consideration when it considers which option to pursue.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials think the bridge idea would cause fewer problems for businesses than a traffic signal, although it would add about $10 million to the project cost. As a result, transportation officials likely would be looking at a signal rather than another bridge near White City to control traffic getting on to the bypass to stay within the $100 million budget.

In addition, a bridge in Medford would help route more traffic onto the bypass than a signal and also cause less congestion, transportation officials have determined.

The bypass would extend from about Whittle Avenue, past Vilas Road and end near White City, creating a two-lane, 55 mph road with no on- or off-ramps over its 3.5 mile length. If built, ODOT estimates a quarter of the traffic on Highway 62 would use the bypass.

Bob Seus, owner of Hubbard's Hardware, said he and other business owners are concerned about a project that is difficult to pin down because it appears to be constantly evolving.

"No matter what, there is going to be an impact," he said. "Are we going to get slammed? I don't know yet."

Seus said motorists traveling toward the freeway on Highway 62 do turn left to reach Hubbard's, but he said that isn't the best option.

"It's probably not the safest turn lane," he said. "We've seen the wrecks out there."

A safer alternative would be to turn left on Delta Waters, right on Crater Lake Ave., then left on Skypark Drive, but Seus acknowledged that many motorists prefer to take the more direct route.

Despite his concerns, Seus said something needs to be done to alleviate congestion on Highway 62. Whatever plan ultimately is approved, business owners will be attending transportation meetings to make sure their voices are heard, he said.

"We're going to be diligent about what's going to happen out there," Seus said.

ODOT also is looking at creating a wide shoulder for bikes on the bypass, or possibly salvaging a paved portion of the Old Medco Haul Road that would provide a better separation between the highway and the bike path.

Fletcher said one possibility being considered is to build a bridge over the bypass area to give better access to the path.

Transportation officials also will explore encouraging other forms of transit on the bypass, such as improving bus access.

To qualify for the $100 million in state money, the project must begin by 2013.

Fletcher said ODOT would continue to meet with businesses and city officials as plans are developed for a project designed to ease congestion through Medford.

"We don't have all the answers yet, but we're listening to all the concerns," he said.

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail dmann@mailtribune.com.

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September 24, 2009 - Medford Will Track Unoccupied Property

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

Since February, Erik Roth has looked warily from his porch at a burned-out house on Tripp Street in Medford.

Roth, 35, said he is happy the city is stepping up efforts to keep track of vacant properties to help ensure they are not illegally occupied or becoming an eyesore.

"That would be good just to make sure that nobody moves in," he said.

Medford will require property owners to sign a registry with the city if a dwelling is going to remain vacant for more than 10 days. The ordinance approved by the City Council last week will be enforced after Oct. 1 once the forms become available.

There would be no fees to have a house on the registry, but if the property owner fails to heed warnings to clean up or make repairs, it could lead to a $250-a-day fine.

Vacant homes around the country have attracted vagrants and others who illegally move in, pay the utilities and go as far as setting up drug operations, said Medford Police Sgt. Greg Lemhouse.

So far, squatters haven't been found in vacant homes in Medford, he said.

An empty house with broken windows, dead vegetation and overgrown weeds is an eyesore in any community and brings down property values, Lemhouse said.

The new ordinance will give police one more tool to keep track of vacant properties and forces the owners to monitor their houses.

"It keeps the neighborhood from being blighted," he said.

For vacant properties, the new registry will contain the name of the lender, the mailing address of the lender, a contact name, a physical address for the lender's agent to receive legal notices and the contact information for any property manager.

The lender would be responsible for ensuring that the property doesn't become a public nuisance. Regular watering and pruning would be required to maintain vegetation. Pools and spas would have to be maintained in working order so the water remains clear, or the pool or spa would have to be drained and covered. All windows, doors and other openings would have to be secured.

If the lender is out of the area, it would need to hire a property management company to perform the maintenance.

The city would have the authority to require additional security lighting, frequent on-site inspections, security guards or other measures to prevent the decline of the property.

So far, police officials have identified about 400 vacant houses in Medford.

Lemhouse said that once houses are placed on the registry, they will be visited by police and code enforcement officers periodically.

Even with the registry, the city could have problems on some properties that have multiple owners or multiple lending institutions involved, he said.

For instance, it took city officials about eight months to contact lenders involved in a run-down property on Delta Waters Road.

The city already cleans up blighted properties by cutting weeds or draining pools, charging the owners or placing liens on the property to recoup its costs.

Residents can report vacant houses directly to the city at 774-2016.

Lemhouse said the city plans to contact lending institutions and property managers to get the word out about the registry.

While the registry won't solve all the city's problems with vacant homes, Lemhouse said, it should be a big help.

"Fewer properties would go through the cracks," he said.

Russ Milburn, chief financial officer at People's Bank of Commerce in Medford, welcomed the registry, and the patrols.

"Banks in general want to be good corporate citizens," he said. "We don't want any urban blight with our name on it."

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail dmann@mailtribune.com.

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July 26, 2009 - Legally in the U.S.; Illegally Driving

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

MEDFORD — As 78-year-old John Vousden drives the streets of Medford to take his wife to a medical appointment, he's understandably nervous.

"I'm watching my back every minute, man," said Vousden, who moved to the U.S. from England 48 years ago.

A year ago, Vousden lost his driver's license after the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services told him his green card was no longer valid.

"They said they couldn't read the number on the green card," Vousden said with a distinctly English accent. "Mine is really beat up and worn. It's bound to be beat up and worn, like me."

Vousden showed the 1961 green card, which is ragged around the edges but still very legible and doesn't have an expiration date on it.

That means he is in the country legally, just as he has been for almost a half-century. But it apparently carries little weight with either federal immigration officials or Oregon's DMV, both of whom have failed to respond to repeated requests to resolve his dilemma.

Even without a driver's license, Vousden sometimes needs to take his 76-year-old wife, Rose, for medical appointments when she is unwell, keeping his fingers crossed he doesn't get pulled over. His wife also has a similar type of green card and received a new driver's license two years ago before the DMV adopted new rules that required more identification papers.

Vousden said he has considered alternative ways of getting her to the doctor's from their home on the outskirts of Medford, but nothing seems practical.

"There is no transportation around here," he said. "I can't afford bloody taxis."

He said he needs to go to Portland to visit immigration offices, but is wary of leaving his wife for such a long journey.

The DMV said Vousden's problem actually is not with the legibility of the green card, but that it is outdated.

"We've run into this before," said DMV spokesman David House. "It's not on the list of documents that we accept."

House said Vousden should continue to keep in touch with the DMV's customer-care unit to see whether he can get further extensions. Vousden will need to resolve his green-card issues before he can get a driver's license, House said.

Vousden, who initially received two extensions on his driver's license, isn't the only resident of Oregon who has found the new DMV rules daunting.

Government-issued birth certificates, marriage certificates and other paperwork now are required but often are difficult to obtain, particularly for the elderly.

The new rules require proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the U.S. and official documents to verify a Social Security number. The rules were created to weed out people falsely claiming to live in Oregon, which corresponds with regulations already in place in other states.

Chris Rhatigan, spokeswoman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said some green cards had no expiration dates on them, which means the person is legally in the U.S.

"If he does possess a legitimate green card, he is considered a permanent resident," she said.

Even if someone has a green card that has no expiration date, immigration services advises they still should be renewed because vital statistics and the picture have changed markedly over the years, Rhatigan said.

If a green card expired, she said it would require applying for a new one.

Vousden has sought help from an attorney because he has become overwhelmed dealing with immigration and the DMV.

"It's the craziest setup you've ever heard," he said.

His wife of nearly 60 years said she's not worried that anybody will take her husband away because of this mess.

"Nobody's seen my temper," she said.

Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, said his office has contacted the ombudsman for the DMV to see whether there is any way to resolve this problem.

"The DMV is trying to find out what flexibility they have on this," he said.

Buckley said it is a constant struggle for state government to come up with rules, but allow for flexibility to deal with situations like this in a commonsense manner.

"It's frustrating," he said. "We shouldn't treat people like this."

Teresa Galindo, legal assistant with Kellington and Kellington Attorneys in Medford, said the Vousdens have appealed to immigration officials to be placed under a special program designed to help the elderly or people with medical conditions. Even after signing up for the program, in which immigration officials would come to the Vousdens' house, there has been no response, said Galindo.

"He would have his green card by now," she said. "He would have had his license by now."

All the paperwork has been sent to immigration officials, but she said they now are requiring Vousden to get police clearance for the past 40 years.

Galindo said she accompanied Vousden to the sheriff's office to get the clearance, but officials had never heard of the requirement before and weren't equipped to deal with it.

"A sheriff's deputy is going to accompany him to the OSP (Oregon State Police) to get the police clearance," she said.

Galindo said Vousden lives in constant fear when he has to drive his wife to the doctor's office.

"It's just been such a hassle for him," said Galindo. "All he wanted is to renew his license."

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or dmann@mailtribune.com.

March 8, 2009 - Closure

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

The dismantling of the last large-scale sawmill in Jackson County has hit White City residents hard as they watch equipment being hauled away, entire buildings being gutted and a way of life rapidly disappearing.

"I've been watching the demolition of this mill for the past couple of months," said Ann Hathaway, 65, who lives a little more than a mile from the former mill that turned logs into lumber at Agate and Antelope roads. "It just makes me want to cry."

Its contents auctioned in December, Boise Cascade's sprawling sawmill is vanishing, with gaping holes in the sides of buildings to remove equipment.

The mill began closing in January 2008, with 32 of 59 workers losing their jobs. Boise closed its other sawmill in north Medford in 1998 after a fire, and announced in January it is shutting down its White City plywood mill and will lay off 110 workers March 13.

Over the past 25 years, Jackson County has seen at least 17 mills close their doors.

Last week, a huge metal shearer tore into a roof at the Boise sawmill while salvage crews separated materials for recycling. Other metal buildings have been sold off, and workers removed lights and sprinkler systems and stacked up siding. Once the work is completed, only a few of the dozens of buildings that produced millions of board feet of lumber on the property will remain.

"How many more jobs are we going to lose?" asked Hathaway. "It's like a ghost town."

For many Jackson County residents, the mill along Highway 62 near White City's business district is a landmark. The property will continue to store stacks of logs that will be used to make other wood products.

When the mill used to operate three shifts a day a decade ago, it produced up to 50 million board feet of lumber annually, enough for the equivalent of 3,000 homes.

Boise isn't sure what it will do with the property in the long-term, but officials say they may eventually consider selling off the industrial-zoned land. Boise will continue to operate a veneer mill and engineered wood products plant in White City and a plywood mill in north Medford.

Jackson County Commissioner C.W. Smith said the closure of the sawmill means the valley no longer has sufficient production facilities to process raw timber from local forests when the economy turns around.

"We are not only losing jobs, but we're losing the infrastructure, as well," he said.

The closure of other mills in recent years has devastated an industry that supplied high-paying jobs and will make the economic recovery in the valley all the more difficult, said Smith, who has lobbied at both the federal and state level for increases in logging on federal land.

"That's six or seven mills in White City that don't exist," he said.

The economy has been a major factor in the downturn, but Smith said lawsuits and pressure from environmental groups have meant less logging in federal forests in recent years.

Boise officials decided to permanently close the sawmill rather than mothball it because the amount of lumber flowing out of local forests has slowed markedly. Boise needed sufficient quantities of Ponderosa and sugar pine, which was processed at the sawmill then sold to companies that made doors, windows and other finished wood products.

"This is the last of an era — it really is," said Dave Schott, executive vice president of the Southern Oregon Timber Industries Association.

He said a large-scale sawmill is still in operation in Josephine County and another in Klamath County.

Across the country, the wood products industry is struggling because demand has declined sharply.

"We have a very soft, actually a no-demand, economy right now," Schott said.

In addition, the timber industry is nervously eyeing the long-term prospects for timber harvest in Southern Oregon, particularly on federal land.

Schott said that in recent years, 85 percent of the wood used in Jackson County has come off private lands, but in years past 85 percent came from national forests.

Bob Smith, human resources manager for Boise Cascade's Western Oregon Region, said the economy has dealt a crippling blow to his industry.

In 2005, the country recorded 2,068,000 housing starts, according to statistics he released. In 2008, that number slowed to just 904,000 starts. According to a comparison over the past 50 years, 2008 was the worst year on record for housing starts.

Bob Smith said Boise hopes to reopen the White City plywood mill when the economy rebounds, but the future looks less certain for the sawmill.

"We didn't anticipate a renewal of the timber supply to allow us to operate again," he said.

He said there are no immediate plans to sell the sawmill property.

A plant in north Medford will handle all Boise's plywood needs for the near future.

"We don't have any plans to close (the Medford plant)," he said.

Joseph Vaile, campaign director of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, said conservationists don't want to see the timber industry decline.

"We don't want to see a loss of this infrastructure," he said.

Vaile said a vital industry is needed locally to handle what he expects will be an increasing demand for thinning of forests, though some plants may have to retool to handle smaller diameter trees.

Vaile disputes claims the environmentalists are causing some of the mills to shut down, pointing out there is a backlog of small-diameter thinning and timber sales that haven't found buyers.

"You can blame the environmentalists all you want, but the economy is having the effect of shutting these folks down," he said.

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or dmann@mailtribune.com.

February 11, 2009 - Government Plans Trillions In Aid

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

Over doughnuts and a cup of joe, two different coffee klatches offered mixed feelings Tuesday about President Barack Obama's plans to help revive the economy.

"At least he's trying to do something," said Marlene Skipple. "They've got to do something."

The 72-year-old Medford woman said she is tired of hearing complaints from her fellow Republicans that the proposed $838 billion stimulus package passed by the U.S. Senate Tuesday is loaded with unnecessary spending.

Skipple describes the economic outlook as scary, requiring some kind of government action to reverse the downward spiral.

"It's going to have to go through, or we're all in a big hole," she said.

The debate over what to do with the economy rages from Medford to Washington, D.C., as politicians and economists look at public works projects and tax cuts to help prime the financial pump.

At another table in Donut Country in east Medford, a group of conservative coffee buddies who can trace their gatherings back to 1946, had a different impression of Obama's economic stimulus.

"It sucks," said Norm Owens. "There's too much garbage in it, too much pork."

However, the 65-year-old Central Point resident said the stimulus package might work for a little while, but it would be bad for the economy in the long run.

Even though local residents have different opinions about Obama's plans, they do agree it is a difficult problem to wrap their heads around.

"This is so involved," said Dr. Gene Chamberlain. "I don't have the answer."

At age 81, the Medford resident said he has some dim memories of the Great Depression, and he worries that Americans might not have as much fortitude to deal with those difficult times again.

"Most people are not going to go through this very easily," he said.

Keith McLean said many of the problems Americans face can be traced back to the times of easy credit, when people received home loans but didn't have the salary to make their mortgage payments.

"These people just can't afford a home," said the 79-year-old Medford resident.

But he didn't have any ready answers as to how to get the country out of the mess.

"It's pretty tough to get a solution," said McLean.

Dan Rubenson, a professor of economics at Southern Oregon University, said the steps Obama proposes are based on well-established research in the economic world.

Politicians might be divided over how to get the country out of this mess, but Rubenson said there is not that level of division generally in the economic world.

"Among professional economists there is a lot more agreement than most people would realize," said Rubenson, whose class in macroeconomics is conducting an analysis of the stimulus package.

At the same time, he said it is difficult to predict how soon the plan would help the economy, or whether it will be enough to turn the corner without greater infusions of dollars from the federal government.

"Is it enough to turn the economy on a dime? Probably not," he said.

Rubenson said there is general agreement among economists about where to spend the money to do the most good.

The most stimulative portion of the package will be investing in buildings, mass-transit systems and other public works projects, he said.

Sending money to states, which will eventually filter down to cities, is another good way to get money back into the economy, said Rubenson. He said this idea gained support during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Unfortunately, he said the Senate version of the stimulus bill gives less money to the states than the original House version.

"I would say the House package is considerably stronger than the Senate package," Rubenson said.

One of the least stimulative portions of the bill is the tax cuts, he said.

"In general, when people receive a tax cut, part of it will be saved, and will not be going into the economy," he said.

Last year, the federal government passed out a one-time tax rebate. Under the current bill, taxpayers would receive a slight decrease in taxes each paycheck. Rubenson said this would be better for the economy because people will be more apt to spend smaller amounts of money than save them.

Whatever version of the stimulus package gets signed off by Obama, Rubenson said it will be analyzed for years to determine what worked and what didn't.

"That will keep economists entertained for quite a few years," he said.

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or dmann@mailtribune.com.

January 25, 2009 - A Crisis of Need

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

Five-week-old Robert eagerly suckles on a bottle of formula, while his brother and two sisters look on hungrily.

His whiskers glisten white as he bites down playfully on the tip of the bottle, to the delight of a teenage girl who's passing by.

Robert and his siblings are orphaned kittens who depend on KMR milk replacement, containers of which were recently donated by generous families throughout Jackson County to Committed Alliance To Strays.

"This will really help," said Jan Whetstone, CATS director. "The number of kittens being born will hit us very hard in the next month."

CATS and other organizations are more dependent than ever on donations of everything from pencils and office furniture to canned foods and pet food as they struggle to meet the growing demand of families hit hard by difficult economic times.

Whetstone said she appreciated the donation drive at the local Democratic headquarters in Medford as part of Barack Obama's call for a national day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

Dozens of phone cards were collected for veterans, and the Southern Oregon Humane Society received enough pet food to feed animals for a month and a load of gravel to repair the driveway. Local residents cleared out their closets and brought in blankets, clothing and even new socks still in the original wrapper for the Salvation Army.

Many organizations are seeing donations decline while demand increases as people lose their jobs and their homes. Families struggle to pay the utility bills or squeeze out enough money for food.

At CATS, the news has been both bad and good, Whetstone said.

In December, 100 cats and kittens were adopted out, the largest month ever. So far in January, 38 cats and kittens have found new homes, which she said is a good start for the year.

On the down side, donations are off roughly 10 percent for an organization that exists on a budget of $198,000 a year, Whetstone said.

In addition, the number of cats abandoned has risen. "We're still getting calls from Realtors finding cats in foreclosed homes," she said.

Whetstone said her organization has a policy of taking pets back if a family can no longer afford them. Last week, three cats were returned by people who lost their homes.

CATS also is seeing more felines brought in from abusive family situations as the economic downturn worsens, said Whetstone.

"An abusive person goes after the animal more times than you would believe," said Whetstone. "People don't realize that the abuser will take on an animal."

Gary Miller, executive director at ACCESS Inc., which provides food and assistance to low-income families, said he has seen demand escalating and donations increasing.

During the holidays, ACCESS had 261 first-time donors.

At the same time, for the first two weeks in January, people needing energy assistance increased 20 percent over the previous year. ACCESS received 795 inquiries from people needing help to pay utility bills.

Looking ahead, Miller said his organization is concerned about donations declining during the next six months.

"We're all on pins and needles," he said.

At the Salvation Army on Central Avenue in Medford, donations to the store are down.

"What we're really hurting on is the larger items," said Debbie Hopkinson, director of the three Salvation Army stores in the county.

She said the big-ticket items help pay for the overhead on the stores, which have to pay at least minimum wage to its employees. She said a room would normally be filled with couches and tables, but she had only two couches available on Friday.

Her shelves also are barer than she would like.

"We just have less items," she said. "We have more people coming in needing things and less to give them."

In addition to the stores, the Salvation Army has a charitable outlet that gives food and clothing to low-income families free of charge.

Other organizations also are feeling the effects as families cut back.

Jamie Kaufman, program director at Kids Unlimited, said she has noticed more parents withdrawing children from after-school programs at the popular youth organization in Medford.

"I hear daily about a car that broke down, or someone moving in with a relative because they can't pay the rent," she said. "Every day there is a new story."

Families are getting overloaded and don't take advantage of volunteering their time or applying for scholarships to offset the $30 a month fee for the after-school program.

"For us it's trying to get creative about what to offer," she said. "We can suggest payment plans or suggest someone carpool with another family to offset the cost of gas."

Dee Anne Everson, United Way of Jackson County executive director, said nonprofits exist on the generous donations from businesses and individuals.

Her office, for example, is outfitted with hand-me-down furniture from other businesses.

"Nonprofits need people, money and stuff," she said. "Generally, many people have enough for themselves, and they even have some to share."

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or dmann@mailtribune.com.