VA Portland Health Care System expands transportation services
More grant funds for St. Helens’ Riverwalk Project PAGE A3
PAGE A9
THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
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Rainier’s City Hall restoration WILL LOHRE
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Window replacements being done on the Rainier City Hall.
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he City of Rainier has seen improvements made to its city hall, an effort that has been helped by soon-to-be-permanent Public Works Director Russ Reigal. “The city hall administrative office remodel is complete, so staff is moved in. We needed to do some roof repairs and replacement, that’s being done right now,” City Administrator Scott Jorgensen said. “Under the leadership of Russ Reigal as our Public Works Director, we have projects that are moving forward that are actually getting completed.” The city completed work on replacing the windows at Rainier City Hall and is currently working on replacing the roof. Jorgensen explained how the project came about. “The City Hall is more than 100 years old, and it’s important
to the mayor to be good stewards of this historic building. Council has been wanting, for years, to replace the windows here at City Hall, so we finally decided to bite the bullet with that,” Jorgensen said. “We realized this wasn’t going to get any cheaper over time, so we decided to roll that into the overall city hall improvements. You have to maintain your facilities. Jorgensen said part of the project is funded through an inter-fund loan from the timber fund and budgeted costs for the overall improvement project. The estimated cost of the window replacement was around $130,000 when it was approved by the council on May 6. Also approved by the council at their May 6 meeting was a bid for $74,931 to replace the roof of City Hall. The council unanimously voted to award both bids for work on the historic City Hall building. Interim Public Works Director Russ Reigel is one of the key
figures involved in these projects and others around town. Reigal was appointed to the interim position in March, but with his 6-month contract set to expire, the council has contract approval for Reigal as the permanent public works director on its Sept. 9 council agenda. Reigel is a longtime resident of the Rainier area and most recently worked as a maintenance supervisor at Shaver Transportation Company at its Portland facility. He spent nearly two decades in that role, and his duties included supervising 12 employees and enforcing safety protocols. “Russ brings a solid background of private sector project management experience, and it’s been put to great use here in the city,” Jorgensen said. “He understands timelines, he understands budgets, he understands managing personnel, and I’m thrilled to see these projects getting done and going through to fruition.”
Back to school for RJSHS and CMHS WILL LOHRE
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ach year, the coming of fall marks a change in the weather and the leaves on the trees, but it is also when students return to school after summer break. While students are out frolicking in the sunny weather, school districts often use the summer months to finish projects that need to get done and prepare for the coming year. To learn more about the upcoming school year and how the Rainier and Clatskanie school districts have prepared for it, The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief reached out to each district’s superintendents for their insight. Clatskanie Superintendent Danielle Hudson Clatskanie Superintendent Danielle Hudson said there are exciting developments happening across the district and that she and the faculty are going to work with the community to better connect with the families in it. “As we begin the 202425 school year, our theme is
#WeAreCLATSKANIE. We’ve started gathering input from our school staff about what makes the Clatskanie School District special,” Hudson said. “Soon, we’ll be reaching out to students, families, and the broader community to discover what they believe makes Clatskanie unique. Once we’ve gathered these insights, we’ll share the #WeAreCLATSKANIE campaign with everyone.” In addition to the #WeAreCLATSKANIE theme, Hudson emphasized the importance of consistent attendance. Hudson said that research shows that students who miss 10% of the school year—17 days or more— often face challenges in learning to read by third grade, achieving success in middle school, and graduating from high school. “If your child is feeling anxious about school, I encourage you to have an open conversation with them about their concerns and reach out to their teacher for support,” Hudson said. “The Clatskanie School District remains committed to providing a well-rounded education for all
See SCHOOL, Page A7
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Rainier Jr/Sr High School is soon going to be full of activity as the new year begins.
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Clatskanie School District staff are preparing to welcome students back to schools around the district.
Getting to know St. Helens’ mayoral candidates
The Chronicle & Chief: What are some of the issues you see facing the city right now?
industry, which helped support the budget. So, number one is trying to bring in industry. We used to have a lot of mills in Saint Helens. We have limited power in our area to facilitate industry. I think that is a big problem. We have been working with the Columbia River, PUD, PGE, and the BPA to try to get power to Columbia County. This is not just a Saint Helens problem. I can’t express how much of our power needs will affect Columbia County in the near future. The city is no different than most of us and has been feeling the effects of inflation and keeping up with deserved pay raises for our employees. With the closure of Cascade Tissue last year, we had a shortfall in our budget. We will continue to watch our spending to support our budget. We have been trying to build a police station for our policemen and women for the last three years. I will continue to support this effort as they deserve a police station. We have a new tourism director, and I’m sure that will come with challenges, as it has proven to in the past.
Scholl: The city has lost a lot of
See MAYOR, Page A9
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he City of St. Helens could see a change in its government this fall, with three candidates vying for the office in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. Incumbent Mayor Rick Scholl will seek reelection for his fourth term, which he has held since 2016. Running in opposition are candidates Jennifer Massey and Steven Toschi. The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief reached out to the candidates vying for mayor for their insight on issues facing the community and what they will bring to the office if chosen. Mayor Rick Scholl The Chronicle & Chief: Why is it important to you to run in the election this year? Scholl: It’s always been about the people for me. I love this community. It’s a great place to live. That being said, I serve all citizens, not just a small group. Much work
Rick Scholl
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has been done to put St. Helens in a really good place. The waterfront redevelopment is the biggest project that I can ever remember having happened in St. Helens. It’s had its challenges, but it is set to wrap up by the first of the year on the street side and May for the Columbia View Park. We have a beautiful waterfront, and now we will have the facilities for all to enjoy. The citizens
IN THIS ISSUE Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Obituaries ...................... A5 Market ............................ A6 Public Notices .............. A7 Games & Puzzles .......... A8 Crossword .................... A9
Steven Toschi
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of St. Helens deserve it, and I hope to celebrate with them come next year. We just sold the old papermill to Arcadia tissue group, who plans on resurrecting the two old machines that were left behind from Cascades Tissue, which will bring back goodpaying jobs to our community. There will also be some available land still left for industry at the park. I’m also
7 DAY FORECAST
Jennifer Massey
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working with PGE to get a new substation down in the industrial park. I work really hard to keep a balance for all departments within the city which serves our community best.
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