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WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025

Brookings, Oregon

Gold Beach Welcomes Dr. Padilla as New City Administrator

BY LINDA LEE

Master of Public Health and a Scientist MBA leadership certificate. Her expertise encompasses strategic planning, budgeting, project management and intergovernmental relations, honed through advising or working with more than twenty municipal organizations both nationally and internationally. Notably, she has overseen contracts and grants exceeding $300 million and managed multimillion-dollar budgets. “With unprecedented fiscal challenges and the evolving landscape of public administration, it is with great anticipation that the City of Gold Beach can expect to refine and flourish with the unique leadership of Dr. Padilla," Councilor Summer Matteson stated. Padilla's career trajectory includes serving most recently as Interim Town Manager in Millinocket, Maine and as a departmental director and consultant for the Town of Gua-

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The City of Gold Beach has announced the appointment of Dr. Annette Padilla as its new City Administrator, bringing a wealth of experience spanning over two decades across various levels of government. The selection, effective May 1st, was lauded by city ofﬁcials for Padilla's extensive background and commitment to ethical governance. Mayor Tamie Kaufman expressed her enthusiasm stating, "Dr. Padilla's blend of experience, education and approachability made her the clear choice to lead our city administration. Her career reﬂects a strong commitment to ethical governance, equity and innovation. We’re thrilled to welcome her to Gold Beach." Padilla holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, a

dalupe, Arizona. In these roles, she demonstrated a track record of enhancing service delivery, improving financial stewardship, securing federal and tribal funding and leading homeless outreach efforts. Beyond her governmental experience, Padilla is the founder of Padilla Consulting/Problem Solving Doctors, a firm that has supported thirteen United States federal agencies and numerous tribal and local governments. She is also a certified project manager with credentials in data science, economic development and municipal software. Her professional affiliations include the International City/County Management Association and the Arizona City/County Management Association as well as memberships in national organizations such as the American Association of Municipal Executives and Women Leading Government.

Padilla has also been actively involved in professional development and engagement, having previously served on the board of the Arizona Chapter of Women Leading Government and presented on topics ranging from finance to Artificial Intelligence (AI) with other public administration organizations. "I am both honored and excited to join the City of Gold Beach at such a pivotal time," she stated. "I look forward to working with the mayor, city council, staff, and community to support thoughtful growth, strong public services and a culture of transparency, respect, efficiency and results." The city administrator position is crucial for the day-to-day operations of Gold Beach, involving the oversight of city departments, implementation of policies, management of the budget and personnel and the development of long-term plans.

New City Administrator: Dr. Annette Padilla will fill the role as Gold Beach’s new City Administrator.

Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Hosted Awareness Walk for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

High Rates of Violence Plague Native American and Alaska Native Communities BY LINDA LEE

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The Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation stood in solidarity with Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) during their 3rd annual MMIP Awareness Walk. The walk aimed to shed light on the thousands of Indigenous individuals who go missing or are tragically murdered each year. Staff from the Nation's Community and Family Wellness Victim Services Division were on-site offering sign-making and face-painting stations for participants of the walk. Participants walked a route spanning several blocks along L and M streets, starting and concluding at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds. In past years, community members have shown their support by honking car horns and waving to the walkers. The Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation hopes this year's walk will bring greater awareness to the individuals who have gone missing within their service area, which includes Del Norte and Curry counties, particularly the Smith River region as well as the broader nationwide crisis of

MMIP March 2024: Last year’s march saw a strong crowd out for the cause. Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. Crisis in Indian Country: High Rates of Violence Plague Native American and Alaska Native Communities For decades, Native American and Alaska Native communities

have grappled with alarming rates of assault, abduction, and murder, a crisis that community advocates attribute to the enduring legacy of historical government policies. Forced removals, land seizures and violence inﬂicted upon Native peoples are cited

as root causes of this ongoing tragedy. A stark 2016 study by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) revealed the staggering prevalence of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women. The study found

that more than four in ﬁve (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime, with 56.1 percent having endured Please see TOLOWA Page 2

Legislation introduced to permanently protect the Paciﬁc, Atlantic Oceans from offshore drilling JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are co-sponsoring two bills that would permanently protect the Paciﬁc and Atlantic oceans from the environmental and economic costs of fossil fuel drilling off our coastal shores. Merkley also led a bill to prohibit drilling in the Arctic, which Wyden also co-sponsored. “The U.S. simply does not need to drill in the coastal waters of the Paciﬁc. We have more than enough clean energy resources without putting Oregon’s outdoor recreation and seafood industries at risk,” Wyden said. “These bills are all about looking out for small businesses that depend on

The West Coast Protection Act would permanently prohibit new oil and gas leases for drilling off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.

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tourism and the ﬁshing industry, rather than capitulating to the ‘oiligarchs’ whose only goal is to fatten their wallets, no matter the environmental and economic toil it could bring to our shores.” “Offshore drilling guarantees future oil spills with devastating consequences: from oiled beaches to catastrophic damage to tourism, commercial sport ﬁshing, and ocean ecosystems,” Merkley said. “Trump’s Dirty Energy First strategy would see his administration expand offshore drilling—all to enrich billionaire corporate polluters—but Senator Wyden and I are leading the charge to protect the Oregon Coast and beyond Please see DRILLING Page 3

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