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Schools see major summer renovations
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Demolition of a portion of St. Helens High School has been completed at this site on Gable Road. JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
The $65 million renovations, including replacing aging portions of St. Helens High School, continue this summer. Demolition in the old A building section has been completed, according to the district’s facilities manager Jared Plahn. “The contractor is working on installing underground utilities and installing the fire lane,” he said. “Next, we will be building that section of the new building.” Plahn said while the renovations timeline is moving ahead, budget challenges are occurring. “We are currently tracking on time with a completion date of September 2024,” he said. “We are finding costs are increasing and adjusting the scope of the project to stay within budget.”
Courtesy photo from the Clatskanie School District
This photo shows the gutted front office looking out onto the existing courtyard at Clatskanie Middle/High School.
St. Helens School District Superintendent Scot Stockwell said the district is facing challenges triggered by inflation and labor shortages. Stockwell said reports that inflation had hit a 40 year high at 9% is concerning. “A 9% inflation increase on a $65 million construction project gives you a $5.8 million increase in costs,” he said. “We’ve had to reduce the number of classrooms, limit the number of windows we wanted to add as well as reduce scope in some CTE programs. We are hopeful to see favorable bids and cost savings in the months to come to add back some of the reduced scope.” The renovations will continue into the new school year ahead. Building adjustments, including the addition of portable classrooms, have been established at
the school site on Gable Road. Daily class schedules will reflect closely to last year, according to Plahn. Other projects The McBride Elementary front canopy, dry fire sprinkler line has been replaced. “We had nine patches on the piping and it had deteriorated to the point of replacement being the best option,” Plahn said. The district office and Family Resource Center were scheduled to be painted this summer. “The building is overdue by two years to be caulked and painted,” he said. The St. Helens Middle School baseball field is undergoing work. “The field was installed with rocky soil,” Plahn said. “The rocks have come up over the winter. We
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Rainier School District Superintendent Joseph Hattrick shows what the new bathrooms will look like, with individual private stalls, as workers in the background prepare the site.
will be installing more irrigation, topdressing and reseeding to cover up the rock.” The Middle School will have numerous site items built this summer and this fall. The Middle School has an electrical feeder to a breaker panel that has lost a leg and the feeder will be replaced. It is uncertain as to why the wire broke. “We will be adding a discus pad, shot put pad, football bleacher pad, football scoreboard, athletic storage shed, and additional crosswalk,” he said. “These items were found to be needed after the Middle School bond program concluded.” Also planned, will be new concrete and asphalt for the district’s maintenance shop sidewalk and apron. The sidewalk and apron have been patched numerous times and are at the point where it needs
to be replaced, according to Plahn. The school building projects of $832,00 are being financed from bond and capital projects funding Clatskanie School District Major building and security improvements at the Clatskanie School District are also underway this summer. The multiple projects are taking place at Clatskanie Middle/High School (CMHS) and at Clatskanie Elementary School (CES). CMHS Projects • Secure entrance and Phase 1 front office remodel • Mechanical rooftop unit replacement
See RENOVATION Page A9
Pursuit from St. Helens to Rainier ends in arrest STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
A Washington state man faces multiple charges following a police pursuit that began in St. Helens and ended in Rainier. The incident began shortly after 11:30 a.m. Thursday July 28, when troopers from the Oregon State Police (OSP) St. Helens worksite responded to the report of a reckless driver on Highway 30 milepost 28. It was reported that the offending driver was “all over the road” in
a silver passenger car. The reporting party provided a description of the offending vehicle, which was later identified as a silver 2003 Buick Regal 4-DR. Troopers located the suspected vehicle but quickly lost sight of it within the City of St. Helens. A short time later, the suspected vehicle was relocated by troopers and observed to have dangerous driving behavior. Troopers initiated a traffic stop on the silver Buick near the McDonalds in St. Helens. The silver Buick fled, and a pursuit ensued eastbound toward Scappoose.
The suspect fled to approximately milepost 26.5 and then turned westbound back to St. Helens. The suspect then fled westbound through St. Helens, Columbia City, and finally into Rainier. The driver, who was the sole occupant, was observed driving dangerously and intentionally over-taking vehicles head-on, drove at varying speeds, and was unable to drive within his own lane, according OSP. The suspect drove so dangerously that troopers discontinued pursuing the vehicle. Police later located the suspected vehicle in
Rainier. When the suspect vehicle was located it was parked and unoccupied. A containment perimeter was established by law enforcement officers, and a coordinated search ensued. Meanwhile, information was collected from the OSP agency partners regarding the suspected driver’s identity. At about 5:20 p.m. the suspect was located within the containment area near Grocery Outlet in Rainier. The suspect’s identity was confirmed as Davis Jeffery Hartman, 38, of Tacoma, WA., and he was
taken into custody without incident. Investigators said Hartman is facing charges that include Attempt to Elude Police Officer-Vehicle 2, Reckless Driving, and Recklessly Endangering. OSP is asking for anyone that witnessed the incident and/or was endangered by the suspect’s behavior to call Oregon State Police Dispatch at 800-442-0776 and reference case # SP22193475. Follow this developing story here online and in the Wednesday print edition of The Chronicle.
Robotic aircraft company lands in Scappoose STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Robotic aircraft systems manufacturer SICDRONE is set to open a new facility in Scappoose by the fourth quarter of 2022. The company has signed a license agreement for 6,000 square feet of corporate hangar space at the Scappoose Airport with plans for a future lease agreement, according to a release from the Port of Columbia County. The facility will be dedicated to the design and advanced manuOpinion ..................... A4 Poll ............................ A4 Community Calendar A4
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facturing of unmanned aircraft systems for military applications, commercial offshore wind farms, and first responder drone programs, the release states. SICDRONE anticipates hiring between five to ten software, mechanical, and electrical engineers, along with support staff, in Scappoose. Test flights will be performed at the Tillamook UAS Test Range at the Tillamook Airport and across the state, according to the Port of Columbia County. SICDRONE Founder and CEO Daniel Bosch said his company manufactures unmanned aircraft with the capabilities needed for serious commercial and government operations “Our drones are the fastest in the industry. The platform also offers high-power, multimodular, and supermaneuverable capabilities,” Bosch said. “As a startup, SICDRONE was accepted into the Jaguar Land Rover Tech Incubator program in Portland in 2016. We later moved to the greater Boston area for an opportunity through Techstars and AFWERX.
We are looking forward to moving our headquarters back home to Oregon.” Bosch said Oregon has welcomed his company back with open arms. “The tremendous support we’ve received from Business Oregon and the Port, along with the ease of flying UAS at the Tillamook Test Range and the state’s competitive tax rates, make this the ideal location for us to expand our business,” Bosch said. “SICDRONE is an excellent fit for the growing advanced manufacturing sector in Scappoose and we are excited that they’ve entrusted us with their expansion into Oregon,” Port of Columbia County Business Development and Real Estate Manager Amy Bynum said. “This recruitment was a team effort with our partners at Business Oregon, Columbia Economic Team, Columbia River PUD, the City of Scappoose, and Greater Portland, Inc., and we are optimistic that there will be many future investments of its kind in Columbia County.”
Courtesy photo
This is what one of the robotic aircraft looks like that SICDRONE produces.
The Scappoose Airport.
Courtesy photo
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Gubernatorial candidates debate v. Wade doesn’t seem to apply to that.
HERBERT SWETT Chronicle Guest Article
In a live televised event carried by thechronicleonline.com, the candidates for governor of Oregon debated state issues before the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association in Welches Friday, July 29. Democrat Tina Kotek, former speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives; Republican Christine Drazan, former minority leader of the Oregon House; and Independent Betsy Johnson, a former state senator, were on stage front and center for the debate. Four Oregon newspaper executives questioned the three. Here are their paraphrased statements. Opening remarks Drazan: I am originally from Klamath Falls. My family was less stable than they would have liked, too dependent on natural resources. They talked about politicians leaving people behind. Kotek: I began public service at the Oregon Food Bank. I have focused on having a positive impact on people’s lives. Families are worried about making ends meet. Johnson: I believe we’re losing the Oregon that we love. I call for common-sense change. My allegiance is to Oregonians, not to any party or vested interest. Responses to panelists’ questions
Kotek: Abortion is healthcare. Dobbs was a wake-up call. Q: What steps would you take for gun safety? Drazan: The Second Amendment is law. We have universal background checks and safeguards.
The three gubernatorial candidates, Republican Christine Drazan, Democrat Tina Kotek, and Independent Betsy Johnson during the televised debate.
Kotek: The priority for the governor is to keep people safe. My opponents have voted against background checks.
we’re all successful. I’d work with the communities to make sure we could use timber products.
youth homelessness. I passed second-home legislation, and more than 70% finished high school because of it.
and balances. We pushed the responsibility for cap and trade to all Oregonians. It was a monstrosity of a bill.
Johnson: I’m a responsible gun owner. Raise the age for certain weapons from 18 to 21.
Drazan: My dad worked in a veneer plant that went away. We’re grateful that the tech industry stepped in, but it must become more productive. Support the state as a whole.
Q: How did Wapato work?
Johnson: On Tina’s website, someone said that a Confederate flag at a rally showed racism.
Kotek: I’m not hearing solutions. When you have as big an issue as climate change, failure hurts all Oregonians.
Q: High tech is a big player. Why is Oregon missing out on such growth, with that big Intel plant placed in Ohio?
Johnson: I visited the Elgin Veneer Plant and worked to save jobs when the Department of Environmental Quality wanted to shut them down. We must manage forests so they don’t burn down.
Kotek: I was glad my bill to streamline efforts worked. We need more housing.
Kotek: I’m not calling people at those rallies racists, but inclusivity is needed.
Q: What would you do about the struggle for the poor to fight mental health issues?
Kotek: Expand high tech and broadband. I have a personal relationship with the Intel CEO.
Q: Weather problems are getting worse. How would you address them?
Kotek: Oregon is at the bottom of the list of states for affordable care.
Drazan: Oregon continues to be a leader in climate issues; we transitioned out of coal. We also need to preserve our dams. Had cap and trade passed, gasoline would have cost $3 more.
Johnson: We are so lackadaisical about drugs that we’re making the problem worse.
Johnson: I talked with Intel executives, who said, “Answer the damn phone.” There were warning signs.
Courtesy photo from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
Q: We hear of homelessness as a crisis. What would you do? Kotek: I have a five-point plan on my website for shelter for homeless. We have increased shelters quickly.
Q: The timber industry is declining. What steps would you take?
Johnson: I reject the notion that Tina is the only one working on homelessness. I made Wapato Jail a place of healing and hope. We’re getting more tent cities.
Kotek: When all parts of our state are successful,
Drazan: As a freshman representative, I focused on
Johnson: We have a track record of success. We have to stop fighting over what is best.
Drazan: We have invested between $1.5 billion and $2 billion on housing. The reasons hotels and motels shut down were COVIDrelated. Q: Regarding the Greater Oregon issue, how do we address that concern? Johnson: That’s a clarion call to do something about it. People who feel disrespected need our attention. Drazan: We’ve had single-party control too long. Rural and urban issues must be noted. All parts of the state must be respected. Kotek: We have large
swaths of our state that are not listened to. Public policies have different impacts on different parts of the state.
Kotek: We have to mitigate the issues but also promote wind power. Johnson: We need to lower the carbon footprint but not at the expense of farmers. Manage forests better. Be sure offshore winds don’t hurt fishermen. Drazan: We need checks
Drazan: We must make it easier for people with drug problems to come to Oregon.
Drazan: We have some of the worst tax laws in the United States. Oregon is stronger when business is better.
Johnson: Tina and I voted pro-choice. Christine is anti-choice. Tax money should not be used for abortions.
See the entire debate with this story and follow Election 2022 at thechronicleonline. com. Join the conversation. Take The Chronicle’s online poll. If the election were held today, which of the three candidates, Drazan, Kotek or Johnson, would you vote for?
Drazan: I’m pro-life. I’ll enforce laws uniformly. Roe
Herbert Swett is a Chronicle correspondent.
you or your partner have new skin lesions, fever, swollen lymph nodes, or otherwise suspect you may have been exposed to the virus. Condoms do not prevent the spread of the virus (but do prevent the spread of other infections). • Wear gloves when handling materials such as bedding that someone with the virus has used. • Wash your hands thoroughly if you have contact with someone with hMPXV. • If you have symptoms, stay home until you can connect with a healthcare provider.
similar rash or someone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox,” according to a release from the county health agency.
Q: Do you support state laws on abortion?
County reports first confirmed monkeypox case STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Columbia County Public Health has announced the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the county. The person, a Columbia County resident, did not require hospitalization and is isolating at home, according to the health agency. What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a potentially serious viral illness that typically involves flulike symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes, and a rash that includes bumps that are initially filled with fluid before scabbing over. Illness could be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or the varicella zoster virus (chickenpox). Most infections last two to four weeks. “We’ve been preparing for monkeypox because we’ve watched nearby states and counties announce confirmed cases of monkeypox,” Columbia County Public Health Officer Dr. Joe Skariah said. We’ve seen cases rising across the U.S. It’s unlikely that this will lead to a large
Courtesy photo NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network
This series of photos show the monkeypox on human skin.
outbreak locally, but we want health care providers and the public to be aware, and for providers to consider this in people who have a rash or skin lesion that looks like monkeypox.” Skariah said Columbia County completed contract tracing to identify other individuals who have been exposed. As of July 31, no one who was exposed is considered a confirmed case. “Columbia County Public Health will not release the names or further identifying information of any resident who tests positive, unless more details are necessary to protect the public,” Columbia County Public Health Director Michael Paul said. “County staff will continue to collaborate with health
care providers, the Oregon Health Authority, and other jurisdictions to identify exposed individuals and to provide appropriate recommendations and health information.” Depending on the situation, people who had close or intimate exposure to a person with monkeypox might be advised to get a vaccine for monkeypox, according to Paul. Local health departments, the Oregon Health Authority, and the Centers for Prevention and Disease Control (CDC) are coordinating to provide vaccines to exposed con-
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tacts who choose to receive them. However, vaccines to prevent monkeypox are not recommended to the public. How monkeypox spreads Monkeypox usually spreads from person to person through close, often skin-to-skin contact, including direct contact with a rash, sores, or scabs from a person infected with the virus. To prevent the spread of the virus: • Avoid skin-to-skin contact such as through sex or other intimate contact if
Columbia County Health is advising people who may have symptoms of monkeypox should contact their healthcare provider. “Before the visit, they should notify their healthcare provider that they are concerned about monkeypox and whether they recently had close contact with someone who had a
Monkeypox Cases in Oregon as of Aug. 1 Cases 63 • Confirmed: 15 • Presumptive: 54 Sex • 69 Males • 0 Females County • Clackamas: 3 • Columbia: 1 • Lane: 12 • Multnomah: 43 • Washington: 10 Data from the Oregon Health Authority
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New fed funds for agriculture, rural communities (OSU) and other West Coast universities. Rural Energy Saving Program: The bill increases the funding available for the energy efficiency upgrades from $11.5 million to $13 million. The program, which provides funding to rural utilities and other companies to increase energy efficiency, was created by Senator Merkley when he was the top Democrat on the Agriculture subcommittee. Oregon Agricultural Research and Facilities Investment: Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Sen. Jeff Merkley has announced millions of dollars in federal funding for Oregon agriculture and rural communities. STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Columbia County could see a share of millions of dollars in new federal funding for agriculture and rural communities. Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has announced he has secured major investments in Oregon agriculture, rural housing, food assistance, and rural business priorities through the FY23 Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill. “As I hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year, I hear from folks in every corner of the state about what matters most to them, including ensuring our world-class agriculture sector has the support it needs to grow and thrive,” Merkley said. “The agriculture bill I championed includes significant investments for family farms, rural housing, food assistance, habitat restoration, and wildfire smoke recovery. According to Merkley, the legislation also prioritizes making Oregon’s agriculture more resilient to the impacts of climate chaos to protect the livelihoods of our farmers, ranchers, and producers. “I will keep pushing this critical legislation through the Appropriations process to benefit farms and families in every corner of the state,” he said. Merkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield to
serve on the Appropriations Committee, considered to be one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making. Key elements in the agriculture funding legislation includes: Water Conservation and Habitat Restoration: The bill includes a $175 million, a $75 million increase, for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations. This funding used to replace open irrigation ditches with pipes is crucial for irrigation districts that need to improve water efficiency and conservation or otherwise improve fish and wildlife habitat. This program is providing critical funding for the collaborative processes underway across the state working to conserve water and keep Oregon’s family farms in business while improving the habitats of endangered species. Wine Grape Smoke Exposure Research: The unprecedented wildfire seasons of recent years have blanketed much of the state of Oregon with dense, hazardous smoke, which has significantly impacted Oregon’s wine grape harvest. To better understand the challenges facing Oregon’s wine growers, the bill includes $5 million for research into smoke-impacted grapes at Oregon State University
The Agricultural Research Service received an increase of $161 million in funding for cutting-edge research to improve the productivity, sustainability, and health of the nation’s agricultural systems. In addition, Merkley was able to secure funding for key Oregon agriculture research programs, including funding for research on the Sudden Oak Death pathogen plaguing the south coast. Other research funding victories include research for alfalfa, barley, tree fruits, pear, wheat, hops, hemp, apple, shellfish, small fruits, seaweed, floriculture, nurseries, and rangeland ecology. The bill also includes funding for facilities improvements at the Corvallis, Burns, Pendleton ARS Stations.
strategies for rangelandbased livestock as well as technology-based rangeland and livestock management strategies to optimize the health and productivity of Western rangeland ecosystem.
investments in rural America every year. Total funding for the Rural Development mission area is $4.4 billion, or a $401 million increase over fiscal year 2022.
Rural Housing:
The bill continues funding the Summer EBT program at $50 million. This program has provided much-needed nutrition for Oregon families during the summer months when schools are not in session.
The bill includes $1.487 billion for rental assistance and $50 million for Rural Housing Service Vouchers, which will help address the urgent housing crisis facing Oregon’s rural communities. Rural Development: The bill includes funding for a number of USDA’s Rural Development programs, including rural housing and business development programs. These programs make billions of dollars of
Summer EBT:
Food Corps: The bill provides an increase of $500,000 for Food and Agriculture Service Learning. This program helps improve education resources for healthy eating especially among children.
Hemp:
The bill provides $4 million for Agricultural Research Services to partner with institutions conducting biotech and genomics research to improve hemp genetic research and breeding with new techniques. Hemp has already quickly become one of Oregon’s leading cash crops, and many feel it has the potential to bring in more than $1 billion in sales to Oregon in the coming years with a fair and reasonable regulatory framework. The next step for the bill is merging with a counterpart bill from the U.S. House of Representatives in order to be passed by both chambers and signed into law.
Western Rangeland Livestock: The bill includes $1.5 million for the Western Rangeland Precision Livestock center to develop precision-based nutrition strategies for rangelandbased livestock, as well as technology-based rangeland and livestock management strategies to optimize the health and productivity of Western rangeland-based livestock and the rangeland ecosystem. This funding will be split among land grant universities in Oregon, Montana, and Wisconsin. Rangeland Precision Livestock Management: The bill includes $3 million to promote economically efficient and environmentally responsive livestock production systems for the Western rangeland. The bill supports precision nutrition
Audit reveals benefits breakdown STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
The sudden and drastic increase in unemployment claims brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic strained an antiquated unemployment system, creating financial hardships for many Oregonians whose eligible benefits were delayed several months or longer, according to an audit report released by the Oregon Secretary of State. The findings are outlined in the report “The Pandemic’s Effects on Oregonians Exposed Risks and Highlighted the Need to Modernize Oregon’s Unemployment Insurance System.” “The goal of a safety net is for it to be there when you need it,” Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said. “This audit helps explain why Oregon’s unemployment insurance program failed when it was needed most and identifies actionable steps OED can take to make sure help is always available when Oregonians need it most.” The audit issued July 27 finds several key factors that led to a breakdown in the Oregon Employment Department’s (OED) systems. • Prior audits in 2012, 2015, and 2020 identified outdated, inefficient, difficult to update systems that hindered the agency’s ability to pay out benefits quickly, especially during economic downturns. • OED’s phone-based system was overwhelmed by an unprecedented influx in calls. The agency did not have enough physical phone lines or staff to be able to answer all the additional
Courtesy photo
The findings are outlined in the report “The Pandemic’s Effects on Oregonians Exposed Risks and Highlighted the Need to Modernize Oregon’s Unemployment Insurance System.”
calls they were getting. • The agency had to staff up quickly and implement multiple new federal programs Congress created in the wake of business closures caused by COVID-19. Fagan said the OED has addressed some of these shortcomings and had one of the lowest unemployment fraud levels in 2020. Other areas are still in need of improvement. The audit’s recommendations focus on areas where the OED can improve systems ahead of future surges in unemployment. Key recommendations include: • Monitor data to identify claims that have not been reviewed within a set period. • Make use of the modernized IT system to reduce data errors, make use of different communications channels including texting, improve systems for uploading documents online
and tracking claims online, continue to make communication available in languages other than English, and more. • Study the creating of an ombuds office to help claimants navigate the complexities of the UI system. “Real people were hurt by these delays,”Fagan said. “Without an ombuds office, people struggling to navigate a complex system had no one to advocate for them. Creating an ombuds office is a practical recommendation to fix a gap in services and help build trust in state government. Ombuds programs currently fill important roles in state government, such as the Office of Small Business Assistance here at the Secretary of State’s office.” Read the full Oregon Employment Department audit with this story at thechronicleonline.com
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Opinion
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Viewpoints
Are term limits part of the solution? KATHLEEN HARDER Chronicle Guest Column
America is more polarized than at any time in its history except for the Civil War. American politics has divided families, with parents and children no longer speaking. Family get-togethers are contentious. Lifelong friendships have collapsed. Marriages have ended due to irreconcilable polarization. At work, people are frightened to mention politics for fear of being fired or offending a co-worker. Consumers even base what brand of toothpaste they use based upon their politics, according to a study for Colgate. So, in this historic political chasm, where can a Republican and a Democrat reach common ground? Term limits for Congress. By the numbers A recent poll conducted
by pollster Scott Rasmussen showed that 82% of Americans favor term limits for Congress. Broken down by party lines, 87% of Republicans favored congressional terms limits; 83% of Democrats favored term limits; and 78% of Independents favored the idea. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln could not get this degree of favorability. For many of our current members of Congress, serving in Congress has become a lucrative lifelong job. We have one member of the House of Representatives who was elected in 1980 and has served half of his life in Congress. In the Senate, we have seven members aged 80 or older who have been in the Senate for 30 years or longer. Things like this led Harry Truman to advocate term limits, saying, “term limits would cure both senility and seniority- both terrible legislative diseases.” Americans see Congress
as integral to the dysfunction that we see today in our institutions. According to Gallup, approval for Congress has not reached 30% in over a decade. Voters don’t see Congress working for them. Those that we have elected have simply forgotten who sent them and what their job is – to serve the public. So, if we can agree that term limits are part of the solution, how do we get there? Next steps
Congress will never vote to term limit themselves, right? Probably not. Although there are members of Congress who favor congressional term limits and are backing legislation to enact it. This legislation faces stiff opposition from entrenched Washington insiders. So, how do we get off dead center on this issue? When enough states request a convention to add a term limits amendment to the
Constitution, Congress is legally bound to comply. This allows states to make an endrun around Congress. In fact, Dwight Eisenhower foresaw the need for this and said, “a constitutional amendment for congressional term limits could never achieve the blessing of Congress; it could be initiated only by the states.” Five states, - Florida, Alabama, Missouri, Wisconsin, and West Virginia – have asked for a national convention to amend the Constitution, limited to the subject of Congressional term limits. Oregon could be next. The state legislature can pass a resolution calling for an Article V convention for congressional term limits only. A simple majority in the legislature is all that is required to do this. Power shift
Setting congressional term limits would take power
away from the Washington insiders and lobbyists and give it back to where it belongs – the citizens of each state. For far too long, we have seen how staying in office for decades leads some of our elected officials to forget that they should serve the voters –not the entrenched special interests that exert their financial muscle in Washington. As Benjamin Franklin (who supported term limits) aptly said, “In free governments, the rulers are the servants, and the people their superiors…For the former to return among the latter does not degrade but promote them.” And most importantly, it would lead to a Congress that is responsive to the issues facing everyday Americans. This would lead to real solutions to address the significant problems we face, not the self-serving chaos we see unfolding daily in Washington. Setting congressional
term limits will be a step to ending the political circus that has polarized and divided our nation. It will restore balance in our electoral process. It will return power to where it should reside, with the voters. Term limits means Congress will develop fundamental solutions, to do the right thing for the people they represent, not incremental solutions that placate the lobbyists. Now, more than ever before, we need congressional term limits. Let’s have Oregon show its pioneering spirit, to help spearhead the change we need to see to get our country working together again. Kathleen Harder, M.D., FACP is the Oregon State Chair for U.S. Term Limits and former democratic candidate for Congress. Send comments or questions to rhooper@termlimits.com or to djohnson@strategicvisionpr.com
Community Events August 5-7 Sandcastle Building Competition Sandcastle competition and a pirate encampment on Sand Island Campground and Marine Park at St. Helens. Over 25 professional competitors from across the country will compete for top honors. Other activities include free sand carving lessons, scavenger hunts, music, and sand bucket fun. Food will also be available picked up at the shuttle dock. Limited food will be available on the island. For more information, or to book a campsite ticket or a day pass, visit https:// discovercolumbiacounty. com/events/sand-islandsand-castle-competitionaugust-5-7-2022. August 5 Movies by Moonlight Scappoose Public Library and the City of Scappoose are sponsoring free Movies by Moonlight each Friday in August at Heritage Park, 52469 SE 2nd Street, in Scappoose. A series of four family friendly movies will be shown with thematic activities and events each night. For up-to-date information about the events, visit the Movies by Moonlight website link, Facebook page, or contact Jeff Weiss 503-5437123. Food vendors will be on site with snacks and full meals available for purchase. All movies start at dusk with pre-movie events beginning at 7 p.m. In the event of rain, the showing will be rescheduled. Alcohol and smoking are not permitted in the park. August 6 Legion BBQ The American Legion Vernonia Backyard BBQ from 5 p.m to 9 p.m. at 627 Adams Avenue. Live music, huge raffle prizes, PSE compound bow,
game camera, charter boat fishing trip for two worth $400+, BBQ grill and smoker combo, outdoor propane fire pit, multiple gift certificates $25-$50 and more. Come have a great time with your local Veterans! August 13 Strawberry Pancake Breakfast A strawberry pancake breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Columbia City Community Hall, 1850 2nd Street in Columbia City. The breakfast includes a slice of ham, scrambled eggs and two fluffy pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Breakfast comes with coffee and a choice of orange juice or milk. Adults $12. Children $9. Call 503-396-5658 for more information. August 13 Show & Shine Car Show 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Columbia City School, 2000 2nd Street in Columbia City. The event includes a book sale, quilt raffle, craft vendors, an art show and kids zone. For details, call 503-396-5658. Ongoing events 13 Nights Annual St. Helens waterfront music concerts at the Columbia View Park amphitheater. Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Columbia View Park amphitheater. See the concert schedule and feature stories about the performers at thechronicleonline.com. Farmers Market The 20th season of the Scappoose Market 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, contact scappoosefm@gmail.com.
Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Meets at 7 p.m. every other second Tuesday. Meetings are currently held electronically by Zoom. For more information, contact Council Coordinator Allan Whiting at E-mail: allan@whitingenv. com, or call 503-789-9240 Visit the council’s website for agenda postings and Zoom at www.lowercolumbiariver.org/events-page. Resonate Recovery Meets at 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday - Sundays. This is a Bible based, Christcentered spiritual recovery meeting for those struggling with addictions and compulsive behavior at 220 S. 1st St., St. Helens. Everyone is loved and welcomed. Free childcare available. For more information call Debbie at 503-560-0521 or check the Resonate Facebook page. Columbian Toastmasters Promoting positive learning and leadership through public speaking. Anyone is welcome! Meeting virtually via Zoom from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. every Thursday. Call 503-369-0329 for more information. Overcomers Outreach Meetings are held every Saturday at 9 a.m. at Creekside Baptist Church, 51681 SW Old Portland Rd., Scappoose. Call Fred 971-7576389. To list an event in the Community Calendar, email details with a phone number that may be published for anyone that might have questions, to chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net, or call 503-397-0116.
The Chronicle Joe Warren Publisher
Jeremy C. Ruark Regional Executive Editor
Katherine Mace Advertising Sales
Weekly Online Poll
Last Week’s Results
If the election were held today, of the three candidates running for Oregon Governor, who would you vote for? Republican Christine Drazan Democrat Tina Kotek
Independent Betsy Johnson
Do you believe Columbia County should have a hospital?
66% Yes
34% No
Vote online at thechronicleonline.com
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CONTACT US • Phone: (503) 397-0116 • Fax: (503) 397-4093 • Website: www.thechronicleonline.com • Editorial: chroniclenews@countrymedia.net ADVERTISE WITH US: Display ads: chronicleads@countrymedia.net • Classified ads: chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net FOLLOW US • facebook.com/sthelenschronicle or twitter.com/shchronicle Editorial policy: Opinions expressed on this page are independent of The Chronicle views and are solely those of the writers expressing them. Write to us: We want to hear from you and encourage you to write letters to the editor. Because of space limitations, shorter letters have a better chance of being printed. We may edit your letter for style, grammar and clarity, although we do as little editing as possible. If you don’t want your letter printed under those conditions, just let us know. Thank-you letters are limited to a general thanks and summary of
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an issue or action. We reserve the right to exclude lists of people, organizations and businesses. Letters received after noon on Friday may not be in time for the following Wednesday’s paper. To verify authenticity, all letters must be signed and include your address and daytime phone number. We won’t print your street address or phone number (just your city of residence). Submissions may be emailed to chroniclenews@countrymedia.net, sent via mail, or dropped off at the office. Letters policy: This newspaper’s letters to the editor are limited to a maximum of 250 words and will be edited for grammar, spelling and
blatant inaccuracies. Unsubstantiated or irresponsible allegations, or personal attacks on any individual, will not be published. Letters containing details presented as facts rather than opinions must include their sources. Writers are limited to one published letter per month. All submissions must include the author’s full name, local street address and telephone number (only the name and city of residence will be published). By submitting a letter, writers also grant permission for them to be posted online. Opinions expressed on this page are the writer’s alone and do not represent the opinion of the newspaper or its parent company, Country Media, Inc.
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$69M in new Oregon SNAP benefits STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Columbia County residents and most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in August. The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Oregon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency. Because the federal government approved these emergency benefits for
August, Oregon will also be able to issue them in September. However, the emergency benefits are expected to end when the federal public health emergency ends. In August, approximately 430,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $69 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits. “We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Self-Sufficiency Programs Depity Director Claire Seguin said. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs and we encourage
Metro Creative Connection
SNAP is an assistance program designed to help approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon.
them to contact our partners at 211, the Oregon Food Bank and their local Community Action Agency for support during this difficult time.” Current SNAP households will receive emergency allotments on Aug. 11. Emergency allotments will be issued Aug. 31 or Sept. 2 for households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.
SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental benefits as they will be issued directly on their EBT cards. More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.oregon. gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/ FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/ Emergency-Allotments.aspx. Questions about your
SNAP benefits should be directed to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-6999075. If your household receives SNAP and your income or the number of people in your household has changed, it could impact your benefits. It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-to-date information. You can report any changes to your income or household in many ways: • Online at: ONE.Oregon. gov • By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309 • By fax at: 503-378-5628 • By phone at: 1-800-6999075 or TTY 711
Crossword Solution
Obituaries
Solution for the July 27, 2022 crossword puzzle
Kammie Kay Garver
Resources to help meet basic needs
• Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org • Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org. • Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org • Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: www.caporegon.org/ find-services/ • Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center
Oct. 23, 1968 ~ May 6, 2022
Kammie Kay Garver passed at the age of 53 on May 6, 2022 at her home from natural causes. She was born into the McCullar family on Oct. 23, 1968. Her birth was somewhat unique as she was born on the way to the hospital on Hwy 30 in front of Wild Wood Golf Course. She was born in such a hurry to be born that she beat the stork! She acquired her nickname “Kack” from her sister, Jennie, and it stayed with her throughout her life. She excelled in softball and was an awesome catcher with an arm that could not only throw the ball instantly where it should go, but she also had great power behind the bat. She and her sister coached the little girls’ teams playing softball for several years. Her love for this sport carried on with her into her adult life.
After graduating in 1986 from St. Helens High School, she started working at KFC and shortly after she moved into banking for many years where she won an all-expense paid cruise to Mexico for being the top winner in a regional contest. She spent the last 14 years in mortgaging for home loans. She was a very loyal employee that
worked extremely hard. Kammie adored her family and all our gatherings, especially Christmas being her favorite time of the year. We always knew our dinners included her famous deviled eggs and fudge. Christmas was the time she also made her “apple pie moonshine!” Her greatest joy was being Mom to her three children and Nana to her only grandchild. She is preceded in death by her Grandpa Loe; Grandma Loe; Bob Bodeen; Uncle Herb Thompson; and Barbara and Cedric Olsen. Kammie is survived by her three children, Kayla Harrison (Ryan), Kyle Harrison, and Zack Harrison; grandchild Raelynn Harrison; mother and stepdad, Linda and Brad Olsen; sister Jennie Lamb (Adam); stepsister Danna Olsen; a very special aunt Susan Boles (Gary
Boles); several nieces and nephews; one great niece; and four great nephews. For the past 20 years, she had the best Dad ever that she called “Pa.” The love she had for him was wholeheartedly and he felt the same way. Kammie touched so many hearts with her acts of kindness, big smile that would light up a room when she entered it and her spirit. She felt compassion for people and would help them if at all possible. She always ended her texts or phone conversations with loved ones with, “I love you more.” Our lives are forever changed. She will always be in our hearts and loving memories. We now have our special Guardian Angel to watch over us. “We love you more.” A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on Sun., Aug. 28 at the Elks Lodge in St. Helens.
Mary Georgine Booth June 12, 1938 ~ July 17, 2022
Mary Georgine Booth passed away on Sun., July 17th at the age of 84. Daughter of George and Clara Miller of Deer Island, Oregon, she was born Mary Georgine Miller on June 12, 1938. Georgine was one of nine siblings and graduated from St. Helens High School in St. Helens, Oregon in 1956. Georgine had an unwavering faith in God. She was a member of St. Frederic Catholic Church in St. Helens, Oregon and St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Spokane, Wash-
ington. She gave generously to several Catholic charities
and helped many people in need. Raised on her father’s nursery, Miller Gardens in Deer Island, Oregon, she had a love for plants and flowers. A consummate mother and homemaker, Georgine was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing meals for her family and friends. She is survived by her sister Mary Pauline Thompson; sons, James and Joseph Bernhardt; daughter Julie Marsh; stepsons, James Booth and Joel Booth; previous husband John Bernhardt and his wife
Pat Bernhardt; nine grandchildren; and many great grandchildren. She was predeceased by siblings, Bernard Miller, John Miller, Kuhlman Miller, Mary Rita Kelly, Mary Therese Miller, Francis Miller, and Mary Celine (Mike) Jackson; husband Jerry Booth; and son John Bernhardt Jr. Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 13, 2022 followed by a reception at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 515 W Saint Thomas More Way, Spokane, Washington.
Reverend Doctor Allyn C. Rieke March 3, 1939 ~ July 27, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Allyn C. Rieke died July 27, 2022 from complications of Inclusion Body Myositis. Al was born on March 3, 1939 in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Walter Raymond Rieke and Matilda Lucille (Essex) Rieke. He met the love of his life, Patricia Lynn Paul, in Aurora, Illinois. They were married on May 2, 1959. Al and Pat had five children, Allyn Jr., Diana, Barbara, Lisa and JoAnn. Al attended Knox College earning his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He served in the Army from 1961-67 reaching the rank of Captain and earning his PHD in Organic Chemistry. After his military career, Al went to work as a chemist for
Dupont from 1967-1974. In 1974, Al began seminary and serving as clergy in the United Methodist Church with his first appointment at Cabin John UMC in Cabin John, Maryland. In 1977, after
graduating with his Masters in Theology, and the family moved to Oregon where Al continued to serve as clergy in the Oregon-Idaho Conference until his retirement in 2001. His appointments were at 1st UMC, St Helens, Oregon, Trinity UMC, Montavilla UMC and Pioneer UMC in Portland, Oregon and 1st UMC in the Dalles, Oregon. After retirement, Al stayed active in his community by serving on various boards and foundations such as Rose Villa Continuing Care Community, Good Samaritan Food Bank and Terwilliger Plaza Foundation. Al was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Jack, Rod, Wayne and Duwayne; sisters, Kathy, Doris
and Doreen; daughter Lisa; and grandson Stephan. Al is survived by his wife of 63 years, Patricia; his children, Allyn Jr (Andrea), Diana (Tony), Barbara (David), and JoAnn (George); nine grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Al will be interned at Willamette National Cemetery. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wed., Aug. 24, 2022 at 1st United Methodist Church of Portland, 1838 SW Jefferson St., Portland, OR 97201. Donations in memory of Al may be made to Terwilliger Plaza Foundation for the Lesta Hoel fund at 2545 SW Terwilliger Blvd, Portland, OR 97201.
Ruby Olmstead
May 1, 1928 ~ July 29, 2022
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503-397-0116 • 1805 Columbia Blvd.
Ruby Olmstead age 94 passed away peacefully on July 29, 2022. She was born in Casa Grande, Arizona where she lived during the Depression. There she learned to cook, clean and pick cotton at an early age. At 14 she moved to California and during those years she raised six children. In 1975 she met the love of her life and a faithful Christian Dacre Olmstead. She joined him and his son David in St. Helens, Oregon. Together they loved reading the Bible and attending Church as a family.
Ruby kept busy with selling Avon, sewing and loved being a part of the Ladies
Auxiliary. She loved to volunteer and found importance in teaching Sunday school, Chapel on Wheels and the Gingerbread House at the Columbia County fair. After Dacre retired from Freisens Lumber in 1988 they went camping all over the Pacific NW. Soon joining MAPRs, a retired mobile missions group, which they volunteered for about five years. Dacre proceeded her in death in January 2012. Mom leaves behind the following: Leigh (Brown) Gomez of Eureka, California;
David Chronister of Jewel, Oregon; Dan Chronister of St. Helens, Oregon; Nancy (Chronister) Durant of Carson City, Nevada; Debbie (Harris) Stansbury of Rainier, Oregon; Barbara (Harris) Dickerson of Scottsdale, Arizona; David Olmstead of Rainier, Oregon; Linda (Harris) Brunick of Colorado Springs; and blessed with a combined 72 grand, great, and great-great grandchildren. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 6, 2022 at Columbia Funeral Home in St. Helens.
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Classifieds Listings are updated daily at thechronicleonline.com
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502
502
502
702
750
901
901
Health & Nutrition
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
Garage Sales
Misc for Sale
Homes for Sale by Owner
Homes for Sale by Owner
Alcoholics Anonymous Info-line, (503) 366-0667 www.pdxaa.org
gineer I/II Salary: Field Engineer I: $32.21-$45.94/ Hr DOQ Field Engineer II: $36.18$51.61/Hr DOQ Deadline: Open Until Filled. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Columbia River PUD team, please visit our website at www.crpud.net to view and apply for open positions or call us at (503) 397-1844 to have an application packet mailed to you.
by 5:30 pm. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Columbia River PUD team, please visit our website at www. crpud.net to view and apply for open positions or call us at (503) 397-1844 to have an application mailed to you.
Solid Waste Program Coordinator Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline: Open Until Filled Apply at ColumbiaCountyOR.gov
St. Helens, Friday - Sunday from 9 am - 6 pm.
without representations or warranties. Buyer responsible for moving items prior to the conclusion of the sale. Cash or Cashier Checks only.
55+ co-op mobile home park w/ walk in closet, office, sunroom, & 2 decks. Mint condition. HOA fee of $500/month, includes water, sewer and basic
cable. RV parking when available at $30/month that includes electricity. Cleanest park around. $375,000. Please call Jim 503-793-2822 or Jan 503-369-3423.
502
Help Wanted
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District (C911CD) is conducting a hiring process for a Chief Financial Advisor. Apply online at www.col u m b i a 9 11 . c o m / careers. Additional information can be found on our website or by calling 503-366-6972. Columbia River PUD A CommunityOwned Utility is hiring a Field En-
Columbia River PUD is hiring Position name: Vegetation Management Operator Salary: $33.66/hr 1st 6 mos, $37.40/ hr thereafter. Deadline: Thursday, August 25, 2022
Help Wanted Looking for person with chainsaw to help cut dry peach wood at 2365 Columbia Blvd, St. Helens in the morning. Will pay. Please call 503964-0275. Road Worker I Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline: Open Until Filled Apply at ColumbiaCountyOR.gov
702
Garage Sales
Annual Garage Sale & Pop-up bakery to benefit Lil Learners PreSchool Aug. 5 & 6, from 8am-3pm. 58690 Ross Rd. inside Grace Baptist in Warren. Moving Sale It All Has To Go! No reasonable offer will be refused. Hardy R Cave 503-396-2665, at 225 S 13th St.,
750
Misc for Sale
St. Helens School District Surplus Sale Friday, August 12th, 2022 - 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM Lewis & Clark Elementary - 111 South 9th Street, St. Helens. The St. Helens School District will conduct a surplus sale on Friday, August 12th to dispose of district equipment declared as surplus. Items include furniture and equipment and are sold on a first come, first serve basis. Items are sold as is on site
890
Wanted to Rent
WANTED: Studio, 1 Bdrm Apt/house. Single woman, neat and tidy. Have NOHA voucher. St. Helens, Scappoose, Rainier, Columbia County 503 8870821
901
Homes for Sale by Owner
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Get your ad in the paper and reach out to potential customers. Call 503-397-0116 to place your ad in the newspaper and online.
Crossword Puzzle
STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: AMERICAN HISTORY 101 ACROSS
1. Frill on a blouse 6. Consumed 9. Toothy freshwater fish 13. *Site of famous Texas Revolution battle 14. “Losing My Religion” band 15. Opposite of crazier 16. Marine polyp 17. “____ Te Ching”, book 18. Gastric woe 19. *First Catholic President 21. *Underground Railroad conductor 23. Knot-tying vow (2 words) 24. Cold transmitter 25. Definite article 28. Popular fairy tale beginning 30. Woody tissue 35. X-ray units 37. Women in habits 39. It follows eta 40. Quantity of measurement 41. Crosswise, on deck 43. Old flames 44. Carryalls 46. Pavarotti’s song 47. European money 48. Hairy, of plants and animals
50. Charitable contribution 52. Wrath, e.g. 53. American Girl, e.g. 55. Life story, for short 57. *Louisiana Territory’s previous owner 60. *Infamous 1995 Oklahoma City event 64. Olympic torch, e.g. 65. Toni Morrison’s “____ Baby” 67. The press 68. Fake duck, e.g. 69. “Home of the brave” 70. Choose by a vote 71. Stink to high heaven 72. Third degree 73. Hazards
DOWN
1. “Boxed” clown 2. Burn-soothing plant 3. Owl’s hangout 4. Saudi neighbor 5. Canadian city on Lake Erie 6. Bohemian 7. *1773 cargo overboard 8. Bring character to life 9. Rodeo Drive tree 10. Machu Picchu builder 11. Hiking sandals manufacturer 12. Make a mistake 15. Hand over
20. Ritchie Valens’ 1958 hit 22. Modern address 24. *Grant, Patton or Sheridan 25. *”Ain’t I a Woman?” speaker 26. Capital of Vietnam 27. Marks on a manuscript 29. *Bay of Pigs location 31. Clarified butter 32. Connection in a series 33. Wombs 34. *Dixon’s partner 36. Dance move 38. Go yachting 42. Lou Bega’s “_____ No. 5” 45. Actor Poitier 49. Brown of “Back to the Future” 51. Cook on low heat 54. Reduce pressure (2 words) 56. Obelus, pl. 57. What refugees do 58. Speed test 59. Crazily 60. Actor Pitt 61. “____ of March” 62. One of Jonas brothers 63. Gangster’s pistols 64. *The New Deal Pres. 66. Campfire residue
Solution to crossword in next week’s issue of The Chronicle.
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Public Notices
PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW
CH22-1150
TS No. OR08000078-22-1 APN 3224-B0-01000 | 7124 TO No 220268220-OR-MSI TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE Reference is made to that certain Trust Deed made by, JAMES A VANEK AND KELLY VANEK as Grantor to FIRST AMERICAN TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY as Trustee, in favor of BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. as Beneficiary dated as of February 17, 2006 and recorded on February 27, 2006 as Instrument No. 2006002700 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Columbia County, Oregon to-wit: APN: 3224-B001000 | 7124 PARCEL 2 OF PARTITION PLAT NO. 2005-08, RECORDED MARCH 23, 2005, FEE NO. 2005-003806, IN COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON. Commonly known as: 33102 SOUTHWEST CALLAHAN ROAD, SCAPPOOSE, OR
97056 Both the Beneficiary, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., and the Trustee, Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112, have elected to sell the said real property to satisfy the obligations secured by said Trust Deed and notice has been recorded pursuant to Section 86.735(3) of Oregon Revised Statutes. The default for which the foreclosure is made is the Grantor’s failure to pay: The secured loan obligation has matured By this reason of said default the Beneficiary has declared all obligations secured by said Trust Deed immediately due and payable, said sums being the following, to-wit: The sum of $25,599.22 together with interest thereon at the rate of 7.50000% per annum from February 1, 2021 until
paid; plus all accrued late charges thereon; and all Trustee’s fees, foreclosure costs and any sums advanced by the Beneficiary pursuant to the terms of said Trust Deed. Wherefore, notice is hereby given that, the undersigned Trustee will on November 30, 2022 at the hour of 12:00 PM, Standard of Time, as established by Section 187.110, Oregon Revised Statues, at the west entrance to the Columbia County Courthouse, 230 Strand St., Saint Helens, OR 97051 County of Columbia, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash the interest in the said described real property which the Grantor had or had power to convey at the time of the execution by him of the
CH22-1162
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the City of St. Helens City Council on Wednesday, August 17, 2022 at or after 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers, located in the City Hall building at 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR. Access into City Hall for this hearing will be from the plaza side entrance. Zoom will also be available to participate. Virtual access information to join the hearing will be available on the applicable agenda. Agendas can be found on the City’s website: https://www.sthelensoregon. gov/meetings. The purpose of this hearing is to consider an application as follows: File No: Appeal AP.1.22 of Subdivision Preliminary Plat, SUB.2.22 as denied by the Planning Commission Applicant: Ken Sandblast / Westlake Consultants, Inc. Appellant: same as applicant Request: 46 lot Planned Development Subdivision Location: Undeveloped property southeast of the intersection of Pittsburg Road & Meadowview Drive
Map No: 4N1W-6D-604 and 4N1W-6AD-2600 Testimony from the public in both oral or written form is invited. The hearing will be conducted in accordance with those procedures found in the City Development Code (SHMC Title 17) Chapter 17.24 and any rules of procedure adopted by the City Council. The Planning Commission is authorized to approve, deny, or approve this application with conditions, based on the following criteria: Subdivision, Preliminary Plat – Chapter 17.136 St. Helens Municipal Code (SHMC) Planned Development standards – SHMC 17.148.080 Failure to raise an issue, including constitutional or other issues relating to any proposed conditions of approval, in this hearing, in person, or by letter, or failure to raise an issue accompanied by statements or evidence sufficient to afford the approving authority an opportunity to respond to the issue precludes appeal to the applicable appellate jurisdiction (e.g., the Land Use Board of Appeals, LUBA)
on that issue, and precludes an action for damages in circuit court. The application file is located at City Hall (265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR) and all documents in the file are available for inspection. A copy of the staff report will be available for review at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the hearing. There is no cost to inspect the file or staff report; copies are available at a reasonable cost. The report for this application will also be available on the City’s website at https://www.sthelensoregon.gov/meetings. Questions should be directed to the City Planning Department by phone: 503-3976272, e-mail: jgraichen@ sthelensoregon.gov, mail: 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051, or in person at City Hall. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting to City Hall at 503-397-6272.
CH22-1163
NOTICE OF HYBRID MEETING The CC Rider Transit Advisory Committee will be holding a hybrid meeting on August 16, 2022 at 4:00PM at 1155 Deer Island Rd, St. Helens,
Oregon 97051. Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto. com/488269933. You can also dial in using your
phone. United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 United States: +1 (571) 317-3116 Access Code: 488-269-933 The public is welcome.
said Trust Deed, together with any interest which the Grantor or his successors in interest acquired after the execution of said Trust Deed, to satisfy the foregoing obligations thereby secured and the costs and expenses of sale, including a reasonable charge by the Trustee. Notice is further given that any person named in Section 86.753 of Oregon Revised Statutes has the right to have the foreclosure proceeding dismissed and the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to the Beneficiary of the entire amount then due (other than such portion of said principal as would not then be due had no default occurred), together with the costs, Trustee’s or attorney’s fees and curing any other default complained
of in the Notice of Default by tendering the performance required under the obligation or Trust Deed, at any time prior to five days before the date last set for sale. Without limiting the Trustee’s disclaimer of representations or warranties, Oregon law requires the Trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a Trustee’s sale may have been used in manufacturing methamphetamines, the chemical components of which are known to be toxic. Prospective purchasers of residential property should be aware of this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the Trustee’s sale. In construing this notice, the masculine gender includes the feminine
and the neuter, the singular includes plural, the word “Grantor” includes any successor in interest to the Grantor as well as any other persons owing an obligation, the performance of which is secured by said Trust Deed, the words “Trustee” and “Beneficiary” includes their respective successors in interest, if any. Dated: July 7,20222 By: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 Successor Trustee Malcolm & Cisneros, A Law Corporation Attention: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 c/o TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Order Number 83844, Pub Dates: 7/20/2022, 7/27/2022, 8/3/2022, 8/10/2022, CHRONICLE
CH22-1161
NOTICE OF PUD RECEIVING SEALED BIDS
Notice is hereby given that Columbia River People’s Utility District (PUD) will receive sealed bids for Trenching on Gensman Road in St. Helens, OR. Bids will be received by the PUD, 64001 Columbia River Highway, Deer Island, Oregon 97054 until 3:30 p.m., pacific prevailing time, on August 30, 2022, at which time the bids will be publicly opened.
The bids will be available for public inspection at the PUD office after the bid opening. The bid documents may be examined at the office of the PUD, 64001 Columbia River Highway, Deer Island, Oregon 97054. Paper or electronic copies of the bid documents may be obtained by sending a written request to Columbia River PUD. P.O. Box 1193, St. Helens,
Oregon, 97051, email to bsisco@crpud.org or by calling (503) 366-3261. Columbia River PUD reserves the right to reject any and all bids that are not in compliance with the bid documents and prescribed public bidding procedures and to reject, for good cause, any or all bids upon a finding by the PUD that it is in the public interest to do so.
CH22-1155
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: PORT OF COLUMBIA COUNTY SCAPPOOSE BAY MARINA MARINA MAINTENANCE DREDGING – DESIGN AND ENGINEERING PROJECT The Port of Columbia County is seeking proposals for design and
engineering services from qualified consulting firms for maintenance dredging at the Scappoose Bay Marina in Warren, OR. RFP documents with further details may be found on the Port’s website, www.portofcolumbiacounty. org. Submissions must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday,
August 12, 2022. Bid packets may be submitted by mail to PO Box 190 Columbia City, OR 97018, delivered to our Port office located at 100 E. Street, Columbia City, from 8:00 to 5:00 pm; or emailed to house@portofcolumbiacounty.org. For questions, please call 503-397-2888.
CH22-1160
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Notice is hereby given, the Columbia County Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) will hold a public meeting on August 11, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The meeting will be held virtually,
join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto. com/799456701. You can also dial in using your phone. United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 United States: +1 (571)
317-3116 Access Code: 799-456-701 The meeting is open to the public and any interested persons are invited to attend. Kathy Boutin-Pasterz, Solid Waste Program Coordinator. 7/26/2022.
The Public Notice deadline is Fridays by noon. Late submissions are not guaranteed to make it into the paper.
Blue light danger increases with age STEVE LUNDEBERG Chronicle Guest Article
The damaging effects of daily, lifelong exposure to the blue light emanating from phones, computers and household fixtures worsen as a person ages, new research by Oregon State University (OSU) suggests. The study, published in Nature Partner Journals Aging, involved Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, an important model organism because of the cellular and developmental mechanisms it shares with other animals and humans. Jaga Giebultowicz, a researcher in the OSU College of Science who studies biological clocks, led a collaboration that examined the survival rate of flies kept in darkness and then moved at progressively older ages to an environment of constant blue light from light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. The darkness-to-light transitions occurred at the ages of two, 20, 40 and 60 days, and the study involved blue light’s effect on the mitochondria of the flies’ cells. Mitochondria act as a cell’s power plant, generating ad-
enosine triphosphate, or ATP, a source of chemical energy. In earlier research, Giebultowicz showed that prolonged exposure to blue light affected flies’ longevity, regardless of whether it shined in their eyes. “The novel aspect of this new study is showing that chronic exposure to blue light can impair energy-producing pathways even in cells that are not specialized in sensing light,” Giebultowicz said. “We determined that specific reactions in mitochondria were dramatically reduced by blue light, while other reactions were decreased by age independent of blue light. You can think of it as blue light exposure adding insult to injury in aging flies.” Collaborating with Giebultowicz on the work, partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, were Yujuan Song, Jun Yang and David Hendrix of the OSU College of Science, Matthew Robinson of the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, and Alexander Law and Doris Kretzschmar of Oregon Health & Science University. The scientists note that natural light is crucial for a person’s circadian rhythm – the 24-hour cycle of physi-
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Researchers said eyeglasses with amber lenses will filter out the blue light and protect your retinas.
ological processes such as brain wave activity, hormone production and cell regeneration that are important factors in eating and sleeping patterns. But there is evidence suggesting that increased exposure to artificial light is a risk factor for sleep and circadian disorders, Giebultowicz said. And with the prevalent use of LED lighting and device displays, humans are subjected to increasing amounts of light in the blue spectrum since commonly used LEDs emit a high fraction of blue light. “This technology, LED
lighting, even in most developed countries, has not been used long enough to know its effects across the human lifespan,” she said. “There are increasing concerns that extended exposure to artificial light, especially blue-enriched LED light, may be detrimental to human health. While the full effects of blue light exposure across the lifespan are not yet known in humans, accelerated aging observed in short-lived model organism should alert us to the potential of cellular damage by this stressor.” In the meantime, there are
a few things people can do to help themselves that don’t involve sitting for hours in darkness, the researchers say. Eyeglasses with amber lenses will filter out the blue light and protect your retinas. And phones, laptops and other devices can be set to block blue emissions. “Our previous work demonstrated that daily lifelong exposure to blue light, but not other visible wavelengths, has damaging effects on the brain, motor abilities and lifespan of the model organism,” Giebultowicz said. “Now we’re
reporting that the damaging effects of blue light on the flies are strongly age dependent – the same length of exposure to the same intensity of light decreases lifespan and increases neurodegeneration more significantly in old flies than in young ones.” In the earlier research, flies subjected to daily cycles of 12 hours in light and 12 hours in darkness had shorter lives compared to flies kept in total darkness or those kept in light with the blue wavelengths filtered out. The flies exposed to blue light showed damage to their retinal cells and brain neurons and had impaired locomotion – the flies’ ability to climb the walls of their enclosures, a common behavior, was diminished. Some of the flies in the experiment were mutants that didn’t develop eyes, and even those eyeless flies displayed impairment, suggesting flies didn’t have to see the light to be harmed by it. Steve Lundeberg is a researcher and writer for Oregon State University Relations and Marketing. He may be reached at steve.lundeberg@ oregonstate.edu
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Wednesday, August 3, 2022
New research shows road treatments could help elderly STEVE LUNDEBERG Chronicle Guest Article
For the elderly in Columbia County, and in cities and towns across the nation, getting from here to there can be challenging. Research by the Oregon State University (OSU) College of Engineering and Portland State University (PSU) suggests a trio of roadway treatments would enable people age 65 and older to travel on foot more safely. The study is important because older pedestrians are among the most likely to be killed in traffic accidents, according to the National Safety Council. In the United States in 2020 there were 709 pedestrian fatalities in the 65-74 age group – 20% of total road-user deaths in that age bracket. The project used data from Oregon collisions but is likely applicable in other areas, and it provides a framework for jurisdictions to develop their own safety recommendations, said David Hurwitz of the OSU College of Engineering. What crash data reveals Hurwitz and Monsere, whose collaborative background includes a recent up-
date of the Safety Investigation Manual for the Oregon Department of Transportation, combed four years of Oregon crash data for locations where older pedestrians were over-represented. “Motor vehicle crashes involving older pedestrians are more likely to result in fatality than those involving other age groups,” said Hurwitz, a transportation engineering researcher at OSU. “As a group, older pedestrians are more frail, walk more slowly and are at increased risk of falling while walking. And some of those people may also have an inhibited ability to make safe road crossing decisions due to vision or hearing impairments and cognitive decline.” After conducting a review of best practices from national and local sources, the researchers mapped those practices to the Oregon danger spots for pedestrians 65 and over and came up with the following recommendations: • Improve visibility and illumination. • Increase the use of leftturn traffic signals. • Shorten crossing distances. “Twenty percent of the crashes we looked at happened in the dark at places
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As a group, older pedestrians are more frail, walk more slowly and are at increased risk of falling while walking.
with limited street lighting,” Hurwitz said. “Eight percent occurred at dawn and 5% at dusk, times of day when ambient lighting is low. Better lighting at intersections and near crossing locations, rapid flashing beacons and other devices like ‘Pedestrian Crossing’ warning signs with flashing LEDs would likely help a lot.” So would, he added, converting “permissive” left turns for drivers at certain locations into “protected” ones. Executing a permissive left turn at an intersection means watching for a break in the oncoming traffic, which has the right of way. In a protected left turn, the
motorist is signaled by a green arrow that it’s safe to turn. “In a permissive left turn, drivers can become so focused on looking for a gap in the traffic that they don’t see pedestrians,” Hurwitz said. “Increasing the use of protected left turns in locations where a permitted turn may be difficult can improve the safety of older drivers as well as pedestrians because it reduces one of the more complex driving tasks.” Slow turn wedges He also notes that some cities including Portland and
New York have been using “slow turn wedges” and “hardened center lines” as a way to enhance pedestrian safety by forcing left-turning vehicles to slow down and take a proper route. A wedge, outlined by pylons in the intersection, makes drivers turn more sharply and thus not as fast. A hardened center line, constructed of bollards, accomplishes the same thing by preventing drivers from crossing the center line before they are supposed to. The moves are countermeasures against the increased danger pedestrians of any age face from left-turning vehicles, which nationwide account for roughly 25% of all incidents involving a vehicle striking someone on foot. Among pedestrians 65 and older, the proportion of serious-injury crashes happening when the person is in the roadway is greater than for pedestrians ages 25 to 64, which suggests shortening crossing distances increases their safety by reducing their exposure time. That can be done through pedestrian islands in the median, curb extensions, raised crosswalks and road diets – i.e., reducing the number of car travel lanes in an area. “From the perspective of universal design, a benefit
is that treatments aimed at making older pedestrians safer enhance the safety of all pedestrians,” Hurwitz said. “Our main objective was identifying low-cost treatments that could be widely implemented but looking at ways to address speeding may also help improve older pedestrian safety and should be a focus of future work.” Jason Anderson and Sirisha Kothuri of Portland State also took part in the research, which was funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Findings of the study led by Chris Monsere of Portland State were published in the Transportation Research Record. Steve Lundeberg is a researcher and writer for Oregon State University Relations and Marketing. He may be reached at steve. lundeberg@oregonstate.edu. Fast Fact In the United States in 2020 there were 709 pedestrian fatalities in the 65-74 age group – 20% of total roaduser deaths in that age bracket.
Hate crime reporting encouraged STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
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Investment fraud consists of false promises and elaborate success stories to entice people to invest their money in a phony scheme.
BBB warns of investment frauds STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Columbia County residents and those across the Pacific Northwest are being cautioned about increasing investment fraud attempts. During the first quarter of this year, consumers have reportedly lost over $672 million dollars to investment fraud, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that in 2021, consumers reported $1,679 million in losses. There is no denying that investment fraud is rampant, according to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation President Gerri Walsh. “Research shows that education and educational interventions can play a strong role in increasing consumers’ ability to recognize and avoid potential frauds,” Walsh said. “By knowing about the scams that are out there, how they operate, and the red flags of fraud, you can better identify and avoid fraudulent situations.” The Investment Fraud Formula Investment fraud consists of false promises and elaborate success stories to entice
people to invest their money in a phony scheme. Nowadays, it often begins with a message from a supposed friend via social media raving about their significant returns with only a minimal investment. After being persuaded to open the account, they often send fake screenshots or reports showing the investment producing great returns. The problems arise when the victim tries to withdraw funds and is asked to pay high, unexpected fees. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there – they continue to make financial demands using elaborate excuses such as account upgrades, taxes, dues, etc. This process continues until the victim realizes they are being scammed and the person on the other end actually hacked their friend’s social media account. Who is impacted the most?
Most surprising are the demographics associated with investment scams. People who are more financially literate, college-educated and self-reliant are at higher risk since they tend to be the prime target. While research shows older consumers lose more money, younger victims are more susceptible since they are targeted at a higher rate. Cryptocurrency topped the list of forms of payment required, and social media was the
top contact method – further confirming the demographic trends. According to Better Business Bureau Institute for Marketplace Trust and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, these five persuasion tactics are often associated with investment fraud. 1. Phantom Riches The idea of wealth entices the investor. It starts with a life-changing opportunity to invest and receive a substantial return with little to no risk. However, return and risk go together. The higher the risk, the higher probability of return. 2. Source Credibility
Many people portray themselves as subject experts, giving investors a false sense of security. Therefore, verifying a financial expert is imperative in avoiding fraudulent activity. Check with FINRA.org and BBB.org on financial providers. 3. Social Consensus When a group agrees that an opportunity is worth investing in, many people will follow the group without questioning the validity of the investment. A friend, family member or colleague might be honest, but it doesn’t mean
they have a deeper understanding of investing. 4. Reciprocity
A person feels obligated to invest because of receiving a gift or meal to hear about an opportunity. While many legitimate companies offer gifts or dinners to entice people to listen to a pitch, don’t feel obligated to invest. 5. Scarcity The feeling of missing an opportunity because of time or limited supply can make a person think emotionally and not rationally while making a hasty decision. If presented with a limited time or supply, be cautious. Scarcity is a tactic to make people react quickly before considering the pros and cons. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) says when investing wisely, you start with your goals, evaluate your comfort zone for risk, create an emergency fund, and pay off high-interest credit card debts. Research any investment opportunity and look at diverse options so you don’t have all your eggs in just one basket. There are very rarely quick or risk-free ways to make money. Investing takes time, research, and professional guidance, according to the BBB.
A key concern has emerged from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s third annual report reviewing the state’s recent bias crime and non-criminal bias incident reporting data, according to the Oregon Department of Justice. The report noted that calls to the Oregon Department of Justice Bias Response Hotline increased by 53% from 2020 to 2021. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the FBI Portland Field Office officials state in a release that they “commend individuals who have courageously come forward to report hate-related incidents and activity.” With these incidents continuing to increase in Oregon and throughout the United States, federal law enforcement leaders in Oregon encourage anyone with information about hate crimes to call Oregon’s Bias Response Hotline, their local law enforcement agency or the FBI directly. Federal and state justice department officials said they are committed to supporting victims of these crimes. “Violent acts motivated by hate have no place in our shared community. The FBI is working with our law enforcement and community partners to hold those accountable who are so callously targeting innocent people,” FBI Portland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kieran L. Ramsey said. “Even as we are seeing some increased reporting of hate crimes, we know the vast majority of these incidents
Courtesy photo from the Oregon Department of Justice
are still going underreported and we need your help. If you’re the victim of a hate crime or know someone being victimized, please contact law enforcement and the FBI.” The FBI defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.” Combatting hate crimes is a top priority of the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI, according to Ramsey. “These crimes have a devastating impact on families and communities,” Ramsey said. If you are concerned about your safety, please call 911 immediately. If you or someone you know was the victim of or witnessed a hate-related crime or incident, you are encouraged to contact Oregon’s Bias Crime Hotline by calling 1-844-924-BIAS. Traumainformed operators are available from 9am to 5pm Pacific time, Monday through Friday. These crimes and incidents can also be reported to the FBI directly by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi. gov.
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RENOVATION From Page A1 • Pumps and boilers system replacement • Locker room water heater replacement • Roof restoration • Media Center window replacement • Fire Alarm System replacement • 2nd Floor corridor flooring replacement • Restroom upgrades Phase I • Upper Commons renovation including hallway and flooring A new track surface is also being added at the high school athletic field. The major breakdown of the track surface was not included in the original bond plans and is being financed outside the original $10 million. The replacement has begun and will be complete by mid-summer. CES Projects • Secure entry upgrade • Roof replacement • Intercom/Switchboard upgrade • Cardiff Door replacement What is next •New blacktop at CES and CMHS –new blacktop has been postponed to summer 2023 in the hopes that oil prices will have dropped, and the cost will not be quite so exorbitant as today. •The complete division of the middle school and high school -Beginning in September 2022 all middle school classes will be on the second floor and all high school on the main floor other than science. In September 2023 that will permanently be reversed –all middle school classes will be on the main floor and high schoolers will have the second floor. • Lighting and sound upgrades to the auditorium • Bathroom Upgrades Phase 2 • Complete flooring upgrades • Completion of office and student services area Projects based on need
done during the school year will be done with the least amount of interruption as possible and will make the needs of the staff and students a priority,” she said. “Most of it will not impact the classrooms.” Engel said new security measures are being established at the schools, including secure entries at both the middle/high school and at the elementary school. “During the initial arrival of students and staff in the morning the doors will be open as they always have been, but once the school day begins the doors will be locked and visitors will need to come through the front entry and be buzzed in by staff,” she said, adding that currently the school doors can be locked from the inside. Funding for the school improvements is coming from a voter-approved $10 million bond and $4 million from the Oregon Department of Education. “We are constantly looking for more grants and avenues of paying for the current and planned upgrades,” Engel said. “Giving an ‘estimated cost’ is a luxury that no longer exists in the current building environment. As stated in the bond report, everything is running 30% higher than when this bond was passed. It remains to be seen how far we can stretch these dollars and the team is constantly prioritizing every penny spent.” Rainier School District renovations Significant building renovations are being conducted at the Rainier School District. The Chronicle talked with Rainier School District Superintendent Joseph Hattrick to gain insight into the why the projects are needed now and what the impact will be for students and staff at the schools. The Chronicle: What specific projects are being conducted this summer at Rainier schools? Joseph Hattrick: In June, we focused our efforts on reopening the Briarcliff pool and had a successful reopening. The facilities team is now working on remodeling two of our restroom areas in response to community concerns about equity. We are transforming our restrooms so students in the high school and the commons will have access to both gendered and non-gendered restrooms.
Clatskanie School Board member Kathy Engel said the projects underway this summer are based on immediate need. “Such as roofs and our HVAC systems, as well as the very high priority of security, and costs,” she said. “We have postponed paving due to the huge inflation in cost of asphalt in the hopes • The bathroom discusit will be lower next summer sion began last year through if oil prices go down.” the Facility assessment and Engel said McKinstry, plan. the school district’s contrac• The facility team did tor, is conducting the most 05-02-12 1x9D SootBusters:Layout 1 4/30/12 11:31 AM a site visit to look at what intrusive projects during the summer months. 05-02-12 1x9D 05-02-12 1x9D SootBusters:Layout SootBusters:Layout 1 1 4/30/12 4/30/12 11:31 11:31 AM AM “Work that must be
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single stall restrooms look like. • At a board meeting in May, there were public comments asking about how the district handles students using bathrooms who identify as a different gender than that which they were born. • At the June Board meeting I presented a facility plan and the board approved it which would ensure all students have access to their gendered bathroom and for those uncomfortable, there would be alternate bathrooms. • Hudson Park Elementary School will have one boys, one girls, and two single-stall bathrooms available for use. • Rainier Jr/Sr High School will have one boys, one girls, and three single stall bathrooms for use by staff and students. • The commons will have single stall restrooms for use and gendered bathrooms will remain available in locker rooms. We are also remodeling our wrestling room to ensure a safer learning and athletic space for our students. We are also re-installing three poles at our football stadium and replacing all lights with LED lights so that there is better lighting in the event of the need to have outdoor learning/meeting spaces. We are also implementing the rules of HB 3294 which requires feminine products and dispensers in all restrooms. We will be working with a group to reorganize and ensure the woodshop is ready for students when they return in September. Finally, we are reviewing bids to re-roof some of our buildings and working with an envelope general consultant to determine the cause of the elementary gym floor damage and once we receive their report, we will be remediating the water and repairing the floor. All of this is in addition to the normal deep clean throughout our buildings and upkeep of our beautiful campus. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the facilities team (which includes maintenance and custodial) for all of their hard work! The Chronicle: Why those specific projects? Hattrick: All of the projects we have identified were prioritized through a collaborative effort last year. Through our Facility Assessment which was conducted by Soderstrom Architects and worked with a Facility Committee to determine campus priorities. Additionally, through public forums, board meetings, and advisory council meetings, additional priorities were identified, and we are doing our best to determine those projects Page 1 that could be accomplished
this summer that will have a positive impact on students and safety in the fall. The Chronicle: What projects will be continuing during the upcoming school year, why those projects and how will students and staff work around those projects? Hattrick: All of the projects listed above are projected to be completed before students return. We have not yet identified the fall projects but any we choose to address will not interfere with students and learning. The Chronicle: What new security measures are being established at the schools and how will those measures alter how students, staff and visitors enter and exit the school buildings?
The Chronicle: Are the school doors throughout the buildings able to be locked from inside? If not, is that part of the new security system?
Courtesy photo from Sean Nealon / OSU
OSU graduate student Jenna Fryer processing grape samples before analyzing the grapes for smoke compounds.
Hattrick: Yes, they are able to be locked from the inside and will be to ensure access from the outside is limited. The Chronicle: What is the total estimated cost of all the summer projects planned at the schools, and how will that cost be funded? Hattrick: While the total costs are still unknown as we are awaiting bids, those projects that we have initiated will cost above $300,000 so it is reasonable to assume all projects will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 - $600,000. We are using a combination of grant funds as well as general funds. The Chronicle: What projects are planned for the district after this summer? Any new schools? Hattrick: We are in the planning phase to further review our facility assessment and plan. The goal of the facility committee would be to remodel buildings with the possibility of building a new elementary building and remove all portable structures. We are unsure of how we will proceed at this time.
Page Page 1 1
Caregiving advice by Nurse Navigator Katie Klem
What do you do when caregiving follows you to work? I will answer one question each week. The theme of their questions is “caregiving and what to do when caregiving follows you to work.” Caregiving is generally defined as providing unpaid assistance for the physical and emotional needs of another person. A study cited in the Academy of Management Journal focused on what today’s caregiving employees really need and it addressed the relationship between caregiving decisions, work-family conflict and work performance. This study showed that employees who are family caregivers suffer high levels of stress, anxiety, irritability, depression, physical illness, obesity, financial insecurity, isolation and poor self-esteem. In many cases, caregiving employees reported that their home life amounted
Courtesy photo from OSU
The Woodhall Vineyard by Oregon State University in Corvallis.
Hattrick: This summer we are also revising all safety plans at all of our schools to ensure all of our drills and procedures are done in a way to ensure all are aware of safety protocols. Additionally, we are installing cameras and a buzz-in system at each of the main entrances, so visitors will be required to have access granted rather than leaving external doors unlocked. This is an incredible improvement from the past.
Assisted Living At Home
In the last article, we discussed “how to talk to your aging loved ones in a way that they would listen and respond.” I have been co-hosting this free one hour weekly virtual seminar called Going Home, Staying Home. My cohosts are nurses and nurse practitioners, and we answer caregiving questions live on zoom. When family caregivers can’t attend, they can email their questions and then we will answer the questions and send the replay links. Last week, we had a very engaging session. We got nine questions from a CFO who happens to need care for his parents and who needs help for his employees who are family caregivers. Can you imagine the conversations that happens in their break room about caregiving? In the upcoming weeks,
Smoke taint in wine, grapes
to a “second shift of work.” Caregiving directly affects corporate earnings through its impact on the worker’s job performance, absenteeism, loss productivity, time lost from work, inability to stay on the job, higher healthcare cost due to stress, higher cost of recruitment, retention, training and supervisory challenges. In the next article, we will begin the 9-part discussion on what to do when your caregiving roles conflict with your work and career obligations. If you are business owner who is a caregiver, I am here to help. Call or email anytime. See you next week during Going Home, Staying Home.
Katie Klem is a certified elder care consultant and CCO of COMFORT Makers & Comforting Medical Supply. 139 N. 21st St., St. Helens, OR 97051 Phone: 503-369-2460 Email: Katie@comfort-makers.com
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Wine smoke research at OSU. SEAN NEALON Chronicle Guest Article
An Oregon State University-led research team has discovered a class of compounds that contribute to smoke taint in wine and grapes. “This is a critically important for winemakers who are increasingly dealing with the impact of wildfire smoke on their grapes,” said Elizabeth Tomasino, an associate professor of enology at Oregon State. “It provides them markers that are much more predictive of smoke taint in wine than we previously had.” The findings are not yet published, but Tomasino recently discussed them during a presentation at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture national conference in San Diego. Scientists at Washington State University who also worked on the research joined her in that discussion. For years, a class of compounds known as volatile phenols have been used as markers for smoke taint in wine and grapes. However, they weren’t considered good predictors of smoke taint issues, Tomasino said. For example, wines with high levels of these compounds often didn’t taste smoke tainted and wines with low levels did taste smoke tainted. This led Tomasino and her team to search for other compounds that were causing smoke taint in wine. Earlier this year, Tomasino and Jenna Fryer, a doctoral student in Tomasino’s lab, published a paper that outlined a new standard for tasting the smoky/ashy component of smoke taint. As part of that work, they discovered the new class of sulfur-containing compounds, thiophenols, that in subsequent analysis was found to cause smoke taint when in combination with volatile phenols. Tom Collins, an assistant professor at Washington State’s Wine Science Center, confirmed that these sulfur compounds were found in wines that had been exposed to smoke and not in samples that had no smoke exposure. Work done by Cole Cerrato, a postdoctoral scholar
Courtesy photo from OSU
working with Tomasino, confirmed the structure of the compounds using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, an instrument that allows the molecular structure of a material to be analyzed by observing and measuring the interaction of nuclear spins when placed in a powerful magnetic field. Ongoing sensory analysis in Tomasino’s lab has shown that wines are described as smoke tainted when these sulfur compounds are in combination with the volatile phenols. “This changes the game as these new compounds are a completely different class of compounds than we were previously studying,” Tomasino said. “Much of the smoke taint mitigation work to date has not been overly successful and now we know because we have been looking at the wrong thing. We should be much more successful over the next year or two in providing mitigation strategies for the industry that are actually effective.” Wildfires are a significant threat to these industries because persistent exposure to smoke compromises the quality and value of wine grapes and adversely affects wines. That threat is particularly pronounced on the West Coast of the United States, where California, Oregon and Washington are three of the nation’s top four wineproducing states. The research will continue due to a $7.65 million grant Oregon State researchers and a team of West Coast university collaborators received last year to study the impact of smoke exposure on grapes. Oregon State researchers are working with scientists at Washington State and the University of California, Davis, on the four-year project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The work aims to provide tools for the grape and wine industries to quickly make decisions about whether to harvest grapes or make wine following a smoke event. Sean Nealon is a news editor at Oregon State University’s University Relations and Marketing Department. He may be reached at sean. nealon@oregonstate.edu
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Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Innocenti retires as senior center director JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
“This has been a wonderful time, even with the pandemic, it has been very interesting, and I have learned so much and got to know a lot of great people,” Kathy Innocenti said as she retired as the St. Helens Senior Center Executive Director. Innocenti said she isn’t going far away. “I am sad to step down as the director,” she said. “It’s just time but I will still be at our thrift store because that has been a long-time project we have built it up to a really good business.” Innocenti took over as the center’s executive director three years ago following the retirement of the thenmanager Cheryl Young. As she leaves her post, Innocenti reflects on what she and the center have accomplished over the past three years. “The best thing is that we acquired the walk-in freezer and cooler,” she said. “That’s been a long-term wish that we were finally able to accomplish. It made a big difference for the kitchen and how they can organize the food. When they had the in-
Jeremy C. Rurak / The Chronicle
Kathy Innocenti has retired as the executive director of the St. Helens Senior Center.
dividual commercial freezers that made it really difficult to organize, especially when they were not working very well.” The center serves approximately 160 meals a day through its home delivery program with about 30 to 40 people served at the center each week. “We still have light attendance (since the pandemic) but hopefully people
will start coming back,” she said. The outreach is very important because sometimes that is the only meal people get every day. We are really determined. We cooked during the whole pandemic. We really had a lot of people in need at that time. That was a huge accomplishment. Getting through the pandemic. That was a lot of work trying to maintain the center with staff and volunteers.”
Innocenti said she is also proud of the many activities the center had started and maintained during her time as director. “Before the pandemic started we were able to offer a lot of activities, bring a lot of people in, and have some great fundraisers,” she said. “That involved the community as well.” The activities included a partnership with a local
church providing seniors with opportunities to take a variety of bus trips, including an excursion to see local Christmas lights. “Those kinds of activities were really fun for the seniors,” she said. “Our best event was our 1940 fundraiser with big band music. It included dinner and dancing. We sold out on that. We just loved it.” Such activities, including the meal deliveries, are important opportunities for seniors to socialize, according to Innocenti. “It is engaging the seniors with the community and also it gives them a daily contact Monday through Friday with someone who can check on them as well as bring them a meal,” she said. “They have someone who can see that they are okay and if they are not, they can call the community action team to have that team go out and check on them. That’s really important.” Justin Watson was scheduled to become the new St. Helens Senior Center Director Aug. 1. “He has a lot of background with city government and he is very interested in inter-generational housing and he is very interested in
helping seniors,” Innocenti said. Beyond his administrative background, “the other good thing is he can cook,” she said of Watson. “He actually cooked for a week when our staff was out sick, so he was in the kitchen and that’s a skill that I don’t have. He cooked for a lot of people.” Innocenti’s recommendation for Watson is to be engaging with the seniors and to make sure the center attendance is increasing. “Make sure the community knows about the center, make sure the seniors are doing okay and that they are having a good time,” she advised. “Be very engaging.” Innocenti said she plans to spend a few days a week volunteering at the center’s thrift shop, Top Notch on Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens. The shop is a primary financial supporter for the senior center. “I also want to work in my yard, do a little traveling with my husband, and take some time with family,” she said. The St. Helens Senior Center is located at 375 S 15th Street in St. Helens and can be reached at 503-3973377.
Island to hold castle building competition
Courtesy photo
A sandcastle building competition is set for Aug. 5-7 at Sand Island. STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
The public is invited to build castles in the sand and take part in a pirate encampment this weekend. The events will take place on Sand Island Campground and Marine Park at St. Helens. Over 25 professional competitors from across the country are scheduled to participate for top honors on a beach that saves hours of drive time to the coast,
according to the City of St. Helens events contractor Tina Curry. “It’s a great year for this to happen so close to major markets when people are considering how much it costs to fill up the tank for a coastal beach experience,” Curry said. Guests can choose to camp for the weekend or come for a day. After arriving the day will start with a boat ride to Sand Island. Other activities include free sand carving lessons at the Sand Carvers Training Center,
scavenger hunts, music, and sand bucket fun. People who choose to purchase a day pass will be able to park for free and take a boat ride to and from the island. A pirate encampment with the crew from Outrageous Fortune and other pirate groups is also scheduled. Pirate themed activities such as cannon firing, live music, treasure hunting, a tavern, and more scallywag fun are planned. Food will also be available for pickup at the shuttle dock and limited food will
be available on the island. To book a campsite ticket, or a day pass, or for more information about the sandcastle competition and pirate encampment, visit https:// discovercolumbiacounty. com/events/sand-islandsand-castle-competitionaugust-5-7-2022. People camping for the weekend will be able to choose their campsite spot, first come first serve. Visit https://sandislandcampground.com/ for more information about Sand Island and the camping opportunities.
Courtesy photo
A pirate encampment is scheduled to be part of the sandcastle building event on Sand Island.
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