2023
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023
VOL. 131, NO. 42 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
New cookie shop opening in Clatskanie LAUREY WHITE Chief Guest Article
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latskanie will soon be welcoming a new bakery, Cryptid Cookies. The shop is owned and operated by Jason and Joyce Palm, high-school sweethearts who have four daughters. The store is located in the small business plaza off Bel Air Drive at 225 East Columbia River Highway. The name cryptid refers to those animals who may exist but are not recognized by scientists. Examples of cryptids include Bigfoot, Yeti and the Loch Ness monster. Joyce began baking in earnest in 2019, when the word spread that she was great at baking. She has always been a baker, but now she specializes in her mouthwatering cookies. Higher costs have caused some difficulties for the startup, according to Joyce. “Rising inflation has made things tricky,” she said. “For example, eggs and powdered sugar have doubled.” The couple is also concerned with supply chain issues, but no major hurdles so far in that area, they said. Both Joyce and Jason think
Courtesy photos from Cryptid Cookies Facebook
These are examples of the Cryptid Cookies.
that word of mouth will be the biggest factor in helping the business grow. “And we are optimistic the store will bridge that gap between retail and wholesale, which will also be available,” Joyce said. Shipping will also be available, and Joyce intends to quickly honor all orders. Wholesale cookies, such as those that feature a
company’s logo, promise to be a hit. Joyce’s cooking rack has five shelves which on a busy day will be full. Joyce has been baking the cookies in a regular oven at her home, but now she now has a certified bakery oven, which she said will be very advantageous. “We will go from seven quarts to 30 quarts of batter,” she said. “I
will be able to easily make eight times as many cookies at a time.” Joyce uses a printer regularly when baking cookies. She can do cookies with a company logo, any cryptid figure, Christmas items; just about anything that can be printed. The printer she uses is an Eddie, or an edible ink printer. The Eddie can print one cookie in 19 seconds or 12 in two minutes,
according to their website. It prints logos, photos and images directly on the cookie. The Eddie prints full color photographs and text directly onto the surface of the cookie. Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkleman said he’s always See COOKIES Page A6
Oregon taxpayers to see $3.9B kicker JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
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regon’s key economic indicator, the quarterly revenue forecast for March, shows significant revenue growth. The forecast, released Wednesday, Feb. 22, by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, states that the unexpected revenue growth in the current biennium has left Oregon with unprecedented balances, followed by a record kicker in 2023-25. • The projected personal kicker is $3.9 billion, which will be credited to taxpayers when they file their returns in 2024. • The projected corporate kicker is $1.5 billion, which will be retained in the General Fund for K-12 educational spending. “Once the 2023-25 biennium is behind us, Oregon’s major revenue sources are expected to bounce back quickly,” the Forecast Summary reads. “However, growth over the extended horizon will continue to be
constrained by demographics, with the baby-boom population cohort earning and spending less.” Executive Summary March 2023
potential recession makes forecasting one so far in advance challenging, if not impossible. As Oregon heads into the upcoming 2023-25 biennium, the inflationary economic boom continues. Personal and corporate tax collections continue to outstrip expectations. When combined with an improved economic outlook, policymakers are expected to have additional General Fund revenues during the current legislative session as they craft the 2023-25 budget. Although the recent news has been good, there remains a significant amount of uncertainty as the biennium winds down. The 2023 tax filing season has yet to truly begin. Much more will be known when the May 2023 forecast is produced, which will determine the Close of Session forecast and be used to set the thresholds for the balanced budget and any potential kicker calculations. Along with uncertainty surrounding the tax season, there is also the
Either the economic storm clouds have parted, or we are in the eye of the hurricane. Any near-term recession fears are fading with each month of somewhat lower inflation and the continued economic boom. However, the Federal Reserve must still navigate the choppy waters of a tight labor market, fast wage growth, easing financial conditions, and strong household finances and consumer spending. All of these are likely to keep the underlying trend in inflation above the Fed’s target for the foreseeable future. Last quarter our office made a late 2023 mild recession the most likely outcome for the Oregon economy, primarily due to the fact there had been zero slowdown in inflation at that time. Today, there have been a few months of somewhat lower inflation. Even as the underlying trend in inflation remains twice as fast as
Courtesy photo
The projected personal kicker is $3.9 billion, which will be credited to taxpayers when they file their returns in 2024. The projected corporate kicker is $1.5 billion, which will be retained in the General Fund for K-12 educational spending.
the Federal Reserve’s target, this is a noticeable slowing from much of last year. The Fed is also starting to ease off the brakes and wait for the impact of past interest rate increases to cool the economy in the months ahead. Read the full forecast with this story at thechiefnews.com. What this means for the forecast is that the potential recession dynamics, while still very real, are likely pushed further out. The current baseline
forecast no longer calls for a recession this year, but for the economic soft landing and continued expansion. While every month of slower inflation increases the probability of a true soft landing, it is likely that the Fed has more work to do. Additional interest rate increases and holding them higher for longer are likely need to cool demand and inflation. However, the clear near-term strength in the economy in terms of jobs, income and spending, along with the uncertainty of the exact timing of any
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Right to fish, hunt, harvest and gather resolution STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.
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n amendment to the Oregon Constitution to protect the right of the people to fish, hunt, har-
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Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
vest and gather has been introduced at the Oregon Legislature by Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Sen. David Brock Smith (District 1- Port Orford). If passed by the legislature, HJR 5 would be referred to voters to consider on the 2024 November ballot. If voters approve the proposal, it would make Oregon the 24th state to have a Right to Hunt and Fish constitutional amendment. “Oregonians, who have long prioritized a strong connection with their food sources, should have the ability to vote this type of protection into the state constitution” Sen. Brock Smith said. “The ability of Oregonians to supplement their diets with wild and foraged foods is an integral part of our self-reliant heritage.” “The Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) represents the interests of Oregon’s 940,000 sportsmen and women from all parts of the state,” Oregon Hunters Association Policy Director Amy Patrick said. “Our members regularly utilize fishing, hunting, harvesting, and gathering to supplement their food sources and provide natural, healthy foods for their families.” If passed, the Right to Fish, Hunt, Harvest and Gather would only protect against an outright ban on these methods of food procurement, and does not circumvent wildlife management, private and public property rights, or the conservation goals of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
To follow this proposed legislation and other bills at the Oregon Legislature, visit https://www.oregonlegislature.gov.
“There is a currently an initiative petition that has been filed for the 2024 ballot that would ban Oregonians’ ability to procure healthy and local food through fishing and hunting,” Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Pacific States Manager Keely Hopkins said. “HJR 5 is an important counterpoint to those efforts by providing voters the opportunity to protect Oregonians’ ability to harvest and gather organic, sustainable foods for ourselves and
our families, while also contributing to conservation efforts through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.” The Oregon Hunters Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Oregon Anglers Alliance, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Delta Waterfowl, Advocates for Sustainable Animal Populations, Oregon State Shooting Association, Oregon Associations of Ranges,
Courtesy photo
Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation, Fur Takers of America, HOWL for Wildlife, National Wild Turkey Federation, Safari Club International, Oregon Trappers Association, and the Oregon Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, amongst others, have all unified in support of the resolution, according to Sen. Brock Smith said The Oregon House Committee on Rules held a public hearing on House Joint Resolution 5 Feb. 2.