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FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2023
VOL. 132, NO. 14 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Kidz Cave coming to Clatskanie WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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or parents who are looking for after-school child care, a place for kids will be opening in downtown Clatskanie this fall. Taylor Kingery is launching Kidz Cave, LLC on Sept. 5 in the Masonic Lodge building at 82 SE 2nd Street. Kingery is a teacher at the Headstart Program preschool in town, and after discussing the need with parents, she decided to create it herself. “They were either wanting a licensed daycare or somewhere for their kids to go and so I started looking into it,” Kingery said. “It’s taken me about almost a year and a half, two years, to get this together, but I now have an after-school program for kids ages 5-12 here in town in Clatskanie.” Kingery said that Clatskanie is a small town and community, and she wanted to offer something that the community doesn’t really have right now. New option “I know this is a small town, and we don’t have a lot here, so I wanted to be able to try to get something up and running for the kids to have a safe space to come and do homework, and eat snack, and hang out with friends and have a safe place to go instead of going home,” Kingery said. The space will be available from when school gets out at 2:40 p.m. to 6 p.m., though parents are welcome to pick up their kids whenever is convenient for them when they get off work. School gets out early on Wednesdays, and on those days, the Kidz Cave will open at 1:40 p.m.
Kingery standing in the soon-to-be-opened Kidz Cave.
Rates for enrollment vary on how much people need the space. There are different monthly rates for fiveday-a-week care, three-day-a-week care, and three-day-a-week care that includes Wednesdays. Rates also vary depending on how long the kids will be there, so if people are going to pick up their children later, they will have to pay a bit more. Rates also vary depending on the month. In the months of September, October, January, February, and April, the rates for people seeking child care from 2:40 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. vary from $145 to $225 per month, depending on whether they need care three days a week or five days a week. In November, December, and March, the rates are between $90 and $165. There is also care available during June. Kingery based her rates on the Oregon State standards for child care. Kingery said she has already had ten people sign up, but five slots are still available to reach her 15-person maximum. Kingery said that she has subsi-
Courtesy photo from Taylor Kingery
dies available through the Employment Related Day Care program (ERDC), which helps families who are working, in school, or receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) pay for child care. She was also certified for childcare assistance through the State of Oregon. A community for the kids The need for child care became apparent during the pandemic, and Kingery said the Kidz Cave is a way
for parents to not worry about child care and get back out into the community or back to work. Kingery has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and is studying for a Master’s in School Social Work. While she is from California, she has lived in Clatskanie for four years. Her grandparents lived in Clatskanie, and her mom and uncle graduated from Clatskanie High School. “I do hope to expand. Either become a licensed facility or have other options in the summer time for summer care,” Kingery said. Kingery has a variety of arts and crafts, games, puzzles, and other things donated by local people and businesses. She also hopes to take walks with the kids to parks or the library. Kingery also said outdoor play will be available at the church across the street. “Just kind of make it like a community-based program,” Kingery said. “I just started reaching out and people started donating.” The pandemic had a toll on kids and their socialization, and Kingery said that was a piece of her motivation for starting the Kidz Cave. “I wanted somewhere for the kids to go to just be able to have fun,” Kingery said. “I’m doing structured activities, but they’re all open, and they involve all the children. I want the kids to be able to socialize more and get to know other people that maybe they don’t hang out with at school.” Before they open their doors, Kingery is finalizing her insurance for the space and is just trying to get the word out in the community. To sign up visit: https://forms. gle/eHTFbsf3PLg7zweD9.
New laws to address Oregon’s behavioral health crisis STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.
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regon Gov. Tina Kotek has signed six bills passed during the 2023 legislative session to address the behavioral health crisis in Oregon. “As your Governor, I’m fighting for a behavioral health system that supports healing and recovery no matter where you live,” Kotek said. “And to the friends and family who have watched a loved one struggle with an untreated mental health issue or addiction, I recognize your suffering and am moved by your hope. Know that I am focused on improving outcomes across our state. “That’s why today is so important. The bills I am signing mark progress towards building a behavioral health continuum of care that incorporates harm reduction, suicide
prevention, stronger tools against substance abuse among youth and adults, and improvements to the implementation of Measure 110.” Below is the list of bills Governor Kotek signed: SB 238: Requires the Oregon Health Authority, State Board of Education, and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to collaborate on developing curricula for school districts related to dangers of synthetic opioids. SB 1043: Requires hospitals, sobering facilities, and detox facilities to provide two doses of opioid overdose reversal medication and necessary medical supplies to administer medication to specified patients upon discharge or release. HB 2395: Expands access to emergency short-acting opioid
Courtesy photo
Gov. Kotek signs the legislation during a ceremony in her state capital building office.
overdose reversal medications, like Narcan and naloxone, including by allowing law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services providers, educators, school administrators and others to store and administer this
life saving medication in the event of an overdose. HB 2513: Strengthens Measure 110 by increasing staffing and improving application processes to speed up approval and get funds out the door, central-
izing the support hotline to get people connected to services more efficiently, and improving program data collection and accuracy. HB 2757: Establishes the 9-8-8 Trust Fund for improving the statewide coordinated crisis system, including maintaining and improving 9-8-8 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis hotline. HB 3610: Establishes the Task Force on Alcohol Pricing and Addiction Services to study and report on: alcohol addiction and prevention; distribution of resources for alcohol addiction treatment; overall funding for alcohol addiction treatment programs; cost of alcohol addiction to the state; and additional funding options for alcohol addiction treatment. Kotek signed the bills during a ceremony at the state capital building Aug. 8.
9th Annual Garlic Festival growing strong WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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he Garlic Festival, Clatskanie Farmers Market’s most popular event, is around the corner, and organizers hope people from around
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Columbia County and beyond will flock to the event. Garlic growers from around Oregon and Washington will bring their harvest to market in the 9th Annual Garlic Festival at Copes Park Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Steve Routon and his wife Darro Breshears-Routon are selfproclaimed “garlic geeks,” and Breshears-Routon was one of the founders of the Clatskanie Farmers Market. The inspiration for the event has its roots based on the idea of garlic being a vessel to bring communities together in its production. Routon and Breshears-Routon are from New Mexico, and an author, Stanley Crawford, in the area wrote a book on the subject. While starting a festival wasn’t the first priority on their list when they moved to Oregon, they were always fascinated with the idea of garlic as a focal point for a community. In 2016, Routon had been growing garlic for a couple of years and decided he really enjoyed growing garlic and thought that he could maybe create a community event around it. “I took some garlic, I set up a table in the middle of the small market, and advertised it as a ‘Garlic Festival.’ I had probably no more than 150 cloves at my table, and Darro had probably another 150 at our table,” Routon said. “I roasted all the garlic that I had, and I spread
Courtesy photo from Darro Breshears-Routon
Steve and Darro selling garlic during a previous Garlic Festival.
it on the artisan bread that I make, and I gave it away as tasters. We drew the biggest crowd of the year, the biggest crowd of our early life as a market, in fact.” Growing operation After the success of the smallscale Garlic Festival, the brains behind the Clatskanie Farmers Market put their heads together and decided that they wanted to pursue it further. The Garlic Festival has grown year after year, and Routon said that it “truly is the largest event of the
season.” Not only is the event popular with customers, but the Garlic Festival draws garlic farmers from around Oregon and Washington to participate. While the event started with just Routon and Breshears-Routon, there are now as many as four or five garlic producers at the event, and Routon said there will be four or five tables “full of garlic.” In 2022, there were at least 6,000 bulbs for sale. The event features all 11 major horticultural varieties and dozens of unique strains. The garlic won’t be the only draw to the festival.
“The bottom line is it’s got wonderful music, fabulous garlic, wonderful artisans and their craft goods, it has good food,” Routon said. “Another note on the music, we are truly pulling in regional talent at this point. These are really good ensembles who play pretty spectacular music.” While garlic is the focus of the event, all the usual produce and products that are available at the Clatskanie Farmers Market will be there too.
See FESTIVAL Page A3