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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2022
VOL. 131, NO. 19 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Oregon seeks fed emergency declaration JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is asking President Biden to approve a federal emergency declaration for the State of Oregon due to extreme risk of significant wildfires. On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Brown released the following statement about her request. “Last week, as Oregon faced forecasted high winds, sustained hot and dry conditions, and the potential for lightning — and with 168,000 acres burning across the state at the time — Oregonians braced for increased and worsening fires. State firefighting teams and agencies, along with local partners and resources brought in from California and Washington through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, mobilized to prepare for a swift response and to protect lives, communities, and our natural resources. “Thanks to science and data, we know enough in the days ahead of anticipated weather and fire patterns — just like states that prepare for hurricanes — that it is imperative to communicate with the public, pre-position resources for our fire response, and employ preventive measures, such as public safety power shut-offs. All of these efforts reflect a modernized approach to meeting the needs of fighting the fires of this century; they are proactive measures that we can take to protect communities and save lives. “The request I made for a federal disaster declaration is critical to helping bolster our state’s response, and it presents an opportunity for Oregon to partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to
Metro Creative Connection
Large utilities used Public Safety Power Shutoffs during the last extreme wildfire event.
bridge the gaps we know exist as we work hard to protect our communities. We still have several weeks of peak fire season ahead of us, five large active fires, and 274,000 acres burning statewide. If granted, Oregon would be the first state ever to receive such a declaration for wildfire response — but unfortunately, certainly not the last to need this important assistance. “I am incredibly grateful for the strong partnership we have with the Biden-Harris administration and with FEMA, with whom we have worked over the past several years on various emergencies. I urge their earnest consideration of my request so that, together, we can protect Oregonians
and our communities, and serve as a model of federal support for states facing the ongoing threat of wildfires.”
in Portland recorded approximately 0.3 of an inch of rain Sept. 12 and more rain is likely by the coming weekend.
What’s ahead
Fire danger persists
National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorologist John Bumgardner in Portland said the region is now moving toward more seasonal weather. “It looks a lot like normal weather for this time of the year and the rain helped knocked down some of the smoke and haze from the wildfires,” Bumgardner said. “The high temperatures will be in the mid 70s, which is a few degrees below normal.” Bumgardner said the NWS office
Oregon’s wildfire season often extends into late fall, and fire district officials caution that several days of prolonged rain is necessary to ease the current threat of fire. “We still need to be vigilant with our use of fire and preventing nuisance fires on the landscape,” Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District Chief Pricher said. “In some fire years, fire season can extend into October. In other words, caution is
still needed with campfires.” “The fire danger is going from Extreme back down to High (Red to Yellow), however, this is nowhere enough rain to declare fire season over,” he said. “While the 1-hour fuels (grass and pine needles) were significantly affected, the 10-hour fuels (.25 inch up to 1 inch in diameter) and 100-hour fuels were not touched. What this means is that the water will evaporate very quickly after the sun comes up.” Pricher said Columbia and Multnomah counties outdoor burn ban remains in effect. Last weekend’s ban on campfires, charcoal barbecue and portable propane / patio fireplaces is no longer in effect. Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) Public Information Representative Jennifer Motherway recommends that the public pay attention to local fire department websites and social media pages to follow potential weather and hazardous threats. “We aren’t in the clear yet from the fire danger and our agencies are generally really great at getting any communications about hazards posted via social media to our communities, she said.” Motherway encourages residents to sign up for the CAN system, an electronic notification system. “That is the best advice we can provide the community,” she said. “The more people sign up the better chance we have at getting a larger communication out to our community.” Pricher also urges local community members to be aware of the Ready (Level 1 evacuation), Set (Level 2
See WILDFIRE Page A3
Local man honored for public service to Clatskanie
Ernie Carman HERB SWETT chronicle1@countrymedia.net
“Surprise! This is in honor of you.” So said members of the Clatskanie Library Board as Ernie Carman, president of the Friends
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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
Herbert Swett / The Chief
of the Clatskanie Public Library, entered the library conference room Sept. 7 after the library was closed for the day. Carman called it “a show of appreciation for my lifelong support of the library by restarting and faithfully keeping active the Friends of the Clatskanie Public Library, Inc.” A member of the Friends for 28 years, Carman has been involved in many local activities. Despite having undergone several recent surgeries, he still drives his own car regularly and has shown few if any signs of slowing down. “He’s just got a smile for everybody,” board colleague Pamela Jamison said. Carman said the reason for the timing of the honor was that he has cancer. Carman’s other accomplishments in Clatskanie include having the library parking lot paved, helping install the library sprinkler system, and supporting children’s reading progress every year. He has been active in the local Kiwanis Club and the Turning Point Food Bank and in establishing a memorial to Raymond Carver, a Pulitzer Prize-winning short-story writer. He has been a volunteer for the Columbia County Sheriffs Association, specializing in publicity. He also has been a writer and an artist. Community members have praised Carman for contributing so much of his time to the community.
“Actually, my life has been blessed by giving back to so many,” he said. “I was a founding member of the Clatskanie Arts Commission, a charter member of the Columbia County Cultural Coalition, have served as a long-term president of the Clatskanie Senior Center, Inc., and volunteered as a member of Kiwanis. The library community serves all ages and is a wonderful opportunity to enrich the lives of so many.” Elizabeth Kruse, who retired as Clatskanie library director two years ago, said before she took that position, the librarian approached Carman about restarting the Friends of the Library. The city was having trouble funding its library, she said, so the Friends started a levy “so that we could become our own special district.” The Friends have an annual book sale, the biggest sale in town, usually making about $1,500. One year, the sale brought in $3,000. Carman was born in Central City, Nebraska, and his family moved to Clatskanie when he was 3 years old. Naturally left-handed, he was forced in school to learn to write and draw with his right hand, he said. “I can still draw with both hands,” he added. He dropped out of Warner Pacific College (now University) during the Vietnam War to join the Air Force and was stationed in Costa Rica and Panama before being sent to Vietnam. While in Central America, he said, he was the lead person in a weather service project. Arriving in Vietnam by parachute, Carman and a few fellow airmen got caught in a tree. “We got out,” he said, “except for one buddy of mine who was shot to death through the head,” he said. After the war, Carman worked in the Wauna Mill for 30 years. Carman, whose wife, Nilce Maria Carman, is no longer living, has four daughters and 14 grandchildren. He said he did not like 13 as a number of grandchildren, so one of his daughters gave him a 14th. Carman plans to continue as president of the Friends of the Clatskanie Public Library “as long as they need me.” Asked what he plans to do next, he said, “It is my desire to continue serving my community as their needs appear and as long as I’m able.”
Courtesy photo
Nicole Takalo
Local teacher, principal earn prestigious honor STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net
Clatskanie Elementary School special education teacher Nicole Takalo and principal Kara Burghardt have together received a $2,000 grant as part of the Voya Unsung Heroes 2022 Unsung Heroes awards competition. Takalo and Burghardt are the only winners in the entire state of Oregon. “Educators like Nicole and Kara greatly influence and shape our nation’s future leaders,” Voya Foundation chief diversity and corporate responsibility officer and president, Voya Foundation Angela Harrell said. “Their creative teaching methods and innovative thinking inspire and motivate students to reach new heights. For 26 years, through Voya Unsung Heroes and other educationoriented programs, we have supported educators who go above and beyond to enrich the lives of their students.” Takalo’s and Burghardt’s innovative teaching idea, “Sensory Spaces for All,” will create sensory spaces
for students to increase engagement in learning activities and attendance in the general education setting. Teachers will us the Voya Unsung Heroes grant to design grade-appropriate spaces that will contain smaller items like building bricks, putty and sand, as well as larger items like swings, climbing apparatuses, or large body movement equipment. The goal is for students to be taught how to identify the need for a sensory break, either by selfrecognition or by explicit teaching. Students will learn how to make choices to help bring their bodies back to a learning ready state, which will ultimately help them achieve academic expectations, according to Harrell. Selected from a group of applicants from schools across the United States, Takalo and Burghardt are among only 50 winners in the nation to receive the $2,000 award to help fund and bring their program to life. In addition, they will now compete
See GRANT Page A3