The Chronicle
SHC-0808-A01, 02:Layout 1
8/7/12
3:48 PM
Page 1
New coaches announced for St. Helens soccer programs, Page A12
Wednesday August 8, 2012
Local manufacturing plant announces change in management, Page A4
Cloudy PAGE A15
TODAY’S WEATHER Highs to 73 Lows to 51
75¢ Vol. 130, No. 31 16 Pages
Police funding in voters’ hands BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
A Hereford cow grazes on plenty of tall grass and free flowing water in a pasture provided for by Columbia County, Oregon Humane Society and numerous volunteers. The animals have already begun to gain weight and show improved coat condition.
ST. HELENS — As the St. Helens Police Department continues to look for ways to cut costs and save pennies, the city council has decided to leave it up to voters to come up with needed monies to fund four new officers for the next five years. “Approving the levy will allow St. Helens to fund four police officer positions, one police evidence technician, one police records specialist and purchase related equipment and training,” said Kathy Payne, city recorder and elections official for St. Helens. The ballot measure will call for a new tax of $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value to be added to a
Fate of seized cattle remains unknown ST. HELENS — For the more than 160 cattle seized from local farmer William Holdner, life definitely seems to have a taken a turn for the better. In the less than two weeks the cattle have been under the care of Columbia County, Oregon Humane Society and volunteers, many of the cows, steers and calves taken from Holdner’s properties in Scappoose and Warren have already begun putting on weight. But despite having gained 50 pounds or more in the last two weeks, many of those same cattle remain visibly emaciated with ribs, hip and pelvic bones visible under the skin. On July 26, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Oregon Humane Society and local volunteers, executed a search warrant on three properties owned by Holdner under suspicion of animal neglect. In the end, 164 cattle, which were often kept without access to either food or water, were deemed to be in immediate need of assistance were removed from the properties. The fate of Columbia County’s only cattle herd has See CATTLE, Page A2
INSIDE Classified Ads. . . . . . . . A9 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A9-11 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Out & About . . . . . . . . . A7 Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . A13-16 TV Guide . . . . . . . . . . . A8 Weather. . . . . . . . . . . . A15
homeowner’s tax bill. For a $100,000 home, this would equal an increase of $100 per year or $8.33 per month. For a home with an assessed property value of $200,000, this would equal an increase to the annual property tax of $200 per year or $16.67 per month. According to a staffing study completed by the St. Helens Police Department and John M. Lehr with the Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute at Portland State University, local police have been operating with far fewer officers than needed. “St. Helens Police Department, like virtually every police department in Oregon and perhaps the rest of the nation, has felt the effects of the economic collapse,” said Lehr in his analysis. “Budget limitations, staff cuts, hiring freezes and other
consequences of the economic crisis necessitate significant efforts to put resources in the right place.” In the analysis, Lehr found the St. Helens Police Department needed to increase its staffing levels for patrol to 18-27 officers and assigned a high priority to completing that step. Currently, St. Helens has 16 patrol officers, one of whom is on maternity leave and an-
other is out with a broken ankle, leaving just 14 officers available for duty. “In the last three budget cycles, we’ve lost a police officer, we’ve lost a code enforcement officer and See POLICE, Page A2
Staying cool File photo
A five-mile stretch of Highway 30 designated as a safety corridor has had mixed results since its inception in late 2010.
Driving safety focus of education campaign BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
Eithan Fraze (left) and Grant Plunkett take a break from the recent high temperatures by taking the plunge in McCormick Park’s Milton Creek. High temperatures are expected to remain in the upper 70s to mid-80s for the rest of the week along with plenty of sunshine.
Police looking into death of area teenager SCAPPOOSE — Shortly after midnight on July 29, Scappoose Police officers responded to a call of a 15-year-old female who was unconscious and not breathing. Officers arrived at the Scappoose home and began to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the teen until paramedics from the Scappoose Rural Fire District arrived and were able to continue resuscitation efforts. Paramedics transported the female patient to Emanuel Hospital in Portland. Sadly, the young woman never regained consciousness and was pronounced deceased. Scappoose Police is currently investigating the circumstances of the death. The Oregon State Medical Examiners Office will be conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The name of the victim has not yet been released.
A five-mile stretch of Highway 30 between St. Helens and Scappoose was designated as a safety corridor in late 2010. The hope was that by rising driver awareness, speeds and fatal accidents on the roadway would be reduced. The success of the program has been difficult to quantify. “I don’t know if statistically they can show it’s made any impact, but according to state troopers, they feel like there has been a reduction,” said Columbia County Commissioner Earl Fisher. “But the people who live out there do not think there has been.” Fisher also said he
drives along Highway 30 nearly every day and doesn’t see many people speeding excessively. Driver education isn’t the only tool members of the safety commission and the U.S. 30 Safety Corridor Group are using to improve driver safety. A roadside safety audit of Highway 30 between Berg and Millard roads was completed by ODOT. Additional audits of the highway between Tide Creek Road near Goble and Neer City Road and in Clatskanie between Carlson and Lindberg roads will also be completed. “The difficulty is that there are so many people on the road,” said Fisher. “That really creates an See SAFETY, Page A2
Pop a cork at Avenue 30 BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
SCAPPOOSE — To the friends, family and business acquaintances of Suzie Dahl, it is likely no surprise this business-savy Scappoose resident has opened her own retail store. The surprise is that she had time to. Dahl recently opened Avenue 30, an upscale retail shop featuring home goods, gifts and wines at 33480 S.W. Chinook Plaza, between Dairy Queen and Ace Hardware. In addition to being a store owner, Dahl is also an interior designer, does home inspections and creates unique wood furniture pieces. And she’s not looking to give any of those tasks up. Avenue 30 is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. By opening at 11 a.m., Dahl still has time to do her home inspections in the morning before heading to the shop. What prompted Dahl to open her own shop, along with all of the other tasks she takes on? Dahl said the time was just right. “You get tired of shopping at Fred Meyer or Wal-
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
Suzie Dahl prepares a package in her new store, Avenue 30. Avenue 30 offers wines, gifts and more to discriminating shoppers
mart, or driving for two hours to drive back and forth to Portland,” she said. Dahl realizes having higher end items may mean the store won’t be to everyone’s taste. “I don’t get a lot of teenagers in here,” Dahl said, but she’s okay with that. Instead, she hopes shoppers will realize Avenue 30 is just the right place to find
unique gift items for a birthday, baby shower, wedding or other occasion. “I do have a lot of vintage in here,” she said. “Every piece I display is for sale and they’re vintage pieces. I think that’s the best way to display things.” Avenue 30 is more than just shopping though. It’s also a great place to find a new favorite wine.
Dahl said she has tastings daily and also hosts regular larger-scale tastings on a somewhat monthly basis. “I do samplings throughout the day. I usually do two to three bottles a day, and that’s free,” she said. For more expensive wines, Dahl will host paid tastings to recover the costs See AVENUE 30, Page A2