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FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings ofﬁcer resigns over Janell Howard BY ROGER GITLIN The Pilot

“We should be holding ourselves to a higher standard, not rewarding criminal behavior.” Those were the words of veteran Brookings police ofﬁcer Bryan Holmes as he submitted his resignation from the Brookings Police Department. Ofﬁcer Holmes, a four year veteran of the BPD, addressed the city council during public comments Tuesday evening. In a prepared statement, Holmes said, “…all but one city council member made the decision to ignore the majority of city employees and continued to employ the city manager (Janell Howard) after she was arrested for theft.” Howard entered a no contest plea to Theft Three in December. Holmes resumed his statement to the councilors, “A letter was presented to you from city employees voicing (our) disapproval, and a list of items stolen by Janell from Fred Meyer on multiple occasions fell on deaf ears. Our voices were not heard. To add insult to injury, not only did she keep employment but was rewarded with a pay increase.” Holmes continued, “Admitting you were Brookings officer Bryan Holmes addresses the city council while resigning his position after the council voted to keep Janell Howard as city manager.

Please see RESIGNS Page A3

Photos by Roger Gitlin

What’s wrong with healthcare, Part 2 Brookings Port to receive $1.8M for disaster recovery The FEMA funding will be used for debris removal operations following severe winter storms and flooding.

BY DR. CHARLES HURBIS

STAFF REPORT

For The Pilot

The Port of Brookings Harbor will receive $1.8M from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster recovery efforts through its Public Assistance Program. Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the Port of Brookings Harbor and the Oregon Department of Forestry will share in a total of $5,417,255 FEMA funding.

Long, long ago, medicine was a true art, a calling, always enticing “the best and the brightest”. Doctors and hospitals worked cordially together and there was little medical inter-specialty competition. There used to be cohesiveness in medicine, but things change. Now there seems to be an underlying friction between doctors and hospitals, and divisions within doctor groups. This animosity has been evolving for quite a while. As with many breakdowns it comes down to differing politics, an inability to exercise any ﬂexibility, and in almost all cases, outside threats to the bottom line. At the root of this issue is likely the loss of the captain. A cruise liner which has no one at the helm is not going to track a very steady course to its destination if it gets anywhere at all. Doctors used to manage medicine. More and more though, many decisions are being made by insurance companies, the government and hospital corporations, all groups with interests more diverse than just caring for the patient. With the current evolution in medicine, your doctor has had to share the helm to these groups. And with too many groups vying for the position of captain discord was bound to evolve. Additionally, it seems our society is losing its respect for authority, and this is not just an issue with medicine. Growing

the tools they need to recover and become more resilient in the face of future wildfires and winter storms while we take on the climate chaos that is intensifying these disasters.” “The destructive punches from winter weather and wildfires in Oregon sometimes slam our state to the point that federal help is needed to assist with the rebound in communities large and small,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified the Port of Brookings Harbor and the state Department of Forestry have secured these much-needed federal funds, and

I’ll keep battling to deliver similar resources for communities recovering from similar disasters across our state.” The award amounts: Port of Brookings Harbor $1,835,304 for debris removal operations following severe winter storms and ﬂooding, which caused excessive sediment to be deposited into the Port of Brookings Harbor. Oregon Department of Forestry $3,581,951 for management costs resulting from wildﬁres and straight-line winds.

Safety City program returns for 25th year BY WILL LOHRE Country Media

This summer, the Safety City program will return to Brookings. Retired police officer Dan Palicki started the project, and this will be their 25th year of putting on the free week-long program to help educate 5-year-old kids on safety. The five-day program takes place at Kalmiopsis Elementary School each summer in partnership with the Brookings Police Department and the Brookings-Harbor School District. Ordinarily, the program occurs over three weeks, but this year it will only be available for two weeks due to conflicts with classroom space. The first class will begin on June 26, and the second session will start on July 10. "It's a good program; it just reinforces everything hopefully that the parents teach the kids; they just get it reinforced from us," Palicki

Please see HEALTHCARE Page A8

Please see SAFETY Page A2

INDEX Obituaries Classifieds

“Oregon’s devastating winter storms and wildﬁre season take a heavy toll on many communities across the state, and we need to continue to do everything we can help them recover and rebuild,” Merkley said. “I’m glad this federal funding is headed to the Port of Brookings Harbor and the Oregon Department of Forestry to help ease the expensive burden communities have taken on to recover and move forward following severe weather events. I will keep working to ensure Oregon communities have

Photo courtesy from the Port of Brookings Harbor

Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark/Country Media

With help from a Coast Guard member, Benson Yoast tries on a safety vest during the 2019 Safety City class.

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Ave, Ste 7, Brookings, 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net A3

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