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SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946 www.currypilot.com

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

Brookings, Oregon

County addresses homeless issue BY BREEANA LAUGHLIN The Pilot

Curry County Commissioner Court Boice drew attention to the issue of homelessness following a recently-released poll showing that the overwhelming majority of Southern Oregonians want community leaders to find a solution to homelessness. “It’s something we are all interested in, but we aren’t making a lot of forward momentum and I’m concerned about that,” Boice said during the Sept. 21 board

of commissioners meeting. Local nonprofit leaders Beth Barker-Hidalgo of The Curry Homeless Coalition, and Diana Cooper of Brookings CORE Response, urged county officials to include members of the homeless community in the process to design a homeless plan at the start of the meeting. Later in the meeting during his presentation, Boice said his idea to address homelessness in Curry County would be to identify homeless “visitors” and entice them to leave the county.

Under his plan “Curry Compassionate Homeless Solutions,” the goal would be to sort out homeless Curry County families and find ways to help them, then transport non-Curry residents to Salem. “They need help. They need to be moved where they can be helped,” Boice said. The commissioner quoted ethical rules from a “hobo code,” recounted an interaction with a man on the beach who he believed to be under the influences of substances, and held up a photo of man reportedly exposing himself in Crescent

City during the presentation. Boice also compared Oregon to the state of Illinois – where he said radicalized governments favor criminals and bypass law abiding citizens. While the commissioner said he believed the majority of homeless people were nonviolent and just trying to survive, he said he thought 90 percent of the homeless population in the United States and in Oregon was the result of alcohol and drug abuse. Please see HOMELESS Page A9

Skateboarder raising money for suicide awareness County Eugene man travels through Curry County on skateboarding mission to San Francisco BY BREEANA LAUGHLIN The Pilot

Mike Crespino is a man on a mission to honor the lives of two teen men from his community. Crispino passed through Curry County in September on his mission skateboard 831 miles from his hometown in Eugene, Ore. to San Francisco, Cali. to bring awareness to suicide and struggles with mental health. Crispino is also being joined by Brookings resident Ethan Hall, who has been with him since start of the journey by offering support if he should need it in a vehicle. Crispino lost two of his friends, Ben Moody and Silas Strimple, as a result of suicide and untreated mental health issues. “Both were loved, colorful and respected members of the Eugene skateboarding community and their loss has had a lasting effect on their families and on

commissioner scolded by sheriff

the young community in Eugene,” Crispino said. “I chose to take the 101 route because as I’ve come to know and witness for myself that coastal communities and Curry County specifically have higher numbers of suicide and difficulty with barriers and access to proper care,” he said. In Crispino’s opinion, “We have a state of emergency on our hands.” Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds in Oregon, and suicide rates in Oregon have been higher than U.S. rates over the past 10 years, according to Oregon Suicide Prevention. “It is difficult to pin down the root cause – but I have high hopes during my travels that what I’m wishing to accomplish locally in Eugene will also inspire others,” Crispino said. Crispino said he has already made lasting connections along his journey – including Curry County. “While I was briefly in Curry County, anyone that noticed me skateboarding and every person I spoke with had a story just like ours to share,” he said. “The feeling I had been left with in each Please see AWARENESS Page A2

BY BREEANA LAUGHLIN The Pilot

The City of Brookings declared September 2022 as Suicide Awareness and Prevention month, and October 2022 as Bully Prevention month. “Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race, orientation, income level, religion or background; and is a major public health issue that requires vigilant attention and preventative action, especially during times of a pandemic,” Mayor Ron Hedenskog said while reading the proclamation on Monday, Sept. 26. “The councilors encourage all citizens to learn the warning signs, trust their gut and use that information to ask a troubled friend, colleague or family member, ‘Are you okay?’ and be prepared to listen,” Mayor Hedenskog said. “That conversation could change a life.” The mayor went on to read a proclamation for the month of October. “Bullying can be in the form of physical, verbal, sexual or emotional intimidation intentionally directed at a person or group of people. It can happen in neighborhoods, playground, schools, on job sites and through technology,” he said. Research indicates that bullying is the most common form of violence affecting children and adolescents. Targets of bullying are more likely to acquire physical, emotional and learning problems, while children who bully are at greater risk of engaging in more serious violent behaviors.

A county ethics presentation backfired on County Commissioner Court Boice during the Sept. 21 Board of Commissioners meeting. After he called upon his fellow commissioners to ask County Treasurer David Barnes to resign, they refused. Sheriff John Ward then took the podium saying he would support a voter recall of Commissioner Boice. Before Sheriff Ward took the stand, Boice stood at the podium to ask for David Barnes’ resignation in an ethics presentation to his fellow commissioners. Only a little more than a month prior, Boice had commended his fellow county commissioners and staff for a “new spirit of safety and team attitude.” But at the meeting on Sept. 21 he spoke of dissention, and “a lot of things going on in Curry County.” Boice said Treasurer David Barnes has asked for six public officials to resign, and that even though he felt special that Barnes hadn’t asked him to resign, he must be stopped. “We remain with a tyrannical person roaming the halls of the Curry County annex, threatening anyone who disagrees with him. It is way beyond a toxic work environment. It is scary for the people working here,” Boice said. Commissioners Paasch and Herzog said they would not join Boice in asking for Barnes resignation or a vote of no confidence. “As I said before you cannot have unity without humility. I do not believe that this is doing anything for unity right now,” Herzog said. “You have made some accusations here today that Mr. Barnes has called people names. I would like to see it stop from everyone,” Commissioner Paasch said. “I am going to reference one letter where you called Mr. Herzog weak. You called the sheriff a liar and you called me corrupt and you called David Barnes several other names. So if you want to have ethics and you want to have civility in this county – I think we need to worry about the logs in our own eyes before we worry about the twigs in someone else’s,” Paasch said. Following Boice’s ethics presentation, Sheriff John Ward said Commissioner Boice needed to learn his place. He also said Commissioner Boice had attempted to discredit him. “I’ve been doing this work for 31 years and I’m pretty popular in this county,” Sheriff Ward said. “The relationships I’ve built are incredible. You discredit me,” he said. Sheriff Ward read the email that Commissioner Paasch had referred to, saying it was an email that Boice had sent to him, then later denied. In the email, Boice reportedly accuses Sheriff Ward of “con-

Please see PREVENTION Page A2

Please see SCOLDED Page A2

Maggie Hall, Gordon Clay, Mike Crispino and Ethan Hall.

Brookings council spreads word about suicide awareness, bullying prevention BY BREEANA LAUGHLIN The Pilot

Photo by Breeana Laughlin/The Pilot

Brookings resident and suicide and bullying awareness advocate Gordon Clay stands with Mayor Hedenskog at the Sept. 26 city council meeting.

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Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Ave, Ste 7, Brookings, 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net A4

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