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2022

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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

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Public outcry over permanent mask mandate ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Oregon’s hearing on a proposed permanent mask rule drew a crowd of more than 300 people, opening the floodgates to a wide range of comments and emotions. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) held a public electronic hearing Jan. 20 on the proposed rule change, inviting public testimony on which a decision has yet to be determined. Emotional testimony One woman struggled to hold back sobs during her testimony, as she described the moment her 8-year-old told her she couldn’t remember what the world was like without masks. Another speaker said he has 40% of a healthy person’s lung capacity and thus has difficulty breathing with a mask on. “Free these childrens’ faces so they can smile again,” a third said, his voice filled with emotion. Others took on radically different tones, threatening to take action if the OHA goes through with imposing the new permanent rule. “If you do this, we will fight to our death,” Nikolas, a defense attorney representing a client who violated Oregon’s current temporary mask mandate, said. “The farther you take this, the farther we will take it. We have nothing to lose.” “We’re coming for you. We’re coming for your jobs,” Free Oregon Leader Angela Todd said. Demonstrators involved with

Free Oregon, a grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the mission of “fighting tyranny” in Oregon, took to the streets, holding a “BBQ Mask Party” outside the OHA office at NE 800 Oregon Street in Portland. “Bring a mask and something to burn,” the event description read on the Free Oregon website. Demonstrators chanted, held signs, and set a barrel containing surgical masks ablaze in synchronicity with the OHA’s electronic hearing, which kicked off at 10 a.m. and lasted for several hours. Rules of the hearing Administrative Rules Coordinator Brittany Hall led the OHA’s Administrative Rules hearing, discussing the adoption of a permanent rule requiring masks to be worn in indoor spaces in Oregon. Hall opened the meeting with the following clarifying statement. “The temporary rule cannot be extended past six months, thus Oregon’s temporary rule expires on Feb. 8,” she said. “That does not mean the rule is permanent. The Oregon Health Authority can rescind, repeal, or cancel a rule when it decides it is no longer necessary.” After opening remarks, Hall invited testifying members of the public to speak. Opponents of the proposed permanent rule presented concerns ranging from realized sociological harms to the sole authority such a rule will give the agency, creating obstacles for the public to seek legal recourse.

Aden Nepom, the meeting’s first speaker, expressed concern that the OHA’s proposal would bypass public input, concluding with a statement affirming the importance of local decisionmaking. “Allow small businesses (and) school districts to make the masking decisions that make the most sense in their specific communities and circumstances so that we can stop trying to stop COVID, which is a fool’s errand, and begin trying to figure out how to move forward,” she said. Matt Runkle, another guest speaker, put forth numerous arguments calling the logic of permanent masking into question, including a lack of sufficient evidence for mask efficacy, disproportionate impacts on essential workers, and the potential of lasting effects on a generation. “Their (children’s) anger will be very justified,” he said. Runkle also pointed out that 42 out of 50 states have repealed mask mandates, despite news of the Omicron variant, and highlighted there are “no discernable differences” between states such as Florida, which banned mask mandates in public schools, and Oregon, in terms of high case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths. Runkle underscored the inequitable outcomes of such a rule change, arguing that school children and frontline workers, required to mask up for 8 hours a day, will inordinately pay the price. Courtesy Photos from Daniel O’Brien – Valve Media

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A Free Oregon demonstrator holds up a sign to voice her opposition to the proposed permanent mask rule.

SHHS Wind Ensemble perseveres, makes All-State JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

The St. Helens High School (SHHS) Wind Ensemble is back after performing at the 2022 Oregon Music Educators Association State Conference in Eugene. The students, under SHHS Band Director Noelle Freshner’s direction, performed for K-12 music educators from all over Oregon during the three-day AllState conference that began Jan. 14. The challenge

Courtesy photo

The St. Helens High School Wind Ensemble and Band Director Noelle Freshner.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students almost didn’t make their performance. Freshner said that under the

state’s pandemic health and safety regulations, each member of the ensemble needed to be either fully vaccinated or to have proof of a negative test within 72 hours of performing to be allowed to perform at the Eugene event. “This was not something that we were able to get for them locally. Nowhere in the county offered “trip” testing for people without symptoms, let alone a guarantee of results quickly enough to show proof at this event,” she said. “After calling around everywhere I found a private lab that told us they could test our students and have results back in time.” The week the SHHS Ensemble needed to test, there was a huge surge in testing across the state

and the lab Freshner had contacted was swamped. She said the samples were taken and she handdelivered them to the lab’s courier on Wednesday, Jan. 12 to assure time to get the samples tested by the lab. Somehow, the students’ samples were lost. A new plan was developed that required using a lab in Corvallis and not getting test results until late in the day. Freshner said that plan meant they’d have to put the students on the bus without results, not knowing if they were positive or negative. “If any students tested positive we would have had to isolate ­­­­ See ENSEMBLE Page A8

From the heart: Valentines for veterans JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Local veterans will be receiving special “from the heart” valentine greetings in February. Several volunteers gathered at Scappoose Senior Center last week for Retired Senior & Volunteer Program’s (RSVP) 7th annual ‘Valentines for Vets.’ The service project is designed to honor the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. Columbia County RSVP is an AmeriCorps Seniors project sponsored locally by Columbia River Fire & Rescue. Special Report .......... A2 Opinion ..................... A4 Obituaries ................. A5 Classified Ads ......... A6 Legals ....................... A6 Crossword ............... A7 To Your Health ......... A9 Sports ..................... A10

A similar valentines card making project was also conducted at the Rainier Senior Center. “The volunteers hand-crafted hundreds of beautiful valentines from the heart to thank veterans for their service to our country,” RSVP Director Monica Cade said. “Thank you to all who participated and gave from the heart to show appreciation to our veterans.” The 2022 My Fair Lady court will help deliver the valentines to veterans throughout Columbia County the first two weeks of February. In the following conversation, Cade gives us insight into the project. The Chronicle: When did this project first start and why? Monica Cade: Valentines for Vets first started in 2015 as an idea for a service project to honor MLK Day National Day of Service. Because of the day being close to Valentine’s Day, we decided to host an event to make

such an impact on those we honored, and ourselves. Since 2015, we have distributed over 2000 valentines. This year, volunteers made an additional 300+ that we will be distributing. The Chronicle: What would you want the community to know about why this project is so important for the veterans?

Courtesy photo

A variety of the hand-crafted valentines on display at the Scappoose Senior Center.

valentines for veterans, and to provide a fun day for seniors to get creative and give back to others. Volunteers at this first event created beautiful one-of-a-kind valentines designed to thank veterans for their service. Every

single one was unique and made with love. What started out as simply a fun event to make valentines, ended up taking us on a meaningful journey of love and compassion. We had no idea a simple act of kindness would have

Cade: Each year since 2015, the My Fair Lady court plus other RSVP volunteers have helped deliver valentines locally during the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. We have distributed as many valentines as we could to veterans throughout the county at assisted living facilities, and attended various civic organizations, VFW meetings, etc. where we thought veterans might gather. We’ve sent valentines to city, county and police/sheriff veterans working ­­­­

Vol. 140, No. 4

ColumbiaCountyOR.Gov/Vaccine | 503-397-7247

See VALENTINES Page A9

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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

16 years behind bars Child sex abuse nets lengthy sentence STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

A St. Helens man has been sentenced to several years in prison following a two-state law enforcement investigation into child pornography. A Columbia County Circuit Court judge has sentenced Kevin Collins, 29, of St. Helens to 16 years and eight months in prison on charges of encouraging child sex abuse stemming from a St. Helens Police Department investigation into child pornography. During the investigation, it was determined that Collins possessed between half a million to one million images and videos of child pornography. The sentencing conducted on Jan. 21, concludes the initial arrest of Collins by St. Helens officers on Thursday, March 11, 2021. Collins was arrested on charges of child sex abuse stemming from a multi-

Walls up!

Courtesy from St. Helens Police

Kevin Collins has been sentenced following his arrest and conviction on charges of encouraging child sex abuse.

state investigation involving the St. Helens Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Collins was lodged at Columbia County Jail on 15 counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the

First Degree, 20 counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, and one count of Solicitation for the Sexual Assault of an Animal. Collins’ arrest concludes an investigation that began with the Indiana State Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. After it was determined that the suspect resided in the St. Helens area, the St. Helens Police Department was contacted. Officers executed a search warrant at Collins’ residence in the 2300 block of Columbia Boulevard where multiple items of evidence were seized. After an electronic analysis by the Oregon Department of Justice, thousands of images and videos of child pornography were located. To report a potential child-related sex crime, call the St. Helens Police Department at 503-397-1521.

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle

Construction crews have started work on a Popeyes Restaurant along Highway 30 in St. Helens and an apartment complex at the site of the iconic Scappoose Peace Candle is nearing completion as well. The two projects are part of the increasing economic development in the two cities.

Special Report Repeat offenders - ‘It’s frustrating’

Metro Creative Connection

A state report shows recidivism rates have been increasing since 2008. ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Habitual offenders are on the rise, according to a report from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC). A May 2021 report from the commission shows recidivism rates have been on an upward trajectory since 2008. The data corresponds with the tragic event that unfolded in Columbia County. On Nov. 11, suspect John Thralls, facing arrest for assault and robbery, struck Oregon State Police (OSP) Trooper John Jeffries with his vehicle on Highway 30 four miles from St. Helens, causing critical injuries. The following day, suspect Clinton Allen was arrested, also in St. Helens, for detonating a homemade bomb. Both were repeat offenders convicted of other crimes ranging from possession of child pornography to attempted murder. Darrell Brooks, the defendant charged with homicide after plowing into a crowd of Christmas paraders in Waukesha, Wisconsin, had a similar pattern of past offenses, reports show. Recidivism, as defined by Oregon code (ORS 423.557), occurs when an offender is arrested, convicted, or receives a felony prison sentence within a three-year period following probation or release from custody. The Chronicle asked Columbia County District Attorney Jeff Auxier whether and to what extent recidivism is a problem in Oregon. The Chronicle: What, if any, are some of the trends that you’re seeing with these sorts of offenders? The suspect in the OSP Trooper case had a criminal history, same as the bomb (suspect) in St. Helens. I was wondering if this is a trend, what in particular, you’ve noticed, even on a national scale with Waukesha what happened? Maybe you could tell me a little bit about what you’re seeing. Auxier: We’ve actually had a reduction in Columbia County overall statistically when it comes to recidivism, but we still have criminal defendants that could be characterized as repeat offenders without a doubt. In other jurisdictions and other counties, there is a real jail space problem. And that

can affect us in this county because people who are arrested in other counties are released for pretty serious offenses that would keep you in custody here in Columbia County. In these individual instances, I can’t speak to what happened with Mr. Thralls. Mr. Thralls was arrested on a number of occasions in the state of Washington and released on his own recognizance in those cases. Sometimes the cases were dropped. Mr. Thralls had the 2019 elude in our county, but that’s a charge that simply does not carry through any prison time under Oregon law. The sentencing guidelines limit you to basically giving someone probation or six months jail at a maximum on those cases. So that can be kind of frustrating for us. The Clinton Allen case was a case where the parents posted Mr. Allen’s bail, if I remember correctly and by law, just by the Constitution, you have to give someone an opportunity to pay a bail amount. You can’t just deny someone bail on any crime except for murder or treason. We don’t see many treason cases. The Chronicle: In the case of Mr. Thralls, when he committed this crime it involved OSP and a bunch of other different police department entities. Do jurisdictions keep other jurisdictions in the loop? Auxier: I may not be allowed to talk specifically about the Thralls case, but law enforcement coordinates very heavily on those sorts of issues. And there are certain police agencies such as Rainier that Rainier PD or the sheriff’s office for Columbia County, that work really closely with Longview police and the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office over in Washington. It’s not uncommon at all for them to coordinate and discuss specific suspects who tend to travel between the two jurisdictions. The Chronicle: Do you know if with Mr. Thralls’ case that you had heard about in Longview, if they had set a low bail and then they put (the case) up to 5 million because of the circumstances of the crime?

Auxier: We have no jurisdiction over the crimes that occurred in the state of Washington. I can’t really speak to what their laws are, or what the jail space issues are over there. Columbia County’s trusted local news source

I do know that the crimes Mr. Thralls has been alleged to have committed over there were misdemeanors. And people who commit misdemeanor crimes are released, generally speaking at a higher frequency pretrial before the resolution of their case, but I’m just not in a position to really give an opinion on what happened on those cases because there’s just such a universe of possible explanations for why he was released. It could have been that the victim in those cases didn’t press charges. It could have just been a jail capacity issue, a low bail situation, a legal technicality. It could be a combination of all those things. It’s just not something that I can give an opinion on one way or the other. The Chronicle: What would you say would be the solution for the county? Would it involve changing the laws around the jail system, or how would you envision that process would happen? Auxier: You have a constitutional right to bail under the United States Constitution. The judges have an obligation to set bail at an amount that will ensure their reappearance in court, but also take into account what they can afford. Sometimes there’s just nothing they can do. It’s frustrating because we often argue about what that bail amount should be. But ultimately, that’s up to the judge and the judges. All we can do is argue for higher bail amounts when we believe someone is a public safety risk and then respect the decision. There is the jail space issue but again, we’ve been lucky enough to have a jail that has a good amount of space in it for our county. (In 2014) Columbia County voters approved funding to allow us to have extra jail beds. I feel like Columbia County is, in that regard, really doing its part to make sure that people who are at risk to reoffend remain in custody if they’re released before their trial. Jeffries’ update As of December, Jeffries was still in the hospital recovering from his injuries, according the Oregon State Police (OSP). The Chronicle reached out again to OSP Public Information Officer Stephanie Bigman, who gave us the following statement. “I will inquire if the family has any information they are willing to release,” she wrote. The Chronicle is awaiting further response. If you wish to send your well wishes to the Jeffries family, please do so via email at ospsocial@osp.oregon.gov or via mail to Oregon State Police, Attention Trooper John Jeffries, 3565 Trelstad Ave SE, Salem, Or. 97317.

Position: Patient Care Coordinator Position Summary:

In our practice, our Patient Care Coordinators are often the first person our patients see when they enter our office. The Patient Care Coordinator represents the practice in all facets of patient services which include, greeting patients, coordinating recall, scheduling appointments, maintaining patient records and coordinating patient flow.

About Us and Who We Want to Join Our Team:

Healthy Smiles of Scappoose is a fixture of the local community. We have been serving patients for over 50 years throughout the area. Our patients know us, and we know them. We are recognized as the go-to family dental practice because of our loyal team and our commitment to health. Due to growth and expansion, as well as retirement of one of our long-term employees, we are looking for a Patient Care Coordinator to join our cohesive team. This is a full-time position (4 days/week, ~32 hours/week) working Monday through Thursday. We have long-term employees at our practice. The newest hire has been here for 3 years. Some of our employees have worked for us for decades. This demonstrates our commitment to our employees. This is not just “a job” but rather a livelihood. We are committed to employee appreciation, kindness, understanding, and a positive mindset. Our overriding goal is to first find a person who will enjoy being a member of our team, both as part of the organization as a whole and specifically with our incredible team of dental professionals. Characteristics that we are looking for include: • Team collaborative outlook, • Patient-centric and solutions/problem solving approach, • Fun-natured and a sense of humor, • Good communication skills (written and verbal), • Self-motivated attitude, • A desire to make a difference We are committed to each employee’s success. As such, we invest time, energy, and money in onboarding and training to ensure competency and confidence with the type and kind of patients we serve. This, combined with your qualifications, represents a winning formula for long-term professional success.

Additional Information:

Our practice offers a relaxed work environment, places a high value on work/life balance, and located in Scappoose. This position offers an excellent benefit package that includes: PTO, paid holidays, medical insurance, dental services for you and your immediate family, and a retirement plan. Starting salary will depend on experience and qualifications. If you believe this opportunity represents a fit for you, please send a cover letter and an up-to-date resume to: jessica@healthysmilesofscappoose.com

2022

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SHHS moving to meet graduation challenges JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

The latest St. Helens High School (SHHS) graduation rate has dropped according to the latest state report. The four-year graduation rate at St. Helens High School (SHHS) is 77.3% and the five-year graduation rate is 83.16%, according to St. Helens School District Superintendent Scot Stockwell. The prior year four-year graduation rate (2019-2020) was 80.31% and five-year graduation rate was 88.68%, down from previous years. Stockwell said the district uses this data from Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to best help students reach state gradua-

tion benchmarks. “We review the whole school data and trends over time to help us identify specific student groups that may need additional support, in additional to whole school graduation initiatives,” he said, adding that the district has established programs has your district put into place that ensure individual students graduate, especially now in the COVID era. “We have increased the access for students to take credit recovery courses during the school day and during a more robust summer school,” Stockwell said. “During summer school, we also offered a course called ‘Agile Mind’ that helps students understand the science of learning and specifically

how a growth mindset can prepare students to be successful in high school level math.” Stockwell said the district also has a Student Success Coach position and a Student Intervention Specialist position who provide supports to students who are struggling or need access to additional resources, in addition to three school counselors, a college and career coordinator, and a school social worker. Stockwell said there are a variety of hurdles that can challenge seniors working toward graduation. “We are dealing with an uptick in mental health issues, more students working jobs during school to support themselves and their families and are seeing more

social media use that makes it difficult for students to be prepared to learn at school,” he said. “Navigating quarantines and physical health issues have also been a struggle due to the disruption in learning and consistent schedules.” According to Stockwell, the district also has seen more fluctuations in enrollment throughout the school year, which makes earning credits challenging, and students moving into the school who are credit deficient before enrolling at SHHS. The 2022 SHHS graduation ceremony is set for 7 p.m. Friday, June 10 at Doc Ackerson Stadium in St. Helens. For more information, visit https://shhsasb.weebly. com/graduation-2022.html.

Statewide rate The statewide graduation rate for the class of 202021 is 80.6%, the second highest graduation rate ever recorded in Oregon, according to data released today by the ODE. The 80.6% represents an uptick from the most recent, pre-pandemic rate of 80.0 for the class of 2018-19, but a 2% decrease from last year. “The data released both demonstrates the tremendous resilience of Oregon’s youth and makes it clear that COVID-19 not only had a disproportionate impact on the health of Oregon’s communities of color, it also had a far greater impact on students of color,” ODE Director

Colt Gill said. “We know districts continue to work hard to help those students still making progress towards graduation. Gill said that over the summer, districts spent $24 million in funds allocated by Gov. Brown and the Oregon Legislature to help more than 18,000 high school students earn credits towards graduation. Districts are also using funds from the Student Success Act to improve access and opportunities for students who have been historically underserved in the education system. “Through unprecedented engagement with their communities, every district has their own plan to address student achievement,” Gill said.

Election 2022: Second run for governor ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

In Oregon, one candidate is making an ambitious second bid for Governor. The Chronicle spoke with Patrick Starnes, Brownsville resident and former school board member who ran as an Independent back in 2018. Starnes shared insight on his changing strategy. “We learned that as an Independent, which I was for 20 years, we couldn’t get access to the process,” he said. “I learned that I needed to be a Democrat in a blue state.” Starnes said he is prochoice, pro-environment, and pro-single-payer household and plans to take on big-name candidates, such as former Oregon Senator Betsy Johnson, in running on a people-first platform. Grassroots campaign Starnes said he has visited all 36 counties to understand the unique issues faced by each county.

When asked why he came to St. Helens, Starnes said, “I wanted to see which issues are important to folks in Columbia County.” Experience-wise, Starnes has also served on various school boards for a total of 10 years, which he said gives him the edge over other candidates. “I feel like those 10 years of school board experience actually give me a better experience than being in the legislature because you’re on the ground dealing with hiring new teachers, some school boards hav(ing) to close schools,” he said. “That’s really tough.” Additionally, Starnes served on a watershed council with the mission of protecting salmon and aquatic wildlife. Starnes remains steadfast in his grassroots strategy, even when it comes to advertising and raising money for his campaign. “The great thing about having small donors is that they’ll talk to their neighbors,” he said. “If you have corporate donors or Melinda Gates’ money, they don’t go door to door for it. They won’t write

letters to the editor.”

that’ll make it easier for everyone else,” Starnes said. When asked specifically what his resolution would be, he said, “On (KOHI) radio, we were just talking about trying to expand the light rail because you got that rail all the way to Astoria because if we’re transitioning away from fossil fuels to a cleaner transportation system, the governor needs to lead that. That’s what I hope to do.”

Ban on big money One of the cornerstones of Starnes’ campaign is his position to take “big money” out of the political process. Starnes was one of the early backers of Oregon Measure 107, a Campaign Finance Limits Amendment increasing campaign finance transparency. According to Starnes, Oregon was one of five states with no restrictions on campaign donations until the measure passed Nov. 3, 2020, with 78% of the vote. “In my first 100 days that’s my promise, to set some limits because it’s the wild wild west,” he said, followed by a laugh. Starnes said he believes so-called big money is at the crux of issues Oregonians are passionate about, such as healthcare, carbon, and forestry reform. “We’re leading by example by not taking any corporate money, nor any PAC money and $1,000 per person,” he

Photo courtesy from Patrick Starnes

In his 2018 run, Independent candidate Starnes won 2.9% of the popular vote.

said. “I feel like a lot of the issues in Oregon are tied to big money in politics.” Ease of transportation Along with campaign finance reform, Starnes’ campaign centers on increasing access to reliable commuter transportation, which he said presents difficulties to Columbia County residents. “If we help the tri-counties, the metro reduces their traffic,

Public health In a Chronicle poll, 70% of participants said they do not agree with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA’s) proposed permanent mask rule, while 30% said they do agree. Starnes told The Chronicle he is in support of the measures necessary to control the spread of COVID-19, particularly if a new variant arises. “Until we get over this and pass this, we have to do these tough things that we all hate,” he said. “Compare that to Governor Brown (who) is in a no-win situation, because if she didn’t do anything, then we

would have all these deaths, which would be terrible. So we have to do these unpopular things, but we do need to be firm and I think together we’ll get through this.” Race heats up The Chronicle previously reported that 28 candidates either filed paperwork with the Oregon Secretary of State or have formed exploratory committees to run for governor, with both major parties equally represented in the number of challengers. Voters will cast ballots in each party during the May primary, with a runoff likely to decide the candidates for at least the Republican and Democrat parties. The next Oregon governor will be chosen by voters in the November statewide election. The 2022 gubernatorial election is set to take place Nov. 8. Follow this developing story on thechronicleonline. com or in Wednesday print editions of The Chronicle.

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Pandemic: The best sign is an Open sign PAUL VOGEL Chronicle Guest Column

As 2022 picks up momentum, COVID Omicron virus infections are exceeding those at the start of the initial pandemic. With vaccines available for months and two years of experience adjusting to disrupted business flows of all types, it would seem we’d have a better about idea about what to do to protect ourselves and our businesses and see a clearer forward path, for businesses to make it through. Not the case, apparently. First-time infections are spiking, and breakthrough infections are adding further to those totals. Hospital beds are dangerously scarce and non-emergent medical treatment is taking a back seat. Isolation time due to exposure or waiting for test results and quarantine time for incubation and recovery, are big factors in people not reliably “showing up” on either side of the commercial equation: employees and customers; supply and demand. The uncertainty of the times, unpredictability of consumer and workforce behavior - or even availability - and currently trending economic indicators make us all want to look around for just one thing we can count on. Restaurants, as a microcosm for all businesses, need

consistency and reliability. You want them to be open when you want them open, right? They need employees in order to open at reliable, regular hours. They need regular hours for you to be able to just show up when you want to. They need healthy employees to avoid spontaneous, temporary closures that frustrate customers. They need healthy customers protecting themselves, restaurant staff, and fellow customers. And if that seems unreasonable to customers, they need customers to just act reasonably. That’s a lot of variables; helping reduce them helps us all. Anything we can do individually, as organizations, or collectively to help alleviate these dynamic tensions can help us all benefit together; stabilizing the moving parts and pieces of our small business economy will help our communities gain strength. The presence and ready availability of goods and services is something we used to take for granted, and worth doing something to regain, right? Ultimately, how our small businesses fare determines the quality of our communities and how much we like living there. Looking out into 2022, small businesses will continue to wrestle with these day-to-day challenges described. Helping them simply helps ourselves – and all of us – restore and sustain our economy. There are positive things

happening and to build upon, good signs and things to look forward to even amidst COVID, inflation, and other economic challenges that evolved from the pandemic. Supply chain issues, for one, will continue for a while. It’s not just the vast fleet of steamships sitting off the coast of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It’s also goods produced here, including groceries. That’s particularly relevant for those same restaurants that have to order ahead, not knowing each day if they can open up and serve you. Yet another reason to do whatever we can to help them stay consistently open and operating. Supply chain also relates to labor and workforce, another issue. We’re well past the termination of unemployment benefits as a reason for workforce disruption. There are other complex issues in the mix. Re-thinking the work environment and culture we provide; re-thinking what we want, must have, or can reasonably expect as employees – these are just a few threads in the greater tapestry of “work” as we used to know it. Work is never going back to what it once was. Adapting and changing how we work will be a big part of the work for quite a while. Those circumstances must be addressed globally, not just here. But in Columbia County some positive things are happening as well – some of which either were initiated during, or are

the result of, the pandemic experience. Our three Chambers of Commerce have persevered and are beginning to re-activate and elevate to former levels – knowing so much more now about their membership, communities, and each other, as a result of working through this generational pandemic together. St. Helens Main Streets has formed, elected a new board of leaders that’s focused on both uptown as well as downtown, and is already facilitating the new Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant program. Keep it Local ran a record holiday shopping campaign countywide, with 84 sponsors, close to $400,000 in spending, nearly 2,000 participants and one $1,000 winner. People… customers… clearly want the convenience of buying here, to support their local businesses, and sustain an economy that provides what we want and need. In 2022, Keep it Local will completely recreate its website as a small business aggregator and search engine, thanks to funding from Business Oregon and Columbia County PUD (CRPUD). Also included is an extensive, highly accessible and user-friendly digital literacy …or mastery…. program providing free workshops, classes, and training for small business owners to profit and grow more from web-based, digital, and

social media marketing. A new, first-ever in Columbia County Business Resource and Small Business Development Center will open soon, combining economic development with free small business coaching, plus workshops, classes, and access to systems and statewide resources to do nothing other than help small businesses succeed. We have our city and county leaders, and partners with the Oregon Small Business Network, to thank for contributing generously from – opportunistically – COVID recovery funds in order to stand this center up. This game changer reflects long-term vision and investment that will help ensure business recovery, retention, and growth throughout every community, moving forward. Business recruitment and expansion on a larger scale should grow as well, with national and global relocation specialists finally getting back to work and increasingly discovering that some of the best, most developable employment lands in Oregon happen to be right here, where they never looked before. The Port has spearheaded the first comprehensive industrial land inventory in decades, soon delivering upto-date maps of “buildable opportunity” online, available to site searchers everywhere. We’ll soon be adding a new employment inventory, analysis and strategy. Also getting site inves-

tors’ and site selectors’ attention will be new, cooperative marketing between OMIC, Columbia River PUD, the City of Scappoose, and Columbia Economic Team, focused on the advantage we have with Oregon’s only advanced and additive manufacturing research and development asset, right here. The new PCC/OMIC Training Center opened amidst the pandemic and is already safely drawing in scores of students making way for their future in sophisticated manufacturing. On the proprietor front, we’re seeing start-ups too, with two new brewery operations and a brewpub set to open soon. Other enterprises are in the works, as well. These are all good signs, and there are others. The best sign is an Open sign, and any small business that’s open is a survivor. We need these businesses here to provide the fabric of our communities’ cultures and the structure of our economy. What’s here matters. New tools and opportunities are going into place for our business economy to navigate forward even better than before - tougher, smarter, and even more creative - because of the road we’ve travelled together getting to 2022. Paul Vogel is the executive director of the Columbia Economic Team. He may be reached at 503-410-1061, or at paulvogel@columbiacountyoregon.com.

The way they do business RON TROMMLITZ Chronicle Guest Column

The City of St. Helens now wants to place a charge on your water bill to build a new Police station. I see nothing that says this is a utility bill. If you were paying your bill in person, this would be at the water department. Columbia PUD and NW Natural Gas are utilities. This promotion of Matt Brown finance director, whom the City of St. Helens has chosen to use Brown’s proposal to place a $3 per month charge added to your bill to avoid a public vote. I suspect Brown saw this method used somewhere and believed this was a capable way of bypassing voter approval. Upon this method Brown’s warning you this is just the initial charge.

Brown says charges are to be reviewed yearly. Brown already knows and you can expect a monthly increase in the future. This is the Matt Brown (Bait and Switch) all aboard. The City doesn’t want obligation bonds that require voter approval. Matt Brown suggested revenue bonds, but no costs or revenue projected. If the public accepts Browns proposal, it sets a precedent that will allow the city to add anything they wish to the water bill. Twenty-one months ago the city placed a storm water fixed fee on a group of us, saying they surveyed our properties claiming our water was affecting their storm drains. A lie! My water goes into dry well. Those properties on the north side of Pittsburg Road drain into a ditch flowing to Milton Creek. This was done with no notification

or explanation, with planning in December 1999. We property owners filed complaints. The cities’ first response was that Matt Brown and Sue Nelson were composing a letter. The email I received said regardless of my on-site water containment it was because we drove on the city streets to access our properties. So, it was wasn’t a water issue, but a hidden street fee. This charge was placed on April 2020 bill, and on May 2020 this money was refunded, and the storm drain fixed fee was removed. This was all done with no explanation. We assumed they realized this wasn’t a legal action. So this was John Walsh, Matt Brown and Mayor Rick Scholl telling us that this is the way they do business. Ron Trommlitz is a St. Helens resident.

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MANDATE From Page A1

Others present at the meeting, in their condemnation of the OHA’s proposal, expressed their willingness to fight against the rule. “I think it’s pretty clear that the public does not trust you anymore,” Portland resident Elizabeth Moore said. Public health perspective While Hall announced the OHA would not be making comments during or after the hearing, some public health experts have already

stated why they deem the rule change necessary. “Safe and effective vaccines that have been available for more than a year,” Modie told The Chronicle prior to the Jan. 20 hearing. “But there still are people out there who are susceptible to severe illness and even death, even with vaccinations. That’s why, until we see COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations go down again, we need to continue wearing masks indoors, in workplaces and other settings, even when workers are vaccinated and boosted.” The first proposal for the adoption of a permanent

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mask rule in Oregon was issued back in April by Michael Wood, an employee of the Oregon branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A Change.org petition to stop the proposal was launched shortly thereafter, receiving 71,000 signatures. Modie said the OHA will take public comments into consideration and make its decision on the proposed rule change late this month or in early February. Follow this developing story at thechronicleonline. com or in Wednesday print editions of The Chronicle.

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A5

Obituaries Martina Carpenter

March 15, 1943 ~ Jan. 13, 2022 Martina Mae Carpenter was born on March 15, 1943 in Portland, Oregon and lived a very full 78 years of life. Heaven gained the most beautiful angel on January 13, 2022 as she passed away peacefully in her home and made her way to Heaven to be with the Lord. She spent the first five years of her life as an only child before her twin siblings, Nancy and Darrell, arrived. This took her by surprise, and she would often beg her parents to trade in her young siblings for a puppy. The family eventually moved to Parkrose, Oregon where she graduated from high school in 1961. Not long after graduation in 1962, Martina was exploring Cannon Beach when she crossed paths with James Carpenter in front of Haystack Rock. They fell in love and married on September 19, 1964 and began their life together by moving to St. Helens, Oregon. During this time, she also purchased

a boat and a new red 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. She dabbled in multiple career positions throughout her younger years. She loved to tell stories about the various jobs she had, especially working at Nabisco and reminiscing on eating fresh, warm cookies right off the conveyer belt. Martina and Jim eventually completed their family by welcoming their sons, Anthony in 1965 and John in 1967. Her years in St. Helens were busy raising two boys. She spent her free time running for city council, writing letters to the editor on public issues, performing in bowling leagues, and running a chapter of the ‘Friends of Animals’ organization. One of her greatest accomplishments during this time was being appointed as the town representative for St. Helens in 1976 in a nationwide effort to celebrate the Bicentennial. Her efforts included bake sales to raise funds, design contest for a town flag, book-

ing the Broadway play ‘1776’ for the town, a trip to see the Freedom Train in Portland, and a super firework display for July 4. Her husband, James, eventually took a new job and the family moved to Pasco, Washington in 1979. She was a spunky outgoing woman, and she had many hobbies that she enjoyed including gardening, genealogy, knitting/quilting, photography, bowling, and was an avid reader. She loved her animals and had

many family pets throughout her life including Midnight, Margie, Reno, Simon, Rebel, Mr. C. Rocky, Creamy, and Percy. She enjoyed camping, going to the beach, trying new foods, and her ultimate unfulfilled desire was to travel into space. She took many memorable trips including to Reno to see the Concord, the Caribbean, Jamaica, Panama Canal, Mexico, the Grand Canyon, Alaska, and Yellowstone. Martina loved being a wife and mother and as her granddaughters Heather, Kayla, and Megan arrived, her life took on a whole new chapter as grandmother. She was known to many as the “gingerbread lady” as she would almost singlehandedly construct hundreds of homemade gingerbread houses during the Christmas season each year, beginning when her sons were young. She also entered a special house into the county fair that won a blue ribbon. She made sure her children and

grandchildren could make candy filled and covered gingerbread houses with their friends and relatives. She was very active in her children and grandchildren’s lives including being front row at any school or sporting event and teaching essential skills such as cooking, baking, sewing, grammar, and typing. Her granddaughters enjoyed the long road trips they took together, and she would often quiz them on various things, including all 50 states and their capitals. She was an exceptional support system in her family and always cheered them on. In her later years, she found her way to Jesus and the Church. On July 2, 2006, she gave herself to the Lord and was baptized as a Christian. She regularly reached out to others to express her faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and contributed regularly to the church and other organizations that helped lead others to salvation. She knew the rewards

the Bible promised believers upon death and expressed this to those she knew. She provided so much love to those around her and was showered with love from her husband, children, grandchildren, and anyone who knew her. Martina lived a wonderful life, and although her passing was unexpected, she is now at home with the Lord. Martina is survived by the love of her life and husband of 57 years, James; sister Nancy (Eric) Cole; sons, Anthony, John (Angela) Carpenter, and Alan; daughterin-law Angela Costanzo; four granddaughters, Heather (Jarret), Kayla, Kierstin (Troy), and Megan; two great-grandchildren, Preston and Parker; and multiple distant relatives. She is preceded in death by her parents, Martin and Mable; brother Darrell; and many other relatives in her extended family. Hillcrest Funerals and Cremation – Pasco is handling the arrangements.

Norman James “Cousin Jimmy” Martin Sept. 16, 1942 ~ Nov. 27, 2021

Jimmy was born on Sept. 16, 1942 to Bert and Dorothy Martin and grew up in Southern Oregon. He relocated to St. Helens and resided with his Aunt Lucille and Uncle Bob Clammer for a short time. Jim was a proud Army Veteran and later worked for US West/Qwest phone company for an amazing 36 years. Jim married Kathy in September 2000 and they spent many happy years living at the Oregon Coast on Netarts Bay in their log cabin he built himself before building a home in St. Helens. Together they built a life in St. Helens and enjoyed cooking and lots of garden-

ing. Jimmy was extremely invested in his family, friends and the local community for many years. Jimmy loved lots of fun activities including crabbing, fishing, and clamming and he was a fantastic home cook. He enrolled in a culinary school program for a bit simply to learn lots of tips and tricks of cooking which his family loved and benefited with lots and lots of great food. He was a big part of the Pioneering in the Pines in LaPine, Oregon for many years and that trip held a special place in his heart. You would find him often on Sunday morning mixing the pancake batter (special

recipe) cooking a pancake breakfast for all the attendees. Jimmy also LOVED his pup Oakley who misses him so much. She was the light of his day and rarely left his lap except to bark at squirrels. As Jimmy’s health declined over the years you would often find him going around the neighborhood on his riding lawn mower helping mow their grass. Jimmy was a lifetime member of the St. Helens Elks Lodge #1999, American Legion Post #0042, the CWA #7901 Retirees, Telephone Pioneers of America and the Christian Church of St. Helens.

Jimmy spent countless holiday seasons dressed as Santa, spreading cheer with his very realistic and highly respected white mustache.

Mario Padilla

2022

March 15, 1960 ~ Dec. 31, 2021

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On Fri., Dec. 31, 2021, Mario Louis Padilla, died suddenly at the age of 61 at his home in St. Helens, Oregon. Mario was born March 15, 1960, in New York, New York to Hector and Bruna Padilla. He graduated from Everett High School in 1978 and in 1983 he received a Machinist Technology associate degree from Shoreline Community College in Seattle, Washington. For many years he worked as a machinist and fabricator. Mario loved the outdoors, all its creatures and all that nature had to offer. He had a passion for the natural beauty of gems and precious metals, and he enjoyed searching and mining for them in the mountains of Washington and Oregon. In 1999, he received his gemologist certification from the Gemological Institute of

America. Then, combining his passion and fabrication skills, Mario established and operated a small fine jewelry business for many years. Customers appreciated and admired his honesty, creativity and craftsmanship. Mario was loved by his family and friends. He would often drive from St. Helens to Everett to visit his mother

and brothers. Mario was preceded in death by his father Hector and his dear friend Dorothy. He is survived by his loving mother Bruna; four brothers and families: John, wife Jenna, and children Nathaniel and Courtney; Tony, wife Teresa, and children Jeffery, James and Tony; Bruno, wife Michelle, and children Marcus, Alex and Nicole; and Paul and daughter Olivia. Mario also leaves behind his wonderful friends and neighbors of St. Helens: JoAnn, Karen and Sandi. We will miss his kind soul, caring nature and quick-witted sense of humor. A private service was held at Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Everett, Washington. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.

He was known for his humor and was always surrounded by laughter. He was a loyal and very generous friend, who always had an opendoor policy where everyone was welcome. He fought numerous health conditions in his later years but through that battle he remained a loving family man, dedicated friend and pillar of strength in his faith. Jimmy is lovingly remembered and survived by his wife Kathy; brother Fred (Linda) Martin; sister Kathy (Karl) Cordes; cousins, Peggy (Steve) Howell and John (Laura) Holbrook; daughters Jennifer (Ben) Kitchell, Stormi (Miller) Lowe, Lori

(David) Wright and Robyn Leland; grandchildren, Julie, Jake, Alyssa, Alex, Cameron, Tyler, Lindsay (William), Jarrod, Madelyn and Roman; great grandchildren, Toby, Bennett, Scarlett, Ada, and Vincent; and lots of nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents; stepmother Martha; brother Edward; and daughter Jessica. In lieu of flowers and/or donations ~ we encourage contributions to the Elks Veterans Bunker in St. Helens, Oregon or a charity of your choice. A celebration of life ceremony will be held later in the spring of 2022.

Patrick Allen Beaston April 27, 1952 ~ Jan. 7, 2022

Pat Beaston passed away on Jan. 7, 2022 at the VA Hospital in Dallas, Oregon. He married Trudy on Jan. 20, 1973. Pat loved fishing, hunting, and camping with his daughter, brothers, and grandchildren. He is survived by wife Trudy; daughter Cindy and her two children, Lucy and Briar; son Patrick and his two children, Blaine and Alexis; two brothers, Michael and James; sister Jennie; and numerous cousins, nephews and nieces. A celebration of life will be held for Patrick at 1 p.m. on April 23, 2022 at the Condon Baptist Church in Condon, Oregon.

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Public Notices PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

CH22-1024

CH22-1025

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the City of St. Helens Planning Commission on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at or after 7:20 PM in the City Council Chambers, located in the City Hall building at 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR. Access into City Hall for this hearing will be from the plaza side entrance. Zoom will also be available to participate. Virtual access information to join the hearing will be available on the applicable agenda. Agendas can be found on the City’s website: https://www. sthelensoregon.gov/meetings. The purpose of this hearing is to consider an application as follows: File No: Conditional Use Permit CUP.1.22 Applicant: Austen Tanner Request: Establish dwelling unit on same level as nonresidential use in an existing building Location: 1370 Columbia Boulevard Map No: 4N1W-4AC-3400 Testimony from the public

in both oral or written form is invited. The hearing will be conducted in accordance with those procedures found in the City Development Code (SHMC Title 17) Chapter 17.24 and any rules of procedure adopted by the City Council. The Planning Commission is authorized to approve, deny, or approve this application with conditions, based on the following criteria: Conditional Use Permit approval criteria—SHMC 17.100.040 Failure to raise an issue, including constitutional or other issues relating to any proposed conditions of approval, in this hearing, in person, or by letter, or failure to raise an issue accompanied by statements or evidence sufficient to afford the approving authority an opportunity to respond to the issue precludes appeal to the applicable appellate jurisdiction (e.g., the Land Use Board of Appeals, LUBA) on that issue, and precludes an action for

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the City of St. Helens Planning Commission on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at or after 7:00 PM in the City Council Chambers, located in the City Hall building at 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR. Access into City Hall for these hearings will be from the plaza side entrance. Zoom will also be available to participate. Virtual access information to join the hearing will be available on the applicable agenda. Agendas can be found on the City’s website: https://www. sthelensoregon.gov/meetings. The purpose of these hearings is to consider an application as follows: File No: Site Development Review SDR.1.22 Applicant: City of St. Helens Request: Columbia View Park Expansion of approximately 0.6 acres Location: 270 The Strand Street Map No: 4N1W-3BA-7500 Testimony from the public in either oral or written form

CH22-1023

CH22-1026

STATEMENTS OF PROCEDURES AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW The statement of procedures for Columbia County are available for review at the Columbia County

damages in circuit court. The application file is located at City Hall (265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR) and all documents in the file are available for inspection. A copy of the staff report will be available for review at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the hearing. There is no cost to inspect the file or staff report; copies are available at a reasonable cost. The report for this application will also be available on the City’s website at https:// www.sthelensoregon.gov/ meetings. Questions should be directed to the City Planning Department by phone: 503-397-6272, e-mail: jgraichen@sthelensoregon. gov, mail: 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051, or in person at City Hall. Anyone needing special assistance should contact City Hall at least 72 hours in advance to ensure the necessary assistance is available. The Council Chambers are fully accessible.

Courthouse and https:// www.columbiacountyor.gov/ departments/Finance/Expenditures.

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NOTICE OF CLOSURE Clark and Sons Excavating INC. will be closing the end section of the road to local access only on Wonderly Dr. near the intersection of Wonderly Dr. and Eilertson

St. in St. Helens OR from 1/26 -2/14 as well as the end of Little St. near Milton Creek. The work being done is Waterline installation for the City of St. Helens.

is invited. The hearings will be conducted in accordance with those procedures found in the City Development Code (SHMC Title 17) Chapter 17.24 and any rules of procedure adopted by the City Council. The Planning Commission is authorized to make a recommendation to the City Council who is authorized to approve, deny, or approve this application with conditions, based on the following criteria: SHMC 17.96.180 Site Development Review Approval Standards Failure to raise an issue, including constitutional or other issues relating to any proposed conditions of approval, at a hearing, in person, or by letter, or failure to raise an issue accompanied by statements or evidence sufficient to afford the approving authority an opportunity to respond to the issue precludes appeal to the applicable appellate jurisdiction (e.g., the Land Use Board of Appeals, LUBA) on that issue, and precludes

an action for damages in circuit court. The application file is located at City Hall (265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR) and all documents in the file are available for inspection. A copy of the staff report will be available for review at least seven (7) calendar days prior to each hearing. There is no cost to inspect the file or staff report; copies are available at a reasonable cost. The report for this application will also be available on the City’s website at https:// www.sthelensoregon.gov/ meetings. Questions should be directed to the City Planning Department by phone: 503-397-6272, e-mail: jdimsho@sthelensoregon. gov, mail: 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051, or in person at City Hall. Anyone needing special assistance should contact City Hall at least 72 hours in advance to ensure the necessary assistance is available. The Council Chambers are fully accessible.

Public Notice deadline is Fridays by noon. Late submissions are not guaranteed to make it into The Chronicle.

www.thechronicleonline.com

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

A7

Voices of Change

The role of multimedia in social change As an undergraduate pursuing courses in environmental sustainability, Lillich said she developed an understanding of film as a means to inspire change. “I feel like a huge part of my education was just attending film festivals and seeing how different parts of the world are affected through environmental degradation,” she said. “Without media, without video, that scope is limited.”

ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

In the age of the influencer, multimedia campaigns are increasingly being used in Columbia County, Oregon, and the nation to shape public policy. The Chronicle tracked the development of two emerging social movements in Columbia County driven by multimedia outreach. Save Port Westward In collaboration with Portland-based We Win Strategy Group, Save Port Westward board members Jasmine Lillich and Brandon Schilling released their film Jan. 18 containing the emotion-laden testimony of farm owners, neighbors, and agricultural workers who would be affected by NEXT Renewable Fuels, Inc.’s proposal to install a renewable diesel production facility at the port. Many of those interviewed in the film, such as neighboring landowner Sandra Moilanen and Jamestown S’Klallam tribe elder Scott MacGregor, also spoke during the Tuesday, Jan. 11 Clatskanie City Council meeting, in which the council reversed their decision

Free Oregon

Courtesy photo from Jasmine Lillich

Clatskanie resident Heidi Kramer donated drone footage of Port Westward to the collaborative film project.

to request a formal slowdown of NEXT’s permitting process. Along with the utilization of film techniques such as montages and pan shots, the film features drone footage donated by Clatskanie residents to convey the natural beauty and wildlife of the region slotted for development. The film took around “three to four hours” to com-

plete and 48 hours to edit, Lillich said. Lillich described the process of putting together a story from the footage. “You have all this raw material in front of you, it seems daunting, and it seems like you’re trying to listen to what these raw materials want to tell you,” she said. “And in this case, this footage is the story of this rainy day in the Pacific Northwest

where all these people got together to pour their heart out wanting to protect this land that they love.” As to why she opted for the film medium in telling the story of local landowners, Lillich said, “It was just great to get people together and for us to all vocalize why this land is important to us, I think that’s what came of it.” “It’s a snapshot of a much larger audience,” she added.

“OHA MASK BBQ PARTY!” a headline on the calendar page of Free Oregon’s website reads. “Bring a mask and something to burn.” Organizers of Free Oregon, a non-partisan grassroots movement protecting individual rights “as the framers of the Constitution intended,” announced the planned demonstration for the Jan. 20, the day of Oregon Health Authority’s proposed permanent mask hearing, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. outside the Oregon Health Authority Office on 800 Northeast Oregon Street in Portland. The highly publicized event is hardly the group’s first attempt at swaying Oregon public officials. Free

Oregon organizers have also been the driving force behind numerous lawsuits, including a lawsuit against the Oregon State Board of Nursing and the State of Oregon over vaccine mandates, with variable degrees of success. Free Oregon President Ben Edtl said the case Free Oregon Plaintiffs vs Portland Public Schools, the coalition’s most successful lawsuit to date, stopped the Portland Public School Board from voting in favor of mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 and older. While Edtl continues to carve his path as a watchdog on Twitter, keeping close tabs on the activities of the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, other Free Oregon organizers have directed their social media outreach to Rumble, a more incognito version of media-sharing websites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In recent months, Scappoose-based Freedom Rally, a group holding similar principles to Free Oregon, handed out flyers and held demonstrations along Highway 30 at the intersection of Scappoose High School and High School Way, protesting vaccination mandates for children.

Beware of cryptocurrency, state warns STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is warning Oregonians to use caution when investing in cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens, or other new or volatile products. According to an online broad definition, a cryptocurrency is virtual or digital money that takes the form of tokens or coins. Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that have no government backing. They are typically purchased, used, stored, and traded electronically through digital currency exchanges. They can be traded for goods and services, transferred from one person to another, or held for investment purposes. A nonfungible token – or NFT – is a unique unit of

data that is not interchangeable and is stored on a blockchain. They are often linked to digital works of art, photos, and videos. There are nearly 10,000 active cryptocurrencies and they and NFTs are increasing in popularity. Regulation of these new asset types is still evolving. While there are often promises of big returns consumers often lose money when investing in them. In fact, earlier this month, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) released its annual list of top investor threats, and investments tied to cryptocurrencies and digital assets topped the list. “Scams promising big returns on cryptocurrencies and NFTs are flooding the Internet,” Oregon Division of Financial Regulation Administrator TK Keen

said. “Investors wanting to purchase cryptocurrencies and NFTs should do their homework to make sure they fully understand these investments and their risks before getting involved.” The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation encourages Oregonians to follow these specific recommendations before investing in cryptocurrency or NFTs: • Carefully research these types of investments. Many of these “investment opportunities” are speculative in nature. Before engaging in a transaction, make sure that you understand what you are purchasing, the value of the item purchased, the reason for the valuation, and how easy it is to sell the investment if you want to get out your money. • Use a digital currency

exchange that is licensed with the state to transmit cryptocurrency to someone else. Oregon law requires companies that transfer digital currency from one person to another to be licensed as money transmitters. Digital currency exchange companies that purchase or sell cryptocurrency from their own inventories are not required to be licensed. • Do not spend money you need. The volatility of the digital currency and NFT markets means that you should not purchase cryptocurrency with money that is needed for essential purposes such as food, housing, and gas. Consumers who have questions about these unregulated assets can call the division’s advocates toll-free at 866-814-9710.

Metro Creative Connection

A cryptocurrency is virtual or digital money that takes the form of tokens or coins.

Crossword Puzzle

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: SUPER BOWL ACROSS

1. Shout from a ship? 5. Shout from the bleachers 8. ____ and don’ts 11. Infamous Henry’s number 12. One with COVID, e.g. 13. Fighter jet button 15. Resting stops 16. Not guilty, e.g. 17. One of Singapore’s official languages 18. *Home of last year’s Super Bowl winners 20. Armor chest plate 21. *Given name of 2011 Super Bowl MVP 22. African grazer 23. Greek woodland deities 26. Ramones’ hit “I Wanna Be ____” 30. Big fuss 31. Like certain Chili Peppers (2 words) 34. Cattle call goal 35. Scatterbrained 37. Bonehead 38. In a different direction 39. JetÈ in ballet 40. More so than eggy 42. Conducted 43. Christmas firewood (2 words)

45. Annotator and commentator 47. Soda-pop container 48. Unpleasant and offensive 50. SWAT attack, e.g. 52. *Super Bowl I and II winning coach 55. Pertaining to a pope 56. Cain’s unfortunate brother 57. Gives a hand 59. Anoint 60. BÈbÈ’s mother 61. Season to be jolly 62. *Most Super Bowl wins by one team 63. Snoop 64. Carhop’s load

DOWN

1. *Roman number of this year’s Super Bowl 2. “___ Misbehavin’” 3. Santa Maria’s traveling partner 4. Despair in the face of obstacles 5. “The Hobbit” hobbit 6. “Caribbean Queen” singer 7. Colloquial approval 8. Cold cuts counter 9. South American tubers 10. Pig’s digs 12. Not dense

13. Make corrections 14. *Florida team with no Super Bowl appearances 19. Return punch 22. Come and ____ it 23. Lamentably 24. Bye, to Edith Piaf 25. Bottom line 26. *2022 Super Bowl stadium 27. Upholstery choice 28. *Archie to Super Bowl MVPs Peyton and Eli 29. Exploits 32. *Super Bowl Halftime show Snoops’s “last name” 33. Hardly a beauty 36. *Like some teams 38. Oenophile’s concern 40. Many, many moons 41. Empower 44. Big Dipper’s visible shape 46. Oppressive ruler 48. On the wagon 49. Nail salon board 50. Feminine of raja 51. Mt. Everest to Earth 52. Aladdin’s light 53. Christian of fashion 54. Result of a brainstorm 55. Rudolf Nureyev’s step 58. Stallone’s nickname

Solution to crossword in next week’s issue of The Chronicle.

www.thechronicleonline.com

A8

ENSEMBLE

St. Johns Bridge closure The St. Johns Bridge will close for five nights starting 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31 for maintenance and bridge inspections, according to the Oregon Transportation Department (ODOT). The bridge will close the night of Monday, Jan. 31 from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning. The schedule will repeat Tuesday through Friday nights with the work completed no later than 5 a.m. Saturday,

Feb. 5. The St. Johns Bridge will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists during the work. Flaggers will guide pedestrians and bicyclists across the bridge at the east and west ends of the bridge. ODOT said the closures are needed for maintenance and for the biennial bridge inspection Detours On the bridge’s east side, in St. Johns, travel eastbound on Highway 30 Bypass (North Lombard Street) to southbound

From Page A1

Interstate 5 to Interstate 405 south over the Fremont Bridge to westbound Highway 30. On the bridge’s west side, in Northwest Portland, travel eastbound on Highway 30 to northbound Interstate 405 over the Fremont Bridge to northbound I-5 to North Highway 30 Bypass (North Lombard Street). Emergency vehicles will be allowed over the bridge during the closure times. The last two scheduled TriMet buses of the night, at 10:10 p.m. and 10:18 p.m., will also be allowed to cross each night.

them and any other unvaccinated students till rides could come pick them up to take them home,” she said. “It seemed our only option, so we started making arrangements for the lab tech to meet our students early Friday morning.” The solution

Advisory group volunteers sought Columbia County is seeking volunteers to join a number of county advisory groups. Columbia County’s advisory boards, committees, and commissions provide community perspective to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners about important local issues. Serving on an advisory group offers county residents the opportunity to learn about the county’s work and make recommendations on county programs, services, and policies. Each advisory group has a specific purpose and is governed by operating statutes, according to a release from Columbia County. Terms run from one to six years, depending on the committee or commission and circumstances. Vacancies are generally filled at the end of the calendar

Committee • Traffic Safety Committee • Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee • Civil Service Commission

and fiscal year unless an opening becomes available during the year. Columbia County currently has openings on the following advisory groups: • Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee • Ambulance Service Advisory Committee • CZ Trail Advisory Committee • Local Public Safety Coordinating Council • Solid Waste Advisory

For detailed information about these advisory groups visit online at columbiacountyor.gov/advisory-committees. If you are interested in serving on any of our advisory groups, please submit an online application at columbiacountyor.gov/ advisory-committee-membership-application. The community benefits from the participation of hundreds of individuals volunteering their time and knowledge, according to the county release. “Get involved, share your skills, and help shape our community,” the release reads.

SHHS chaperone Karen Himes contacted Freshner with a new option, offering to give the ensemble students rapid COVID-19 test kits purchased but not used for another student trip. That option would have results before the students needed to get on the bus the following morning for the trip to Eugene. Freshner accepted Himes’ offer and quickly arranged for the students to get the testing completed. “The morning testing went well and by 8:30 we had confirmed all negative results for all our students and they were on their way to meet the band and load (on the bus),” she said. “In the end, we had 100% of our students there and on stage (in Eugene) to perform.” In Eugene The SHHS Ensemble was selected after applying to perform last spring. Various recordings of the band and ensemble performing over the past couple of years were submitted. The school was notified this fall that the wind ensemble was selected to perform at the Eugene event. The SHHS Wind Ensemble performed four

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 selections, including Polly Oliver by Thomas R. Root, Louisiana Parish Sketches by Julie Giroux, Hope Remains Within by Zachary Cairns, and Deus Ex Machina by Randall Standridge. “This set had a lot of contrast and highlighted many of our great players with exposed solos throughout,” she said. “It was just difficult enough to challenge the members of the band but be ready in time for a great performance at the event.” As the students performed, Freshner said she was proud and almost overwhelmed. “As someone who has attended this conference since becoming a music education major in college, performing at this event has always been on my bucket list,” she said. The audience at the Eugene concerts were music educators and students from across the state. “My own high school band director was in the audience along with many colleagues who have never had the opportunity to hear our bands perform at contests or festivals in the past,” Freshner said. “I am so honored we got to do this, and so proud of how well they performed. It was everything I hoped it would be.” The experience in preparing and performing at the All-State event underscores the opportunity for students to gain lifelong lessons, according to Freshner. “These past two years of COVID has been so hard on them, and on our program, but these are the students that put their heads down and persevered through it,” she said. “They easily could

have just given up and quit, but they didn’t. They came out stronger and eager to work.” The Eugene performance in particular allowed the SHHS students to be heard by not only other high school directors but all of the local college directors. “The directors from PSU, OSU, UO, WOU, and SOU were all in the audience hearing our students perform,” she said. “This could be helpful to any of these students as they apply to attend or audition to perform for any of these college ensembles in the future.” What’s next For the rest of this winter and into the early spring the bands will prepare for upcoming festival performances and finish off the basketball pep band season. “In May, over Memorial Day weekend, we are scheduled to perform in Disneyland,” Freshner said. “We will start getting ready for that parade performance in late April.” Freshner said she continues to look for performance opportunities outside of what the SHHS band members typically do each and every year. “I would love to be able to take our bands to perform in places like Washington D.C., New York, or Hawaii,” she said. “These trips are very expensive and take a ton of pre-planning to make happen, but it is something I want to see us do in the future.” The SHHS Wind Ensemble will be performing public concerts in March just before spring break. Follow the group on social media for upcoming performances.

Keep track of your 2022 with the

IMAGES OF COLUMBIA COUNTY CALENDAR Raul Ochoa

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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

A9

Crossword Solution

To Your Health

Solution for the Jan. 19, 2021 crossword puzzle

Impact of stress relief drinking MOLLY ROSBACH Chronicle Guest Article

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Hudson Garbage Service would like to thank the following for being a part of bringing many smiles to our youth this Christmas Season. Teevin Bro’s St.Hexion, Helens Kiwanis Inc. Oxbo Nancy Hudson St. Helens Grocery Outlet Nick Julie Teeter Cityand of St. Helens TheDr. Catlow Family Garrison Paulson’s Printing The Lohman Family Blake Millar Jason and Brenda Edith Catlow Hudson Karen and Mark Catlow Scappoose Boosters Nancy Hudson Kiwanis Club of St. Jason andHelens Brenda Hudson The Lohman Family Barlow Bikes Knife River Herb Bailey Rich Bailey Const

Sunset Auto Parts HomesHigh The Portrait Scappoose Simply Pictures by Jennifer School Employees Woolf Schnitzer Steel Schnitzer Steel DHS Drakes Towing The Rainier Giving Tree Sherlock Homes (The Scappoose Meyers PaulsonFred Group) St. HelensWA Septic Woodland, WalMart PBS General Equipment Co. St. Helens Wal-Mart Sweet Zu Snacks Hudson Employees and HudsonFamilies. Employees and Families St. Helens Walmart

When drinking for stress relief, people may make risky decisions because the alcohol affects how much they worry about unknown or unpredictable stressors, new research from Oregon State University (OSU) shows. For example, if someone is driving intoxicated but knows their entire route home by heart, they can respond to known stressors like a stop sign; but if another driver or pedestrian does something unexpected, the person’s intoxication makes them less responsive to that new, unknown stressor. “Drinking alcohol may make people care less about unpredictable things, and that’s not necessarily a good thing,” said Daniel Bradford, co-author on the study and an assistant professor in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts. “When you’re drinking you may make risky decisions because you don’t worry about what you can’t predict when you’re drunk.” Bradford’s psychology lab, established in fall 2021 at Oregon State, is studying the mechanisms of human response to stressors and how drug use can change those responses. There’s nothing inherently wrong with using substances to reduce your stress level, Bradford said. “But if some people use a drug or alcohol to reduce their stress enough times and to enough extent, then some people will start to have what seems like a change in their physiology, where they tend to be more stressed than normal when they don’t have that drug in their system,” he said. “Their physiology gets

Metro Creative Connection

OSU researchers are studying the mechanisms of human response to stressors and how alcohol and drug use can change those responses.

used to having that drug on board to reduce their stress, instead of the normal processes we have on board to reduce our stress, so over time, your body doesn’t do those natural processes. It doesn’t happen for everyone, but it is a big component of addiction for some people.”

When you’re drinking you may make risky decisions because you don’t worry about what you can’t predict when you’re drunk. ~ Daniel Bradford, study co-author

For the study, conducted at the University of Miami, researchers recruited 128 participants ages 21-35 with no history of alcohol problems and gave some of them cocktails with alcohol and some only a placebo. For the experiment, the group receiving alcohol had an aver-

age blood-alcohol content of 0.07%, just under the legal driving limit. They tested participants’ responses to different types of stressors by attaching electrodes to their fingers and delivering minor shocks — some with a specific warning about how strong the shock would be, and some with more vague information. None were enough to cause pain; the strongest shocks were roughly equivalent to what you’d get from a prank hand buzzer, Bradford said. The study was preregistered, meaning that the researchers were clear from the start about what they planned to study, the methods they would use and the way they would process and analyze their data, and adhered to those methods throughout the process. Preregistration has become more of a mainstream concern in the past decade as a way to ensure ethical, transparent research practices. The warnings came in the form of visual cues on a screen, where participants would see a gray box with ei-

VALENTINES From Page A1

in Columbia County. We’ve mailed additional valentines to veterans. When we have had extra valentines in the past, we’ve spent the day visiting residents, and decorating the dining room at the VA Medical Center in Vancouver. We’ve also provided some to the Hometown Hero’s project that sent valentines to active military with our local National Guard unit. Along the way, our volunteers have had the opportunity to meet veterans serving during peacetime and various wars dating back to WWII, from every branch of service and Special Forces, and some that were POWS. Everywhere we went, we shook veterans’ hands, gave them a hug, a valentine and candy, and thanked them for their service and the freedoms we enjoy today in this country. Some were confined to their beds, were unable to speak, or had serious injuries and health concerns. Some told us their story, some were quiet, and some got choked up, but all accepted our gifts with pride. Many of their stories touched our hearts and we were overcome with emotion. We all came out of it feeling proud to be Americans and committed to remembering these brave men and women in the future. Every volunteer that has participated in this project has expressed to me how meaningful it was for them. Most of them

Courtesy photo from Monica Cade

Volunteers gathered at the Rainier Senior Center to assemble the hand-crafted valentines. A similar project was conducted at the Scappoose Senior Center.

have spouses and other family members that have served, and this was a great opportunity for them to give back. It’s possible it may be more difficult to deliver valentines this year due to many organizations not meeting in person or hosting events we have attended in the past due to COVID-19, but we will do our best to let our local heroes know we appreciate them. Due to COVID-19, we were not able to host Valentines for Vets in 2021. But because of increased interest in this program, we decided to host two events this year to give more opportunities for volunteers to participate. We took as many safety precautions for COVID-19 as possible to make it a safe event for seniors with cleaning our hands, wearing masks, wearing

gloves when selecting craft items, and social distancing. Thirty-five volunteers participated this year; many of them have come year after year to help. The Chronicle: What other projects does RSVP conduct during the year and why those projects? Cade: We have many other projects during the year we also work on. RSVP partners with various local organizations such as food banks and senior centers to support volunteers 55 and older. RSVP hosts the Free lunch for seniors and veterans at the Columbia County Fair, along with the My Fair Lady pageant honoring outstanding senior ladies throughout Columbia County. We host other volunteer rec-

ther a question mark, a range of numbers or a specific number indicating the level of the upcoming shock. The shocks came six seconds following the warning. While the severity of the shock had an effect on people’s stress response — as measured by eye blinks and EEG readings of their heart rates — the uncertainty had the biggest impact. “If you tell someone they’re going to get a low shock or a high shock, or you say that it can’t be any higher than ‘X,’ people still have a stronger physiological response when they don’t know how big it’s going to be, even when they know that it can’t be any bigger than the biggest number you told them,” Bradford said. The experiment also tested how the controllability of a stressor affects the person’s response to it, by sometimes giving participants the ability to reduce the upcoming shock by a few degrees. But the effect on stress response was minimal, the study found. “In terms of size, I will honestly say none of these things are huge effects,” Bradford said. “There are all kinds of other factors that are going to predict how much of an effect alcohol has, and further down the road, how much something matters in terms of risk for addiction. The big thing is that alcohol actually lowers your stress response to all of these types of stressors.” That said, he added, it’s still important to determine which types of stressors are most important for which people. Molly Rosbach works at the OSU Department of Marketing and Research. She may be reached at molly. rosbach@oregonstate.edu ognition events throughout the year for volunteers too. RSVP volunteers sit at the reception desk at the courthouse welcoming and directing guests where they need to go. In the past, RSVP volunteers have volunteered in local schools helping kids read; since COVID-19 they have pivoted to other projects to help our students succeed - Volunteers have recorded 101 video book ‘read alouds’ for teachers to use. RSVP volunteers host the Summer Lunch Book Exchange with the St. Helens School District to encourage kids to read during the summer. RSVP also partners with the Day Breakers Kiwanis for our Teen Support Program and works with the school district to help teens with the highest needs throughout the year. On the 20th anniversary of 9-11, RSVP collected letters of appreciation from the community and presented them to local police, fire, sheriff and 911 departments for a 9-11 Day of Remembrance project. Columbia County Retired Senior and Volunteer Program (RSVP) is a nonprofit senior support organization located at 270 Columbia Blvd. in St. Helens. It is associated with AmeriCorps Seniors. RSVP has been sponsored locally by Columbia River Fire & Rescue for over 20 years. Anyone interested in becoming involved with RSVP should contact Director Monica Cade at cadem@crfr. com, or call 503-397-5655.

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A10

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

State’s jobless rate edges down

Metro Creative Connection

Specific decisions about how the cash will be distributed in Columbia County are expected in the next few months. Metro Creative Connection

The Oregon Employment Department report is a key economic indicator illustrating the state’s job growths and declines. STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in December, edging down from 4.2% in November and illustrates the 20th consecutive month of declines in Oregon’s unemployment rate. The state jobless rate is a key indicator of economies in Columbia County and across the state. Nonfarm payroll employment in Oregon rose by 8,200 in December, following a revised gain of 9,200 jobs in November. Throughout 2021, monthly job gains averaged 8,900. In December, gains were largest in leisure and hospitality (+2,600 jobs), health care and social assistance (+1,200), manufacturing (+900), and professional and business services (+900). None of the major industries had a big drop in jobs during

December. Leisure and hospitality added 2,600 jobs in December, following a gain of 3,700 in November. Despite these gains, leisure and hospitality still accounts for a large share of Oregon’s jobs not recovered since early 2020, with 23,200 jobs left to recover to reach the prior peak month of February 2020. The industry has regained 79% of jobs lost early in the pandemic. Manufacturing added 900 jobs in December and 1,000 jobs in November, continuing its steady recovery over the past year and a half. Recent job gains were strongest in nondurable goods manufacturing, including food manufacturing which employed 28,700 in December, a level close to each of the four Decembers prior to the recession. Administrative and waste services added jobs at a fast clip, averaging 1,400 per

month over the past four months. Demand is hot for temporary help supply and employee leasing firms, as the employment services industry added 9,500 jobs, good for 25% growth, over the year. These gains were countered by declines in another component industry: business support services, which has steadily declined from 16,000 jobs six years ago to 9,900 jobs in December 2021. Reductions within the category were concentrated in telephone call centers, and to a lesser extent, copy shops. The Oregon Employment Department report shows 2,087,934 employed and 78,329 unemployed in December 2021. In December 2020, there were 1,996,117 employed and 131,658 unemployed. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% in November to 3.9% in December.

St. Helens High School Sports Schedule Wednesday Jan. 26 • Girls Basketball vs Milwaukie, Varsity 7:15 p.m., JV @ McBride 4:30 p.m. • Boys Basketball vs Milwaukie, Varsity 5:45 p.m., JV 4:15 p.m. JV2 @ McBride 6 p.m. Thursday Jan. 27 • Girls Basketball @

Scappoose, 5:45 p.m. JV., 7:15 p.m. Varsity • Boys Basketball vs Scappoose 4:15 p.m. 5:45 p.m., Varsity at 7:15 p.m. • Wrestling @ Parkrose

$89,500 for food, shelter assistance JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Columbia County will receive $89,500 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county. The federal funds are being awarded under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. This funding is above and beyond what the county has traditionally received for food and shelter assistance. “The National Board creates a funding formula each fiscal year based on local emergencies, unemployment data, and poverty rates to distribute funds,” United Way of Columbia County’s Claire Catt told The Chronicle. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, Columbia County will be receiving nearly $50,000 more than in normal years.” The selection was made by a national board that is chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and consists of representatives from United Way of America, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, United Jewish Communities,

• Girls Wrestling @ Hood River

Catholic Charities, USA and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S. A. The national board will provide the administrative staff and function as fiscal agent. The board is charged with distributing funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high need areas around the country. A local board made up of representatives from local government, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Community Churches, homeless and other community representatives will determine how the funds awarded to Columbia County are to be distributed. “Our local board will convene in mid-February, with award announcements by March 1st,” Catt said. “Agencies are required to complete some documentation directly to the National Board to receive funding.” Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1. Be private voluntary non-profits or units of gov-

ernment. 2. Be eligible to receive Federal funds. 3. Have an accounting system. 4. Practice nondiscrimination and provide a copy of their policy on their letterhead. 5. Have no previous noncompliance or returned funds via the emergency food and shelter program. 6. Have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs within Columbia County. 7. If they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. 8. Organizations must have a permanent Columbia County presence. Qualifying organizations are urged to apply. Completed applications may be submitted by 5 p.m. Feb. 7. To request an application, contact the United Way of Columbia County, call Claire Catt at 360-430-6778 or email info@unitedwayofcolumbiacounty.com. Send applications to Attn: EFSP Board, PO Box 538, Rainier, OR 97048.

Monday Jan. 31 • Girls Basketball vs LaSalle Prep • Boys Basketball @ LaSalle Prep

Saturday Jan. 29 • Swim @ Parkrose • Boys Wrestling @ Joe Stewart (Putnam HS)

For more information, contact St. Helens High School at 503-397-1900.

New this year! Publishing the week of February 12

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Send us a message to your valentine and we’ll publish it in print in our special publication, The Valentine Edition. Deadline to participate is February 7, 2022. The Valentine Edition prints the week of February 12 in The Chronicle, The News Advertiser and The Chief. Please make your message 20 words or less. Be sure to add your Valentine’s first name and your name, or initials, at the end.

Email your message to: chronicleads@countrymedia.net or mail to The Chronicle Advertising Department, PO Box 1153 St. Helens, OR 97051. Also, you can find this promotion on our social media accounts, www. facebook.com/sthelenschronicle, www.facebook.com/thechiefnews, twitter.com/SHChronicle, or twitter.com/thechiefnews and enter your message as a comment there.

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2022

Friday, February 11 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

Saturday, February 12 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

AN EXHIBIT OF LOCAL QUILTS OLD AND NEW Featured Quilter: Cathy Lundberg, member of Columbia River Piece Makers Quilt Guild

Enjoy a lunch of homemade soups, sandwiches and pies for a donation or nominal fee for take out. Browse used books, puzzles and take home delicious baked goods.

EXHIBITORS

Bring your quilts to display Thursday, February 10 from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Call Chris Mollenhour at 503-888-7540 for more information.

34721 Church Rd. Warren, OR, 97053 (1/4 mile off Hwy 30) Columbia County’s trusted local news source

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Our office is looking for a friendly, bright, self motivated individual to join our team. You will be responsible for general clinic administrative work and maintenance, as well as completing lab work under the direction of the dentist. Your primary responsibility is to prepare the examination rooms for appointments by sterilizing instruments and ensuring all necessary equipment is ready for the dentist. You would also assist the dentist during their procedures by handing them instruments and anticipating their needs throughout the appointment. You would update and maintain client’s dental records, perform routine dental polishings, and advise patients on recommended oral hygiene.

About Us and Who We Want to Join Our Team:

Healthy Smiles of Scappoose is a fixture of the local community. We have been serving patients for over 50 years throughout the area. Our patients know us, and we know them. We are recognized as the go-to family dental practice because of our loyal team and our commitment to health. Due to growth and expansion, as well as retirement of one of our long-term employees, we are looking for an assistant to join our cohesive team. This is a full-time position (4 days/week, ~32 hours/week) working Monday through Thursday. We have long-term employees at our practice. The newest hire has been here for 3 years. Some of our employees have worked for us for decades. This demonstrates our commitment to our employees. This is not just “a job” but rather a livelihood. We are committed to employee appreciation, kindness, understanding, and a positive mindset. Our overriding goal is to first find a person who will enjoy being a member of our team, both as part of the organization as a whole and specifically with our incredible team of dental professionals. Characteristics that we are looking for include: • Team collaborative outlook, • Patient-centric and solutions/problem solving approach, • Fun-natured and a sense of humor, • Good communication skills (written and verbal) • Self-motivated attitude, • A desire to make a difference We are committed to each employee’s success. As such, we invest time, energy, and money in onboarding and training to ensure competency and confidence with the type and kind of patients we serve. This, combined with your qualifications, represents a winning formula for long-term professional success.

Additional Information:

Our practice offers a relaxed work environment, places a high value on work/life balance, and located in Scappoose. This position offers an excellent benefit package that includes: PTO, paid holidays, medical insurance, dental services for you and your immediate family, and a retirement plan. Starting salary will depend on experience and qualifications. If you believe this opportunity represents a fit for you, please send a cover letter and an up-to-date resume to: jessica@healthysmilesofscappoose.com