SHC412

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

No Confidence Vote delivered to CRFR by Union

The St. Helens Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 3215, has issued a vote of no confidence in Fire Chief Joel Medina of Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR).

“The vote passed unanimously. Local 3215 cites Medina’s unprofessionalism, conduct unbecoming, inability to responsibly manage District finances, professional incompetence, and failed leadership as some of the concerns leading to their decision,” according to a release from the Association.

The following is from the Association:

The Fire Fighters, Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Techni-

Serving Columbia County since 1881

Big Ship

Lawsuit filed against CRFR

Alawsuit has been filed against Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) by two former employees.

The lawsuit filed in Columbia County Circuit Court alleges sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, retaliation for whistleblowing, gross financial mismanagement, protected medical leave interference, and wrongful termination.

Jennifer Motherway and Anika Todd, two former CRFR employees, filed the lawsuit through their attorney Rebecca Cambreleng Friday, April 7.

The former employees are seeking $822,217.92 in damages, citing sexual harassment, retaliation for whistleblowing, a hostile work environment, unethical hiring practices, and financial mismanagement under CRFR Fire Chief Joel Medina.

ployees who “were forced to leave” during Chief Medina’s tenure, the lawsuit states.

Sexual harassment and hostile work environment

Many of the allegations against CRFR relate to Fire Chief Medina, who took control of the fire district in December 2021. Chief Medina previously worked as a fire chief in Florida at Village of Tequesta Fire Rescue.

The lawsuit alleges that inappropriate behavior on Chief Medina’s behalf began mere weeks after his arrival at CRFR.

When Plaintiff Todd refused the offer to be his “personal assistant,” Chief Medina stated that she would “never be more than a receptionist.”

“Chief Medina then attempted to direct Plaintiff Motherway to be his ‘personal assistant,’” the suit states. “When Plaintiff Motherway protested that she had too much on her plate, Chief Medina told her she needed to ‘focus on [his] needs.’”

In addition to inappropriate sexual misconduct, the suit alleges that Chief Medina was abusive to female staff, screaming, making threats, using inappropriate language, and using physical aggression to express emotion.

cians of Local 3215 work diligently to always remain prepared to address the dynamic conditions and unique challenges that the Fire Service brings. Unfortunately, these efforts have been hampered by having to both work and live in a hostile and toxic environment fostered by Medina since his arrival to our District. As a result, members face worsening morale and working conditions, and are continually forced to answer to upper management that does not demonstrate or uphold the same morals and ethics as the membership of Local 3215.

Local 3215 also expresses concern about Medina’s mismanagement of taxpayer money and

“This is an action for sexual harassment, retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment based on sex, retaliation for whistleblowing of gross mismanagement and waste of funds by a public entity, protected medical leave interference and retaliation and wrongful termination,” the filing on Motherway and Todd’s behalf stated.

Motherway started at CRFR in 2012 and worked as the district’s recruitment and retention coordinator and public information officer. Todd began working at the district in 2018 as an administrative and financial assistant. On February 7, 2023, both workers were “laid off,” but the layoff was a pretext for unlawful termination, according to the filing.

Motherway and Todd were two of seven female administrative em-

Chief Medina would show female subordinates pictures of scantily clad women, telling them that’s how they dressed where he came from, and that his last assistant was “hot” and all the other males were jealous of him,” The lawsuit states. “This was said while complaining that the women in the office dressed like “construction workers,” indicating that he would like them to dress more provocatively.”

The lawsuit states that despite being told that his conduct was making the female support staff uncomfortable, Chief Medina’s behavior continued.

In June of 2021, Todd made a complaint about Chief Medina’s “inappropriate behavior” to then Finance Director and Human Resources Manager Merit Nelson. No investigation was conducted, according to the suit.

Chief Medina also pressured female administrative staff, including the plaintiffs, to be his “personal assistant.” This was a position that was not budgeted, and has not been an existing position in the past, the suit states.

In May of 2022, the Finance Manager at the time submitted a grievance to Chief Erick Holsey against Cheif Medina, Human Resources Manager Kate Lehner, and Deputy Chief Eric Smythe. The grievance was elevated to the board. However, the employee ultimately resigned to the hostile work environment, the suit states.

In June of 2022, the board of directors hired William Landis of Pacific Consulting and Investigations LLC to conduct an investigation into the female claims of a hostile work environment.

“Upon learning about this investigation, Chief Medina told employees they needed to be ‘loyal to the district and no one else,’” the lawsuit alleges.

Financial mismanagement and unethical hiring

In addition to the sexual harassment allegations, the lawsuit alleges financial wrongdoings by the chief

CCSO levy aims to add new deputies

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) has proposed a property tax that will appear on the May ballot. Sheriff

Brian Pixley hopes that the fouryear local option levy will enable the addition of seven new deputies for Columbia County.

The new tax would be 29 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. This means a home taxed on a $400,000 assessed value would add $116 to its yearly property tax bill.

Sheriff Pixley believes this measure will address what he says has been an issue for a long time.

“For years, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office has been chronically underfunded and understaffed. This puts our Columbia County residents at risk as well as our Deputies and city police officers,” Pixley said. “Our Deputies are dealing with over twice the number of calls for service per deputy per year as the officers in the busiest city in Columbia County. This levy would decrease that individual call load, provide for faster response times, and increase the safety for Columbia County residents.”

The Enforcement Division encompasses eight distinct service units with a total staff of 15 Deputies, one Detective, and one K-9, according to the CCSO website. Pixley says that the need for more deputies will help provide 24/7 coverage for all of Columbia

County.

“Currently, St. Helens Police Department is the only 24/7 law enforcement in the county, which doesn’t help residents outside of the city limits,” Pixley said. “This levy would allow for county-wide 24/7 coverage. During the busiest hours of the day, deputies would be assigned to specific districts in the county (north county, south county, and Nehalem Valley), which would further reduce response times and provide better service to citizens.”

The base tax rate for county operations as of now is $1.39 per $1,000. Pixley wants to retain the current base tax, allowing the levy to supplement the existing tax revenue. County residents already pay another CCSO levy which funds jail operations at a rate of 58 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. This means that taxpayers would pay around 87 cents per $1,000 on both levies.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Association has seen a contract increase of 10 percent, according to Columbia County’s website. The salary increase means that the cost of hiring new deputies will also increase. According to the levy, the 29 cents per $1,000 will raise

estimated as a levy

Pixley says that if the levy is not passed, the CCSO will not be able to add more deputies, and there will be issues with their service as a result.

Kelli Nicholson / Country Media, Inc.

One of the largest cargo ships to be on the Columbia River, traveled from Seattle, through Astoria, passing St. Helens and arriving in Portland this last week. The vessel, MSC Katie, is 1,200 feet long and 158 feet wide.

The MSC can carry 12,400 20-foot containers. The large ship was built in 2012 with a deadweight of 154,792 and gross tonnage of 140,096. The MSC Katie was moored in Portland, then departed for Vancouver, Canada, where it was moored as of April 11, before it heads to Korea. See more photos with this story at thechronicleonline.com.

Courtesy photo

Fire Chief Joel Medina took the oath of office in January 2021.

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

Homeless camping ordinance under review

Efforts to best define a new city ordinance allowing the homeless to camp on certain public property with the city limits continues to be reviewed by the St. Helens Planning Commission.

Oregon House Bill 3115 was scheduled to be discussed by the planning commission during a public session April 11.

House Bill 3115 provides “that local law regulating sitting, lying, sleeping or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to public must be objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner with regards to persons experiencing homelessness.”

The key points are the “time, manner, and place” regulations. People who will rest or camp on public property must be provided “objectively reasonable” guidelines

that dictate when, where, and how they can reside.

Background

Oregon law requires that cities have laws that are objectionably reasonable to people experiencing houseless when it comes to regulating the act of sitting, lying, sleeping, or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property open to the public. After its passage, City of St. Helens staff began meeting in 2021 to discuss HB 3115 and what it might mean to St. Helens. “We want to ensure that whatever rules we change continue to provide a safe and livable community while meeting the needs of houseless individuals,” St. Helens City Administrator John Walsh said. “In 2022 and 2023, the city began reaching out to community partners and relevant boards and commissions to gather feedback”

Walsh said that since the legislation does not go into effect until July 2023, there is no body of case law to help guide the city’s policy decisions as compared to a subject such as search and seizure which has decades of case law to inform a jurisdiction when making their own policies.

“The newness of the bill also means that there is no model code for us to use as a starting point in developing a code for St. Helens,” he said.

“There is not a road map to address the issues surrounding HB 3115. Cities across the state are addressing this complex issue, and the City of St. Helens has opted to work with specialized legal counsel to navigate these necessary changes.”

The Oregon Legislature has given jurisdictions until July 1, 2023, to adopt any changes related to the bill.

To meet this deadline, the St. Helens Planning Commission

had scheduled discuss of any ordinance changes related to HB 3115 at its April 11 meeting. Walsh said the city council expects to review rules on April 19. Ordinances require a first and second reading and then take 30 days to go into effect under non-emergency circumstances.

Next steps

According to Walsh, the city has yet to make any conclusive decisions about the proposed ordinance.

“Based on the current feedback we have received, managed sites are not the preferred direction we have heard from community groups,” he said. “City staff needs to gather feedback from the April meetings with the planning commission and city council in order to draft an ordinance for consideration.”

Planning Commission Chair Steve Toschi said the

review is a significant opportunity for the public to better understand the potential ordinance.

“This will be the first time in the history of St. Helens, as far as I know, that the Planning Commission will be presenting a statute to the City of St. Helens for its consideration,” Toschi said. “The Planning Commission is sending a historical piece of proposed legislation that’s been well thought through and vetted.”

Toschi said he wants to determine whether the steps that are being taken are objectively reasonable from the perspective of people experiencing homelessness. Toschi is concerned about potential lawsuits against the city due to HB 3115.

“It’s my personal opinion that people should attend and listen and be aware; I just simply want an awareness that the issue is being discussed, and that they

definitely should be interested in this issue, it may affect them,” Toschi said.

“Our job is to make decisions that help our community thrive,” St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done in making a final decision about HB 3115, and even after a decision is made, we can still make changes to our rules if it’s necessary.”

“The decisions we make as a Council are guided by a goal of bolstering a livable and safe community,” St. Helens City Councilor Mark Gundersen said. “That’s the lens we will use as we discuss any code changes because of HB 3115 and as we hear the recommendations and feedback from the St. Helens community. “

Follow this developing story at thechronicleonline. com and in the Wednesday print editions of the Chronicle.

Holocaust survivor to speak at St. Helens Public Library

Holocaust survivor Ruth Bollinger will speak at the St. Helens Public Library Columbia Center Auditorium at 4 p.m. on April 14.

Columbia County Coalition for Human Dignity (CCCHD) is organizing the free event, and Bollinger is a speaker with the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE). CCCHD is an organization that has existed for more than 30 years, seeking to raise awareness in Columbia County on human dignity

CCCHD’s mission statement says:

“CCCHD believes in the worth of every person. We believe that democracy flour-

ishes when all of our citizens are included. We are working to assure the basic rights and human dignity for all Oregonians.”

Organizer Elaine Nussbaum of CCCHD says that getting Bollinger to Columbia County has been a long time in the making.

“We actually wanted to do this before the pandemic,” Nussbaum said. “We actually had it all nailed down for Ruth Bollinger to do a presentation three years ago in April, and the pandemic happened, and we had to kind of put it on hold.”

Nussbaum said that educational events such as these are essential in the face of the wave of anti-semitism that has been seen in recent years. For those interested in attending the event, masks will be required as Bollinger is immunocompromised.

City to improve safety at Godfrey Park

Park background

Godfrey Park has a covered picnic shelter, playground equipment, four horseshoe courts, a horse statue bike back, picnic tables, and park benches.

Background on Bollinger and the OJMCHE

The OJMCHE explores the legacy of the Jewish experience in Oregon, teaches the enduring and universal relevance of the Holocaust, and provides opportunities for intercultural conversations.

To that end, the OJMCHE has a variety of programs, exhibitions, and speakers to help engage visitors, community members, teachers, and students. According to their website, these programs and initiatives “celebrate and explore, in the broadest terms, Jewish contributions to world

culture and ideas, issues of identity, and the forces of prejudice.”

The Holocaust was one of the darkest events in human history. Between 1933 and 1945, the genocide claimed the lives of over six million Jews and millions of other lives lost at the hands of the Nazi regime.

According to her bio on the OJMCHE website, Ruth Bollinger was born in March of 1938 in Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. Born to Jewish parents, Bollinger and her family were forced to flee their home in September of 1938 when Nazi Germany seized part of

Czechoslovakia. This move set off an “odyssey of flight and hiding, which lasted nearly 36 months and spanned five countries with us eventually emigrating to the United States.”

Ruth speaks about her family’s experience because she sees the critical necessity of educating young people about the Holocaust, the OJMCHE website states.

Find out more about Ruth’s story at ojmche.org, and attend her presentation Friday at 4 p.m., April 14th, at the St. Helens Public Library.

The ravine at the south side of Godfrey Park has parents concerned for their children’s safety.

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

City of St. Helens park crew members will install a 180-foot fence between the slide, seesaws, and elevated bars and a ravine on the South side of Godfrey Park.

The change is being made to address safety concerns about the proximity of play equipment adjacent to the steep slope, at the park, located at N 4th Street in St. Helens.

“The playground equipment is near the edge of a ravine, and installing fencing

will increase the safety of park visitors,” Communications Officer for St. Helens Crystal King said. The park will remain open while the fence is completed. Construction has yet to begin as the city awaits the arrival of fencing materials. Once the materials arrive, the parks crew will have their work cut out for them.

“Post holes will first need to be hammered into the basalt rock in the park,” King said. “The Parks crew hopes to begin construction within a month.”

There is no estimated completion date at this time.

In 2015, the City’s Parks and Trails Master Plan recommended improvements to Godfrey Park, including restrooms and a natural playground, according to King. According to a Chronicle report in February 2019, the city had budgeted $30,000 for the park. In 2019, the City of St. Helens agreed to receive consulting services from design services provider Mackenzie.

“In 2019, a landscape architecture firm created a Godfrey Park natural playground design for the city,” King said. “After reviewing the design, the project did not move forward due to lack of funding for the equipment.”

Renovations for the park were never completed.

Follow developments at thechronicleonline.com and in the Wednesday print editions of the Chronicle.

Sunday, April 23, 2023, at 3 p.m.

Tickets: Adults $15, Senior $13, Child FREE at Clatskanie Mid/High School 471 Bel Air Dr. Clatskanie, Oregon www.clatskaniearts.org

Position: Dental Hygienist

Position Summary:

In our practice, our hygienists are often the first place our patients receive compassionate and necessary healthcare. Our hygienists do not simply clean teeth; they are instrumental in achieving optimal health.

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 we are looking for a hygienist to join our cohesive team. This is a full-time position (4 days/week, ~32 hours/week) working Monday through Thursday but we are willing to split the days into 2 part time positions. We have long-term employees at our practice. 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

Courtesy of Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education

Ruth Bollinger and her family escaped the Holocaust, coming to the safety of the United States in 1941.

America’s first woman governor had crazy early life

If you ask most Oregonians who the first woman governor in state history was, they’ll have an immediate answer … but they’ll be wrong.

Conventional wisdom holds that the first woman to take the gubernatorial purple in the Beaver State was Barbara Roberts, who was elected to the job in 1990.

In fact, that’s almost true … but, of course, “almost” doesn’t work very well as an answer to a true-or-false question.

The truth is, Barbara Roberts was the first elected woman governor in Oregon history. But the first woman to serve as governor of Oregon — or any other state, for that matter — was a remarkable woman named Caralyn B. Shelton.

Caralyn Shelton

It was because of Caralyn Shelton that Oregon, for one historic weekend in early 1909, became the first and only state in the nation with a female governor. This was especially ironic because it wasn’t until 1912 that women won the right to vote in Oregon.

Caralyn Shelton was born in 1876 to Willis and Mary Skiff, prominent members of the business community in the town of Union. Willis was the town’s Justice of the Peace.

By all signs Caralyn’s early childhood was a happy one; but it was derailed by an unknown hand on the night of July 24, 1886, when Willis Skiff disappeared from a deserted railroad platform as he waited for a midnight train. Foul play was strongly suspected; and Pinkerton detectives scoured the scene looking for some sign of his body; but none was ever found. The case is still unsolved to this day.

Two years later the other shoe dropped. Following a short illness, Mary Skiff died in 1888, leaving Caralyn and her two siblings, Nolan and Mabel, as orphans.

So the three children were more or less adopted by Judge John W. Shelton, an attorney and president of the Union Railway, who had handled Willis Skiff’s estate after his death. Shelton and his wife, Mary, had been unable to have children, so having a “readymade family” come and fill their empty nest worked out nicely for everyone involved — or so it seemed.

Published rumors

But Judge Shelton seems to have been a pretty serious rascal, to put it mildly, because a couple years later, while Mary was on an extended visit to her family back home in California, he apparently got some friends to publish rumors about her engaging in lewd and promiscuous behavior.

(This was, of course, back in the day when one needed a good reason to get a divorce.)

The instant these reports were out, Shelton, citing these false published claims (which none of my sources were indelicate enough to get specific about), sued for and got a quick divorce from Mary … and then turned around and married his young ward, Caralyn. The two of them actually eloped, if that’s an appropriate word, across the state line to Weiser, Idaho, to tie the knot.

Mary Shelton returned home to find herself divorced and penniless, and with all of Union County atwitter about whatever nasty and slutty things old man Shelton’s friends had claimed she did.

The 1800s was a time when older men commonly married young women; but they were not usually that old, or that young. Shelton was well past his mid-40s. Caralyn had just turned

16 a few days before. She was Shelton’s stepdaughter. She’d been living in his house since she was 12 years old and she’d looked upon him as a father figure. Had he taken advantage of that relationship to initiate a statutory-rape relationship with her before divorcing his wife? Well, yeah, of course he had. Had that been the real reason he wanted to divorce Mary?

We don’t know, and neither did all the neighbors, but that wasn’t (and isn’t) stopping any of us from speculating about it.

Certainly that is exactly the conclusion Mary Shelton drew from this chain of events, and she immediately got an attorney and set about suing Shelton’s big-mouthed friends for $50,000 for libel, and Shelton himself to have the divorce overturned.

Mary Shelton got a court of law in 1894 to overturn her divorce and thereby annul young Caralyn’s marriage. By this time, though, John Shelton had actually died, so the fight was no longer over the man, but over his estate.

Out of that fight Mary emerged victorious, so she inherited Shelton’s estate, and Caralyn, her reputation hopelessly sullied in Union through no fault of her own (I mean, come on, she was a child when all this happened), decided to stay in Portland — where she and her ersatz husband had moved shortly after their marriage.

Needing a job, she took one as a stenographer for a young attorney named George Chamberlain.

(A quick side note: Mary Shelton subsequently sued for and was granted a reinstatement of the divorce from her by-now-long-dead husband. Historian Richard Roth suggests she probably did so to avoid being held liable for his business debts.)

Unwidowed

Over the following few years as the newly “unwidowed” Caralyn settled into her work, her new boss, George Chamberlain, noticed his young typist’s aptitude for the law, which she had probably cultivated during the year or two when she’d been married to John Shelton.

Shelton, who’d had to start up a new law practice in Portland after slinking out of Union with his new child-wife, no doubt had pressed her into service as an unpaid legal assistant while he was working to build up his business. If so, the skills she learned served her well in her new job. (But we’ll probably never know, because in the few interviews she did over the years for newspaper stories, she never said a word about old man Shelton, giving all credit for her legal training to Chamberlain.)

Soon Chamberlain had Caralyn functioning more or less as a paralegal for him, drafting legal documents for his review and signature and doing deep research. Soon she was an irreplacable part of his office.

In 1902, Chamberlain threw his hat into the ring for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Oregon. He won the job with a narrow majority, and then it was time to move to Salem.

Naturally, Chamberlain wanted his most valuable aide to come with him to the capitol. And when he was setting about building his cabinet, he appointed her to the position of Governor’s Private Secretary.

To modern ears, “Governor’s Private Secretary” sounds like a frivolous position at best — or maybe like the name of a “sexy” Halloween costume from that Spirit Halloween store that pops up in vacant storefronts every September. But that’s because for the last 100 years or so we have all gotten used to the idea of secretaries being little more than typewriter operators

and call screeners.

A secretary in 1902 was much more than that, more like a junior executive — a secretary in the “secretary of defense” or “secretary of state” sense of the word. In 1902 it was almost unprecedented for a woman to have the job of private secretary to a state governor. Caralyn may actually have been the first one in the nation.

Serving as governor

Chamberlain served six years — one and a half terms — as Oregon governor with Caralyn Shelton by his side. His wife, Sallie Welch Chamberlain, had no desire to leave her social and family connections up in Portland and was more than busy with their seven children, so the Chamberlains maintained their home up in the big town for the family and George “batched it” in the governor’s mansion, traveling home as frequently as he could. Caralyn basically took over the social-secretarial functions of a First Lady so that Sallie could focus on her family up north.

In his book, historian Richard Roth says she and Chamberlain likely had an long-running affair during this time, and that may be so, but I’ve found nothing in my research that supports or even suggests this, and Salem has never been a town that can keep a secret, especially one involving both sex and partisan politics, for anywhere near that long

Resigned as governor

Halfway through his second term in office, Chamberlain ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, and won the election. He resigned his office as governor in favor of his Secretary of State, Frank W. Benson, and prepared to board an eastbound train to take his new seat.

There was a problem, though.

The entire freshman crop of senators from all across the country, every new senator who had won the 1908 election, was slated to be sworn in and seated on March 4, 1909. As seniority was determined by the date of swearing-in, all those senators, including Chamberlain, would have equal seniority to one another … unless one of them arrived in D.C. late and missed the swearing-in. If that happened, the latecomer would be junior to all the other members of his incoming class.

And that was a problem because March 1 was the day Benson was scheduled to be sworn in as Oregon governor. If Chamberlain stayed in Oregon through the end of his term, he wouldn’t arrive in D.C. until three or four days later, and he’d miss the swearing-in ceremony.

charted territory either. There was a contingency plan in place. If the Secretary of State couldn’t step in as acting governor for any reason, the job fell to … you guessed it … the governor’s private secretary.

And thus it was that, on Feb. 27, the state of Oregon became the first in U.S. history to have a woman governor.

Oath of office

March 1, 1909, was a Monday, and by 10 o’clock Benson was feeling well enough to take the oath of office and step into his new role; this brought Caralyn Shelton’s 49-hour political career to a triumphal end.

Another first

This was, of course, another “first” — the first case of two former state governors marrying each other in U.S. history. By this time, Chamberlain was 72 years old, and Caralyn a youthful 50. They had been friends and business partners for most of their lives

George and Caralyn Chamberlain only got to live together as husband and wife for a few months.

That would mean that every other member of the incoming 1908 freshman class of senators would have seniority over him.

No problem

This had happened before, and the solution was an easy one. The incoming governor simply came in a few days early with the title of Acting Governor; then, when March 1 came along, he’d be sworn in for real.

But there was a problem this time. On Feb. 27 when Chamberlain boarded that eastbound train, Secretary Benson, who was already struggling with the recurring illness (possibly malaria) that would kill him three years later, was too sick to play his part.

Well, this wasn’t un -

By the way, the newspapers in 1909 found this whole exchange highly amusing and covered the situation extensively. Governor Shelton made a point of telling them she would veto no bills, promulgate no executive orders, and grant no pardons during her term. As far as I’ve been able to learn, nothing much happened during her time in office; but if anything had, she would have been the state’s chief executive in charge of dealing with it. And it’s clear that everyone involved had total confidence in her ability to do so, if she had to.

And after Benson took over, Caralyn boarded a train to D.C. to take her place in Chamberlain’s office. She served there in Chamberlain’s office in D.C. throughout his two terms as a Senator, and, when he was defeated for re-election in the 1920 “red wave” of anti-Woodrow Wilson votes (don’t get me started on THAT guy), settled down in D.C. in private practice. And in July of 1926, a suitable interval of time after Sallie Chamberlain’s death at age 70 … reader, she married him.

Shortly after (or possibly before; the records aren’t clear) the marriage, George suffered a paralytic stroke. He lingered on for some months after that, an invalid, being cared for by Caralyn; but in 1928, three days before their second wedding anniversary, he died.

Caralyn followed 10 years later, on Feb. 2, 1936, at the age of 59. Oddly, none of the many obituaries that ran in newspapers around the state even mention her 49-hour term as governor.

A quick footnote: There is much confusion about Caralyn Shelton’s name. Newspaper articles about her, of which there were many, called her “Carolyn.” Her great-great niece, Anne Mitchell, told Bryan Vance of OPB that her birth name was Carrie, but that she changed it to Caralyn to sound more formal in her role as George Chamberlain’s top paralegal. In any case, the name used in her obituary and carved on her gravestone is “Caralyn,” so that’s what I have adopted for this story.

Finn J.D. John teaches at Oregon State University and writes about odd tidbits of Oregon history. His book, Heroes and Rascals of Old Oregon, was recently published by Ouragan House Publishers. To contact him or suggest a topic, visit finn@offbeatoregon.com or call 541-357-2222.

Courtesy from the Library of Congress Caralyn B. Shelton on the job in then-Senator George Chamberlain’s office in Washington, D.C., circa 1915.

News and Views

COmmunity events

April 12 LEGO Free Play at the St. Helens Public Library

3 p.m. - Visit the Library for unstructured, drop-in LEGO play time with the growing collection of donated LEGO sets. DUPLO sets are available for younger children. Come create! Ages 2-17. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to be a resident of St. Helens or need a St. Helens Public Library card to participate in LEGO Free Play. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

April 19 Homeschool Hangout at the St. Helens Public Library

2 p.m. - Families who homeschool are invited to the Auditorium at the Columbia Center for a special storytime and social hour! Homeschooled children of all ages are welcome and are encouraged to bring a favorite book to share. You do not need a St. Helens Public Library card to participate. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

April 26 LEGO Free Play at the St. Helens Public Library

3 p.m. - Visit the Library for unstructured, drop-in LEGO play time with the growing collection of donated LEGO sets. DUPLO sets are available for younger children. Come create! Ages 2 to 17. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to be a resident of St. Helens or need a St. Helens Public Library card to participate in LEGO Free Play. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

May 10 LEGO Free Play at the St. Helens Public Library

3 p.m. - Visit the Library for unstructured, drop-in LEGO play time with the growing collection of donated LEGO sets. DUPLO sets are available for younger children. Come create! Ages 2 to 17. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to be a resident of St. Helens or need a St. Helens Public Library card to participate in LEGO Free Play. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

May 17 Homeschool

Hangout at the St. Helens Public Library

2 p.m. - Families who homeschool are invited to the Auditorium at the Columbia Center for a special storytime and social hour. Homeschooled children of all ages are welcome and are encouraged to bring a favorite book to share. You do not need a St. Helens Public Library card to participate. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

May 20 Columbia County Home & Garden Show

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Rd. in St. Helens, Oregon. If you would like to be a vendor or have questions, please call Jon at 503-397-0116.

May 20 The Columbia Arts Guild annual Spring into Art Show

5 p.m. to 8 p.m. - The Columbia Arts Guild, St. Helens Oregon presents its annual Spring into Art Show. The art show will be at the St. Helens Community Center located at 2625 Gable Road in St. Helens. Look for signs. The event is open to artists showing original art with a limit of 10 original pieces. Entry fee per piece by CAG members is $3 each and non-members $5 each. Entries accepted on May 20 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the community center. Contact information is Joan Youngberg, text or phone 503-369-1081. Website is columbiaartsguild.com.

May 21 Columbia County Home & Garden Show

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Rd. in St. Helens, Oregon. If you would like to be a vendor or have questions, please call Jon at 503-397-0116.

May 24 LEGO Free Play at the St. Helens Public Library

3 p.m. - Visit the Library for unstructured, drop-in LEGO play time with the growing collection of donated LEGO sets. DUPLO sets are available for younger children. Come create! Ages 2-17. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to be a resident of St. Helens or need a St. Helens Public Library card to participate in LEGO Free Play. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

Ongoing events

Tuesdays

Baby Storytime at the St. Helens Public Library 10:30 a.m. - Join Mx. Aryn in the children’s room for stories, songs, dancing, and more — all designed to help develop young children’s literacy skills. For ages 6 months to 2 years. Storytimes are free and you do not need a Library card to attend. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

Wednesdays

Toddler Storytime at the St. Helens Public Library 10:30 a.m. - Join Mx. Aryn in the children’s room for stories, songs, dancing, a craft, and more — all designed to help develop young children’s literacy skills. For ages 2 to 3 years old. Storytimes are free and you do not need a Library card to attend. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

Thursdays

Preschool Storytime at the St. Helens Public Library 10:30 a.m. - Join Mx. Aryn in the children’s room for stories, songs, dancing, a craft, and more — all designed to help develop young children’s literacy skills. For ages 3 to 5 years old. Storytimes are free and you do not need a Library card to attend. For more information, call the library at 503-397-4544.

Lower Columbia River Watershed Council

Lower Columbia Watershed Council meets the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Clatskanie PUD building. Zoom links are also available. Visit the council’s website for agenda postings and Zoom at www.lowercolumbiariver.org/events-page.

Resonate Recovery

Meets at 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday - Sundays. This is a Bible based, Christ-centered spiritual recovery meeting for those struggling with addictions and compulsive behavior at 220 S. 1st Street in St. Helens. Everyone is loved and welcomed. For more information call Debbie at 503-560-0521, Daniel Grant at 714-768-9327 or check the Resonate Facebook page.

Columbian Toastmasters

Promoting positive learning and leadership through public speaking. Anyone is welcome to visit! Lunch meetings at Warren Country Inn, 56575 Columbia River Hwy, Warren, OR 97053 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday. Call 503-369-0329 for more information.

Overcomers Outreach

Meetings are held every Saturday at 9 a.m. at Creekside Baptist Church, 51681 SW Old Portland Road in Scappoose. Call Fred 971-7576389.

Celebrate Recovery

For anyone struggling with addiction, hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for coffee, snacks, and fellowship. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. The first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. the doors open for a free dinner. Yankton Community Fellowship, 33579 Pittsburg Road in St. Helens. 503-396-7091. Childcare is available. www.yanktoncommunityfellowship.com.

Watch Spring on Fridays 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Have tea and a sweet in Caples’ Cottage, 1925 1st Street in Columbia City. $5.

To list an event in the Community Calendar, email details with a phone number that may be published for anyone that might have questions, to jruark@countrymedia.net or chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia. net, or call 503-397-0116.

viewpOints

Changing discipline at SHHS

learn about what’s appropriate in different situations” Dr. Wagner states. This really relates to the lack of discipline and structure COVID brought upon kids and how it affected and still affects students going forward.

If asked how effective and ineffective our disciplinary system is one might say unfair and ineffective without wondering why. After the exploration of this topic, we as journalists have learned a lot about the discipline at this school.

To really understand how discipline has changed, you have to first look at how discipline was before COVID. When we asked a current teacher at the school, Mr. McNeil, about his thoughts on how discipline changed from COVID, he said, “It was the lack of structure for a good portion of the kids. School does bring some consistency. So you guys are kind of put two years behind what might be the experience with mental and emotional maturity, and it’s not your fault, and it’s going to keep happening. I think we were better. We were better before COVID.”

The “structure” McNeil was talking about before COVID was very straightforward and there were more types of discipline. When talking about discipline one may think about detention or punishment but it’s more than that.

“In order to have discipline, that requires you to

To look at the present issue of discipline at the school, we asked Dr. Wagner about her thoughts on the prevention of discipline. in response she said, “...if you’re able to initiate some conversations early to resolve conflict, the likelihood that fights are gonna happen is a lot lower, so that’s what that role is to help do some of that low-level work so that it prevents it from getting severe safety issue.”

Also, during the interview, Dr. Wagner said that there were significantly more fights last school year, and when comparing it to the few alterations this year, it makes you wonder if having a growth mindset is the difference between effective and ineffective discipline.

The underlying question is, what is the future going to look like in terms of discipline? When we asked Dr. Wagner if we will see a change in the discipline in the coming years, she said, “I don’t see any big systemic changes around discipline happening anytime soon but it’s like a living breathing thing, just like a classroom. So, we take in information and we

monitor that, then we adjust the plan.”

When we asked Dr. Wagner why the change in problems she said “I think now that we’re not isolated like we were before makes a big difference and I think putting some systems in place like the restorative practice‘s coordinator so that we can do some lowlevel conflict resolution is really helpful”

Wagner is hinting towards a future in which rather than a punishment approach for discipline the school plans to instead make moves towards building connections and a sense of community. Going forward with the discipline at SHHS expect to see more teacher involvement rather than teacher punishment. Teachers know they can still grow every day and we are all part of a growing community. This also ties into the “growth mindset” effect that Dr. Wagner brought up earlier on and how it also affects teachers.

After looking at all the information, you can create your own opinion about the discipline here at SHHS. Either it is still unfair or ineffective, or maybe this helped open your eyes to understand it’s always changing and growing in a way that better fits us as students.

This story was contributed by students at the St. Helens High School journalism class.

vOiCes Of the COmmunity

Here we go again

Here we go again another feasibility study to build a hospital. Columbia County taxpayers got hosed on the last attempt at building a

hospital. Years later the land sits vacant and the money we were duped out of was never returned to us. The only people who benefited were all the consultants and lawyers involved and the people of Columbia County were left holding the empty bag of no hospital.

We will never know the true story of what happened with the money. Don’t be duped again.

As the lyrics in a famous Who song say it: We Won’t Be Fooled Again. Patrick Klein St. Helens

letters have a better chance of being printed. We may edit your letter for style, grammar and clarity, although we do as little editing as possible. If you don’t want your letter printed under those conditions, just let us know.

Thank-you letters are limited to a general thanks and summary of an issue or action. We reserve the right to exclude lists of people, organizations and

Columbia County’s

businesses. Letters received after noon on Friday may not be in time for the following Wednesday’s paper.

To verify authenticity, all letters must be signed and include your address and daytime phone number. We won’t print your street address or phone number (just your city of residence). Submissions may be emailed to chroniclenews@countrymedia. net, sent via mail, or dropped off at the office.

Letters policy: This newspaper’s letters to the editor are limited to a maximum of 250 words and will be edited for grammar, spelling and blatant inaccuracies. Unsubstantiated or irresponsible

allegations, or personal attacks on any individual, will not be published. Letters containing details presented as facts rather than opinions must include their sources. Writers are limited to one published letter per month.

All submissions must include the author’s

DAKOTA WOLTERS IZZY SIEBER JACOB HORNE SHANICE GUNN HAYDEN O’CONNOR Chronicle Guest Column

CHIPS Bill to be signed by Governor

Both the Oregon House and Oregon Senate have passed Oregon CHIPS, Senate Bill 4, with bipartisan support.

Senate Bill 4 now heads to the Governor’s desk for signature.

Oregon CHIPS strategically invests $210 million to bolster Oregon’s semiconductor industry. Senate Bill 4 now heads to the Governor’s desk for signature.

“Oregon CHIPS is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to solidify our status as a global leader in semiconductor production and advanced manufacturing,” Rep. Janelle Bynum (D- Clackamas) said.

The Oregon Semiconductor Competitiveness Task Force referred to Oregon as “home to one of the world’s leading clusters of semiconductor makers,” in a 2022 report. Oregon is home to about 15% of the semiconductor workforce in the United States.

Leverage Federal Investments: Oregon CHIPS investments include $190 million to support applications by Oregon businesses as they

compete for Oregon’s share of $52 billion of federal investments made available through the CHIPS and Science Act.

“Oregon CHIPs will be a historic accomplishment when it comes to keeping Oregon’s economy stable and competitive in the 21st century,” said Rep. David Gomberg (D-Lincoln and Western Benton & Lane Counties) said.

Land Readiness: Oregon CHIPS invests $10 million to support local communities as they work to prepare sites for industrial development related to the semiconductor industry.

During a series of public hearings at the beginning of

the legislative session, the Joint Committee on Semiconductors heard from representatives of cities across Oregon who said they had identified lands with good potential for manufacturing development and needed help in getting

“By growing the semiconductor industry, we are expanding the middle class and providing living-wage jobs to thousands of Oregonians,” Rep. Nathan Sosa (D-Hillsboro) said.

Research and Development: Oregon CHIPS invests $10 million to help public universities to leverage federal research grants.

This investment in the existing University Innovation Research Fund is aimed at bolstering the competitive advantage of Oregon proposals in the federal application process by demonstrating state commitment to projects related to economic development.

“The passage of Oregon CHIPS will boost prosperity in our state and make our nation safer,” Rep. Kim Wallan (R- Medford) said. “Oregon is the number three producer of semiconductors in the world and the number one developer

Jeremiah Ephriam Koljonen

May 7, 1966 ~ March 31, 2023

Jeremiah Ephriam Koljonen was born on May 7, 1966 to Nehemiah and Tianna (Hort) Koljonen in Seattle, Washington. He graduated from R.A Long High School in 1985. Jeremiah passed away March 31, 2023 in Clatskanie, Oregon. He married his wife, Jeanette (Peterson) Koljonen, on Oct. 7, 1995 and they moved to the area in 1997. They were married for 23 years before Jeanette

Katherine “Kathy” Painter of St. Helens, affectionately known as “Cookie” to family and friends, went home to be with Jesus on March 25, 2023. She was 87.

Kathy was born on Feb. 17, 1936, to Frank and Mary Walsh in Merced, California. She married Ralph Painter in 1952 and together they raised four children: Gloria, Ralph Jr., Alan, and Manuel. In 1967, the Painter family relocated to St. Helens, Oregon.

passed away on April 28, 2018.

Jeremiah, or “Jere” as he was known, worked at Stimson Lumber for 22 years. Jere loved car shows, swap meets, and rock and roll. He had a great sense of humor and was known around town as “Jones Beach Jere.” He loved life on his little farm by the river. Jere was the best guy ever and would literally give you the shirt off his back.

Jere is survived by his father Nehemiah Koljonen of Clatskanie, Oregon; and sister Rose Hanson (Daniel) of Clatskanie, Oregon; their children, Clayton, Colton, Caylee and Chloe; stepchildren, Zachary Ellis of Longview, Washington, Amanda Ellis of Kelso, Washington and Rebecca Kelley of Clatskanie, Oregon; as well as seven grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

Katherine Ann Painter

Feb. 17, 1936 ~ March 25, 2023

Kathy was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Ralph Painter; son Ralph Jr.; daughter Gloria Elkinton; and great-grandson Brayden Elkinton. She is survived by her son Alan (Mashelle) Painter; son Manuel Painter; daughter-in-law Amy Painter; son-in-law Charles Elkinton; 16 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and greatnephews. Kathy also has two surviving sisters, Flor-

of new technology in this industry. It is vital to our economic and national security that we do everything we can to secure Oregon’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing. I am thrilled to see this act pass out of the legislature and look forward to seeing it signed into law.”

CHIPS investment:

The bill allocates $190 million to the Oregon CHIPS Fund to be distributed via grants and loans for:

• Development and acquisition of a site for semiconductor manufacturing

• Semiconductor research and development

• Workforce development, including internships and apprenticeships

An additional $10 million is dedicated to the newly established Industrial Lands Loan Fund for financial assistance to local governments to prepare sites for semiconductor industrial development. The University Innovation Research Fund will also receive $10 million for public universities to leverage federal research grants.

ence Dryden of St. Helens, Oregon and Betty Larrouy of Gardnerville, Nevada.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be given to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, a charity dear to Kathy’s heart. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Fri., April 14, 2023 at St. Frederic Catholic Church in St. Helens, Oregon. Kathy will be laid to rest with her beloved husband Ralph at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.

Lowell Bentley

July 26, 1948 ~ April 1, 2023

Lowell Bentley, 74, of Rainier, Oregon, passed away April 1, 2023 in Longview, Washington.

$23.86 - $36.05/

DOQ. Deadline: 4/20/2023 by 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Columbia River PUD team, please visit our website at www.crpud.net/ jobs to view and apply for open positions or call us at (503) 397-1844 to have an application packet mailed to you.

Support Services Clerk Columbia County, OR. EOE. Open until filled. Apply at ColumbiaCounty OR.gov.

Recreation Assistant The City of St. Helens is hiring a RECREATION ASSISTANT 18+years old. Temporary Part-Time. $14.70 per hour. Apply online at www.sthel ensoregon.gov.

Open until filled. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Sweeper Truck Driver

To the local retired, night owl’s, and those with extra time who want a simple income: Help keep our local lots clean by driv-

Public Notices

PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

CH23-1289

TS No. OR08000009-23-1 APN 16561 TO No 230012276-OR-MSI TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE

Reference is made to that certain Trust Deed made by, DOUGLAS J HAYES as Grantor to NORTHWEST TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC.. as Trustee, in favor of NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION as Beneficiary dated as of August 3, 2017 and recorded on August 4, 2017 as Instrument No. 201707171 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Columbia County, Oregon to-wit: APN: 16561 BEGINNING AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF PARCEL 3, PARTITION PLAT NO. 1994-37, AS PER PLAT ON FILE AND OF RECORD IN THE CLERK`S OFFICE OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON; THENCE NORTH 6*03`23” EAST A DISTANCE OF 209.41 FEET TO THE NORTHEAST CORNER THEREOF AND THE SOUTH LINE OF PARCEL 2 OF SAID PARTITION

CH23-1306

PLAY; THENCE NORTH 69*48`53” EAST A DISTANCE OF 210.29 FEET TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID PARCEL 2 AND THE WESTERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF OLIVER HEIGHTS LANE; SOUTH LINE OF TRACT 3 OF PARTITION PLAT NO. 1991-02 AS PER PLAT OF FILE AND RECORDS IN THE CLERK`S OFFICE OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON; THENCE SOUTH 66*51`10” WEST ALONG SAID SOUTH LINE A DISTANCE OF 238.27 FEET TO POINT OF BEGINNING. Commonly known as: 59745 OLIVER HEIGHTS, SAINT HELENS, OR 97051 Both the Beneficiary, NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, and the Trustee, Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112, have elected to sell the said real property to satisfy the obligations secured by said Trust Deed and notice

has been recorded pursuant to Section 86.735(3) of Oregon Revised Statutes. The default for which the foreclosure is made is the Grantor’s failure to pay: Failed to pay payments which became due Monthly Payment(s): 1 Monthly Payment(s) from 06/01/2022 to 03/31/2023 at $40,014.43 Late Charge(s): Late Charge(s) 1283.65 By this reason of said default the Beneficiary has declared all obligations secured by said Trust Deed immediately due and payable, said sums being the following, to-wit: The sum of $646,325.68 together with interest thereon at the rate of 4.87500% per annum from May 1, 2022 until paid; plus all accrued late charges thereon; and all Trustee’s fees, foreclosure costs and any sums advanced by the Beneficiary pursuant to the terms of said Trust Deed. Wherefore, notice is hereby given that, the undersigned

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA

In the Matter of the Estate of Floyd Kent Mullett, Deceased. Case No. 23PB01627 NOTICE TO

INTERESTED PERSONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that James E. Mullett Jr. and Susan D. Mullett have been appointed personal representatives for the will and estate of Floyd Kent Mullett. All persons having claims against the estate are

CH23-1314

required to present them, with vouchers attached to the undersigned personal representatives within four months after the date of first publication of this notice, or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court or the personal representative.

Trustee will on July 21, 2023 at the hour of 12:00 PM, Standard of Time, as established by Section 187.110, Oregon Revised Statues, at the west entrance to the Columbia County Courthouse, 230 Strand St., Saint Helens, OR 97051 County of Columbia, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash the interest in the said described real property which the Grantor had or had power to convey at the time of the execution by him of the said Trust Deed, together with any interest which the Grantor or his successors in interest acquired after the execution of said Trust Deed, to satisfy the foregoing obligations thereby secured and the costs and expenses of sale, including a reasonable charge by the Trustee. Notice is further given that any person named in Section 86.753 of Oregon Revised Statutes has the right to have

CH23-1310

Dated and first published on March 29, 2023. Susan Mullett, Co-Personal Representative. Personal Representatives:

Name: James E. Mullett Jr., Address: 11635 SW Royal Villa Dr., Tigard, OR 97224, Phone No. (503) 858-9776. Name: Susan D. Mullett, Address: 9201 NE 43rd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98665, Phone No. (360) 281-4154.

IN THE ESTATE OF THE DECEASED WALTER VERNE FERGUSON, OF COLUMBIA COUNTY OREGON

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative on

CH23-1316

or before the 5th day of May, 2023, 12:01am, or the claims may be forever barred. Rebecca L Zuber, Personal Representa -

tive, 71004 Neer City Rd. Rainier, Oregon 97048. Published beginning April 5, 2023, April 12, 2023, and April 19, 2023.

the foreclosure proceeding dismissed and the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to the Beneficiary of the entire amount then due (other than such portion of said principal as would not then be due had no default occurred), together with the costs, Trustee’s or attorney’s fees and curing any other default complained of in the Notice of Default by tendering the performance required under the obligation or Trust Deed, at any time prior to five days before the date last set for sale. Without limiting the Trustee’s disclaimer of representations or warranties, Oregon law requires the Trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a Trustee’s sale may have been used in manufacturing methamphetamines, the chemical components of which are known to be toxic. Prospective purchasers of residential property should be aware of

this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the Trustee’s sale. In construing this notice, the masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter, the singular includes plural, the word “Grantor” includes any successor in interest to the Grantor as well as any other persons owing an obligation, the performance of which is secured by said Trust Deed, the words “Trustee” and “Beneficiary” includes their respective successors in interest, if any.

Dated: 3/8/23 By: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 Successor Trustee Malcolm & Cisneros, A Law Corporation Attention: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 c/o TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Order Number 90098, Pub

Dates: 3/22/2023, 3/29/2023, 4/5/2023, 4/12/2023, CHRONICLE

PUBLIC LIEN SALE U-STORE SELF STORAGE

Auction to be held online at Storageauctions.com Auction will run from 4/11/2023 10:00 am & end on 4/21/2023 10:00 am Unclaimed storage

CH23-1311

lockers to be sold by competitive bidding. St. Helens 445 Port Ave, Suite D Brandon

Johnstun G-017 G-019 O-063 Rhonda Kelly R-144 O-027

William May R-176 Kristin Radar R-178 GOODS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION SOLD BY STORAGE LOT. Cash and Credit Card

NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Columbia SWCD, Columbia, State of Oregon, on the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, will be held at 35285 Millard Road, St. Helens 97051. The meeting will take place on April 27, 2023 at 5:00PM. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget

CH23-1315

message. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place. An additional, separate meeting of the Budget Committee will be held to take public comment. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee. The meeting for public comment will be on May

17, 2023 at 4:00PM, held at 35285 Millard Road, St. Helens 97051. A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after April 28, 2023 at 35285 Millard Road, St. Helens 97051, between the hours of 8:30AM and 4:30PM. This is a Notice of a Second Budget Committee Meeting if Needed.

THE CIRCUIT COURT OF

STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY

In the Matter of the Estate of SUSAN K. RICH, Deceased. No: 23PB01860

NOTICE TO INTERESTED

PERSONS NOTICE is hereby given that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claim(s) within four months of the first publication

PROBATE

of this notice to the Personal Representative at the office of VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, Oregon 97051; and if not so presented, they may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the Personal Representative, or the attorneys for the personal rep-

resentative. First published: April 12, 2023. Dwight S. Rich, Personal Representative. Personal Representative: Dwight S. Rich, c/o VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, OR 97051. Attorney for Personal Representative: Mary Anne Anderson, VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, OR 97051, Phone: (503) 397-4091.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DEPARTMENT

In the Matter of the Estate of LARRY E. ATHERTON, Deceased. No: 23PB02610 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE is hereby given that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claim(s) within four months of the first publication of

this notice to the Personal Representative at the office of VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, Oregon 97051; and if not so presented, they may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the Personal Representative, or the attorneys for the personal representa-

tive. First published: April 12, 2023. Steven J. Atherton, Personal Representative. Personal Representative: Steven J. Atherton, c/o VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, OR 97051. Attorney for Personal Representative: Mary Anne Anderson, VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, OR 97051, Phone: (503) 397-4091.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE ESTATE OF ROBERTA ANNE SEASTONE, LATE OF SAINT HELENS, OR

CH23-1288 Any and all claims against above estate, verified by the administrator, must be sent no later than April

Fridays by

2023 to the following address: Myrna Dorn, PO Box 366, Echo, OR 97826. Administrator of above estate.

New fire stations possible for Columbia City, Prescott

Columbia City and Prescott, north of St. Helens, could see new fire stations built to enhance safety in their small communities.

Columbia River Fire and Rescue (CRFR) administrators are in the preliminary stages of discussion with the two communities about the fire stations.

No decisions yet

Courtesy photo Columbia River Fire and Rescue (CRFR) administrators are in the preliminary stages of discussion with Columbia City and Prescott.

WILL LOHRE

Country Media, Inc.

Specific details about what the stations would offer, how many personnel would staff the stations, where thy might be located, how much they would cost to build and maintain, and

how they would be funded are still to be determined.

CRFR Chief Joel Medina said there are two reasons for the enhanced fire service: The two communities do not have fire stations, and there has been population growth in the fire district.

“Because of the growth of the district and the county, the way that it’s growing in population, I thought that it would be prudent to approach both Prescott and Columbia City and ask them if they would like the opportunity to have more support for public safety because, after all, we

are their fire department,” Medina said. According to Medina, Prescott City Council voted to approve moving forward with “entertaining” a potential fire station. Medina said that Prescott has an area in mind for a station but that public input of its citizens will dictate the next steps.

Similarly, Columbia City is also seeking public input to decide whether to build a station. Columbia City Mike McGlothlin said that CRFR approached the city in February about a station as the city resides in a gap in CRFR’s service

area. McGlothlin said that an area for the station had been identified, but it would require modifications to the footprint of Bundy Park. McGlothlin stressed that nothing has been decided, and they want public input before going forward.

“The City Council and the mayor felt that this was a really important decision, and they wanted to seek citizen input,” McGlothlin said. “We’re really in the infancy stages about this, and we have a definite public safety need, but we

best address it.”

McGlothlin said they are hoping to educate citizens and gather feedback and information before they make a decision. Two public meetings have been scheduled to outline the projects.

Both of the meetings will be held in the Columbia City Community Hall, 1850 2nd Street, in Columbia City. The first was scheduled at 6 p.m. April 6 and the second meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 27.

Follow updates at thechronicleonline.com.and in the Wednesday print edi -

$8.5M to upgrade Oregon wastewater and stormwater systems

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding Oregon $8,559,000 from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) to help upgrade wastewater and stormwater systems.

The EPA announced over $775 million nationally from the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act for states, Tribes, and territories through this year’s CWSRF. The funding is in addition to $2.4 billion

in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding that was announced by the EPA in February.

Both rounds of funding will help communities upgrade essential wastewater and stormwater systems to protect public health and treasured water bodies across the nation.

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the funding April 10.

“Reliable access to clean water is vital to the health and safety of any community,” Merkley said. “These funds will help improve

water infrastructure—a top concern I hear from folks in every corner of Oregon, especially in rural communities. I’ll continue to do all I can to ensure clean and reliable water and safe sanitation for all our communities here in Oregon and across the nation.”

“Oregonians deserve big-league clean water infrastructure,” Wyden said. “These dollars will go a long way to help communities large and small upgrade essential wastewater and stormwater systems to protect public health and our natural treasures.”

Household Hazardous Waste Collection April 22 in Vernonia

tos

The City of Vernonia will host a county-sponsored Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 22. The HHW Event will be held at Spencer Park at 377 Bridge St. (at the parking lot of the covered basketball area). Columbia County residents may drop off various toxic and unsafe materials at no cost. Items must be in containers not larger than five gallons and should be secured safely during transport.

Trained HHW technicians will unload materials from

your vehicle.

Examples of acceptable items:

• Fireworks and flares

• Gas / diesel / fuels / mo-

tor oil / antifreeze

• Lawn and garden chemicals

• Herbicides and pesticides

• Pool and spa chemicals

• Light ballasts—must be removed from light fixtures

• Fluorescent tubes

• Art and hobby chemicals

• Solvents and thinners

• Items containing mercury

• Propane and compressed gas cylinders

• Batteries – all types and applications

• Cleaners and detergents

• Poisons

• Paint and paint products (latex and acrylic paint, oilbased paint, enamel, stains, lacquers, shellacs, varnishes, primers, etc.)

• Cooking oil

• Medical sharps in OSHA-approved, punctureproof containers

• Ammunition

Do not bring:

• Items containing asbes-

• Garbage or trash

• Liquids in containers larger than five gallons

Filled Sharps Containers (sealed, red, OSHAapproved, puncture-proof containers) are accepted at this event. You can also return them to the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District, 555 E. Bridge St. Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or call 503429-8252 for appointment and receive a free sharps container in exchange.

Vernonia Hardware and Supply at 1026 Bridge St.

CrOsswOrd puzzle

accepts unwanted or used paint for free. Drop off your sealed paint container during business hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday) for proper disposal.

The Columbia County Sheriff accepts unwanted or expired medication at 901 Port Ave., St. Helens. They are open seven days per week, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Place items in the MedReturn collection box.

Unwanted paint products, used motor oil, and electronics are accepted free

of charge at the Transfer Station during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday).

The next county-sponsored HHW collection will be on May 20, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Rainier. The complete HHW collection event schedule is available on the Columbia County website at https://www.columbiacountyor.gov/departments/ SolidWaste/hhw-schedule.

For more information, contact Jacob Anderson at 503-397-7259 or by email at jacob.anderson@columbiacountyor.gov.

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD

THEME: CARTOON CHARACTERS

ACROSS

1. Unsuitable

6. Agency behind food labels, acr.

48. Make a remake

50. Shawm

52. Yoda: “Do or do not. There is no ____”

53. Like hard times

55. Tube in old TV, acr.

57. *Jessica or Peter

60. *Anthropomorphic squirrel’s last name

63. Small and elegant

64. Mozart’s “L’____ del Cairo”

66. Like a whistle?

68. Optical illusion creation (2 words)

69. “Time,” e.g., colloquially

11. Nabisco’s “Chips ____!”

12. To use a Singer

15. Dairy industry missing person-seeking prop

20. Nordic gl¸hwein

22. Ooh and ____

24. Troublemaker

25. *Fudd’s first name

26. Line to the audience

27. “It is silent,” in sheet music

29. Living space

31. Don Johnson’s Bridges

32. Plaudit and pomp

33. Bake an egg

34. *One of the Pickles

CRFR

questionable fiscal practices as witnessed by Local 3215 members and as cited in the recently filed lawsuit, Columbia County Circuit Court case 23CV14480.

The decision to come forward about Medina’s increasingly worrisome behavior and absent leadership was difficult at first as firefighters are taught to follow their chain of command and to respect positions of leader-

LAWSUIT

From Page A1

From Page A1 and the district. These span from using district funds for meals to irresponsible spending on company infrastructure and using inflated budgets.

Todd alleges that Chief Medina was spending between $500 and $1,500 a month on food for him and his coworkers at restaurants without providing receipts as documentation.

In June of 2022, Chief Medina instructed Todd to work on the budget as the finance manager role remained vacant. Using the previous year’s budget template, Todd was instructed to create a new one based on incomplete numbers from the previous finance manager, the suit says. Todd “did the best she could” with the numbers available, and turned the budget over to Chief Medina.

“After turning over the

ship. However, Medina often ruled by fear and created an environment where many anticipated fierce retaliation and possible termination. The St. Helens Professional Fire Fighters Association, Local 3215, has called for the immediate dismissal of Chief Joel Medina as he does not demonstrate the required professionalism, working knowledge and tact that the position of Fire Chief requires, and because he has violated both public trust and the trust of Local 3215’s membership by his actions and hubris. Local 3215 members

budget to Chief Medina, upon information and belief, Chief Medina altered the data and inflated numbers showing a cash carryover that was incorrect. The numbers Chief Medina used did not come from any financial report or information from the finance system that was available to Plaintiff Todd,” the suit states. Todd raised concerns about the budget, but these concerns went unheeded, and the CRFR Board approved the budget. Using the inflated budget, renovations on the administrative building began.

In addition to the remodeling, Medina also indicated that he wanted to upgrade all Captains to Battalion Chiefs the suit alleges. This change would result in a salary bump for each individual in the range of $10,000 - $15,000 a year. The suit also alleges nepotism was involved in Medina’s hiring of Ms. Lehner, Chief of Finance Jimmy

want to assure the citizens of the community that their vote of no confidence will in no way interfere with the first-rate fire protection and emergency services that they provide.

This press release serves as notification to the public of the concerns made, and actions taken by the St. Helens Professional Fire Fighters Association, Local 3215, regarding Chief Joel Medina of Columbia River Fire & Rescue.

The association remains committed to providing the highest quality service to their community and ensur-

Sanchez, and Sanchez’s wife, Jeannette Sanchez.

Lehner is a friend of Chief Medina’s, the lawsuit alleges, and she was hired to positions she had no prior experience or qualification for.

Ms. Lehner and her husband, Jeramy Lehner, who does maintenance and is a volunteer firefighter, were two of the only employees to retain company credit cards after Todd reported to Sanchez that she was unable to “reconcile the credit card account because Chief Medina continued to refuse to provide receipts or any information about his expenditures,” the lawsuit alleges.’

As for Sanchez, the lawsuit alleges that he was hired as Division Chief of Finance with a salary of $120,000$130,000. The previous Finance Manager was paid in the salary range of $64,000$84,000, according to the suit.

Sanchez and Medina worked together in Florida, and Chief Medina previously

ing the safety and well-being of their peers and the citizens they serve.

Response from CRFR Board

CRFR Board President Hans Feige stated that they will be reviewing the information the Union provided, but will not take any action at this time.

“We haven’t had any time, at least I certainly haven’t, board members are out of town, there’s not a lot of time for us to review anything of their stuff, so really can’t comment on it. We’re

told the Chronicle he hired him because of his work ethic and familiarity with him.

“I needed with experience, I needed somebody that I trusted, and I needed somebody who had the right work ethic, Jimmy Sanchez hits all those marks,” Medina said. “But I still was cautious, I was not going to make a duplicate mistake, so when I brought him in, I hired a CPA, who’s only job was to check everything that he was doing, I gave hime six months, he knocked it out of the park.”

Medina also brought on Sanchez’s wife Jeannette Sanchez’s media company, Pink Buzz Media LLC, on a pro bono basis to run social media for the fire district and said it was a result of a lack of ability to get a qualified candidate for the position. Medina said he wanted to give her a trial period, and receive a scope of work from her.

“I tried to talk to other social companies, nobody

not going to change anything with respect to Chief Medina, he’s our Fire Chief, and we’ll continue with that,” Feige said. “We’ll take it under consideration and think about it and do something in the future.”

Feige said that until they review the information, they can’t make a decision. Feige believes some of the claims of Union are unfounded, like the employees leaving the district.

“One of the things they had in there was, I think, was something about all these people leaving. But I know it’s not true,” Feige said. “So

would even give me the time of day. So Pink Buzz Media goes, ‘Listen, this is what I’ll do, I’ll do the job for free, I guarantee you 100 percent increase in activities,’” Medina said. While Medina says the position is unpaid, the lawsuit alleges that Jeannette Sanchez is not qualified for the position.

“Generally, the PIO must go through extensive training and certifications to be able to hold the position as there are laws and regulations that govern communication by a public entity,” the suit states. “Upon information and belief, Ms. Sanchez has not taken or completed any training or obtained any certifications allowing her to undertake the duties of the PIO through her company.”

Termination

Ultimately, Todd and Motherway were laid off in February of 2023.

“Plaintiffs were wrongful-

I’ve got to look through the information they have, and try to determine if there’s anything that’s wrong, if it’s been exaggerated and so forth. You know, we’ll just have to evaluate it. I mean, that’s just the way you got to do it. So yeah, I don’t know what the process is, it could be, I’m sure it’ll be a couple weeks.”

Regarding the lawsuit filed against CRFR, Feige did not have a comment.

Follow this story at thechronicleonline.com and in the Wednesday print editions of the Chronicle.

ly terminated under the pretext of a layoff in retaliation for their good faith reporting of violations of federal, state and local law, rule or regulation, and mismanagement, gross waste of funds and abuse of authority by CRFR and Chief Medina,” the lawsuit states.

This layoff followed months of investigation into job performance conducted by Jimmy Sanchez and Ms. Lehner.

Chief Medina maintains that the termination of administrative positions has been to increase budget space for front-line positions, such as firefighters and paramedics. “Per the Fire Chief, we have no comment due to an ongoing investigation of past and present employees,” Deputy Chief Smythe stated. Find the complete lawsuit at thechronicleonline.com and follow developments in the Wednesday print editions of the Chronicle.

St. Helens High School softball at bat

The St. Helens softball season is rounding the bases and has kicked off the league portion of its schedule. With a 7-4 overall record, and a win in their first league game, the Lions are off to a good start, and Head Coach Miranda Little and her team are put ting the pieces together.

“We are starting to find combinations of athletes that we like in the field together, and we are finding out things that we do not like as well,” Little said. “The more time that we get to spend outside practicing on the field, the better we will be able to be.”

The team wrapped up its pre-season non-league games with the Sandy High School Spring Break Tournament, where the team faced Gresham, Silverton, and Sandy in trying conditions. On the weekend, the team went 1-2, and Little said it was a tale of two days. After losing to Gresham 7-24 and Silverton 1-5, the team beat the hosting

Sandy High School 5-1. “On Saturday, we played a tough hitting team, and we just weren’t able to make those plays that we needed,” Little said. “On Sunday, we played two excellent games against two tough schools.

Playing softball in 30-degree weather while it is snowing and hailing is not the ideal game day situations, but we were glad to be able to get those games in before league starting the following Tuesday.” The Lions carried the

‘Keep the Music Playing’ tour in Oregon

lessons they learned in preseason into their first regular season game against Scappoose on April 4, notching a 5-2 victory. Though they fell to Estacada on April 7, that was a non-league game, so it had no playoff implications.

The team is currently ranked 13 out of the 31 teams with a 4-A classification and stands second in the 4-A1 Cowapa League behind Astoria, who they will play at home Wednesday, April 12, at 4 p.m.

Strong leaders and strengths and weaknesses

Of the 15 players on the Lions’ roster, four are seniors. With almost a third being older, there is no shortage of veteran leadership within the team.

“We have several athletes in the program that want to be in that leadership position, and it makes it nice knowing that those athletes are wanting that extra responsibility,” Little said. “Ellie Austin and Cydney Brandt are the captains of the varsity program.”

One of the strengths of the team has been their hitting, according to Little. In 11 games this season, the Lions have batted in more than ten runs in seven of those contests. “We can hit the ball hard.

We are a very strong hitting team and I feel that we will continue to hit well this season. Hitting is one skill that we can do regardless of the weather,” Little said.

Little is an adaptable coach who makes adjustments based on the team’s needs. While the hitting has been a strong suit for the squad, Little says that defense is the emphasis right now, and finding players to plug holes is key.

“Right now, we are focusing on our defense. We are looking for those consistent players that are able to make those plays to back up our pitchers,” Little said.

With pre-season in the rearview mirror, the team’s future success will hinge on whether they are able to keep hitting the offense humming while addressing the defensive hiccups.

Follow St. Helens High School Sports at osaa.org and follow our coverage at thechronicleonline.com and in the Wednesday print edition of the Chronicle.

Roadside Safety

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

The Kingston Trio is set to perform in Astoria April 13.

BREE LAUGHIN Country Media, Inc.

The Kingston Trio – a universally-popular band withstanding the test of time – are now embarking on a tour through Oregon.

The legendary music icons are playing several performances throughout the state this month, including a performance in Astoria, April 13.

The Kingston Trio was one of the most prominent groups of the era’s pop-folk boom that started in 1958 with the release of their first album and hit recording of “Tom Dooley,” which sold over three million copies as a single.

The band continues to carry on the tradition occupying a unique, preeminent position in American musical history. Their ‘Keep the Music Playing’ National tour marks 60-plus years playing music together.

“It’s universal music.

It’s storytelling music,” said Mike Marvin, who performs in the Kingston Trio alongside fellow musicians Tim Gorelangton and Buddy Woodward.

Since its’ inception, the Kingston Trio has released 19 albums that made Billboard’s Top 100, 14 of which ranked in the top 10, and five of which hit the number one spot.

There have been 12 members of the Kingston Trio throughout the bands’

history.

The latest members all have connections to original members of the group. Mike Marvin is the adopted son of founding member Nick Reynolds, who was also his musical mentor.

Marvin also has ties to Oregon. He has a ranch in Port Orford that has been in the Kingston Trio family since about 1969. Although Marvin spends a lot of his time at the office in Los Angeles or on tour, he still considers Port Orford to be his home base.

Marvin said he’s excited to share music with Oregon, where he can spend some time at his cabin. And instead of hopping on planes every couple of days, the band can travel in their van.

The Kingston Trio hope the tour will bring in large crowds, and look forward to get the audience up and dancing.

“Anybody who sees the show can see we are having a good time and we make it a point to have a good time,” Marvin said.

“For two solid hours everyone in the room is having fun. The more fun the audience is having, the more fun we have – so it builds on itself. There’s no question about that,” he said.

Through changing times, the Trio has played on. They said their music remains popular for a simple reason. They play great songs that sound as good today as the first time you heard them.

“There is something about this music that is extraordinarily appealing to everybody,” Marvin said.

“Every now and then, some 15-year-old kid will show up having never heard the music and having no understanding of the music, and ends up having a visceral reaction. Three years later that kid is 19-years-old and shows back up at the show with a guitar, wants it signed, and knows all of the songs,” Marvin said. “This happens.”

For more information about The Kingston Trio ‘Keep The Music Playing’ Tour and tickets, visit www. kingstontrio.com.

Kingston Trio Oregon Tour

• April 12 Newport PAC, Newport - 7 p.m.

• April 13 Liberty Theatre, Astoria - 7 p.m.

• April 14 The Patricia Reser Center, Beaverton- 7 p.m.

• April 15 Columbia Theatre, Longview – 7 p.m.

• April 16 Hult Performing Arts Center Soreng Theatre, Eugene – 7 p.m.

• April 18 La Selles Center, Corvallis – 7 p.m.

• April 19 Tower Theatre, Bend – 7:00 p.m.

• April 21 Madras Performing Arts Center, Madras – 7 p.m.

• April 22 Rogue Theater, Grants Pass – 7 p.m.

• April 23 Arkley Center for the Performing Arts, Eureka – 7 p.m.

tomobiles are now designed with more safety features than ever before, the rate of traffic accidents and fatalities continue to rise.

The National Safety Council says safety improvement like crash-avoidance technology hasn’t reduced accidents, and driver error is still to blame for many crashes — with distractions behind the wheel and impaired driving leading the way.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted driving claimed 3,450 lives in 2016 alone.

Distracted driving is defined as any activity that diverts drivers’ attention from the road. This can include everything from talking to passengers to eating to fiddling with the car radio. However, distractions from technology have become especially alarming, particularly texting or reading phones while driving. During daylight hours,

from the road for a mere 5 seconds when traveling at 55 miles per hour is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

Reducing distractions should be a priority for all drivers. Here are some suggestions, courtesy of Geico insurance and AAA Exchange.

• Store loose gear and other items that can roll around away from the driver’s seat so you are not tempted to reach for them.

• Adjust mirrors, GPS maps, climate controls, music, and more before you put the car in drive.

• Use a mobile phone only for emergency purposes and only after pulling over to the side of the road. Avoid social conversations on the phone while driving.

• Limit the number of passengers you allow inside

• Eat food before getting in the car. Snacking while driving makes you less attentive to the road around you.

• Secure children and pets accordingly. Both should wear harnesses and not be given free reign to roam around the car.

• Try to focus only on driving while in the car. Leave the multitasking to when you’re not behind the wheel.

Geico indicates that studies have shown people are limited in the amount of information they can process at any one time. Driving requires focus and an ability to react to a host of potential circumstances.

Distractions compromise drivers’ ability to focus. Reducing distractions can considerably cut down on the number of motor vehicle accidents each year.

Courtesy photo from Tom Apathy Photography

Courtesy photo from Miranda Little St. Helens softball keeps smiling despite the dreary weather.