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Deadly shooting moments revealed

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

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Local woman launches nature group for tots ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

O

nce a week, a Columbia County group allows kids to be in charge of their own adventure.

“Especially when there are more than ten kids, it’s hard to keep everyone engaged on the same thing all the time,” Licorice Fern Friends Founder Sarah Hawkins said. “We really do let the kids take the lead.

They run ahead of us. If I spot something of interest, such as an edible plant, or a plant that has a certain something that engages one of the five senses, I point it out and I talk about it. I let them smell it or taste it if their parents are okay with that.”

Being in nature just promotes a happier mentality and healthier well-being. ~ Sarah Hawkins, Licorice Fern Friends founder

Licorice Fern Friends is a nature walking group for kids in Columbia County, according to the group’s Facebook description. Created March 19, the group has swelled to 66 members in just a few short weeks.

Courtesy photo

Children lead the way on a hike through the forest loop of McCormick Park in St. Helens.

Hawkins’ background as a plant educator and having spent the past two years living under COVID-19 played a significant role in her idea to start Licorice Fern Friends.

“I have studied plants and herbalism for the last ten years,” she said.

“During the pandemic, I became a little bit more invested in learning, as we all had a little bit more downtime. I have kids within that age range that we host for, and I

was looking for a way to get them outdoors in a way that was safe with all the COVID rules.”

“I was really hoping that our community could have something that engaged kids that way. So, I just thought, ‘Well, why don’t I do it myself?’”

Engaging with nature has psychological benefits for children and adults, studies show.

University of Chicago psycholo-

gist Marc Berman, Ph.D., and his student Kathryn Schertz found that green spaces near schools promote cognitive development in children, and green views near children’s homes promote self-control behaviors, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).

Adults additionally showed better attentional functioning when they were located near green spaces, according to the study.

A growing body of research indicates that even making associations with nature through sounds or images can benefit the human brain.

“Being in nature just promotes a happier mentality and healthier well-being,” Hawkins said. “Today, most American children are exposed to five or seven hours of screen time a day when you add up televisions, cell phones, (and) computers.

Children who get outdoors have more confidence than those who do not play outside as much because the outdoors has more unstructured risks.”

Beyond boosting happiness, Hawkins adds that connectedness to nature can foster socio-emotional learning in young children.

“When we encourage our children to have a relationship with our environment, we are also teaching them to have empathy for wildlife and our natural resources,” she said. “That way, if you go out to the playground or you’re having a picnic (and) your trash misses the trash can, you can pick it up and put it back because of how it can affect our landscape.”

As an added benefit, Hawkins noted that Licorice Fern Friends helped transform her relationship with her children.

“Now, me and my kids have a

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See NATURE Page A2

Critically injured OSP trooper returns home JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Oregon State Police (OSP) Trooper John Jeffries is now back at his Portland home recovering from critical injuries suffered in a pursuit and crash.

The incident occurred along Highway 30 near St. Helens on Veterans Day 2021.

Longview Police officers attempted to pull over John Thralls, an alleged robbery suspect, who failed to yield to law enforcement.

Officers originally had terminated the pursuit due to concern for public safety.

But as Thralls’ vehicle was spotted heading over the bridge from Longview into Rainier Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement were notified of

the vehicle’s direction.

On Highway 30 near St. Helens, Jeffries and a second officer had exited their patrol car to deploy spike strips, when Thralls drove directly towards them at a “high rate of speed,” court records show.

Jeffries warned the second trooper of the oncoming vehicle before it plowed into the second trooper’s patrol car, the impact of which pushed the car back 20 feet, striking Trooper Jeffries and causing him to be thrown into the air landing a distance away, suffering a head injury, according to court records.

Jeffries was critically injured and quickly transported to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland for treatment.

“The remarkable skills and perseverance of the medical professionals saved John’s life,” accord-

ing to an update released Friday, April 8 by OSP. In January 2022, several OSP team members and Portland FBI Agents lined the ambulance bay sidewalk of Emanuel Medical Center as Jeffries and Trisha, his wife, were escorted from the hospital to the Portland Airport to be flown to a trauma center in another state where they were greeted by state troopers and FBI agents from that state and escorted to the trauma center. The OSP release does not disclose what state the trauma center is in.

According to OSP, while at the out-of state-trauma center, Jeffries received state-of-the-art treatment that included a comprehensive system of care and a rigorous rehabilitation program where specialists

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See JEFFRIES Page A9

Courtesy photo from OSP

Oregon State Police Trooper John Jeffries.

Revolutionizing public safety with drone technology ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Fighting fires isn’t the only skill Scappoose Fire Chief Jeff Pricher has in his repertoire. He is also a certified Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilot.

The Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District (SRFPD) introduced UAS in 2015, and the utilization of the uncrewed aircraft technology “has quickly grown to allow us to be one of the leaders of the country with this technology,” Pricher said.

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In a one-on-one interview and demonstration with The Chronicle, Pricher detailed UAS’ many practical uses, including the technology’s ability to expedite search and rescue missions.

“Somebody on the ground level, they’re not going to be able to see something five or 10 feet away into the brush,” Pricher said.

“When we have the aircraft up above with that infrared sensor, whether it’s a child who walked out of the house and went into the woods or somebody with dementia that just got lost, we can use that infrared technology and the heat signatures to find people faster.”

Critical component The devices also aid in scene diagramming, a critical component of fire investigations.

“It’s a lot faster for us to get around using those (UAS generated) maps,” Pricher said. “In the aircraft, as opposed to having to handle a scene diagram and running out there with 100-foot-long tape

2022 Columbia County

Courtesy photo

One of the Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District’s unmanned aircraft systems in flight. See a video demonstration of the flight with this story at thechronicleonline.com.

measures to measure the distance from the street to the structure, car, or building, I can do all that with the aircraft in seconds.”

SRFPD currently has three Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs).

One is an outdated model, which Pricher said will need replacing in six months in compliance with Fed-

eral Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

“So, we have three different service levels based on the age of the aircraft, the number of flights that it’s had, (and) the number of hours put on the aircraft to determine when we need to replace (it),” Pricher explained of the UAS’ shelf

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life. “If a battery is supposedly good for 200 cycles, we get rid of the battery at about 150 to 160.”

UAVs are not cheap, but price points vary widely based on the aircraft’s features.

“If all you’re looking for is the ability to get situational awareness, you can get into something for about $1,000, maybe $1500,” Pricher said. “But when you start getting into the more advanced technology for mapping or using those thermal sensors, you’re looking at anywhere from $8,000 to probably about $12,000 on the multirotor, sort of the entry-level aircraft. Beyond that, it can go up to $140,000.”

Pricher said SRFPD has primarily funded the aircraft through grants, and the district is pursuing a grant for an endurance aircraft with features such as vertical takeoff and landing and enhanced visualsituational awareness. The costs, however, associated with UAVs go beyond the financial.

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See SRFPD Page A9

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Ukrainian humanitarian mission details

Courtesy photo

SRFPD District Division Chief Miguel Bautista arrives in Poland as part of the Empact Northwest team’s deployment to assist the Ukrainian refugees.

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District (SRFPD) Division Chief Miguel Bautista is back home following a humanitarian effort to Ukraine in late March.

Bautista is a member of Empact Northwest, a nonprofit, nongovernment urban search and rescue team.

Empact Northwest provides rescue, medical, and logistical support to those affected by disaster worldwide, and preparedness support to communities in need as well as professional rescue training.

Bautista is a disaster medical technician. He has been a member of the team since 2015.

The Empact Northwest is deploying teams to the region following the Russian

invasion. Bautista and his team arrived in Poland in late March to assist the Ukrainian refugees fleeing from the Russia attacks.

They are a tough people dealing with difficult times and they don’t want to be forgotten. ~ SRFPD Division Chief Dr. Miguel Bautista

Bautista’s team was assigned medical duties and worked out of a small village in Poland about 50

miles from the Ukraine border. The team crossed into Ukraine daily to treat refugees at makeshift medical centers set up in tents, community centers and churches.

“We didn’t see much trauma,” Bautista said. “It was a steady flow of refugees who have been traveling for days on roadways and who were fleeing for their lives.”

According to Bautista, many of the refugees hadn’t seen doctors for months and were suffering various travel-related injuries.

“We would be treating travel injuries, foot ailments, dehydration, some burn injuries, high blood pressure, basically primary care medical issues with people who had been trying to get out of the area,” he said.

SRFPD District Division Chief Miguel Bautista, left, and his Empact Northwest team.

Most of the patients Bautista and his team treated included women and children and the elderly. Ukrainian males 16 and older have been banned from leaving the county in order to defend Ukraine.

Bautista said his team was caring for women and children who were trying to escape pretty dramatic situations after entire neighborhoods were destroyed in the war.

“What resonates mostly for me is that most of us on the teams are fathers and mothers of small children and we were seeing the Ukrainian children who didn’t really know what was going on, so we were able to provide these children and their families with a safe place to get a little relief,” he said.

Following close dis-

cussions with U.S. Army officials stationed in Poland about which areas were dangerous and which areas were safe, Bautista and his team also were able to help shuttle donated food, clothing, sleeping bags and stuffed animals to the Ukraine medical centers to be distributed to the refugees.

Giving the children a donated stuff animal was an important part of the humanitarian effort, according to Bautista.

“To see their smiling faces that meant a lot for me personally,” he said. “Many of these women and children had been traveling for days, so the centers offered a moment for them to take a breath and know they were close to a safety zone.”

Bautista said he doesn’t see the war in Ukraine end-

Courtesy photo

ing anytime soon.

“This is going to be a conflict that will last a long time,” he said. “It really depends on the Russian aggression. It is a complicated situation involving international relations.”

Bautista said he is ready to return to Ukraine if his team needs him again.

“The Ukraine people are very grateful four our support,” he said. “They are strong people and they are hopeful the conflict will be over soon and that they can go home and rebuild their homes and their neighborhoods. They are a tough people dealing with difficult times and they don’t want to be forgotten.”

To donate to help the efforts by Empact Northwest, visit https://www.empactnorthwest.org/donate.

Moments during deadly shooting revealed ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley is sharing his experience in a deadly shooting.

Pixley was one of two law enforcement officers who shot and killed a murder suspect on March 31.

In an April 11 Facebook post, Pixley issued the following statement.

“Many of you know by now that an OSP Sergeant and I were involved in the incident at Grumpy’s Towing, a Scappoose towing business,” he wrote. “This was the first time in over 19 years of law enforcement that I have been placed in this type of situation.”

“It is a complex and difficult experience to process but I find some comfort in knowing that we were able to defend the lives of our citizens and both the sergeant and I were able to go home safely to our families.

“My wife Annette and I are humbled by the outpouring of support from the many friends, colleagues and citizens who have reached out. We deeply appreciate your kindness as we, and the rest of the community, begin to move forward from this

NATURE From Page A1 shared interest. We go outside and talk about the animals we see, the plants we see, and how seasonally these things change,” she said, adding, “It gives us extra things to talk about.”

Licorice Fern Friends meets at McCormick park at 10 a.m. “rain or shine” to do the forest loop every Saturday.

“With this age group of kids, I found this is a good distance because it keeps them active, but they make it the whole way,” Hawkins said.

As she jokingly puts it, “I haven’t had a parent yet have

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle

Courtesy photo

The deadly shooting scene was cordoned off by law enforcement.

event. It is an honor to serve you.”

The Washington County Major Crimes Team took lead in the investigation and identified the two officers involved in the deadly shooting as Pixley and Oregon State Police (OSP) Sergeant Chad Drew.

As officers arrived on scene, witnesses said officers ordered the armed suspect involved to put down his weapon, according to a KOIN report.

The suspect, later identified as 39-year-old Michael Stockton, fired multiple shots at two law enforcement officers, and the officers returned fire, hitting Stockton,

according to investigators. No officers were injured during the gunfire.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including St. Helens and Scappoose Police also responded to the incident.

Officers at the scene rendered aid to Stockton until medical personnel could take over.

Stockton was later pronounced deceased.

Following the shooting, investigators located two different handguns in Stockton’s possession confirming he fired multiple shots in the direction of the law enforcement officers, according to Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Detective Shannon Wilde.

During the investigation, officers learned that Stockton was wanted by Gresham Police for the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old man at a storage facility in Gresham, according to Wilde. Investigators said the shooting in Scappoose is unrelated to the Gresham homicide case.

Stockton had served 60 months in prison in 2014 after his conviction of two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of being a felon in possession of a gun, according to The Oregonian.

Pixley and Drew were placed on critical incident leave, which is standard protocol following an officerinvolved shooting.

to carry a kid.”

While everyone could benefit from a little time with nature, Hawkins said she truly believes a group like this is needed for Columbia County.

“I want (Licorice Fern Friends) to create a sense of community. I want parents to feel safe to turn to each other and ask for support, whether it be venting or asking, ‘Hey, do you have any hand-medowns in this size?’ I want it to be a safe space for parents to learn to trust their child’s judgment,” she said. “And I think for Columbia County, we simply need more outlets like that.”

To connect with the nature walking group, visit licorice fern friends on Facebook.

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Community Action Team

You may be entitled to benefits for serving your country.

Contact your Veteran Service Officer • 503-366-6580 Call CAT at (503)397-3511 to find out if you qualify. Rental and energy assistance applications are available at 125 N. 17th St., St. Helens, OR. Also available on our website at www.CAT-TEAM.org

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

Snow day!

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

A cold low-pressure system ushered in a mix of slush, snow and ice that layered streets and roadways early Monday morning, April 11.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Monday alerting of the rare pending snowstorm.

Snow accumulations overnight Sunday into Monday ranged between two to six inches depending on the elevation.

The NWS also issued a Winter Storm Warning above 1,000 feet for up to a foot of new snow with winds up to 35 mph for the Northwest Oregon Coast range until 2 p.m. Monday.

Area transportation crews reported several roads closed due to the wintry conditions that caused trees, and tree

limbs to fall, including the well-used Cornelius Pass in Multnomah County and Highway 47 near Clatskanie in Columbia County. Drivers were urged to be cautious, slow down and watch for downed trees, power lines and other debris.

The weather conditions also closed most area public schools in Columbia County and surrounding areas and forced a slow start at city, state and county government offices Monday morning.

Forecasters say there is a possibility of more snow through Thursday for Columbia County, but accumulations at lower elevations should not be as significant as the Monday morning event.

During such events you can find real-time updates about closures, delays and weather details at thechronicleonline.com.

What’s special about 29,200 days?

Diane Dillard’s 80th Birthday!

Courtesy photo

A Licorice Fern friend gets up close and personal with nature.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Real estate prices climbing fast in NW Oregon

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

ERIK KNODER Chronicle Guest Article

The global pandemic hammered many industries and led to massive unemployment, but home owners are coming away with a big win.

Home prices not only continued to rise in many cities across the nation, but they increased even more than in the previous year. The widely quoted Case-Shiller Index of national home prices available from the St. Louis Federal Reserve showed a 19.2% increase over the year to January 2022. That was up from an 11% growth rate of the year before.

This raises the question, how is the real estate market in Northwest Oregon?

The answer is that most Northwest Oregon counties seem to be doing very well. Residential property average sales prices reported

by RMLS in January 2022

rose 29.2% to $543,700 in the North Coast region (Clatsop, Tillamook, and Lincoln counties combined), grew 12.9% to $434,700 in Columbia County, and increased 18.2% to $470,800 in Benton County. (Based on a 12-month moving average.) It should be noted that Benton County reports few home sales to RMLS so the prices can vary quite widely from month to month.

The volume of homes sold as reported by the RMLS system also held up pretty well in 2021. The North Coast region reported 1,941 closed sales for the year versus 1,960 sales for 2020. Columbia County had 970 closed sales in 2021 versus 914 in 2020, and Benton County reported 258 sales in 2021 versus 189 sales in 2020. Not all realtors report sales to RMLS. One drawback in using home sales to evaluate the real estate market is that the quality of houses sold each

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

Metro Creative Connection

Residential property average sales prices reported by RMLS in January 2022 rose 29.2% to $543,700 in the North Coast region, including Clatsop, Tillamook, and Lincoln counties combined, grew 12.9% to $434,700 in Columbia County, and increased 18.2% to $470,800 in Benton County.

month is not consistent; one month may see more high-quality houses sold, the next month may see more low-quality houses being sold. One way around this problem is to use economic models to estimate values for all the residential property in an area. Zillow does this modeling and makes the data available on the company’s

website. The chart below shows the smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical home value for each county. It reflects the typical value for homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range.

The Zillow estimates for the five counties in Northwest Oregon also show that home values hit new highs in 2021 and that the rate of

increase was high in all counties. Price increases ranged from 18% in Clatsop County to 29% in Lincoln County.

Prices also continued to converge. In early 2009 when data for all five counties was first available the most expensive county (Clatsop) had prices that were about 26% higher than the lowest-price county (Lincoln). By the end of 2021 that difference had dropped to 14% (Benton vs.

Columbia). To the extent that more opportunities for remote work are occurring, it may be one factor in causing that trend.

Of course, the real industry is much broader than just buying and selling homes.

Some of the larger businesses are involved in rental management. Additionally, many jobs, especially brokers, in the real estate industry are not covered by unemployment insurance and consequently aren’t reported to the Oregon Employment Department.

The reported jobs are more likely to be support and office staff for brokers or maintenance and cleaning staff for real estate rental agents. The employment that is reported for real estate was 76 jobs higher in September 2021 (the most recent data) than September 2020 for the five Northwest Oregon counties as a region, but the individual counties varied widely.

Over the year Benton County lost nine jobs, Clatsop County’s employment was down 12 jobs. Columbia County added three jobs, Lincoln County gained 87 jobs, and Tillamook County was up seven jobs. The region as a whole had 1,244 jobs that were reported to the Employment Department in September 2021.

Erik Knoder is a regional economist with the Oregon Employment Department. He may be reached at 541-3515595.

April 18 tax filing deadline approaching fast The deadline to file state and federal personal income tax returns is April 18.

The Oregon Department of Revenue (ODR) said more than 1.1 million Oregonians have already filed their state personal income tax returns. Of those 1.1 million taxpayers, more than 928,000 have received refunds, with other refunds still pending. A Where’s My Refund? tool is available on Revenue’s website for personal income tax filers now.

Over 2.2 million total returns this year are expected, according to ODR Personal Tax and Compliance Division Administrator Megan Denison.

Don’t forget about the kicker The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) confirmed a nearly $1.9 billion tax surplus, triggering a tax surplus credit, or “kicker,” for the 2021 tax year.

You’re eligible to claim the kicker if you filed a 2020 tax return and had tax due before credits. Even if you don’t have a filing obligation for 2021, you still must file a 2021 tax return to claim your credit. File electronically to get your refund the fastest way possible, or if you prefer, 2021 paper forms and instructions are available: Form OR-40 for fullyear Oregon residents, Form OR-40-P for partyear residents, and Form OR-40-N for nonresidents.

Composite and fiduciaryincome tax return filers are also eligible.

A What’s My Kicker? calculator is available on Revenue’s website for personal income tax filers. You can access the calculator from Revenue Online. To calculate your kicker, enter your name, Social Security Number, and filing status for 2020 and 2021.

Keep in mind that the state may use all or part of your kicker to pay any state debt you owe, such as tax due for other years, child support, court fines or school loans.

Do you still need to file your return?

File electronically.

E-filing is the fastest way to get your tax refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks.

See if you qualify for free tax help. Oregon personal income tax return filers with an adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less may qualify to file both their state and federal taxes electronically for free.

There are four approved tax preparation software products that partner with Oregon to offer free electronic filing: • Tax Act • OLT • 1040Now • FreeTaxUSA.com Each vendor has different free filing criteria, so filers should do their research and choose the best vendor to fit their needs. Read

about the free options listed to see if you are eligible.

Groups including the AARP, CASH Oregon, and the United Way also provide free tax preparation services to qualifying taxpayers.

See if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit.

You may be missing out on a bigger refund if you’re not claiming the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Eligibility information is available at www.irs.gov.

Taxpayers who are eligible for the EITC can also claim Oregon’s Earned Income Credit (EIC).

fund, or make tax payments.

Call 800-356-4222 toll-free (English or Spanish) or 503- 378-4988 or email

questions.dor@oregon.gov.

For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 1 800-8867204. Due to the number

of calls Revenue receives during tax season, you may experience extended wait times.

Filing an extension Individuals who are not able to file by April 18 can file an extension directly with the Oregon Department of Revenue or with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If the IRS extension is granted, the Oregon extension is automatically granted. A timely filed extension moves the federal tax filing deadline and the Oregon filing deadline to Oct. 17.

Only request an Oregon extension if you: • Don’t have a federal extension.

• Owe Oregon taxes.

• Can’t file your return

by April 18.

Remember that having a filing extension is not an extension to pay any tax you owe.

Visit www.oregon.gov/ dor to get tax forms, see a list of approved tax preparation software products, check the status of your re-

NEW DATES Upcoming road closures for railroad work.

Detour route will be signed.

Thank you for your patience!

The project is happening in stages as we work with our parnters to complete the work.

Bennett Road: • West side stays closed for about two more months.

• East side closed April 15-21, for rail work.

Millard Road: • East side closed from April 22 - July for rail work.

Project Webpage

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Opinion

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Viewpoints

Kaya’s Kritters comes to Home & Garden Show ZOE GOTTLIEB Chronicle Guest Column

The 2022 Columbia County Home and Garden Show presented by The Chronicle and sponsored by InRoads Credit Union is set for April 23 and April 24 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in St. Helens.

A local teenage entrepreneur is eager to take her business to the next level and is scheduled to be one of several vendors at the show.

Kaya Metzger, a senior at Scappoose High School, began making beaded spiders when she was just 8-yearsold.

After landing first place in Scappoose Summerfest’s Kid Biz competition, Kaya came up with a name for her product: Kaya’s Kritters. She began setting up shop at different grocery outlets to raise money for Oregon Health and Science University’s Doernbecher Hospital.

In the following interview with The Chronicle, Kaya explains how her business came to be and what she hopes to accomplish.

The Chronicle: What got you interested in making these crafts?

Kaya Metzger: My aunt knew I had a fascination for bugs. She was watching me at my grandma’s house one day, and she brought down all this beading equipment and taught me how to make the plain spiders.

I’ve always loved crafts; I love just working on things, and it was bugs, so it automatically caught my attention. It kept growing, and my dad helped me make new kinds of them.

My aunt started all of it, my dad helped me further it, and I’ve just continued loving it.

The Chronicle: What has it been like running your business so far, going into different spaces and selling some of your creations? How do you organize that, and where have you sold them so far?

Metzger: I started with the Kids in Biz (which) was the first time we really tried it because my mom wanted me to start talking to people. It was a good experience to get out there and be able to talk about something I enjoyed.

When I heard about the Doernbecher fundraiser, I decided this was my moment.

We started at Walmart and set it up (like) how a Girl Scouts group would - get a time, get your booth, and wait for a while for someone to find it interesting. (We would) sit out there for hours, multiple times a week (and) on the weekends.

The Chronicle: Can you tell me what you plan on studying (in college?)

Metzger: I plan to go to college for forensics. I want to work specifically in forensic entomology.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Scappoose High School senior Kaya Metzger shows off one of her kritters.

High-schooler Kaya Metzger poses at her booth while fundraising for OHSU Doernbecher’s Childrens Hospital.

The Chronicle: How much have you been able to save through selling your creations?

out there to start networking for the future. You never really know who you can meet and who will randomly enjoy what you’re doing.

Metzger: I’m pretty sure my profit has been zero because all of the funds I’ve raised for the last four years were specifically for Doernbecher. The garden show will be the first time I’m doing it as a profit for myself.

The Chronicle: I’m imagining that your peers in school might be doing other things like sports, dance or other activities, maybe the school band. What separates you from your peers to where you’re motivated to be a young entrepreneur? Why do you do this?

Metzger: I think one of the biggest drives for me is

that I don’t like being bored.

Beading has given me a time that I can work and feel productive while I’m just watching a movie I want to watch or a show. Sometimes I’m on a call with my friends, and I need to do something with my hands, so I’ll start beading.

The Chronicle: What do you hope to get out of the Home and Garden Show?

Metzger: I think of doing Kaya’s Kritters as just getting myself out there and communicating with people because I’ve always struggled with conversation, especially faceto-face. Now, I’m able to talk to someone who comes up about something I enjoy. I use it as a method of helping my communication.

It’s (also) getting my name

The Chronicle: Would you say that going out and selling your product has improved your communication skills? Do you feel more confident now that you’ve been out there?

Metzger: Oh, yeah.

Before I did Kaya’s Kritters, I would hide behind my mom. She’d have to talk for me. Now, I’m doing all these different things. I’m able to introduce myself and talk to people.

The Chronicle: What advice would you give somebody your age wanting to start their own business?

Metzger: The main thing I would tell someone is to make sure you enjoy what you’re making. If I didn’t have such a fascination (with) bugs and didn’t enjoy my creativity, I would not have a lot of fun, and I would think of this as a job.

When you make a product, you have to know that you enjoy it.

The 2022 Columbia County Home and Garden Show is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 23 and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 24, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Sausler Road in St. Helens.

The show is presented by The Chronicle and sponsored

by InRoads Credit Union.

There is still to become a vendor, contact Katherine at 503-397-0116 or at chronicleads@countrymedia.net.

Voices of the Community

Garden Plots: Spring weather concerns

Support for NEXT

CHIP BUBL Chronicle Guest Article

NEXT Renewable Fuels’ Clean Fuels Project should be celebrated.

The recent decision by the Oregon Department of State Lands (ODSL) to approve the NEXT Renewable Fuels’ $2 billion clean fuels project is worth celebrating.

It is one big step closer to allowing for the construction of NEXT’s state-of-the-art renewable diesel facility and the restoration of nearly 500 acres of wetlands in our community.

NEXT is going above and beyond by inviting the Clatskanie School District into the wetland restoration project, making hands-on learning opportunities for science-based curriculum possible in ways our community has not had the

opportunity to experience before.

With what is currently happening in the world, it is more evident than ever that we need our own clean fuels industry, and it’s an added bonus that this project comes with leadership that wants to do right by the community, which includes protecting our unique environment.

Give us green energy jobs at fair wages and environmental benefits of wetland restoration over fracking and traditional fuel any day. It’s time to get ready for a future that prioritizes cleaner fuels for our community and provides careermaking opportunities along the way. It is getting closer and closer to being able to celebrate what’s NEXT. Kathy Engel Clatskanie School Board member

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Last Week’s Results

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covers to get them off to a good start. Clear plastic minihoop structures can work but if is sunny, transplants can “cook” if not fully opened up for that day. Row covers do not need to be removed.

Finally, be alert for slugs and field mice. They can do a lot of damage to young seedlings or transplants in one night. Bait for slugs and put out mouse traps for voles under the plant protecting structures. Vole numbers continue to be quite high.

Spring weather concerns The cold, rainy weather has helped with droughtcaused low soil moisture and fire concerns. For that, we are thankful. But it couldn’t have come at a worse time for some plants. I am concerned about pollination. As I write this, apples are starting to bloom, plums and cherries are at peak bloom and my quince trees are just getting started. Between the rain and cold temperatures, our mason and honey bees will have to show a lot of fortitude for us to have a good fruit crop.

There could be a lot of June fruit drop due to incomplete pollination and/or fruit disease pressure.

As plants leaf out, the fungi and bacteria that attack them multiply. The only thing that might hold them back a bit is that temperatures are so low. Many need 50-degrees or more daily average to really get going. That isn’t in the current forecast with night temperatures below 40°F. If the rainy pattern persists and average daily temperatures get warmer, we will see black spot on roses, apple scab, dogwood anthracnose, and numerous other disease problems. Roses and apples/pears/cherries will benefit from preventative spraying. Herbaceous plants are not immune. Witness peony botrytis blight and iris leaf spots. The ideal spring weather is a day of rain and two or three dry days. That slows the disease pressure but maintains soil moisture.

In addition, don’t get too excited about planting vegetables unless you have raised beds.

With soil temperatures in the 45-degree range, seeds and/or transplants will need special heat-retaining row

Transplanting root-bound trees This is the month when volumes of plants are moved from nurseries to yards.

Most woody plants (trees and shrubs) are sold in containers. The plant you buy may have been in the pot anywhere from two to four years.

It is not uncommon to find plants that are quite root bound. Those plants have circling large roots or perhaps roots with big kinks.

Unfortunately, rootbound plants may take a long time to move into the surrounding soil that you want them to live in. As their tops develop but the roots do not, they can be killed during periods of warm weather. A surprising number of trees that fail to thrive are found to have never grown into the soil at all.

Can you re-invigorate a root system before you plant the tree or shrub? You can, if you follow this advice: take

the plant out of the container and then washing all the soil or planting media off the roots. This can be done in a wheelbarrow.

Straighten as many roots as you can. Then take a look at all the roots. Look for roots that are circling or kinked and try to cut back to places where you can straighten the growth out. Keep the roots moist as you do this and try to be in the shade.

As much as 70% of a root system can be thoughtfully cut and still have the tree perform nicely.

Before you start the root pruning, dig a nice hole for the tree that is wide but not deep. Once the tree is ready to go in, create a mound in the center of the hole onto which you can place the plant and distribute the roots around the mound. Back-fill the hole with the soil from the site. Firm the back-filled soil with your hands or by gentle watering to remove air pockets. Mulch the tree and hole with four inches of good compost and any of the potting mix you removed from the roots earlier. Keep the mulch at least six inches from the trunk of the tree to reduce vole (field mice) damage.

You can add a little nitrogen to the surface.

Remember to control any invading weeds and especially keep the planting watered throughout the summer and into fall.

Events The Columbia County Home & Garden Show The Home and Garden show returns to the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 23 and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

April 24. There will be guest speakers, including a number of garden speakers, and many displays.

The Columbia County Master Gardeners™ Spring Fair This spring fair will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds this year. There will 3,000 tomato plants, peppers, and garden related items by other vendors.

Many Extension publications available online Are you putting up salsa, saving seeds, or thinking about planting kiwis? OSU has a large number of its publications available for free download. Just go to https:// catalog.extension.oregonstate. edu. Click on publications and start exploring.

Important notes The OSU Extension Office is fully open.

Donate produce and/or money to the food bank, senior centers, or community meals programs. It is greatly appreciated.

The Extension Service offers its programs and materials equally to all people.

Have questions?

If you have questions on any of these topics or other home garden and/or farm questions, please contact Chip Bubl, Oregon State University Extension office in St. Helens at 503-397-3462 or at chip. bubl@oregonstate.edu. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Free newsletter The Oregon State University Extension office in Columbia County publishes a monthly newsletter on gardening and farming topics (called County Living) written/edited by yours truly. All you need to do is ask for it and it will be mailed or emailed to you. Call 503-397-3462 to be put on the list. Alternatively, you can find it on the web at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/columbia/ and click on newsletters.

Contact information Oregon State University Extension Service – Columbia County 505 N. Columbia River Highway St. Helens, OR 97051 503-397-3462

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Oregon honors 911 emergency operators, dispatchers STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

Oregon’s 911 emergency operators and dispatchers answer nearly 2 million emergency calls annually for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services.

Over the past two years, these dedicated professionals have additionally served on the front line through unprecedented disaster response efforts across the state.

In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 1016, Governor Kate Brown has issued a proclamation recognizing the critical role the state’s 911 operators and dispatchers play in keeping our communities safe and secure.

“Oregon’s 911 telecommunicators are heroes devoted to public safety and

helping others. They work long hours, remaining calm in all types of situations and quickly constructing plans of action based on limited information,” State 911 Program Section Manager Frank Kuchta said. “They are lifelines in an emergency, and this observance honors their skills, dedication and commitment to helping Oregonians.”

911 call takers, dispatchers, and technicians work behind the scenes to help citizens during emergencies ranging from mental health crises, car accidents, missing person reports, burglaries and domestic violence disturbances. Since early 2020, Oregon’s 911 professionals have had the added responsibility of serving throughout a pandemic, historic wildfires, heatwaves, winter storms, floods and severe staffing shortages.

Courtesy photo

Since early 2020, Oregon’s 911 professionals have had the added responsibility of serving throughout a pandemic, historic wildfires, heatwaves, winter storms, floods and severe staffing shortages, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

“On any given day, our public safety dispatchers have an incredibly stressful job; during the last two years, that’s been compounded as they’ve responded to unprecedented disasters in

which they were the first to answer the call,” Kuchta said. “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week brings well-deserved attention and recognition to these invaluable professionals.”

The critical work of Oregon’s professional communicators directly supports operations of federal, state and local government agencies including emergency management, highway safety,

and search and rescue.

The state 911 program was established by the 1981 Oregon Legislature and is managed by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

‘Dehumanizing experience’ of farmworkers during pandemic MOLLY ROSBACH Chronicle Guest Article

The latest report consisting of dozens of interviews with Oregon farmworkers offers a glimpse into the unsafe, unsustainable and often dehumanizing experiences farmworkers have endured during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oregon State University (OSU) Professor Ron Mize was one of the authors on the COVID-19 Farmworker Study, part of a long-term, multi-state project examining farmworker living conditions Courtesy photo from OSU in Washington, Oregon and The researchers called for better training, more safety net resources, greater mental health support, and California. stronger workplace protections and enforcement, among several other recommendations.

“Over the years that I’ve taught, I still have to remind August to September 2020. versity “They are the experts were doing before,” Mize people that the way food gets For the recent report, they best positioned to describe said. “The impacts of the last to our table is by people’s conducted in-depth interviews their lived experiences and two years have been cumulahands,” Mize said. with 48 workers statewide the political action required to tive, and they will continue to Mize’s teaching in OSU’s from February-July 2021, be treated with dignity.” impact farmworkers.” ethnic studies department and these findings echo what During the six-month inWith children out of includes a course on farmthey learned from the earlier terview period in 2021, more school as classes went worker justice movements. survey. than half of the subjects tested remote, women often shifted “It’s hard labor that’s Speaking directly with positive for COVID-19. Lost from being co-breadwinners really poorly remunerated farmworkers was a priority, wages due to the mandatory to stay-at-home caregivers for that keeps our food prices the team said.

10-day quarantine and lack of kids and sick family memlow, keeps our food plentiful, “The scarce data available paid sick leave among farmbers, which not only added keeps food on our table; and about farmworkers too often workers often forced people to their stress and emotional yet we consistently neglect is disjointed and not collected to choose between basic burnout but further reduced the reality that farmworkers with the intention of capturing necessities like rent, food and families’ incomes, the report are fundamental to our food farmworkers in all their comtheir children’s health care. found. system,” he said. plexity and their own voices,” “That 10 days of quaranAccording to Mize, 11-16-11 3x2D Cuts:Layout 6/22/12 3:28 PM Page The researchers performed said1 Jennifer Martinez-Meditine can1 put you so far behind farmworkers who are unan initial survey of 300 farmna, study director and a Ph.D. that you’ll never get back to documented face additional 11-16-11 3x2D Cuts:Layout 1 6/22/12 3:28 PM Page 1 workers across Oregon from student at Portland State Unijust the scraping by that you challenges.

“Many still fear that receiving SNAP food benefits or free medical care such as ’s COVID-19 tests and vace i b b cines could get them labeled Bo a “public charge” and render seniors $Adults 10 & Children: $18 251 S 1ST Street, St. Helens

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Farmworkers want to have more inspectors on farms to perform regular safety and health checks; more widespread vaccination efforts; better provision for the needs of Indigenous communities; better education of employers; and immigration documents so more workers can receive work benefits.

The researchers called for better training, more safety net resources, greater mental health support, and stronger workplace protections and enforcement, among several other recommendations.

“There is no one silver bullet. All these elements have to be addressed together,” Mize said. “I’m hoping our legislative leaders follow that lead, because we can have much more impact on policy when we’re thinking of farmworkers holistically with their whole life, instead of thinking about them as an OSHA inspection or an exposure rate.”

The report was a collaboration among researchers at Oregon State University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, Oregon Health and Sciences University and the California Institute for Rural Studies, along with more than a dozen community care organizations.

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them ineligible to apply for legal residency,” Mize said.

“That policy was threatened, though never implemented, under the Trump administration, but undocumented workers still avoid seeking public benefits out of fear.”

Language barriers also affect a wide swath of Oregon’s farmworkers, according to Mize.

“Employers often rely on employees themselves to translate required health information into Spanish and Indigenous languages like Mam, Nahuatl and Mixteco Alto, with no guarantee that workers actually receive the information,” Mize said.

Workers spoke of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors making site visits and observing people close together without masks or other protective equipment, without reporting any safety violations. More than half of the farmworkers interviewed did not feel fully protected in their workplace, and many reported not being informed of COVID infections in their workplaces.

“Too often, the standards for what’s OK for farmworkers are different from what’s OK for everybody else,” Mize said. “OSHA can be held responsible, farms can be held responsible, and we as a collective public can be held responsible.”

The report concludes with a list of recommendations from workers and researchers.

Caregiving advice by Nurse Navigator Katie Klem

How do you care from afar when your loved one is chronically ill? Part 3 of 5

This is the long-distance family caregiving series. In part 1 and 2, we discussed Sally’s health challenges, the lack of a long-term care plan, the stress associated with her care, and the steps I used to help Sally and her son.

First, I conducted a long-term care survey with an in-home care assessment. Secondly, I built a care team based on the results of Sally’s long-term care survey. I call this team Sally’s Committee.

Sally is 85, with diabetes, heart, bladder, shoulder and gait problems and she wants to remain at home.

Her husband was a retired wartime veteran, and her son lives out of state and does not have a plan nor

the required tools and legal instruments to care from afar.

Sally’s care team consists of a care manager and I serve as the care manager and care navigator. My role is to coordinate all of Sally’s needs as identified from the long-term care survey. Next on the team is an elder care attorney.

That person’s role is to create the power of attorney documents and legal instruments that her son will need to direct her care and manage her estate.

The third professional service that I brought in was the caregiving team of Comfort Makers. The role of Comfort Makers is to bring assisted living services into Sally’s home,

so she does not need to move into a facility, since it is her wish to remain at home. Next on the team was the home modification, access, and mobility specialist. His role is to modify the house for beauty, access and safety while adding value to the home.

Last professional was a veteran agent to help Sally obtain the VA aide and attendance benefit when she becomes financially eligible. Next time, we will discuss how I designed the care to fit a five-year budget. If someone you love needs chronic illness management, please call or email me at any time, and by all means, stay well and stay safe.

Katie Klem is a certified elder care consultant and CCO of COMFORT Makers & Comforting Medical Supply.

139 N. 21st St., St. Helens, OR 97051 Phone: 503-369-2460 Email: Katie@comfort-makers.com

The deadline for public comments about drones at state parks has been extended.

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is extending public comment on proposed Oregon Administrative Rules guiding take-off and landing of drones in state parks and along the ocean shore.

The new deadline for comments is 5 p.m. April 15, 2022.

The proposed rules are intended to provide clarity for drone pilots, hobbyists and the general public to know where drone take-off and landing is allowed and prohibited within a state park and along the ocean shore.

“While we do get occasional complaints about drones, we also get requests from pilots about where and how they can launch and

land in a state park and on the ocean shore,” OPRD spokesman Chris Havel told The Chief in a published story in January. “So, it’s not so much about responding to complaints as managing a legitimate form of recreation so it doesn’t create conflicts or cause resource damage.

A special opportunity for individuals to provide limited comment directly to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission has been added to their regularly scheduled meeting set for 9:45 a.m. April 13 at the Oregon Garden Resort, 895 W Main Street in Silverton.

Individuals may register to provide comment to the commission in person or virtually. Time for comment will be limited based on available time. While there may not be time for everyone to provide oral comment during the

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meeting, written comments will be accepted after the meeting.

Comments may be submitted via: Website: oregon.gov/ oprd/PRP/Pages/PRP-rulemaking.aspx Mail: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, attn: Katie Gauthier, 725 Summer St. NE, Suite C, Salem, OR 97301 Email: OPRD.publiccomment@oprd.oregon.gov A full copy of the proposed amendments is available on the Proposed OPRD Rules web page.

After reviewing public comments, agency staff will present final amended rules for consideration by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission later this spring.

Virtual public hearings took place on March 30 and 31.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

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Misc Services

Announcements

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Cans and Bottles If you have cans and bottles that you would like to get rid of call Steve the Can Man at 971813-9257. Will pick up.

Community Health Nurse Columbia County, OR. EOE Deadline 5/2/2022. Apply at ColumbiaCounty OR.gov

edge of pipe lasers. FT Position, Overtime, 4050hrs/week. Hourly Rate Depending on Experience & Qualifications / Negotiable.

Please send resume to: jconstructionres umes@gmail. com

Level. See website for details. www. sthelensoregon. gov. Open Until Filled. Equal Opportunity Employer.

grounds and event center. 17402 NE Delfel road, Richfield Washington, off I-5, exit 9, 15 minutes north of Portland. General admission: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., adults: $7, early bird admission: 7 a.m., $20. Kids under 12: free. w w w. n w g s a l e s . com or call 360907-5919.

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Alcoholics Anonymous Info-line, (503) 366-0667 www.pdxaa.org

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Events

Call to artists!

Spring into Art May 14, 5-8 P.M. Entries accepted May 14, 9-11 A.M. at St. Helen’s Community Center.

See website for details: Columbiaartsguild.com or call 503-369-1081.

502

Help Wanted

HELP WANTED Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper for St. Frederic Catholic Church 18 hours per week.

Knowledge of Quickbooks necessary. English language skills essential with Spanish skills language helpful.

Send resume to: pdahlin@archdpdx. org. or call 503-397-0148, ext. 6. $$$

Experienced Class A CDL Truck & Pup Trailer Drivers General Contractor has opening’s available for experienced Class A CDL Truck & Pup Trailer Driver’s, with clean driving record. Hauling Dirt & Gravel with a Truck & Pup Trailer. Job sites throughout Multnomah & Clark County areas. Preemployment drug screen required.

FT Position, Overtime, 40-50hrs/ week. Salary Depending on Experience & Qualifications / Negotiable.

Please send resume to: jconstructionresumes@ gmail.com Experienced Pipe Layers General Contractor has opening’s available for experienced Pipe Layer’s. Job sites throughout Multnomah & Clark County areas. Preemployment drug screen required.

Must be able to read/understand plans & drawings.

Working knowl-

Immediate Opening Shipping/Receiving/Sewing Part time 6-Noon, M-Th. Apply in person only. 33550 SE Santosh St. Scappoose, OR 97056

702

Garage Sales

600 Indoor Garage and vintage sales On April 16th.

Northwest largest garage sale and vintage sale at the Clark County Fair-

Dental Assistant St. Helens Dental Care is looking for a Full Time Dental Assistant to join our team. Qualified applicants must have their X-Ray and EFDA license.

Must be willing to work Monday through Friday. We are a state-of-theart practice and offer a positive working environment for our employees.

Please drop off your resume in person Monday through Wednesday to our office at 575 S. Columbia River Hwy. in St. Helens, Oregon 97051.

Offering Quality Asphalt Paving Services to Columbia County and surrounding areas.

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The Chronicle at 503-397-0116 to place your ad today!

COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL • INDUSTRIAL Driveways • Roadways • Subdivisions • Parking Lots • City, County, State Specification Products

Call Jim today at

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River City & Rentals Northwest 503-543-4440 Phone

503-543-7929 Fax

Kristie Flanagan, Licensed Property Manager 51891 Old Portland Road, Suite “A”, Scappoose OR 97056 (next to the scappoose totem pole)

Classified Ads Deadline: Fridays by noon.

Late submissions may not make the paper.

JOIN OUR TEAM! NOW HIRING for an ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE MANAGER The OSU Extension Service in St. Helens, Oregon invites applicants for an Administrative Office Manager position.

This position will work as a member of a collaborative team providing administrative office support for the Extension office.

Posting #P05412UF Apply by April 26, 2022 https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/117043 OSU is an AA/EOE/Vets/Disabled

Including: Sales Administrator Sales Coordinator Material Handler Supervisors Tig Welders Powder Coaters Mechanical Assembly Employee Development Shipping Drivers General Shop Help

Police Officer The City of St. Helens is hiring a POLICE OFFICER Lateral & Entry

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Head Start Needs YOU! Community Action Team Head Start is hiring in Columbia County!!

We provide: • Medical, dental, vision and life insurance benefits • Personal and sick leave • Balanced work schedules • A culturally respectful work environment We have career opportunities for a Teacher, Assistant Teacher, Cook, and Custodian.

Contact JoAnne Dodge at 503-397-4114, jdodge@nworheadstart.org; or Dawn Crawford at 503-556-3736, dcrawford@nworheadstart.org

Starting wage range $15/HR to $27/HR DOE and ability

Local county news online Keep up to date on local stories, events, ads, and council news by visiting thechronicleonline.com.

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Advertise your business in the Business & Service Directory. Call 503-397-0116 for more information

Garage Sale Special!

Advertise your garage sale in the paper and online for only $10 for up to 14 lines.

Email chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net to advertise.

Get your ad in the paper and reach out to potential customers.

Call 503-397-0116 to place your ad in the newspaper and online.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Public Notices

CH22-1060

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DEPARTMENT In the Matter of the Estate of NORMAN A. BAER, Deceased. Case No. 22PB02124 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that David Ade has

been appointed Personal Representative of the Estate of Norman A. Baer.

All persons having claims against the Estate are required to present them, with vouchers attached to the Personal Repre-

sentative at: PO Box 12814, Salem OR 97309, within four (4) 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

CH22-1067

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to ORS 294.401, that a public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Northwest Regional Education Service District, Washington County, Oregon, will be held virtually on the 10th day of May, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comments from the public on the budget. This is a public meeting where deliberations of the Budget Committee

will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss proposed programs with the Budget Committee. This meeting will be held virtually. Please see the website to register for the meeting.

Public comment will be taken in written and virtual formats.

Written comments received by 5 pm on May 6, 2022 will be read during the public comment section of the meeting on May 10, 2022. Public comments will be subject to a three-minute limit per community member. For more information on public

comment, please provide your name, phone number, and address to the Board Secretary via phone message at 503-6141253, or email to budget@nwresd.org.

A copy of the budget document may be viewed online at www.nwresd.org on or after May 6, 2022 or via email request to budget@nwresd. org, or via phone message at 503-6141253. A copy of this notice is also posted on the Northwest Regional ESD website at www.nwresd. org. Dan Goldman, Budget Officer and Lori Baker, Chief Financial Officer

proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the Personal Representative, or from the Attorney for the Personal Representative.

Dated and first published: April 6, 2022.

An-drew W. Sprauer, OSB #081245 Attorney for Personal Representative. PETITIONER: David Ade, 69746 Marcott Rd, Rainier, OR 97048. Telephone: (503) 566-2921.

ATTORNEY FOR

CH22-1064

PETITIONER Andrew W. Sprauer, OSB No. 081245, Andrew Sprauer Law, PO Box 12814; Salem, OR 97309, Telephone: (503) 910-2050, Email: andrew@awslawyer. com.

Request for Proposals Meetings Transcription The City of St. Helens is seeking to contract with an interested person(s) with skills to transcribe City Council meeting recordings into summary minutes.

CH22-1068

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DEPARTMENT In the Matter of the Estate of LINDA SPITZE, formerly known as LINDA OWEN, also known as LINDA LEE DPITZE, Deceased. No. 22PB02666 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE is hereby given that the undersigned, Dennis Spitze, has been appointed personal representative of the above estate.

All persons having claims against the estate are required to present the same

CH22-1066

within four months from this date 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 proceeding may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative or the attorneys for the personal representative. Dated and first published: April 13, 2022.

Do you have experience with taking meeting minutes, court reporting, or medical transcription? Do you type at least 60 words per minute?

Dated and next published: April 20, 2022. Date of final publication: April 27, 2022. Dennis Spitze, Personal Representative.

Personal Representative: Dennis Spitze c/o VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, OR 97051. Attorney for Personal Representative: Agnes Marie Petersen, VanNatta, Petersen & Anderson, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, OR 97051, Phone: (503) 397-4091

You will be able to work from your own computer in the comfort of your own home, at a time that works best for you.

If you are interested, please email a rate proposal, a resumé indicating specific experience that relates to the request, and a list of references to City Recorder Kathy Payne at kpayne@sthelensoregon.gov or call 503-366-8217 for more information.

The deadline to submit a proposal is April 22, 2022.

CH22-1070

NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING CHANGE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF Regular Meeting review Board Member advance by contactwelcome. Please visit OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA Time Change, April responsibilities and ing the Administrative our website at https:// 19, 2022, 4:00 p.m.

The Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors for Columbia River PUD scheduled for April 19, 2022, will begin at 4:00 p.m. to allow time to

for strategic planning purposes. This meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for further accommodations should be made at least 48 hours in

Assistant at 503-3971844. Columbia River PUD Board meetings are conducted pursuant to the public meeting laws of the State of Oregon and anyone wishing to attend is

www.crpud.net/mypud/board-of-directors/board-meetings/ for more information on attending this meeting electronically.

By: Michael J. Sykes, General Manager

CH22-1071

Request for Proposals #S-C00055-00002756 Audit Services Notice is hereby given that Columbia County by and through its Finance Department intends to Contract for Audit Services. The Request for Proposal documents are available at the County’s

website at https:// www.columbiacountyor.gov/bids and on OregonBuys at https://oregonbuys. gov/bso/. It is the Proposers responsibility to check the website or OregonBuys frequently

to be aware of any addenda. Proposals will be received at Columbia County until 5:00 pm, May 23, 2022. There will be no public opening. Columbia County is located at 230 Strand Street,

St. Helens, Oregon.

All Proposals must be sealed in envelopes and addressed to: Nancy Merlette, Accounting Services Manager, Columbia County Finance, 230 Strand Street, St Helens, Oregon 97051

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of VERNON GEORGE HOCHSTETLER, Deceased. Case No. 22PB02466 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned

has been appointed personal representative of this estate.

All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claims, with vouchers attached, within four months after the date of the first publica-

PUBLIC LIEN SALE U-STORE SELF STORAGE Auction to be held online at Storageauctions.com. Auction will run from 4/5/2022 10:00 am & end on 4/15/2022 10:00 am.

Unclaimed storage

lockers to be sold by competitive bidding. 1st Location Scappoose 53567 Columbia River Hwy. Thomas Meyer C018 CY14 D012 Angelica

NOTICE OF PUBLIC BUDGET MEETING for the fiscal year July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. This meeting will be held at the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District, 58611 McNulty Way, St. Helens, Oregon. The

meeting will take place on the 28th of April 2022 at 3:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from the public on

the budget. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the

information from the records of the Court, the personal representative, or the attorney for the personal representative.

DATED and first published, April 13, 2022. Diana Taylor, Personal Representative.

CH22-1059

CH22-1062

There will be a public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications district, Columbia County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget

tion of this notice to the personal representative at 52490 SE 2nd Street, Suite 100, Scappoose, OR 97056, or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional

Budget Committee.

A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after the April 28th meeting at the District office, Monday through Friday, between the hours of

9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. This notice is also published on the District’s website at www.Columbia911. com. Nancy J. Edwards, Budget Office. Publish April 8, 2022.

Public notice deadline: Fridays by Noon. Late submissions may be omitted.

Hernandez C009. 2nd Location St. Helens 445 Port Ave, Suite D, Bryant Ekstrom CN722, Michael Moore G-045, Natural Power Concepts

G-035, Bobbi Siek M-037, August Super M-056. GOODS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION SOLD BY STORAGE LOT. Cash and Credit Cards.

CH22-1065

NOTICE OF MEETING McNulty Water PUD Board Meeting will be held April 19, 2022, at 7pm in person at 34240 Millard

Road, Warren Oregon. If you would like to attend this meeting, please call Shannon at 503397-1301.

CH22-1003

NOTICE OF MEETING The Greater St. Helens Aquatic District is holding their board meet-

ing at Eisenschmidt Pool basement at 5 p.m. on April 18, 2022.

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD

THEME: BEATLEMANIA

ACROSS

1. In the Queen of Hearts’ oven?

6. Indiana Jones’ quest 9. Dance with leis 13. Sheikh, alt. sp.

14. Opposite of paleo 15. Hedgehog of movies and video games 16. Toilet, to a toddler 17. Pilot’s estimate acronym 18. One deserving of respect?

19. *Like submarine 21. *Abbey Road location 23. Lobe location 24. Per person 25. To the ____ degree 28. *”Twist and Shout” endearment 30. English confection 35. Wraths 37. Swarm like bees 39. Not taken and taken 40. Skiing helmet manufacturer 41. Homework assignment 43. Kamakawiwo’ole’s strings, pl.

44. Thermonuclear weapon 46. Type of list 47. Frost residue 48. “God, We Praise You”

(2 words) 50. Redecorate, e.g.

52. What Carl Lewis did 53. Doctor’s order 55. December 31st, e.g.

57. *”Whisper words of ____” 60. *”Please ____ Me,” 1st album 63. Amusement 64. Rage 66. Scary movie consequence 68. ____ del Carmen, Mexico 69. Corn spot 70. Reach a goal (2 words) 71. Unit of heredity 72. Cry of alarm 73. Wipe out

DOWN

1. Cough syrup amt.

2. Greeting at sea 3. Blood vessel network 4. Ownership document 5. NASA’s first space station 6. All over again 7. Retired, abbr.

8. Aussie bear 9. *”I want to ____ your hand” 10. Editing arrow 11. Bank holding

12. Acronym, abbr.

15. Mister in Brazil 20. Speak from a podium 22. Month X 24. Hideous sight 25. *”It’s been a hard day’s ____” 26. Social group 27. Roman king of Judea 29. *Starr’s predecessor 31. *Fabulous number 32. Faquir, alt.sp.

33. Swelling 34. Ruhr’s industrial center 36. Not all 38. Like a full-fledged Mafia man 42. Cry of the Alps 45. The enlightened one 49. Barn sound 51. Nervous (2 words) 54. Inflict a blow 56. Truth or Dare player?

57. ____ E. Coyote 58. Persian Gulf country 59. Eye infection 60. Peephole glance 61. ____ ____ good example 62. Chows down 63. Frugal driver’s acronym 65. Fish eggs 67. Unidentified Jane

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

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

A8

www.thechronicleonline.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

And the winners are…

Obituaries Gail Rene (Collie) Klobes Oct. 20, 1956 ~ March 31, 2022

Gail Rene (Collie) Klobes of Scappoose, Oregon passed away on March 31, 2022 at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital due to Legionnaires Disease. Gail was born on October 20, 1956 in Hood River, Oregon to her parents Lonnie and Betty Collie.

Gail spent most of her life in Scappoose; she was a graduate of Scappoose High School class of 1974. After high school Gail married her soulmate Chuck Klobes on August 16, 1980, and they remained in Scappoose to raise their family.

Gail was employed by Western Bank Data Center until her son Dakota was born. She then became a household engineer. Four years later her daughter Karly was born, and this fulfilled the family she wished for.

When the children were in elementary school, Gail was employed by the Scappoose School District at Otto Petersen Elementary. Miss Gail, as known by the students, spent 25 years as a Teacher’s

Aide until she retired in 2020. Gail cherished every moment she had with all the students that came through Otto Petersen School.

The last three years of Gail’s life were dedicated to her family and the dream coming true of having two grandchildren, Jagger and Halsey. These two were the light of her life as she could not go a day without seeing them, either in person or FaceTime. Gail left this earth way too soon and will be

missed by all.

Gail is survived by her husband of 42 years Chuck Klobes; son Dakota Klobes; daughter Karlene Boss and son-in-law Wade Boss; grandchildren Jagger and Halsey Boss; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Gail is preceded in death by her parents, Lonnie and Betty Collie, and brother Gary Collie all of Scappoose, Oregon.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Sat., April 23, 2022 at the Scappoose High School Auditorium in Scappoose, Oregon.

If you wish to make contributions in honor of Gail, you can access this site online: http://spot.fund/ yrcbOd, or send to PO Box 1535, Scappoose, Oregon 97056. Miss Gail’s Buddy Benches will be placed at Otto Petersen and Grant Watts elementary schools as a memorial to Gail.

Please visit our online guestbook at www.columbiafh.com

Sergeant Johnny George Gunn Aug. 20, 1948 ~ March 29, 2022

Born to Sergeant Francis Brian Gunn and Berniece “Neicy” Sue Gunn in Kyoto, Honshu, Japan, Johnny was the third child in a family of nine children. He spent most of his life living in the St. Helens area.

Johnny spent his life loving and protecting his family and friends. At a young age, Johnny helped to support his family by perfecting his hunting skills. Johnny treasured Mother Nature and all that she had to give. It was not uncommon for him to bring home a wounded animal to nurse back to health.

Being from a large family, Johnny had many opportunities to learn many trades.

He spent time working on family-owned dairy farms and shrimp boats as a young teen. He also worked in the logging industry. When he returned from the service, he worked as a body & fender man at Harrington’s Auto Body in St. Helens.

At the age of 17 in March of 1965, Johnny joined the United States Army. Upon completion of boot camp, Johnny shipped off to Vietnam. He sailed on the USS Darvey, the same ship that his father sailed in World War II. Johnny celebrated his 18th birthday by arriving in Cameron Bay. While stationed in Vietnam, Johnny became a Prisoner of War for more than 100 days. As the helicopter came to pick him up, it was shot down by enemy fire. Johnny and Crew Chief Danny Williams with the Ghost Riders were the sole survivors. They went Missing in Action for an additional 30 days.

During his total active of four years six months and four days, Johnny served with the same perseverance and endurance he lived his whole life. Johnny served as part of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam

Unit, Manh Ho Tigers and the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, Than Ho Special Forces Recon Team.

While serving his country, Johnny lived and trained with the Montagnard people.

He would describe them as some of the most beautiful people you could ever meet.

He learned their ways of living and fighting. This training served him well. Johnny reached the rank of Sergeant.

He was a leader that gained the respect of his men by working hard and expecting no more than what he was willing to give. Johnny lost many of his friends during or as a result of the Vietnam War. He loved and cherished all that he served with.

Upon completion of his first tour ending in January 1968. Sergeant Gunn served from March, 1966 to January, 1968 and February 1968 to December 1970. Although Johnny did not speak of his commendations, he was awarded several Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars, and three Bronze Stars. Johnny was honorably discharged on Feb. 1, 1973.

While in the service, Johnny met and married Nora Figuracion. Together they loved and raised their four children: Neicy LoCriccchio, Jeremy Gunn, Natasha Gunn, and Norabelle Park. Through this union, 16 grandchildren and

William Joseph ‘Bill” Tupker Aug. 1, 1944 ~ April 2, 2022

Bill age 77, passed away peacefully at his home in Roseville, California on Sat., April 2, 2022.

A small service with his family will be held when his remains are laid to rest at the Willamette National Cemetery in Happy Valley, Oregon where his mother and father are also buried.

Bill was a pilot and served his country with distinction and will be loved and missed by all.

two great grandchildren were loved by both. Later they divorced.

On Oct. 17, 1989, Johnny married Sherrie E. Pratt.

Together they played, fished, gardened and loved one another. Part of Johnny’s heart died when Sherrie left this earth on April 2, 2009. It was only fitting that Johnny died on her birthday of March 29th. We know that they are now together laughing and having a wonderful time.

Johnny was funny, humble, strong, tender, loving and fiercely defensive of those he loved. He would give his last dime to those he felt needed it more. He enjoyed music, fast cars and honey. “Running Through the Jungle” by Creedence Clearwater Revival was his favorite song. He liked his Budweiser in a long neck, anything else tasted like “tiger piss.” To truly know Johnny was to love him.

To his family and friends, Johnny was a true American Hero. He sacrificed everything for the love he had for them and our country. His strength ran true to the end; saving his last breath for the birthday of his soul mate.

Johnny is survived by his four children; 16 grandchildren; two great grandchildren; three brothers; four sisters; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his mother Berniece Gunn; sister Darline George; and wife Sherrie Gunn.

A flag ceremony and 21gun salute will be presented at 1 p.m. on April 20, 2022 at Willamette National Cemetery. Friends and Family may gather at the Village Inn and Kozy Korner following the service.

“If they are remembered, they are not truly gone, they simply change duty assignments and are amongst our best.” —unknown.

Courtesy photo

The St. Helens City Council, including Mayor Rick Scholl, pose for a photo with a few of the winners of the If I Were Mayor Contest at the council’s April 6 meeting. See more photos with this story at thechronicleonline.com.

STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

City of St. Helens officials have announced the winners in the city’s annual If I Were Mayor student contest.

In the 4th to 5th grade category, 4th grader Ellie Luke won first place and 4th grader Everette Fantus took second place.

In the 6th to 8th grade category, 6th grader Taylor Rose Parsons won first place and 7th grader Olivia Fantus took second place.

In the 9th to 12th grade category, 10th grader Hayden Stram won first place and 10th grader Katelyn WellsCallow won second place.

The If I Were Mayor student contest is an annual contest held in partnership with the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA). Students submit entries in one of three categories: a poster competition for grades 4-5, an essay competition for grades 6-8, and a digital media presentation for high school students.

First place winners received $150 cash and second place winners received $50 cash. All participants are invited to a lunch with Mayor Rick Scholl and other city staff to talk about their ideas and to learn more about how local government works.

Each participant also received a certificate and swag bag thanks to donations

from the city of St. Helens, St. Helens Public Library, and Friends of the St. Helens Public Library.

First place winning entries from the St. Helens contest will be sent to the state competition for a chance to win a prize worth $500.

This year, the City of St. Helens received four poster entries, three essay entries, and two digital media presentations. Students addressed a number of issues in their submissions, including providing additional resources for those experiencing houselessness, encouraging the community to be more active and healthier, reducing pollution, creating a community garden, and increasing job opportunities.

Police Reports The police blotter relates to the public record of incidents as reported by law enforcement agencies.

All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Information printed is preliminary and subject to change.

For specific details about cases listed, contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.

St. Helens Police March 22 • Police responded to information about possible sex abuse in the 700 block of Penn Street.

March 26 • A 49-year-old male was arrested on a fugitive warrant in the 700 block of Columbia River Highway.

March 27 • Police arrested a subject in the 50000 block of Columbia River Highway for harassment-offensive physical contact.

March 28 • Police cited and released a 26-year-old male on theft III at the 1000 block of Columbia Boulevard.

Michael Danchok

Sept. 7, 1966 ~ April 5, 2022 Michael Danchok, 55, of Rainier, Oregon passed away April 5, 2022 in Rainier, Oregon.

• Officers responded to a motor vehicle crash near Columbia Boulevard and N 18th Street.

• Police conducted an interview on a sodomy case near Cowlitz Street.

March 29 • Police issued a criminal citation to a 42-year-old male for driving while suspended or revoked at the 700 block of Columbia River Highway.

March 30 • Officers arrested an 18-year-old male on driving under the influence of intoxicants near Cowlitz Street and S 20th Street.

March 31 • Police responded to assist rendered - other government agency at 5000 block of Columbia River Highway.

• Police responded to the theft of a vehicle at the 700 block of Matzen Street.

April 1 • Police responded to an elder-financial abuse report in the 1600 block of Tualatin Street.

• Police arrested a 48-year-old male on harassment-offensive physical contact near Columbia River Highway and Firlok Park Boulevard.

• Police responded to a motor vehicle crash near Columbia River Highway and Scappoose Vernonia Highway.

April 3 • A 23-year-old subject was arrested by police on a felony warrant near 16th Street and Wyeth Street.

April 4 • Police arrested a 42-year-old subject on Theft III in the 400 block of N 16th Street.

• Police took a report on a larceny from a business at the 1800 block of St. Helens Street.

• Police arrested a 19-year-old female on a fugitive warrant at the 2000 block of Gable Road.

April 5 • Police arrested a 38-year-old male on a fugitive warrant at the 100 block of South Columbia River Highway.

Crossword Solution Solution for the April 6, 2022 crossword puzzle

Questions about the puzzle?

Contact The Chronicle at 503-397-0116

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A9

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Attitudes, personalities lead SHHS tennis JEFFRIES From Page A1

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

The St. Helens High School Girls Tennis Team is into the 5A-1 NW Conference 2022 season and is scheduled to compete in a dual meet at Milwaukie Academy of the Arts School April 19.

As the season began, The Chronicle checked in with SHHS Girls Head Tennis Coach Mark McQueen about the team’s 13-game season.

The Chronicle: How many students do you expect to turnout this season and is that up or down compared to previous years?

Mark McQueen: Right now, I have 18 athletes. Ten are returners. We generally have 15-22 players, so we are fine with where we are.

Varsity only plays 14, so the fact that we can play all spots is a very good thing.

The Chronicle: At this early point, what do you see as the strengths and the weaknesses of your teams?

McQueen: It is early, but I would say our biggest strength is the attitudes and personalities of the players.

They are eager to help each other, cheer for each other, and make each other better.

I have coached many sports over the past 15 years and the character of these players is second to none.

If I had to pick a weakness it would be that rain has stopped us from getting a lot of time on the courts. Tennis improvement comes with repetition and more repetition, not being on the courts hurts.

The Chronicle: What will be the training priorities this season and why?

McQueen: Can we as a team make the shots necessary to keep a rally going to set up for the final shot. Patience and picking our spots

Metro Creative Connection

The SHHS Girls Tennis Team has a 13-game schedule this season.

are top priorities.

The Chronicle: What schools in your league will be the most challenging to compete against and why those schools?

McQueen: I think we can compete against any of the teams in our league. The more challenging schools are the ones with 30 or more players. That amount of players usually means that they play year round which means they have gotten the repetition that makes a player better.

The Chronicle: What do you hope the team participants take away from their experience both as a sports competitor and for lifelong lessons?

McQueen: My goal is to show the players that tennis is a great sport. I hope they play for the rest of their lives. Can I help them build the skills so that they can have fun while improving their skills?

If 50% are playing tennis for fun when they are in their 40s then I was successful in my approach and attitude.

The Chronicle: Feel free to add any other comments you might have:

will be playing without our number 1 singles player from last year, Drew Erickson.

She hurt her knee during the basketball season and required surgery. She is a fierce competitor that will be missed as a player. She is taking on the role of manager this year which is great, but we will miss her play on the court.

SHHS Girls Tennis Team Roster Heather Hayduk 11 Abigail Opdahl 12 Grace Anne Woodruff 12 Drew Erickson 12 Lea Andexlinger 10 Delaney Robitz 11 Jezarel Ortiz 12 Deborah Rogers 11 Molly Wheeldon 12 Ayla Clark 10 Chloe Mosterdyke 10 Lucie Polvogt 10 Bridget Kishpaugh 10 Trinity Claridge 9 Haylie Walton 9 Theo Janke 11 Makayla Heinz 9 Victoria Crawford 9 Axis Long 10 Bill Dale is the SHHS Girls Tennis Team assistant coach. Follow the SHHS Girls Tennis Team’s results at osaa.com

in various fields worked with him. His care was centered around his physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges and recovery, the release stated.

After spending 105 nights in various hospital beds, John told OSP Superintendent Terri Davie, “nothing felt better than my own bed.” according to the OSP release, which added that each day that passes allows Jeffries to get stronger and each task becomes a little easier for him to complete.

“John’s survival and his return to his family is a reminder for all of us about how precious life is and

SRFPD

From Page A1 Along with obtaining a Part 107 license from the FAA, a certified UAV pilot must undergo an additional 70 to 80 hours of training “so that when they look at this map, they know where there’s controlled airspace, they know where they can fly, (and) they know what radio frequency they need to be monitoring,” Pricher said.

“A lot of the conditions we fly in, we have to have special permission from the FAA, which includes a lot of vetting, and when I say a lot of vetting, I mean type certification ratings,” Pricher said.

The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 directed the FAA Administrator to initiate a 5-year program that established six UAS test sites to support the integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). The test sites conduct governmental functions such as aeronautical research, biological and geo-

McQueen: This year we

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle

This photo shows Jeffries’ patrol car heavily damaged along Highway 30 near St. Helens shortly after the crash.

how quickly it can change,” Superintendent Davie said in an email to OSP staff. “John is an encouraging example of resiliency, determination, stamina, and positive thinking and he was a recipient of so many positive prayers.”

The Chronicle continues to track the suspect involved in the OSP crash, John Thralls, who remains lodged at the Columbia County Jail in St. Helens pending court proceedings. Thralls bail is listed at $5 million.

logical resource management, search and rescue, and public safety (firefighting and law enforcement). Today there are seven UAS test sites in the United States.

Without inside knowledge, it’s difficult to understand the difference between UAS and drones. But Pricher said knowing the difference is important.

“Part of our goal with our program and to educate our community about what we’re doing with these aircraft is to not refer to them as drones,” Pricher said. “Drones are synonymous with war, conflict, or invasion of privacy. We are not using our aircraft to violate people’s First Amendment rights or misuse personally identifiable information.

As such, it’s important to identify them as uncrewed aircraft because that’s basically what they are.”

As drones gain favor with techies, business owners, and hobbyists, drone makers have responded by ramping up production. In 2014, the global consumer drone market reached 450,000 units. By 2015, that number grew to 2 million.

Pricher pointed out that UAS, a technology relied on by governmental agencies across the globe, is not to be confused with recreational drones.

“These uncrewed aircraft are not a toy,” Pricher said. “A lot of people look at the stuff that (drones) can do when they’re walking through Walmart or Best Buy. They look like toys, and you can pretty much get them everywhere. But the way we use them in public safety, they’re not toys.”

In implementing drones to maintain public safety, SRFPD aims to lead by example.

“I hope we get to be a part of creating a standard in our community,” Pricher said, adding, “I hope we can expand our program to include our local high school students so we can provide them insight and exposure to this technology.”

Growing popularity Drone popularity is booming.

The Pilot Institute, an aviation training provider, predicts that the commercial drone market will soar to $63.6 billion by 2025.

What is Easter?

Easter Egg Hunts Come find out with us at Bethany Lutheran Church The little white church at 34721 Church Rd, Warren, OR 97053 April 14th @ 7pm-Jesus Last Supper (Maundy-Thursday)

7am-SONRISE service outdoors in the Cemetery behind Bethany

April 15th @ 7pm-Jesus crucifixion & death (Good Friday)

8am-Share Brunch & Fellowship in the Accessible Church Basement

April 17th Easter Sunday two services

10am-Full Celebration of Our Risen Lord & Savior

There are a variety of Easter Egg Hunts in Columbia County this coming weekend.

April 15 Egg Hunt Egg Hunt for children families and seniors from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Amber Assisted Living Senior Community, 728 SW Belaire Dr. in Clatskanie. Call

728-2744 for more information.

April 16 mEGGa Egg Hunt Annual Easter season event from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens. Call 971-3124743 for more information.

Scappoose Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt The annual Scappoose Kiwanis hunt begins at 10 a.m. at Grant Watts School playground, 52000 SE 3rd Place in Scappoose. For more details call 503-5042793.

Clatskanie Easter Egg Hunt The Clatskanie Kiwanis Club’s annual event

is at 10 a.m. at the Clatskanie Middle/High School athletic field.

Call 503-504-2793 for more details.

Rainier Easter Egg Hunt Rainier Eagles City Wide Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. at Rainier City Park. Call 503556-7301 for more information.

MONGILLO’s

Rideshare Services, LLC.

Something New Every Time!`

Renee Mongillo 971-328-2440, Jeff Mongillo 503-407-7236 Owner/ Operator of Mongillo Rideshare Services. LLC

Spring inventory is here!

Happy Easter

Items for home & garden, fashion and collectibles.

Ask about our April special when you mention this ad.

Spring and Summer new hours Mondays through Fridays are 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Saturday’s by Appointment only during those hours.

We ask for 24 hours notice of the ride needed when possible.

www.mongillosrideshareservicesllc.com

for prom y d a e r t Ge help ! r u o h t i w

Join us for the Grant Watts Elementary Annual Spring Auction!

April 25th - April 30th The proceeds raised from this ONLINE fundraiser will provide our students and staff with Enrichment Programs, Field Trip Experiences, Family Events, Teacher Allowances, Classroom Supplies, New Technology, Playground and PE Equipment, and so much more!

For more information on how to participate, please visit www.gwpo.org/auction or scan:

1811 Columbia Blvd. St. Helens, OR www.diannasformalaffair.com 503-397-3026

Dianna’s Formal Affair

Open Noon to 6 PM (971) 895-1239 2035 Columbia Ave, St. Helens, OR, 97051

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

A10

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022