SHC53

SHHS Chor Leonis heads to State competition

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

Some of St. Helens High School’s most musically inclined will head to Corvallis in the next two weeks to compete at the State Championships in choir and band.

Chor Leonis is the high school’s premiere festival chorus and will compete with other 4A programs on May 5. St. Helens High Music Coordinator and Choir Director Eric Stearns will bring his chorus to the competition riding high off their firstplace finish in the COWAPA League Championships.

“We’ve worked hard to get to this point; now we’re just kind of dialing it in to get to those little nuances of the music,” Stearns said. “It’s all about musicality at this stage. They know the notes. You know, they have their tempos, their rhythms, they have all of that. The basics are there, but how do you make a piece go from being music to being art?”

There are 42 kids in the choir this year, according to Stearns, which he’s pleased with in the wake of COVID. The choir is an auditioned ensemble, and as the advanced choir at St. Helens High School, only the best makes the cut. On May 5, Chor Leonis will compete in the state competition at the LaSells Stewart Center on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis.

Stearns says that about 60% of the choir this year are seniors, with the rest being largely juniors and sophomores. Student Jack Roberts said joining this year’s group has had more benefits than just bettering his singing ability.

“Well, I just wanted to better my music ability, but I’m enjoying it; all

these people are great, and I enjoy the company,” Roberts said.

Fellow choir member Vanessa Wallace echoed Roberts’ sentiment, saying that the skills the choir teaches go beyond music.

“I’ve always been very passionate

when it comes to music, and choir’s been a really good way to connect with everybody and to get to know people that have the same passions,” Wallace said. “It also just builds a lot of really good skills for the future, like being able to work with other

people and also to work through hardships.”

Watching the group practice at St. Helens High School, the mood was light-hearted, with students and Stearns laughing and joking between song rehearsals. This year, the chorus

will perform a five-song set that represents a diversity of music in accordance with requirements from

Report of shots fired, road rage incident

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

One person faces criminal charges after reports of shots fired at a local business.

St. Helens Police officers were dispatched to a reported shooting which occurred at the St. Helens McDonald’s at 58771 South Columbia River Highway at 11:28 p.m. Friday, April 28.

Callers reported a road rage incident involving a motorcycle and a maroon SUV which eventually led to the driver of the SUV firing a gun at the motorcyclist and fleeing the scene. When officers arrived on scene, the motorcyclist had already left the location.

Police would like to take a statement from the unidentified motor-

cyclist who was almost shot and are urging this individual to contact the St. Helens Police Department by calling 503-397-1521.

Officers interviewed witnesses at the scene who reported that a road rage incident occurred between the SUV and motorcycle as they were driving toward St. Helens from Scappoose.

Following the road rage incident, witnesses then observed a confrontation between the drivers which occurred in the McDonald’s drivethru. The SUV driver fired a single round at the motorcyclist and then fled the scene, according to a release from St. Helens Police.

Witnesses checked the motorcyclist for injury and reported that he was not struck by the gunfire. Witnesses were unable to identify

the motorcyclist.

Police located a bullet at the scene which was seized as evidence.

A Columbia County Sheriff’s deputy located a maroon SUV in Columbia City and conducted a traffic stop. St. Helens detectives responded to the location and executed a search warrant. Police located a loaded gun and a spent shell casing inside the vehicle.

The driver of the SUV, Donald Brown, 56, was taken into custody and lodged at Columbia County Jail on charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Reckless Endangering, Menacing, Reckless Driving, and DUII.

This is an active investigation. If you have any information about this case, you are asked to call St. Helens Police at 503-397-1521.

Turmoil leads to internal CRFR audit

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

The turmoil at the Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) district continues to unfold as the CRFR board of directors approved a forensic audit of the district’s finances by a certified public accountant.

The district’s attorney, Akin Blitz of Bullard Law, brought documents before the board at an emergency board meeting on April 28 that included an engagement letter for legal services of Bullard Law to address issues facing the district

and a litigation services engagement agreement between Bullard Law and accounting firm Merina+Company.

Fire Chief Joel Medina requested Blitz’s services.

These documents were presented to the board in the interest of begin ning an investigation into financial abnormalities raised by former employees and the local firefighters union against Medina, as well as in vestigating financial misdoings that Medina believes took place at the district before he arrived by current and past employees.

Blitz said that the audit he would direct would seek the truth between the opposing views of those who filed the civil lawsuit and the local union and the chief’s findings. The board voted unanimously to allow Blitz to hire an independent CPA to audit the district’s finances.

“The outcome of that will be, with respect to all of the financial concerns that are being raised by the

Will Lohre

Eric Stearns and his choir rehearsing at St. Helens High School ahead of their State competition.

Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.

If you have any information about this case, you are asked to call St. Helens Police at 503-397-1521.

Carry the Load bike riders honor fallen heroes

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

A small trail of bicycle riders could be seen cruising through St. Helens April 28,

The riders represent the organization called Carry the Load, which honors sacrifices made by the military, veterans, first responders, and their families.

The Carry the Load representatives said they are trying to restore the meaning of Memorial Day with a monthlong series of marches, rallies, and fundraising events around the nation.

Carry the Load began its West Coast Route in Seattle April 27 and made its way to and through St. Helens, April 28. Three cyclists started the day at the Columbia River Fire & Rescue station at 105 S. 12th St. and carried a flag on a 25-mile bike ride down to Portland as part of their relay.

Carry the Load West Coast route facilitator David Lindsey said the group started in Seattle with approximately 200 to 250 walkers participating.

“And from there went to Tahoma National Cemetery, probably had five or six Gold Star families come out,” he said. “We’re the first relay to kick off what we call Memo-

rial May because we try to take the whole month of May and do our due diligence to recognize the families that have lost loved ones, whether it’s in service to the country or the communities they serve as first responders.”

After the cyclists arrived at the La Quinta Inn rendezvous in Portland to get water and regroup, the relay continued with a march to Portland Fire and Rescue Station 21. The trek started in Washington state and will take 32 days and stretch 4,400 miles. The marchers will go through Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and end in Texas.

As part of the Memorial May Campaign, five separate relays will see movement participants travel through all 48 mainland states across 20,000 miles, culminating in a large march in Dallas, Texas, where each group will come together on Memorial Day. There are four other relays besides the West Coast route: an East Coast Route, a Midwest Route, a New England Route, and a Mountain States Route. Memorial May culminates in the Dallas Memorial March at the historic Katy Trail, where they will walk for 20 hours or 20 minutes. The two-

day event sees big participation numbers; Lindsey said around 25,000 people attended the event last year.

When they aren’t marching, the group lives out of a tour bus with 11 occupants; nine marchers and two drivers. The marchers take turns taking the legs of the relay on. Marchers will take shifts marching that last about two hours, and they rotate those who are walking with those resting on the bus. Lindsey said they usually call it a day at about 9 or 10 p.m. and drive on the bus to the next stop they’ll be marching from.

The three cyclists spoke with the Chronicle about what it is they are marching for under a sunny Portland sky at

the rest point. Ryan and Jim Moor, a father-son duo, took the 25-mile ride and are locals to the Battle Ground, Vancouver area. They are participating in the local leg as Carry the Load came through town.

“I’m a supporter of all of our vets and everyone that served because we have a lot of freedoms that we get to partake in and enjoy every day,” Ryan Moor said. “So anytime that we can help, we’re helping.”

Tom Wendling, a 67-yearold retired policeman, firefighter, and paramedic, is one of the folks who will be there every step of the way as the West Coast Carry the Load movement makes its way to Dallas, and he was the

third cyclist who set out from St. Helens. Along the route, Wendling has reached out to towns along their route so he can honor service members from the city who have died in the line of duty.

“Yesterday, I rode out for a Kent, Washington police officer, Diego Moreno, who was killed up there, so I rode for him,” Wendling said. “I’ve reached out ahead of time to every city along the way to see if I can carry for somebody who’s died in the line of duty.”

Wendling has participated in the Carry the Load project before; he was on the West Coast relay in 2019 and took part in the Midwest relay in 2022. While there is a national movement going on, Wendling said the movement’s local impacts are powerful. For Wendling, remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice during their service is his motivation.

“For me, the impact locally is the most important thing. For myself, to reach out for police officers or firefighters, who died in the line of duty, and to let them know that somebody still cares, they’re family,” Wendling said. “Because this is what this is all about. Not letting their names leave the lips of

their loved ones. Because they say you always die twice, once when you actually die, and once when your name leaves the lips of your loved ones, and we don’t want that to happen.”

Carry The Load began with a Dallas Memorial March at White Rock Lake in Dallas for 20 hours and 11 minutes with 400 participants and raising nearly $50,000 on Memorial Day, according to their website. It has grown into a national movement that sees participants from around the nation come together to restore the original purpose of Memorial Day.

“We’re just trying to restore Memorial Day to what it should be,” Lindsey said. “You know, a lot of people, they go to the lake, they go out and barbecue and stuff, and we’re not criticizing any of that, but you know, we just want people to take a moment, say a silent prayer, take a moment of silence, or heck raise your beer glass, and just remember those people that what Memorial Day is about.”

For more information, see the Carry the Load website at https://participate.carrytheload.org/site/TR?fr_ id=1880&pg=entry.

Youth suicides decreasing in Oregon

STAFF REPORT

Country Media, Inc.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that 2021 was the third year in a row that suicide deaths among Oregon youths had decreased.

This marks a 26% decrease in the number of suicide deaths among youth and young adults 24 and younger, from a peak in 2018, when 129 youth died by suicide. In 2021, 95 Oregon youth died by suicide. Suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among people ages 5 to 24.

“For too long, far too many Oregon families and communities have experienced the devastating loss of a loved one to suicide,” said Jill Baker, youth suicide prevention coordinator at Oregon Health Authority (OHA). “While new data show some promise in our collective efforts to lower our state’s youth suicide rate, we rely heavily on local partners to continue doing the important work of increasing safety and wellness in their communities. We hope people in Oregon hear this news as a call to action: we all have a role in preventing suicide and we can make a difference. It will take our sustained efforts as a community to ensure that this promising trend continues. ”

The CDC data also show that death by suicide among all ages in Oregon increased in 2021, with 889 total deaths. Oregon has the 17th highest rate of suicide in the U.S., at 19.5 per 100,000.

While youth suicide figures by race and ethnicity in Oregon cannot be statistically analyzed due to small numbers, national trends show significant increases in youth suicide for Black/African American youth, American Indian/Alaskan Native youth and Latino/a/x youth.

“When interpreting demographic data, it is important to remember that many of these populations have been disproportionately affected by systemic racism, social-economic-political injustices and bias,” Baker added. “These inequities can worsen health outcomes and increase the risk of suicide.”

Most effective suicide prevention

Since launching the statewide Youth Suicide Intervention and Prevention Plan in 2016, and updating the plan in 2021, suicide prevention champions across Oregon have worked together and learned what it takes to support youth and decrease suicide.

OHA invests in several youth suicide prevention, intervention, treatment and postvention programs, and collaborates with other state agencies, counties, Oregon Tribal nations and Tribal partners, communities and advocacy groups to prevent suicide in Oregon. Key legislation such as Adi’s Act (2019), which requires school districts to have suicide prevention

Columbia County’s

plans and added requirements for suicide prevention training for behavioral health providers, has also contributed to increased protection against youth suicide in Oregon.

Local leaders train everyday Oregonians to recognize warning signs, help providers follow best practices for suicide care, develop and support school district and health care policies and identify local suicide prevention champions. One promising practice that focuses on building protective factors and destigmatizing mental health issues is Sources of Strength, which has been implemented in more than 200 K-12 schools statewide, reaching at least 125,000 students in 2022 with “messages of hope, help and strength.”

“Strengths-based suicide prevention is not only important for how I relate to my students, but also deeply impacts me as a parent,” said Judy Fuentes, a visual arts teacher at Sisters Middle School who went through the training. “I didn’t realize how much I needed this or how much this program was going to affect me as a person.”

Rene Kesler, vice chair for the 30-plus-member Malheur County Prevention Coalition and a suicide prevention champion at Lifeways Inc., also helps train fellow community members on suicide “postvention” – how to respond when suicides do occur. Kesler is working to recruit faith leaders, law enforcement and peer support volunteers to get trained in postvention, which increases a community’s resilience and hope.

“As a suicide loss survivor, my bottom line is always going to be focused on looking for ways to pay it forward,” said Kesler. “In Malheur County, we find ways to help each other. There are all these misunderstandings about what grief is, and what it looks like.

Learning as a community about traumatic grief is part of the process we can focus on to mitigate harm together.”

What can you do to help others?

We all have a part to play in reducing stigma and ensuring people have hope, feel safe asking for help, and can get access to community-based support. You can:

• Get involved in the work of suicide prevention in your area. Learn about local efforts on the website of the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide.

• Get trained in suicide prevention. OHA recommends the Question, Persuade, Refer training for anyone in Oregon. It is a 1.5-hour course for those looking for a starting point to understanding their role in preventing suicide and feeling empowered with the skills and tools to help. Register for a free virtual class.

• Equip your system with broader skills. Check out our menu of suicide prevention trainings for all skill levels.

Know that it’s OK to ask for help

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis,

help is available. The launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline makes it easier for individuals and their loved ones to access compassionate care and support from trained crisis counselors, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to being easier to remember than the 10-digit existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 988 is now also available via text and chat. 988 also offers specialized support for veterans (press 1 to connect with the Veterans Crisis Line or text 838255), Spanish speakers (press 2) and youth younger than 25 who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ (press 3 or text Q to 988).

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also has 988 social media shareables and other resources for partners to help promote 988.

Summary of data; notes on data sources

The CDC data come from the Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research, or WONDER, system, which can be found at http://wonder. cdc.gov/. In previous years, OHA has analyzed data from the CDC’s Web-based Injury

Statistics Query and Report ing System (WISQARS). The 2021 data from WISQARS have not yet been released by the CDC. For this reason, exact comparisons with past OHA reports may result in slight data variations.

• The new CDC data confirm a three-year decrease in youth suicides (24 and younger) in Oregon, with both fewer total deaths and a lower rate in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

• The 2021 data show that

Oregon had the 22nd highest youth suicide rate in the U.S., down from the 11th highest in 2018.

• Oregon’s rate of youth suicide in 2021 was 12.4 per 100,000. In 2018, Oregon’s rate was 16.9 per 100,000. This remains above the national average (11.0 per 100,000).

• While Oregon has seen a 26% decrease in the youth suicide rate from 2018-2021, analysis shows those decreases were primarily for youth who identified as white. The number of youth deaths by race and ethnicity remained similar or have increased since 2018.

• Preliminary data for 2022 (which will not be official until spring 2024 when the CDC releases finalized data) indicate that Oregon will not see an additional decrease in youth suicide rates. More work needs to be done to ensure our progress continues, as risk for youth suicide continues to be a concern in Oregon. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988Lifeline.org.

Kelli Nicholson / Country Media, Inc. Carry the Load bike riders rolling through St. Helens.

Metro Creative Connection

Suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among people ages 5 to 24.

Wood products industry still important

BRIAN ROONEY Chronicle Guest Article

Once Oregon’s largest manufacturing industry, employment in the wood product manufacturing industry has gone through large, well-publicized losses since the early 1990s. Its employment dropped below that of computer and electronic manufacturing and food manufacturing in recent years. Despite the losses, wood product manufacturing is still a large industry in Oregon and is especially important to rural areas of the state.

Employment trends

Over the long term, between 1990 and 2020, annual average employment in wood product manufacturing dropped 24,100, or 52%. Similar losses were experienced in all its subsectors. Sawmills and wood preservation dropped 5,900 (49%); plywood and engineered wood products dropped 9,500 (53%); and all other wood product manufacturing, which includes millwork and prefabricated buildings, dropped 8,700 (54%).

Although the industry has been in decline over the long term, it trended upward for a short period during a national housing boom between 2003 and 2005. During that period, the industry increased from an annual average of 31,100 jobs to 32,700, an increase of 1,600, or 5.1%.

Then the Great Recession hit the industry hard. The overall wood product manufacturing industry dropped 13,500 (41%) between 2005 and 2011. After the Great Recession, the industry was slow to rebound, adding 4,000 jobs, or 21%, between 2011 and 2019. Low demand from U.S. single-family home construction coming out of the recession is one reason for the slowness of the rebound. The prerecession peak of roughly 1.7 million starts in 2005 dropped to a low of 430,000 in 2011. Single-family starts had recovered to 888,000 in 2019, causing some increase in demand for wood products.

In 2020, employment in wood product manufacturing declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions, but not as much as some other industry sectors. The industry declined by 1,200 jobs or 5.2% on an annual average basis in 2020 compared with the 6.3% decline in total employment. Unlike the Great Recession, housing

starts continued to grow during the COVID-19-induced recession, reaching 990,000 in 2020, helping to drive up lumber demand and prices.

Annual average employment for wood product manufacturing in 2020 was 22,000. It had grown back to prepandemic levels at 23,400 by 2022.

Smaller harvest, technology, and economies of scale contribute to decline

Several structural shifts in the wood products industry have contributed to the long-term employment decline. First, there was a drop in timber harvests from environmental concerns in the early 1990s. As harvest from federal lands reduced the amount of available raw material to mills, employment dropped, indicating that harvest reductions were a cause for the employment loss in the early 1990s.

New technologies brought another structural change to the industry by making lumber mills less labor intensive. Employment continued to drop even after harvest levels stabilized in the late 1990s and employment did not increase much despite a housing construction boom in the mid-2000s. Jobs in wood product manufacturing per million board feet harvested dropped steadily after 2000, at least partly due to technology.

Lumber production per worker in Oregon is another way to look at efficiency gains. By combining Western Wood Products Association production data with sawmill employment data we can create a measure of lumber production per worker. It increased rapidly in the early 2000s, going from 806,000 board feet per worker in 2000 to 1.1 million in 2005. It then dropped back to 791,000 board feet during the Great Recession. It’s likely that mills cut production through fewer hours to some extent instead of letting go of workers during the recession. After the recession, production per worker increased to the elevated levels it had reached before the recession, reaching roughly 1.2 million board feet in 2017. Production per worker has stayed close to 1.2 million board feet per worker through 2021.

In addition to new technologies, smaller mills were shuttered, creating efficiency through economies of scale (larger mills can produce more per worker). The aver-

age production of sawmills operating in the western U.S. increased as smaller mills were shuttered and efficiency increased through economies of scale and new technology. Between 1990 and 2021, the number of mills in the western U.S. dropped from 600 to 144 while average production per mill increased from about 35 million board feet per year to 102 million board feet per year.

Wood products are still important in Oregon, especially in rural areas

Even with the longterm decline, wood product manufacturing is still a large industry in Oregon. In 2022, there were 23,000 people employed and roughly $1.5 billion in total payroll in the industry. While statewide the industry makes up only 1.2% of total employment and 1.2% of total payroll, the concentration is much higher in some counties, especially rural ones. For instance, in Curry County 7.6% of total employment and 11.0% of total payroll was in wood product manufacturing. Most of the counties with a high concentration of employment in wood product manufacturing are rural.

In counties where the percent of total payroll exceeds the percent of total employment, average wages are higher in wood product manufacturing than the overall average wage. This is the case in most of the rural counties listed, indicating that wood product manufacturing provides some of the higher paying jobs in rural counties.

Jobs generally pay well and do not require high levels of education

occupations like industrial machinery mechanics and electricians have average annual wages of more than $60,000 a year and have a typical entry-level education of a high school diploma, providing opportunity for those who don’t pursue a college degree.

Forecast

Employment projections from the Oregon Employment Department show that wood product manufacturing employment is expected to gain 1,000 jobs (4%) between 2021 and 2031. Like many industries, wood product manufacturing has an aging workforce reaching retirement age. This creates demand for workers through replacement needs. Aside from gaining 1,000 jobs between 2021 and 2031, there are expected to be roughly 8,700 openings from

people leaving the industry and the labor force, largely due to retirements.

Brian Rooney is a Oregon

Employment Department Regional Economist. He may be reached at brian.t.rooney@

Metro Creative Connection

There are expected to be roughly 8,700 openings from people leaving the industry and the labor force, largely due to retirements.

The top 20 occupations in wood product manufacturing are mostly medium wage but do not require high levels of education. All of the top 20 occupations have a typical entry-level education of a high school diploma or less. Some of the more technical

CRFR Board

Sponsored content

This Board has been unresponsive to complaints about the tactics/ actions of the Chief. This is a dereliction of duty and operates as a “Good Old Boys”club.

A citizen notified Director Niles concerning the Fire Chief and staff actions at a local restaurant of 27 December, 2021. He assured this person he would address the matter. (Read the letter along with the civil lawsuit against CRFR at St. Helens

Professional Firefighter’s Facebook page)

The inaction of the

Board has produced the Following:

1. Continued employment of a Chief with a record of past investigations that Director Hudson stated in the Spotlight of 4/21/23:

“His communication style is loud and aggressive, which is perceived to be antagonistic and threatening.”

2. Hostile working conditions resulting in high employee turnover and poor morale that impacts an already extremely stressful job.

3. A $1,247,114.32

complaint filed against the CRFR Board.

If proper audits had been conducted/completed in past years, any alleged wrongful fiscal actions would have been found and the Chief’s “Hail Mary” smoke screen with the County D.A. would not have been initiated.

I implore you to vote for Austin Zimbrick, Ryan Welby and Richard Fletcher.

Sponsored content paid for by Chuck Custer of St. Helens.

News and Views

Encouraging lady beetles and dealing with hungry crows

CHIP BUBL Garden Plots

Chronicle Guest Column Research shows that purchased lady beetles fly a considerable distance after release. They are gathered in the Sierra Mountains of California and kept cold. In their native locale, they are primed, when the temperatures warm, to fly ~40 miles to where the aphids are in the San Joaquin valley. We think they largely do that here as well once released.

Several studies show that lady beetles can be attracted by several methods: they are attracted to tubes painted chrome yellow and mounted around the garden; sugar solutions sprayed on plants (about one-half cup of sugar dissolved in a quart of water) encourage them; and flowers that produce lots of pollen and nectar, such as angelica, catnip, yarrow, marigolds, roses, dahlias, daisies, aster, and dill are attractive to the adult lady beetles.

Crows Love Corn, Bean, Squash, and Pea Seeds

Corn-eating crows periodically challenge rural Columbia County gardeners. If crows have lived around your garden for very long, they watch for you to plant. The most curious of them will poke their beaks into the soil to find the kernels the day you plant. They have quite an ability to locate seeds with few false stabs. Other crows wait until seedlings emerge and methodically remove the new green shoots and what is left of the seeds. It is apparently considered to be the height of gourmet dining in the crow world. They are fond of most large seeds and even have pulled up my garlic cloves in the fall to see if they would fit into their diet.

So what can a gardener do? One dubious solution is to plant lots of seed and hope the crows leave you a few. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t and in corn challenged cool summers, losing growing weeks to crows isn’t helpful. If you don’t grow huge blocks of corn, covering the newly planted seeds with

row (crow) covers is very effective. It will speed corn emergence and then, when seedlings are 4 inches tall, the cover can be safely removed. Crow confusion and possible therapy ensues.

One old technique is to soak corn seed in turpentine overnight or kerosene more briefly and then plant. A few gardeners tell me that it really works and there is no impact on the corn itself. It must taste bad to the crows.

I can’t recommend this technique since it has never been tested to see if there are any adverse consequences, especially with the supersweet corn varieties that we have now. One very odd old technique from back when more people had horses and apparently much more time, was to drill tiny holes in some corn seed and tie a large loop of horse hair in each kernel. Then plant these seeds about a week before you really planned to

Voices of the community

Support for candidates

Please join me in voting for Austin Zimbrick, Ryan Welby and Richard Fletcher for positions on the CRFR Board of Directors. The Board should be replaced as they have given approval of the Chief’s rampant spending of district funds, remodeling, hiring and creating havoc in our fire district.

It’s incredible to me that this fire board would hire a Chief that apparently resigned in 2018 as Chief in Florida, as he was about to be investigated. I started my career at CRFR in 1982 and retired in 2018. In that span Local 3215 submitted one vote of no confidence towards the Fire Chief.

The Chief back then, was put on administrative leave and soon after, terminated. This action is not to be taken lightly. Earlier this month, Local 3215 submitted a vote of no confidence against the current Fire Chief. This current Board has yet to take action. The citizens protected by CRFR deserve better.

Zimrick, Welby and Fletcher will bring financial responsibility, integrity and accountability.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Ken Raya

Retired CRFR Firefighter Warren

Before you vote on Measure 5-290

Backgrounds of current officers paid with our tax dollars:

1) Animal Control, Roger Kadell, convicted of “Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor” while a Hillsboro Police Officer in 1996. Lost his certification. Although it has been over 20 years, as he

stated, he continued to try and get re-certified for 15 years. His status is still revoked. Legal documents state he had sex with a minor under 18, and deviant sex with a minor. He would have been around 38 at the time (my guess)

2) Seann Luedke, in lieu of termination, Luedke resigned from the SHPD in 2020. This allowed him to keep his certification active. He was then hired by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

What are the backgrounds of the other existing officers, and how does Pixley plan to do background checks for those hired with this bond?

The State Equitable Police Committee, Noble stated “sometimes we need to terminate employment” (police officers), “but the system is not set up to provide that opportunity”

The EPC committee set out to establish statewide background check and training standards.

Yvonne Pea Warren

Support for Port candidates

According to its website, the mission of The Port of Columbia County is to “Foster local opportunities to create and sustain jobs; Diversify regional economy; Provide improved financial return; Use maritime, aviation, industrial, recreational sites, and Port resources to support local and international commerce; and maintain environmental assets in the Port District.”

Three candidates for Port Commissioner, two of whom are incumbents, are well qualified to help the Port to achieve its mission: Chuck Bubl, Greg Pettit, and Nancy Ward.

I have had the opportunity to know all three in various roles. Each of them is thoughtful, hardworking,

Editorial policy: Opinions expressed on this page are independent of The Chronicle views and are solely those of the writers expressing them.

Write to us: We want to hear from you and encourage you to write letters to the editor. Because of space limitations, shorter letters have a better chance of being printed. We may edit your letter for style, grammar and clarity, although we do as little editing as possible. If you don’t want your letter printed under those conditions, just let us know.

Thank-you letters are limited to a general thanks and summary of

plant. According to old texts, horsehair and thus be conditioned to avoid your corn when you really plant.

Apples Near Full Bloom

After a very poor fruit set last year due to cold weather, there are a lot of blooms this year. It is normal for apple trees to bounce back with a big crop, weather permitting, after a small one the previous year. And the weather looks like it will be better for pollination this year. The mason and honey bees are getting active.

The trees could set a big fruit crop, in some cases, much more than the trees can carry. A heavy fruit load can break limbs. That is one reason why we thin. Thinning will also produce larger fruit and the practice will tend to even out the fruit set from year to year.

Thinning should be done about a month after fruit set, which this year, looks like late May into early June. It would also be the time to start treating for codling moth and the apple maggot. Products containing “spinosad” are the best bet for home gardeners and some formulations are considered organic. Monterey Garden Insect Control and Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew are the most widely available for home gardeners.

Food Preservation

You can get up-to-date and accurate answers to your food preservation questions by calling our office at 503397-3462 and ask to speak to Jenny Rudolph. She also does pressure gauge testing. You may need to leave the canner top with the gauge for several days since her days in the office are limited and do vary from week to week.

Important Notes

• The OSU Extension Office is fully open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Donate extra garden produce and/or money to the food bank, senior centers, or community meals programs. It always 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 503397-3462 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 503397-3462 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 Resources Oregon State University Extension Service – Columbia County 505 N. Columbia River Highway St. Helens, OR 97051 503-397-3462

and committed to improving the quality of life in all of our communities. They believe that we can do this with economic development that is sustainable and that will preserve and enhance the characteristics that make Columbia County a great place to live.

Vote for Chip Bubl, Greg Pettit, and Nancy Ward for the Port of Columbia County Board of Commissioners.

Patrick Birkle St. Helens

Vote for a better Columbia County

For more than 3 decades The Columbia Port Commission has been promising money and jobs to our community, but all we have gotten are broken promises and misappropriated funds. Our Port Commission has spent millions on legal fees in a battle against the State of Oregon and the BDIC for Port Westward, an area that is zoned for agricultural use. That money could have been spent on expanding the Scappoose Bay Marina, adding more waterfront access along Hwy 30 and upgrading their many other properties.

We need real solutions!

We need a commission that will work with our communities to improve our way of life, not line their own pockets with industrial corporate dollars and leave us by the wayside.

A vote for Nancy Ward, Greg Pettit, and Chip Bubl will do just that.

Envision where you would like to live. Do you want recreation, wildlife and farming, or do you want an industrial wasteland?

Vote for a better Columbia County!

Wendy Schmidt Clatskanie

an issue or action. We reserve the right to exclude lists of people, organizations and businesses. Letters received after noon on Friday may not be in time for the following Wednesday’s paper.

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

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

blatant inaccuracies. Unsubstantiated or irresponsible allegations, or personal attacks on any individual, will not be published. Letters containing details presented as facts rather than opinions must include their sources. Writers are limited to one published letter per month. All submissions must include the author’s full name, local street address and telephone number (only the name and city of residence will be published). By submitting a letter, writers also grant permission for them to be posted online. Opinions expressed on this page are the writer’s alone and do not represent the opinion of the newspaper or its parent company, Country Media, Inc.

crossword solution

Solution for the April 26, 2023 crossword puzzle

Why is the ocean floor leaking?

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

The discovery of a leak at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon has been making headlines in recent weeks, but the cause and what it means may not be as dramatic or sinister as originally thought.

When University of Washington (UW) researchers released a paper in January that announced there was a leak about 50 miles off the Oregon Coast that was spewing mineral-rich liquid into the ocean, media outlets were quick to wonder whether this was a precursor to the longforetold giant earthquake that would erupt from the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

The seep has been named Pythia’s Oasis, after the Greek oracle. Associate Professor Evan Solomon, who cowrote the paper detailing the discovery for the University of Washington, said this is largely overblown.

“Many news organizations have sensationalized the University of Washington press release,” Solomon said. “The seep we discovered is a persistent, long-term part of the Cascadia subduction system. It is not a new feature (just newly discovered). Our work shows that the seep has been active for at least 1,500 years.”

Discovering Pythia’s Oasis

The seep was discovered in 2014 when the Research Vessel Thomas G. Thompson experienced a weather delay on its research cruise in 2014, about 50 miles west of Newport. While in a holding pattern, the ship’s sonar picked up unexpected columns of bubbles rising up from the seafloor.

“The seep site was discovered by a graduate

National Day of Prayer 2023  Thursday, May 4, County Events

Interactive prayer stations  Group prayer opportunities on the hour, All-ages event

student working in my lab group, Brendan Philip, during routine mapping onboard UW’s research vessel, the R/V Thompson, in 2014,” Solomon said. “The seep was first investigated with the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS in 2015.”

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has also monitored the seep. According to DOGAMI’s Geology Hazard Specialist, Dr. Lalo Guerrero, further investigation revealed that these bubbles originated along a ridge that is 0.6 miles long and located along the transition from the shallower continental shelf to the deeper abyssal plain off Oregon’s coast. Further study indicated that this is not a single seep but a series of small seeps where the warmer and methane-rich water is escaping from the seafloor. The size of the largest seep is about 2 inches in diameter.

The forces behind the leak

The mineral-rich water escaping from Pythia’s Oasis is different from Hydrothermal (hot water) vents near undersea volcanoes and mid-ocean ridges that have been observed throughout the world. The Hydrothermal vents produce super-heated water that escapes thanks to the high temperature that forces the water upwards, Guererro said.

The seeps at Pythia’s Oasis result from high pressure in the subduction zone where the Juan de Fuca Plate collides with the North American Plate and is pushed downwards.

“The fluid seep indicates that the rocks and sediment found at a greater depth beneath Pythia’s Oasis and the subduction zone are under a tremendous amount of pressure, and that pressure “squeezes” the water contained within these rocks up into the ocean,” Guererro said. “The significance of this is that the fluids that are contained within the earth’s crust and rocks play a fundamental role as a lubricant in allowing rocks that are under pressure to slide past each other (such as Cascadia).”

One of the notable aspects of Pythia’s Oasis is that the flow rate of liquid coming from the leak is the highest recorded at a seep site anywhere in the world to date, according to Solomon. The flow at the site is “persistent,” and they have recorded constant flow rates of about 0.5 liters of water per second for the last seven years.

“The very high rates of fluid flow mean that Pythias sits on top of a very permeable fault zone. Pythias is colocated with a strike-slip fault that extends from the trench to the upper slope,” Solomon said. “This strike-slip fault is vertical and intersects the plate boundary at depth. This

allows water to migrate from the plate boundary to the seafloor regulating pressure at depth.”

The regulation of pressure, in turn, affects stress along the plate boundary. The results suggest that drainage of water to the seafloor at high rates contributes to locking along the fault.

Putting the findings to use

The study will help researchers in this area better understand the role of fluids in subduction zone earthquakes and, as a result, help agencies like DOGAMI, USGS, and others to better communicate the hazards posed by geologic hazards such as Cascadia to the public, Guererro said. While the initial reaction to the study was that this could be an indication of the mega thrust earthquake that scientists have forecasted, Solomon and researchers do not believe there is a correlation.

“This does not change our understanding of the risk of an earthquake, but it does shed light on one process that controls stress at Cascadia,” Solomon said. “This will be helpful for models of the Cascadia subduction zone, which may eventually be helpful for predicting earthquakes (this is still a long way out).”

This discovery will help provide a better understanding of how the Cascadia subduction system operates, and it will inspire future studies for not only different parts of Cascadia (which extends from Northern California to the north end of Vancouver Island, BC) but in other subduction zones around the world, Guererro said.

Read the extensive report at https://www.science.org/ doi/10.1126/sciadv.add6688.

Authorities seeking boater who drove through sea lions

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to a civil penalty or criminal conviction of the boater observed driving through resting California sea lions in the Columbia River on April 3, 2023, near Hayden Island.

Law enforcement is seeking information on the identity of the operator of the recreational fishing vessel involved in the incident. The vessel is an approximately 19- to 20-foot aluminum Hewescraft Pro-V Sea Run-

ner with a dark blue stripe. The vessel has a soft top with an aluminum Barewest Fish & Wake Tower and

is powered by a Yamaha outboard motor.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits ha-

obituaries

Keith Allan Bunn

June 27, 1942 ~ April 27, 2023

Susan J. (Chamberlain) Willette

April 16, 1949 ~ March 28, 2023

Virginia Beckerdite

Feb. 13, 1931 ~ April 25, 2023

rassment, hunting, capturing, or killing marine mammals such as sea lions. Seals and sea lions may be deterred using approved non-lethal methods only during active fishing with gear deployed. Anyone with information about the vessel and/ or incident should call the Investigating Agent directly at 360-310-0259 or the 24/7 enforcement hotline at 800853-1964.

To report a dead, injured, or stranded marine mammal, call the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network call 866-767-6114.

Keith Allan Bunn, 80, of St. Helens, Oregon, passed away April 27, 2023 at home in St. Helens, Oregon. There will be no service at this time.

Susan J. (Chamberlain) Willette was born on April 16, 1949 and passed away on March 28, 2023 at PeaceHealth Hospital in Vancouver, Washington.

Virginia Beckerdite, born Feb. 13, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, and passed April 25, 2023 in Scappoose, Oregon. Her service will be held at 1 p.m. on May 5, 2023 at Columbia Memorial Gardens.

Screenshots of Pythia’s Oasis, Footage via YouTube and the University of Washington

Courtesy photo

This photo shows a boater observed driving through resting California sea lions in the Columbia River on April 3, near Hayden Island.

CH23-1323

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting of the Port of Columbia County Budget Committee, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, will be held on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Port of Columbia County Office Boardroom, 100 E Street, Columbia City, Oregon. The meeting

NOTICE OF FLUSHING

will be in-person and also via Zoom. https://us02web. zoom.us/j/89772440409

Meeting ID: 897 7244 0409

Passcode: 970346 Or call 1 (253) 215-8782. 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 deliberation of the Budget

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Committee will take place. A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained after May 4, 2023, at the Port Office, 100 E Street, Columbia City, Oregon, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The budget document will also be available on our website after May 4, 2023, at www.portofcolumbiacounty.org.

SCHEDULED STORAGE AUCTION

Please take notice ORS

87.685 et. seq. K & B Storage, 970 Oregon Street, St. Helens, Or. 97051. Intends to hold a sale of the property stored in the Unit by the occupant at the facility as listed below. This auction sale by unit will occur at

the facility listed above on the 13th day of May 2023 at 10:00 am. This sale may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Certain terms & conditions apply. Call 971 203-4616. Michelle Berecz Unit #35 10 x 15. Cash Only.

CH23-1339

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

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of RANDALL LEE LILYA, Deceased. No. 22PB07382 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

CH23-1333

their claims, with vouchers attached, within four months after the date of first publication of this notice to the personal representative at 8655 SW Citizens Dr., Suite 104, Wilsonville, OR 97070, or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from

the records of the Court, the personal representative or the attorney for the personal representative. Dated and first published May 3, 2023. Jasmine Race, Personal Representative. Sharon Maynard, Rupp Law, 8655 SW Citizens Dr., Suite 104, Wilsonville, OR 97070, 503-682-8669, sharon@rupplaw.com.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of Meadowview Service District, Columbia County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, will be held at 230 Strand Street St. Helens, Oregon 97051 in room 310. The meeting will take place on May 11, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the meeting is to receive

CH23-1340

the budget message and to receive comment 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 the proposed programs with the Budget Committee. A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after May 11, 2023 at (https://www.

columbiacountyor.gov/ meadowview-lightingdistrict). Notice: Budget Committee Meetings will be conducted as hybrid sessions. In addition to the in person location listed above, the meetings will also be available on the web as follows: https:// meet.goto.com/831454733 United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 Access Code: 831-454-733.

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

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of ALBERT STANLEY BEAN, Deceased. Case No. 22PB01851 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS Proceedings for this estate have been commenced. Claims against the estate may be presented to the personal representative listed below. Any person who has a claim against the estate must present the claim to the personal representative not later than four months

CH23-1330

after the date of the first publication of this notice at the following address: 52490 Southeast Second Street, Suite 100, Scappoose, OR 97056. Any claim not presented within this time period may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the estate proceeding may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative, or the attorney for the personal representative. Dated and

first published on May 3, 2023. Sandra Hoff, Personal Representative, 33304 Royal Drive, Scappoose, OR 97056, Phone: (503) 7538159. Attorney for Personal Representative: Aaron J. Trukositz, OSB No. 204618 LOWER COLUMBIA LAW GROUP LLC, 52490 Southeast Second Street, Suite 100, Scappoose, Oregon 97056, Phone: (503) 5434800, Fax: (888) 543-4806, Email: aaron@lowercolumbialaw.com.

PUBLIC NOTICE COLUMBIA RIVER PEOPLE’S UTILITY DISTRICT

Regular Meeting Date

Change The date of the May 16th, 2023 Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors for Columbia River PUD has been changed. The Board of Directors for Columbia River PUD will now hold their Regular Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 9th, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.

CH23-1335

This meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for further accommodations should be made at least 48 hours in advance by contacting the Administrative Assistant at 503-397-1844. Columbia River PUD Board meetings are conducted pursuant to the public meeting laws

of the State of Oregon and anyone wishing to attend is welcome. Please visit our website at https://www. crpud.net/my-pud/board-ofdirectors/board-meetings/ for more information on attending this meeting electronically. By:

Michael J. Sykes, General Manager

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

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of ALBERT STANLEY BEAN, Deceased. Case No. 22PB01851 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS Proceedings for this estate have been commenced. Claims against the estate may be presented to the personal representative listed below. Any person who has a claim against the estate must present the claim to the personal representative not later than four months

CH23-1327

after the date of the first publication of this notice at the following address: 52490 Southeast Second Street, Suite 100, Scappoose, OR 97056. Any claim not presented within this time period may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the estate proceeding may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative, or the attorney for the personal representative. Dated and

first published on: May 3, 2023. Sandra Hoff, Personal Representative, 33304 Royal Drive, Scappoose, OR 97056, Phone: (503) 7538159. Attorney for Personal Representative: Aaron J. Trukositz, OSB No. 204618 LOWER COLUMBIA LAW GROUP LLC, 52490 Southeast Second Street, Suite 100, Scappoose, Oregon 97056, Phone: (503) 5434800, Fax: (888) 543-4806, Email: aaron@lowercolumbialaw.com.

NOTICE OF LOG SALE

CH23-1326

The City of St. Helens seeks proposals from companies interested in providing Janitorial Services. We encourage businesses of all sizes to submit a comprehensive proposal offering the highest quality of service to improve our Janitorial Services at City Facilities. A City review panel, consist-

ing of staff from multiple departments, will review each proposal for pricing and services. We intend to establish an initial two-year contract with the option to renew annually. The City retains the right to cancel the contract for any reason with ninety (90) days written notice. The complete RFP

document is available online at www.sthelensoregon.gov/ rfps. You may direct any questions to City Recorder Kathy Payne at kpayne@ sthelensoregon.gov. Please see the RFP for pertinent dates related to this request. The deadline to submit a proposal is May 19, 2023 at 3:00PM.

CITY OF ST. HELENS, OREGON REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS JANITORIAL SERVICES Having a Garage Sale?

Contact The Chronicle at 503-397-0116 or chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net

to get your garage sale in the classifieds.

Columbia County Carcus Creek Harvest INVITATION TO BID Sealed Bids will be received up to the hour of 10:00 a.m. on May 11, 2023, by Riley Baker, General Services Director, at the Columbia County Board of Commissioners

Oregon. The County will deliver the logs to the successful bidders. The County may sort the logs produced and deliver them to one or more successful bidders. A bid form, and complete information concerning the timber, the conditions

Bid” or equivalent language. Fax transmissions will not be accepted. Bids must be received by the date and time indicated. A post mark will not be sufficient. The County reserves the right to waive minor informalities in the bids received. The

Preparedness, Incident Response Equipment Grant

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) has announced the recipients of the second round of its $5 million State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment (SPIRE) Grant

The grants include funding for specialized vehicles and vessels for Columbia County.

The SPIRE Grant funds the purchase and distribution of equipment to be used during an emergency to decrease the risk of loss of life and property damage.

The grant’s most recent round funded 45 awardees with 64 pieces of equipment (a full list of equipment and recipients can be found at the bottom of this release).

“The SPIRE Grant provides practical equipment to help save lives and property during emergencies by allowing for a more efficient response at the local level,” OEM Grants Coordinator Carole Sebens said. “Oregon Department of Emergency Management is prioritizing filling gaps in communities across Oregon to ensure our partners have the equipment they need to respond to emergencies and disasters that may impact their region.” Applications were open to any organization responsible for or containing expertise in emergency

preparedness that is a local government, special government body, or a 501(c) (3) private organization, including federally recognized tribes. A selection committee comprised of volunteers from different emergency management disciplines and geographic areas reviewed the applications using criteria provided by the state. Recipients were selected based on four principles: The demonstrated need, the ability to keep and maintain the equipment, an inventory process and a commitment to partnershipbased support. The first round of the SPIRE Grant took place in 2019 and funded 79 awardees with 81 pieces of equipment, ranging from water purification trailers, mass casualty incident support trailers and highaxle all-terrain vehicles to portable power generators, fuel transportation tankers and mobile water tankers. A third grant round will open later this year. Learn more at oregon. gov/oem/emresources/ Grants/Pages/Spire.aspx.

SPIRE Grant Round Two

Equipment and Recipients

500 Gallon Fuel Trailer

• City of Cannon Beach

• City of Dallas Police Department

• City of Gresham

• City of Oakland

• Clatsop County Emergency Management

• Grant County Sheriff’s Office

• Southwestern Polk County Rural Fire District

• Tualatin Valley Water District

Communications/Tactical

Command Vehicle

• Wasco County Emergency Management

Communication Unit

• Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management Durable 10+Pax Transport Vehicle

• Clackamas County Fire District No. 1 (2)

Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (E.M.I.L.Y)

• City of Grants Pass Fire Rescue

• Douglas County Fire District No. 2 High-Axle Vehicle

• Central Cascades Fire & EMS

• Columbia County Sheriff’s Office

• Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

Low-Water Rescue Boat

• Columbia River Fire &

Rescue

• Douglas County Sher-

State investigating Columbia County GOP fundraisers

WILL LOHRE

Country Media, Inc.

A pair of fundraisers by the Columbia County Republican Central Committee is under state review after the events appear to flout Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) regulations.

According to a report by the Oregonian, the fundraisers featured auctions on rare bottles of whiskey, including Pappy Van Winkle. These events were called ‘Bourbon in the Barn’ by the organizers, and the Oregonian report suggests that they may have violated state regulations in a variety of ways.

The Oregonian report states that Columbia County Republican Central Committee Chair Traci Brumbles owns Rainier Liquor Store and may have had access to the rare alcohol and used

the bottles for the fundraiser without placing the alcohol on the shelf for customers.

While state policies don’t prohibit liquor store owners from purchasing items in their inventory, they are required to sell limited-supply liquor immediately upon acquiring it. The fundraisers are now part of a “broad criminal investigation” by the OLCC, according to the Oregonian.

This development comes after an internal investigation last year at the OLCC revealed that top employees used their access to the state’s liquor supply to keep some of the rare bourbons for themselves. Following that investigation, the executive director of the OlCC Steve Marks, resigned.

In their most recent article, the Oregonian noted that Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley had

attended one of the fundraisers in March of 2022. In the months after the event, the article says that Pixley received $3,750 in campaign donations from the Republican committee.

When asked about the event by The Chronicle, Pixley offered the following response:

“As a private citizen, I attended a fundraiser called Bourbon in the Barn in 2022. At a later date, the Republican Committee decided to support my re-election campaign. The two events are unrelated,” Pixley said. “Regarding the organizers allegedly not being compliant with OLCC regulations, I will have to defer to OLCC and event organizers.”

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

crossword Puzzle

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD

THEME: TV MOMS

ACROSS

1. Rodeo garb

6. Roman numeral 7

9. Spring occurrence

13. Like Corgi

14. Get a sum

15. Garlic mayo

16. Poet’s concern

17. Mail-back request, acr.

18. Handrail post 19. *Lionel Jefferson’s mom

21. *Keith and Laurie Partridge’s mom

23. Watson’s, Crick’s and Franklin’s concern, acr.

24. Big-ticket ____

25. #38 Down follower

28. Potter’s oven 30. Get by 35. Wyatt Earp’s card game

37. Wooden pegs

39. Measuring tool with a bubble

40. Copycat

41. All-season ____ 43. Like certain people’s glasses 44. The Great ____, Muppet 46. 1 year older than frosh 47. Treat without respect 48. *Samantha Stephens’ mom 50. Four Corners state

Solution

52. Unidentified Jane 53. Summit location 55. Like tuna tartare 57. *Rory Gilmore’s mom 61. *Hilary and Carlton Banks’ mom 64. Motionless 65. Actress Thompson 67. Island off Manhattan 69. Skeleton, archaic 70. Lt.’s subordinate 71. Yemeni’s neighbor 72. Marines’ toy recipients 73. Banned insecticide, acr.

74. Nostrils DOWN

1. Basin, without vowels

2. Last piece of a loaf

3. Lowest female singing voice

4. Evis’s blue shoes

5. Harrison Ford or Jason Segel in “Shrinking”

6. Bud holder

7. *Rhoda Morgenstern’s mom

8. “That is” in Latin

9. Wedding cake layer

10. Famous Allen Ginsberg poem

11. Away from wind

12. Skilled in deception

15. G. Orwell’s “______

Farm”

20. Valentine, e.g.

22. Bottom line?

24. Inner circle

25. Old enough (2 words)

26. Neutered rooster

27. Influencer’s creation

29. *Meg, Chris and Stewie Griffin’s mom

31. Egghead

32. “____ like the plague”

33. Canvas primer

34. *Alex and Mallory Keaton’s mom

36. Pasta option

38. Virgo and Libra mo.

42. ____ Lewis, Lamb Chop puppeteer

45. By word of mouth

49. What catastrophe and ratatouille have in com-

mon

51. Wear (2 words)

54. Treated with EVOO

56. *Pebbles Flintstone’s mom

57. Law school entry requirement, acr.

58. First name palindrome

59. Civil disorder

60. They’re on Freddy’s street

61. Widespread

62. Relating to armpit

63. 3 squared

66. Tight one in football

68. Bro’s counterpart

Jeremy Ruark, Country Media, Inc.

Property owners urged to create defensible space

Country Media, Inc.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is asking Oregonians to take part in Wildfire Awareness Month by creating defensible space around their homes. This zone gives your home added protection against wildfire, according to a release from the OSFM.

“Defensible space can prevent embers from igniting your home or prevent flames from reaching it,” the release states. “Another important advantage of defensible space is it creates a safe space for firefighters to

CRFR

From Page A1

termination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment.

A third employee, Monica Cade, joined the lawsuit on the same day as the CFRF emergency board meeting.

On April 10, the St. Helens Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 3125, delivered a unanimous vote of no confidence in Chief Medina, and asked the board to remove him, partly due to their view that he was mismanaging district funds.

In a regular board meeting on April 11, Medina stated that he had presented documents to Columbia County District Attorney Jeff Auxier that showed financial irregularities on the part of current and past employees and their

CHORUS

From Page A1

the state’s competition regulations. Stearns says he usually has his set selected by late December or early January. Senior Hannah Jensen gave some background on how their set list came together after they get the set at Christmas.

“The songs are kind of the same all year, right? We do a Christmas thing; we start getting our songs for competi-

work during a wildfire.” The OSFM Office said creating defensible space can seem like a daunting task for some homeowners, but tackling one project at a time over the course of Wildfire Awareness Month can make all the difference. Oregonians should tackle defensible space projects now before the heat of summer arrives. “Pick a project to complete this weekend; maybe it is making sure your gutters are clear of needles and leaves. Next weekend, limb your trees to ensure flames can’t reach the lower branches,” Oregon

family members before his arrival. Medina announced that Auxier is investigating these irregularities.

“Back in February, I took all the information and all the documents to the Columbia County District Attorney. The Columbia County District Attorney we have met with them three times already. He has found that the information in the documents that we gave him were not just credible but had merit, to the degree that he believes there are serious, serious things going on,” Medina said at the meeting.

During the emergency meeting on April 28, the board also discussed placing Medina on administrative leave. Board member Kelly Niles raised this notion. Niles equated putting the chief on leave to a police officer being put on leave following an

tions and festivals and all that and work on them throughout the year to better them,” Jensen said.

The songs they will be singing will be a mix of different languages, periods, and composer backgrounds. They will sing a Haitian folk song Wangol, a Hawaiian song Hawai’i Aloha, a Latin piece Dies Irae, the 1500s Renaissance motet Weep, O Mine Eyes, and finally, a gospel spiritual piece Soon I Will Be Done. The final set is a result

State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Simple steps over time can culminate into added protection against a wildfire.”

Start with a plan

Walk around your home and identify areas where an ember could land and ignite. Look at the base of your home and work outward. Studies show the leading cause of home fires during a wildfire is embers igniting combustible materials, spreading fire to the house.

Consider the following defensible space projects at

officer-involved shooting. He referred to a past investigation within the district related to former CRFR division chief Ron Youngberg being put on administrative leave. Youngberg was investigated for policy violations and harassment but retired in 2016 before disciplinary action resulting from the investigation was taken.

Board President Hans Feige and board members Gary Hudson and Mark Kreutzer disagreed with the motion to place Medina on leave. Blitz also contributed that he did not believe an administrative leave would be necessary.

“The charges that are made in the circuit court complaint, and the allegations that were otherwise directed at the chief, have been investigated either by this board or an outside investigator, and

of collaboration with Stearns and his students.

“It’s a lot of teamwork, [Stearns] comes up with the pieces, and we kind of listen to them together, and we all decide if we want to do that together as a team; he’s really good at taking in our input into consideration,” Wallace said.

This trip to the state competition is another notch on the belt for a program that has competed at a high level since Stearns took the helm

your home:

• Space and prune trees.

• Remove leaves, needles, wood, bark mulch, and other debris from within 100 feet of the structure or to the property line.

those investigations and determinations are over,” Blitz said. “What we’re dealing with today is an audit based on circumstances which Chief Medina has brought forward, dealing with his concerns and considerations about public funds and public moneys. Most of which, if true, occurred before he got here.” Blitz said that this isn’t a situation where the district is presented with any greater risk by the chief continuing on in his current position. Kreutzer said putting Medina on administrative leave would be “premature.” He also said that the district is being put in a bind by the investigation being conducted by the District Attorney. “This board is pretty well handcuffed in what we can say about these investigations that are ongoing. You know, we’ve been told by

of the program seven years ago. The students’ expectations are high, coming off a fantastic regular season.

“This year, I feel so confident that we are going to rule,” Jensen said. “Like way better than last year, because we’re just doing so good!”

This year, there will be seven other schools that St. Helens will compete with.

The top four finishers will go home with a trophy, according to Stearns. Stearns said this season has been the most

• Keep roofs and gutters clean of leaves, needles, and other debris.

• Move flammable material away from the outside of your home, including mulch, flammable plants, leaves and needles, and firewood piles.

• Keep flammable or tall plants from growing directly under the eaves; a minimum of five feet away is recommended.

• Keep firewood piles and lumber at least 30 feet from any structure

• Keep plants in your yard healthy and maintained. Clean out old leaves or pine needles from your

the District Attorney, ‘Please don’t say anything to disrupt the investigation,’” Kreutzer said. “I understand that; I agree with it. Unfortunately, members of the community don’t necessarily understand that, and they think we’re just hiding stuff.”

There is no current timetable on when the forensic audit will be complete, but Akin said that Merina+Company could be in St. Helens as early as Monday, May 1.

Grievance meeting

The CRFR board of directors held a special meeting Monday, May 1, to address a grievance filed by the firefighters union, which relates to a dispute on the agreed wages for firefighters and firefighter-paramedics at CRFR.

The meeting lasted just

fun he’s had with a choir group in “a long time.”

For Stearns, winning the competition isn’t his main goal; he wants Chor Leonis to perform their best, and if they win doing so, it will be an amazing way to end the season. “We’re going just because we’ve earned the right to go, we’re excited to perform with all the other great schools, and we’re looking forward to seeing some awesome music from other schools. Honestly,

plants. Prune away any dead portions.

One home with defensible space gives added protection against wildfire for that single home. When neighbors create defensible space as a community, protection increases exponentially for everyone involved, the release states.

To learn more about creating defensible space as a community, read about the Firewise USA program here.

For more information, visit OSFM Wildfire Awareness Month page.

under an hour, with the board resolving to begin exploring avenues toward arbitration.

The union is basing its argument on an appendix that outlines the pay that union members would receive, while the board says they signed the contract based on the written component of the agreement.

As a result of the miscommunication, the union said its members have been garnished wages they believe they’re entitled to under the contract.

The board says it was basing its pay on the written component of the contract, not on the appendix. Both the board and the union are seeking ways to resolve the dispute.

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

the idea of placing is... We don’t care. We just want to make it our best performance yet,” Stearns said. “That’s what I’m trying to instill in my students, is this sense of collaboration and cooperation, rather than competition. Because, musically in the real world, we’re not going to compete much.”

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

Best of Columbia County

Courtesy

Sports & Outdoors

SHHS Tennis Team charging the net

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

St. Helens High School’s girls tennis team has been rallying together to put together a strong season. Head Coach Mark McQueen has been happy with the team’s performances despite little practice due to weather making it difficult to practice outdoors.

“As a team, we have been doing really good.”

McQueen said. “It’s been hard to keep up with private schools with indoor courts, but we’ve been competing well. The team is learning and bonding, and that’s what’s important before we head to districts.”

Seniors leading by example

One of the pillars of this team’s growth this season has been the leadership of its seniors. There are 25 athletes on the tennis team this season. The three seniors, Heather Hayduk, Theo Janke, and Delaney Robitz have been key to establishing the team’s culture.

“The seniors have put in time to help the new players and returners that are still learning. The seniors have been playing amazing, too, and set an amazing example for the team to look up to,” McQueen said. “They really pave a path for the new players and can leave knowing that the

new players will become hard-working returners next year.” With a solid mix of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors making up the rest of the team, the coming seasons promise solid continuity for the program. This season, St. Helens has been competing with 4A schools after competing with 5A programs last year. One of the team’s strong suits has been their communication and closeness.

McQueen said that the girls had improved their teamwork skills through doubles

matches and that the team is excellent at learning on the fly and improving through hard work.

“The team has become closer friends and have leaned on each other to learn tennis and to start a new program for the new players,” McQueen said. “Some didn’t know what to do with the racket at the beginning of the season, and now a lot of the players have amazing shots that they make during matches.”

What each age group within the team is focusing

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Columbia River Fire & Rescue – Board of Directors Position #1

Mark will keep fiscal accountability on course for CRF&R and continue to champion the excellent customer service the community has come to expect from CRF&R.

Experienced & Connected: Served 20 years on the CRF&R’s Board and retired from Tualatin Fire & Rescue after a 30-year career.

Dedicated & involved: 6 years on the Governors Fire Policy Council, 6 years on the Oregon Board of Public Safety Standards and Training, 10 years Board member of Oregon Fire District Directors Association, 4 years as President of the National Association of Elected Fire Officials. Currently volunteering with Toy N Joy Auction and with Habitat for Humanity as a Board Member and volunteer building affordable housing in Columbia County

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on varies. For the returners and more experienced play ers, making sure backhand and forehand hits are getting dialed in is the empha sis. For the newer players, the goal is learning where to be, how to read the ball, and how they will hit it.

Focusing on fun

While winning is always sweet, McQueen is more focused on getting the athletes to enjoy the sport of tennis and having fun. Giving his players an environment where they can do

to state would be incredible, but I know that just being able to be a part of a community of players that support and care about one another is also super cool,” McQueen said. “State may -

Follow St. Helens High School sports results at osaa.org, and read feature sports stories at thechronicleonline.com and in the Wednesday print editions of the Chronicle.

Courtesy photo from Mark McQueen

Theo Jenke serving during a St. Helens match.

Credit OSAA.org

“The team has become closer friends and have leaned on each other to learn tennis and to start a new program for the new players.” ~ Mark McQueen, Head Coach