SHC105

Gas prices soar over $5 a gallon, again

climb. The average price reached $5.42 this week, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

“Multiple refineries in the Los Angeles area and a refinery in Washington State are experiencing either planned or unplanned refinery work which could last several more days,” Oregon/Idaho AAA Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds said in a release last week. “This has put a significant crimp in supplies and sent pump prices soaring in this region.

Dodds said another price factor will be scheduled maintenance work at the Olympic pipeline in Washington.

Hurricane Ian also has the po tential to cause problems, depend ing on the storm’s track, Dodds said. The storm could disrupte oil production and refining and trans portation in the Gulf of Mexico.

well as Hurricane Ian slamming the Gulf Coast.”

Crude oil prices have tumbled from recent highs due to fears of economic slowdowns elsewhere around the globe. Crude reached a recent high of $122.11 per barrel on June 8 and ranged from about $94 to $110 per barrel in July. In Au gust, crude prices ranged between about $86 and $97. In September, crude prices have been between about $76 and $89 per barrel. Last week, West Texas Intermediate fell below $80 per barrel for the first time since January, according to the AAA report.

You may have noticed prices

local gasoline stations increased

over the past several

some

from 50 cents to as high as $1 per gallon.

This rapid price jump is occur ring at a time when the price of gasoline usually declines as sum mer travel slows.

the prices rose

Sexual

investigation in St. Helens

An Oregon City man faces multiple charges related to a sexual assault investigation that was reported to the St. Helens Police Department.

Officers arrested Billy Gene Fabiano, 51, of Oregon City Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, after St. Helens Police received information alleging that Fabiano had sexual con tact with an underage victim. After St. Helens officers

After 14 weeks of declines, gas prices are on the rise, soaring on the

West Coast and in the Midwest with more moderate increases in other parts of the country, according to the latest American Automobile As sociation (AAA) price survey.

The average price per gallon in Oregon rocketed up 50 cents to $5.14 last week and continues to

Until last week, the national and Oregon averages had been declining for 14 consecutive weeks, backing away from record highs set in mid-June. The national average reached its record high of $5.016 on June 14 while the Oregon average reached its record high of $5.548 on June 15.

“Lackluster demand for gas and lower crude oil prices should take some pressure off of rising pump prices,” Dodds said. “But drivers can expect a very volatile couple of weeks due to the refinery issues as

Crude prices rose dramati cally leading up to and in the first few months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia is one of the world’s top oil producers, and its involvement in a war causes market volatility, and sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and other Western nations resulted in tighter global oil supplies. Oil supplies were already tight around the world as demand for oil increased as pandemic restrictions eased. A year ago, crude was around $75 per bar rel compared to $77 as of Sept. 27, the AAA report states.

Fast Fact

Oregon to see $1.1B in Medicaid funding

HERB SWETT chronicle1@countrymedia.net

Oregon will receive $1.1 bil lion in new federal funds to pilot first-in-the-nation changes to the state’s Medicaid program.

Oregon became the first state to receive federal approval for continuous health coverage for children under six years old. Also, all Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members six and older will have two years of continuous OHP enrollment, ensuring continuous coverage and access to medical, dental, and behavioral health care.

The waiver will expand healthrelated social-needs coverage for certain food assistance and hous ing support and invest in resourc es to help reduce risks of climate change. It will make Oregon the first state to use Medicaid funding for climate-related needs.

This package of services, called health-related social needs, includes food and housing sup ports such as rental assistance for up to six months for marginalized

groups such as youth in foster care, homeless people, and lowincome older adults. State health officials sought federal approval to cover housing and nutritional support services to reduce health inequity and stabilize the circum stances of OHP members whose health is endangered by life disruptions.

Also, the state will supply air conditioners, air filters, and generators to people at high risk who live in regions with extreme weather events.

“Healthcare does not occur in a vacuum,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. “It’s clear we must look beyond a traditional, siloed approach to truly meet the needs of people, particularly those expe riencing complex changes.”

OHP, which is Oregon’s Med icaid program, provides compre hensive health coverage to about 1.4 million Oregonians, more than one-third the state popula tion. States may request federal approval to test innovations in their Medicaid programs. Wednes day’s agreement between Oregon

JEREMY

Metro Creative Connection

The Oregon average is the third largest weekly jump in the nation.

and federal agency Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services renews the state’s waiver through 2027.

“Thanks to this demonstra tion,” Centers for Medicaid

Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said, “eligible children in Oregon will be able to

Metro Creative Connection

The waiver will expand health-related social needs coverage for certain food assis tance, housing support, and invest in resources that will help mitigate the health risks of climate change.

from St. Helens Police

Billy Gene Fabiano

Oregonians at work: Wage gains, job distribution

Oregon had 1.99 mil lion people working in jobs covered by the state’s unem ployment insurance system during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Those workers earned a total of $32.5 billion, with an average wage of about $16,325 per worker for the quarter. The median hourly pay during the quarter was $24.83.

Employment distribution across sectors

Oregon experienced rapid jobs recovery in 2021. Wage records show a gain of more than 128,400 jobs, or 6%, between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021. However, this growth was not evenly distributed across industries. Job growth differed enough to change the distribution of jobs across sectors of Oregon’s economy over the year.

While some sectors lost jobs over the year, most had substantial growth. Nearly one-third (32%) of the large overall job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality. Lei sure and hospitality grew by 41,400 jobs and shifted from making up 9% of all jobs to 11%. Professional and busi ness services – particularly professional and technical services – have also seen strong growth during the jobs recovery. Professional and business services grew by 24,800 jobs and increased their share of all jobs from 13% in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 14% in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Despite overall gains, some sectors saw declines. There were small job declines in transportation, warehousing, and utilities

(-1,300) and natural re sources and mining (-1,500). Natural resources and mining decreased their share of all jobs between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021 from 4% to 3%. Health care and social assistance also decreased their share of all jobs over the year from 15% to 14%.

More jobs paying higher wages

Changes in the distribu tion of Oregon’s jobs was even more pronounced across wage categories. Employ ment moved up the pay scale over the year. Between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021, the number of jobs paying less than $15 per hour fell by 125,700, drop ping 33%. At the same time, the number of jobs paying

between $15 and $30 rose by 131,700, and those earning between $30 and $50 per hour increased by 59,300. That’s a gain of 14% in each of those categories. Jobs earning $50 per hour or more rose by 63,100, or 20%.

Employers competing to hire workers in a tight labor market put upward pres sure on wages in 2021. Jobs shifting up the wage scale could also be due in part to scheduled minimum wage increases that occurred in the third quarter of 2021. On July 1, 2022, minimums rose to $14.00 per hour in the Port land urban growth boundary, $12.75 standard, and $12.00 in nonurban counties. Rising minimums could potentially push increases further up the pay scale too.

There are a few notable trends across wage categories

by sector. Jobs moving out of the under $15 per hour category and into the $15 to $30 per hour category were most notable in health care and social assistance, retail trade, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services.

In the top wage category, the biggest nominal gains between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021 in jobs paying at least $50 per hour occurred in professional and business services (14,400), local government (10,600), and health care and social as sistance (9,400). The number of jobs paying at least $50 per hour grew by 55% in leisure and hospitality but represented a smaller number of jobs (2,200).

Real wage gains in service sectors

Between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021, the Consumer Price Index measure of inflation grew by 6.7%. Yet, the overall median

hourly wage in Oregon saw a slight gain over the year. After adjusting for inflation, real median hourly pay grew by $0.39 to $24.83 per hour. That was a gain of 1.6% over the year.

Eight industries saw real wage gains between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021. The largest gain occurred in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which rose by 11% to $26.85 per hour. Health care and social assistance (7.2%) and leisure and hospitality (5.8%) also had notable, real increases in median hourly wages. However, wages in some industries struggled to keep pace with inflation. The largest decline occurred in private educational services, which fell which fell by $1.61 per hour, a loss of 6.2%.

Increasing wages and shifting sectors of employment

Oregon experienced

rapid jobs recovery in 2021. Changes in job growth across sectors resulted in the redistribution of jobs across some sectors of Oregon’s economy. That included a larger share of jobs in leisure and hospitality as it recovered from the largest pandemic recession losses of any sector, and a greater share of jobs in professional and business services. Between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021, eight broad sectors saw real wage gains. There was also a broad shift to more jobs paying higher wages, as evi denced by the increase in the median hourly wage by 1.6%, the decline of jobs paying less than $15 per hour, and even larger increases in jobs paying higher hourly wages.

Gail Krumenauer is an employment econo mist with the Oregon Employment Department. She may be reached at gail.k.krumenauer@employ. oregon.gov or at 971-3013771.

State, local candidates present views at Chamber forum

Six candidates for local and state offices spoke Thursday, Sept. 29, at a South Columbia County Chamber of Com mercer candidates forum, which produced no heated exchanges or audience protests.

Candidates participat ing in the forum included Sheriff Brian Pixley and challenger Terry Massey, Kelly R. Niles and Kellie Jo Smith for county commis sioner, Anthony Sorace for representative from House District 31, and Melissa Busch for Senate District 16.

Sorace and Busch are Democrats. Prior commit ments kept the Republican candidates, Brian Stout for the House and Suzanne Weber for the Senate, from participating.

Following opening remarks, each candidate an swered three questions from the Chamber and several questions from the audience. Here are the questions and their responses.

Sheriff Massey, an officer in the St. Helens Police Depart ment who is a former busi

nessman, said in his opening remarks, said that leading his business taught him to lead people to their fullest potential.

Pixley began by saying, “I’m running for re-election because of everyone in this room.” He said that in his 3-1/2 years in office, he had obtained grants, trained deputies, reduced crime, and improved transparency, all with “a meager budget.”

The candidates were asked about county Sheriff’s Office deputy response times to service calls. Massey said that responses were slow and that he would provide 24-hour coverage. Pixley said he has repeatedly asked the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for funds to hire more deputies, but funding resources have been limited.

Asked how, with popu lation increasing, how the Sheriff’s Office could make business owners feel safe, Massey said 24-hour cover age would be the answer.

Pixley pointed to lack of resources to help the home less and said that the best way for anyone to help them would be to drive them to Portland.

Another question to the Massey and Pixley con cerned meeting the needs of customers, Massey noted

that the Sheriff’s Office is creating a rehabilitation cen ter for walk-in patients and is planning a detoxification center. Pixley responded that the department keeps asking for more deputies at a time and that it cooperates with police departments.

County commissioner

Niles opened by saying that he would focus on com munication, collaboration, and reliability. He pointed to his background in govern ment and state budget ing.

Smith, who with her husband owns Oregon Trail Lanes, a bowling alley, said that she was experienced in customer service and pointed to her nine years on the St. Helens School Board.

The first question was what the candidates knew about the business com munity and how they would support it. Niles replied that he would collaborate with the Columbia Economic Team and its offshoots.

Smith, calling the current Board of Commissioners “a bit siloed (not in frequent enough communication),” said she would “definitely be in the community.”

They were asked what they knew about urban renewal districts and enter prise zones. Niles said that

“they can be good or bad” and cannot cover everything but that he would support them if they had sunset dates. Smith, admitting that she knew little about them, said they were not the re sponsibility of the board.

Asked how he would contribute to the economy, Niles, who has had a long career in forestry, said he supported bringing in busi nesses as long as they were “the right fit” for the area. Smith said she would “keep reaching out” to collaborate with businesses.

Oregon Legislature

“I want to make sure there is progress in the things we have been doing all our lives,” Sorace said in his opening remarks. He expressed concern for pro viding the educational and health resources for his son, now three years old.

Busch pointed to her experience as a home health nurse and a mother of three children, and to having put a baby out for adoption when she was 15. She said, “I know what makes our com munity sick, and it’s not just germs.”

They were asked what they knew about urban renewal districts. Sorace said that the state sets

parameters, which districts use to set things up, and that the state needs to make sure districts set the right priori ties. Busch said, “They’re generally not a purview of the Legislature.”

The next question was what each candidate saw as the Legislature’s role in sup porting businesses.

Calling it “a broad ques tion,” Sorace said that tax policies are “really com plex” and that his priorities are housing costs and mental health services. Busch, say ing she had met with small business owners throughout the district, replied that housing, healthcare, and education were their priori ties.

They were asked what the role of government should be in establishing business policies. Sorace said that the job of govern ment is to “set the floor and make sure people don’t fall through the cracks.” He called medical debt the biggest problem. Busch, calling fair wages, benefits, and working conditions “the backbone of communities like ours,” said government should hold them account able.

Audience takes over Then it was the audi

ence’s turn. The candidates for sheriff were asked how they would ensure trans parency. Massey said he would require an audit of jail funds. Pixley said that his department reports to the Board of Commissioners, which has replied, “You’re doing a great job.”

The legislative candi dates were asked about strategies to help people become independent. Busch replied that the Legislature should see that people have the tools to they need to become self-reliant. Sorace said that the Legislature should provide the tools and that the specifics depend on the problem.

Both were asked how they would set the priori ties for schools, safety, law enforcement, and prisons. Sorace answered that those things are almost always interconnected and that for him, schools would head the list. Busch called the issue complex and said there was no one-size-fits-all solution, rather that we should look at every angle.

Metro Creative Connection

Oregon experienced rapid jobs recovery in 2021. Wage records show a gain of more than 128,400 jobs, or 6%, between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021.

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

Courtesy from the Oregon Employment Department

Oregon to use $3.3M for safety, violence prevention

mote student mental health and well-being.

Gov. Kate Brown has dedicated $3.3 million for school safety and violence prevention throughout Oregon.

The funding will come from federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) dollars, which were reserved for allocations by governors through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appro priations Act (CRRSAA).

IN addition, the U.S. De partment of Education also informed the Oregon Depart ment of Education (ODE) that Oregon is eligible for over $8.2 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

“Oregon schools should be safe, welcoming, and inclusive places for every student who walks through their doors,” Brown said.

“Every student in Oregon deserves to be safe from gun violence. Every parent should be able to send their child to school knowing they will come home safe. Every teacher and school employee should be able to go to work without fear for their safety or that of the students under their care.”

“With this $3.3 million, school districts can build on their existing violence pre vention programs and safetybased crisis intervention systems, as well as their pro grams to prevent bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation, and to pro

Combined with incoming funding from the Bipartisan Safer Com munities Act, school districts will have new resources to keep students safe.”

“Taking steps to ensure schools are welcoming and inclusive to all is key to making them safe places for students to learn and educators to teach,” said ODE Director Colt Gill.

“Through Governor Brown’s investment and this federal funding Oregon can amplify its efforts to make sure every person on school grounds feels included, cared for and ready to learn or teach.”

School Safety and prevention specialists increased to 19 full-time positions across all 19 education service districts (ESDs)

Combined with Student Success Act dollars and funding from Adi’s Act, the GEER funds will be used to fund new School Safety and Prevention System (SSPS) specialist positions in education service districts serving all 197 school dis tricts across the state. These positions will continue to expand support to bolster the areas of the state in need of additional resources.

This vital funding will result in eight new fulltime positions for those who currently rely on other regions for support and nine regions will utilize additional staffing to make their posi tions full time, according to

Brown. Two ESDs will con tinue with their existing fulltime positions unchanged. The overall result includes an increase from 2 full-time positions and 9 part-time positions across the state to the equivalent of 19 full-time positions at all 19 education service districts that serve Oregon districts and schools statewide.

Over the past several weeks, ODE has worked with education service dis tricts (ESDs) across Oregon to answer questions about how this new funding can be spent, and agreements with the ESDs will be finalized this month. Both ODE and the Oregon Association of Education Service Districts

(OAESD) jointly held con versations with ESD teams to learn how best to support implementation of the GEER funds. These sessions were established to provide a clear understanding of how the current SSPS positions have developed and how the potential new staffing will support expansion.

The team learned from each ESD about their ongo ing challenges, their pri orities for the coming year, how they intend to utilize the additional FTE, and any support they may need from ODE and OAESD. Given the unique needs of each region of the state, the identified areas of need may differ and the additional funding from

GEER may reflect those priorities. The ESDs are developing staffing plans to make the most of this op portunity.

Additional background on safe and inclusive schools, school safety and preven tion specialists

The Safe and Inclusive Schools team at ODE, in partnership with the current School Safety and Preven tion Specialists (SSPS), have supported initiatives to address school culture and climate.

These initiatives include: an integrated model of mental health with guid ance to support centering mental health, collaboration with OHA on Strengthening Mental Health in Education project and supporting the implementation of “Every Student Belongs” to address threats to school safety re lated to biased or discrimina tory behavior. A bias incident response guide was designed to center equity and restor ative practices in instances of bias-based behaviors.

In collaboration with ODE and Oregon Health Au thority (OHA), School Safe ty and Prevention Specialists (SSPS) have also supported the statewide implementation of ODE’s suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts, including Section 36 of the Student Success Act (SSA) and Adi’s Act.

These efforts have in cluded implementation of the School Suicide Prevention and Wellness (SSPW) Pro

gram through Lines for Life with 5 positions statewide to provide technical assis tance and training to districts to improve their suicide prevention efforts through the development of Adi’s Act plans and toolkits for dis tricts of all sizes. The SSPSs have also established crisis response teams of trained staff in ESDs across the state, designed to respond to behavioral or mental health crises in schools and have developed a three-year school suicide prevention research project to identify and develop statewide best practices for policy andim plementation frameworks alongside a resource map of state initiatives, services, and supports in partnership with the Alliance to Prevent Suicide.

The SSPSs will con tinue to work collaboratively across regions, districts, schools, and community organizations to provide the most well-rounded and relevant practices and sup port available–now with a full-time staff member lead ing efforts at each of the 19 ESDs, according to a release from Brown.

This regional-based team of specialists continues to serve as the primary con duit to support districts and schools as well as an im mediate resource to districts and schools that require real-time crisis intervention. The network of care, rela tional trust, and support are the cornerstones of Oregon’s School Safety and Preven tion System, Brown said.

Celebrating with a Cannon Blast

OSP launches poaching investigation

Courtesy

anyone

Oregon State Police (OSP) Fish and Wildlife Troopers are asking for pub lic assistance in locating the person or persons who alleg edly shot a bull elk and left it to waste in Columbia County.

OSP reports that at ap

From Page A1

investigated the claim and presented evidence to a Columbia County Grand Jury, Fabiano was indicted on Sept. 29 and taken into custody, according to the St. Helens Police Department.

The location of the arrest

proximately 6:40 a.m. Sept. 23, OSP Troopers received information that a large bull elk was shot and killed with a

private property off Stoney Point Road in Vernonia.

OSP Fish and Wildlife

had not been disclosed by investigators.

St. Helens officers lodged Fabiano at Columbia County Jail on 17 counts of Rape in the Third Degree, 17 counts of Sodomy in the Third Degree, Unlaw ful Delivery of a Schedule I Controlled Substance to a Minor and Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor.

Division is

Oregon State Police

at 1-800-452-

Fabiano’s bail was set at $2 million.

Police said the investiga tion is ongoing Fabiano has used the name Billy Roberts in the past. Police are ask ing anyone who may have any information related to Fabiano having contact with minors to contact St. Helens Detectives Gaston and Smith at 503-397-1521.

Metro Creative Connection Education Service Districts will add 19 more full-time safety specialists.

The

Kelli Nicholson / The Chronicle

The Oregon Army National Guard at The Scappoose / Milwaukie Homecoming football game field dedi cation with a cannon shooting in honor of the renovated athletic filed and the naming of the location as the Sean McNabb Field in honor of the high school’s head football coach.

Opinion

Garden Plots: Fruit fly season is here

Fruit flies lay their eggs in discrete cracks in fruit or portions that have started to rot. It is so easy to bring eggs into your house when you harvest grapes, tomatoes, apples, and other late season fruit. Eggs quickly develop into energetic fruit flies that breed, feed, and die at a dizzy pace. Fruit fly lives are short. You can reduce fruit fly numbers with thought ful management. Only keep undamaged fruit on your counter. Fruit flies hate re frigerators, so store what you can there. And most impor tant, take out your kitchen scraps to the compost pile (or dig it into garden soil) daily. We briefly used a five-gallon bucket for kitchen vegetable and fruit scraps. Even though we never let it fill, it became a breeding ground for fruit flies. An extension agent from a neighboring state once discovered an inadver tent fruit fly trap. She left a bottle of wine uncorked but partially consumed on the counter. She said, the next morning, “the kitchen became livable; the wine undrinkable.”

Fall planting

It is an excellent time to divide herbaceous perenni als like day lilies or rhu barb. It is easier to work the soil now. Fall rains (when they finally start) will help ensure divided plant por tions aren’t too stressed while they are getting rooted. But water the new plants until then.

Trees can also be planted now. This is a little riskier since they will be a mar ginally less resistant to the coldest winter temperatures (less than 20 degrees F) we sometimes get. One garden er is replanting a Japanese maple into a site where she just removed a less than 10-year-old tree that had lost bark from succes sive winter (sun scald) and summer (sun burn) damage. She has decided to paint the base of the new tree with white latex paint mixed 50-50 with water to reduce potential repeat of the dam age cycle.

This can be very im

portant for younger trees on vulnerable sites (open southwest exposure). And they will also need plenty of water until our soil has re ceived enough rain to support the newly trans planted trees.

Lawns can also still be planted but increase the seeding rates to about 7-8 pounds of seed per 1000 square feet and have the work done by October 15 at the latest. Sooner is bet ter. Water until serious rain starts.

Finally, plant garlic this month.

Yellow jackets and hornets wound tight

In the late fall, things start to fall apart for these social insects. By late No vember, most of the work ers are dead and the nest will be destroyed by the rain and wind. Nests in wall voids of houses may last, in rare cases, into late January

voiCEs of thE Community

One has to wonder

Two interesting facts came out in the news this week.

One was an article on OPB that “Phil Knight spends big to help Oregon Republicans regain power in state legislature.”

The other is the 2022 governor’s poll, with the poll showing Betsy Johnson behind by 17% and Kotek and Drazen neck to neck.

One has to wonder what Phil Knight’s objective was for funding Johnson’s campaign. Was it to take votes from the Democrats?

That strategy looks to by working.

Sorry Betsy, this voter can’t vote for you if it means that it would put Drazen in office.

Robin Smith Deer Island

A breath of fresh air

I’m in my 70s and thrilled when younger people share their ideas and perspectives about life in Oregon.

I’m especially pleased that Logan Laity is running for the Oregon House of Repre sentatives because he will be a breath of fresh air in Salem. He’s already proved himself to be a true public servant.

Logan was at a Zoom meeting I attended. I was impressed with his hands-on experience about policies and government, including how to get things done in the legislature.

He’s a small business owner and community volunteer in the Tillamook area, putting his values and communication skills to work serving people every day. He has seen first-hand that government can be a force for

good. He’s committed to pro tecting rights for all people.

Logan knows that a rising tide lifts all boats, especially in our north coast rural com munities. He’s running for office to make life better for Oregonians with better schools, day care, and elder care. He will work for stable and affordable housing, common sense gun laws, and comprehensive health care.

I hope you get to talk with Logan. He goes door-to-door to hear your concerns. Please check out his website, www. loganfororegon.com.

Democracy is on the bal lot in November. Update your voter registration by October 18 if you have a name or ad dress change.

I’m excited to vote for Logan Laity to be our state representative. I hope you’ll vote for him, too.

Laurie Caplan Astoria

Before a colony collapses completely, a few queensto-be fly into the air, mate (the males die after mat ing), and hide out until next spring.

You often see them in your woodpile in the winter, large and very sluggish. They can also work their way into wall voids and wiggle out into your rooms, warmed by household heating. As spring weather improves, queens (ready to lay eggs) start nest building, larvae rearing, and the cycle be gins again. They don’t use their old nest sites. Bumble bees share this cycle as do the narrow-waist wasps that build tiny paper or mud nests under your eves. The

gentle narrow waist wasps will come back to their old sites but build new nests each year.

So, if yellow jacket nests aren’t in a place where they bother you, you can leave them alone to die on their own. If they are a problem, nests can be treated with aerosol hornet and wasp insecticides, if you can find the opening to the nest and spray it directly. Treatments (spray the aerosol for about five seconds) should be ap plied at dusk and you should leave quickly after spraying. Follow all instructions on the insecticide container and don’t put yourself at risk by spraying from a ladder or other awkward positions. Observe the nest entrance for signs of life next morn ing.

Food safety and preservation hotline:

You can get up-to–date and accurate answers to your food preservation questions by calling our office at 503-397-3462 and ask to speak to Jenny Rudolph.

Important notes

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

• Donate extra garden 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 ma terials 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 503-3973462 or at chip.bubl@or egonstate.edu. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Free newsletter

The Oregon State Uni versity Extension office in Columbia County publishes a monthly newsletter on gardening and farming top ics (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 resource

Oregon State University Extension Service – Colum bia County

505 N. Columbia River Highway St. Helens, OR 97051 503-397-3462

Community EvEnts

October 6 School District

Listening Session 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. St. Helens Middle School Library, 354 N 15th Street in St. Helens. This is the first of four district listening sessions with Super intendent Scot Stockwell. The sessions are designed to be open-ended without an agenda allowing community members the opportunity to provide feedback about what is going well in the district and what are challenges to overcome. For more information, call 503397-3085.

October 8 All Native Plant Sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sale will be behind Scappoose High School off Highway 101. The sale is a presentation of the Scappoose Watershed Council. Great plants, grown by great volun teers at great prices. Proceeds help support local restoration projects. For more information, visit scappoosebay-wc.org.

October 13 State of the Port Port of Columbia County Executive Director Sean Clark delivers the State of the Port, looking at the challenges and accomplishments over the past year, and the projects and opportunities ahead. NEXT Renewables CEO and Chair person Chris Efird will provide an update on the $2 billion renewable diesel and sustain able aviation fuel facility being developed at Port Westward. Presentations from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.at Meriwether Place 1070 Columbia Blvd. St. Helens Zoom link available at www.portofcolumbiacounty.

October 22 Garden Club Sale

The St. Helens Garden Club

Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Helens Public Library, 375 S 18th Street. Trees, berries, shrubs, succulents, home grown plants.

Ongoing Events

Vaccine Clinics

Columbia County Public Health is providing primary and booster COVID-19 vac cinations from Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax, as well as monkeypox. Vaccines also will be available at times to be determined Oct. 13, 18. 19, 20, and 27; Nov. 10; and Dec. 1 and 15. Vaccines are available from noon to 7 p.m. today through Friday at the Columbia County Fairgrounds 4-H Building, 58892 Saulser Road, St. Helens. People needing transportation may call 503-366-0159 or email CCRiderinfo@columbiacoun tyor.gov.

Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Meets at 7 p.m. every other second Tuesday. Meetings are currently held elec tronically by Zoom. For more information, contact Council Coordinator Allan Whiting at E-mail: allan@whitingenv. com, or call 503-789-9240 Visit the council’s website for agenda postings and Zoom at www.lowercolumbiariver.org/ events-page.

Resonate Recovery Meets at 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday - Sundays. This is a Bible based, Christcentered spiritual recovery

meeting for those struggling with addictions and compul sive behavior at 220 S. 1st St., St. Helens. Everyone is loved and welcomed. Free childcare available. For more information call Debbie at 503-560-0521 or check the Resonate Facebook page.

Columbian Toastmasters

Promoting positive learn ing and leadership through public speaking. Anyone is welcome! Meeting virtually via Zoom from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. every Thursday. Call 503-369-0329 for more information.

Overcomers Outreach

Meetings are held every Sat urday at 9 a.m. at Creekside Baptist Church, 51681 SW Old Portland Rd., Scappoose. Call Fred 971-757-6389.

Celebrate Recovery

For anyone struggling with addiction, hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for coffee, snacks, and fellowship. The meet ing starts at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. the doors open for a free dinner. Yankton Community Fellowship, 33579 Pittsburg Rd., St. Helens. 503-3967091. Childcare is available. www.yanktoncommunityfel lowship.com

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

St. Helens Bible Church seeking vendors for holiday bazaar & bake sale

Sat, Nov.12 9am3pm $25.00 table fee will go to

in

Chief Financial Of ficer. Apply online at www.columbia911.com/careers. Additional informa tion can be found on our website or by calling 503366-6978.

Community Health Nurse Supervisor

Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline 10/26/2022 Apply at ColumbiaCounty OR.gov

availability will be considered. Full benefit packages available for full time employees, including health, dental, & eye in surance, 401K, and vacation time. Call 503-397-7861 Mon-Fri 7:30-3:30 for details.

EXPERIENCED CDL DUMP

TRUCK DRIVER

The City of Scappoose is accepting applications for a Utility Worker

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District (C911CD) is conducting a hiring process for a

Eagle Star Rock Products seeking addition to bookkeeping & clerical staff. Po sition is full time, although part time

Top Pay, Mon-Fri 7:00 - 3:30p.m. No Weekends. Paid Holiday & Vacation Rainier, OR. Respond to BCX1996@gmail. com or Craig 360-431-5599

SALARY: $20.94 - $35.06 per hour depending on experience. RE QUIREMENT: See full position de scription at www. ci.scappoose.or.us/ jobs. BENEFITS: The City of Scap poose provides a complete package of employee bene fits. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open Until Filled. First re view of application: October 24, 2022 Applications can be picked up at Scap

poose City Hall, 33568 E. Columbia Avenue or down loaded from our website at http:// www.ci.scappoose. or.us//jobs. The City of Scappoose is an Equal Oppor tunity Employer.

702 Garage Sales

Estate Sale Sat. & Sun. Oct 8th & 9th in St. Helens. Follow signs off Gable RD. Address will be posted Friday night on estate sale-finder.com. Hours 10am-4pm both days. Cash Only.

790

Misc Wanted

Wanted cedar boughs and noble fir. Willing to pay for branches

$970/month.

Trustee’s Notice of Sale

The Trustee under the terms of the Trust Deed described herein, at the direction of the Benefi ciary, hereby elects to sell the property described in the Trust Deed to satisfy the obligations secured thereby. Pursuant to ORS 86.771, the following information is Provided: 1: Parties Grantor: Stanley B. Meyer Trustee: Ticor Title Company of Oregon Successor Trustee: Robert P. Van Natta Beneficiary: Ronald L. Russell 2: De scription of Property: Lot 3, Block 8, Central Addi tion, In the City of Ver nonia, Columbia County, Oregon. 3: Recording: The trust Deed was recorded as follows: Dated recorded: April 21, 2016 Recording No: 2016-002839 Offi cial Records of Columbia County, Oregon 4: Default: The Grantor or any other person obligated on the Trust Deed and Promissory Note secured thereby is in default and the Benefi ciary seeks to foreclose the Trust deed for failure to pay: Monthly payments of $400.00 for each of 9 successive months begin ning with January 2022 through and including September 2022 due on the 21st of each month; plus late charges and unpaid real unpaid property taxes, or liens, plus interest. 5: Amount Due: The amount due on the Note which is secured by the Trust deed referred to herein is 28,615.68, Together with

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interest at 5% per annum from December 21, 2021, Plus advances, late charg es, and foreclosure attorney fees and costs. There are also 3 years outstanding property taxes Amounting to $4984.47 plus interest.

6: Sale of property: The Trustee hereby states that the property will be sold to satisfy the obligations secured by the Trust deed. A trustees notice of Default and election to Sell under the terms of the Trust deed has been recorded in the Official Records of Co lumbia County, Oregon. 7: Time of Sale Date: Febru ary 13, 2023, Time 10:00 A.M. 8: Right to reinstate: Any person named in ORS 86.778 has the right at any time that is not later than five days before the Trustee conducts the sale, to have this foreclosure dismissed and the Trust Deed rein stated by payment to the Beneficiary of the Entire amount then due, other than such proportion of the Principal as would not be then due had no default occurred, by curing any other default that is capable of being cured by tendering the performance required under the obligation of the trust Deed and by paying all costs and expenses actu ally incurred in enforcing the obligation and the Trust Deed and by paying all costs and expenses actually incurred in enforcing the obligations and Trust Deed, together with the Trustee’s and Attorney’s fees not

exceeding the amount in ORS 86.778 Notice regard ing Potential Hazards (This notice is required for no tices of sale sent on or after January 1, 2015) Without limiting the trustee’s dis claimer of representations or warranties, Oregon law requires the trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a Trustee’s sale may have been used in manufactur ing methamphetamines, the chemic components of which are known to be toxic. Prospective purchas ers of residential property should be aware of this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the Trust ee’s Sale. You may reach the Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service at 503-684-3763 or toll free in Oregon at 800-452-7636 or you may visit its website at www.osbar.org. Legal assistance may be available if you have a low income and meet federal poverty guidelines. For more infor mation and a directory of legal aid programs, go to http://www.oregonlawhelp. org. Any questions regard ing this matter should be directed to Robert P. Van Natta, Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 748, St. Helens, OR 97051. Phone 503-3974091. Dated September 28, 2022. Signed by Robert P. Van Natta, Successor trustee. Dates of Publica tion: Oct. 5, 2022; Oct. 12, 2022; Oct. 19, 2022 & Oct. 26, 2022.

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

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of: Sheri J. Bean, Deceased. Case No. 22PB08066 NO TICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS Notice is hereby given that Steven C. Kai has been appointed as the personal representative of the above estate. All persons having claims against the

estate are required to pres ent them to the personal representative in care of his attorney David B. Brown hill at: 8555 SW Apple Way, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97225, within four months after the date of first publication of this notice, as stated below or such claims may be barred. All

persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings in this estate may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative, or the attorney for the personal representative. Dated and first published October 5, 2022, October 12, 2022, October 19, 2022.

Reference is made to that certain Trust Deed made by, BRIAN CLINE, AN UN MARRIED MAN as Grantor to TICOR TITLE as Trustee, in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGIS TRATION SYSTEMS, INC. (“MERS”), as desig nated nominee for BANK OF ENGLAND, Beneficiary of the security instrument, its successors and assigns, dated as of March 30, 2016 and recorded on March 30, 2016 as Instrument No. 2016002311 of official records in the Office of the Re corder of Columbia County, Oregon to-wit: APN: 9580 || 4N1W03BC00408 LOT 18, JOHN GUMM SUBDIVI SION, IN THE CITY OF ST. HELENS, COLUMBIA COUNTY OREGON. Com monly known as: 300 S. 4TH

ST, SAINT HELENS, OR 97051 Both the Beneficiary, U.S. Bank National As sociation, and the Trustee, Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112, have elected to sell the said real property to sat isfy the obligations secured by said Trust Deed and notice has been recorded pursuant to Section 86.735(3) of Or egon Revised Statutes. The default for which the foreclo sure is made is the Grantor’s failure to pay: Failed to pay payments which became due Monthly Payment(s): 3 Monthly Payment(s) from 12/01/2021 to 02/01/2022 at $1,389.75 7 Monthly Payment(s) from 03/01/2022 to 09/01/2022 at $1,399.56 Monthly Late Charge(s): By this reason of said default the Beneficiary has declared all obligations secured by said

Trust Deed immediately due and payable, said sums being the following, to-wit: The sum of $170,798.46 together with interest thereon at the rate of 4.50000% per annum from November 1, 2021 until paid; plus all accrued late charges thereon; and all Trustee’s fees, foreclosure costs and any sums advanced by the Beneficiary pursuant to the terms of said Trust Deed. Wherefore, notice is hereby given that, the under signed Trustee will on Janu ary 24, 2023 at the hour of 01:00 PM, Standard of Time, as established by Section 187.110, Oregon Revised Statues, Front Entrance, Columbia County Court house, 230 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051 County of Columbia, sell at public auction to the highest bidder

for cash the interest in the said described real property which the Grantor had or had power to convey at the time of the execution by him of the said Trust Deed, together with any interest which the Grantor or his successors in interest acquired after the ex ecution of said Trust Deed, to satisfy the foregoing obliga tions thereby secured and the costs and expenses of sale, including a reasonable charge by the Trustee. Notice is further given that any person named in Section 86.753 of Oregon Revised Statutes has the right to have the foreclo sure proceeding dismissed and the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to the Beneficia ry of the entire amount then due (other than such portion of said principal as would not then be due had no default

CH22-1191

occurred), together with the costs, Trustee’s or attorney’s fees and curing any other default complained of in the Notice of Default by tender ing the performance required under the obligation or Trust Deed, at any time prior to five days before the date last set for sale. Without limiting the Trustee’s disclaimer of representations or warran ties, Oregon law requires the Trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a Trustee’s sale may have been used in manufac turing methamphetamines, the chemical components of which are known to be toxic. Prospective purchasers of residential property should be aware of this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the Trust ee’s sale. In construing this

notice, the masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter, the singular includes plural, the word “Grantor” includes any successor in interest to the Grantor as well as any other persons owing an obligation, the perfor mance of which is secured by said Trust Deed, the words “Trustee” and “Beneficiary” includes their respective successors in interest, if any. Dated: 9/22/2022

By: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 Successor Trustee Malcolm & Cisneros, A Law Corporation Attention: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 c/o TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 949-2528300 Order Number 85851, Pub Dates: 10/5/2022, 10/12/2022, 10/19/2022, 10/26/2022, CHRONICLE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE

OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA

Department] In the Matter of the Estate of: JOHN LAVELLE BECTON JR., deceased. Date of Death:

2,

Case No.

PERSONS NO

TICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed personal represen tative. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them, with vouchers attached, to the undersigned personal representative at Southwest

dale Hwy, Portland, Oregon 97225 within four (4) months after the date of first publi cation of this notice, or the claims will be barred: All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceed ings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative, or Southwest Portland Law Group, LLC, the lawyers for the personal representative.

DATED AND FIRST PUBLISHED ON September 28, 2022. Mark D. Ropp Attorney for Personal Representative PERSONAL

REPRESENTATIVE: James Becton 3568 NE Tillamook Street Portland, Oregon 97212 Tel: 503.750.5101 jamesbec-ton@gmail.com

ATTORNEY FOR PERSON AL REPRESENTATIVE: Mark D. Ropp, OSB No. 124386 Southwest Portland Law Group, LLC 8455 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy Portland, Oregon 97225 Tel: 503.206.6401 | Fax: 503.214.8962 In the Mat ter of the Estate of: JOHN LAVELLE BECTON JR., deceased. Date of Death: May 2, 2022.

PUBLIC LIEN SALE U-STORE SELF STORAGE

Auction to be held online at Storageauctions.

Auction will run from 10/11/2022 10:00 am & end on 10/21/2022 10:00 am. Unclaimed storage lock ers to be sold by competi

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The CC Rider Transit Advisory Committee will be holding a hybrid meeting on October 18, 2022 at 6:00PM

tive bidding. 1st Location: Scappoose 53567 Columbia River Hwy. James Smith E022. 2nd Location: St. Helens 445 Port Ave, Suite D, Julie Crawford 0-017, John Freeman R-144, Jadi

Porter G-054, Katelyn Lou ise Taylor C-011. GOODS OF EVERY DESCRIP TION SOLD BY STOR AGE LOT. Cash and Credit Cards.

million in increased

benefits for October

Charles “Chuck” Whit tick, longtime educator, Coach and community friend passed away on Sept. 24, 2022, at the age of 83. Chuck was born in North Bend, Oregon on Jan. 6, 1939, to Eugene and Signie Whittick.

Obituaries

Charles “Chuck” Eugene Whittick

Helens.

many projects. Working for the “kids” was his motto.

Metro Creative Connection

SNAP is an assistance program designed to help approximately 1 mil lion eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon,

receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.

Columbia County resi dents and most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in October.

In October, approximate ly 432,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $69 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits this month.

The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients ad ditional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Or egon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency.

Because the federal government approved these emergency benefits for Octo ber, Oregon will also be able to issue them in November. However, the emergency benefits are expected to end when the federal public health emergency ends.

“We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their fami lies,” Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Self-Sufficiency Programs

Interim Director Jana McLel lan said. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211, the Oregon Food Bank and their local Com munity Action Agency for support during this difficult time.”

Current SNAP house holds will receive emer gency allotments on Oct. 11. Emergency allotments will be issued Oct. 29 or Nov. 2 for households who did not

keep their Medicaid cover age continuously until age six, eliminating potential gaps in coverage and care.

The demonstration also invests in the services that people need to address their health-related social needs, such as medically tailored meals and housing supports. We encourage all states to follow Oregon’s lead supporting a whole-person approach to care.”

“Oregon is commit ted to eliminating health inequity and ensuring that our healthcare system provides optimal health and well-being for everyone in Oregon,” Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen said during a media briefing about the federal

SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental benefits as they will be is sued directly on their EBT cards.

More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.ore gon.gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/ FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/ Emergency-Allotments.aspx.

Questions about your SNAP benefits should be di rected to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-6999075.

If your household receives SNAP and your income or the number of people in your household has changed, it could impact your benefits. It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-to-date information.

You can report any changes to your income or household in many ways:

• Online at: Oregon.gov

• By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309

• By fax at: 503-378-5628

• By phone at: 1-800-6999075 or TTY 711

Resources to help meet basic needs

• Find a food pantry: oregonfoodbank.org

• Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Ag ing and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or adrco foregon.org.

• Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, 211info. org

• Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: caporegon.org/findservices/

• Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center

funding. “This agreement gives us more tools and resources to tackle the prob lems in people’s lives that undermine their health.”

Allen said the federal program will “eliminate a burden on Oregon commu nities.”

Danielle Sobel of the Oregon Primary Care As sociation and Mercedes Elizalde of Central City Concern, a nonprofit that provides housing for the homeless, said the federal funding “ensures that ongo ing treatment can be more easily matched.”

“Housing is healthcare,” Elizalde said.

Brown and BrooksLaSure announced the $1.1 billion Medicaid project Sept. 28. Allen and other state health officials con ducted the media briefing shortly after the governor’s announcement.

Chuck attended North Bend High School, where he lettered all four years in the varsity sports of Football and Basketball. They didn’t have baseball in high school until his senior year, but he still garnered an athletic scholar ship for Baseball to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. While in high school he was active in many clubs and was Senior Class President.

Chuck attended Pacific University and proudly wore the Varsity Boxer uniform all

Evelyn “Jeanette” (Rick ert) Elliott, 79, passed away on Mon., Sept. 26, 2022 in Woodburn, Oregon.

Jeanette was born to the late Elihu Gideon Rickert and Evelyn Ruth (Smith) Rickert Oct. 7, 1942, in Port land, Oregon. She graduated from Clatskanie High School in 1961. Jeanette married Harry “Roger” Elliott on April 15, 1961.

Jeanette moved to Boston, Massachusetts with her husband, Roger, and worked

four years while pursuing a degree in education. While attending college, he met his future wife, Barbara Ha glund. They married in Au gust of 1961 just two weeks before he started teaching at the Junior High School in St.

Through the years in St. Helens, Chuck coached Football, Baseball and Soft ball at various levels. He was the first coach when Girls Softball got off to a very successful start. He gave 32 years to the St. Helens young people as a teacher, coach, athletic director, mentor and loyal friend and then extended that help another 29 years after retirement. He also served as a Commis sioner for the Fire District Civil Service Commission.

His main interest was the St. Helens Sports Boost ers Club. He was chair of the committee dedicated to getting a new grandstand for the football field and was especially proud of how the community got behind their

Evelyn “Jeanette” (Ricker) Elliott

Oct. 7, 1942 ~ Sept. 26, 2022

at the Boston Button Fac tory. They moved to El Paso, Texas, where Roger served in the U.S. Army and was transferred to Okinawa Japan in 1966. They then moved to Spanaway, Washington, where Jeanette supported her husband while he went to Northwest University and throughout his 30 years of ministry. Jeanette and Roger owned three adult foster care homes in St. Helens, Oregon, for seven years.

Jeanette is survived by

her mother Evelyn Ruth Sayles; sister Mary Linn; brother Fred Rickert; and her four children, Brian Elliott, Annette Perkins, Denise Mc Ghie and Scott Elliott.

She is preceded by her father Elihu Gideon Rickert; husband Harry Roger Elliott; and great-grandchildren, Jacy Elliott, Skylar Elliott and Kylie Elliott.

Memorial service is at 11 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2022 at Alston’s Corner Assembly of God, Rainier, Oregon.

Kenneth D. Vance

Jan. 23, 1935 - Aug. 17, 2022

Chuck is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara; son Michael (James Ding man) of Keller, Texas; sister Shirley (Doran) Tolliver of Boise, Idaho; several nieces and nephews; and many extended family friends.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Maureen Whittick Beckman, who died in 1997.

In lieu of flowers, dona tions may be made to St. Helens Sports Boosters Club, P.O. Box 321, St. Helens, Oregon, 97051 or a charity of your choice.

The memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 9, 2022 at the St. Helens Elks Lodge No. 1999.

Kenneth Dale Vance was born on Jan. 23, 1935 in Medford, Oregon to Cecil Leroy Vance and Merle Louise Hunt, the second of their two children. He passed away Aug. 17, 2022 at age 87.

He met Karen Steiner in her senior year in Rainier, often driving up to the high school during his lunch hour at just the right time to pick up Karen and her girlfriends as they climbed up the hill returning from their lunch walk to town. Her friends understood they should let Karen have the front seat. They married in October after she graduated. They made their home in Rainier during the 65 years of their marriage.

Ken graduated from Medford High School in 1953 and moved to Rainier, Oregon, where he had been visiting his father and step mother during summers and working at Goodat Crushed Rock and continued there full time, driving truck and operating many types of heavy equipment includ ing road graders, front-end loaders and caterpillars. He became proficient on any new piece of equipment on

which he climbed quickly mastering the subtle skills needed to get maximum per formance from the machine. He drove heavy equipment on the maintenance crew for the Port of Longview for over 20 years until retiring in 1997. He was a hard-work ing perfectionist, and any job he did was done right.

Ken and Karen enjoyed raising their two boys out side of Rainier in a country atmosphere with a yard large enough for football or base ball games and a good place for family gatherings around the campfire.

When he bought a front-end loader and dump truck and went into business for himself for a while, he

started his boys operating the equipment when they were quite young and was always ready to give the grandkids, nieces and nephews a ride when he had equipment available.

He played sports very little in school, but he enjoyed playing Rainier town basketball and on some Longview softball teams. He enjoyed handball, water ski ing and downhill skiing for many years and loved cheer ing for our boys, grandkids and great-grandkids at their games and any other events in which they were involved.

Camping was always the main family vacation. After much nagging, in 1976 he gave in, and he and Karen traveled to Europe, the first of many enjoyable trips overseas. In retirement they enjoyed traveling by motor home.

His family and friends were so important. Ken was a friend to all and never passed up an opportunity to speak to those he knew any time he saw them. He always enjoyed when he could “coffee down” or have lunch with his buddies, and thoroughly enjoyed all the visits from friends and fam

ily when he was unable to get out any longer.

Ken is survived by his wife Karen; son Ronald (Susan), and grandsons, Wyles (Claire) and Connor (Arianne); son Rick (Saun dra); granddaughter Desiree Gamble; great-grandsons, Tyeson and Beau Gamble; granddaughter Monica (Mat thew) St. Onge; great-grand daughter, MacKenzie St. Onge, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Merle; stepmother Jean; brother Elbert; and sisters, Jerrilee Vale and Marilyn Fisher.

Our special thanks to both Community Home Health & Hospice and Ullmann Family Homes and staff for their loving care.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 at the Rainier Assembly of God Church. Guests are encour aged to bring their stories to share. Memorial contribu tions may be made to Com munity Home Health & Hos pice, Longview, Washington, Rainier Oregon Historical Museum Building Fund, or a charity of your choice.

Winnifred “Winnie” Ann Lokken, 85, passed away at home surrounded by her fam ily. She was born to Floyd and Rachel Griffith on Jan. 31, 1937, in Shiloh Basin, Oregon.

After graduating St. Hel ens High School in 1955, she married John “Larry” Lokken in April 1957. They had three children together.

Winnie was a homemaker majority of her life. She was a goddess in the kitchen and had many passions including her farm and restoring her childhood farming equip ment. She loved gardening,

bird watching, traveling to the grandchildren’s sporting events, the annual tractor show, swimming at the com munity’s pool, and traveling through the United States, especially Hawaii. Winnie also loved her time being a “snowbird,” during the winter.

Winnie truly adored her grandchildren and greatgrands. Family was every thing to her.

Winnie is survived by her daughter Tami (Ron), grandchildren, Christopher, Andrew (Lindsay), Bobby,

WARREN

Brandon (Tia), Shauna, Matthew (Bethany), and Shandee (Brandon), 11 greatgrandchildren; sister Debbie (David), brother Scott (Kate), and sister-in- law Judy.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry; sons, Timothy and David; sisters, Dorthea and Crystal; and brother Sonny.

A graveside memorial will be held at noon on Fri., Oct. 7, 2022 at Columbia Memorial Gardens.

Please sign our online guestbook at www.columbi afh.com.

Winnifred “Winnie” Ann Lokken Jan. 31, 1937 ~ Sept. 28, 2022

season

The Big Halloween Parade 2022

Goblins, ghouls, witches, and pumpkins

filled Columbia Bou levard early Saturday evening, Oct. 1, for the first Big Halloween Parade since 2019. It was warm and sunny with no rain as St. Helens ushered in its biggest and longest celebration of the year, The Spirit of Hallow eentown. Crowds lined the street as parade participants tossed candy to children watching the event.

See a schedule of the month-long Hallow eentown events at thechonicleonline.com.

Virtual fencing for cattle may aid in wildfire fighting

show.

The use of virtual fencing to manage cattle grazing on sagebrush rangelands has the potential to create fuel breaks needed to help fight wildfires.

That is the conclusion of an Oregon State Univer sity and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service study.

Virtual fencing involves placing collars on livestock. The collars communicate with GPS and reception tow ers to form a virtual fence set by the rancher. Auditory stimuli emit from the collar when the livestock reach the limit of the virtual fence, and they receive a benign shock if they pass the fence limit.

“We’re seeing the chal lenge related to wildfires that land managers, particularly on public lands, are facing in the western U.S.,” said David Bohnert, director of Oregon State’s Eastern Oregon Agri cultural Research Center in Burns. “They just don’t have the tools to manage those public lands in a way that is timely, particularly related to wildfire. This new study should help begin to change that.”

Wildfires on sagebrush landscapes, which cover much of the interior land scape of the western U.S., have increased dramatically in recent years, with more acres burning, the size of fires increasing and more federal dollars being spent to fight fires, USDA statistics

These changes are in part due to the expansion of nonnative annual grasses on the sagebrush landscape, the researchers note. The increased prevalence of these nonnative grasses, which dry out earlier in the growing season and grow faster than native perennial bunchgrass, leads to an increase in fuel for wildfires.

Most methods to re duce fuel for wildfires have focused on cutting or burning shrubs or trees. Recently there have been efforts to strategically place a network of fuel breaks across sage brush landscapes to provide space where firefighters can safely seek to contain the spread of fires.

The new study from Or egon State and Agricultural Research Service scientists, published in Rangeland Ecol ogy & Management, looked at whether cattle grazing and virtual fencing could be an effective tool to create those fuel breaks by eating the grass that fuels fires.

Virtual fencing has been around for decades, but in recent years, with advances in satellite, battery and GPS technology, it has gained more attention in the agri cultural community, Bohnert said. It allows ranchers to control livestock distribu tion in rangeland landscapes without physical fences, which are costly to construct and maintain and also may be harmful to wildlife.

In this study, the research ers set up a 200-meter-wide

Crossword solution

by 3-kilometer-long fuel break in a roughly 1,000-acre pasture at OSU’s Northern Great Basin Experimental Range, about 35 miles west of Burns in southeastern Oregon. The fuel break area was bounded by a series of four virtual fences, each 35 meters apart.

In June 2021, 16 cows and 23 cow/calf pairs were placed in the fuel break area with several water sources inside it. All the cows, but not the calves, were fitted with virtual fence collars that use GPS positioning to con tain them in the fuel break boundaries and record their locations every five minutes. After 30 days, the cows were removed.

After that, the researchers analyzed the data. Findings included:

The daily percentage of the cows without calves in the fuel break area was 98.5%.

The daily percentage of cow/calf pairs in the fuel break was 80.6%. The researchers believe the dif ference is due to the calves not wearing collars and being more likely to walk outside the fuel break to forage. Their mothers were then apt follow.

The cows consumed 48.5% of the grass fuels inside the fuel break and only 5.5% of the grass fuels

outside the fuel break.

The findings complement a growing body of evidence that indicate virtual fencing can successfully be used for a variety of livestock man agement applications, said Chad Boyd, a research leader for the Agricultural Research Service in Burns who has a courtesy appointment at Oregon State.

Additional research underway by the authors is evaluating the ability of virtual fencing to keep cattle out of riparian areas to protect critical salmon and steelhead spawning habitat. They also are studying the potential to mitigate wildfire

risk by identifying high fuel load areas on rangelands through remote sensing and then strategically employing virtual fencing and grazing to meet fuel management objectives.

“Grazing shouldn’t be seen in absolutes,” Boyd said. “It’s one tool that can be used along with everything else. It requires knowledge of the land man agement objectives, and the grazing needs to be man aged appropriately. Virtual fencing helps do that in a sustainable, strategic and defensible manner that helps not only the producer and land management agency but also has beneficial impacts

on society.”

In addition to Bohnert and Boyd, co-authors of the paper were Juliana Ranches and Dustin Johnson of Oregon State’s Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences; Rory O’Connor, Jon Bates and Kirk Davies of USDA; Todd Parker of Vence Corp., a San Diegobased virtual fence company; and Kevin Doherty, U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.

Sean Nealon is a news editor at Oregon State Uni versity’s University Relations and Marketing Department. He may be reached at sean. nealon@oregonstate.edu

Courtesy from OSU Virtual fencing involves placing collars on livestock. The collars communicate with GPS and reception tow ers to form a virtual fence set by the rancher.

Photos by Herb Swett and Jon Campbell of The Chronicle