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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

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Illegal fireworks spark house fire STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

Courtesy photo from CRFR

Three people were displaced following the house fire.

Officials say illegal fireworks are the cause of a house fire that displaced three people and left a dog and parakeet unaccounted for.

At 10:52 p.m. Monday, July 4 Columbia River Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to the 100 block of North 3rd Street to a reported tree fire that had spread to an adjacent house.

“The attic and top floor of the home had a significant amount of fire, and fortunately our crews were able to attack the fire quick enough to keep it confined to the top floor,” CRFR Communication Officer Jennifer Motherway said.

There were three occupants living at this location. They had three dogs, one cat and a parakeet.

“The occupants of the home made it out safely with two of their dogs,” Motherway said. “The parakeet is still unaccounted for and firefighters rescued one of the dogs from the home.”

One person suffered an injury at the scene, however it was not an occupant of the home. Motherway said details regarding the injury are unavailable.

The house fire was caused by illegal fireworks and the case has been turned over to the juvenile department, according to Motherway. An estimate of damage was not immediately available.

Motherway said this house fire illustrates that damages could have been much more significant. The fire had attracted a large crowd of people.

“Columbia River Fire & Rescue would like to stress the importance of allowing our equipment room when we are on scene as well as providing our crews space to work,” she said. “Public safety is always our first priority. There are too many hazards on fire scenes that could cause harm. It is safest to stay more than 500 feet away while we are working.”

St. Helens Police, Scappoose Fire and Columbia River PUD assisted CRFR at the fire scene.

‘Nail in the coffin,’ hospital project crumbles History of the CHD

Special Report ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Editor’s Note: In our first special report published last week, we outlined the questions that The Chronicle would answer, raised by our investigation into the Columbia Health District (CHD) hospital project.

The following report explains the inception of the CHD, the feasibility study that led to the hospital project proposal, and the process to obtain state approval to build the hospital.

Warren resident Thelma Bonar thinks it is time for a hospital in Columbia County. But it needs to be done “the right way,” she said.

The Chronicle sat down with the woman behind Measure 5-209, an initiative to repeal the CHD hospital

Courtesy photo

The proposed hospital in St. Helens would have been named Columbia River Community Hospital, had it been built.

tax, in her home Monday, April 25.

In her home, Bonar pointed The Chronicle to a box of records, thousands of pages on the CHD from beginning to end, stacked haphazardly against the wall in

her living room den.

“My husband, he was sick,” she said. “At that time, he had cancer. And I was guilty because I was putting all my time (into it).

People were coming to the house.

It was busy.”

According to CHD records obtained by The Chronicle, the Columbia Hospital District was formed with five members to oversee operations of a hospital on 4th Street in St. Helens.

In 1954, that was facility was sold. In 1955, another hospital was built along Pittsburg Road in St. Helens.

The new hospital was sold to the Sisters of St. Joseph and closed in 1990 due to financial losses.

Late in that period, the district board was renamed Columbia Health District.

In 2003, the CHD Board of Directors commissioned a study to determine whether a 12-bed, critical access hospital was financially feasible in St. Helens.

A year later, the results of the feasibility study led the Board to pass a resolution to dissolve and liquidate Columbia Health District contingent upon the formation of a new district.

The new district board members proposed to voters Ballot Measure

5-123, which would raise a tax of $0.38 per $1,000 assessed property value to support building a critical access hospital.

The permanent tax rate would affect taxpayers in St. Helens, Scappoose, Columbia City, and nearby areas, according to a 2004 ballot measure description.

Early criticisms Although the initiative ultimately passed with 9,275 votes in favor and 6,763 votes against, Measure 5-123 was not without reproach.

On Oct. 18, 2004, Christopher Armstrong-Stevenson, former Oregon Public Health (OPH) employee and Certificate of Need (CN) coordinator in Oregon, criticized the measure as “premature.”

“Seeking the permanent tax levy before the proposal is approved by the state is unfair and improper,” he wrote.

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‘Back in the Saddle Again’ County rodeo returns ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Grab your horse, hat, and cowboy boots: It’s time to get “Back in the Saddle.”

That is the theme for the 2022 Columbia County Fair and Rodeo.

The July 20-24 celebration is set to offer a rodeo extravaganza this summer: “Rascal Rodeo,” an all-inclusive rodeo for entrants with diverse abilities, will accompany the JR Rodeo and Columbia County NPRA Rodeo this summer season.

Columbia County NPRA Rodeo The Columbia County Northwest Professional Rodeo Association (NPRA) Rodeo kicks off 7 p.m. Fri-

day, July 22 and Saturday, July 23.

Entrants will compete in several categories, including Bareback Riding, Barrel Racing, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Calf Roping, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, and Breakaway Roping, said Julie Sandstrom, spokesperson for the Columbia County Rodeo Committee.

Rodeo participants are eligible for more than $11,300 in prize winnings, divided by top placers within each event category.

About the NPRA The NPRA is the largest Regional Rodeo Organization in the Western United States.

Each year, the NPRA selects several top placers from NPRA

rodeos throughout the Northwest region to participate in the NPRA finals.

Beyond seizing the opportunity to show off their skills, participants will be eligible for “year-end saddles awards, year-end awards, (and) probably up to fourth place yearend awards,” NPRA Secretary Lori Newman said.

The NPRA finals take place September 23 and 24 in Salem, OR. According to Newman, Columbia County has had a “long-running” NPRA rodeo, at one time receiving an award for the (best) barrel racing ground, “which is a big deal for barrel racing.”

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The Chronicle

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Brett Hale of Olympia, Washington, executes his calf roping run at a previous NPRA Rodeo.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Oregon’s newest invasive species ‘Most destructive, costliest forest pest ever to invade North America’ STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

A new invasive species in Oregon could threaten urban forests, wetlands and streams.

“Since it was first found in the Detroit, Michigan area in 2002, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has become the most destructive and costliest forest pest ever to invade North America,” Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Invasive Species Specialist Wyatt Williams said.

In Oregon

Courtesy from the ODF

ODF Invasive Species Specialist Wyatt Williams points to a tiny exit hole made by an emerald ash borer as it emerged from an ash tree in Forest Grove.

hardwood tree found most commonly in wetlands and along streams.

“It’s an ecologically vital tree as it shades water, keeping it cooler for fish. The roots stabilize streambanks, reducing erosion,” Williams said. “And lots of animals, birds and insects eat the seeds and leaves. Losing it will likely have a huge impact on those ecosystems.”

According to Williams, ODF has used the advance notice that EAB was heading west to gather up seed from throughout Oregon ash’s range in the state.

“The first goal is to try and preserve as much of the tree’s genetic diversity as we can before it’s lost,” Williams said.

The U.S. Forest Service’s Dorena Genetics Resource Center in Cottage Grove stores the ash seeds and is

sharing them with researchers. The researchers will test for any resistance to EAB. If any is found, ODF might then be able to breed resistance into local strains and replant streambanks, according to Williams.

Protecting urban forests Ash species from the central and eastern United States and Europe are commonly planted as ornamentals in Oregon, according to ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program Manager Scott Altenhoff.

“The state has been warning communities for years to prepare for this pest and have plans in place for dealing with the loss of ash trees,” Altenhoff said.

ODF also has been advising cities and towns to take three important steps this

Hands-on wildfire training

summer if possible to counportunities to help local teract the species invasion. woodworkers and artists and “First, if it hasn’t been keep the wood from going to done already, inventory trees waste. But it is crucial that to see how vulnerable the people not move ash or any local urban forest is to losses other wood beyond their local from emerald ash borer,” area. That avoids people acAltenhoff said. “We have cidentally spreading wooda common software called boring pests faster than they TreePlotter that’s free for would otherwise.” communities to use. As data While the beetle doesn’t come in from around the bite or sting and is otherwise state, it will give us a comharmless to people, pets, and mon picture of where all the animals, it has proven deadly vulnerable urban trees are.” in another way.

Second, Altenhoff said “Research revealed that now is a good time to remove where the tree canopy was To report sightings of ash trees from approved street dominated by ash, the rapid emerald ash borer, make a tree lists as has been done in removal of all those trees report online at the Oregon Portland. Olive trees, which led to higher than expected Invasive Species Council are in the same family as ash, deaths among residents. So hotline. can also be vulnerable, he loss of urban trees is harmful said. to people,” Altenhoff said.

For more information “Finally, consider how He advises communities about impacts of EAB to Orwood from ash trees that die to prioritize removal of ash 11-16-11 3x2D Cuts:Layout 1 6/22/12 3:28 PM Page egon’s1urban forests and the from emerald ash borer might trees that are already in poor risks to native ash trees, visit be used locally,” Altenhoff health 1or 6/22/12 growing inPMspaces 11-16-11 3x2D Cuts:Layout 3:28 Page 1 ODF’s Forest Health page. said. “There may be optoo small for them.

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The EAB was first discovered at Forest Grove in Oregon June 30 and sharpens impact concerns, according to the ODF and Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA).

The insect is only half an inch long and an eighth of an inch wide and has spread to 35 states and five Canadian provinces, killing up to 99 percent of their ash trees in some locations, according to Williams.

“At least five ash species native to the central U.S. have become critically endangered as EAB spreads across the country killing hundreds of millions of urban and wild ash trees,” he said. “Within a decade of EAB’s arrival in an area, most ash trees will be dead or dying. The concern in Oregon is for Oregon ash because of the important ecological role it plays along streams and in wetlands.”

Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia) is a deciduous

“Starting to steadily replace ash will spread out the costs and impacts better than waiting for a massive die-off,” Altenhoff said. “Fortunately, there are many alternative tree species, including Oregon white oak, incense cedar and Chinese pistache, that might be more heat and drought resistant than ash.”

The infested ash trees in Forest Grove were cut down and chipped within 48 hours of discovery. ODF and ODA are now working closely with industry partners, including urban foresters and nursery producers, to provide information and resources as Oregon launches a response to the discovery of EAB. The state is using the Emerald Ash Borer Readiness and Response Plan for Oregon as a guide in its response. The plan was finalized in March 2021 and created through the collaborative efforts of a diverse group of stakeholders and state agencies. The state will be consulting with local and federal governments and providing updates to the public and industry as it moves through its response efforts.

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ma liv pla the wi JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Field training is a critical exercise for local firefighters preparing for the summer and fall wildfire season.

Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) crews conducted wildland training at the agency’s S. 9th Street training grounds property off Plymouth Street in St. Helens Monday evening, July 11.

“This property is perfectly suited for this type of critical training our firefighters require,” CRFR states in a Facebook post. “We spent the evening moving and handling hose in exactly the type of environment wildland fires occur. This is a unique training opportunity and we are very fortunate to have this resource.”

CRFR is prepping for wildfires both locally and potential conflagrations, where the agency might deploy crews to help other communities in need, in the event of a wildfire.

During the July 11 training, CRFR performed evolutions deploying wildland hose using a technique called a “progressive hose lay,” which allows fire crews to actively combat a growing wildland fire while simultaneously adding lengths of hose to the attack line in an effort to catch the fire and stop its spread.

Courtesy photos from CRFR

The training involves adding lengths of hose during a fire battle.

Courtesy photo from SRFPD

The fire district members undergo effective balance and direction training with fire hoses.

Scappoose fire Local firefighters must undergo extensive training to best prepare for any emergency assignment.

This past week, the newest recruits at the Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District used hands-on training in that preparation process.

Three firefighters started their in-house fire academy

Courtesy photo from SRFPD

The hose training includes maneuvering water hoses into and out of a burning structure.

to review firefighting skills and to become familiarized with specialized fire equipment.

“We are happy to bring on two full time firefighters and one part time firefighter.,” a SRFPD Facebook post states.

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The training included effective use of fire hoses and long ladders. After the firefighters complete the three-week academy, they will be assigned to a shift to continue their probationary firefighter training.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Open debris burn ban in effect of lightning and increase fire activity in the area,” according to a release from the fire agencies. “The burn ban is intended to reduce human fire starts by restricting some activities related to forest operations and open burning.”

Recreational fires will be allowed within the landscaped footprint of a residential yard as long as recreational fire regulations are followed. Recreational fires must be in designated fire pits:

Courtesy photo

The burn ban affects private, county, state, and local government lands within the fire districts of Columbia County’s boundaries.

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Due to the increasing fire danger, an open debris burn ban is in effect in Columbia County.

The ban was imposed at 1 a.m. Monday, July 11 by fire districts in the county that include Columbia River Fire & Rescue, Scappoose Fire District, Oregon Department of Forestry, Clatskanie Fire District, Mist-Birkenfeld

Fire District, and Vernonia Fire District.

The burn ban affects private, county, state, and local government lands within the fire districts of Columbia County’s boundaries.

The risk “It is anticipated that summer weather patterns will dry wildland fuels and increase the risk for fire spread, these weather patterns also bring the risk

• Can be no larger than 3 feet in diameter with flames not to exceed 2 feet in height and should be a minimum of 25 feet from any combustible material.

• Only clean, natural wood that is short enough to fit within the fire pit is allowed to be burned.

• Recreational fires must be attended at all times by a responsible, sober, nonimpaired adult with suitable on-site fire extinguishing equipment such as a working garden hose.

• Burning of garbage, yard debris, construction material including processed wood is not considered recreational burning.

• Backyard barbecues including charcoal and propane power units are allowed.

humidity is low, and winds are strong. When drier weather conditions result in a more significant fire hazard, recreational burning may be more tightly regulated or banned completely.”

Penalties

The penalties for violating the open debris burning ban will vary by the authority having jurisdiction, according to Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District Fire Chief Jeff Pricher.

“If the fire occurs on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected lands, ODF may impose a penalty based on Oregon Revised Statue (ORS) and their policies,” he said.

“If the fire occurs in fire

district protected areas, the penalty will most likely be up to the fire district’s ordinance. This could be in the form of a violation fee or a cost recovery fee.”

Cost recovery means the actual costs of suppressing the fire, including the fire apparatus costs, water, foam usage, administrative time preparing the bill, and damage to equipment and employee costs of all the employees suppressing the fire and involved with the response.

Depending on the severity of the fire, both the fire districts and ODF may jointly impose a penalty, according to Pricher.

Escaped fires of any kind resulting in property damage may result in fines and individual financial

responsibility. Commercial burning such as slash burns regulated by the Oregon Department of Forestry will be closed.

Resources For more information regarding campfires, recreational burning and debris burning visit websites at: • Clatskanie Fire: https: //www.clatskaniefire.org/ • Columbia River Fire & Rescue: www.crfr.com • Mist Birkenfeld Fire: https://www.mistbirkenfeldrfpd.org/ • Oregon Department of Forestry https://www. oregon.gov/odf/aboutodf/ pages/mapoffices.aspx • Scappoose Fire District: https://www.srfd.us/

Open burning of yard debris will be prohibited, and until further notice.

Open burning within the city limits of the fire districts are regulated by those local government entities.

“We are encouraging the public to avoid recreational fires on dry, windy days when fires are more likely to escape,” the fire agencies release states. “Fine fuels such as green grass can easily ignite when the

Oregon’s wildfire season All Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) districts are now in fire season.

The fire season took effect July 11, which includes a ban on open debris burning in Columbia County.

Public use restrictions may be in place where you live or at a destination you plan on recreating to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires.

Compared with previous years, the ODF said this is a slightly delayed start to the season for the state.

The heavy rains in May and June of this year have helped in that. However, ODF urges Oregonians to remain vigilant in preventing humancaused wildfire.

“Don’t be lulled into complacency because of the weather,” ODF Fire Protection Division Chief Mike Shaw said. “July and August historically have higher fire activity, and ODF is ready to respond, but we need the cooperation of Oregonians so we don’t strain our resources on fires that could have been avoided.”

Shaw said a major con-

Courtesy Photo

cern for the agency are the ground fuels, like grass, that grew tall due to the spring rains but will dry out quickly, becoming a greater risk for human-caused fires.

“Those ground fuels will be able to catch fire easily and will then burn and spread quickly,” Shaw said.

“Therefore, it is extremely important for Oregonians to continue to practice wildfire prevention this summer.”

Wildfire prevention for Oregonians means: • Make sure your campfire is cool to the touch before going to sleep or leaving your site. Don’t for-

get to Drown, Stir, Repeat.

• Go back and check on your debris burn site to make sure nothing reignites due to the heat.

• Don’t park your car over dried grass and make sure it is regularly maintained in order to reduce the risk of sparks.

• Don’t flick a cigarette onto the ground. It may be just enough to start a grass fire.

• Check local restrictions and fire danger levels.

ODF protects over 16 million acres of private, county, state, and federal land from wildfire. Most districts start their fire season around May or June, and the season ends around the end of October.

This year, the Southwest Oregon district was the first to declare on June 1, and the Northwest Oregon district was the last to declare on July 11.

For more information about how you can help prevent wildfires, visit keeporegongreen.org.

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Opinion

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Viewpoints

We need every tool to fight today’s wildfires STEVE PYNE Chronicle Guest Column

We know now that the largest recorded fire in New Mexico history was started by an escaped “prescribed burn,” or rather by two. The Hermit’s Peak fire bolted away on April 6 when unexpectedly gusty winds blew sparks beyond control lines.

Then the Calf Canyon fire raced off on April 9 when similar winds fanned embers in burn piles first kindled in January. The two fires soon merged. Together, as of June 12, they have scorched 320,333 acres, with two-thirds of the fire perimeter regarded as contained.

Reconsidering policy New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s reaction was to insist that federal agencies reconsider their policy on spring burns.

The chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Randy Moore, responded by announcing a halt on prescribed burning for a 90-day review period.

Inevitably, the blowups invited comparison to the 2000 Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico that began as a prescribed burn, then blew out of Bandelier National Monument and into Los Alamos. It was the largest chronicled fire in the state’s history — until now.

Prescribed fire is not likely to be challenged in principle. Recognition seems widespread that controlled burning is a legitimate source of good fire that can reduce the threat from areas likely to burn. States from Florida to California have even reformed liability law to encourage burning on private lands.

The real threat to fire management is death by a thousand cuts, each breakdown leading to shutdowns,

each partisan group extracting a concession, that together so encumber the practice that it can’t be implemented. There is always something that can cause a prescribed burn to be shuttered. There is no equivalent mechanism to make up the loss.

Fire is inevitable It’s not news that the Western fire scene has become complicated. The early 20th century days, when one response — extinguish by 10 am the next morning — was adequate are long past. It was a marvelous administrative stroke: No confusion, no compromise, one size fits all.

But it made the fire scene worse by encouraging ecological rot and an incendiary buildup of fuels. The change in policy was clear and necessary: Fire is inevitable, and we need to manage it.

Today, all aspects of

landscape fire are plural. Fire control does not mean one thing; it embraces many strategies. It might refer to protecting towns or sage grouse habitat. It can resemble urban firefighting, or for reasons of safety, cost and environmental health, it could mean containing fires within broad borders.

It varies from extinguishing an abandoned campfire to herding mega-fires rolling over the Continental Divide.

It might involve bulldozing around municipal watersheds or working-with-nature firelines in wilderness. It might mean setting emergency backfires that can resemble a prescribed fire done under urgent conditions.

So, also, with prescribed burning. It might mean burning logging slash or piled cuttings from thinning operations. Or it might refer to broadcast burns that range freely over areas from an acre to a landscape. It can mean

burning to improve forage in tallgrass prairie, to prune pine savannas, or to promote habitat for Karner blue butterflies.

Wildfire acts as an allspectrum ecological catalyst.

Good prescribed burns will do the same thing.

The choice isn’t between one strategy or the other; it’s selecting from a variety of techniques that work in particular settings and seasons.

We need them all, not least because each strategy by itself can fail.

By the numbers Fires escape initial suppression at a rate of 2-3 percent. Prescribed fires escape at a rate of 1.5 percent for the National Park Service, or less than 1 percent according to Forest Service records.

Managing naturally caused fires has a similar rate of failure. When an escape occurs, however, its destructiveness

Voices of the Community Questions remain The City of St. Helens reached a settlement with WPI on April 2022 over failed W-449 contract. This contract called for correcting a leaking reservoir, which led to a Geotex tile mat installation and failure.

Additional patches were also failures. This continued to April 2019, at which time I believe WPI gave up. Now litigation is the issue for correction of the contract.

The conditions are worse now than originally. This was confirmed because leaking increased after liner installation. This has been in litigation until March 1st, when the City hired Walker Consultants to investigate the reservoir for Cause and Responsibility. This Walker report gave conclusion to a settlement with WPI, that immediately concluded five

years of repairs and litigation.

So, what was included in this report? I filed for a copy of the report and was denied a copy. This report has the ability to bring clarity to the years old problem for $2800.00.

Why did it take so long to use a third party? The public deserves a explanation for years of delay that could have been resolved for $2800.00.

The settlement appears that all parties saying no contest. We did learn the names of all parties involved and what each will pay the City. WPI or insurance company $477,537.28, Caroline $72,462.72, Kennedy / Jenks $50,000.

I paid the City to receive a copy of the expenses the City incurred for excess costs due to liner failure beginning March of 2017 which amounted to $89,672.78.

Ron Trommlitz St. Helens

The Earth’s magnetic poles Recently, a mummified baby woolly mammoth in an outstanding state of preservation was discovered in Yukon, Canada.

It was reported that it is believed that this creature died 30,000 years ago during the last ice age. However, there are other theories concerning the demise of the Pleistocene fauna that are more credible and based on solid science.

The fact that these elephants have, at times, been found at great depths, across the extent of Siberia - found completely buried in gravel and loam, and then quickly frozen, (and preserved for millennia), suggests that something else caused so many genera of prehistoric fauna to be totally destroyed.

A number of nineteenth

century paleontologists took issue with the ice age theory of destruction, and the hunting-to-extinction theory, and instead – after careful study spanning years – concluded that a catastrophic disturbance to the crust of the Earth, resulting in unimaginable continenttransiting tidal forces, was the cause.

This event has been remembered in cultural traditions across the globe and is the basis for the story of the Noachian Deluge, that was a Divine judgment in response to mankind’s propensity to commit violent acts (Gn. 6.13). Prof. Robert C. Michelson notes the possibility – among others -- that the crust of the planet had

makes news.

Those figures are not likely to drop. We can’t control the setting of a wildland fire as we spr can a blowtorch. All we can som do is juggle strategies so that too each strategy’s strengths fill rig the others’ weaknesses. are The 2000 blowout in New ge Mexico made prescribed burn-ho ing more difficult but led to ha a National Fire Plan. Twenty ing years later, the fire scene has grown bigger, meaner, ha tougher. The Hermits Peak fire thr will likely end up an order of the magnitude larger than Cerro we an Grande.

Inevitably, our future holds ing a lot of fire. The goal is alwayson to find and employ the right wa inc mix of fire for the land.

Bu Steve Pyne is a contribu- can tor to Writers on the Range, a the nonprofit dedicated to spur- an ring lively conversation about the West. He is a fire historian, ha urban farmer and author of Ev the The Pyrocene. an big mo

slipped, owing to a weakening of the magnetic field.

As the Earth’s magnetic poles are migrating and weakening at an increasing, and alarming rate presently, Prof. Michelson posits that a crustal slip is a possibility – perhaps a purification.

David Doerr Rainier

Community Events July 13 4H Extension Service Meeting The 10:00 a.m. meeting agenda includes a Memorandum of Understanding between Columbia County Fair Board and Columbia County 4H and Extension Service District for remodel of the 4-H building. The hybrid meeting can be accessed at https:// global.gotomeeting.com/ join/289007645United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 Access Code: 289-007-645.

July 13-16 Plant Sale The Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens, is hosting a benefit plant sale from noon until 7 p.m. on July 13, 14, and 15. And from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on July 16. Free admission. For more information or to volunteer contact the Columbia County Fairground’s office at 503-397-4231.

July 16 Salmon Barbecue The Mayger Community Salmon Barbecue lunch will be held from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Visiting from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at MaygerDowning Community Church, 80071 Life Lane in Clatskanie.

Enjoy food, friends, fun. Bring a salad, fruit or dessert. For more details, call 503-7284542.

rail and freight movement with Columbia County. Guest is Toss Lane of Geness & Wyoming INC. The meeting will be held at the Port of Columbia County office, 100 E St. in Columbia City. The Zoom link is available at www. portofcolumbiacounty.org.

For more information, call 503-397-2888.

July 19 PUD Board Meeting The Columbia River PUD Board will meet at 6 p.m. in the PUD’s board room at 64001 Columbia River Highway in Deer Island. For more details, call 503-397-1844.

July 20-24 Columbia County Fair and Rodeo The Columbia County Fair and Rodeo opens at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 20 with events including Senior Citizens and Veterans Day, Seniors and Veterans Lunch and the My Fair Lady Pageant. Jr. Rodeo 6 p.m. July 21. NPRA Rodeo at 7 p.m. July 22 and July 23.The fair is held at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens. See the full schedule and lineup at columbiacountyfairgrounds.com.

Ongoing events

July 17 Ice Cream Social The old fashioned ice cream social is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Caples House Museum, 1925 1st St. in Columbia City.

Music will be performed by the Yankton Singers. For more information, call 503-3975390.

13 Nights Annual St. Helens waterfront music concerts at the Columbia View Park amphitheater.

Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Columbia View Park amphitheater. See the concert schedule and feature stories about the performers at thechronicleonline.com.

July 19 Rail Freight Movement Meeting The Port of Columbia County 6 p.m. meeting to discuss

Farmers Market The 20th season of the Scappoose Market 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturdays. For more informa-

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tion, contact scappoosefm@ gmail.com.

Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Meets at 7 p.m. every other second Tuesday. Meetings are currently held electronically by Zoom. For more information, contact Council Coordinator Allan Whiting at E-mail: allan@ whitingenv.com, or call 503789-9240 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, Christ-centered spiritual recovery meeting for those struggling with addictions and compulsive behavior at 220 S. 1st St., St. Helens. Everyone is loved and welcomed. Free childcare available. For more information call Debbie at 503-5600521 or check the Resonate Facebook page.

Columbian Toastmasters Promoting positive learning 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 Saturday at 9 a.m. at Creekside Baptist Church, 51681 SW Old Portland Rd., Scappoose. Call Fred 971-757-6389.

To list an event in the Community Calendar, email details with a phone number that may be published for anyone that might have questions, to chronicleclassifieds@ countrymedia.net, or call 503397-0116.

Weekly Online Poll Do you have an emergency response plan for your home and/or business?

Yes

No

Last Week’s Results What summer activities would you like to see supported by the St. Helens Parks and Recreation grant?

57.6% Summer camps 18.2% Adult classes

24.2% Activities for seniors

Vote online at thechronicleonline.com

The Chronicle The Chronicle (USPS 610-380) is published weekly by Country Media, Inc. 1805 S. Columbia Blvd., P.O. Box 1153 St. Helens, Oregon 97051 Periodicals postage paid at St. Helens, OR 97051 Editorial policy: Opinions expressed on this page are independent of The Chronicle views and are solely those of the writers expressing them.

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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).

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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.

A5

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Garden Plots: Summer weather couldn’t be better CHIP BUBL Chronicle Guest Article

s After a terrible cold, wet spring, we are now having some very nice weather, not too cool and not too hot. Just right. Tomatoes and peppers are setting fruit, lettuce isn’t getting bitter from the few hot days, garlic is ready for harvest, and onions are looking good.

It is worth noting that we have largely worked our way through the soil moisture that the wet spring provided. Since we rarely get much rain in July and August, attention to watering is important. Crops like onions require very uniform watering and need up to nine inches per month. That is a lot.

But if onions dry out significantly after they start bulbing, the bulbs stop getting bigger and rarely start again.

Most other vegetable crops have similar requirements.

Even soil moisture produces the best vegetables. Mulches and attention to watering pays big dividends. If you have moved here from the east coast

or the Midwest where there is a lot of summer rain, our lack of summer rain may come as a surprise.

Moles, of course, make keeping even moisture around vegetable roots challenging.

Trapping is the best solution but it isn’t easy.

Despite the fact the summer weather is really less than a month old, it is time to start planning for fall vegetables.

You hear talk about “winter gardening” but the key to eating well from the garden in October and November is to plant the winter hardy crops by early Au-gust. Crops you might consider are kale, arugula, lettuce, turnips, radishes (succession planted), turnips, carrots, possibly rutabagas, bush beans (soon), leeks (soon), beets, chard, or spinach. Their growth will slow compared to summer as days get shorter and weather is cooler.

All will withstand a frost.

To get the best from vegetables that are more frost-marginal like lettuce, think about having mini-hoop houses with clear plastic covering over the beds as fall temperatures start to drop.

Potato topics Protect your tubers from “greening” by keeping mulch or soil cover over potatoes growing near the surface.

When potatoes start to die

down, withhold water and fertilizer, especially if you want them for long-term storage. It will, at least marginally, help them to stay dormant in storage for a long period of time.

There is no perfect storage plan for potatoes. We don’t have cold enough fall weather to convince potatoes that winter is really here, so they

have a tendency to sprout.

Periodic removal of the sprouts will help. The best storage practices are debated amongst gardeners but most use dry

sawdust, dry sand, or nothing in light proof containers.

If you grow a number of varieties, keep track of when they are planted and then harvested and how they do in storage compared to others with the same growth history.

There are genetic differences in storage capacity. Finally, don’t store potatoes with apples nearby unless there is a lot of air space between them. Apples give off ethylene which encourages sprouting in potatoes. A big garage will help dilute it.

Master Gardener™ class signups being taken for 2022-23 class in St. Helens The OSU Extension office in Columbia County will be offering the Master Gardener™ training starting this fall at the OSU Extensikon office in St. Helens. This year, we are trying a new schedule that

allows people that work to attend. The classes will be held on alternate Saturdays from 9 a.m. - noon starting on September 10 through Thanksgiving. Then there will be a winter break.

The classes will start again in early February and go through the end of April. Cost of the program is $100 which includes a large resource book. Some scholarships are available. OSU Master Gardeners™ are responsible for providing volunteer gardening education to the community as partial payback for the training. If you might be interested in the program, call the Extension office at 503-3973462 for more details.

appreciated.

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

Have questions?

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

Free newsletter

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

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.

Important notes

Contact information

The OSU Extension Office is fully open from 8 a.m.

- 5 p.m.

Donate produce and/ or money to the food bank, senior centers, or community meals pro-grams. It is greatly

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

Many Extension publications available online

Crossword Puzzle

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: ANNUAL TRADITIONS ACROSS

1. Verdant 5. Vietnamese neighbor 8. “Before” prefix 11. Curved molding 12. *It rings at midnight on Christmas Eve at church 13. Yarn store unit 15. Relating to armpit 16. Criminal’s surprise 17. Nephew’s sister 18. *4th of July spectacle 20. 1952 Olympics host 21. 1,000 kilograms 22. Meat sauce 23. Vacation location 26. French painter of “La Danse” fame 30. Menu words (2 words) 31. Lean 34. Wine valley 35. Impertinent 37. *Annual Assumption tradition blesses it 38. #2 Down, pl.

39. Highest volcano in Europe 40. Puppies 42. Bit of binary code 43. Dean’s official residence

45. Small stream 47. Wine quality 48. Bilbo Baggins’ land 50. Windsor family’s sport 52. *Popular New Year’s libation 56. Stored by bees 57. ____-de-camp 58. “On the ____” by Jack Kerouac 59. Make laugh 60. Tear 61. Tibetan priest 62. Woolen cap 63. Banned insecticide 64. Big Bang’s original matter

DOWN

1. Bakery serving 2. Tangelo 3. Scorch 4. Regarding this point 5. “Live and ____” 6. Description for twins 7. Auto pioneer 8. Banana remnant 9. Puerto ____ 10. Compass bearing 12. “Jane Eyre” author 13. Pig part 14. *Action under mistletoe

19. Like a damaged apple, possibly 22. Jam container 23. Torn down 24. Fill with optimism 25. Sweating room 26. *Thanksgiving’s main event?

27. Beauty parlor 28. Chiropractor’s concern 29. Painting holder 32. Light gray 33. “Wow!” 36. *Birthday cake decorations 38. Seize the throne 40. Kind of humor 41. Ready 44. Deteriorate 46. Just about 48. Jumped aside 49. Lacked 50. Type of cotton 51. Female gamete 52. *Valentine’s Day tradition 53. *New Year’s resolution weight or savings target 54. One in a roster 55. Red-encased cheese 56. *Graduation flyer

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

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Columbia County’s trusted local news source

A6

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Classifieds Listings are updated daily at thechronicleonline.com

150

502

502

502

702

742

Misc Services

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Garage Sales

Fertilizer

Cans and Bottles If you have cans and bottles that you would like to get rid of call Steve the Can Man at 971-813-9257.

Will pick up.

General Contractor has opening’s available for experienced Class A CDL Truck & Pup Trailer Driver’s, with clean driving record. Hauling Dirt & Gravel with a Truck & Pup Trailer. Job sites throughout Multnomah & Clark County areas. Preemployment drug screen required. FT Position, Overtime, 40-50hrs/week.

Salary Depending on Experience & Qualifications / Negotiable. Please send resume to: jconstructionres umes@gmail.com.

apply, please see our website www. portofcolumbia c o u n t y. o r g / j o b s .

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Temporary Part-time. $14.00 per hour. 3 positions available. See website for details. www.sthelensore gon.gov. Open until filled. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Yard Sale 7/15 & 7/16 from 10 am - 3 pm. 214 Crouse Way Apt. A, St. Helens. Weather permitting.

FREE COMPOST Horse manure.

We load, U Haul.

Please call for Info: 503-543-7406

Administrative Assistant The City of St. Helens is hiring an Administrative Assistant for Parks & Recreation.

FullTime, Term-Limited $3,414 (step 1) to $4,147 (step 5).

Apply online at www.sthelensore gon.gov.

PORT OF COLUMBIA COUNTY The Port is hiring a Data Resource and Projects Specialist.

To learn more and

Seasonal Recreation Assistants The City of St. Helens is hiring SEASONAL RECREATION ASSISTANTS 16+ years

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Health & Nutrition

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

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Enforcement Deputy -Entry Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline: Open until filled.

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Enforcement Deputy -Lateral Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline: Open until filled.

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Support Services Clerk Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline 8/1/2022 Apply at ColumbiaCounty OR.gov

Willamette Falls Paper Company is seeking applicants for operating positions in continuous machine operations, raw material preparation, and finishing.

Previous paper making experience is not required. We offer an innovative, technology-rich, lean organization built on a spirited history, well-regarded products and a loyal customer base. Email resume to: Human Resources@wfpaperco.com. Learn more at https:// wfpaperco.com

Garage Sale 100 Melville Ave, St. Helens. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 9-5, Misc items.

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Estate Sales

Epic Estate Sale Deer Island July 15-17 8:00-4:00 Only 4 miles up Canaan.

Estatesale-Finder.com for more info. Address on website morning of sale or follow signs.

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

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

Classified Ads Deadline:

Mondays by noon.

Late submissions may not make the paper.

ASPHALT PAVING

Let everyone know with an ad in The Chronicle.

Call 503-397-0116.

We are looking for a Media Consultant to join our team in the advertising department This position is a full-time job and comes with a very competitive salary and commission package that also includes paid vacation, sick leave, health, dental and vision, mileage, cellphone reimbursement, and more. Come work in a professional setting in a fastpaced job that is different everyday. Advertising skills desired. People skills and marketing experience desired. Our new consultant will work to grow an established territory.

Email resume to jruark@countrymedia.net or call 503-397-0116.

The Chronicle The Chief

We provide: • Medical, dental, vision and life insurance benefits • Personal and sick leave • Balanced work schedules • A culturally respectful work environment We have career opportunities for the following positions: Cook – Vernonia Head Start: $15.10/hr Prep Cook – St. Helens Head Start: $14.41/hr Floating Aid – St. Helens Head Start: $14.41/hr Contact JoAnne Dodge at 503-397-4114, jdodge@nworheadstart.org; or Dawn Crawford at 503-556-3736, dcrawford@nworheadstart.org

Columbia County

BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY

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Email chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net to advertise!

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

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

HOSPITAL From Page A1

Armstrong-Stevenson argued that the results of the feasibility study revealed three concerns: the proposal hadn’t been “critically analyzed or reviewed,” “was substantially flawed in its findings,” and was adopted by the CHD “without sufficient knowledge of hospital administration.”

Based on the results of the feasibility study, Armstrong-Stevenson added that the state would likely deny the project a CN. CN programs are regulatory programs designed to discourage unnecessary investment in health care facilities, technology, and services, according to Oregon Health Authority Lead Communications Officer Jonathan Modie.

Thirty-six other states besides Oregon, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia adopted CN programs to avoid duplicating hospital services, which

would have the ultimate effect of “higher costs and disruption to the health care system,” Modie told The Chronicle.

One of the more specific problems of the study that Armstrong-Stevenson mentioned in his online letter was an overreliance on swing beds, or beds used interchangeably for acute or post-acute care, according to the 2020 CMS interpretive guidelines for swing beds in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).

“Use of the ‘swing bed’ theory today, in this instance, is simply a wrong planning theory and appears to ignore the fact that private licensees already in the service area are providing long-term care (LTC) beds,” he writes.

“St. Helens Hospital (SHH) would therefore be competing with the livelihoods of owners of those private nursing homes.”

Armstrong-Stevenson was also skeptical that the St. Helens Hospital (renamed Columbia River Community Hospital) would attract doctors from other service areas.

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

Public response When the old CHD dissolved and reformed in 2004, five new members were elected to serve on the board: Jay Tappan, Paul Becks, Gary Heide, Karen Punch, and Laura Tomanka.

Despite concerns that the state would not grant a CN, in 2008, the new board of directors submitted a state application to build a new hospital.

In October 2009, the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), which oversees OPH, denied the CHD’s application for a CN, stating that the board failed to sufficiently justify the viability of and the need for a hospital.

CHD responded by submitting an amended application to address deficiencies in the original document and to make provisions for a rural health clinic.

The state remained unconvinced that the CHD sufficiently justified a need for a hospital in St. Helens and for a second time, denied the board a CN on Sept. 20, 2010.

“The state’s review of this project found it to be financially marginal,” ODHS spokesperson Grant Higginson said. “The district failed to establish the need for this facility or show it is the most effective and least costly alternative.”

In response to the CHD board’s appeal, OPH held a hearing on August 25, 2010.

“We [The Columbia Health District] proved we were financially viable and a needed service to this community in every way we possibly could, two and three times over,” said Pam Powell, Hospital Coalition coordinator for the CHD. “We are devastated.”

With order CN #658a, OPH denied the Columbia River Community Hospital for the final time, on the following grounds: “(OPH) found that the proposed facility would have replaced a portion of the current inpatient spectrum of care that was being served outside of Columbia County and that the proposal would have duplicated services that were being offered.”

‘Nail in the coffin’ Columbia County Commissioner Henry Heimuller was one of three county commissioners that were charged with overseeing the dissolution of the CHD after it failed.

Looking back, Heimuller told The Chronicle in a one-on-one interview that what really killed the hospital project was when the federal government changed the definition of critical access in November 2005.

“Once the CAH designation changed, (that) was just the nail in the coffin,” he said. “That made it to where there was no possible way that the hospital could financially survive,” he said.

According to Section 485.610(c) of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines, CAHs must be located more than a 35-mile drive (or, in the case of mountainous terrain or in areas with only secondary roads available, a 15-mile drive) from a hospital or another CAH. Before the critical access rule change took

effect January 1, 2006, rural hospitals that were designated by their state as a “Necessary Provider” could be exempt from the distance requirements.

The Chronicle also sat down with former CHD Chair Gary Heide, who conceded during that interview, that the hospital project should have stopped right then and there.

“Looking back on it now, I think it probably would have been best if we just trashed the thing when they changed the rules,” Heide said.

Our third investigative report will cover the citizens’ initiative to repeal the hospital tax, the steps taken to dissolve the hospital district, and internal emails exchanged between board members during the time of dissolution - the foundational piece of evidence and basis of two lawsuits filed against the former CHD board.

Look for the report in the July 20 edition of The Chronicle.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Public Notices

PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

CH22-1137

TS No. OR08000014-17-10 APN 12959 | 4N1W06-DD-08900 TO No 220111523-OR-MSO TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE Reference is made to that certain Trust Deed made by, BRADLEY S. LAWRENCE AND VALERIE C. LAWRENCE, AS TENANTS BY THE ENTIRETY as Grantor to TICOR TITLE as Trustee, in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. (“MERS”), as designated nominee for SUNSET MORTGAGE CO., Beneficiary of the security instrument, its successors and assigns, dated as of December 22, 2010 and recorded on December 28, 2010 as Instrument No. 2010-010650 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Columbia County, Oregon towit: APN: 12959 | 4N1W06DD-08900 LOT 110, RIDGECREST PLANNED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NO. 2, IN THE CITY

OF ST. HELENS, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON. Commonly known as: 58934 TIMBERLINE AVENUE, SAINT HELENS, OR 97051 Both the Beneficiary, Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, and the Trustee, Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112, have elected to sell the said real property to satisfy the obligations secured by said Trust Deed and notice has been recorded pursuant to Section 86.735(3) of Oregon Revised Statutes. The default for which the foreclosure is made is the Grantor’s failure to pay: Failed to pay payments which became due Monthly Payment(s): 1 Monthly Payment(s) from 05/01/2020 to 06/30/2022 at $30,641.06 Monthly Late Charge(s): 1 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 $142,339.04 together with interest thereon at the rate of 4.75000% per annum from April 1, 2020 until paid; plus all accrued late charges there-on; and all Trustee’s fees, foreclosure costs and any sums advanced by the Beneficiary pursuant to the terms of said Trust Deed.

Wherefore, notice is hereby given that, the undersigned Trustee will on October 31, 2022 at the hour of 12:00 PM, Standard of Time, as established by Section 187.110, Oregon Revised Statues, at the west entrance to the Columbia County Courthouse, 230 Strand St., Saint Helens, OR 97051 County of Columbia, sell at public

CH22-1139

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of JOSEPH ARTHUR DUBOIS, Deceased. Case No. 22PB04957 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed personal representative of this estate. All persons

having claims against the estate are required to present their claims, with vouchers attached, within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice to the personal representative at 52490 SE 2nd Street, Suite 100, Scappoose, OR 97056, or the claims may be barred.

All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative, or the attorney for the personal representative. DATED and first published, June 29, 2022. Lyla D. DuBois, Personal Representative.

CH22-1142

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the City of St. Helens City Council Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at or after 6:45 pm in the City Council Chambers, located in the City Hall building at 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR. Access into City Hall for this hearing will be from the plaza side entrance.

Zoom will also be available to participate. Virtual access information to join the hearing will be available on the applicable agenda. Agendas can be found on the City’s website: https://www.sthelensoregon.gov/meetings.

The City of St. Helens is completing the Columbia Pa-

cific Food Bank Renovation Project funded with Community Development Block Grant funds from the Oregon Business Development Department. The location of the project is 1421 Columbia Blvd. It is estimated that the project will benefit at least 19,981 persons annually of whom 100 percent are low or moderate income. This is based on the estimated number of people served in 2021.

The purpose of the hearing is for the St. Helens City Council to obtain citizens views about the project and to take comments about the local government’s performance. Written comments are also welcome and must

be received by 5:00 p.m. on July 20, 2022 at 265 Strand Street. Both oral and written comments will be reviewed by the St. Helens City Council. The location of the hearing is accessible to the disabled. Please let Jennifer Dimsho at 503-366-8207 or jdimsho@sthelensoregon. gov know if you need any special accommodations to attend or participate in the hearing. More information about the Oregon Community Development Block Grant program and the project is available for public review at St. Helens City Hall at 265 Strand Street during regular office hours. Advance notice is requested.

auction to the highest bidder for cash the interest in the said described real property which the Grantor had or had power to convey at the time of the execution by him of the said Trust Deed, together with any interest which the Grantor or his successors in interest acquired after the execution of said Trust Deed, to satisfy the foregoing obligations thereby secured and the costs and expenses of sale, including a reasonable charge by the Trustee.

Notice is further given that any person named in Section 86.753 of Oregon Revised Statutes has the right to have the foreclosure proceeding dismissed and the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to the Beneficiary of the entire amount then due (other than such portion of said principal as would not then be due

had no default occurred), together with the costs, Trustee’s or attorney’s fees and curing any other de-fault complained of in the Notice of Default by tendering the performance required under the obligation or Trust Deed, at any time prior to five days before the date last set for sale. Without limiting the Trustee’s disclaimer of representations or warranties, Oregon law requires the Trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a Trustee’s sale may have been used in manufacturing methamphetamines, the chemical components of which are known to be toxic.

Prospective purchasers of residential property should be aware of this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the Trustee’s sale. In

construing this notice, the masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter, the singular includes plural, the word “Grantor” includes any successor in interest to the Grantor as well as any other persons owing an obligation, the performance of which is secured by said Trust Deed, the words “Trustee” and “Beneficiary” includes their respective successors in interest, if any.

Dated: 6/15/2022 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 949-252-8300 Order Number 83268, Pub Dates: 7/6/2022, 7/13/2022, 7/20/2022, 7/27/2022, THE CHRONICLE

CH22-1140

PUBLIC LIEN SALE U-STORE SELF STORAGE Auction to be held online at Storageauctions. com. Auction will run from 7/5/2022 10:00 am & end on 7/15/2022 10:00 am.

Unclaimed storage lockers to be sold by competitive

bidding. 1st LocationScappoose 53567 Columbia River Hwy. Brittney Hinkle Y135 Martin Herold G10A. 2nd Location-St. Helens 445 Port Ave, Suite D. Dylan Bigley C-012

Timberly Kloepfer RV226, Emily Long R-176 Michael Moore G-045, Brandi Simmons M-044. GOODS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION SOLD BY STORAGE LOT. Cash and Credit Cards.

CH22-1141

AVISO PÚBLICO Y NOTICIA DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA Este es el segundo Noticia de Audiencia Publica. El proposito de este segundo audiencia publica es por el receptor puede examiner los resultos del proyecto con los cuidadanos y para tomar comentario del ejecucion de gobierno municipal en parte del proceso de cerrar el subvencion. Cada audiencia tiene que tener suficiente tiempo de estar segura que suficiente oportunidad por ciudadanos y grupos interesados pueden participar.

El City of St. Helens esta completando un Columbia Pacific Food Bank renovation Proyecto patrocinado con Community Development Block Grant del Oregon Business Development

Department. El locacion del proyecto es el 1421 Columbia Blvd. Está estimado que el proyecto propuesto beneficiará a por lo menos 19,981 personas, de los cuales 100% serán de ingresos moderados o bajos. Una audiencia pública se llevará a cabo por el City of St. Helens City Council Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at or after 6:45 pm in the City Council Chambers, located in the City Hall building at 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR. Los comentarios escritos son también bienvenidos y deben ser recibidos el Lunes, July 20 de las en la 265 Strand Street.

Ambos comentarios, escritos y orales serán considerados por el Lunes, July 20 en

la 265 Strand Street. Más información sobre el Oregon Community De-velopment Block Grants, el proyecto propuesto y los pasados registros sobre el St. Helens en el uso de los subsidios del Community Development Block Grant están disponibles para la revisión pública en St. Helens City Hall 265 Strand Street durante las horas regulares de oficina. Se requiere del aviso anticipado. La ubicación de la audiencia es accesible para personas con inca-pacidades.

Por favor dejar Jennifer Dimsho el 503-366-8207 para saber si usted necesitará cualquier tipo de acomodaciones especiales para asistir o participar en la reunión.

CH22-1149

CH22-1146

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of George Earl Christie, Deceased. No. 22PB05122 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS Notice is hereby given that Gary Eugene Christie has been appointed personal representative of this estate. All persons having claims against the estate are hereby required

to present their claims, with proper vouchers, within four (4) months after the date of first publication of this Notice, as stated below, to the personal representative at 1677 St. Helens Street, St. Helens, Oregon 97051 or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights are 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: July 6, 2022.

MARK A. GORDON, P.C. OSB No. 812424 Attorney for Personal Representative, 1677 St. Helens Street, St. Helens, Oregon 97051, 503.397.9066.

In the Matter of the Estate of: CHARLES FREDERICK HELWIG, Deceased. Case No. 22PB05512 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that KIMBERLY L. DESAU has been appointed personal representative.

All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them, with

vouchers attached, to Personal Representative, KIMBERLY L. DESAU, at the address below, within four months after the date of first publication of this notice, or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the court, the personal repre-

sentative, or the attorneys for the personal representative.

ADDRESS FOR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: c/o Attorney David V. Cramer, OSB #992479, Zantello Law Group, 2941 NW Highway 101, Lincoln City, OR 97367.

DATED and first published: July 13, 2022. David V. Cramer, Attorney for Personal Representative.

CH22-1006

NOTICE OF MEETING

The Public Notice deadline is Fridays by noon.

The Greater St. Helens Aquatic District is holding their board meeting at Eisenschmidt Pool basement at 5 p.m. on July 18, 2022.

Late submissions are not guaranteed to make it into the paper.

Having a Garage Sale?

Contact The Chronicle at 503-397-0116 or chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net to get your garage sale in the classifieds.

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Obituaries Barbara Korhonen

Dennis Michael Bailey

Jan. 31, 1944 ~ June 19, 2022 Barbara Korhonen passed away on Sun., June 19, 2022, at the age of 78.

She was born to Frank and Arlene Johnson on Jan. 31, 1944 in Longview, Washington. She attended St. Helens schools and graduated from St. Helens High School with the class of 1962.

She was a hot rod enthusiast for 33 years. She belonged to the Multnomah Hot Rod Association and many other car clubs in

Washington and Oregon.

She loved camping, traveling, sewing and rescuing animals.

Barbara and Gary moved to Glacier County, Montana eight years ago for retirement.

She is survived by her husband Gary Korhonen; children, Teresa (Marty) Aines, Gordon Adams, Joshua Frisbie, and Justin Frisbie; grandchildren, Devon, Trevor, and Cody Aines, Lilian Forester, Noah and

Dec. 8, 1948 ~ Dec. 6, 2021

Gabriel Frisbie, Elexis Snyder, and Clair Adams; great-grandchildren, McKenzie and Khyson Aines; and siblings, Sandy Harbison, Michael Johnson, and Brenda Rhine.

She was preceded in death by her parents; son Frederick Joseph; and brother Frank Johnson.

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. on July 30, 2022 at the Murray Hill Cemetery in Clatskanie, Oregon.

Katharine Ellen Settle

chased land from the Blaha family in Warren, OR where they built their dream home and raised their four children.

In the late 1970’s, Katharine became very involved in supporting her children’s sports activities and was also instrumental in working with the St. Helens High School Athletic Director, Gene Strehlou, to start the St. Helens Booster Club. She spent the next several years doing everything from running con-

cession stands to organizing fundraisers, all in an effort to provide financial support after budget cuts threatened the future of sports in the St. Helens School District.

In the early 1990’s Katharine went back to school to study building construction and earned an Associate degree with honors, while achieving perfect attendance for two straight years. She would go on to use these skills to build a house of her own and remodel several others that she managed as rentals. Katharine and her husband Joseph spent many happy hours in the garage building furniture, jewelry boxes and other wooden treasures for family and friends.

Katharine was an adventurous woman and enjoyed snow skiing, water skiing, camping, white water rafting, swimming, going on cruises and traveling in her RV. She was an avid reader and in her later years she enjoyed time with her TOPS Club and

game nights with her close friends.

Katharine is survived by her sisters, Marsha, Edwina, Sue, and Patricia; brothers, Horace, Dennis, Roger, and Michael; daughters Melody (Gary) Killens and Karma (Clay) Smith; sons, Gregory (Malyssa) Settle and Keith (Christy) Settle; grandchildren, Gary, Travis, Katie and Amanda Killens, Jasmyne Parent, Chloe Settle, Riley McDonald, and Jaxson Smith; nine great-grandchildren; 27 nieces and nephews; and over 30 great nieces and nephews. (We can’t keep up!)

Please join our family to celebrate her amazing life from noon – 2 p.m. on Sat., July 16, 2022 at the Ixtapa banquet room at 33452 Havlik Dr., Scappoose, Oregon.

Lunch will be served with a no-host bar. We ask instead of gifts or flowers that you make a donation in her honor to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

July 1, 1940 ~ June 28, 2022

lifetime. Linda created many original drawings when she was young. In her youth, Linda was musical, having played the accordion, the clarinet and the piano.

Linda grew up mostly in Rainier and graduated from Rainier Union High School in 1958. She also lived in Eastern Oregon; Cokeville, Wyoming; and Malad, Idaho,

until the family moved to Rainier in about 1945. When the local mill burned down in Rainier in 1955, the family moved to Sandlake, Oregon, for a year. She also lived in Portland, Oregon, for two years when she was in her 20s. She loved the coast. She worked at the Neskowin Inn as a teenager and attended Nestucca High School in Cloverdale, Oregon, for about a year and then moved to Rainier where she graduated. She lived in Portland for a year or two and worked at the Albertina Kerr Homes for children. She was employed at Trojan Power Plant near Rainier and at the mini mart next door to her home for many years. Linda and Delbert were married 53 years ago and have lived in Rainier ever since.

Linda is survived by her husband, Delbert Larson, of

Garage Sale July 23- 9am - 4pm

1925 First Street, Columbia City www.capleshouse.com (503) 397-5390

Linda Jane Larson

Linda Jane Larson passed away at the age of 81 in Longview, Washington, on June 28, 2022. She was born in Prairie City, Oregon, on July 1, 1940, to Carl LeForest Davis and Ada McGlone Davis.

She was a kind, loving and outgoing person who tried her best to make everyone laugh. She is well remembered for telling many jokes and for hugging friends and family. Linda was a member of the Rainier Oregon Historical Museum, the Rainier Senior Center, and the Rainier Fraternal Order of Eagles #4022 Ladies Auxiliary. She spent many years crocheting for the Eagles Ladies Auxiliary charity projects. She also spent a lot of years sewing for her children.

She loved to do jigsaw and word puzzles. Linda loved her kitty cats throughout her

Crossword Solution Solution for the July 6, 2022 crossword puzzle

Aug. 27, 1938 ~ June 30, 2022

Katharine Ellen Settle (Person) passed away peacefully on June 30, 2022 surrounded by family at the age of 83 after fighting lung disease for many years. Katharine was born Aug. 27, 1938 in San Francisco, California to Horace Hamilton Person Jr. and Katharine Robinson Beardsley.

Katharine was the oldest of 10 children and was preceded in death by both her parents; sister Barbara; brother Lawrence; first husband of 35 years Barry Wayne Settle; and second husband Joseph Roy Boivin in 2012.

In 1948, Katharine came to Oregon with her sister Barbara and brother Horace to live with their grandmother at the Barclay House in Oregon City. While there, she met and married Barry Wayne Settle in 1956. After moving to various areas while Barry served in the Marines, they returned to Portland, OR. In the early 1960’s, the Settle family pur-

A celebration of life for Dennis will be held at 4 p.m. this Sat., July 16, 2022 at 32860 Scenic Ln., Scappoose, OR 97056. Dinner provided. Outside event with water fun. We plan to party into the night as he would have. All are welcome.

Please bring any photos you would like to share. Any questions, call 971-203-8616.

Rainier, Oregon; brother Jerald (Jerry) Davis of Portland, Oregon; Martha Van Natta (Robert) of Apiary, Oregon; and Marilee Hayden (John) of Anchor Point, Alaska.

Linda is also survived by her children, Monty Mason, Terry Jo Bohannon, Melina Mason, Misty Mason, and Ronald Larson (Lori). She is also survived by 11 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; three nephews; one niece; dozens of cousins; and many friends, all of whom were very dear to her.

She was predeceased by her son Clint Mason.

A celebration of life will be held from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Sat., July 30, 2022 at the Rainier Eagles Lodge at 109 W. A Street, Rainier, Oregon.

All friends and family are encouraged to come pay their respects.

Ice Cream Social & Sing-a-Long July 17 2-4pm Friends and Family come celebrate Summer!!!!

Tea & Sweets Fridays 2-4 $5 This month: all things berry

Space donated by Columbia Funeral Home • Serving Columbia County since the early 1900’s • 503-397-1154

Marzella Lee (Popejoy) Coughlin June 17, 1940 ~ June 21, 2022

Marzella Lee (Popejoy) Coughlin, age 82, passed away on June 21, 2022 at 10:23 p.m. in Murrieta, California.

Marzella was born on June 17, 1940 in St. Helens, Oregon to Roy Popejoy and Evelyn (Gortler) Popejoy.

Marzella was raised and attended school in St. Helens. On Oct. 19, 1957 she married Daniel T. Coughlin, and together they raised five children.

Marzella had a love for camping, arts and crafts, and keeping up her garden, and spending time with her Grandchildren and great

grandchildren.

Marzella remained in St. Helens until 2021, when she moved to Murrieta, Califor-

nia where she was cared for by her daughter Connie L. Abad.

Marzella is preceded in death by her husband Daniel T. Coughlin Sr.; parents, Roy and Evelyn Popejoy; brother Roy Popejoy Jr.; sister Carol (Popejoy) Cole; and her son Craig J. Coughlin.

Marzella is survived by her four other children, Daniel T. Coughlin Jr., Denise L. (Coughlin) Cranford, Connie L. (Coughlin) Abad, and Cory A. Coughlin; and sisters, Vicki (Popejoy) Olsen and Kathy (Popejoy) Hogland.

Marzella had 11 grandchildren, David Coughlin, Jeff Coughlin, Amber Cranford, Shawn Cranford, Zachery Cranford, Joseph Abad Jr., Andrew Abad, Derek Abad, Cody Coughlin, Chase Coughlin, Colton Hansen, Dillon Coughlin and Tobias Tapley. Marzella also had nine great-grandchildren, Hunter, Myla, Cali, Makynzie, Cash, Layla, Aiden, Allison and Adeline.

Services will be arranged at a later date. For information on where to send cards, please call (323) 690-6123 or email MarzCoughlin40@ gmail.com.

Melanoma stands out.

Check your skin.

You could spot cancer.

Glenn Dale Stroh

Jan. 17, 1933 ~ May 7, 2022 A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Sat., July 23, 2022 at Warren Baptist Church. Please join family and friends to celebrate his life.

Jackie L. Osborn

May 21, 1961 ~ June 12, 2022 Jackie Osborn, a longtime resident of St. Helens, Oregon, passed away on June 12, 2022. Family and close friends held a celebration of life on July 9, 2022.

LEAR N MOR E AT STARTSEEINGMELANOMA.COM

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Tickets for the rodeo are available online at columbiacountyfairgrounds.com, or in person at the Columbia County Fair office, 58892 Saulser Rd. in St. Helens Wednesday: Seniors and Vets are free, youth $6, adults $10 Thursday: Youth are free, seniors and vets $6 adults $10 Friday-Saturday Youth, seniors and vets $6, adults $15 Sunday: Everyone $5.00

RODEO From Page A1

“St. Helens happens to be one of the committees that pay a lot of attention to that,” she said.

Individual events are capped at 12 entrants. Overflow entrants will compete at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

Registration opens Tuesday, July 12. You must be an NPRA cardholder to register.

JR Rodeo The JR Rodeo is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 21.

There are four age divisions for the JR Rodeo this year: Small Fry (under 6 years old), Big Fry (7-10 years old), Junior Division (11-14 years old), and the Senior Division (15-18 years old).

The entry fee is $30 per person. Participants who register before 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 will receive free entry into the fair.

No entries are accepted after noon on Thursday.

County Fair Traditional county fair events returning to the fairgrounds for the 2022 event include the My Fair Lady Pageant, Senior and Veterans Day, Western Kids Costume Contest and Parade, and Wild Cow Milking, the popular carnival rides and several food and beverage vendors.

The Columbia County Fair and Rodeo is located at the Columbia County Fairgrounds on 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens.

The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information about the Columbia County Fair and Rodeo, call 503397-4231.

Dramatic increase in Oregon drug overdoses STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

Drug overdose deaths in Oregon more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, with the increase driven largely by misuse of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

Preliminary data indicate that this trend has continued in 2022.

The danger Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. It is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Over the last 30 months, fentanyl has become a leading cause of overdose deaths, particularly among people who don’t have access to harm-reduction services.

OHA’s State Epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger said this trend is prompting urgent requests for supplies of naloxone, the rescue drug that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

“We are seeing a critical need for naloxone as many communities experience dramatic increases in overdoses due to fentanyl misuse,” Sidelinger said, adding that many counties have reported multiple opioid overdoses over the last several weeks, and that there has been a corresponding demand for naloxone.

“We encourage everyone in Oregon to educate themselves and their loved ones—including young people—about the importance of naloxone, how to use it in an overdose emergency, and where people can access it,” Sidelinger said.

In 2021, nearly a third of Oregon’s counties saw more people die from fentanyl overdose than overdose from any other drug, the OHA analysts found.

An overdose is always a medical emergency, Sidelinger said. Individuals should call 911 immediately after administering naloxone and be aware that it may take multiple doses of naloxone to reverse the overdose.

Oregon’s Good Samaritan law protects the caller and the person who has overdosed against possession and paraphernalia charges.

People who are taking prescription opioids should ask their health care provider or pharmacist for a naloxone prescription. Health insurance may cover the cost of naloxone. Individuals who want to have naloxone on hand for someone else should ask their

Metro Creative Connection

Over the last 30 months, fentanyl has become a leading cause of overdose deaths, particularly among people who don’t have access to harm-reduction services.

pharmacist for a prescription.

While health insurance usually will not cover this, coupons may be available online to offset the cost, according to the OHA. According to the OHA, the state agency’s Naloxone Rescue for Opioid Overdose webpage contains naloxone frequently asked questions and a map showing Oregon pharmacies that distribute the medicine. Anyone actively using opioids, or other illicit substances, can get naloxone and other harm-reduction materials at no cost through syringe service programs.

Syringe service programs are available to anyone who uses drugs, regardless of whether they inject them.

Here is OHA’s list of syringe and needle exchange services available in Oregon.

OHA is issuing the following warnings to people who use drugs: • Unless a pharmacist directly hands you a prescription pill, assume it is counterfeit and contains fentanyl.

• Assume any pills obtained from social media, the internet or a friend are counterfeit and contain fentanyl.

• If you are using pills, don’t use alone and always have naloxone on hand and visible.

• Test your drugs with fentanyl test strips before you use them. Fentanyl test strips can often be accessed at local harm-reduction sites.

found that unintentional/ undetermined drug overdose deaths increased from 496 in 2019 to 1,072 in 2021. The 2021 figure doesn’t include all fourth-quarter overdose deaths, which are still being tallied and analyzed.

Unintentional/undetermined fentanyl overdose deaths jumped more than 600% between 2019 and 2021, from 71 to 509, respectively. Of unintentional/ undetermined drug overdose deaths in 2021, 47.5% were due to fentanyl; in 2020, fentanyl caused 32.1% of overdose deaths; in 2019, the drug was responsible for 14.3% of overdoses.

Overall, unintentional/ undetermined overdoses from opioids, including fentanyl and heroin, also rose sharply during that time, from 280 to 739 deaths – a 164% increase. Unintentional/undetermined stimulant – methamphetamine – overdoses were up two-fold, from 325 to 658 deaths from 2019 to 2021.

While exact reasons for the overdose increases are unknown, public health officials have long suspected that disruptions to daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been a factor. Those with substance use disorder have been hit particularly hard by job losses, school closures and social isolation resulting from restrictions put in place to limit exposure and transmission of the virus.

By the numbers

Pandemic factor

A review of State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) and Oregon death certificate data by analysts from OHA’s Injury and Violence Prevention Section

“YOU” versus “I” - What to say and how to say it, so that your parents will listen

Caregiving is universally the greatest art of love, but it could wreck your life if you do not apply practical strategies for communicating your needs, being heard, retaining the appropriate professional services, staying sane and finding balance in your role as a family caregiver.

Most of us have a difficult time talking to our aging loved ones about the complex topic of “aging and independence.” The problem is that the parents don’t want to hear things that remind them that they are losing their independence and they think that they are doing just fine and do not appreciate the interference of their children and/or the professionals that their children have

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

hired to help. Good advice can be great, and it makes a difference who gives it and when it is given.

The way you approach your loved ones about your concerns can have a tremendous impact on how receptive they are.

First, know your reason for raising your concerns.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

1. Do you want to discuss an issue, or do you want your parents to do what you think needs to be done?

2. Are you acting out of concern or out of selfinterest?

3. Do you want them to make a change because it will enhance their independence or because it will make you worry less?

4. Do your parents have specific challenges or have there been incidences that warrant change? Or are you concerned simply because of their age?

If you struggle with the answers to these questions, I invite you to the next going home, staying home.

It’s a weekly telephone/ virtual gathering of nurses, elder care consultants and family caregivers. Next week, we will be discussing strategies for talking to your aging loved ones in a way that they will listen and respond. If you would like to join or listen in but are unable to, I can email you the replay link. Just call or email me anytime.

The COVID-19 crisis also interrupted ways people with substance use disorder can get help, such as mental health services, 12-step programs and ambulatory visits, Sidelinger said.

But an increase in availability of fentanyl also is a factor in Oregon’s overdose increases. According to an April 2022 bulletin by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (OR-ID HIDTA), 40% of all counterfeit pills in circula-

tion contain fatal amounts of fentanyl. The OR-ID HIDTA seized 1.5 million counterfeit pills in 2021, a 51% increase from 2020 and a 137% increase from 2019.

OHA steps to reduce drug overdose deaths: Overdose mapping OHA, in collaboration with OR-ID HIDTA, is working with public safety and public health partners to implement Overdose Mapping and Application Program (ODMAP), a real-time suspected overdose surveillance data system to mobilize an immediate response to a sudden increase in overdose events in local communities.

HIDTA has recently found a large number of narcotic pill seizures by participating law enforcement agencies that appear to be pharmaceutical narcotics like oxycodone but are likely counterfeits containing fentanyl.

Harm Reduction Supply Clearinghouse Oregon established a Harm Reduction Supply Clearinghouse to support agencies that serve people at risk of overdose, including offering community-based outreach, prevention and harm-reduction programs, withdrawal and substance use treatment programs, and rural and frontier first uniformed responders across Oregon.

Currently, there are 127 organizations set up to order harm-reduction supplies online through the Clearinghouse. Organizations participating in the Clearinghouse have ordered nearly 130,000 doses of naloxone and other supplies, including syringes, wound care, PPE, disinfectants and personal hygiene products (to prevent COVID-19 and treat wounds).

provides peer-based harm reduction support for persons currently using drugs who present to medical settings.

The program goals are to reduce overdoses and infections related to harmful drug use. PRIME+ peer support specialists assist people who are using drugs to access naloxone, safer use supplies, HIV and hepatitis C testing, primary care and substance use treatment, and more.

The PRIME + program operates 23 sites in 20 counties in Oregon and has reported more than 20,000 contacts with community members and provided harm-reductioncentered peer support to more than 3,400 people who are using drugs in participating counties since January 2021.

About 10,000 to 11,000 patients in Oregon are receiving methadone through Oregon’s opioid treatment providers (OTPs). Most OTPs are concentrated along the Interstate 5 corridor serving Oregon’s four largest metropolitan areas, although federal funds have helped with expansion to rural and frontier areas, such as the Oregon Coast, and central and eastern Oregon.

As of spring 2022, Oregon also had about 2,100 practitioners federally certified to prescribe buprenorphine for treating opioid use disorder, although only around half of providers choose to use their certifications in any given year.

Despite expansion efforts, coastal and rural communities in Oregon are still lacking in access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in many cases.

Health officials are reminding people that opioid use disorder can be successfully treated. Those who need help to stop using opioids can talk to their health care providers or view OHA’s list of resources. In addition, Oregon law allows lay people to carry and use naloxone, a medication that can be used to reverse an opioid overdose, on other people.

Resources Learn more about naloxone. If a person is using substances alone, the Never Use Alone Hotline 800-484-3731 can be a nonjudgmental and lifesaving point of contact for emergency services.

Oregon-based nonprofit Lines for Life and OHA recently launched the Safe + Strong Helpline at 1-800923-4357 (800-923-HELP).

The line offers free, 24-7 emotional support and resource referral to anyone who needs it—not only those experiencing a mental health crisis.

The Safe + Strong Helpline is a response to needs for emotional support around disasters like COVID-19 and wildfires and was funded by the CARES Act. Callers are routed to a counselor who can provide emotional support, mental health triage, drug and alcohol counseling, crisis counseling or just connection.

Vehicle Wash Program PRIME+ program

Earn $300 for your nonprofit group CRPUD Lookscrpud.net/wash to Award Grants to Community Organizations The PRIME+ (Peer Recovery Initiated in Medical Establishments) program

MICHAEL J. SYKES Sponsored content

One of our six core values at Columbia River PUD is commitment to community.

We operate in a manner that benefits the community we serve while minimizing costs to our customers.

One approach we take to supporting our community is our Community Economic Development Grant Program. This program is available to local not-forprofit entities that promote economic development and enhance livability in our community.

This year we are offering two rounds of funding. The first round of grant funding took place in March. The deadline to apply for the second round of funding is August 31. Applications that meet our program requirements will be forwarded to our Board of Directors for review at their September meeting.

In March, we awarded four grants. They went to:

• Columbia County Habitat for Humanity for its new Home Ownership Resource Center.

• The City of Scappoose for its Adventure Festival.

• Riverside Community Outreach for renovation of its new building in St. Helens.

• The Scappoose Public Library to expand its Movies in the Park program.

Individual grants are limited to $5,000 and may not exceed one-half of the total project costs that are actually or reasonably incurred. We have room in our Budget to award six full grants in September.

Our goal with these grants is to work with our local partners to help create a

more thriving, vibrant community. We hope these grants can support and strengthen our local organizations and ultimately enhance the quality of life in our community.

If you are involved in a local not-for-profit organization or know someone who is, I encourage you to consider applying for this grant. The full details and the application materials are available on our website at www.crpud.net/grant.

Michael J. Sykes General Manager, Columbia River PUD

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Oregon launches ‘Rethink the Drink’ campaign STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net

Oregon is the first state in the nation to launch an aggressive campaign to shift thinking about drinking alcohol, according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

The OHA calls its “Rethink the Drink,” an innovative statewide campaign to build healthier communities by calling attention to the harms caused by excessive alcohol drinking.

Recognizing the value of Oregon’s beer, wine and alcohol producers and businesses to the state’s economy, culture and identity, Rethink the Drink is not asking people not to drink, according to the OHA. “While Oregonians of all education and income levels drink excessively, certain populations experience higher rates of alcohol-related diseases. These include Black and Indigenous communities, as well as people with lower incomes and less education,” the OHA states in a release Rethink the Drink asks people living in Oregon to consider the role of alcohol in their own lives and communities. The Oregon campaign will target adults aged 21 and older.

“Summer is often a busy time for events and occasions that are celebrated with excessive drinking, from festivals to weddings, river outings and BBQs. Our research shows people are ready to talk about drinking and the way alcohol affects our lives,” OHA’s Deputy State Health Officer and Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Tom Jeanne said. “We have heard from many community groups that appreciate we are encouraging people to have healthy conversations about excessive alcohol use.”

According to the OHA’s

release, People living in Oregon may be drinking excessively and not realize it.

Data reveal the unjust harms of excessive drinking

By the numbers

National data show that alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic as people coped with the stress and changes to daily life caused by the virus.

This was exacerbated as alcohol became more easily available due to policy changes, according to the OHA. Certain populations experience more unjust stressors and disadvantages due to racism and discrimination, which has led to higher rates of alcohol-related harms. These include Black and Indigenous communities, as well as people with lower incomes and less education.

Excessive drinking causes health harms that include increased risks for cancer, liver failure, heart disease and depression.

Beyond the health harms to the individual, excessive drinking affects the entire community, costing Oregon $4.8 billion per year from lost earnings for workers and revenue for businesses, health care expenses, criminal justice costs, and car crashes. That’s $1,100 for every person in Oregon, according to a report by ECONorthwest.

“We recognize that the alcohol industry provides thousands of jobs for Oregonians and that we make some of the world’s finest beers, wines and spirits,” Jeanne said. “At the same time, excessive drinking carries heavy costs for all of us, whether we drink or not. It affects everyone from children and families to businesses and taxpayers. This effort encourages people to consider whether we could be handling alcohol use in different ways than we are now.”

The share of Oregon adults who drink excessively is more than 1 in 5, according to the OHA. “Most people in this group are not affected by alcoholism or an alcohol use disorder,” the OHA release states. “However, by drinking excessively, people increase their odds of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life. It’s not just a problem for high school and college kids: people in their 30s and 40s binge drink at close to the same rates as younger people.”

The OHA said it uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition of excessive alcohol use.

Excessive drinking includes both heavy drinking and binge drinking: Heavy drinking, which can lead to chronic diseases and other problems over time, is eight or more drinks per week for women or 15 or more drinks per week for men.

Binge drinking is consuming four or more drinks on one occasion for women or 5 or more drinks on one occasion for men.

The CDC numbers are different for men and women because their bodies process alcohol differently, according to the OHA, which states poins out that the CDC numbers refer to cisgender males and females. “Cisgender” means that the gender you identify with matches the sex assigned to you at birth.

When it comes to gender nonconforming individuals, more research is needed to assess the impact of excessive drinking. It’s also true

Courtesy illustration from the OHA

This is one of a series of graphics being used in the Rethink the Drink campaign in Oregon.

that for some people, drinking any alcohol is too much.

And no matter who you are, drinking less is better for your health than drinking more.

“We need a new way to think about alcohol,” OHA’s Public Health Director Rachael Banks said. “Many cross the line into drinking too much, partly because society makes it so easy.

We aren’t telling people to stop drinking; we are asking that they pause for a moment, learn about how much drinking is harmful, and think about the way alcohol

is prevalent in their lives and communities.”

During the pandemic, the policy environment changed across the nation and in Oregon to allow for cocktailsto-go and expanded home delivery of alcohol.

“With those changes to Oregon law, the education environment and tools available must evolve too,” Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission Executive Director Dr. Reginald Richardson said. “That’s why this effort to start a new conversation about excessive alcohol use is so crucial.”

Resources Rethink the Drink advances Healthier Together Oregon (HTO), the 2020–2024 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

HTO’s Behavioral Health priority strategies specific to alcohol and substance use can be found in Oregon’s Strategic Plan for Substance Use Services as developed

by Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission.

Elements of the Rethink the Drink campaign include: • Website: rethinkthedrink.com • Statewide TV, radio, digital and print advertisements • Facebook and Instagram pages • Information for county health departments, community-based organizations, and Tribes to localize the campaign for their communities Extensive research and statewide focus groups by OHA and DHM Research, plus robust involvement by community partners throughout the state, informed the development of this campaign, the OHA states.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from alcohol dependence or an alcohol use disorder, free confidential resources and support are available online or by calling or 1-800-923435.

About Rethink the Drink Rethink the Drink is an initiative of the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division with a goal to build healthier communities by decreasing excessive drinking and the harm it causes to individuals, families and communities.

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legacyhealth.org/letskeepyouhealthy

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We know you’d rather be with family than seeing a doctor but should you need care — routine, urgent, or specialty — we’re here, ready to keep you celebrating, your way.