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The Chronicle
TODAY’S WEATHER Highs to 81 Lows to 54
$1.00 Vol. 132, No. 27 14 Pages
www.thechronicleonline.com
Endangered: Employment for young people
Teen’s project benefits childhood orphanage BY AMANDA FRINK amandaf@thechronicleonline.com
Youth employment in Columbia County has fallen to a 20-year low according to a study just released by the Oregon Department of Employment. Fewer young people between the ages of 14 and 18 hold jobs than in the past and youth that are employed make up a smaller portion of the labor force than anytime since the 1970s. The percentage of the labor force represented by youth has dropped to about 3.5 percent while the actual number of youth employed in the county fell over the 20-year period. Analysts cite a lack of opportunities for young people to work as one reason for the decline. Youth lose out on full-time and part-time employment opportunities to older workers and more youths are staying in school instead of looking for work the study found.
T
he lack of employment opportunities has inhibited young people from developing a good work ethic.
The unemployment rate among youth was exceptionally high, about 27.4 percent among 16- to 19-year-olds while 20- to 24-year-olds faced a 12.4 percent rate. The overall unemployment rate was 7.8 percent for the study period. Another way to put it, over a quarter of young people who would like a job, can’t find one. The labor force participation rate, the percentage of young people employed, averaged around 59 percent from 1978 to 2000. But in 2001, the rate began to fall dramatically. The implications are dire for the upcoming labor force. Fewer young people are gaining valuable work experience the study observed, making it more difficult to compete
AMANDA FRINK / The Chronicle
Olya Evans takes a seat in front of the St. Helens Post Office, where she took two boxes full of socks and sent them to an orphanage in Russia.
ST. HELENS — Polka dotted, zebra patterned, neon, white, solid and striped, piles of socks in two large boxes are on their way from St. Helens to Russia as part of a local teen’s mission to generate support for orphans. As part of her senior project to meet graduation requirements, 18-year-old St. helens resident Olya Evans used the assignment as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children on the other side of the world — children not so different from herself. Olya spent three years in an orphanage in Mstyora, Russia, before she and her older sister, Alyona, were adopted and brought to the U.S. when she was 9. Though half of her life has been spent as a member of Wade and Deanne Evans’ family, Olya still vividly remembers daily life in the orphanage. There was one building for young kids and another building for youth age 12 and older. “After you reach 16 or 17, you get kicked out, because they only have so much space,” she adds. “So they have like a ceremony kind of thing that they call it and they give you a duffel bag of toiletries and you move out.” “A lot of kids that leave the orphanage, a lot of the girls go into prostitution and
then the guys go into drug dealing, and I knew that happens. It’s not something that people hide.” The orphanage menu often consisted of fatty meat, hot cereal, rice or borscht. “It’s beet soup,” she explains. “It has beets and it has cabbage. That’s all it is. It’s a purple, watery soup. I just remember it being yucky; it wasn’t good. … The food was always the same — unless the Americans came, and then we got ice cream and all the good stuff. “When missionaries would come, we would always put on our best clothes. For some reason, we always wore these dorky big bows that are too big for your head, they’re just like, huge.” The daily activities were limited. “Seems like all we did was sleep,” she remembers. “It was a lot of napping. I hate naps now.” None of the children had anything to call their own. “The orphanage I lived in, we didn’t really have a lot of stuff,” she remembers. “We shared a big closet … all of us shared all of our clothes and stuff.” Sometimes, a child would be sponsored by someone in America. Once a year, the sponsor would send a gift package, which was the ultimate excitement. “There’s nothing that’s your own, it’s just everybody’s. And the bigger kids See PROJECT, Page A3
Carson stays at L&C, Rawlings to lead McBride BY AMANDA FRINK amandaf@thechronicleonline.com
ST. HELENS — A proposal to swap two grade school principals in the St. Helens School District is now off the table after receiving protest last week from district staff and parents. On June 25, the St. Helens
School Board heard testimony from district employees and parents who urged the board to reconsider sending McBride Elementary Principal Karla Thompson to Lewis & Clark Elementary and transfer Lewis & Clark Principal Cathy Carson to McBride. Those who spoke to the board regarded the swap as an unnecessary change that would cause inconsistency in
students’ education and disrupt their progress. Following the board meeting, Superintendent Mark Davalos and school board members deliberated the options in executive session. Thursday morning, Davalos announced that he had reversed his decision and formulated a new plan for the fall. “The School Board and I appreciate the valuable input
shared at last night’s Board Meeting,” Davalos said in a statement released to McBride staff Thursday. “Last week it was recommended to exchange the two elementary principals. After hearing the wishes from the audience, we discussed the needs of each school and agreed to a change.” “Karla Thompson will fill an assignment at the Dis-
Buskers are coming to St. Helens Buskers is a term of British origin used to describe a street performer. Acrobats, jugglers, sword swallowers, fire-eaters and musicians performed on the streets of cities for donations. Internationally famous Cirque du Soliel got its start from street entertainment and circus arts. Now buskers are coming to St. Helens. Wanderlust Circus is a Portland-area group that performs throughout the United States. On July 5, they will bring their unusual show to the Plaza in the historic district of St. Helens as part of a three-day Independence Day celebration. Wanderlust Circus performs at 2 p.m. on Saturday. At 5:30 p.m. Michele Drey and Branded band come on and the Wanderlust Circus fire show follows at 7:45 p.m. You and your partner can see all three shows for $20. Children under 14 are admitted free, so the whole family can attend the event. Organizers suggest you bring your own blanket or beach chair and enjoy the show. Lewi Longmire and the Left Coast roasters kicks off three days of Independence Day events on Thursday evening with a show at 13 Nights on the River. July 4 is full of family friendly events with a bike parade, belly dance show, music, and, of course, fireworks at dusk.
See JOBS, Page A2
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For more on upcoming festivities in the area, see page 2.
Our Next Great SeafOOd teNt Sale THURSDAY & FRIDAY JULY 3rd & 4th
trict Office. [McBride Vice Principal] Lisa Rawlings will become the Principal for McBride and begin the transition immediately. Lisa Rawlings brings a wealth of skill and experience to the principalship and has served at McBride in prior years. Cathy Carson will remain Principal of Lewis & Clark and the reinstatement will be re-evaluated next spring.”
Columbia City survey shows need for gasoline, groceries, coffee BY AMANDA FRINK amandaf@thechronicleonline.com
COLUMBIA CITY — Though Mini-Mart Grocery and Gas shut its doors two years ago, a store and gas station is still in high demand for Columbia City residents, according to survey results released this week. In May, Petroleum Realty Advisors broker Christopher Jensen, who is working on listing and marketing the commercial space at the corner of “A” Street and Highway 30, distributed a survey to find out what businesses or services residents would like to have come to the Columbia City property. On Monday, Jensen presented results of the survey, which will be used to for marketing purposes and to develop conceptual drawings. As of June 30, Jensen See SURVEY, Page A4