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Cornelius Pass: What’s next? Page A2

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

Les Schwab Tire Centers on the market A3

The Chief

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VOL. 128, NO. 34

Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891

By the Numbers: Clatskanie crime JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

If you have been a victim of a property crime in Clatskanie, you are not alone. Property crimes have kept Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies busy over the past year.

The following is a conversation with Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley concerning law enforcement in Clatskanie.

The Chief: What are the top five crimes your office is handling in the Clatskanie area and what is fueling those crimes?

Brian Pixley: The following crimes in no particular order.

• Property Crimes (ie, Burglary, car clouts) • Theft • Domestic Disturbances • Harassments / Threats • Disturbance / Fights I believe these are driven by alcohol / drug consumption.

The Chief: Overall, what have been the most frequent calls of service to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office from residents and business operators in Clatskanie?

Pixley: If you look at the pure numbers of the categories that people call in for (no particular order): • Animal Complaints • Suspicious Circumstances,

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See CRIME Page A4

Columbia Humane Society reflects on 2019

2020: Clatskanie’s challenges

File photo

The Columbia Humane Society, located in St. Helens, Oregon, is a non-profit no-kill animal shelter that rescues animals and puts them up for adoption.

CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net

When the new year rolls around, looking back on the past year is something that most organizations do, including one that many Columbia County residents may overlook: the county’s animal shelter.

This past year has been an active one for the Columbia Humane Society (CHS). The Chief sat down with a representative from CHS to ask the organization a few questions about how the shelter did this year and their goals for the future: The Chief: How many adoptions did the humane society process this year? How many people and families adopted animals?

CHS: CHS took in 215 animals this year and adopted out 260 animals this year. The difference in numbers were animals that were

Church News.......A3 Opinions...............A4 Crossword.....A4,A5 Obituaries............A5 Market Place........A6 Public Notices......A6 Calendar...............A7 Sports...................A8

carried over from last year.

The Chief: How many animals reside in the shelter now, as opposed to at the start of the year?

Is that up or down from previous years?

CHS: We currently have about 10 cats and about 15 dogs that are at the shelter. This is about the same as we started the year with.

The Chief: How much income were you able to generate this year based on fees, donations, grants and fundraising? How were you able to use that income?

CHS: We have an operating budget of $181,000.00 a year that money is used to fund the running of the shelter and the care of the animals that we help both in shelter and in the community.

The Chief: What is the current makeup of animals at the shelter?

CHS: We only have cats and dogs in the shelter.

The Chief: Is the Columbia Humane Society looking at doing anything different next year? What are short- and long-term goals for the future for the shelter?

CHS: We look forward to supporting the pets of Columbia County and beyond to the best of our abilities in 2020. We are going to work harder to generate more funds so that we can help more pets. We are looking forward to expanding our enrichment program for both the cats and the dogs in the shelter. We are working on extending our behavioral program for both cats and dogs. We are talking about adding some more exciting and fun fundraisers in 2020 and expanding the Columbia County Dog Fair again also.

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman said development at the former Hump’s Restaurant and filling other vacant businesses will be key economic challenges in 2020 for the City.

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

It’s a New Year for the City of Clatskanie with City Manager Greg Hinkelman focusing on a number of challenges to keep the city moving forward.

“The biggest challenge I have right now is recruiting a replacement for our soon-to-be-retiring Public Works Director Dave True,” Hinkelman said. “This has been very difficult in that I have received no qualified applicants since we started the recruitment back in October. We have a very good economy right now with record employment and it is a tough labor market to find anyone qualified. All the qualified people are employed!”

The City is heading into the New Year still continuing to recruit until the public works director position is filled. True is scheduled to retire at the end April.

Promoting economic development Hinkelman said the City’s next main challenge is to continue promoting economic development. Key to that effort is the City’s support of NEXT Energy’s desire to build a renewable diesel plant at Port Westward.

“We will continue to advocate and support the project during its

next phase, which is the permitting phase. Once permitted construction begins, we look forward to all those new jobs,” he said.

It has been estimated that the biofuels plant could produce 200 jobs.

“The plant brings new challenges, good ones, in trying to get more housing here in Clatskanie,” Hinkelman said. “New jobs will mean increased demand for housing.”

According to Hinkelman, there is some developable land within the City, but any new housing will be tied to need.

“The timing has to be right for any developer to come in and build and that timing will likely be based on the building schedule of the NEXT Energy plant,” he said. “We continue to hope that the new jobs will have a cascade effect with other businesses coming to Clatskanie.”

City officials are also concerned about keeping existing jobs, primarily those at the Wauna mill. Hinkelman said the existing jobs are threatened by potential action from the Oregon Legislature and House Bill 2020, the so called Cap and Trade bill. The Oregon Legislature holds a short session in February.

“This is a big concern for us with the potential of devastating effects on our economy should a like bill pass in February,” Hinkelman said.

Empty store fronts On a smaller economic scale,

Hinkelman said the City continues to support development at the former Hump’s building in the center of Clatskanie to reopen as a restaurant, and to fill vacant downtown retail space. Space, which Hinkelman said has been vacant for too long.

“I have had conversations with other cities about ideas to attract an entrepreneur to look at Humps and I have also talked with potential suiters for the downtown spaces but nothing has yet come to fruition,” he said.

Sewer plant and PERS The City is also looking at its infrastructure, most recently the Clatskanie sewer plant. Hinkelman said the City will try for a Business Oregon grant to fund a facilities master plan for the plant, which will be used to guide the City in the future.

“The other elephant in the room is PERS (Public Employment Retirement System,” Hinkelman said. “The city has put in a “placeholder” to participate in the PERS employer Incentive Fund program. The council needs to make a decision on what level of participation, how much money, we will be looking at. Our budget for PERS in the current fiscal year is a little under $166,000.”

Hinkelman said the City Council will conduct a series of meetings over the next few months to discuss its next steps concerning PERS.

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Friday, January 3, 2020

Cornelius Pass: What’s next?

Courtesy photo

According to a release from the ODE, the grant will be used to improve and expand programs to serve Oregon children and families from birth to age five.

Fed grant to help early education Courtesy photo

During the Cornelius Pass construction project, crews realigned the curve along Cornelius Pass Road at 8th Avenue.

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

developed that need(ed) to be taken care of, and how are they being resolved?

It made for a longer journey into Portland for Clatskanie and other Columbia County commuters as they endured several weeks this past summer and fall during the $5.6 million Cornelius Pass Improvement Project.

The work occurred along the steep, winding and narrow section of NW Cornelius Pass Road, which has a long history of traffic crashes. The project was designed to reduce some of the rural road’s sharp curves, increase sight distance for drivers, improve road shoulders, and install caution signs, guardrails and barriers.

During the improvement project, the pass was closed to through traffic between Highway 30 and Germantown Road in Washington County. The project detoured about 13,000 vehicle trips each weekday onto other roads.

Drivers faced road closures, alternative routes and traffic delays. After the reopening of Cornelius Pass Road in October, Multnomah County Communications Officer Mike Pulllen said more work would have to be scheduled due to weatherimpact delays.

The Chief checked back with Pullen to see what specific work is necessary and when that work would take place.

Mike Pullen: Our contractor’s team removed hundreds of traffic signs. Due to staffing, some of these signs were up longer than we wanted. We reminded the contractor about individual signs that need to be removed.

The Chief: Since the re-opening following the initial work, what issues have

The Chief: In the press release issued about the re-opening, additional work was listed that would need to be done. Could you list that work and specific details about each project?

Pullen: The contractor needs to complete work at two locations in 2020, which are both between Highway 30 and NW Skyline Blvd.

The first location is near NW 8th Ave. There the contractor needs to remove a culvert that carries a creek under the road and replace it with a new culvert that fits the new road alignment. A curve in Cornelius Pass Road was realigned in that location.

There was a delay this year in having the new culvert built offsite. The culvert parts have been built and delivered, so we are more confident the work will be completed in a timely manner next summer.

The second location is the sharp S curves just north of NW Skyline Blvd. The contractor removed the rock face of the hill above the road and installed a protective steel net to prevent rocks from falling on the road.

Next summer the contractor will realign the road to make

the transition between the two curves smoother so that large vehicles keep all their wheels on the road going through the curves.

The Chief: When will the additional work take place and how long will it be before that work is completed?

Pullen: We expect that the contractor will work on the two locations at the same time in July and August 2020. The culvert work is “in water” work that can only be done when migrating fish are not in the creek.

We expect the work will take about two months to complete. At this time, we expect the road will be closed to through traffic in that section for up to two months.

We will have a better time estimate next spring.

The Chief: What is the updated cost for the improvement project with the additional work needed and how is that being funded?

STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

The Oregon Department of Education’s Early Learning Division has been awarded a $26.6 million grant by the federal Administration for Children and Families.

According to a release from the ODE, the grant will be used to improve and expand programs to serve Oregon children and families from birth to age five. The funds will be distributed over three years, at $8.9 million annually, and focus on children from historically under served populations.

“This investment will build upon the early care and education investments the state has been making to support Oregon’s children to be ready for the future,” Early Learning System Director Miriam Calderon said. “The continuation of these funds will ensure parents have

SNAP Program to take financial hit

Follow this continuing project online at thechiefnews.com and in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

Courtesy graphic

The change in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was approved despite more than 140,000 negative public comments. It is expected to affect 700,000 SNAP recipients nationally once it takes effect in April.

STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

At least 19,000 Oregonians could lose government food assistance under a new federal rule, according to a report from the Oregon Department of Human Services.

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Columbia County’s County’s Premier Columbia Premier Human Services Director

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The rule will restrict states’ ability to allow certain adults to receive benefits for more than three months in Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief a three-year period if they aren’t working or training at The Oregon Employment Department report shows 24,514 employed and 960 unemployed in November in least 20 hours a week.

Columbia County, compared to the 24,585 employed and 1,192 unemployed in November 2018.

The change in the Supplemental Nutrition Aspercent and the national rate smaller changes.

Total nonSTAFF REPORT Program (SNAP) at 3.5 percent. farm employment in Novem- sistance ETERSEN LARKE LLC chiefnews@countrymedia.net ETERSEN LARKE LLC Seasonally adjusted nonber was 80 less than one year was approved despite more farm payroll employment before, a loss of 0.7 percent.

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Professional Accidents •Personal Injury •Wrongful Death Accidents •Personal Injury •Wrongful growth but a record unemOregon, like most Death states, with actual changes. A loss and business services shed ployment rate. has used waivers to extend of 40 jobs is normal for 70 jobs over the year,retail Columbia County’s seaNo Fee Fee Until Until Recovery benefits for longer than No Recovery the month,but the county’s trade was down 50 jobs,and sonally adjusted unemploythree months to a group of employment was unchanged financial activities cut 30 gonn && W WSNAP shin ingto gto OOrreego aash nn ment rate was 4.8 percent recipients known as from October. jobs. Leisure and hospitalin November, essentially “able-bodied adults without Local government educaFREE INITIAL CONSULTATION ity grew by 70 jobs and the FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION unchanged from the previous tion added 40 jobs and retail dependents” (ABAWD) if county added 40 manufacmonth at 4.9 percent and the they live in areas with high trade was up 30 jobs. Conturing jobs over the year. year before of 5.1 percent. unemployment and limited struction cut 60 jobs and leiOther industries had smaller The rate was higher than job opportunities. This group sure and hospitality trimmed changes. the statewide rate of 3.9 includes individuals ages 18 30 jobs. Other industries had

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The grant opportunity is highly competitive – 46 states applied for a grant renewal and 20 states were awarded the funds. Projects in Oregon’s application are aligned with goals outlined by the Early Learning Council’s Raise Up Oregon strategic plan. Oregon received funding in the previous grant cycle.

The Preschool Development Grant further complements the resources and vision outlined in Oregon’s Student Success Act, which passed in the 2019 legislative session. According to the ODE release, with a $1 billion annual investment in education, the statewide funds will expand access of early learning opportunities, especially for children with identified special education needs, those who speak another language or come from families facing economic hardship.

Pullen: We do not have an updated cost for the project. Some costs will go up. For example, signs have been removed and some will need to be reinstalled next summer. In 2020, the detour will be shorter. At this time, it is not known if the contractor or county will need to cover cost increases. We will work through this issue with the contractor.

Columbia County’s November unemployment

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greater access to quality child care and preschool, children birth to age five build skills for life-long learning, and the educators who work with young children every day have the support they need to match the importance of the work they do.”

The projects funded by Oregon’s Preschool Development Grant Renewal include: • Maximizing parental choice and knowledge through enhancements to the state’s online child care safety portal and other parent engagement activities.

• Professional development supports for the early learning workforce.

• Expansion of full-day preschool and the Baby Promise program for rural communities and children of color.

• An assessment of mental health supports for early childhood, paired with a plan to expand services.

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(503) 556-4120 556-4120 (503)

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through 49 who don’t have disabilities, don’t have children or other dependents and are considered able to work.

Oregon has approved waivers for 31 counties for ABAWD work requirements, which will now expire on March 31. Federal changes to eligibility requirements for waivers will limit the areas in Oregon that meet the requirements starting April 1, 2020. As a result, this means only six counties may be eligible to receive the waiver. Those counties are Cook, Curry, Grant, Harney, Wallowa and Klamath Falls.

“SNAP plays a critical role in addressing hunger and food insecurity,” Oregon Department of Human Services director. Fariborz Pakseresht said.

SNAP benefits assist Oregonians during difficult times to help make ends meet, in particular those working lowwage or who are between jobs,” Pakseresht said.

“For those already facing difficult circumstances, this rule exacerbates those circumstances. It also will result in an increased burden

on food banks and other community resources to fill the void,” he said.

Areas requesting federal waivers must have unemployment rates at least 20 percent higher than the national rate but not less than six percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates unemployment rates for people without a high school diploma or GED are often more than double average unemployment rates. Other groups that face additional obstacles when seeking steady employment include agricultural workers, veterans, former foster youth, formerly incarcerated people and rural residents with limited transportation.

In addition to administrating SNAP benefits, the Department of Human Services said it provides workforce development and training opportunities to help Oregonians secure a livingwage job.

For more information, visit https://www.oregon.gov/ DHS/ASSISTANCE/FOODBENEFITS/pages/index.aspx.

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Friday, January 3, 2020

A3

Les Schwab Tire Centers on the market JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Operators of the Oregonbased Les Schwab Tire Centers chain are looking at a possible sale of the company.

The company operates more than 400 tire centers, including the St. Helens Les Schwab Center along the Columbia River Highway and a tire center on SE 2nd St. in Scappoose.

In late December, the company operators have issued a statement about the sale on the Les Schwab website that reads in part: “Nearly 70 years after Les Schwab founded our Company, its Board and Shareholders are seeking new ownership for the nation’s highest-ranked, most customer-focused tire retailer.

‘Our incredible Tire Centers, and the company and communities we have built together, make us proud,” Les’ family said in the statement. ‘“As hard as it is to make the decision to sell this company, we are confident it will offer tremendous opportunity to build on all we have accomplished together for our customers, communities and our employees. We are excited to see what the future will bring.”’

A Les Schwab Center is located along the Columbia River Highway in St. Helens.

Following The Chief’s inquiry about the online announcement, Les Schwab operators at the company’s Bend headquarters sent us the following additional statement.

“The nation’s highestranked, most customerfocused tire retailer – Les Schwab Tire Centers – an-

nounced its intention to sell the company to position it for additional growth and success, Les Schwab CEO Jack Cuniff announced today.

The private company’s board of directors and its shareholders, who are all relatives of founder Les Schwab, decided to seek new ownership for the company.

They made the decision from a position of strength and based on the realities of being a family-owned business with five generations of family members.

“This company is strong,” Cuniff said. “We believe this is the best way to honor Les’ vision for the company and stores and support growth

Chief photo

and innovation. Our owners are responsible stewards, and this decision was made after much consideration. It was not made lightly.”

The Schwab family shareholders said in a joint statement: “Given the complexities of a fifth-generation family business, and managing a com-

pany of our size, we are at an important point in the life of Les Schwab Tire Centers. As our family grows and ages, it is increasingly critical to us that ownership remain committed and aligned behind our Grandfather’s vision.

“After careful review and a lot of consideration, we concluded a new ownership group will help ensure future opportunity for our wonderful employees and secure continued success for the company as it grows. We believe a new owner – one with deep experience and resources – will carry forward the Les Schwab vision far into the future.

Known for its great value and high-quality products, innovative business practices and outstanding customer service, Les Schwab is a strong brand with deep local ties in the communities it serves.

The company has a track record of living the ideals embraced by its founder, who started the company in 1952.

Its stores are fixtures in hundreds of communities in 10 states across the West, where they sponsor youth activities and other local events.

The company has hired Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. to represent Les Schwab in the sales process, which is expected to take several months.

•Area Churches••

•

CLATSKANIE

Clatskanie Baptist Church 415 South Nehalem St., 503-728-2304 Senior Pastor Kirk Bennett Clatskanie Presbyterian Church 215 South Nehalem Street Clatskanie, OR 97016 Phone: 503-728-2300 Clatskanie Presbyterian Church is a community of Christian faith that expresses a relationship with God, and the Holy Spirit for everyone individually and collectively.

Sunday Jan. 5, 2020 Pastor: Erik Huget Old Testament Reading: Psalm 147: 12-20 New Testament Reading: Ephesians 1: 3-14 Sermon Title: Review, Refresh and Recommit Adult Bible Study on Sunday at 9:15 a.m. in the Fireside room Mayger-Downing Community Church 80071 Life Lane, 503-728-2305 Pastor John Thomas St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 100 SW High Street 503-556-5641 Great Vow Zen Monastery 79640 Quincy-Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016 Sunday Morning Program 10am 503-728-0654 Faith Lutheran Church 1010 5th Street, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016. 503-728-4604 Pastor - Mary Anthony

RAINIER

Alston’s Corner Assembly of God 25272 Alston Rd. 503-556-1961 Pastor Steve Berry Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin 204 C St., E Rainier 503-556-5641 Rainier Assembly of God 74950 Rock Crest St., 503-556-8211 Pastor Jeff McCraken Rainier Community Church of God 321 W C St., Rainier, 503-556-5661 Rainier United Methodist Church Corner of 1st & ‘C’ St., 503-556-3440 Pastor Michele Holloway Riverside Community Church 305 West C Street, Rainier 503-556-1216; Pastor Paul Rice Columbia Bible Church 10:30 a.m. Sunday 407 East Second St. Rainier, OR 97016 Robert Klukas 360-501-4060 Heritage Bible Church, Rainier Senior Center, 48 W 7th St., Rainier, Oregon 97048

ST. HELENS

Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church 1911 Columbia Blvd., 503-312-1072 Pastor Burkhardt Calvary Lutheran Church 58251 Division Rd., St. Helens 503-397-1739 Pastor: Mark Dennis Columbia River Foursquare Church 555 Commons Drive, St. Helens 503-397-0069 Senior Pastor Mike Cooke Christ Episcopal Church 35350 E. Division Rd., St. Helens 503-397-1033 Rev. Jaime Sanders Columbia Christian Center

235 S 15th St., 503-366-8028 Pastor Terry Luttrell St. Helens Community Bible Church 35031 Millard Rd., St. Helens Pastor Max Snook www.sthelensbiblechurch.org Christian Church 185 S. 12th St., St. Helens 503-397-2151 Pastor Justin Bruner First Lutheran Church 360 Wyeth St. 503-397-0090 Interim Pastor Randy Sinn First United Methodist Church 560 Columbia Blvd., 503-397-0061 Pastor Jared Maddox Plymouth Presbyterian Church 2615 Sykes Rd., 503-397-0062 Pastor David Hutchinson St. Frederic Catholic Church 175 S. 13th St., 503-397-0148 Father Nicolaus Marandu The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 2755 Sykes Road, St. Helens St. Helens 1st Ward Bishop Kent Dery 971-225-8727 St. Helens 2nd Ward Bishop Paul Erickson 971-8134000 Scappoose Ward Bishop Lorin Fielding 503-987-2179 Sunset Park Community Church 174 Sunset Blvd, St Helens Pastor Aaron Hiller St. Helens Church of Christ 295 S. 18th St., St. Helens Pastor Ivan Bissell 503-366-0967

SCAPPOOSE

Grace Lutheran Church 51737 Columbia River Hwy., Scappoose 503-543-6555 Joshua Wiley Scappoose Foursquare Church 33404 SW JP West, Scappoose 503-543-5069 Pastor Daniel Schmoll St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church 51555 SW Old Port Rd., Scappoose 503-543-2110 Chuck Wood

WARREN

Bethany Lutheran Church 34721 Church Rd., Warren 503-397-2050, Ingrid Aderhold Grace Baptist Church 58690 Ross Rd., Warren 503-397-0405 Pastor Dean Christensen Warren Baptist Church 56799 Columbia River Highway, 503-397-1005 Pastor Randy Thomas Warren Community Fellowship 56523 Columbia River Highway, 503-397-4387 Pastor Cary Wacker

VERNONIA

Nehalem Valley Bible Church 500 North St., 503-429-5378 Pastor Gary Taylor Vernonia Christian Church 410 North St. 503-429-6522 Pastor Sam Hough St. Mary’s Catholic Church 960 Missouri Ave., 503-429-8841 Father Dale Waddil, Father Luan Tran

GOBLE

Cornerstone Baptist Church 70024 Goble Rd. 360-562-6201 Pastor Fred Mathews

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Friday, January 3, 2020

Weekly Online Poll Are you satisfied with the Columbia County Sheriff’s law enforcement coverage in Clatskanie?

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Last Week’s Results How will you ring in the New Year?

25% Dinner and champagne 35% A good movie 40% Taking a nap

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CRIME

From Page A1 people, vehicles • Traffic Complaints • Harassments / Threats • Domestic Disturbances • Disturbance / Fights The Chief: Describe the services currently offered at Clatskanie by your office and why those specific services?

(How many deputies/patrol frequency, ect).

Pixley: Here are some of the services we offer: • We offer CHL renewals / Child Fingerprint kits periodically throughout the year • Community Events • Policing services

• Patrols in the schools as we are able • Safety talks with children in schools The Chief: What is the future of law enforcement in Clastskanie and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office role in that future? Expansion? If so in what way?

Pixley: The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) took over Policing services in Clatskanie in 2016. When I look at reports generated by CCOM and the 2017 CCSO/Clatskanie Annual Report, it is evident the number of calls for service (CFS) grew substantially from Clatskanie Police Department’s last year – CCSO’s first year contract-

•

ing with the city 1,702 CFS (2015-2016 – CPD) to 2,234 CFS (1/17 – 12/17 – CCSO).

The number of traffic stops has increased dramatically (113 in 2015-2016 to 1357 in 2018–2019).

In fiscal year 2017–2018, CCSO handled 3,685 calls for service in Clatskanie.

Clatskanie pays for 85 percent of one deputy who works a 12 hour shift, seven days per week as well as 25 percent of a supervisor position. This fiscal year, the Clatskanie City Council approved another half time position with CCSO. In addition to the paid positions, Clatskanie patrol is supplemented with other deputies who are not paid through the Clatskanie contract. We have also engaged the schools to

try to add a partial School Resource Officer (SRO) for both Clatskanie and Rainier schools. The city of Clatskanie pays CCSO roughly $350,000 per year that covers the costs listed above as well as gas, overtime, administrative costs, etc.

I hope to continue to expand our relationship with the city of Clatskanie as well as CCSO’s footprint within the city.

The Chief: As Sheriff, what are your recommendations to residents and business operators in Clatskanie to help protect themselves and their property from crime?

Pixley: The following are a few easy ways to help deter

property crimes in your area.

• Using Security Alarm Systems • Add lights to your property / house or business • Get to know your neighbors • Alert LE when you are going to be away from home for an extended period of time so we can conduct targeted premise checks • Shred any documents with personally identifiable information • Lock doors and windows when you leave • Secure valuables inside locked containers, if possible • Form a neighborhood watch The Chief: Feel free to add any other comments you might have.

Pixley: I believe the relationship that has been forged between CCSO and the city of Clatskanie has improved law enforcement presence and services to the residents of Clatskanie and I hope to see that relationship continue to grow in the coming years.

The city pays for 85 percent of the positions so that we are able to conduct proactive patrols in the county areas around Clatskanie and help stop crimes before they make it into the city. We have a representative at the Clatskanie City Council meetings to answer any questions posed by citizens as well as the city government.

To reach Sheriff Brian Pixley, call 503-366-4611.

•C rossword P uzzle • • STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: BEST-SELLING AUTHORS

ACROSS 1. Fresh talk 5. Jet follower 8. Sherlock Holmes’ assignment 12. U in I.C.U. 13. Tiny river 14. Fires 15. Weather ____ 16. *”How to Make an American Quilt” author 17. Distinguishing feature 18. *Master of legal thriller 20. “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” singer 21. Keyboard key 22. G, in solfa 23. *Master of Western fiction 26. Flavorful rice dish, pl.

30. Former name of Tokyo 31. Broadcasting devices 34. Whiskey without water 35. Dried fruit and spices, in a pie 37. Member of Shoshonean people 38. Discombobulate 39. Drawn to light Answers to crossword on A5

40. Young traveler’s inn 42. “____ it or lose it!”

43. Hindu spiritual retreat, pl.

45. Chase away 47. Philosophical system 48. Single-cell protozoan 50. Home on a limb 52. *James Bond creator 54. Cafe option 55. Site of Taj Mahal 56. First queen of Carthage 59. Goes up or down 60. Jiffs 61. What accomplices do 62. 2 aspirin, e.g.

63. Old college one 64. Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday DOWN 1. Blazer or Explorer 2. Baptist leader?

3. *”I ____ The Body Electric” by Whitman or Bradbury 4. Sound setup 5. Like a ballerina 6. “I do” spot 7. Thieve 8. *Master of romance and particularly prolific 9. Palm tree berry 10. Sleigh runners 11. Is, in Paris 13. Podium 14. Counter seat

19. Habituate 22. Female sib 23. Helping theorem 24. Bye, in Castile 25. Calendar unit of time 26. *William Shakespeare or Dr. Seuss 27. Sick and tired 28. Wrong answer adjective 29. *Her every novel was a best-seller 32. Abbott and Costello, Rocky and Bullwinkle, etc.

33. “____ all fun and games...”

36. *Master of detective novel 38. “My wife can vouch for me,” e.g.

40. Expression of doubt 41. Swellings 44. Daisy-like bloom 46. Summer shoe 48. *Master of the dime novel 49. Bryan Stevenson’s “Just ____” 50. Brussels’ org.

51. JFK or ORD postings 52. Like Usain Bolt 53. Hurtful remark 54. Dropped drug 57. Bear’s hibernation place 58. Pro baseball’s “Master Melvin”

The Chief

The Chief (USPS 116-360) is published weekly by Country Media, Inc. 148 N. Nehalem St., P.O. Box 8 Clatskanie, Oregon 97016 Periodicals postage paid at Clatskanie, OR 97016

Write to Us We want to hear from you and encourage you to write letters to the editor.

Because of space limitations, shorter letters have a better chance of being printed. We may edit your letter for style, grammar and clarity, although we do as little editing as possible. If you don’t want your letter printed under those conditions, just let us know. Thank-you letters are limited to a general thanks and summary of an issue or action. We reserve the right to exclude lists of people, organizations and businesses. Letters received after noon on Friday may not be in time for the following Wednesday’s paper. To verify authenticity, all letters must be signed and include your address and daytime phone number. We won’t print your street address or phone number (just your city of residence). Submissions may be emailed to chiefnews@countrymedia.net, sent via mail, or dropped off at the office.

Send Letters To: The Chief Attn: News Editor PO Box 8, Clatskanie, OR 97016 Email Letters To: chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Letters Policy The Chief welcomes letters of 250 words or fewer. Letters are subject to editing for length, clarity or grammar. They should be concise, to the point and original. Letters dealing with disputes or containing criticism of private individuals or businesses will not be published. All letters must be signed (unless emailed) and include the author’s full name, address and daytime telephone number (for verification purposes only).

Letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Letters also may be published on our website.

Obituaries Obituaries received after noon on Wednesday may not be in time for that Friday’s paper. Obituaries may be emailed to chiefnews@ countrymedia.net, sent via mail, or dropped off at the office. We also accept obituaries written by funeral homes. Include the address and daytime phone number of the person who submitted the obituary, so we can verify information as necessary.

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Friday, January 3, 2020

•

•C ommunity C alendar • •

Mondays: • Oregon Hunters Association Columbia County Chapter membership meetings are held the second Monday of each month at the Kozy Korner Restaurant in St. Helens.

Meetings start at 7 p.m. or come early at 6:30 p.m. for some good food and visiting.

• Community Action Team Board of Directors meetings take place on the fourth Monday of every month unless the meeting would fall on a holiday, from 2 – 4 p.m. in the CAT boardroom, 125 N. 17th St., St. Helens.

• The American Legion Post 68 meets the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Legion Hall, 930 SE 5th St., Clatskanie.

Tuesdays: • The VFW meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at 960 SW 5th St., Clatskanie.

• The Columbia County Law Library will be holding Court Forms Clinics every Tuesday from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. (weather permitting). Get help filling our court forms commonly used in the Columbia County courthouse. The forms are free and the clinic is free. Sign up is required and is available at the courthouse Mon. – Fri. from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or at the Law Library Tuesdays

and Thursdays from 11 a.m.

– 3 p.m. 270 S. First St., St. Helens. Questions: 503-3965344 or ccll@columbiacll.org or davis12000@aol.com.

Wednesdays: • Rotary Club of Columbia County – St. Helens meeting is held at the Warren Country Inn at 12 p.m. For more information, call 503-397-2341.

• Columbia SWCD meets the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., 35285 Millard Rd., St. Helens. December’s meeting will be held at 6 p.m.

• Lawyer in the Law Library is a series of talks about common legal problems.

Meeting are on the second Wednesday of each month from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. A lawyer will provide basic information and answer your questions about the topic of the evening.

Columbia County Law Library, 270 S. First St., St. Helens.

Call 503-396-5344 with questions.

• Port of Columbia County Board of Commissioners hold meetings at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Port of Columbia County office, 100 E St., Columbia City.

Thursdays: • The Veterans breakfast is held the first Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. at the

Legion Hall, 930 SE 5th St., Clatskanie.

• The regular monthly Rainier Chamber of Commerce meeting is held on the second Thursday of every month at 12 p.m. at the United Methodist Church. Lunch is provided for a suggested $6 donation.

Fridays: • Veteran’s Breakfast at the Village Inn in the Banquet Room the first Friday of every month. Doors open at 7 a.m. and the meeting starts at 8 a.m. Guest speakers will discuss topics that are important to local Veterans and their families. All veterans are welcome to attend.

Saturdays: • NAMI Columbia County Support Group, National Alliance on Mental Illness, meets on the second Saturday of every month from 12 p.m.

– 2 p.m. at the Elks Veterans Bunker, 125 S. 13th St., St Helens, Oregon. For more information, contact Judy Thompson 503-397-6056 or contact NAMI Oregon at 503230-8009.

• The Rainier Historical Museum is open every Saturday from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

It is located inside Rainier City Hall. Please enter the side entrance and take the elevator to the 3rd floor.

CenturyLink to refund $672,000 to Oregonians Oregon has reached a $4 million settlement with global telecommunications company CenturyLink.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced the action in a release Tuesday, Dec. 31, stating that CenturyLink had engaged in deceptive advertising by door-to-door salespeople, deceptive billing practices, undisclosed fees, and failing to apply promised discounts to customer accounts.

Since 2014, Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) has received more than 1,200 consumer complaints about CenturyLink.

The telecommunications company offers services in Clatskanie and St. Helens, as well as in the Portland area and Willamette Valley.

As part of the settlement, CenturyLink also will refund $672,000 to 8,212 Oregonians who were overcharged for their services, or did not receive the promised discount. The impacted Oregon consumers will be contracted by CenturyLink directly, but any consumers with questions can contact the Oregon Attorney General’s Consumer hotline at 877-877-9392.

“Purchasing internet, phone service and cable is confusing enough without false promises, and confusing prices and fees,” Rosenblum said. “Today’s settlement sends a clear message that hidden fees and other forms of unfair and deceptive business practices will

•

not be tolerated in Oregon.”

Specifically, Oregon consumers complained that CenturyLink charged more than the promised price, or they received multiple bills each month for different amounts, were billed for services after they had cancelled the service, or were billed for modems before they were installed.

Consumers also complained about the quality of service, Internet speed that was much slower than what was promised, or Inernet service so slow that it was unusable.

Under the settlement, which was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, CenturyLink must: • Stop charging new customers the “Internet Cost Recovery Fee”, a fee that was not always previously disclosed to consumers until they received their first bill.

• Stop charging a “Broadband Cost Recovery Fee”.

• Allow current customers to have an opportunity to transition to another plan without the fee.

• Clearly disclose all mandatory fees and charges in future advertisements.

• Stop charging cancellation and unreturned equipment fees if they are not disclosed at the time of sale.

In February 2014, Oregon DOJ opened an investigation of CenturyLink in response to over 1,000 consumer complaints, including complaints about the company misrepresenting the price of services,

•C rossword

failing to inform consumers of terms and conditions that could affect the price, and billing consumers for services they never received.

In 2018, complaints about telecommunication services topped Oregon DOJ’s top 10 consumer complaints.

The Chief contacted CenturyLink for a response to the DOJ settlement. The following is the company’s reply.

“We have appreciated the on-going and productive dialogue with the Oregon Attorney General’s Office.

While we disagree with the Attorney General’s position, we believe it is in the best interests of our company and our customers to amicably resolve these matters.

Toward that end, CenturyLink has entered into an assurance of voluntary compliance to settle disputed claims and avoid the distraction and costs of litigation.

CenturyLink looks forward to continuing to serve its Oregon customers consistent with the company’s unifying principles of fairness, honesty and integrity.”

Oregon DOJ will continue to lead a separate securities class action lawsuit arising from the same conduct.

Rosenblum asks any Oregonian who believes they have received bills that include undisclosed fees to file a consumer complaint, or contact the Attorney General Consumer Hotline.

answers • •

A5

•

•O bituaries • • Geraldine Wilson

July 12, 1932 ~ Dec. 23, 2019 On December 23, 2019, Geraldine Helen Wilson joined her father, mother, sisters and brothers in heaven. Her loving husband of 70 years and her family surrounded her during her passing.

Geri was a strong woman of faith and attended Faith Family Christian Center in Longview, Washington.

Always faithful in her prayers and reading of her Bible even on the day of her passing.

Geraldine (Geri) Helen (Bergerson) Wilson was born on July 12, 1932 on the family homestead in Biddle, Montana. She was the second youngest of five children. Born to Bror and Carrie Bergerson, she grew up riding horses and eating her mom’s legendary cinnamon rolls. In sixth grade, Keith Wilson stuck her pigtails into the ink well on his desk to get her attention.

Once Keith tasted those fabulous cinnamon rolls, Geri knew she had competition to gain his attention back.

Keith and Geri eloped on August 13, 1949. Geri would say, “They told us that it would not last, guess they didn’t know what they were talking about.” Keith and Geri celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this summer with friends and family.

They started their life together in Miles City, Montana. There they had three children, Rosalie, Patrick and Clarence. Later they moved to Bozeman, Montana where Geri supported Keith as he completed his college education to become a teacher. Their youngest daughter Martie was born during their college years. In 1967, Geri decided that she had enough

of Montana winters and filled out an application for Keith to teach in Clatskanie, Oregon. Keith came home one day to find a representative from 5J School District waiting on the steps to interview him. Geri would not let Mr. Jones in the house as she didn’t know who he was at the time. Keith did not know Geri had applied for him.

The family moved to Clatskanie, Oregon and found what became their home for 51 years. Geri loved what the family farm offered her. She cherished taking care of her family, gardening, planting flowers, especially Dalias and having tea in her beloved tea cups with family and friends. Geri was an amazing woman as her kids knew no boundaries and brought almost every animal that resided on the farm into the house. Sheep, cows, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks, cats, and dogs roamed the hallway of the house, with Geri cleaning behind them. The farm was labeled “Wilson’s Funny Farm” based on the antics of The Wilson’s.

Geri spent eighteen years as one of the key people running payroll for Crown Zellerbach. She retired in 1986. Keith and

Geri always had a love for travel and adventure. They traveled together across the United States, Canada, Peru, Costa Rica and Bolivia. After retirement they became snowbirds and resided in Ajo, Arizona in the winter for the last 28 years.

Keith loved the beauty that rocks had in the ground, Geri loved the beauty they brought to the jewelry Keith made for her. They became lifelong members of the Southwest Washington Mineralogical Society.

Through the years, Rock Club became a tradition in the family with Rock Club weekend a family outing for all of the generations.

With the birth of her eldest granddaughter, Geri transitioned to Grandma DeeDee. The role she once said was the most wonderful role of her life. Many of the subsequent grandchildren had to ask her legal name as they only knew her as Grandma DeeDee. She loved babies and had a rock that put babies to sleep when no one else could. It was nicknamed the Grandma DeeDee rock.

Geraldine is survived by her husband Keith Wilson of Clatskanie, Oregon; four children, Rosalie (Wilson) and Dwain Zimmerman of Mesa, Arizona, Patrick and Betsy Wilson of Redmond, Washington, Clarence and Carolyn Wilson of Longview, Washington, and Martie (Wilson) and John Moore of Chicago, Ilinois.

She was blessed with nine grandchildren; 15 greatgrandchildren; one, soon to be two great-great grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be May 16, 2020 when the flowers on the farm are blooming.

Howard Michael Behrend Sept. 21, 1956 ~ Dec. 28, 2019

Howard Michael Behrend of Westport, Oregon passed away at home on Dec. 28, 2019. He was 63 years old.

He was born in Longview, Washington on Sept. 21, 1956. He attended local schools and graduated from Clatskanie High School in 1975. Mike worked at RSG mill in Kalama, Washington for many years and also at Stimson Lumber in Clatskanie. Most recently he worked at Westmart Shell.

He enjoyed spending time outdoors hunting and especially fishing. He will always be remembered for his joking manner and gen-

erosity for helping anyone in need.

He is survived by his mother Hattie S. Behrend

of Clatskanie; brother Edward (Melissa) Behrend of Clatskanie; sister Deborah Mueller of Longview, Washington; nephews Jeremy (Ashley) Behrend, Joshua (Shauna) Behrend all of Longview, Washington; niece Heidi (Tyler) Wayne of Paris, France; two great nephews; and one great niece all of Longview, Washington.

He was preceded in death by his brother Lawrence Behrend of Westport; father Howard C. Behrend of Clatskanie.

A memorial service will be planned at a later date.

Alice Marie Puzey

Sept. 18, 1932 ~ Dec. 18, 2019 Longtime Clatskanie resident, Alice Marie Puzey 87, passed away on Dec. 18, 2019 at Community Home Health & Hospice in Longview. She was born to Roy Smith and Clara Chapman-Smith on Sept. 18, 1932 in Pleasant Hill, Missouri.

In 1947, her sophomore year of high school, Alice moved from Clinton, Missouri to Clatskanie with her family. She married Ronald Puzey on June 10, 1961.

They had two sons, Craig Jerome Puzey and Kevin Ronald Puzey. After working thirteen years at the Beaver Army Terminal at Port Westward and seven years for Columbia School District 5J in the District Office, Alice retired from Portland General Electric in 1992 after 14 years of service.

Alice loved to entertain and serve family and friends. She will always be remembered for her kindness, gentle spirit and her smile. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She

enjoyed being around people and supporting the local sports teams, especially the basketball teams that husband Ron coached. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church and loved to cook and serve others. Family was her passion and she was fortunate to have so many family members close to her.

Alice was happily married to Ron for over 57 years, until Ron’s passing in March 2019.

She is preceded in death by her father Roy Smith; mother Clara Smith-Per-

shing; brother Jack Smith; sister Connie Reed; and husband Ron Puzey.

She is survived by her sister Ruth Pillar of Longview; son Craig Puzey of Clatskanie, son Kevin Puzey of Lake Stevens, Washington; granddaughters Stephanie (Puzey) Harrott and Nicole (Puzey) Wolbert; grandsons Tyler Puzey and Colten Puzey; and great-grandsons Ryker and Logan Wolbert and Tanner Harrott.

A service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sat., Jan. 18, 2020 at the Clatskanie Cultural Center. A reception and light luncheon will follow.

Donations in memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the Hospice Care Center. Donations to the Alzheimer’s Association should be made payable to “Alzheimer’s Association” and mailed to: 1650 NW Naito Pkwy, Suite 190, Portland, OR 97209. Donations to the Hospice Care Center can be mailed to: PO Box 2067, Longview, WA 98632 or online at www.chhh.org.

Get your obituary in The Chief Email us at chiefnews@countrymedia.net or call 503-728-3350

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A6

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Friday, January 3, 2020

Marketplace

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Listings are updated daily at www.thechiefnews.com 150

311

Misc Services

Announcements

Paul’s Tree Service Inc. No bush too small, no tree too tall - Call Paul! Specialized in danger trees, take downs, storm clean-up.

Time to prune - pruning Lace Leafed Maples & ornamental shrubberies, chipping, senior or veterans discount, free estimates.

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NOW OPEN Clatskanie Tan LLC. Located 133 SW 2nd Street Clatskanie.

Next door to Hair Place.

Call for appointment 503-7919664.

Walk-ins welcome.

Also looking for nail tech for salon. Call for more information.

Please recycle paper after use

Need a job? check the classifieds online at www.thechiefnews.com to find your perfect job offer

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We are a family owned small business based out of St. Helens and proud supporters of Columbia County

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Email: sheena@grasshopperenterprise.com.

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Public Notices PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

CC19-1158

CC19-1155

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 RANDY DUANE JENNINGS, Deceased. No. 19PB09483 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 first publication of this notice to the personal representative at P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048, 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 January 3, 2020. Jade M. Jennings, Personal Representative.

STEPEHN D. PETERSEN, L.L.C. Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048.

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of MARTHA SUE DAVIS, Deceased. No. 19PB09283 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 first publication of this notice to the personal representative at P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048, 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 December 27, 2019. Debra Kaye White, Personal Representative.

STEPHEN D. PETERSEN, L.L.C. Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048.

CC19-1132

CC19-1156

Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District MEETING NOTICE The regular meeting of the Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District board of directors will be held on, Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 7:00pm at 555 SW Bryant St, Clatskanie, OR, Port of

Columbia County Offices (the Old Middle School).

Items on the agenda, but not limited to: Updates on daily Fire and EMS operations.

Board President, Robert Keyser

CC19-1157

Rainier Cemetery District MEETING NOTICE The regular meeting of the Rainier Cemetery District will be held on Monday, January 13, 2020, at 5:00pm at the Rainier Cemetery Office, 24952 Alston Rd,

Rainier, OR. Items on the agenda include, but are not limited to: Monthly updates on cemetery operations.

Tomey Greer, Board Chairman

CC19-1146

LOCAL WORK GROUP AND PUBLIC INPUT MEETING NOTICE Columbia County Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Local Work Group and Public Input Meeting When: January 22, 2020 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Location: USDA Service Center – NRCS –35285 Millard Road, St. Helens, OR 97051. The purpose of the meeting is to receive public input from farmers, ranchers, foresters, agencies, and

groups to help guide the conservation efforts of the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Columbia County. To request accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact Don Mehlhoff with the USDANRCS at (503) 438-3146

by January 14, 2020.

The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

CC19-1159

CITY OF CLATSKANIE CLATSKANIE CITY COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE The Clatskanie City Council will meet for a regular meeting on Wednesday, Jan 8th 2020 @ 7:00 PM in the Clatskanie City Hall Council Chambers, (2nd floor), 75 S. Nehalem St. Agenda items include, but

are not limited to: Approval of the minutes of the Dec. 4th, 2019 regular meeting: Presentation on Wastewater Treatment Facility Plan.

An updated agenda will be available at City Hall by Jan. 3rd, 2020.

TS No. OR07000141-19-1 APN 24851 TO No 191130963-OR-MSI TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE Reference is made to that certain Trust Deed made by, WANDA SMITH as Grantor to TICOR TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY as Trustee, in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., as designated nominee for EAGLE HOME MORTGAGE, LLC, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, Beneficiary of the security instrument, its successors and assigns, dated as of October 21, 2011 and recorded on October 25, 2011 as Instrument No. 2011-007899 and the beneficial interest was assigned to EAGLE HOME MORTGAGE, LLC and recorded October 25, 2019 as Instrument Number 201908931 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Columbia County, Oregon to-wit: APN: 24851 THAT PORTION OF THE NORTH HALF OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 10, TOWNSHIP 5 NORTH, RANGE 4 WEST OF THE WILLAMETTE MERIDIAN, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON, LYING NORTHEASTERLY OF THE NEHALEM RIVER AND WHICH LIES WESTERLY OF THAT TRACT CONVEYED TO EDGAR A. CUMMINGS ET AL BY DEED RECORDED JUNE 27, 1968 IN BOOK 169, PAGE 733 DEED RECORDS OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON. EXCEPTING THEREFROM THAT PORTION, IF ANY, OF THE CLARK AND WILSON LUMBER

COMPANY RAILROAD COMPANY DESCRIBED IN DEED FROM NOBLE DUNLAP TO THE CLARK AND WILSON LUMBER COMPANY OF DELAWARE RECORDED MAY 5, 1932 IN BOOK 54, PAGE 247, DEED RECORDS OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON. TOGETHER WITH THE NON-EXCLUSIVE EASEMENTS DESCRIBED IN DOCUMENTS RECORDED FEBRUARY 22, 1971 IN BOOK 180, PAGE 326, DEED RECORDS OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON AND IN A DEED RECORDED AUGUST 11, 1992, INSTRUMENT NO. 92-5765 AND IN DEED RECORDED AUGUST 11, 1992, INSTRUMENT NO. 92-5766, OFFICIAL RECORDS OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON. Commonly known as: 64511 NEHALEM HWY NORTH, VERNONIA, OR 97064 Both the Beneficiary, Eagle Home Mortgage, 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): 6 Monthly Payment(s) from 06/01/2019 to 11/01/2019 at $2,160.39 Monthly Late Charge(s): 1 Monthly Late Charge(s) 11/13/2019 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 $139,404.34 together with interest thereon at the rate of 4.50000 percent per annum from May 1, 2019 until paid; plus all accrued late charges thereon; and all Trustee’s fees, foreclosure costs and any sums advanced by the Beneficiary pursuant to the terms of said Trust Deed.

Wherefore, notice is hereby given that, the undersigned Trustee will on March 30, 2020 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 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 default 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: 11/13/2019 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 949-252-8300Order Number 66597, Pub Dates: 12/27/2019, 01/03/2020, 01/10/2020, 01/17/2020, THE CLATSKANIE CHIEF

The Public Notice deadline is Wednesdays by noon.

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

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Friday, January 3, 2020

A7

New Year, new state laws MAX KIRKENDALL

SB 861 Provides for prepaid postage on ballots, allowing Oregonians to vote by mail without paying for a stamp starting in 2020.

newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net

Oregon will see new laws in place on Jan. 1, including a ban on grocery store plastic bags, forcing Clatskanie shoppers, and those across the state, to use alternative ways to carry out their purchases.

As the 2019 Oregon Legislative session ended, hundreds of new laws were on the books. Here’s a list of a few notable changes that Oregonians should be aware of.

SB 9 Allow pharmacists to prescribe emergency refills of insulin and related supplies instead of requiring patients who run out to wait for their doctor’s office to open to get a new prescription.

HB 2015 Allows an undocumented immigrant to obtain driver’s licenses. However, those who can’t provide documentation of citizenship will not be eligible to vote.

HB 2509 Bans stores and restaurants from providing singleuse plastic bags at checkout, and requires them to charge at least five cents per bag if they provide paper or other alternatives.

SB 90 Prohibits restaurants from giving customers single-use plastic straws unless the customer specifically requests one, effective immediately.

SB 3 Allows community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees. Colleges would have to gain approval for each program through the Higher Education Coordinating Committee by showing that the program would address a workforce need not being met.

SB 320 Would allow Oregon to stay on daylight savings time year-round, but only if the federal government passes a law allowing the switch.

Washington and California

Courtesy photo

One of the new Oregon laws allows a bicyclist to yield or roll through, rather than come to a full stop, at stop signs and traffic signals.

also must agree to switch.

The bill would exempt the portion of Eastern Oregon that operates on Mountain Time.

HB 2005 Sets up a system for paid family leave in which Oregon workers can take off up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child or sick family member, or to recover from a serious illness or domestic violence. The leave would be paid for by a state insurance fund that employers and employees would contrib-

ute less than one percent of their paycheck to, similar to worker’s compensation.

Employers with fewer than 25 employees will not have to pay into the fund but their employees will still be eligible to apply for compensation during their leave of absence. The state will begin collecting funds in 2022 and employees will be able to begin collecting benefits in 2023.

SB 608 Caps annual rent increases at seven percent plus the

File photo

Oregon law now bans stores and restaurants from providing singleuse plastic bags at checkout, and requires them to charge at least five cents per bag if they provide paper or other alternatives.

change in consumer price index. The bill, which took effect upon passage, also prohibits landlords from evicting month-to-month renters without cause after 12 months of residency.

HB 2393 Strengthens Oregon’s ‘revenge porn’ laws by making it a crime to distribute intimate photos or videos of a person without their consent.

Previously the law only covered posting such content to a website, but now includes other methods of electronic

HB 3216 Allows a person to sue anyone who ‘summons a police officer’ as a way to discriminate against someone or cause them to feel harassed or embarrassed, infringe on the person’s rights or expel them from a place where they are lawfully located.

dissemination such as text message, email and apps. It allows victims to sue for up to $5,000 in damages.

SB 998 Allows a bicyclist to yield or roll through, rather than come to a full stop, at stop signs and traffic signals.

HB 2328 Will make it easier for police to put car thieves behind bars. A 2014 court decision meant that prosecutors have had to prove that a person had knowledge the vehicle they were driving was stolen.

Now, they merely have to show the person disregarded a ‘substantial and unjustifiable risk’ that the vehicle might be stolen.

SB 870 Adds Oregon to the National Popular Vote Compact. States belonging to the compact agree to award their Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote instead of the winner of their state. The compact will take effect once states representing 270 Electoral College votes join. Oregon brings the total to 196 votes.

Offbeat Oregon History: Astoria, San Francisco were once the Detroit of the marine-engine industry

Courtesy photo

This postcard image shows the Astoria fishing fleet, around the turn of the century, in their old double-ender sail-powered boats.

Chief guest column by FINN J.D. JOHN

Between 1908 and 1911, something happened that almost certainly saved hundreds of men from drowning on the Columbia River Bar. The salmon canneries in Astoria started fitting their gillnet fishing fleets with small gasoline engines.

At the time, the mainstay of the Astoria gill-net fishing fleet was a picturesque double-ended lapstrake design, developed by a California man named J.J. Griffin in 1866 for use on the Sacramento River. They were 24 to 30 feet long, 7 to 8 feet wide, sloop-rigged with broad gaff-rigged sails on a relatively short mast. This design quickly caught on and became very famous and popular on river fisheries all up and down the West Coast.

Columbia River gill-net boats were designed to be at their very best when running “wing and wing” before the wind … and the lives of their crews — two men per boat — often depended on their being able to do just that.

The wind usually blew straight up the river from the sea. This was very convenient, because the way one fished with a gill-net rig was to get set up near the river mouth and drift seaward with the tide, nets out and filling with fish the whole time.

Then, when the tide turned, it would naturally start pushing the whole works back up the river; when that happened, the fishermen would pull up their nets, ship their catch, and deploy the sails to get back to Astoria with the goods.

Of course, not all the

gillnetting was done close to the bar. Some fishermen did just fine drifting with their nets far back from the river’s mouth. But that’s not where the best fishing was. The very best fishing was right at the mouth of the river, where the water runs shallow and fast and the nets can reach almost all the way to the bottom.

The closer to the bar you got, the better the fishing became.

So the fishermen had a strong incentive to deploy their nets as close to the bar as they safely could.

The trouble came when the fishermen misjudged, and cut it too close. The danger was that the fast-ebbing tide would sweep them out onto the bar, where massive and seemingly random 40-foot breakers waited to drop walls of green water on them.

When that happened, the fishermen would be warned by the feel of the fish caught in the net striking the bottom of the river. When that happened, they had from zero to three minutes in which to cut their nets loose, unship their oars, deploy those sails, and run upstream into the teeth of the seven-knot current with all the desperate haste they could muster.

All too often, it wasn’t enough, and they found themselves swept onto the bar and drowned.

Things were at their very worst in the spring of 1880, when especially high river levels extended the ebb tide and a pair of huge clear-sky windstorms caught boats out on the river with nets out.

That year, one out of every 15 fishermen on the river drowned on the bar.

Things got better after the canneries started using small steamers to tow the fish boats

This painting shows an old “bowpicker” gillnetting boat on blocks by the river.

Photo: Oregon Historical Quarterly

A page from the Union Gas Engine Co.’s 1913 catalog shows the company’s one- and two-cylinder offerings.

out onto the river and bring them back again. But there was still that moment, when the crew of the farthest-out boat started feeling the fish strike the bottom, when the only thing that could save them — if anything could — was power and speed.

And that’s what the fish boats got, starting around 1908, when the owners started putting West Coast gasoline engines in them.

The engines that went

into these old-school boats were slow, heavy, primitive, and built in one of several factories in San Francisco. In fact, until the mid-1930s San Francisco Bay was the Detroit of the marine-engine industry; the Union Gas Engine Company, est. 1885, was one of the very first manufacturers of gasoline engines of any kind in the U.S. These engines were installed on the open floorboards of the boats, uncov-

ered. There were one- and two-cylinder models, ranging from four to 40 horsepower.

Like an old John Deere tractor, they used a heavy flywheel to carry the momentum from one “pop” to the next, and they ran at very slow speeds — 350 to 500 revolutions per minute. But they made vast amounts of torque, so they could be fitted with enormous propellers — 24 inches was typical — and moved a lot of water when they were running flat-out.

These old engines were much too primitive to have starter mechanisms or generators — or even magnetos.

Each one came with a box of six ceramic jars and lids which the owner would fill with battery solution, and they provided the electricity for the engine’s ignition. To start one, a fisherman would open a little petcock on top of the engine and squirt in a little gasoline to prime it; then, he would pull a compression-let-off lever, retard the spark, grab the flywheel, and give it a leftward spin.

Once the thing had fired two or three times, the fisherman would return the compression-let-off lever, advance the spark, throw out the clutch, and be on his way.

It sounds complicated, but in practice it’s really not.

Throughout the 1910s and 1920s — the high point of gillnet-fishing culture on the Columbia, before Grand Coulee Dam delivered its death-blow to the river’s salmon fishery — this was how it was done.

But when people talk about “gillnetter boats” today, they almost always mean a different kind of boat entirely — the one that replaced the old double-enders

Photo: Leland John

starting in the late 1920s.

These were the squarebacked models known as “Bowpickers.”

Bowpickers didn’t even give a nod to the old days of sail. They look somewhat like cabin cruisers, with a high-up steering station and a deckhouse covering the motor. And the best kind of motor for a bowpicker turned out not to be a big, heavy, slow-turning San Francisco dinosaur, but a smaller, lighter, fast-revving marine engine from one of the companies back east — like Continental or Gray Marine.

And so the crude old West Coast marine engine fell out of use, and the factories eventually closed, and most of the engines they made got recycled for scrap metal during the Second World War. But every now and then you see one in a restored motor launch, or maybe in a marine museum — a reminder of the time when the West Coast was a marine-engine Mecca, and the Columbia River was swarming with salmon.

(Sources: “Fish Boats and Engines, Coastal Freighters,” an article by Truman B. Cook published in the March 1982 issue of Oregon Historical Quarterly; Salmon Fever: River’s End, a book by Liisa Penner published in 2006 by Frank Amato Publications) Finn J.D. John teaches at Oregon State University and writes about odd tidbits of Oregon history. His book, Heroes and Rascals of Old Oregon, was recently published

by Ouragan House Publishers. To contact him or suggest a topic: finn@offbeatoregon. com or 541-357-2222.

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

A8

www.thechiefnews.com

Friday, January 3, 2020

Mini boats make international connection STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Last spring, a tiny island in the Republic of Kiribati received an unlikely visitor washing ashore from the Pacific: A five-foot unmanned mini sailboat designed and built by a team of 4th graders in Oregon that was launched from the coast of Mexico, 472 days and 11,000 nautical miles earlier.

“Miniboats may be small, but they are mighty.” ~ Nate Sandel, Columbia River Maritime Museum The boat is part of a fleet of GPS-equipped, seaworthy vessels that are cooperatively designed, built, launched, and tracked each year by elementary and middle school students in the Pacific Northwest and Japan as part of the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Miniboat Program. The project involved 5th graders at Columbia City Elementary School in Columbia City.

Built from nautical roots, this one-of-a-kind education program introduces students to ocean science, international exchange, and the STEAM fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts and math, helping to inspire future careers.

Now in its third year and with more than 55,000 nautical miles traveled to date, the museum’s Miniboat Program is readying to launch this year’s fleet of student-built boats — and the community is invited to get involved. On Jan. 21, the museum will host its first-ever “Miniboat Summit” where students from three schools will present their boats, conduct a spar-

kling apple cider christening, then make an official handoff to the Columbia River Bar Pilots and U.S. Coast Guard, who will launch the small boats on their voyage to Japan.

“Miniboats may be small, but they are mighty,” Columbia River Maritime Museum education director Nate Sandel said. “They have the power to create substantial and lasting impact — in the community and well beyond. We’ve seen these boats capture the imagination of our students, but also many people from around the world, who encounter the boats, help with a rescue, or simply follow the boats’

Can first responders find your home?

Photo: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

First responders are encouraging residents to display house numbers so that they can be clearly seen from the street or roadway.

CURTIS LANDERS Chief guest column

Emergency response teams cannot find you if your house number is not clearly displayed.

In fact, a majority of them are not visible from the street, especially at night. A badly displayed number can cost you precious time in an emergency. The following guidelines will help you know how to display your house number.

On your house • The number should be posted so that it is visible from both directions of travel.

• Trees, bushes or other debris should not block visibility from the road.

• Numbers should be placed above eye level near the front door within a radius of the porch light.

• Avoid placing numbers away from the front door such as above garage doors.

On your mailbox • Remember to mark your mailbox on both sides, but do not use your mailbox as the only means of identification for your house.

• Numbers on the mailbox door may be great for your mail carrier, but they are extremely difficult to be seen by drivers.

• The numbers on the mailbox need to be highly visible, so if you choose stickers, white letters on a black mailbox will be easily seen as will black letters on a white mailbox. Shiny silver numbers on a black mailbox are not visible.

• Another option is to

Christine Menges / The Chief

Columbia City Elementary School students painting one of the miniboats in December.

mount a sign above or below the mailbox making sure the sign color contrasts from the mailbox color.

• If your mailbox is not in front of your house or near your driveway, emergency responders cannot locate you unless you have your house number on your house or on a post or sign in your yard.

Address signs • The bigger, the better. The number should be at least four inches tall if displayed on a house or sign.

Get boldface type that is thick and wide.

• Address signs should be placed about two feet from the driveway in the direction of the house.

• Pick a color that will contrast with the background. If your house is a dark color, then the address sign should be light so that the number stands out and can be viewed from the street. For example, a black number is perfect on a white house. A white number will also show clearly on a brick house. A lighted number is even better for easy visibility at night.

• Use caution with brass or bronze numbers as they are difficult to see on many backgrounds.

Following these guidelines will save valuable time in the event of an emergency. When facing a critical event, you don’t want to worry that emergency responders can’t find you.

Help us help you.

Curtis Landers is the Lincoln County Sheriff. For more information and tips, visit www.lincolncountysheriff.net

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

progress online. It’s an exciting adventure we’re so happy to share during this year’s Miniboat Summit.”

Through the Miniboat Program, students take on roles as quartermasters, sail designers, keel engineers, cargo trackers, and documentarians. Along the way, they learn real-world skills and make friends overseas while they track their boats online, which are packed with mementos curated by the students. It was developed by the Columbia River Maritime Museum in partnership with the Consular Office of Japan in Portland, Educational Passages, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), and is supported by Pacific Power, the U.S. Coast Guard, and many others.

“It’s not every day that you get to balance a keel, design a sail, or navigate the waters of the Pacific Ocean,” Pacific Power’s Clatsop County regional business manager Alisa Dunlap said.

“The Miniboat Program offers an extraordinary way for 5th-7th grade students in our region to learn crucial STEAM skills, discover future careers and build international connections that will last a lifetime. We know STEAM skills are an important part of building opportunity for the future,

especially in the small communities we serve. We are excited to support a program dedicated to enriching the education of young learners and empowering them to try new things and explore their creativity.”

Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, debris from the country washed up on Oregon and Washington shores. One of those items, a fishing vessel, is now on display at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. That boat and its journey across the Pacific Ocean became the inspiration for building Miniboat Program. Since the program’s start in 2017, 1,213 students

Study paves way to better understanding of arthritis STEVE LUNDEBERG steve.lundeberg@oregonstate.edu

Oregon State University research has provided the first complete, cellular-level look at what’s going on in joints afflicted by osteoarthritis, a debilitating and costly condition that affects nearly one-quarter of adults in the United States.

The study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, opens the door to better understanding how interventions such as diet, drugs and exercise affect a joint’s cells, which is important because cells do the work of developing, maintaining and repairing tissue.

Research by the OSU College of Engineering’s Brian Bay and scientists from the Royal Veterinary College in London and University College London developed a sophisticated scanning technique to view the “loaded” joints of arthritic and healthy mice – loaded means under strain, such as an ankle, knee or elbow would be while running, walking, throwing, etc.

“Imaging techniques for quantifying changes in arthritic joints have been constrained by a number of factors,” said Bay, associate professor of mechanical engineering. “Restrictions on sample size and the length of scanning time are two of them, and the level of radiation used in some of the techniques ultimately damages or destroys the samples being scanned. Nanoscale resolution of intact, loaded joints had been considered unattainable.”

Bay and a collaboration that also included scientists from 3Dmagination Ltd (UK), Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Manchester, the Research Complex at Harwell and the Diamond Light Source developed a way to conduct nanoscale imaging of complete bones and whole joints under precisely controlled loads.

To do that, they had to enhance resolution without compromising the field of view; reduce total radiation exposure to preserve tissue mechanics; and prevent movement during scanning.

“With low-dose pink-beam synchrotron X-ray tomography, and mechanical loading with nanometric precision, we could simultaneously measure the structural organization and functional response of the tissues,” Bay said. “That means we can look at joints

Courtesy photo

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts that by 2040 there will be 78 million arthritis patients, more than one-quarter of the projected total adult population.

from the tissue layers down to the cellular level, with a large field of view and high resolution, without having to cut out samples.”

Two features of the study make it particularly helpful in advancing the study of osteoarthritis, he said.

“Using intact bones and joints means all of the functional aspects of the complex tissue layering are preserved,” Bay said. “And the small size of the mouse bones leads to imaging that is on the scale of the cells that develop, maintain and repair the tissues.”

Osteoarthritis, the degeneration of joints, affects more than 50 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women are affected at nearly a 25 percent rate, while 18 percent of men suffer from osteoarthritis.

As baby boomers continue to swell the ranks of the U.S. senior population, the prevalence of arthritis will likely increase in the coming decades, according to the CDC. The CDC forecasts that by 2040 there will be 78 million arthritis patients, more than one-quarter of the projected total adult population; twothirds of those with arthritis are expected to be women.

Also by 2040, more than 34 million adults in the U.S. will have activity limitations due to arthritis.

“Osteoarthritis will affect most of us during our lifetimes, many to the point where a knee joint or hip joint requires replacement with a costly and difficult surgery after enduring years of disability and pain,” Bay said. “Dam-

age to the cartilage surfaces is associated with failure of the joint, but that damage only becomes obvious very late in the disease process, and cartilage is just the outermost layer in a complex assembly of tissues that lie deep below the surface.”

Those deep tissue layers are where early changes occur as osteoarthritis develops, he said, but their basic biomechanical function and the significance of the changes are not well understood.

“That has greatly hampered knowing the basic disease process and the evaluation of potential therapies to interrupt the long, uncomfortable path to joint replacement,” Bay said.

Bay first demonstrated the tissue strain measurement technique 20 years ago, and it is growing in prominence as imaging has improved. Related work is being conducted for intervertebral discs and other tissues with high rates of degeneration.

“This study for the first time connects measures of tissue mechanics and the arrangement of the tissues themselves at the cellular level,” Bay said. “This is a significant advance as methods for interrupting the osteoarthritis process will likely involve controlling cellular activity. It’s a breakthrough in linking the clinical problem of joint failure with the most basic biological mechanisms involved in maintaining joint health.”

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Arthritis Research UK, the Medical Research Council, and the DiamondManchester Branchline at Diamond Light Source supported this research.

on both sides of the Pacific Ocean have been involved in the launch of 24 miniboats, traveling a total of 55,236 nautical miles (and climbing daily). These boats are tracked daily and students are still building on the skills they honed to launch them.

The program partners students in the Pacific Northwest with their counterparts in Japan, facilitating international exchange and cultural learning. It provides an exceptional learning opportunity that is enriched by international student cooperation, tackles complex ideas, and benefits from an ocean’s worth of possibility. In late November, Sandel traveled to Japan to deliver boats to students there and take part in launches from Japan.

This year’s participants include 7th graders from Warrenton Grade School in Warrenton, 5th graders at Columbia City Elementary School in Columbia City, and 7th graders from Wy’East Middle School in Vancouver, Wash. These three schools are partnered with three schools in Japan, including Tanesashi Primary School, Okuki Elementary, and Kanehama Elementary in Hachinohe City, in the Aomori Prefecture.

Follow the miniboat adventures on Facebook at CRMM Miniboat Program, or through the museum’s website at. www.crmm.org, and read more about the Columbia City Elementary School mini boats at thechiefnews.com Miniboat Summit 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 21 Columbia River Maritime Museum 1792 Marine Dr. Astoria

CMHS Sports Schedule Clatskanie Middle High School Sports Schedule Girls Varsity Basketball Banks Tourney 6 p.m. Friday vs Banks High School 13050 Main St. Banks Banks Tourney 6 p.m Saturday vs Banks High School 13050 Main St. Banks Boys Varsity Basketball Salem Academy Tourney 7:30 p.m. Friday 942 Lancaster Dr. NE Salem Salem Academy Tourney 7:30 p.m. Saturday vs Salem Academy 942 Lancaster Dr. NE Salem 7:30 p.m. Monday vs Wahkiakum High School CMHS Main Gym Coed Varsity Wrestling Jim Bair Classic 10 a.m. vs Castle Rock High School at Castle Rock 5180 Wayside Highway Castle Rock, Wash

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