TCC120

Former Clatskanie residents return to reality TV

Christina Manning and her sister Jessica Dunagan first appeared on the TLC Network’s “Meet the World’s Most Extreme Sisters” in the spring of 2021. The series follows a group of sisters during their everyday lives.

In a published interview with The Chief as the new series began in 2021, Manning said the show is designed to give viewers a close and personal inside look of relationships between sisters.

“This show captures our relationship in its purest and most raw form,” she said. “We are extremely close, and the viewers will learn that even with an unbreakable bond, there are challenges that come with that. It has affected all areas of our life and we get to share the ups and downs with viewers.”

The Chief has reconnected the two sisters for an update about their role and the impact of the reality show on their lives.

The Chief: How is it that you two are still on the show?

Christina Manning: We were asked to come back alongside the Australia twins Anna and Lucy.

The Chief: How has this reality show changed your life, what’s been the impact?

Manning: It hasn’t really changed our lives. It’s added extra perks as far as still getting to film

and be on the journey with the show. We get noticed when we are out and there are perks with the fame.

The Chief: What have you learned about yourselves by being involved in a nationally broadcast TV reality show?

Manning: We have learned that we have a thick skin because there’s a lot of hate and bad comments and it doesn’t even phase us. And we

also learned our sister bond is super close as we watch back our journey.

The Chief: What are the disadvantages of being involved in the show and what are the advantages?

Manning: Disadvantages: We do get picked apart like people really know our lives, but they don’t. We film for hours and only a small clip gets used of all the footage.

Advantages: We get lots of love and

fans plus more money.

In a follow-up interview with The Chief in August 2021, Manning said she is prohibited by contract to reveal what the two earned during the production of the TV series but in the April interview with The Chief, she did say the glitter and glitz of television hasn’t clouded her and her sister’s fond memories of small town life in Clatskanie.

“My sister and I moved to

Clatskanie when we were 10 years old,” she said. “We went to Mayger Grade School, middle school, and Clatskanie High School. We loved growing up in a small town and we often return home to visit our brother, Justen Brown and our best friend Kayla Spaulding, who still live in Clatskanie.”

Manning said the essence of the

Clatskanie and Rainier welcome new city councilors

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

B oth the city councils in Clatskanie and Rainier have begun the new year with new members.

Elected in November, new councilors Amanda Owen and Dave True took their oaths of office alongside reelected Councilor Jim Helmen and Mayor Robert “Bob” Brajcich. The oaths took place at the first council meeting of the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 4, in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Along with the council members taking their oaths, the council also discussed the city’s agreement with the Parks and Rec District regarding capital projects.

“The council discussed reimbursing the district $7500 for a project (they replaced the sand with bark chips in the children’s play area),” said City Manager Greg Hinkelman. “A resolution to

do so will perhaps come before the February meeting.”

The council also discussed the need for more funding for the city’s new sewer plant currently under design. The new facility will replace the aging city sewer plant. Last year, the city gained $10 million from the state to design and build the new facility. Hinkelman has said that the cost is rapidly increasing, and they need more money. Hinkelman has been lobbying the state for more resources for the sewer plant project.

“I have made contact with our state Rep. Cyrus Javadi and Senator Suzanne Weber with our ask,” Hinkelman said.

The Clatskanie Council meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Clatskanie City Hall, located at 75 S Nehalem St.

Rainier City Council

The Rainier City Council held its first meeting of the new year this month on Jan. 9 at the Rainier

City Hall. The meeting began with City Administrator Scott Jorgensen swearing in the reelected Mayor Jerry Cole.

After taking his oath, Cole swore in city councilors Connie Budge, Scott Cooper, Robert duPlessis, and Jeremy Howell. City Councilor Mike Kreger indicated that he would be willing to remain president of the council, and the motion was adopted unanimously.

Kreger appointed members from the council to the Rainier Economic Development Council. Scott Jorgensen was also appointed by the council as the city budget manager.

The council discussed other civic matters at hand for the City of Rainier.

• Managing fees for storage of recreational vehicles and vessels on city property

• The Senior Center is hoping to install higher toilets with the city’s help and is looking at making changes to its outdoor patio.

Directory Jan Rich has received a $50,000 estimate for the work. There is a grant to fund it. Cole also suggested the city look into expanding the building.

• Director of Public Works Sue Lawrence said their smoke test report has concluded. Inflow and infiltration were discovered at 102 locations, including five catch basins, seven manholes, 29 cleanouts, 19 houses with roof drains, and 42 lines and/or laterals. She has notified the school district that some inflow and infiltration are coming from its property. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has a grant for cities of 10,000 population or less to help with stormwater treatment. She will meet with DEQ representatives soon to learn more about that grant and how the city can apply.

• Planning Commission and Housing Committee will make code updates to encourage more housing development. The land in the urban growth boundary on the west side of town is zoned light in-

dustrial. Lack of services is a barrier for development. Some mobile home park units can’t be occupied due to a lack of services. The council has resolved to collaborate with the county on this issue.

• The council discussed raising the utility deposit from $50 to $100, with customers having the option to make two payments on the fee. The council will discuss the matter more at the February meeting.

• Library Director Allen Snider gave an update on the city’s library. Snider placed an order for 130 books and revealed that the library is planning a young adult section as part of reorganizing the library by genre.

• The council approved $2,700 additional funds to purchase a 2023 model truck for administrative staff use.

W B St.

Dead whales wash ashore near Astoria

A 40-foor sperm whale was discovered on the beach near the shipwreck Peter Iredale Saturday, Jan. 14. Biologists said that whale died after being stuck by a ship at sea, according to the Associated Press.

The Seaside Aquarium report-

ed that

had

for a while before washing ashore and that there were a few large gashes on the whale.

Crews from the Seaside Aquarium and state parks removed the whale’s lower jaw. The jaw was removed so that the teeth remained intact for scientific purposes, the Aquarium post said. The whale is believed to be a juvenile male.

Male sperm whales can reach nearly 60 feet and weigh well over 40 tons. They have been

While their population is recovering, sperm whales are still considered endangered.

A second whale washed ashore Jan. 18 approximately 100 yards north of the sperm whale that washed up on shore Jan. 14.

The Seaside Aquarium reports

“Like the

it had

in,”

“There are no indications that this

said in a

was struck by a ship or died from human interaction. Most likely, this is a case of failure to thrive.”

A necropsy was to be conducted, according to the Aquarium.

Gray whales are currently migrating south to their birthing and breeding grounds near Baja.

Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891

The Rainier City Council meets the first Monday of each month at the Rainier City Hall located at 106

Courtesy photo

The two former Clatskanie Middle/High School graduates are now beginning their second season on the TV reality show “Meet the World’s Most Extreme Sisters.”

Courtesy photo Christina Manning and her sister Jessica Dunagan at a shoot in the Seattle area during the 2021 reality television series production.

Courtesy from the Seaside Aquarium

This 40-foot sperm whale was found beached along the North Oregon Coast at Astoria. In the background is the Peter Iredale shipwreck.

Two large whales have washed ashore along the North Oregon Coast near Astoria.

the whale

been dead

known to live up to 60 years, with males maturing around the age of 50 at a length of approximately 52 feet. They feed on deep water species, such as squid, sharks, skates, and fish, according to the Seaside Aquarium.

the whale is a baby Gray whale about 12-feet in length.

sperm whale,

been dead for a while before washing

the Aquarium

Facebook post.

whale

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

Courtesy from the Seaside Aquarium

This baby Gray whale, about 12-feet in length, washed ashore near Astoria Wednesday, Jan. 18.

JEREMY

Oregon sees fewer waterway fatalities in 2022

Paulsen said.

The Columbia River and other waterways in Columbia County continue to draw boaters, kayakers and others seeking recreation.

A new report from the Oregon State Marine Board finds 2022 was a safer boating year than 2020 and 2021, but the number of fatalities is still high.

In 2021, there were 19 recreational boating fatalities, and in 2020, there were 26, which was the highest number since 1993 with 25. 2022 ended with 16 boating fatalities.

“Most of the fatalities came down to people not wearing life jackets,” Oregon Marine Board Boating Safety

Eleven fatalities involved non-motorized boats (i.e., rafts, kayaks, SUPs, a canoe and a sailboat without auxiliary power).

Five of the motorized fatalities included a PWC and smaller open motorboats. Ten victims out of the 16 were not wearing a life jacket.

“Everyone needs to be prepared, no matter where they are boating or how long they’ve been boating,” Paulsen said. “Accidents happen and no one can predict them. Wearing a life jacket will increase your odds of survival.”

Inflatable life jackets are popular with many boaters, but Paulsen says they are not for everyone.

“We investigate incidents

inflate. What we generally find is that the owner didn’t service the life jacket properly or it wasn’t armed with a CO2 cartridge.” Paulsen said.

“Inflatable life jackets are machines that must be tested and maintained.”

Every person who uses an inflatable should routinely test it to make sure it’s working correctly, accoprding to Paulsen.

“There are also hybrid life jackets available with foam flotation and an inflation mechanism,” he said.

“Hybrid life jackets provide immediate flotation if you fall overboard and if you need more flotation for the conditions, you can manually activate the inflation.”

Another popular boating trend is stand up paddle-

State takes action against Oregon’s largest towing operation

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

The Oregon Department of Justice (ODJ) Consumer Protection Section has filed a lawsuit against Retriever Towing, one of the largest towing operations in Oregon.

The lawsuit, filed at Multnomah Circuit Court, alleges the company illegally towed vehicles from parking facilities without signed authorization from the owner of the parking facility.

History

In 2017, the Oregon legislature passed towing reforms that prohibit towing vehicles from parking facilities (with limited exceptions like blocking an emergency vehicle) unless the towing company received signed authorization to tow the specific vehicle from the owner of the parking facil

boarding. Stand up paddleboarders (SUPs) may not know the importance of wearing the appropriate leash for the water dynamics, according to Paulsen.

The Marine Board and American Canoe Association recommend wearing a quickrelease leash on moving water, especially on rivers with obstructions.

Paulsen said a quickrelease leash differs from an ankle leash and attaches to the paddler’s life jacket.

“For example, if the paddler is on a river with swift current and is unable to paddle away from a strainer in time, they can pull the release mechanism from their life jacket,” he said. “This will detach them from the leash which stays with the board so that they won’t get

entangled. The leash and board may get caught up on the strainer, but the paddler will be able to stay afloat and self-rescue.”

SUPs are defined as boats by the US Coast Guard and paddlers are required to carry a properly fitting life jacket and sound-producing device, like a whistle.

“Safety equipment in boating is just like any other activity,” Paulsen said. “The right gear at the right time will always be helpful.”

The Marine Board and access providers continue to see a diversity of boaters in both motorized and non-motorized watercraft on Oregon’s waterways.

“Anyone new to boating is encouraged to take a boating education class to learn about how to be safe

through pre-trip planning and preparation,” Paulsen said. “Consider joining a club to learn ways to build skills with others and don’t boat on waterways that exceed your skill level.”

Fatalities occurred in all types of waters in 2022, in all types of watercraft. The average age was 43 years old. Three of the victims were female and 13 were male.

“Before you get on the water, check to see if you have the required and appropriate equipment, check the weather, and always wear a life jacket,” Paulsen said. “Safe boating is easy if you take the time for planning and preparation.”

Recreational boating data and annual summaries are available from the Marine Board’s website.

To your health?

against Retriever Towing. must also take a picture of

Metro Creative Connection

The ODJ lawsuit alleges the company illegally towed vehicles from parking facilities without signed authorization from the owner of the parking facility.

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

Courtesy photo from the Oregon Marine Board

Most accidents and fatalities on Oregon’s waterways are due to falling overboard, collisions, operator error/ misjudgment, and reckless behavior, according to the Oregon Marine Board.

Courtesy photo

Stand Up Paddleboarder Andrew Hanson wears a life jacket with a quick-release leash.

Oregon spent $75 million on hotels for homeless shelters Oregon’s homelessness challenge

ZACK DEMARS Oregon Capital Insider Chief Guest Article

A handful of hotels across Oregon work a lot differently now than they did three years ago.

In 2020, state legislators committed nearly $75 million to a novel housing strategy aimed at stemming the worst impacts of both the pandemic’s first year and a destructive fire season. Two years later, recipients of that funding are looking to long-term operations while the statewide outcomes of the new services aren’t exactly clear.

The premise of the program was a simple one: The state would give local governments and nonprofits funds to purchase old hotels and motels.

They could then use those buildings as emergency shelter to house people more safely than in large congregate shelters, where disease can spread more quickly.

“In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we really had to think about shelter, and sheltering people experiencing homelessness in a very different way,” said Mike Savara, who coordinates the state housing agency’s work with Project Turnkey.

“We saw shelters really trying to distance, spread out, and think about all the different ways they could limit the spread of COVID-19.”

To fund the properties, legislators enlisted the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) to dole out the funding to 19 different sites — moving the money through the private nonprofit instead of the state’s own housing agency because of the program’s urgency, state leaders said.

“You have to remember that when these funds initially came to OCF, it was at a moment when our state was dealing with a once-in-a-lifetime, we hope, pandemic and the loss of 4,000 residential structures because of the many fires that ravaged our state,” said Megan Loeb, who coordinates the Turnkey program for the foundation. “And at that moment in time, our state housing agency was dealing with their programs to really prevent people from being evicted from their home.”

Visible impact

In Central Oregon, the impact of those new shelters is becoming more visible.

The city of Bend, for example, purchased the old Bend Value Inn on Division Street with $2.5 million in state Turnkey funding, sheltering residents in the 28 rooms starting in January.

Those residents moved in May to the old Rainbow Motel on Franklin Avenue, which the city purchased with its own funds as a “swing space” during renovations.

Residents there will move back to Division Street when renovations are completed, hopefully in early February, according to Amy Fraley, who manages the city’s houseless services.

“The building’s going to be better and it’s going to be a place that is providing solutions,” Fraley said of the shelter, which has been named “Stepping Stone” based on public suggestions.

New beds in old buildings came with challengesAll told, Project Turnkey funded 867 shelter beds — an increase of about 20% of the state’s emergency shelter capacity, and likely the biggest single investment in shelter space in the state’s history.

“That actually is a huge investment in our overall landscape,” Savara said.

“Oregon typically ranks in sort of the lower tiers in terms of the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness by capita around the state, so we absolutely need more shelter beds.”

That historic investment

will only last in the long run, though, if the shelter sites keep operating at full capac ity — one of the biggest challenges shelter operators are facing.

Project Turnkey funded the initial investments in shelters, allowing organiza tions to purchase property they likely wouldn’t have been able to without the program.

But the program didn’t fund the operational costs it would take to run the shelters, meaning those or ganizations have had to find ways to fold the new opera tions into their budgets.

In Bend, that meant an allocation of up to $900,000 from the city council for operations between May 2022 and February 2023, plus federal grants and other funding for NeighborImpact to implement the program.

The city plans to use federal COVID-relief funding to operate the shelter for three years, but funding beyond that is still unknown.

“We need to have different kinds of shelter for people that is available. But how we do that over the long run is something none of us know, so that’s the piece that’s missing,” Fraley said. “The (city) council has allocated the money for three years to pay for the shelter. But we are looking for a legislative fix for that long-term operational funding as well as upkeep of the facility.”

In other parts of the state, the operational funding problem has gone even further in impacting the new shelters. The $7 million hotel purchased by Central City Concern in Northeast Portland, for example, is still only half filled, because the nonprofit can’t afford to staff the 35 rooms that currently sit empty.

The process of turning old hotels into emergency housing has also carried all kinds of renovation costs. Many shelter operators have highlighted unexpected surprises in the aging buildings and rising costs as a result of supply chain troubles.

“It’s the purpose of the shelter to support a population, so we had to do design making certain assumptions or doing very limited exploratory information,” said Garrett Kaye, a city facilities project manager for the city.

“And pretty quickly (we) discovered that some of the assumptions that we had made weren’t necessarily true, that the condition of the infrastructure hidden from view, literally under the floor, under the concrete slabs, was in pretty poor condition.”

Contractors asked the city council in August for an additional $450,000 for renovations, like fixes for sewer and gas piping discovered under the flooring and upgrades to the electrical system to accommodate for people living in the building.

In Redmond, the Bethlehem Inn shelter faced similar challenges, needing to replace the electrical system, raise the parking lot to make rooms wheelchair accessible and knock out nine rooms to replace with a kitchen and dining room.

“Did I mention it’s a 1960s motel?” Gwenn Wysling, Bethlehem Inn’s executive director, joked, gesturing to the building’s very ’60s exterior.

All told, Bethlehem Inn has budgeted for about $1.75 million in renovation costs — with some funding coming from Project Turnkey but most coming from other donors — for the $2.4 million property. The city of Bend has budgeted a little over $1.5 million for the renovation of the 1950s motor lodge it purchased for $2.5 million.

Another challenge of standing up a shelter in the last few years? A limited amount of open housing to help people move into.

Salem’s Center for Hope and Safety, for example, has felt that challenge acutely.

A family’s average stay at its Turnkey shelter, which focuses on families and individuals escaping domestic violence, is around 140 days

because of how challenging it is to find residents a new place to move to, according to Jayne Downing, who runs the nonprofit.

Local impacts are slowly materializing, but state outcomes are rarely tracked

The sparse data that is available about Turnkey shelters provides some insight into their impact.

The Redmond shelter, operated by Bethlehem Inn, has hosted an average of 40 residents a month since it opened, according to Wysling. Residents stay for an average of 39 days.

What “success” looks like at different shelters can mean different things — and because of a tight housing market, like what the Salem shelter experiences, it sometimes has to look like smaller wins than getting someone into long-term, permanent housing.

At Bethlehem Inn, for example, shelter staff assign each resident a score from 1 to 5 for each of seven areas: shelter, safety, employment, income, health care, mental health and overall wellness.

The nonprofit’s data shows that the average resident at the shelter leaves about 4 and a quarter points higher on that scale than when they entered.

In Bend, the Turnkeysupported shelter has housed 69 individuals for an average of about 117 nights each, according to data from NeighborImpact, which operates the shelter. Of 23 who’ve left the shelter so far, a little under half have moved into some kind of more stable housing, like a subsidized rental or housing voucher, and around a quarter moved into some other kind of temporary shelter or homelessness.

“We would expect some of those folks (at the Franklin Avenue shelter) will transition to permanent housing (soon),” Fraley said. “So, there has been movement in between the properties as far as people securing a more permanent housing option through some pretty robust case management and other services provided both by NeighborImpact and by REACH.”

But across the state, the outcomes of Project Turnkey are harder to measure.

While individual shelter operators might track their own data, because the funds were distributed through a private nonprofit on a short-term basis, there’s no consistent reporting across sites statewide about who is using Turnkey shelters, how long they’re staying or where they’re going when they leave.

That’s a major contrast with California’s hotel-toshelter program launched during the pandemic.

There, the state’s housing department administered the grant program and publishes data from its grantees, including dashboards of where funds are going and how many units are occupied, as well as an early analysis that showed about a third of shelter users entered permanent or temporary housing after they left the shelter.

In this state, Oregon

key in the near future, according to OHCS’s Savara.

More in store in new phases of pandemic

Project Turnkey isn’t over, either. Legislators in 2022 approved another $50 million for the program, which state officials expect will fund around a dozen additional shelters in early

The Oregon Community Foundation, which is also distributing the second round of grants, hasn’t disclosed which applications it plans to fund, but OCF’s Loeb says officials there hope to include regions and populations that weren’t covered in the original round.

“We’re looking at a broad geographic distribution of funds around the state to support areas that either were not able to fully resolve the shelter needs in their community through the first round or areas that were not able to be supported through the first round,” Loeb said.

And as the pandemic

wanes, Savara, with the state housing agency, says Oregon’s Turnkey shelters are beginning to focus less on emergency shelter to prevent the transmission of COVID and pivoting to longer-term goals in a state that had 6,200 unsheltered households in 2019, according to a state study.

“At the end of the day, (homelessness is) about not having housing, and housing that’s affordable and housing that meets their needs,” Savara said. “Project Turnkey easily can start to become a great opportunity for other types of low-income, permanent housing options for people experiencing homelessness.”

Oregon Capital Insider was launched in February 2015 to provide a convenient source of specialized news for individuals and businesses that require a deeper understanding of the trends, issues and personalities in state government. Contact the Oregon Capital Insider at oregoncapitalinsider.com or at 541-3830367.

North Columbia County’s trusted local news source

Housing & Community Services is just beginning to fund programs at most of the Turnkey sites, which will require some data reporting to the state. OHCS has also commissioned a study on the impact of Turn-

Metro Creative Connection

The premise of the program was a simple one: The state would give local governments and nonprofits funds to purchase old hotels and motels.

January 26 Spaghetti Feed for the Rainier Historical Museum

The event is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Rainier Schools Briacliff Commons Cafeteria. Dinner will be available during the Rainier basketball game with Warrenton. Tickets are on sale at the museum on Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and youth over 12 yrs., $5 for children 5-12; children under 5 yrs. old are free. To purchase tickets, call Sherry Evans, at 503-369-8595. Tickets will also be available at time of the event.

Ongoing

Caples Evening Programs

The cost for this evening and all our Fireside Chats will be only $5. Caples will be offer-

ing a different program the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 1925 First Street in Columbia City. For more information, call 503-3975390.

Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Meets at 7 p.m. every other second Tuesday. Meetings are currently held electronically by Zoom. For more information, contact Council Coordinator Henry Franzoni ar 360-353-0937 or email to hjfranzoni3@gmail.com. Visit the council’s website for agenda postings and Zoom at www.lowercolumbiariver.org/ events-page.

The Rainier Oregon Historical Museum (ROHM) is open from noon - 4 p.m. Saturday (except major holidays weekends). ROHM is located

inside Rainier City Hall at 106 W B Street. For more information, call 360-751-7039.

The Rainier Public Library is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed Sundays and Mondays.

Avamere at St. Helens hosts a Virtual Dementia Support Group – 3rd Wednesday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m. For more details, contact Jenny Hicks/Avamere at St. Helens at 503-366-8070.

To list an event in the Community Calendar, email details with a phone number that may be published, to chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia. net, or call 503-397-0116.

• •O bituaries

Our sister, Linda Lynn Sjoblom (65), of Clatskanie, Oregon, passed away on Dec. 26, 2022. She was loved and will be missed by her family and friends. She was born in Germany on Dec. 2, 1957, to Richard and Hannelore Sjoblom, both of whom preceded her in death.

She is survived by her life partner of over 30 years, Ed Zaha; daughter Stephanie Gregory Shaw and her four siblings, Lisa Roth, Steven Sjoblom, Monica Tyler, and Maria Mansker; as well as her niece Hannelore Bartels and her nephew Aaron Roth.

In lieu of a memorial service, we ask that you consider making a donation to your local addiction counseling service in honor of Linda and/or those you know and love who may be struggling with addiction. There will be no memorial service.

Eunice Marie (Littke) Chase

Dec. 15, 1925 ~ Jan. 8, 2023

Eunice Marie (Littke) Chase passed away at the age of 97 on Jan. 8, 2023. She was born Dec. 15, 1925, in Antelope Valley, South Dakota, to Frank and Emma (Frantz) Littke.

Her family, including three brothers and a sister, resided in Merrill, Wisconsin and Eagle Butte, South Dakota until moving to Midland, Oregon in 1932. Their family settled on a farm in Mayger, Oregon where Eunice grew up, attended Mayger Grade School, graduated from Clatskanie High School, and worked at the Mayger store. Eunice met Lyle Chase at the local dance

Douglas Arthur Bellingham, 80, a resident of the Birkenfeld community, passed away on Friday, December 30, 2022, at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria.

Douglas Arthur Bellingham was born December 12, 1942, in Clatskanie, Oregon, the son of the late Arthur Guy “Art” Bellingham and Marie Julia (Richardson) Bellingham. He was raised and received his education in the Birkenfeld community, having attended Birkenfeld Elementary School and later Vernonia High School Class of 1960. He then went on to receive a BS degree at Oregon State and was commissioned with his second lieutenant bars after completing the ROTC program. He also was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Douglas was a big Beaver fan. Go Beavs!

He was united in marriage to Dianna Dair on March 5, 1965, in the chapel at Fort Lewis, Washington. Following their marriage, Douglas served as a captain in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington and Vietnam. He was a Field Artillery Unit Commander for the 101st Airborne and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. After being honorably discharged in 1967, they moved to Seattle, Washington where they resided for several years having two children together, Derek and

hall during WWII. They were married on Nov. 15, 1946, and were married for 71 years before Lyle passed away in 2018. They

lived in Rainier where their five children, Larry, Allen, Dan, Donna (Cheney), and Susie (Wellington), attended school and where Eunice resided for the remainder of her years. Eunice was a devoted mother and grandmother who enjoyed family trips to Seaside, visiting relatives, hosting family gatherings, and spending time with her own children, 12 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

A service for Eunice will be held at 11 a.m on Sat., Jan. 21, 2023, at the Rainier United Methodist Church. Remembrance donations may be mailed to the Rainier Senior Center.

Congressman Bonamici, husband struck by vehicle

Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and her husband, Judge Michael Simon, are recovering after Portland Police said the two were struck by a vehicle.

According to police, the incident happened in Northwest Portland Friday night Jan. 13, while the two were walking in a crosswalk at NW Everett Street and 129th Avenue. Investigating officers reported that the congresswoman and her husband were struck by a slow-moving vehicle. The driver remained at the scene.

Portland media reports that a spokesperson for the congresswoman said Bonamici was treated for a concussion and cut on her head and her husband suffered only minor injuries.

Bonamici was released from the hospital and expected to make a full recovery, according to the Portland media reports.

released the following state ment on her Facebook page. for your well wishes, and to the first responders and health

Dia. They later divorced. He was preceded in death by his second wife Ida Elizabeth Frost who had one daughter, Terri. They were married for 17 years before her passing.

Douglas worked as a regional game biologist in three counties for the State of Washington Game Department for over 20 years. He then provided consultation for environmental wetland services. Following his retirement, he returned to the Birkenfeld community, where he has resided since.

He was a member of the American Legion Clatsop Post #12 in Astoria, Oregon and a member of the Eagles Lodge Aerie # 2888 in Lynnwood, Washington. Among his special interests were the outdoors, Douglas especially enjoyed hunting and fishing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Art and Marie Bellingham, his wife Ida Eliza-

beth Bellingham and son-inlaw, Gerry Layo.

Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Derek and Deanna Bellingham, of Kirkland, Washington; his daughter, Dia Layo, of Roseville, California; his step-daughter, Terri Phillips and her husband Terry Phillips, of Arlington, Washington; his brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Cherie Bellingham of Birkenfeld, Oregon and his former wives Dianna Dair Meyer, of Freeport, Florida and Barbara Smith, of Portland, Oregon.

Also surviving are his five grandchildren and a spouse, Dr. Khloe and Brandon Kaufman, of Reno, Nevada; Madisyn Layo, of San Francisco, California; Cooper Layo, of Roseville, California; Tera Bevan, of Arlington, Washington; Dylan Kerchinsky, of Kirkland, Washington; his great-grandchildren Paisley Jane Kaufman, Jade and Jasper Bevan; his niece, her spouse and their children, Christine and Todd Wilkinson, Rebecca, Ciara and Hayden; and many beloved cousins.

The family suggests that remembrances may be contributions to the Mist/Birkenfeld RFPD and/or the Birkenfeld Community Church in his memory.

Private family interment to be announced at a later date.

To sign the online guest book or to send condolence to the family go to www.fuitenrosehoyt.com.

CHIEF OBITUARIES

Pleases submit obituaries by Wednesdays by Noon. Late submissions may not make it into the paper. Submit obits to The Chief at: chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net

telephone number (only the name and city of residence will be published). By submitting a letter, writers also grant permission for them to be posted online. Opinions expressed on this page are the writer’s alone and do not represent the opinion of the newspaper or its parent company, Country Media, Inc.

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.

care workers who

provided the care we needed. and are grateful for your kind post.

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

Clarification: In the Jan. 13, Chief the story about the Cars of Clatskanie stated that Bob Behm’s 51 Mercury has been featured on display at the West Coast Portland Roadster Show for years. That is not correct. This will be the first year the car will be displayed at the show. The Chief is happy to set the record straight.

Joe Warren Publisher

Jeremy C. Ruark Regional Executive Editor

Jon Campbell Advertising Sales

Kelli Nicholson Office Manager

James Yang Creative Director

Jon Lowrance Driver

Linda Lynn Sjoblom Dec. 2, 1957 ~ Dec. 26, 2022

Chief photo

Douglas Arthur Bellingham Dec. 12, 1942 ~ Dec. 30, 2022

an individual, Plaintiff, and Jackie L. Gump, Trustee, or his successor(s) in trust, under the Evelyn B. Boursaw Revocable Living Trust dated August 8, 2012, an individual, Karen E. Johnson and Ryan O. Flori No. 20CV02279 Summons To: RYAN O. FLORI

You are hereby required to appear and defend the Complaint filed against you in the above-entitled action within THIRTY (30) DAYS of the date of service of this summons upon you, and, in case of your failure to do so, for want thereof, plaintiff will apply to the court for

the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT: READ THESE PAPERS CAREFULLY! You must “appear” in this case or the other side will win automatically. To “appear” you must file with the court a legal paper called a “motion” or “an-

swer”. The “motion” or “answer” must be given to the court clerk or administrator within THIRTY (30) DAYS of the date of first publication specified herein, along with the required filing fee. It must be in proper form and have proof of service on the plaintiff’s attorney

or, if the plaintiff does not have an attorney, proof of service upon the plaintiff.

The date of first publication of this summons is January 13, 2023. If you have any questions, you should see an attorney immediately. If you need help in finding an attorney, you may

call the Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service at (503) 684- 3763 or toll-free in Oregon at 1-800-4527636. Stephen D. Petersen, OSB#73235 Attorney for Plaintiff. STEPHEN D. PETERSEN, L.L.C. P. O. Box 459 Rainier, OR 97048 (503) 556-4120.

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: THE GRAMMYS

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

Editor’s Note: The Chief has provided coverage of local landslides over the years, the dangers of the slides and how homeowners and drivers can be prepared for such events.

Most recently, we reported details about the Highway 30 north of Clatskanie. In the following, guest writer Steve Lundeberg gives us insight into new landslide research at Oregon State University (OSU).

A long-term Pacific Northwest study of landslides, clear-cutting timber and building roads shows that a forest’s management history has a greater impact on how often landslides occur and how severe they are compared to how much water is coursing through a watershed.

Findings of the research, led by associate forest engineering associate professor Catalina Segura and graduate student Arianna Goodman of the Oregon State University College of Forestry, were published in the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.

Critical study

Probing the factors behind landslide frequency and magnitude is crucial because slides occur in all 50 states, causing an average of more than 25 deaths per year, according to the United States Geological Survey. The USGS puts the total annual average economic damage resulting from landslides at greater than $1 billion.

“Understanding the long-term effects of forest practices like logging and road building is critical to sustainable forest management,” Segura said. “This requires observations on time scales that capture responses to past and ongoing management practices – looking at the timing of

floods, landscape susceptibility to landsliding and the delivery and movement of wood.”

Focusing on the Lookout Creek watershed in western Oregon, a research team that included Julia Jones of the OSU College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and Frederick Swanson of the U.S. Forest Service examined a decades-long history of oldgrowth clear-cutting and associated road construction and how those practices affected flooding, landslides, big pieces of wood jamming up waterways, and channel change.

Debris flows

Debris flows contribute huge quantities of sediment and large wood to streams, Segura said. Those inputs control, for decades, a channel’s response to large flows – the amount of erosion and deposition that takes place. Regulating the inputs are an area’s history of forest practices, the natural vulnerability of a watershed to erosion and the frequency of big flood events.

The 64-square-kilometer Lookout Creek watershed is part of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, a long-term research site in the Cascade Range funded by the National Science Foundation and the Forest Service.

Logging and road building began in the Lookout Creek area in 1950 and largely ceased by the 1980s, enabling the scientists to track forest management practices’ impact on slides and floods during and after the period of active management.

Study timeline

Researchers studied five time periods: 1950 to November 1964 (initial logging and road building; December 1964 to January 1965 (first major flood); February 1965 to 1995 (between-floods period);

three zones of distinct and contrasting geologic history comprise the Lookout Creek watershed: one zone with relatively smooth terrain and U-shaped valleys; another characterized by irregular topography, rough surfaces and moderate steepness; and a third featuring V-shaped valleys, steep slopes and narrow drainages.

“In each of the five time periods, the frequency of landslides and debris flows depended on the conditions created by management practices during prior time periods,” Segura said. “Watershed responses did differ somewhat among the zones, as would be expected – places that were once glaciated and have broad valleys are less vulnerable to landslides and debris flows than steep terrain with weak, erodible rock.”

Even small floods caused landslides and stream channel changes during the first 15 years of road construction and logging, and amid ongoing logging in the early part

taking place, produced much larger geomorphic responses than the large flood of 1996, more than a decade after logging stopped,” Segura said.

Landscape effects were negligible in 2011 for the third largest flood event on record, the researchers found; by that time clearcut areas of the forest had been replanted and the new trees were 20 to 70 years old.

Steve Lundeberg is a researcher and writer for Oregon State University Relations and Marketing. He may be reached at steve. lundeberg@oregonstate.edu

Landslides occur in all 50 states, causing an average of more than 25 deaths per year, and an annual average of economic damage at greater than $1 billion, according to the United States Geological Survey.

From Page A1

television series is aimed at viewers’ hearts.

“Our hope is to show viewers - that no matter what - when you have a sister bond, nothing can come between that,” she said. “We open up and share our dynamic with so much vulnerability, and we want to touch people’s hearts with our story. We also want the residents of Clatskanie to

Manning also told The Chief in the 2021 update that the TV reality show has presented both challenges and rewards to the two sisters.

“I definitely feel like it’s been hard to re-watch some of the episodes because it was such a challenging time in my life. But my biggest reward is when my fans will message me and tell me that I have inspired them to use their intuition and open up the gift that they have within themselves. Knowing that I helped someone to feel comfortable and confident

Courtesy photo

The two sisters take a selfie during a break in the taping of a segment for the reality show in 2021.

Courtesy photo from OPSU

A research team examined a decades-long history of old-growth clear-cutting and associated road construction on Lookout Creek and how those practices affected flooding, landslides, big pieces of wood jamming up waterways, and channel change.

Courtesy photo from OSU

Even small floods caused landslides and stream channel changes during the first 15 years of road construction and logging.

Fast Fact

Clatskanie High School sports finally getting some normalcy

COVID-19 threw many aspects of life into disarray around the country over the past few years, and that was also true of sports at Clats kanie Middle/High School.

Athletic Director Ryan Tompkins said he is excited about the transition that last year marked and what it means for the future.

“Last year was our first year, since the spring of 2020, that we returned to some semblance of nor malcy for athletics. Mask mandate went away, and more students came back to in-person learning,” Tomp kins said.

~ Ryan Tompkins Athletic Director

For Tompkins and Clatskanie athletics, the pandemic’s challenges meant redefining ideas of success for the program. Giving kids opportunities they had missed out on was a big priority.

“A lot of our accomplishments were centered around participation, providing opportunities and safety,” Tompkins said. “We feel like Clatskanie Athletics and our school as

a whole, was able to transition out of many of the challenges of “The COVID years” and bring back a more traditional high school experience for the students of our community.”

With COVID still looming, yet less intrusive, Clatskanie Middle/High School has finally been able to rebuild its programs and focus more on getting the students some of the chances the pandemic denied them over the past couple of years.

Building momentum for extracurriculars

After COVID cooled turnout in sports at Clatskanie, this year has brought

more engagement in extracurricular activities. Tompkins credited the students and the coaches for boosting this resurgence.

“Department wide, we are always setting the goal of maximizing student participation in our programs. Our participation has been very good, we have returned to our typical 30-35% participation rate in sports,” Tompkins said. “I attribute this to kids being interested and engaged in the sports and also being welcomed by the coaches and their fellow students to join.”

Finding ways to get students involved with programs at school has been a focus for the whole

state coming out of the pandemic, which means looking at other ways to get students interested. To that end, Clatskanie Middle High School is opting to give kids different paths to get involved with activities at school.

“Across the state, school districts are labeling student voice and engagement as a priority for this school year. I may be biased, but I feel that co-curricular activities offer this,” Tompkins said. “We are constantly seeking to find ways to want kids to come to school and engage them while they are here. To this point, we are beginning a new “e-sports” club team, led by our HS Sci-

ence/Technology Teacher, Mr. Erwin. There are 13 kids signed up to compete in “League of Legends,” “Rocket League” and “Super Smash Brothers.”

Shifting divisions

According to Tompkins, this year is the first in a four-year “block of redistricting” for high school athletics. This means that the state is reclassifying schools into new divisions where they will compete.

“Clatskanie has left the Coastal Range League and has returned to the Northwest League, Tompkins said. “Our new league includes familiar schools like Knappa, Vernonia, and

Nestucca. We are excited to see some new faces and have gone from one of the smaller 3A schools to one of the largest 2A schools, based upon our enrollment.” Hopefully, being one of the bigger schools in the division will translate to more success on the field. Currently, the boys basketball varsity team is ranked #30 of 37 2A schools with a 4-9 record. The girls team is ranked #20 of 36 teams and has a 7-6 record. However, the results only tell part of the story; this season’s successes are about celebrating a return to normalcy.

Follow Clatskanie Middle/ High School game results at osaa.org.

VA offering new help to suicidal veterans

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

New efforts to assist veterans in Oregon, and across the nation, who are suffering suicidal issues are now in place, according to the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA).

Veterans in acute suicidal crisis will be able to go to any Veterans Administration (VA) or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost — including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.

The new program began in Oregon Jan. 17.

Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to use this benefit. This expansion will increase access to acute suicide care for up to 9 million veterans who are not currently enrolled in the VA system.

The final policy, which takes effect on Jan. 17, will allow the VA to:

• Provide, pay for, or reimburse for treatment of eligible individuals’ emergency suicide care, transportation costs, and follow-up care at a VA or nonVA facility for up to 30 days of inpatient care and 90 days of outpatient care.

• Make appropriate referrals for care following the

period of emergency suicide care.

• Determine eligibility for other VA services and benefits.

• Refer eligible individuals for appropriate VA programs and benefits following the period of emergency suicide care.

Eligible individuals, regardless of VA enrollment status, are:

• Veterans who were discharged or released from active duty after more than 24 months of active service under conditions other than dishonorable.

• Former members of the armed forces, including reserve service members, who served more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation either directly or by operating an unmanned aerial vehicle from another location who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

• Former members of the armed forces who were the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment while serving in the armed forces.

If you or someone you know is struggling: Don’t wait. Reach out. Visit www. va.gov/REACH for resources and information, or call 988

(then press 1) to quickly con nect with caring, qualified crisis support 24/7.

Background

The following is from the Oregon Suicide Prevention website.

Veterans and military service members are at particularly high risk for suicide. Many services are available to assist veterans to find hope, even though asking for help can be difficult.

Veterans are more likely than the civilian population to develop specific mental health problems, like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and traumatic brain injury; they are also at higher risk for developing associated substance use disorders. Often these conditions remain untreated and all of these conditions contribute

among US military veterans.

VA data from 2016 indicates that the veteran suicide rate in Oregon was higher than the national rate. In 2016, 70.5 % of Veteran Suicides in Oregon, or 86 Veteran suicide deaths, were by firearms.

Veteran suicides by age group

According to the (20052016) VA National Suicide Data Report, the suicide rate among Veterans ages 18–34 increased substantially in recent years, and the rate in 2016 was significantly higher than in 2014. Rates of suicide are highest among younger male Veterans ages 18–34 and lowest among male Veterans ages 55–74. Despite the increased suicide rate among Veterans ages 18–34, Veter-

the greatest share of suicide deaths in 2016, with Veterans age 55 and older accounting for 58.1 percent of suicide deaths.

Suicide and mental health

Ultimately, mental health is about being cognitively, emotionally and socially healthy – the way we think, feel and develop relationships – and not merely the absence of a mental health condition.

Suicidal behaviour indicates deep unhappiness, not necessarily a mental health issue. Many people living with mental health issues aren’t suicidal, and not all people who take their own lives have a mental health issue.

Factors contributing to suicide risk are extremely complex and can include

mental illness as well as a host of other factors including substance misuse or financial instability. New data from the CDC indicates that more than half of people who died by suicide in 2016 had no known mental health disorder at the time of death, however, it also states, “it is possible that mental health conditions or other circumstances could have been present and not diagnosed, known, or reported.”

Of the total suicide deaths in 2016, 10.3% of individuals had a diagnosed serious mental illness, according to a 27-state sample analysis conducted by the CDC. Extrapolated to the entire United States, this indicates that approximately 4,649 individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder died by suicide in 2016.

About the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs

Established in 1945, the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is dedicated to serving Oregon’s diverse veteran community that spans five eras of service members.

ODVA administers programs and provides special advocacy and assistance in accessing earned veteran benefits across the state.

Learn about veteran benefits and services, or locate a local county or tribal veteran service office online at www. oregon.gov/odva.

North Columbia County’s trusted local

Courtesy photo

This expansion will increase access to acute suicide care for up to 9 million veterans who are not currently enrolled in the VA system.

Country Media, Inc.

The Clatskanie Tigers defeated the Rainier Columbians in Feb. 2022 at Friday’s girls basketball playoffs in the Rainier Jr./Sr. High School Gymnasium.

Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.

The Clatskanie Middle/High School mascot.

2023 Tax Tips and Financial Planning

Making the tax season less stressful

of Revenue has issued the following advisory about planning now for the tax season ahead.

Taking a few easy steps in the next few weeks can make preparing your 2022 tax return easier in 2023— and it could just lower your heart rate in the process.

“Most people don’t think about their taxes until it’s time to fill out their returns,” The Oregon Department of Revenue’s Megan Denison.

“But doing a few simple things in the weeks before tax season can make filling out your return and filing on time less stressful.”

Simple steps include following the suggestions below, Denison said.

View your account information online

provides access to your tax account at any time.

Gather and organize your tax records

Organized tax records make preparing a complete and accurate tax return easier and avoid errors. Wait to file until you have your tax records including:

• Forms W-2 from your employer(s)

• Forms 1099 from banks, issuing agencies and other payers including unemployment compensation, interest, dividends, stock transactions, distributions from a pension, annuity, retirement plan, or other non-

if you worked in the gig economy

• Year-end receipts or statements from charitable contributions, day care providers, mortgage companies, or property taxes

Use a bank account to speed tax refunds with direct deposit

File electronically, choose direct deposit and you will get a refund faster. Information is available at the IRS Web site.

Choose a reputable tax return preparer

Taxpayers should choose a tax return preparer

information on their return, no matter who prepares it for them, according to the Oregon Department of Revenue. The Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners offers a Licensee Lookup web site. The IRS has a web site with information.

To get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments, visit www.oregon.gov/dor or email questions.dor@ oregon.gov. You also can call 800-356-4222 tollfree from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish) or 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon. For TTY (hearing- or speech-impaired), the Oregon Revenue Department accepts all relay calls.

IRS issues tax scam alert

There aren’t many drawbacks to having a high income — but being unable to invest in a Roth IRA might be one of them. Are there strategies that allow highincome earners to contribute to this valuable retirement account?

Before we delve into that question, let’s consider the rules. In 2023, you can contribute the full amount to a Roth IRA — $6,500, or $7,500 if you’re 50 or older — if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $138,000 (if you’re single) or $218,000 (if you’ re married and filing jointly). If you earn more than these amounts, the amount you can contribute decreases until it’s phased out completely if your income exceeds $153,000 (single) or $228,000 (married, filing jointly).

A Roth IRA is attractive because its earnings and withdrawals are tax free, provided you’ve had the account at least five years and you don’t start taking money out until you’re 591⁄2. Furthermore, when you own a Roth IRA, you’re not required to take withdrawals from it when you turn 72, as you would with a traditional IRA, so you’ll have more

flexibility in your retirement income planning and your money will have the chance to potentially keep growing. But given your income, how can you contribute to a Roth? You may want to consider what’s known as a “backdoor Roth” strategy. Essentially, this involves contributing money to a new traditional IRA, or taking money from an existing one, and then converting the funds to a Roth IRA. But while this backdoor strategy sounds simple, it involves some serious considerations.

Specifically, you need to evaluate how much of your traditional IRA is in pretax or after-tax dollars. When you contribute pretax dollars to a traditional IRA, your contributions lower your annual taxable income. However, if your income is high enough to disqualify you from contributing directly to a Roth IRA, you may also earn too much to make deductible (pretax) contributions to a traditional IRA. Consequently, you might have contributed after-tax dollars to your traditional IRA, on top of the pretax ones you may have put in when your income was lower. (Earnings on after-tax contributions will be treated as pretax amounts.)

In any case, if you convert pretax assets from your traditional IRA to a Roth

IRA, the amount converted will be fully taxable in the year of the conversion. So, if you were to convert a large amount of these assets, you could face a hefty tax bill. And since you probably don’t want to take funds from the converted IRA itself to pay for the taxes, you’d need another source of funding, possibly from your savings and other investments.

Ultimately, then, a backdoor Roth IRA strategy may make the most sense if you have few or no pretax assets in any traditional IRA, including a SEP-IRA and a SIMPLE IRA. If you do have a sizable amount of pretax dollars in your IRA, and you’d still like to convert it to a Roth IRA, you could consider spreading the conversion over a period of years, potentially diluting your tax burden.

Consult with your tax advisor when considering a backdoor Roth strategy. But if it’s appropriate for your situation, it could play a role in your financial strategy, so give it some thought.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by Topher Mood, your Edward Jones financial advisor at (503) 397-1125.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

The tax filing season is a popular time for scammers to call and try to dupe unsuspecting taxpayers, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These thieves often make threatening or alarming calls posing as the IRS to try to steal taxpayer money or personal information.

The IRS does not send out unsolicited e-mails, phone calls or texts asking for personal information.

The IRS has seen a recent increase in these scams, many of which originate outside the United States. To date, investigations have identified sites hosting hundreds of IRSrelated phishing scams. These scam websites have been found to originate in at least 20 different countries.

Scammers claiming to be from the IRS, tell you that you are due a federal tax refund, and direct you to a website that appears to be a genuine IRS site. The bogus sites contain forms or interactive web pages similar to IRS forms and web pages.

Don’t be fooled! These

sites and forms have been modified to request detailed personal and financial information from the e-mail recipients. E-mail addresses involving users in professional and educational communities seem to be heavily targeted.

The information obtained is then used to steal the taxpayer identity and financial assets. Typically, identity thieves use someone’s personal data to empty the victim’s financial accounts, run up charges on the victim’s existing credit cards, apply for new loans, credit cards, services, or benefits in the victim’s name and even file fraudulent tax returns.

It’s easy for people to recognize the scam by knowing how the IRS contacts taxpayers.

The IRS will never:

• Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.

• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement

groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.

• Demand that taxes be paid without giving taxpayers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.

• Call unexpectedly about a tax refund.

Taxpayers who receive these phone calls should:

• Record the number and then hang up the phone immediately.

• Report the call by visiting the Hotline page of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and using an IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting form or by calling 800-366-4484.

Forms to report fraud are available on the Hotline page of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration website. Taxpayers just click the appropriate option under “IRS Scams and Fraud” and follow the instructions.

Report the number to phishing@irs.gov and put “IRS Phone Scam” in the subject line.

For more information, visit the IRS website, www. irs.gov

Metro Creative Connection

questions.dor@oregon.gov.

Courtesy photo