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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

VOL. 130, NO. 38 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891

A positive blend of art and music ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Blending arts and music will be the theme of the Clatskanie Middle/High School (CMHS) Arts Department Art Show and Concerts, Saturday, Jan. 29.

I want people to look at this event and see the resilience of these students. ~ Jaime Erwin, CMHS

Courtesy photo from Jaime Erwin

CMHS Student artwork graces the hallways at the school in Clatskanie.

The Art Show is open from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at CMHS, 471 Bel Air Drive in Clatskanie.

The show will feature art from about 50 high school art classe students. The CMHS Jazz Band will play in the auditorium at 1 p.m. and the school choir will

perform at 2:30 p.m. The events are free. Donations are welcomed.

Those attending are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

CMHS Music and Art Director Jaime Erwin said the theme of the music and art student event is “Welcome Back.”

“This will be our first event altogether since January 2020,” she said.

Erwin said those participating include 45 9th grade through 12th grade students.

“The concert is the CMHS Jazz Band (7th through 12th) with about 17 members and our high school choir with nine members and some students are in both music and art,” she said.

The Art Show will operate from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for people to enjoy at their leisure, according to Erwin. ­­­­ See ARTS Page A3

Public outcry over mask mandate ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

The decision to make Oregon’s indoor mask mandate indefinite was pending as of Thursday, Jan. 27.

Oregon’s hearing on a proposed permanent mask rule drew a crowd of more than 300 people, opening the floodgates to a wide range of comments and emotions.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) held the public electronic hearing Jan. 20 to review the proposed rule change, inviting public testimony on which a decision has yet to be determined.

Emotional testimony One woman struggled to hold back sobs during her testimony, as she described the moment her 8-year-old told her she couldn’t remember what the world was like without masks.

Another speaker said he has 40% of a healthy person’s lung capacity and thus has difficulty breathing with a mask on.

“Free these childrens’ faces so they can smile again,” a third said, his voice filled with emotion.

Others took on radically different tones, threatening to take action if the OHA goes through with

imposing the new permanent rule.

“If you do this, we will fight to our death,” Nikolas, a defense attorney representing a client who violated Oregon’s current temporary mask mandate, said. “The farther you take this, the farther we will take it. We have nothing to lose.”

“We’re coming for you. We’re coming for your jobs,” Free Oregon Leader Angela Todd said.

Demonstrators involved with Free Oregon, a grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the Courtesy photo from Daniel O’Brien – Valve Media

­­­­ See MANDATE Page A8

Free Oregon protesters toss their face coverings into a lit barrel during the protest at the Oregon Health Authority office in Portland.

Mysterious creatures showing up along Oregon’s shoreline JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Courtesy photo from the Seaside Aquarium

The pyrosomes are most commonly found in tropical waters, but stormy ocean conditions are known to bring the mysterious creatures as far north as Alaska.

Folks that live in Clatskanie and Rainier are within an hour away from a walk along the sandy beaches of the Oregon Coast.

And this week, people strolling along the beaches are discovering sea pickles.

The Seaside Aquarium reports the sea pickles or sea squirts, known as pyrosomes are washing up all along the Oregon Coast.

“We came across one on the beach yesterday, but we have reports of hundreds down on the beach in Florence,” the aquarium’s Facebook post reads.

People adding their comments to the aquarium’s post state that they have found the sea pickles at Cannon Beach, Tierra del Mar, Manzanita and Lincoln City. One person wrote, “No doubt from the volcano area off Tonga,” referring to a recent undersea eruption that recently trigger small tsunami

waves along the Oregon Coast.

The pyrosomes are most commonly found in tropical waters, but stormy ocean conditions are known to bring the mysterious creatures as far north as Alaska.

As the ocean currents change with the seasons, beachcombers have been finding an abundance of pyrosomes along the high-tide line. ­­­­ See PYROSOME Page A4

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Friday, January 28, 2022

$61M in extra food assistance STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Metro Creative Connection

Specific decisions about how the cash will be distributed in Columbia County are expected in the coming months.

$89,500 for food, shelter programs ties, USA and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S. A. The national board will provide the administrative staff and function as fiscal agent.

The board is charged with distributing funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high need areas around the country.

A local board made up of representatives from local government, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Community Churches, homeless and other community representatives will determine how the funds awarded to Columbia County are to be distributed.

“Our local board will convene in mid-February, with award announcements

by March 1st,” Catt said.

“Agencies are required to complete some documentation directly to the National Board to receive funding.”

Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must:

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Columbia County will receive $89,500 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.

The federal funds are being awarded under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program.

This funding is above and beyond what the county has traditionally received for food and shelter assistance.

“The National Board creates a funding formula each fiscal year based on local emergencies, unemployment data, and poverty rates to distribute funds,” United Way of Columbia County’s Claire Catt told The Chief.

“Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, Columbia County will be receiving nearly $50,000 more than in normal years.”

The selection was made by a national board that is chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and consists of representatives from United Way of America, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, United Jewish Communities, Catholic Chari-

• Be private voluntary non-profits or units of gov-

ernment.

• Be eligible to receive Federal funds.

• Have an accounting system.

• Practice nondiscrimination and provide a copy of their policy on their letterhead.

• Have no previous noncompliance or returned funds via the emergency food and shelter program.

• Have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs within Columbia County.

• If they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board.

Organizations must have a permanent Columbia County presence.

Qualifying organizations are urged to apply. Completed applications may be submitted by 5 p.m. Feb. 7.

To request an application, contact the United Way of Columbia County, call Claire Catt at 360-430-6778 or email info@unitedwayofcolumbiacounty.com. Send applications to Attn: EFSP Board, PO Box 538, Rainier, OR 97048.

Most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in February.

The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to state officials.

In February, approximately 380,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $61 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits.

“We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Deputy Director Claire Sequin said. “Self-Sufficiency Programs. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211 and the Oregon Food Bank for support

during this difficult time.”

Emergency allotments will be available on Feb. 11 for current SNAP households. New SNAP households will receive the emergency allotments Feb. 26 or March 2.

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

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

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

If you are a SNAP household and your income or the number of people in your household has changed, it could impact your benefits.

It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-todate information.

You can report any changes to your income or household in many ways: • Online at: ONE.Oregon. gov

• By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309 • By fax at: 503-378-5628 • By phone at: 1-800-6999075 or TTY 711 Resources to help meet basic needs • Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank. org • Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www. adrcoforegon.org.

• Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org • Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center Learn more at https:// govstatus.egov.com/or-dhsbenefits. For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-OREADRC or 1-855-673-2372.

Metro Creative Connection

SNAP is an assistance program designed to help approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities, with emergency food allotments and other benefits.

State’s unemployment rate edges down tality (+2,600 jobs), health care and social assistance (+1,200), manufacturing (+900), and professional and business services (+900).

None of the major industries had a big drop in jobs during December.

Leisure and hospitality added 2,600 jobs in December, following a gain of 3,700 in November. Despite these gains, leisure and hospitality still accounts for a large share of Oregon’s jobs not recovered since early 2020, with 23,200 jobs left to recover to reach the prior peak month of February 2020.

The industry has regained 79% of jobs lost early in the pandemic.

Manufacturing added 900

STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in December, edging down from 4.2% in November and illustrates the 20th consecutive month of declines in Oregon’s unemployment rate.

The state jobless rate is a key indicator of economies in Columbia County and across the state.

Nonfarm payroll employment in Oregon rose by 8,200 in December, following a revised gain of 9,200 jobs in November. Throughout 2021, monthly job gains averaged 8,900.

In December, gains were largest in leisure and hospi-

jobs in December and 1,000 jobs in November, continuing its steady recovery over the past year and a half. Recent job gains were strongest in nondurable goods manufacturing, including food manufacturing which employed 28,700 in December, a level close to each of the four Decembers prior to the recession.

Administrative and waste services added jobs at a fast clip, averaging 1,400 per month over the past four months. Demand is hot for temporary help supply and employee leasing firms, as the employment services industry added 9,500 jobs, good for 25% growth, over the year. These gains were

countered by declines in another component industry: business support services, which has steadily declined from 16,000 jobs six years ago to 9,900 jobs in December 2021. Reductions within the category were concentrated in telephone call centers, and to a lesser extent, copy shops.

The Oregon Employment Department report shows 2,087,934 employed and 78,329 unemployed in December 2021. In December 2020, there were 1,996,117 employed and 131,658 unemployed.

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% in November to 3.9% in December.

Metro Creative Connection

The Oregon Employment Department report is a key economic indicator illustrating the state’s job growths and declines.

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Clatskanie sewer emergency fix in place JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

A compromised seal at the Clatskanie wastewater treatment plant stopped sewer processing and triggered a health alert late last week advising people to avoid contact with the Clatskanie River.

The city’s advisory, issued Jan. 21 and posted by The Chief online at thechiefnews. com, stated that the plant had experienced a failure of its clarifier, which is used to contain effluent during the treatment process.

“As a result of the failure, the plant was unable to properly treat the water and that caused the E. coli levels being discharged into the Clatskanie River to be above permitted

levels,” Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman said.

The city, in cooperation with Columbia County, closed the ramps at the Beaver Boat ramp site and at the Clatskanie City Park, to prevent human contact with the river water.

Hinkelman said crews drained the secondary clarifier and found debris in the bottom that compromised a seal.

“The debris was a result of the heavy rains and snow melt we had a couple of weeks ago that caused heavy water flows into the plant,” Hinkelman said. “As a result of the compromised seal, the plant was not treating the wastewater properly and we were out of permit for E.coli discharges.”

Hinkelman said the plant clarifier was being cleaned this week and the seal has

The Clatskanie wastewater treatment plant is located at 100 NW 4th Street in Clatskanie.

been inspected and returned to its proper placement.

“Once all of that is done, we will then fill the clarifier back up and begin the treatment process again,” he said.

Regular sewage treat-

ment was expected to resume Thursday, Jan. 27. Hinkelman said lifting the river contact advisory was pending as of Thursday morning, Jan. 27 pending lab test results.

The city has had issues

Chief photo

with the aging plant over the past several years and is moving to build a new water treatment plant at the site, located at 100 NW 4th Street in Clatskanie, utilizing two grants.

The first is a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for $720,000.

“This grant is to do the engineering and environmental assessment of a new plant,” Hinkelman said. “The Request for Proposals (RFP) for that project will be issued very soon. The design and environmental assessment will take a few months to complete.”

The other award is $10 million from the Oregon Legislature for construction of the plant.

“That build will happen once the engineering and design is complete,” Hinkelman said, adding he is hopeful construction would begin in 2023.

Follow this developing story at thechiefonline.com and in Friday print editions of The Chief.

Rainier Schools facing staffing challenges JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

The COVID-19 pandemic and teacher – substitute teacher shortage continues to challenge local school districts.

Rainier School District Superintendent Joseph Hattrick said all schools in his district were forced to close Friday, Jan. 21, but reopened Monday, Jan. 24.

Hattrick sent a letter to district parents advising them of the closure and the letter stated in part: “As with many districts, Rainier School District is facing challenges surrounding the Omicron COVID-19 variant. As you are all aware, the rapid rise

in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant has contributed to a dramatic rise in absences of students and staff in our district. The ability to fully staff and safely operate our schools has been a daily challenge, and one that we are struggling to maintain.

“We evaluate our staffing daily and tomorrow’s staff absence rate is above 30% and less than 50% of those positions are filled with substitutes. Given this volume, we are unable maintain a safe and productive learning environment for our students. Therefore, Rainier School District will be closed Friday, January 21, 2022.”

Hattrick told The Chief a

key factor in deciding about school closures with his staff of administrators is a daily assessment of whether the district can run smoothly or not with current staffing.

“Some staff were experiencing COVID symptoms,” Hattrick said of the Friday closure. “If it had been COVID we would have been closed longer. We got the green light from our leadership team that we would have enough staff and we were able to reopen Monday. The biggest challenges is when we have multiple staff out, we are having a heck of a challenge finding substitutes.”

The Rainier School District’s pre-school closed again on Wednesday due

to the staffing issue, but reopened Thursday.

Our greatest priority is to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for all. There are times that we have to pause the schools to achieve that priority. ~ Joseph Hattrick, Superintendent

“All the shortages have been due to COVID one way or the other,” Hattrick said. “The health and safety

of the students and staff is paramount. Our greatest priority is to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for all. There are times that we have to pause the schools to achieve that priority. We appreciate the community’s support, understanding and flexibility when we have to make these difficult decisions.”

The Rainier School District operates a high school, middle school, alternative school and a pre-school with approximately 100 staff serving approximately 950 students.

Board member resigns At the Jan. 10 Rainier School Board meeting,

member Kari Hollander submitted her resignation.

Hattrick said Hollander had been unable to attend a few of the previous board meetings in person because she had been out of the area. He said there was no specific explanation in Hollander’s letter of why she was stepping down.

“The board members expressed their gratitude for her service to the Rainier School District and to the community,” Hattrick said.

Applications for the open board position are currently being accepted by the school district. Hattrick said the board could make a selection to replace Hollander at its February public session.

Election 2022: Second run for governor ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

In Oregon, one candidate is making an ambitious second bid for Governor.

The Chief spoke with Patrick Starnes, Brownsville resident and former school board member who ran as an Independent back in 2018.

Starnes shared insight on his changing strategy.

“We learned that as an Independent, which I was for 20 years, we couldn’t get access to the process,” he said.

“I learned that I needed to be a Democrat in a blue state.”

Starnes said he is prochoice, pro-environment, and pro-single-payer household and plans to take on bigname candidates, such as former Oregon Senator Betsy Johnson, in running on a people-first platform.

Grassroots campaign Starnes said he has visited all 36 counties to understand the unique issues faced by each county.

When asked why he brought his campaign to

Columbia County Starnes said, “I wanted to see which issues are important to folks in Columbia County.”

Experience-wise, Starnes has also served on various school boards for a total of 10 years, which he said gives him the edge over other candidates.

“I feel like those 10 years of school board experience actually give me a better experience than being in the legislature because you’re on the ground dealing with hiring new teachers, some school boards hav(ing) to close schools,” he said.

“That’s really tough.”

Additionally, Starnes served on a watershed council with the mission of protecting salmon and aquatic wildlife.

Starnes remains steadfast in his grassroots strategy, even when it comes to advertising and raising money for his campaign.

“The great thing about having small donors is that they’ll talk to their neighbors,” he said. “If you have corporate donors or Melinda Gates’ money, they don’t

go door to door for it. They won’t write letters to the editor.”

Ban on big money One of the cornerstones of Starnes’ campaign is his position to take “big money” out of the political process.

Starnes was one of the early backers of Oregon Measure 107, a Campaign Finance Limits Amendment increasing campaign finance transparency.

According to Starnes, Oregon was one of five states with no restrictions on campaign donations until the measure passed Nov. 3, 2020, with 78% of the vote.

“In my first 100 days that’s my promise, to set some limits because it’s the wild wild west,” he said, followed by a laugh.

Starnes said he believes so-called big money is at the crux of issues Oregonians are passionate about, such as healthcare, carbon, and forestry reform.

“We’re leading by example by not taking any corporate money, nor any

Photo courtesy from Patrick Starnes

In his 2018 run, Independent candidate Starnes won 2.9% of the popular vote.

PAC money and $1,000 per person,” he said. “I feel like a lot of the issues in Oregon are tied to big money in politics.”

Ease of transportation Along with campaign finance reform, Starnes’ campaign centers on increasing access to reliable commuter transportation, which he said presents difficulties to Columbia County residents.

“If we help the tri-counties, the metro reduces their

traffic, that’ll make it easier for everyone else,” Starnes said.

When asked specifically what his resolution would be, he said, “On (KOHI) radio, we were just talking about trying to expand the light rail because you got that rail all the way to Astoria because if we’re transitioning away from fossil fuels to a cleaner transportation system, the governor needs to lead that.

That’s what I hope to do.”

Public health In a Chief poll, the majority of participants said they do not agree with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA’s) proposed permanent mask rule.

Starnes said he supports the measures necessary to control the spread of COVID-19, particularly if a new variant arises.

“Until we get over this and pass this, we have to do these tough things that we all hate,” he said. “Compare that to Governor Brown (who) is in a no-win situation, because if she didn’t do anything,

ARTS

From Page A1 “The art is hung on the walls in project groups,” she said. “Student’s name and grade level are displayed below.”

Planning for the joint student event was challenging, according to Erwin.

“Musically speaking, it was a rough go last year,” she said. “Online choir was not working out, plus we didn’t get the go ahead to sing until after spring break, so we switched to Music Appreciation in October.

We made the most out of the situation! We learned a lot and they (students) had fun learning about World Music and Western decades.”

Erwin said the school band was online for the first semester.

“Before shutdown, we were a concert band, but I had no idea when/if we would be allowed to play together,” she said. “There were talks of A and B days due to cohort numbers, so I switch to Jazz Combos. This way, if I had three students,

The CMHS Jazz Band will join the school art class students at the Saturday event.

we could still make good music together and if I had 20 kids, we could still make good music together.”

Erwin said the students learned jazz songs and how to improvise all online, using a “band in the box” backing tracks off YouTube to practice alone.

“Then, the second semester we were back to

in person,” she said. “We played outside, under the overhang by the auditorium entrance. Rain or shine!

When it snowed, they got the day off. We were able to put on two outdoor concerts for our families at the end of the year.”

For the art classes, Erwin said the first semester was entirely online due to the

pandemic health and safety restrictions.

“So, I printed out pictures of their work that they submitted and hung the show myself on moveable boards outside,” Erwin said. “When we came back to in person, the rules were still pretty strict, so the students helped hang the show a little bit, but I ended up doing a lot. But

Courtesy photo from Jaime Erwin

then we would have all these deaths, which would be terrible. So, we have to do these unpopular things, but we do need to be firm and I think together we’ll get through this.”

Race heats up The Chief previously reported that 28 candidates either filed paperwork with the Oregon Secretary of State or have formed exploratory committees to run for governor, with both major parties equally represented in the number of challengers.

Voters will cast ballots in each party during the May primary, with a runoff likely to decide the candidates for at least the Republican and Democrat parties. The next Oregon governor will be chosen by voters in the November statewide election.

The 2022 gubernatorial election is set to take place Nov. 8.

Follow this developing story at thechiefnews.com or in Friday print editions of The Chief. are still excited to be back in school.

“They are excited to sing and play together again,” she said. “They are excited to be back in the art room creating art. Their excitement shows.”

According to Erwin, the COVID-19 pandemic deflated a lot of the CMHS programs and most are now rebuilding.

“This is very true for the Art as well,” she said. “Choir is small but mighty, band learned an entire new art form, drama has learned to be movie stars, and students taking art classes has tripled in the past year.”

Erin said there is a positive take-away about the art and band joint program.

“I want people to look at this event and see the resilience of these students,” she said. “In a time when it was so easy to just do nothing and to let creativity go, these students pushed though.

Their voices are strong, and they are working hard. I hope people see this event and get inspired.”

it was their actual artwork this time and not just printed pictures. Again, outside show on moving boards.

This year, totally different!

The students collaborated across a few different days to hang the show. It was really nice to see them all working For more information, together to make everything call CMHS at 503-728look great!”

2146.

Erwin said the students Columbia County’s trusted local news source

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Friday, January 28, 2022

•V iewpoints • •

Pandemic: The best sign is an Open sign PAUL VOGEL Chief Guest Column

As 2022 picks up momentum, COVID Omicron virus infections are exceeding those at the start of the initial pandemic. With vaccines available for months and two years of experience adjusting to disrupted business flows of all types, it would seem we’d have a better about idea about what to do to protect ourselves and our businesses and see a clearer forward path, for businesses to make it through.

Not the case, apparently.

First-time infections are spiking, and breakthrough infections are adding further to those totals. Hospital beds are dangerously scarce and non-emergent medical treatment is taking a back seat.

Isolation time due to exposure or waiting for test results and quarantine time for incubation and recovery, are big factors in people not reliably “showing up” on either side of the commercial equation: employees and customers; supply and demand.

The uncertainty of the times, unpredictability of consumer and workforce behavior - or even availability - and currently trending economic indicators make us all want to look around for just one thing we can count on.

Consistency, reliability Restaurants, as a microcosm for all businesses, need consistency and reliability.

You want them to be open when you want them open, right? They need employees in order to open at reliable, regular hours. They need regular hours for you to be able to just show up when you want to. They need healthy employees to avoid spontaneous, temporary closures that frustrate customers. They need healthy customers protecting themselves, restaurant staff, and fellow customers.

And if that seems unreasonable to customers, they need customers to just act reasonably. That’s a lot of variables;

•

•V oices

Prime farmland statement As a person who was involved with the Columbia County Soil Survey, I would like to correct Joe Turner on his remarks regarding “Prime Farmland.”

“Prime Farmland” is a designation established by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and identifies prime farmland, farmland of statewide importance, farmland of local importance, or farmland of unique

PYROSOME

From Page A1

The aquarium states in its post that Pyrosoma atlanticum is the most observed species found along Oregon

helping reduce them helps us all.

Anything we can do individually, as organizations, or collectively to help alleviate these dynamic tensions can help us all benefit together; stabilizing the moving parts and pieces of our small business economy will help our communities gain strength.

The presence and ready availability of goods and services is something we used to take for granted, and worth doing something to regain, right? Ultimately, how our small businesses fare determines the quality of our communities and how much we like living there.

What’s ahead Looking out into 2022, small businesses will continue to wrestle with these day-to-day challenges described. Helping them simply helps ourselves – and all of us – restore and sustain our economy.

There are positive things happening and to build upon, good signs and things to look forward to even amidst COVID, inflation, and other economic challenges that evolved from the pandemic.

Supply chain issues, for one, will continue for a while. It’s not just the vast fleet of steamships sitting off the coast of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It’s also goods produced here, including groceries. That’s particularly relevant for those same restaurants that have to order ahead, not knowing each day if they can open up and serve you. Yet another reason to do whatever we can to help them stay consistently open and operating.

Supply chain also relates to labor and workforce, another issue. We’re well past the termination of unemployment benefits as a reason for workforce disruption. There are other complex issues in the mix. Re-thinking the work environment and culture we provide; re-thinking what we want, must have, or can reasonably expect as employees – these are just a few threads in the greater tapestry

of the

Metro Creative Connection

“The best sign is an Open sign, and any small business that’s open is a survivor.” ~ Paul Vogel, CET

of “work” as we used to know it. Work is never going back to what it once was.

Adapting and changing how we work will be a big part of the work for quite a while.

Those circumstances must be addressed globally, not just here. But in Columbia County some positive things are happening as well – some of which either were initiated during, or are the result of, the pandemic experience.

Chambers persevere Our three Chambers of Commerce have persevered and are beginning to re-activate and elevate to former levels – knowing so much more now about their membership, communities, and each other, as a result of working through this generational pandemic together.

Uptown, downtown

Business Center A new, first-ever in

Cooperative marketing Also getting site investors’ and site selectors’ attention will be new, cooperative

marketing between OMIC, Columbia River PUD, the City of Scappoose, and Columbia Economic Team, focused on the advantage we have with Oregon’s only advanced and additive manufacturing research and development asset, right here. The new PCC/OMIC Training Center opened amidst the pandemic and is already safely drawing in scores of students making way for their future in sophisticated manufacturing.

On the proprietor front, we’re seeing start-ups too, with two new brewery operations and a brewpub set to open soon. Other enterprises are in the works, as well.

The good signs These are all good signs, and there are others. The best sign is an Open sign, and any small business that’s open is a survivor. We need these businesses here to provide the fabric of our communities’ cultures and the structure of our economy. What’s here matters.

New tools and opportunities are going into place for our business economy to navigate forward even better than before - tougher, smarter, and even more creative - because of the road we’ve travelled together getting to 2022.

Paul Vogel is the executive director of the Columbia Economic Team. He may be reached at 503-410-1061, or at paulvogel@columbiacountyoregon.com.

St. Helens Main Streets has formed, elected a new board of leaders that’s focused on both uptown as well as downtown, and is already facilitating the new Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant program.

Keep it Local Keep it Local ran a record holiday shopping campaign countywide, with 84 sponsors, close to $400,000 in spending, nearly 2,000 par-

C ommunity • •

importance. It has little to do with soil aspect and everything to do with what can be produced from that soil. The drained organic soils in the Beaver Drainage District are considered “unique.”

The mint, as grown on these soils, are certainly not “weeds.” The mint oil produced by the Seely family is of such a quality that it is used as a blending oil.

That is, an oil that is used to improve the quality of other mint oils.

Few other mint oils produced in this state or elsewhere can equal the quality

of oil that is produced in the Beaver Drainage district. The soils in Boardman, Klamath basin and in the Willamette, valley can produce mint, but not oil of the quality that the soils in the Clatskanie area produce.

The soils in the Beaver District are of statewide importance. The should be considered “unique” and should be both protected and preserved for our future.

beaches. They are described as a rigid, bumpy, pinkishgray tube about the size of a finger. Throughout the world pyrosomes can range in size from a few centimeters to over 30 feet long, but the common Pyrosoma atlanticum reaches a maximum

length of two feet.

“These totally tubular critters are actually known as a colonial tunicate, a mass of thousands of smaller organisms with a rigid notochord (a simplistic backbone),” the aquarium post reads.

Bill Eagle St. Helens

The Chief

Jeremy C. Ruark Publisher - Executive Editor

ticipants and one $1,000 winner. People…customers… clearly want the convenience of buying here, to support their local businesses, and sustain an economy that provides what we want and need.

In 2022, Keep it Local will completely recreate its website as a small business aggregator and search engine, thanks to funding from Business Oregon and Columbia River PUD (CRPUD). Also included is an extensive, highly accessible and userfriendly digital literacy …or mastery…. program providing free workshops, classes, and training for small business owners to profit and grow more from web-based, digital, and social media marketing.

Columbia County Business Resource and Small Business Development Center will open soon, combining economic development with free small business coaching, plus workshops, classes, and access to systems and statewide resources to do nothing other than help small businesses succeed. We have our city and county leaders, and partners with the Oregon Small Business Network, to thank for contributing generously from – opportunistically – COVID recovery funds in order to stand this center up.

This game changer reflects long-term vision and investment that will help ensure business recovery, retention, and growth throughout every community, moving forward.

Business recruitment and expansion on a larger scale should grow as well, with national and global relocation specialists finally getting back to work and increasingly discovering that some of the best, most developable employment lands in Oregon happen to be right here, where they never looked before. The Port has spearheaded the first comprehensive industrial land inventory in decades, soon delivering upto-date maps of “buildable opportunity” online, available to site searchers everywhere. We’ll soon be adding a new employment inventory, analysis and strategy.

Zoe Gottlieb General Assignment Reporter

Weekly Online Poll

Last Week’s Results

If private businesses decide to enforce a permanent indoor mask mandate, will you comply?

Would you like to see more of an arts scene developed in Columbia County?

Yes

63% Yes

37% No

Vote online at thechiefnews.com

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chief PO Box 1153, St. Helens, OR 97051 James Yang Creative Director

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CONTACT US • Phone: (503) 397-0116 • Fax: (503) 397-4093 • Website: www.thechiefnews.com Editorial: chiefnews@countrymedia.net ADVERTISE WITH US: Advertising Email: chronicleads@countrymedia.net • Classified email: chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net Editorial policy Opinions expressed on this page are independent of The Chief views and are solely those of the writers expressing them.

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ters containing details presented as facts rather than opinions must include their sources. Writers are limited to one published letter per month. All submissions must include the author’s full name, local street address and 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.

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Friday, January 28, 2022

A5

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Corrections Deputy- Entry Columbia County, OR. EOE Deadline 2/25/2022 Apply at Columbia CountyOR. gov.

Enforcement Deputy - Lateral Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline 2/23/2022.

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U.S. Bank is seeking a client relationship consultant banker with customer service and sales experience in Clatskanie, Oregon. In this role, you’ll build relationships with customers, address their banking needs and recommend financial

solutions based on their unique goals. Apply at usbank.com/careers and search job number 20220001866. An equal opportunity employer/disability/ veteran.

Corrections Technician Columbia County, OR EOE Deadline 2/28/2022 Apply at ColumbiaCounty OR.gov

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Public Notices CC22-1567

CC22-1568

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 JOSEPH HENRY MUSTOLA, Deceased. No. 22PB00044 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

CC22-1571

additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative or the attorney for the personal representative. Dated and first published January 21, 2022. Gregory C. Mustola, Personal Representative.

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

Probate Department In the Matter of the Estate of MARY JUNE BURNHAM, Deceased. No. 21PB09444 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

CC22-1572

NOTICE OF MEETING NOTICE OF EXECUTIVE The Clatskanie City Coun- 11th, 2022 special meeting, a cil will meet on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall in the Clatskanie Cultural Center, 75 South Nehalem St. (2nd floor).

Agenda items include but are not limited to: approval of the minutes of the January 5th, 2021 regular meeting, approval of the minutes of the January

Fair Housing Resolution, the second reading of Ordinance 703 rezoning property and amending the City’s comprehensive plan map. An updated agenda will be available at City Hall by Jan. 28th, 2022.

The facility is ADA compliant.

Please call City Hall at 503728-2622 at least 48 hours in advance if you need assistance.

•

SESSION BOARD MEETING The Board of Directors for Clatskanie School District 6J will hold an Executive Session Board meeting, Tuesday, February 01, 6:30 p.m. at Fultano’s meeting room, located at 770 E Columbia River Hwy. ORS

192.660(i): To review and evaluate the employmentrelated performance of the chief executive officer of any public body, a public officer, employee or staff member who does not request an open hearing.

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 21, 2022.

Peggy A. Swanson, Personal Representative. STEPHEN D. PETERSEN, L.L.C., Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048.

CC22-1570

NOTICE OF AUCTION Riverside Self Storage will be holding auctioning a unit on Feb. 12th, 2022. Auction will be held on site at 917 W B St

Rainier OR, 97048. Unit 52 rented by Mark Molnaa are the units to be auctioned at 10am on Saturday, Feb. 12th, 2022.

Chief Public Notice deadline notice Please submit legal notices to The Chief by Wednesdays at Noon.

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

•C rossword P uzzle • • STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: SUPER BOWL ACROSS

1. Shout from a ship?

5. Shout from the bleachers 8. ____ and don’ts 11. Infamous Henry’s number 12. One with COVID, e.g.

13. Fighter jet button 15. Resting stops 16. Not guilty, e.g.

17. One of Singapore’s official languages 18. *Home of last year’s Super Bowl winners 20. Armor chest plate 21. *Given name of 2011 Super Bowl MVP 22. African grazer 23. Greek woodland deities 26. Ramones’ hit “I Wanna Be ____” 30. Big fuss 31. Like certain Chili Peppers (2 words) 34. Cattle call goal 35. Scatterbrained 37. Bonehead 38. In a different direction 39. JetÈ in ballet 40. More so than eggy 42. Conducted 43. Christmas firewood (2 words)

45. Annotator and commentator 47. Soda-pop container 48. Unpleasant and offensive 50. SWAT attack, e.g.

52. *Super Bowl I and II winning coach 55. Pertaining to a pope 56. Cain’s unfortunate brother 57. Gives a hand 59. Anoint 60. BÈbÈ’s mother 61. Season to be jolly 62. *Most Super Bowl wins by one team 63. Snoop 64. Carhop’s load

DOWN

1. *Roman number of this year’s Super Bowl 2. “___ Misbehavin’” 3. Santa Maria’s traveling partner 4. Despair in the face of obstacles 5. “The Hobbit” hobbit 6. “Caribbean Queen” singer 7. Colloquial approval 8. Cold cuts counter 9. South American tubers 10. Pig’s digs 12. Not dense

13. Make corrections 14. *Florida team with no Super Bowl appearances 19. Return punch 22. Come and ____ it 23. Lamentably 24. Bye, to Edith Piaf 25. Bottom line 26. *2022 Super Bowl stadium 27. Upholstery choice 28. *Archie to Super Bowl MVPs Peyton and Eli 29. Exploits 32. *Super Bowl Halftime show Snoops’s “last name” 33. Hardly a beauty 36. *Like some teams 38. Oenophile’s concern 40. Many, many moons 41. Empower 44. Big Dipper’s visible shape 46. Oppressive ruler 48. On the wagon 49. Nail salon board 50. Feminine of raja 51. Mt. Everest to Earth 52. Aladdin’s light 53. Christian of fashion 54. Result of a brainstorm 55. Rudolf Nureyev’s step 58. Stallone’s nickname

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

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A6

•

Friday, January 28, 2022

•S pecial R eport • •

Repeat offenders - ‘It’s frustrating’ ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Habitual offenders are on the rise, according to a report from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC).

A May 2021 report from the commission shows recidivism rates have been on an upward trajectory since 2008.

The data corresponds with the tragic event that unfolded in Columbia County. On Nov. 11, suspect John Thralls, facing arrest for assault and robbery, struck Oregon State Police (OSP) Trooper John Jeffries with his vehicle on Highway 30 four miles from St. Helens, causing critical injuries. The following day, suspect Clinton Allen was arrested, also in St. Helens, for detonating a homemade bomb.

Both were repeat offenders convicted of other crimes ranging from possession of child pornography to attempted murder.

Darrell Brooks, the defendant charged with homicide after plowing into a crowd of Christmas paraders in Waukesha, Wisconsin, had a similar pattern of past offenses, reports show.

Recidivism, as defined by Oregon code (ORS 423.557), occurs when an offender is arrested, convicted, or receives a felony prison sentence within a three-year period following probation or release from custody.

The Chief asked Columbia County District Attorney Jeff Auxier whether and to what extent recidivism is a problem in Oregon.

The Chief: What, if any, are some of the trends that you’re seeing with these sorts of offenders? The suspect in the OSP Trooper case had a criminal history, same as the bomb (suspect) in St. Helens.

I was wondering if this is a trend, what in particular, you’ve noticed, even on a national scale with Waukesha what happened? Maybe you could tell me a little bit about what you’re seeing.

Auxier: We’ve actually

Metro Creative Connection

A state report shows recidivism rates have been increasing since 2008.

had a reduction in Columbia County overall statistically when it comes to recidivism, but we still have criminal defendants that could be characterized as repeat offenders without a doubt. In other jurisdictions and other counties, there is a real jail space problem. And that can affect us in this county because people who are arrested in other counties are released for pretty serious offenses that would keep you in custody here in Columbia County.

In these individual instances, I can’t speak to what happened with Mr. Thralls.

Mr. Thralls was arrested on a number of occasions in the state of Washington and released on his own recognizance in those cases. Sometimes the cases were dropped.

Mr. Thralls had the 2019 elude in our county, but that’s a charge that simply does not carry through any prison time under Oregon law. The sentencing guidelines limit you to basically giving someone probation or six months jail at a maximum on those cases. So that can be kind of frustrating for us.

The Clinton Allen case was a case where the parents posted Mr. Allen’s bail, if I remember correctly and by law, just by the Constitution, you have to give someone an opportunity to pay a bail amount. You can’t just deny someone bail on any crime except for murder or treason.

We don’t see many treason cases.

The Chief: In the case of Mr. Thralls, when he committed this crime it involved OSP and a bunch of other different police department entities.

Do jurisdictions keep other jurisdictions in the loop?

The Chief: What would you say would be the solution for the county? Would it involve changing the laws around the jail system, or how would you envision that process would happen?

Auxier: I may not be allowed to talk specifically about the Thralls case, but law enforcement coordinates very heavily on those sorts of issues. And there are certain police agencies such as Rainier that Rainier PD or the sheriff’s office for Columbia County, that work really closely with Longview police and the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office over in Washington. It’s not uncommon at all for them to coordinate and discuss specific suspects who tend to travel between the two jurisdictions.

Auxier: You have a constitutional right to bail under the United States Constitution. The judges have an obligation to set bail at an amount that will ensure their reappearance in court, but also take into account what they can afford. Sometimes there’s just nothing they can do. It’s frustrating because we often argue about what that bail amount should be.

But ultimately, that’s up to the judge and the judges.

The Chief: Do you know if with Mr. Thralls’ case that you had heard about in Longview, if they had set a low bail and then they put (the case) up to 5 million because of the circumstances of the crime?

Auxier: We have no jurisdiction over the crimes that occurred in the state of Washington. I can’t really speak to what their laws are, or what the jail space issues are over there. I do know that the crimes Mr. Thralls has been alleged to have committed over there were misdemeanors. And people who commit misdemeanor crimes are released, generally speaking at a higher frequency pretrial before the resolution of their case, but I’m just not in a position to really give an opinion on what happened on those cases because there’s just such a universe of possible explanations for why he was released.

It could have been that the victim in those cases didn’t press charges. It could have just been a jail capacity issue, a low bail situation, a legal technicality. It could be a combination of all those things. It’s just not something that I can give an opinion on one way or the other.

Sexual exploitation nets 27 years STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Investigators seized numerous videos showing Dewey abusing the child over a period of five years when the child was 4 to 11 years old. The abuse occurred at Dewey’s residences in Oregon and Washington State.

A Columbia County man faces multiple years in federal prison for recording his repeated rape and abuse of a child over a period of five years and secretly recording a second child using a bathroom.

On Jan. 25, Anthony Wayne Dewey, 60, was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison followed by a life term of supervised release.

“Our hearts break for the children tragically abused and exploited in this and every case of child exploitation,” Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, said.

“We offer each of them this message: this experience will not define you. You are Courtesy photo bigger and stronger than Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of your abuser. You will grow to lead an extraordinary life sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. of meaning and purpose.”

“The focus—as always—is on the victims.

During the search, law Although Anthony Dewey enforcement also found received a severe and just sentence, the potential dam- hidden camera videos of another minor victim using age done to the children a bathroom. Investigators by his depravity will likely later learned that Dewey well outlast his punishhad previously been conment,” Oregon FBI Special victed in 2009 after hiding Agent in Charge Kieran a camera in the bathroom L. Ramsey said. “Help us of his residence in Cowlitz protect our community’s County, Washington. No children by reporting other violent predators to your lo- video evidence was recovcal law enforcement agency ered or disclosed at that time. or the FBI.” On February 9, 2018, According to court documents, in August 2017, Dewey was charged by criminal complaint with after receiving information sexual exploitation of a Dewey had sexually abused child. Later, in June 2018 a child and created photoand November 2019, he graphs depicting the abuse, was charged by criminal law enforcement executed information and superseda search warrant on his Coing criminal information lumbia County residence.

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

with two counts of sexually exploiting a child. On November 7, 2019, he pleaded guilty to both charges.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Longview Police Department and St. Helens Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 503-2244181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Child pornography defined Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. Child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer revictimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed.

To learn more, visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at http://www. missingkids.org.

All we can do is argue for higher bail amounts when we believe someone is a public safety risk and then respect the decision. There is the jail space issue but again, we’ve been lucky enough to have a jail that has a good amount of space in it for our county.

(In 2014) Columbia County voters approved funding to allow us to have extra jail beds. I feel like Columbia County is, in that regard, really doing its part to make sure that people who are at risk to reoffend remain in custody if they’re released before their trial.

Jeffries’ update As of late December, Jef-

fries was still in the hospital recovering from his injuries, according the Oregon State Police (OSP). The Chief reached out again to OSP Public Information Officer Stephanie Bigman, who gave us the following statement.

“I will inquire if the family has any information they are willing to release,” she wrote.

The Chief is awaiting further response.

If you wish to send your well wishes to the Jeffries family, please do so via email at ospsocial@osp.oregon.gov or via mail to Oregon State Police, Attention Trooper John Jeffries, 3565 Trelstad Ave SE, Salem, Or. 97317.

2022

Friday, February 11 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

Saturday, February 12 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

AN EXHIBIT OF LOCAL QUILTS OLD AND NEW Featured Quilter: Cathy Lundberg, member of Columbia River Piece Makers Quilt Guild

Enjoy a lunch of homemade soups, sandwiches and pies for a donation or nominal fee for take out. Browse used books, puzzles and take home delicious baked goods.

EXHIBITORS

Bring your quilts to display Thursday, February 10 from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Call Chris Mollenhour at 503-888-7540 for more information.

34721 Church Rd. Warren, OR, 97053 (1/4 mile off Hwy 30)

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Friday, January 28, 2022

A7

Beware of cryptocurrency, state warns STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is warning Oregonians to use caution when investing in cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens, or other new or volatile products.

According to an online broad definition, a cryptocurrency is virtual or digital money that takes the form of tokens or coins.

Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that have no government backing. They are typically purchased, used, stored, and traded electronically through digital currency exchanges. They can be traded for goods and services, transferred from one person to another, or held for investment purposes.

A nonfungible token – or NFT – is a unique unit of

data that is not interchangeable and is stored on a blockchain. They are often linked to digital works of art, photos, and videos.

There are nearly 10,000 active cryptocurrencies and they and NFTs are increasing in popularity. Regulation of these new asset types is still evolving. While there are often promises of big returns consumers often lose money when investing in them.

In fact, earlier this month, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) released its annual list of top investor threats, and investments tied to cryptocurrencies and digital assets topped the list.

“Scams promising big returns on cryptocurrencies and NFTs are flooding the Internet,” Oregon Division of Financial Regulation Administrator TK Keen

•

said. “Investors wanting to purchase cryptocurrencies and NFTs should do their homework to make sure they fully understand these investments and their risks before getting involved.”

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation encourages Oregonians to follow these specific recommendations before investing in cryptocurrency or NFTs: • Carefully research these types of investments. Many of these “investment opportunities” are speculative in nature. Before engaging in a transaction, make sure that you understand what you are purchasing, the value of the item purchased, the reason for the valuation, and how easy it is to sell the investment if you want to get out your money.

• Use a digital currency

•V oices

exchange that is licensed with the state to transmit cryptocurrency to someone else. Oregon law requires companies that transfer digital currency from one person to another to be licensed as money transmitters. Digital currency exchange companies that purchase or sell cryptocurrency from their own inventories are not required to be licensed.

• Do not spend money you need. The volatility of the digital currency and NFT markets means that you should not purchase cryptocurrency with money that is needed for essential purposes such as food, housing, and gas.

Consumers who have questions about these unregulated assets can call the division’s advocates toll-free at 866-814-9710.

of

Metro Creative Connection

A cryptocurrency is virtual or digital money that takes the form of tokens or coins.

C hange • •

The role of multimedia in social change ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

In the age of the influencer, multimedia campaigns are increasingly being used in Columbia County, Oregon, and the nation to shape public policy.

The Chief tracked the development of two emerging social movements in Columbia County driven by multimedia outreach.

Save Port Westward In collaboration with Portland-based We Win Strategy Group, Save Port Westward board members Jasmine Lillich and Brandon Schilling released their film Jan. 18 containing the emotion-laden testimony of farm owners, neighbors, and agricultural workers who would be affected by NEXT Renewable Fuels, Inc.’s proposal to install a renewable diesel production facility at the port.

Many of those interviewed in the film, such as neighboring landowner Sandra Moilanen and Jamestown S’Klallam tribe elder Scott MacGregor, also spoke during the Tuesday, Jan. 11 Clatskanie City Council meeting, in which the council reversed their decision to request a formal slowdown of NEXT’s permitting process.

Along with the utilization of film techniques such as montages and pan shots, the film features drone footage donated by Clatskanie resi-

Courtesy photo from Jasmine Lillich

Clatskanie resident Heidi Kramer donated drone footage of Port Westward to the collaborative film project.

dents to convey the natural beauty and wildlife of the region slotted for development.

The film took around “three to four hours” to complete and 48 hours to edit, Lillich said.

Lillich described the process of putting together a story from the footage.

“You have all this raw material in front of you, it seems daunting, and it seems like you’re trying to listen to what these raw materials want to tell you,” she said.

“And in this case, this foot-

age is the story of this rainy day in the Pacific Northwest where all these people got together to pour their heart out wanting to protect this land that they love.”

As to why she opted for the film medium in telling the story of local landowners, Lillich said, “It was just great to get people together and for us to all vocalize why this land is important to us, I think that’s what came of it.”

“It’s a snapshot of a much larger audience,” she added.

As an undergraduate

pursuing courses in environmental sustainability, Lillich said she developed an understanding of film as a means to inspire change.

“I feel like a huge part of my education was just attending film festivals and seeing how different parts of the world are affected through environmental degradation,” she said. “Without media, without video, that scope is limited.”

Free Oregon “OHA MASK BBQ

PARTY!” a headline on the calendar page of Free Oregon’s website reads. “Bring a mask and something to burn.”

Organizers of Free Oregon, a non-partisan grassroots movement protecting individual rights “as the framers of the Constitution intended,” announced the planned demonstration for the Jan. 20, the day of Oregon Health Authority’s proposed permanent mask hearing, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. outside the Oregon Health Authority Office on

800 Northeast Oregon Street in Portland.

The highly publicized event is hardly the group’s first attempt at swaying Oregon public officials. Free Oregon organizers have also been the driving force behind numerous lawsuits, including a lawsuit against the Oregon State Board of Nursing and the State of Oregon over vaccine mandates, with variable degrees of success.

Free Oregon President Ben Edtl said the case Free Oregon Plaintiffs vs Portland Public Schools, the coalition’s most successful lawsuit to date, stopped the Portland Public School Board from voting in favor of mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 and older.

While Edtl continues to carve his path as a watchdog on Twitter, keeping close tabs on the activities of the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, other Free Oregon organizers have directed their social media outreach to Rumble, a more incognito version of media-sharing websites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

In recent months, Scappoose-based Freedom Rally, a group holding similar principles to Free Oregon, handed out flyers and held demonstrations along Highway 30 at the intersection of Scappoose High School and High School Way, protesting vaccination mandates for children.

Advisory group volunteers sought Columbia County is seeking volunteers to join a number of county advisory groups.

Columbia County’s advisory boards, committees, and commissions provide community perspective to the Columbia County Board of Com-

missioners about important local issues. Serving on an advisory group offers county residents the opportunity to learn about the county’s work and make recommendations on county programs, services, and policies.

Each advisory group has

a specific purpose and is governed by operating statutes, according to a release from Columbia County.

Terms run from one to six years, depending on the committee or commission and circumstances. Vacancies are generally filled at the end of

New this year! Publishing the week of February 12

Hudson Garbage Service would like to thank the following for being a part of bringing many smiles to our youth this Christmas Season.

Teevin Bro’s St.Hexion, Helens Kiwanis Inc. Oxbo Nancy Hudson St. Helens Grocery Outlet Nick Julie Teeter Cityand of St. Helens TheDr. Catlow Family Garrison Paulson’s Printing The Lohman Family Blake Millar Jason and Brenda Edith Catlow Hudson Karen and Mark Catlow Scappoose Boosters Nancy Hudson Kiwanis Club of St. Jason andHelens Brenda Hudson The Lohman Family Barlow Bikes Knife River Herb Bailey Rich Bailey Const

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the calendar and fiscal year unless an opening becomes available during the year.

Columbia County currently has openings on the following advisory groups: • Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee • Ambulance Service Advisory Committee • CZ Trail Advisory Committee • Local Public Safety Coordinating Council • Solid Waste Advisory Committee • Traffic Safety Committee • Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee • Civil Service Commission

The community benefits from the participation of hundreds of individuals volunteering their time and knowledge, according to the county release.

“Get involved, share Please make your message 20 words or less. Be sure to add your your skills, and help shape Valentine’s first name and your name, or initials, at the end. our community,” the release reads.

Email your message to: chronicleads@countrymedia.net or mail to The For detailed informaChronicle Advertising Department, PO Box 1153 St. Helens, OR 97051. tion about these advisory Also, you can find this promotion on our social media accounts, www. groups visit online at cofacebook.com/sthelenschronicle, www.facebook.com/thechiefnews, lumbiacountyor.gov/advitwitter.com/SHChronicle, or twitter.com/thechiefnews sory-committees. If you are and enter your message as a comment there. interested in serving on any of our advisory groups, please submit an online application at columbiacountyor.gov/ thechronicleonline.com thechiefnews.com advisory-committee-membership-application.

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Send us a message to your valentine and we’ll publish it in print in our special publication, The Valentine Edition. Deadline to participate is February 7, 2022. The Valentine Edition prints the week of February 9 in The Chronicle, The News Advertiser and The Chief.

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AA tt tt oo rr nn ee yyFriday, ss January 28, 2022

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The CCCC makes grants to promote heritage, arts and humanities in Columbia County.

Grants distributed to local nonprofit arts groups STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

The Columbia County Cultural Coalition (CCCC) has announced its nonprofit grant recipients for 2022.

The following are the recipients.

• Clatskanie Arts Commission for the “Raymond Carver Writing Festival”

• Clatskanie Farmers’ Market for “Live Music at CFM” • The Friends of the Clatskanie Public Library for the “Vera Brosgol Author Visit” • Columbia Chorale of Oregon for an operating cost grant • Rainier Public Library for “Rain OR Rhyme Poetry Contest” • Scappoose Public

Library District for “Cultural Activity Kits” The Board of the CCCC congratulates the recipients and wishes them success!

“Each nonprofit requested and received the maximum $2,000 grant, except for the Rainier “Rain OR Rhyme” project, which requested and received $1,300,” Columbia County Cultural Coali-

tion Secretary Margaret Trenchard-Smith said.

Approved by the Oregon Cultural Trust in 2006, the CCCC makes grants to promote heritage, arts and humanities in Columbia County.

If you are interested in the CCCC work or in donating to the Oregon Cultural Trust, visit https://columbiacultural. org.

The Clatskanie Middle/High School Sports Schedule Friday Jan. 28 • HS JV Girls Basketball vs. Warrenton • HS JV Boys Basketball vs. Warrenton • HS JV2 Boys Basketball vs. Warrenton • HS V Girls Basketball vs. Warrenton • HS V Boys Basketball vs. Warrenton Saturday Jan. 29 • HS Wrestling @ Ilwaco

Monday Jan. 31 • MS Girls Basketball vs.

Rainier Tuesday Feb. 1 • HS JV Girls Basketball @Taft • HS JV Boys Basketball @Taft • HS V Girls Basketball @Taft • HS V Boys Basketball @Taft

Courtesy Photos from Daniel O’Brien – Valve Media

A Free Oregon demonstrator holds up a sign to voice her opposition to the proposed permanent mask rule.

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mission of “fighting tyranny” in Oregon, took to the streets, holding a “BBQ Mask Party” outside the OHA office at NE 800 Oregon Street in Portland.

“Bring a mask and something to burn,” the event description read on the Free Oregon website.

Demonstrators chanted, held signs, and set a barrel containing surgical masks ablaze in synchronicity with the OHA’s electronic hearing, which kicked off at 10 a.m. and lasted for several hours.

Rules of the hearing Administrative Rules Coordinator Brittany Hall led the OHA’s Administrative Rules hearing, discussing the adoption of a permanent rule requiring masks to be worn in indoor spaces in Oregon.

Hall opened the meeting with the following clarifying statement.

“The temporary rule cannot be extended past six months, thus Oregon’s temporary rule expires on Feb. 8,” she said. “That does not mean the rule is permanent.

The Oregon Health Authority can rescind, repeal, or cancel a rule when it decides it is no longer necessary.”

After opening remarks,

Hall invited testifying members of the public to speak.

Opponents of the proposed permanent rule presented concerns ranging from realized sociological harms to the sole authority such a rule will give the agency, creating obstacles for the public to seek legal recourse.

Aden Nepom, the meeting’s first speaker, expressed concern that the OHA’s proposal would bypass public input, concluding with a statement affirming the importance of local decisionmaking.

“Allow small businesses (and) school districts to make the masking decisions that make the most sense in their specific communities and circumstances so that we can stop trying to stop COVID, which is a fool’s errand, and begin trying to figure out how to move forward,” she said.

Matt Runkle, another guest speaker, put forth numerous arguments calling the logic of permanent masking into question, including a lack of sufficient evidence for mask efficacy, disproportionate impacts on essential workers, and the potential of lasting effects on a generation.

“Their (children’s) anger will be very justified,” he said.

Runkle also pointed out that 42 out of 50 states have repealed mask mandates, despite news of the Omicron

2022

Wednesday Feb. 2 •MS Wrestling Home Meet vs. Rainier/St. Helens/Vernonia Thursday Feb. 3 • HS JV2 Boys Basketball @Knappa • HS Wrestling Home Meet vs. Dayton/YC Friday Feb. 4 • HS JV Girls Basketball

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variant, and highlighted there are “no discernable differences” between states such as Florida, which banned mask mandates in public schools, and Oregon, in terms of high case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Runkle underscored the inequitable outcomes of such a rule change, arguing that school children and frontline workers, required to mask up for 8 hours a day, will inordinately pay the price.

Others present at the meeting, in their condemnation of the OHA’s proposal, expressed their willingness to fight against the rule.

“I think it’s pretty clear that the public does not trust you anymore,” Portland resident Elizabeth Moore said.

Public health perspective While Hall announced the OHA would not be making comments during or after the hearing, some public health experts have already stated why they deem the rule change necessary.

“Safe and effective vaccines that have been available for more than a year,” Modie told The Chief prior to the Jan. 20 hearing. “But there still are people out there who are susceptible to severe illness and even death, even with vaccinations.

That’s why, until we see COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations go down again, we need to continue wearing masks indoors, in workplaces and other settings, even when workers are vaccinated and boosted.”

The first proposal for the adoption of a permanent mask rule in Oregon was issued back in April by Michael Wood, an employee of the Oregon branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

A Change.org petition to stop the proposal was launched shortly thereafter, receiving 71,000 signatures.

Modie said the OHA will take public comments into consideration and make its decision on the proposed rule change late this month or in early February.

Follow this developing story at thechiefnews.com or in Friday print editions of The Chief.

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