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MEMORIAL DAY 2022

Less affordable housing

Memorial Day 2022 Special inside

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Remembering those who served Presented by

The Chronicle & The Chief

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

VOL. 131, NO. 3 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891

Learning the ‘Art of Fiddling’ Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

Students demonstrated concentration during the music workshop. See more photos with this story at thechiefnews.com ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Four days is all it will take to lay the foundation for Clatskanie Elementary School (CES) students to play one of the world’s most powerful instruments.

This is what fiddle instructor and native Louisianan Kelly Thibodeaux set out to accomplish with his four-

day, four-session workshop that began on May 24 for 1st through 4th graders at CES.

By Friday, May 27, students will have learned a solo three-chord fiddle tune with Kelly’s guitar accompaniment and demonstrate these skills through a student-led recital.

Thibodeaux, a pioneer of the genre-bending music known as “swamp rock,” has taught his fiddle workshop, “Kelly’s Art of Fiddling

and the Mystique of Louisiana,” for 18 years in rural Oregon schools, according to his website.

The process Thibodeaux enjoys teaching elementary schoolers the fiddle for several reasons. One of the most substantial rewards, Thibodeaux says, is being an instructor for the “world’s most receptive students.”

“The rewards far outweigh the challenges,” he said.

Rhythm is the central focus of Thibodeaux’s workshop, which he believes is the most effective approach to teaching students a complicated instrument.

“Seeing how we all walk, talk, and breathe rhythm, adapting this to a teaching method is quite natural, and skills taught this way are quickly learned and absorbed,” he said. “To

put it another way, it’s just like riding a bike. First, you learn to pedal then you learn to steer. Translating to a fiddle, first, you learn how to bow it (called sawing), then you can finger any number of simple chords to make up a tune.”

Thibodeaux also said that by the end of the fourth session, he

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Local reaction to Texas school shooting JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

School district officials across Oregon and the nation are reacting following the latest school shooting that claimed 19 students and two teachers.

The incident occurred at an Elementary school in Ulverde, Texas Monday, May 23. Law enforcement reportedly killed the 18-year-old shooting suspect.

Clatskanie School District Clatskanie School District Superintendent Cathy Hurowitz told The Chief that additional security and student counseling continues to be an active priority for her school administrators, teachers and staff because of the value they place on student safety.

“This is less about guns and more about the mental health and stability of our students,” she said.

Increased security measures and additional counseling staff at both the elementary school and at the middle/high school are part of the voter approved $10 million bond and the districts’ overall budget with additional projects set for this summer at the schools.

Hurowitz said Clatskanie schools and the community have made a

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Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051

significant investment in student counseling.

“We have three additional staff members to support our kids,” she said. “It is approximately $100,000 per counseling specialist at a minimum, so it is quite an investment.”

Rainier School District

Rainier School Superintendent Joseph Hattrick issued a message to Rainier School District families, stating that school officials are deeply saddened by the incident at the Texas school.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and citizens impacted by the events and we are heartbroken at the senseless loss of students and staff at Robb Elementary School,” Hattrick’s message stated. “It is difficult to comprehend such a devastating event. No doubt there will be extensive coverage of this on the news and much discussion about it in our communities in the coming days.”

When violence like this occurs, people have different kinds of reactions like shock, sadness, fear and anger, according to Hattrick.

“These reactions may rise and fall throughout the day, and even for days to come,” his message reads. “Some of us will want to have quiet time and others may want time to talk with friends, colleagues and family. We can all use patience, respect and grace for

each other during difficult times like this.”

Hattrick added that the Rainier School District’s top priority is the safety and well-being of each student.

“This is a responsibility we take very seriously. In this community, if we are worried about something or someone, or see something, we need to say something,” Hattrick stated.

“If you or your student have concerns about safety, there are multiple ways to reach out.”

Hattrick encourages students to contact a trusted adult, a counselor, principal or teacher. He said school counselors, himself, and mental health supports are available in each school building for students and staff.

In his message to families, Hattrick also lists several resources, including Safe Oregon, at safeoregon. com or 844-472-3367, a program created for Oregon students, parents, school staff, and community members to respond to student safety concerns, 24 hours a day.

Hattrick also refers parents to a PDF produced by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) to help families talk about violence. Read the full PDF with this story at thechiefnews.com.

NASP’s one-page information sheet states that parents should emphasize that schools are very safe.

“Let children speak about their feelings and validate all reactions

to the event,” the page reads. “Support the appropriate expression of their feelings and help to put them in perspective.”

NASP’s information also encourages parents to make time to talk.

“Let children’s questions guide the information provided,” the sheet states. “Be patient and look for clues that a child wants to talk. Young children may need concrete activities (e.g., imaginative play) and some older children may prefer writing or playing music.”

NASP urges parents to review safety precautions and help children identify an adult at their school and in the community that they can go to if they feel threatened or at risk.

“Keep a regular schedule to assure and promote physical and mental health,” NASP suggests. “Encourage maintenance of school work and extracurricular activities but do not push children if they seem overwhelmed.

Limit TV exposure.”

St. Helens Superintendent reaction

St. Helens School Superintendent Scot Stockwell messaged families on May 25, following the Texas shooting in part by stating: “With the heightened stress that an event like this brings, our local law enforcement agencies will have added police presence around the district and our schools,” Stockwell said. “Our

hope is that this will lower the anxiety of both staff and families and bring an added sense of security to our schools during these tragic times.”

“As much as we proactively train and plan for emergency situations, tragedies like this event in Texas are certainly difficult to comprehend. We know it may trigger emotional responses among our students, parents, staff, and community members, and we will do all we can to support them.

Knowing what to say at home with your own children or family members can be challenging. In times like these, talking things over openly and of course, in an age-appropriate manner, is helpful.

“A good resource for speaking with your children can be found by visiting The Center for Parenting Education webpage.”

Gov. Brown’s response

“The violent attack in Texas is devastating, and I am heartbroken,” Gov. Kate Brown said. “Dan and I send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the individuals who were killed, and to the entire Uvalde community. How many more kids, teachers, shoppers, worshippers, and people going about their everyday lives need to die of gun violence?

We need Congress to act. We must work together to bring an end to these senseless acts.”

An Independent for Oregon?

DAVID RUPKALVIS worldnewseditor@countrymedia.net JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

The 2022 November General Election race for Oregon Governor could become one of the most expensive and historic election events in state history.

Three women are expected go head-to-head in the race. Democrat Tina Kotek and Republican Christine Drazan captured their parties’ nomination during the May 17 Primary.

Former District 16 Senator Betsy Johnson is expected to also be on the November ballot.

“For a statewide office like Governor, the candidate must collect at least 23,744 signatures from active registered voters in Oregon,” according to Oregon Secretary of State

Communication Director Ben Morris.

“The signature sheets may be submitted to the Elections Division office for verification no sooner than June 1, 2022, and already verified signatures no later than 5 p.m. on August 30, 2022.”

Johnson has scheduled a June 14 rally at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in St. Helens in her effort to collect the needed voter signatures.

Johnson announced earlier that she was leaving the Democratic Party to mount her gubernatorial campaign as an Independent. She told Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Dave Miller following the primary election she is a pro-jobs, pro-law enforcement, prochoice independent candidate loyal only to the people.

Johnson estimated she would raise $25 million in her gubernatorial bid.

With the primaries now over and

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Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

Independent gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson has placed this large sign along Highway 30 in Scappoose to drum up support for her candidacy.

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Friday, May 27, 2022

Rapid, dramatic shift toward less affordable housing

Metro Creative Connection

The barrier to entry for first-time buyers is high and remains a distinct challenge for many Oregonians.

DAMON RUNBERG Chief Guest Column

The COVID-19 pandemic shock resulted in significant impacts to the housing market across the nation.

Early lockdowns, a push to more work-from-home, and the large millennial demographic reaching prime family-formation age dramatically increased the number of buyers on the market.

The surge in demand led to a shortage of housing and large price increases. Despite these higher prices, very low interest rates and strong wage gains led to more affordable housing through 2020. However, we are experiencing a rapid erosion of affordability that began in summer 2021 and continues today.

According to the National Association of Realtors, only 950,000 existing homes were for sale in the U.S. as of April 2022, only about two months of inventory.

Before the pandemic closer to 1.4 million existing homes were for sale, roughly three months of inventory. Here in Oregon the situation isn’t any better. In fact, in many markets across the state we continue to see inventory measured in weeks rather than months. For instance, in the Bend market supply has hovered between three and four weeks of inventory since summer 2020 compared with three months of inventory before the pandemic.

There are a variety of reasons behind this low supply state we are facing, including demographicinduced demand, years of underbuilding, and low

interest rates through most of 2021. Regardless of the reasons for the lack of supply it is important to know that when supply is tight, prices rise. According to the Zillow All-Home Index, Oregon real home prices for first quarter 2022 were up a blistering 10.6% from the previous year. Before the pandemic the statewide housing market was seeing annualized gains of closer to 3%. The fast growth in home prices the past two years has pushed real (inflation adjusted) housing prices in most markets across the state higher than levels in 2007 during the housing bubble.

Incomes, interest rates, and the cost of homes The cost of housing is a critical, if not the most important, component of housing affordability, but it isn’t the only factor that impacts the affordability of housing.

In order to better understand affordability trends across the state, we need to take into account how much income Oregonians are bringing home and the cost of borrowing. Outside of home prices themselves, the largest factor affecting affordability is wages. How much money you have in your pocket (or bank account) is going to impact how much home you can buy.

There was a period of strong wage gains for the average worker in Oregon through much of 2020, but those gains stalled in 2021.

It’s likely some composition issues are affecting these trends. For instance, low-wage workers were

disproportionally impacted by job losses at the onset of the pandemic. Taking these low wage workers out of the average wage calculations increased the average wage in 2020. As those workers were rehired, it put downward pressure on the average wage.

Most of these composition issues have likely worked their way through the economy, yet real wage gains have largely stalled. This is due to increased inflation eroding the nominal wage gains many workers have seen over the past year. The average payroll worker in Oregon saw their wages rise 6.1% by the end of 2021; however, after accounting for a 6.5% increase in the cost of goods and services over the past year the average worker saw their real wages fall 0.4%. To put it another way, after accounting for the changing costs of goods and services, Oregonians were making less money on average than they were a year prior.

Earlier in the pandemic, lower inflation and larger real wage gains helped to blunt the impact of rising housing costs. Although most workers would prefer to increase their discretionary spending, new buyers were able to eat those higher housing costs with higher earnings. Today, that trend is beginning to reverse as workers are seeing real declines in their income while at the same time home prices continue to rise.

The last major variable that impacts housing affordability is the cost of borrowing, or interest rates. Most of us do not have enough cash on hand to buy a home, particularly those of us concerned about affordability. In order to buy a home we need someone to loan us money and the cost of a loan is a significant factor in housing affordability. During the past few years, 30-year fixed mortgage interest rates have been very low from a long-term perspective, but those rates moved to historic lows after the onset of the pandemic. Many home buyers (and those refinancing) were able to lock in rates below 3% during most of 2020. Similar to wages, the low interest rate environment helped slow the trend towards housing becoming less affordable.

However, those rates began to rise dramatically at the end of 2021 and in the first half of 2022. Buyers looking to get a 30-year fixed rate mortgage are getting quoted rates near 5.5%, a 2.5 percentage point increase from a

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year ago. That may not seem like a large increase, but each percentage point increase to the 30-year fixed rate mortgage results in roughly 10% less house that buyer can afford. That means that in the past year the average buyer with a mortgage can afford roughly 20% less home while at the same time the price of housing continues to rise.

A less affordable Oregon What do we see when these three variables are put together? Our housing affordability index looks at the monthly mortgage of the average house as a share of the average wage in a particular geography. As first quarter 2022 wages are not yet available, these wages were modeled based on recent trends in order to produce an estimate with housing data through March 2022.

Across the state, the average monthly mortgage through the first quarter of 2022 was roughly 39% of the average monthly wage, a considerable increase from 27% the same time last year.

Affordability varies quite dramatically across the state.

The least affordable of the communities highlighted was Hood River, where the average monthly mortgage accounted for 64% of the average monthly wage. The lack of affordability in places like Hood River or Bend are twofold. First, the average monthly wage of workers employed locally is lower than the statewide average, in Hood River’s case by more than $1,400 a month.

Second, the average monthly mortgage was around $450 higher than the state. Bend also ranked poorly in housing affordability; the aver-

age monthly mortgage was around 59% of the average monthly wage. Surprisingly, the Portland Metro Area was generally more affordable than the state as a whole due to higher wages that helped to balance the relatively high housing costs. The Salem metro area matched statewide affordability, with an average mortgage accounting for 39% of the average monthly wage.

A time-series of this housing affordability measure shows that concerns about affordability are very real for prospective buyers.

The higher home prices, rising cost of borrowing, and flat wages over the past year led to a dramatic reduction in housing affordability.

Not only are real inflationadjusted home prices near or above the peak from the mid-2000s expansion, but affordability metrics are also fast approaching concerning levels not seen since the peak of the housing bubble in 2007. In fact, the rapid erosion of affordability in the past year was faster than at any time during that mid2000s housing bubble.

The real driver in the trend towards less affordability today are interest rates.

The historic low interest rates held the dramatic increase in house prices largely in check during much of the pandemic, but that trend has since reversed. The average worker who buys the average house with today’s interest rates will spend a significantly larger share of their income on that mortgage than they would have at this time last year.

We all live in the real world and housing affordability is more complex than this simplified index. It is im-

portant not to downplay the role of higher home costs.

More expensive housing means buyers need a larger down payment. If you were saving to get a 20% down payment on your first house and you were looking at a $450,000 house you would need $90,000 saved. The average home price in Oregon rose by more than 10% over the last year so that $450,000 house would now likely cost around $500,000. That means your down payment now needs to be $100,000 to get to 20% and avoid mortgage insurance. With real wages largely flat for the average Oregon worker, how could they save for that extra down payment?

Pandemic job losses disproportionally impacted lower-wage workers. Due to high demand and low supply, the more affordable homes in most markets have seen the largest price increases over the past year. The barrier to entry for first-time buyers is high and remains a distinct challenge for many Oregonians. That being said, there are some signs on the horizon that housing supply is improving. Higher interest rates are moderating demand for housing and helping to increase inventory in many markets. New housing construction has also been strong for many communities across the state, leading to more inventory. Increased inventory will help to slow home price appreciation as we move further into 2022.

Damon Runberg is a region economist with the Oregon Employment Department. He may be reached at damon.m.runberg@employ. oregon.gov or at 541-7060779.

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Friday, May 27, 2022

Food boxes may contain recalled peanut butter STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is warning consumers to be on the lookout for Jif brand peanut butter that may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria J.M. Smucker Co., the parent company for the peanut butter brand, issued a voluntary recall on Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local partners are investigating this outbreak.

The recalled peanut butter was distributed in retail stores and other outlets throughout the country. It includes creamy, crunchy and natural varieties, according to a release from the OHA. Jif peanut butter was included in food boxes distributed through OHA’s

Courtesy photo from the Food and Drug Administration

To see if your jar of Jif peanut butter is being recalled, check the lot number that is printed below the “Best if Used by” date on the label.

food box program. OHA has investigated further and determined that the recall lot does include the Jif peanut butter that was distributed in the food boxes. This only impacts the peanut butter product inside the food box

which can be exchanged for a replacement or refunded.

The OHA is visiting all OHA food hubs and inspecting respective food boxes in order to substitute any recall product for new. This work will require the remainder

$66M in additional SNAP benefits STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Families and single people in Columbia County and across the state depending on food assistance will see another boost in state benefits in June.

The emergency allotments are for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Oregon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency.

Because the federal government approved these emergency benefits for June, Oregon will also be able to issue them in July. However, the emergency benefits are expected to end when the federal public health emergency ends.

In June, approximately 411,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $66 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,” the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Deputy Director of Self-Sufficiency

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Courtesy photo

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.

Programs Claire Seguin said.

“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.”

Current SNAP households will receive emergency allotments on June 11. Emergency allotments will be issued June 30 or July 2 for households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.

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

•C rossword S olutions • •

Solution for the May 20, 2022 crossword puzzle

Service Center at 1-800-6999075.

If your household receives SNAP 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-to-date 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 1-855673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.

• Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org • Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: www.caporegon.org/ find-services/ • Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https://www.oregon. gov/dhs/benefits/Pages/index. aspx . For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please 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.

Rainier Clatskanie Youth Soccer Club Fall 2022 Registration Now Open Deadline June 30 AGE GROUPS: 4 YEARS TO 13 YEARS, GIRLS AND BOYS Register Online at: http://oysa-rcysc.sportsaffinity.com/reg/index.asp?sessionguid= $60/Child (first 2) • $30/each additional Child • Family Maximum $180

OFFICIAL SEASON KICK OFF: SOCCER JAMBOREE, SATURDAY, SEPT. 10 Contact Judi Brackin – Judi Brackin 503-438-9368, email: judi@brackincpa.com for more information

of this week to accomplish and all food hubs are being notified this evening. All warehoused Jif products that are waiting to be distributed have been thoroughly inspected and replaced.

To see if your jar of Jif

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peanut butter is being recalled, check the lot number that is printed below the “Best if Used by” date on the label.

A list of recalled products and their numbers can also be seen on the FDA’s website. If you happen to have a jar included in the recall, you should throw it away immediately. After throwing the peanut butter out, OHA recommends washing and sanitizing any surfaces or containers that might have come into contact with the peanut butter.

For many infected people, symptoms appear 12 to 72 hours after contact and often include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people who are infected recover within four to seven days and do not need any treatment.

More serious and severe cases can occur, though, so

OHA recommends contacting your healthcare provider if you believe you have been infected.

As of May, 23, there were 14 cases across 12 states, two hospitalizations, no deaths and no cases in Oregon.

OHA recommends that all peanut butter distributed from April 15 through May 23 be immediately thrown away or exchanged at a retail store.

Product can also be reimbursed directly by Jif by following their instructions at: https://jms-s3-mkt-consumer-p-pmc6.s3.us-east-2. amazonaws.com/recall.html.

Consumers who have questions or would like to report adverse reactions should visit www.jif.com/ contact-us or call 800-8289980 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

•C ommunity E vents • •

May 29 Riverfront Bridge Dedication From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Rainier City Park. The event includes speakers, ribbon cutting, fun run, trike and bike parade and an awards ceremony. See a series of Riverfront Trail stories at thechiefnews.com. For more information about the dedication, contact Rainier City Hall at 503-556-7301.

May 30 Memorial Day Ceremony Clatskanie Community Breakfast at 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the American Legion Hall, 596 NE 5th Street in Clatskanie. 11 a.m.

Clatskanie Veterans Memorial Wall ceremony at Copes Park.

May 30 Memorial Day Columbia City 11 a.m. at Columbia City Veterans Park just off Highway 30. See the ceremony scheduled in the May 27 print edition of The Chief.

June 3-4 Business Opening Marvelous Mosaic Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 315 W. B Street in Rainier. The two-day event includes demonstrations, a community mosaic glass art project, raffle prizes, the opportunity to meet other glass artists. The ribbon cutting will be conducted at 12 p.m. Friday, June 3 by the

Rainier Chamber of Commerce. Follow Marvelous Mosaic Facebook page to learn more.

June 11 Shed Day Bring your files, bank statements, bills and other unwanted sensitive information to the Kiwanis Day Breakers Annual Secure Shred Day behind the State Farm office on Highway 30 and Sykes Road in St. Helens from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or sooner if the truck fills. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will be followed at the event. Members will be available to take your boxes of unwanted paperwork from your vehicle. For a suggested $5 per file box, all your files can be shredded right before your eyes. The funds raised through this event help us further DayBreakers Kiwanis projects to help our community.

Ongoing Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Meets at 7 p.m. every other second Tuesday. Meetings are currently held electronically by Zoom. For more information, contact Council Coordinator Allan Whiting at E-mail: allan@whitingenv.com, or call 503-789-9240. Visit the council’s website for agenda

postings and Zoom at www. lowercolumbiariver.org/ events-page.

The Rainier Oregon Historical Museum is open from noon - 4 p.m. Saturday (except major holidays and weekends). It is located inside Rainier City Hall on the 3rd floor. Go in side entrance and take the elevator to the 3rd floor. For more information, all 360-751-7039.

Rainier City Hall is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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 in 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.

FIDDLING From Page A1

expects students will learn 12 different sound effects to accompany a short narrated folk story.

“In three 40-minute classes, he teaches kids how ETERSEN LARKELLC LLC ETERSEN LARKE to saw,” said Heather Wheeler, first-year music teacher AA tt tatt oo rr nn ee yy ss Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief CES. “It’s a short, short, long Fiddle instructor and native Louisianan Kelly Thibodeaux demonstrates (503) 556-4120 stroke on the fiddle.(503) (He also 556-4120 the art of playing the fiddle during the workshop. See more photos teaches) animal sounds and with this story at thechiefnews.com obscure sounds that go along Columbia County’s Premier Columbia County’s Premier with and narrate a story.”

According to Wooley, the has been “a lot of logistics.”

“It’s perfect for elementaPersonal Injury Injury Attorneys Personal schoolAttorneys had gone without a “I won’t lie: I’ve been ry school kids who beOOrreego ceennse sedto d in in go W shin ingto gtofor LLi icwant nn && W aash nn 20 years music program working on this since Deable to express themselves it before hiring Wheeler. cember,” she said. “It takes gives them a whole different “My husband was the a whole bunch of passionate opportunity,” she said. band teacher in Clatskanie people.”

The Chief asked for 26 years,” Wooley said.

Wooley said she hopes the Thibodeaux what he hopes “Even when we first came a program will, “give (students) CES students will take away long time ago in the 70s, there a lot of confidence that yes, from the fiddle lessons. was a tradition of love and they can do this. They can “My goal is to empower appreciation of music in the stand up in front of an audieach child, each student, with school.” ence and perform.”

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(503) 556-4120 (503) responded.

Commission, in 1988, that The fiddle recital is set was one•Wrongful of our goals.”Death for Friday, May 27. The first Accidents •Personal Injury Accidents •Personal Injury Death An ‘exceptional The•Wrongful Clatskanie Arts group begins their perforopportunity’ Commission sprang for mance at 8:10 a.m. in the No Fee Fee Until Until Recovery residency No Recovery Thibodeaux’s Clatskanie Elementary School When Clatskanie Arts program with a $2,000 grant. music room, and student gonn && W Waash shin ingto gtonn Commission’s Elsa Wooley OOrreego Other sponsors include the groups will perform throughread about Thibodeaux’s Clatskanie PUD, which paid out the day until 2:30 p.m.

FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION FREEinINITIAL residency program PUD’s CONSULTATION for his lodging at the ClatsThe recital is free for all comRuralite magazine, she saw kanie River Inn. munity members to attend. the perfect opportunity to According to Wheeler, ro“I hope people show up renew music education in tating fiddle lessons throughto support the program and Clatskanie. out the day for 210 students students,” Wheeler said.

The Clatskanie Arts Commission is asking the public for a $10 donation to support ETERSEN LARKE LARKELLC LLC ETERSEN its ability to host future arts AA tt tt oo rr nn ee yy ss and music programs.

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To learn more about what kinds of events and programs the Clatskanie Arts Commission offers, visit clatskaniearts.org.

North Columbia County’s trusted local news source

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Friday, May 27, 2022

•O ffbeat O regon • •

Treasure may still be out there FINN JD JOHN Chief Guest Column

Imagine you’re a gold prospector from the Willamette Valley, on your way to the California gold fields in the first year of the 1848 gold rush.

You’re a little late to the party, and you’ve chosen to try to reach the gold fields in a somewhat unusual way: By going over the Coast Range to the beach and traveling south along the coast.

As you make your way southward by the great ocean, you reach a broad expanse of black sand. And when the sun hits it just right, you can see it’s actually glittering … with tiny flakes and grains of gold.

You’re all alone on the beach. There aren’t even any other footprints. Apparently, nobody else was crazy enough to try to travel to the gold fields via Coos Bay. Everyone else in the area, such as there are, has decamped inland to the gold fields.

It’s just you, on the uninhabited edge of a continent, crunching a trillion dollars’ worth of gold under your feet.

Such was the situation in which the Grouleaux brothers, Charles and Peter, found themselves in the spring of 1849, near the mouth of the Coquille River in what today is Douglas County.

(By the way, the Grouleaux brothers are called “John and Peter Groslius” in some sources.)

Naturally, the brothers abandoned all ideas of going to California now. They settled in and got busy separating the yellow gold from the black sand — pounds and pounds of it.

They had brought plenty of provisions with them for the journey, and the hunting was good; so they were able to live all summer without leaving their diggings. As their flour sacks were emptied of food, they were promptly filled with “flour gold” from the beach.

And at the end of the summer, they returned home to the

•

•V oices

Time for change As of this writing I have been approached by homeless individuals at the Clatskanie Safeway, post office and the beaver boat ramp.

I have sent emails to both our mayor as well as our city manager Greg Hinkelman.

I have requested the city attempt to try and get these individuals some help through numerous social networks that are out there. As of this writing I received a response from the city manager that there is nothing the city can do.

I have watched the city council rubber stamp pretty much anything the city manager has requested. There seems to be plenty of money for whatever the city wants to spend it on and if they are short; they pull the Scout Lake slot machine handle.

It’s time for changes at city hall. Greg Hinkelman needs to retire, and Bob Bra-

Willamette Valley, their pack animals creaking under the weight of hundreds of pounds of pure gold. They were now both rich men.

Lots of miners had come back from California with gold, so the brothers’ sudden wealth didn’t attract much attention. Nor did their calculated vagueness when telling friends and neighbors where they’d spent their summer arouse any suspicions. All miners were like that. Nobody wanted to tell a bunch of potential claim jumpers where they had their stakes planted.

Possession was nine tenths of the law, and anyway plenty of people in 1849 were perfectly willing to commit a secret murder on a lonely stretch of trail to seize control of a lucrative claim.

So when the next spring came, the brothers were easily able to slip away from any prying eyes and hurry back to the beach to spend another season making themselves richer.

And the same thing happened again the next year. In fact, it wasn’t until 1853 that someone got wise and figured out where the brothers were going.

Whoever it was that figured that out was much less discreet than the Grouleaux brothers had been. The word was out almost at once, and a colossal gold rush ensued as miners flocked to the beaches.

“Soon a thousand men milled about on the black sands, staking claims for miles up and down the beach,” Ruby El Hult writes in her book.

“Cabins, stores, saloons and gambling houses were hastily erected, becoming the boom town of Randolph. Whiskey flowed so freely that the stream along which the best diggings were located became known as Whiskey Run.” Very quickly after that, the Grouleaux brothers sold their claims to two of the newcomers, the McNamara brothers.

They cheerfully remarked that they had made enough money off the beach in their first four

of the

Courtesy photo from Harper’s Monthly Magazine

This image was published in Harper’s Monthly Magazine in 1856, showing gold miners working sluices on the beach near Randolph.

undisturbed years to last a lifetime.

They didn’t mention any figures, but the McNamara brothers pulled $80,000 worth out the first year after they bought the claims, and that was after the Grouleaux boys had spent five years skimming the cream.

The brothers packed their animals up and set out northward on the Randolph Trail, a beaten path along the Coast Range foothills to Coos Bay that followed roughly the same route as Seven Devils Road today.

But they had $40,000 worth of gold in their saddlebags, and the two of them were almost celebrities in Randolph. Both of them were very nervous about the possibility that they might be robbed on the trail. Highway robbery was common there, since the bad guys knew that successful miners had to use the trail to carry their gold out.

So the boys scouted a good spot that they thought they could find again, and cached the gold in two gunpowder cans under a cedar stump.

Then they continued on

members of the Randolph community joined in as well.

But, nobody found the gold, and after a decade or so, the whole thing simmered down into one of those little bits of local legend.

Fifty more years went by.

Then, in 1922, Peter Grouleaux’s granddaughter, Lillie Tully, came to town. She had a try for the gold as well, enlisting the help of a local timber cruiser. But after a year or so of hunting, they too were disappointed.

A few years later, in 1931, a rumor started circulating — a very credible one, later given added weight by an article in the Portland Oregonian newspaper — that the treasure had been found. According to the rumor, a young couple out prospecting had spotted a rusty gun barrel sticking out from under an old stump and investigated. They’d found two old gunpowder cans containing 150 pounds of fine gold. After that, the two had left the area as quickly as possible, because the gold had been on private land and they were afraid if anyone knew where they’d gotten it, the landowner and

(Sources: Lost Mines and Treasures, a book by Ruby El Hult published in 1957 by Binford and Mort; “Beach Gold Diggings,” an article by Cain Allen published on the Oregon Historical Society’s Website in 2006) Finn J.D. John teaches at Oregon State University and writes about odd tidbits of Oregon history. His book, Heroes and Rascals of Old Oregon, was recently published by Ouragan House Publishers. To contact him or suggest a topic: finn@offbeatoregon.com or 541-357-2222.

C ommunity • •

jcich needs to be voted out of office in the next election. It’s time for new leadership and a new vision for Clatskanie.

Russell Spaulding Clatskanie, Oregon

Comments out of line Russel Spaulding was quite critical of City Manager Greg Hinkelman over the homeless problems.

I can assure you that these comments are out of line.

Greg has worked with law enforcement and our other resources to do the best he can to find help for these people.

They can refuse help and that most commonly is the case.

Panhandling is protected as free speech and the law states that they have the right to be in public spaces.

As far as his criticism of me, I will accept that. It is my job as an the elected Mayor to come up with ideas to end

this problem and I have not. I will work the best I can with the council so we can do a better job of handling this problem.

The city in the past has found help for many of the homeless people that come to Clatskanie, but new faces appear. It is a never ending problem, that we work on with great effort.

I can assure the people of Clatskanie that you have one of the finest staff anywhere.

We can be very proud of the public works employees and every member of the staff.

Russel is not a resident of Clatskanie but has always been welcome to our council meetings and his concerns have always been given the utmost attention by city council. It is easy to understand Russel’s frustration, but it is not right to take it out on undeserving people.

Mayor Bob Brajcich Clatskanie

The Chief

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their way.

Well, you probably have already guessed what happened next. In fine buriedtreasure style, they lost track of where they stashed the two cans. Neither of them returned for many years — they already had five years’ worth on which to live, and it just didn’t seem worth the trouble.

It wasn’t until 20 years later, in 1873, that Peter, by then the only surviving brother (Charles had died in England), came back to the Coquille to “withdraw” his gold.

Peter found the entire landscape so utterly changed that he had no idea where to even start looking for the distinctive cedar-tree stump under which he’d stashed the cans.

There were places where the Randolph Trail had changed completely, with old sections overgrown and barely discernible; there were other parts that had been burned over by a forest fire, which had destroyed all the snags, stumps, and other dry wood in its path.

Peter got some friends to help him, promising to split the gold with them, but their efforts were in vain. Other

possibly Lillie Tully would try to claim it.

So, was this rumor true?

Maybe. The amount of gold found doesn’t quite line up -- 150 pounds of gold at 1853 prices was worth $51,000, not $40,000. But even if the rumor was true, it likely wasn’t the same gold. Painted metal cans of the type gunpowder was sold in don’t last 75 years in the Coast Range; the containers would have rusted to nothing in just a few decades.

In any case, it remains possible, if not particularly likely, that the contents of the original powder cans are still there, buried under the forest duff in a random spot in the middle of the forest — a cache of fine flour gold that would be worth $3.7 million today.

But rather than tromping through the forest looking for this bonanza, modern-day gold miners would probably be better advised to head for the beach from which it originally came. The black sands of Oregon’s beaches are still full of fine flour gold, especially in places that are far away from streams and creeks that supply the water needed to pan or sluice them. It’s hard work, and not very remunerative; but you can still get gold out of black-sand layers all along the South Coast today, especially in the more southerly, out-ofthe-way beaches near Ophir, Pistol River, Port Orford, and of course Gold Beach.

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Public Notices

PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

CC22-1649

CC22-1652

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE OF SEALED BIDS LISTING Monday June 6, 2022 Development Services office application meets all of the NOTICE IS HEREBY at (503) 397-1501. The criteria applicable criteria. Following GIVEN that Doug Davis has to be used in deciding the representation of the staff report, submitted an application for quest will be found in some or the applicant and other persons a variance to the rear setback. all of the following documents in favor of the application will This property is zone Primary and laws, as revised from be allowed to address the comForest (PF-80), has 7.57 acres, time to time: Oregon Revised mission, explaining how the identified by tax map number Statutes ORS 197.763; Oregon evidence submitted meets the 7319-00-00201 and is located Administrative Rules; Columapplicable criteria. Following at 74575 Palm Creek Rd. NObia County Comprehensive the applicant’s presentation, TICE IS HEREBY GIVEN Plan; Columbia County Zonany person in opposition to that Jack Glass has submitted ing Ordinance. The specific the application may present an application for a variance criteria applicable to this reevidence and argument against to set backs. The request is for quest is listed and evaluated in the application. The applicant a variance from 55 feet down the staff report. A copy of the will then have the opportunity to 20 feet. SAID PUBLIC application, all documents and to rebut any evidence or arguHEARING will be held before evidence relied upon by the ments presented in opposithe Columbia County Planning applicant, and the staff report tion. After the presentation Commission on Monday, June are available for inspection at of evidence and arguments, 6, 2022, starting at 6:30 p.m. no cost and will be provided the public hearing record will During the COVID-19 global at reasonable cost, at the Land be either left open or closed pandemic, the Columbia Development Services office, by the Planning Commission.

County Planning Commission at least 7 days prior to the The Commission will then will be hosting their public Planning Commission hearmake a tentative decision to hearing via online webinar. ing. Written comments on be followed by approval of a Please use the links below if the issue can be submitted via written order and a statement you wish to participate in the email to Planning@columof findings and conclusions public meeting. Monday, June biacountyor.gov or you can supporting the decision, which 6, 2022 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM send comments via U.S. Mail will be mailed to all parties at (PDT) Planning Commission to Columbia County, Departa later date. The Commission June 6, 2022 Meeting Mon, ment of Land Development may, at its discretion, continue Jun 6, 2022 6:00 PM - 9:00 Services, 230 Strand Street, St. the hearing from time to time PM (PDT) Please join my Helens, OR 97051. If addiat the request of the parties or meeting from your computer, tional documents or evidence on its own motion as necessary tablet or smartphone. https:// are provided in support of the to afford substantial justice and meet.goto.com/961812629 application, prior to or during comply with the law. AddiYou can also dial in using your the hearing, any party shall be tional information about this phone. United States (Toll entitled to a continuance of the application may be obtained Free): 1 877 309 2073 United hearing to allow review of the from the Planning Division States: +1 (571) 317-3129 new evidence. If a participant of the Land Development Access Code: 961-812-629 requests a continuance before Services Department, at (503) Get the app now and be ready the conclusion of the eviden397-1501 or you can go to the when your first meeting starts: tiary hearing, the record shall County website www.columhttps://meet.goto.com/install remain open for at least seven biacountyor.gov/departments/ If you have any questions or days after the hearing. At each LandDevelopment/Planning. concerns regarding access to NOTICE hearing, the applicant has the May 25, 2022 THE PLANFORM UR-1 OF BUDGET HEARING the meeting or need accomburden of presenting substanNING COMMISSION Shawn A public meeting of the Rainier Economic Development Council will be held on June 6, 2022 at 5:30 pm at 106 West "B" Street, Rainier, Oregon. The purpose of this modation, please callforthe Land tial evidence showing theDevelopment Stewart, Co-Chairman meeting is to discuss the budget the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 as approved by the Rainierthat Economice Budget Committee.

A summary of the

Sealed bids for the City of Clatskanie, Capital Improvement Projects 2022-23 listed below, will be received by the City of Clatskanie until 3:00 PM, June 23, 2022.

Bids shall be addressed to Mr. Greg Hinkelman, City Manager, 75 South Nehalem Street, P.O. Box 9, Clatskanie, OR 97016. At 3:00 PM. Bids will be opened in the City Hall Council Chambers, Clatskanie, OR. 1. Tichenor Street Paving Overlay Project. 2. Legion Hall Electrical Generator Transfer Switch (NEMA-3R, 600amp, 480volt, 3-Phase ATS). 3. Auto Dialer – Chinook Sewage Pump Sta-

tion (Raco Unit, Verbatim VSS-4C). 4. Auto Dialer – Hidden Spring Sewage Pump Station (Raco Unit, Verbatim VSS-4C). 5. Auto Dialer – Clatskanie Woods Sewage Pump Station (Raco Unit, Verbatim VSS-4C). 6.

Replacing New Float control at Clatskanie Woods Sewage Pump Station. 7. Control Panel Upgrade (Replacing existing dual pump control panel) at Hidden Spring Sew-age Pump Station. 8.

Control Panel Upgrade (Replacing existing dual pump control panel) at Conestoga Sewage Pump Station. Plans and specifications are available for review at the City of

Clatskanie’s administrative offices, located at 75 South Nehalem Street, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, Telephone number: (503) 728-2622 or are available on-line at www. cityofclatskanie.com. The City of Clatskanie reserves the right to reject any or all bids not in compliance with all prescribed bidding procedures and requirements, may reject for good cause any and all bids upon a finding of the agency it is in the public interest to do so, and may waive all informalities.

No bidder may withdraw or modify his bid prior to the lapse of thirty (30) days after the bid opening.

CC22-1642

budget is presented below. A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained at 106 West "B" Street, Rainier, OR, between the hours of 8: a. m. and 5:00 p. m. or online at www.cityofrainier.com. This budget is for an annual budget period. This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is the same as the preceding year.

CC22-1654 Contact: Scott Jorgensen

FORM UR-1

Telephone: 503-556-7301

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING

Email: sjorgensen@cityofrainier.com

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - RESOURCES TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS Budget Oregon. The purpose Approved A public meeting of the Rainier Economic Development Council will be held on June 6,Actual 2022 Amount at 5:30 pm at 106 West "B" Adopted Street, Rainier, of Budget this meeting is to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 as approved by the Rainier Economice Development Budget Committee. ANext summary of the 2020-2021 This Year 2021-2022 Year 2022-2023 budget is Fund presented below.Working A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained at 106 West "B" Street,976,172 Rainier, OR, between the hours of658,000 8: a. m. and 5:00 p. m. or816,000 online Beginning Balance/Net Capital at www.cityofrainier.com. This budget is for an annual budget period. This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is the same as the preceding year.

Federal, State and All Other Grants Revenue from Bonds and Other Debt Interfund Transfers All Other Resources Except Division of Tax & Special Levy 7,776 3,600 2,500 RevenueScott fromJorgensen Division of Tax 275,000 275,000 Contact: Telephone: 503-556-7301 286,827 Email: sjorgensen@cityofrainier.com Revenue from Special Levy 1,270,775 936,600 1,093,500 Total Resources FINANCIAL SUMMARY - RESOURCES TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS Actual Amount Adopted Budget Approved Budget FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS

BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION This Year 2021-2022 2020-2021 Next Year 2022-2023 Personnel Services Beginning Fund Balance/Net Working Capital 976,172 658,000 816,000 Federal, and All Other Grants MaterialsState and Services 13,211 16,000 17,530 Revenue from Bonds and Other Debt Capital Outlay 312,500 0 0 Interfund Transfers Debt Service 275,000 275,000 275,000 All Other Resources 7,776 3,600 2,500 Interfund Transfers Except Division of Tax & Special Levy Revenue from Division of Tax 286,827 275,000 275,000 Contingencies 0 645,600 650,970 Revenue from Special and LevyRequirements All Other Expenditures 1,270,775 936,600 1,093,500 Total Resources Unappropriated Ending Fund Balance 150,000 Total Requirements 600,711 936,600 1,093,500 FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION Personnel Services FINANCIAL SUMMARY-REQUIREMENTS AND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES (FTE) BY ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT OR PROGRAM * Materials and Services Unit or Program 13,211 16,000 17,530 Name of Organizational Capital Outlay 312,500 0 0 FTE for that unit or program Debt Service 275,000 275,000 275,000 General Fund 325,711 661,600 668,500 Interfund Transfers FTE Contingencies 0 645,600 650,970 Debt Services 275,000 275,000 425,000 AllFTE Other Expenditures and Requirements Unappropriated Ending Fund Balance 150,000 Total Requirements 600,711 936,600 1,093,500 FTE FINANCIAL SUMMARY-REQUIREMENTS AND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES (FTE) BY ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT OR PROGRAM * FTE Name of Organizational Unit or Program FTE for that unit or program General Fund 325,711 661,600 FTE Debt Services 275,000 275,000 FTE Not Allocated to Organizational Unit or Program FTE FTE Total Requirements 600,711 936,600 0 0 FTETotal FTE FTE

LONG TERM DEBT

STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING * Estimated Debt Outstanding July 1

425,000

1,093,500 0

Estimated Debt Authorized, But Not Incurred on July 1

FTE Obligation Bonds General Other Bonds Other $1,850,121 FTE Borrowings $1,850,121 NotTotal Allocated to Organizational Unit or Program * IfFTE more space is needed to complete any section of this form, insert lines (rows) on this sheet or add sheets. You may delete unused lines.

Total Requirements 600,711 Total FTE 0 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING *

668,500

936,600 0

1,093,500 0

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FORM LB-1

Public Notices

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING

A public meeting of the _Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District_will be held on June 8, 2022, at _7:00 __am _X_ pm at 555 SW Bryant St, Clatskanie, OR, Port of Columbia County Offices (the Old Middle School), Clatskanie, Oregon.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022_ as approved by the _Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District Budget Committee. A summary of the budget is presented below. A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained at _280 SE Third St, Clatskanie OR, between the hours of _10 a.m. and __2 p.m. This budget is for an _X_ annual __ biennial budget period. This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is _X the same as __ different than used the preceding year. If different, the major changes and their effect on the budget are:

CC22-1655

Telephone: 503-728-2025

Contact: Cyndi Warren

FORM LB-1

Email: cwarren@clatskaniefire.org

NOTICE OF SUMMARY BUDGET -HEARING FINANCIAL RESOURCES

TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS Actual Amount Adopted Budget Approved Budget A public meeting of the _Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District_will be held on June 8, 2022, at _7:00 __am _X_ pm at 555 SW Bryant St, Clatskanie, OR, Port of Columbia 2020-21 This Year 2021-22 Next Year 2022-23 County Offices (the Old Middle School), Clatskanie, Oregon.

Beginning Fund Balance/Net Working Capital 2,223,706 2,136,095 2,410,519 The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022_ as approved by the _Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District Budget Fees, Licenses, Permits, Fines, Assessments & Other Service Charges 318,292 at _280 SE Third St, Clatskanie 891,200OR, between the hours 551,500 Committee. A summary of the budget is presented below. A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained of _10 Federal, State and All Other Grants, Gifts, Allocations and Donations 492,790 80,600 523,000 a.m. and __2 p.m. This budget is for an _X_ annual __ biennial budget period. This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is _X the same as __ different than Revenue from Bonds and IfOther Debt the major changes and their effect on the budget are: 0 0 used the preceding year. different, Interfund Transfers / Internal Service Reimbursements 380,000 406,500 589,269 All Other Resources Except Property Taxes 50,567 Email: cwarren@clatskaniefire.org 10,000 10,000 Telephone: 503-728-2025 Contact: Cyndi Warren 2,070,526 2,144,844 2,625,327 Property Taxes Estimated to be Received 5,535,880 5,669,239 6,709,615 Total Resources FINANCIAL SUMMARY - RESOURCES TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS Actual Amount Adopted Budget FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS

BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION 2020-21 This Year 2021-22 2,338,813 3,198,896 Personnel Beginning Services Fund Balance/Net Working Capital 2,223,706 2,136,095 476,877 567,500 Materials and Services Fees, Licenses, Permits, Fines, Assessments & Other Service Charges 318,292 891,200 Federal, State and All Other Grants, Gifts, Allocations and Donations 492,790 80,600 409,768 1,240,970 Capital Outlay Revenue from Bonds and Other Debt 0 0 Debt Service InterfundTransfers Transfers / Internal Service Reimbursements 380,000 406,500 Interfund All Other Resources Except Property Taxes 50,567 10,000 0 155,373 Contingencies 2,070,526 2,144,844 Property Taxes Estimated to be Received 0 0 Special Payments 5,535,880 5,669,239 Total Resources 1,930,422 100,000 Unappropriated Ending Balance and Reserved for Future Expenditure 5,535,880 5,669,239 Total Requirements FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION 2,338,813 UNIT OR PROGRAM *3,198,896 Personnel Services FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS BY ORGANIZATIONAL 476,877 567,500 Materials and Services Unit or Program Name of Organizational FTE Outlay for that unit or program 409,768 1,240,970 Capital 0 0 Debt 5,535,880 5,669,239 Fire &Service EMS Services 380,000 406,500 Interfund 14 17 FTE Transfers 0 155,373 Contingencies 0 0 Special FTE Payments 1,930,422 100,000 Unappropriated Ending Balance and Reserved for Future Expenditure 5,535,880 5,669,239 Total Requirements FTE

Approved Budget

Next Year 2022-23 3,379,215 2,410,519 731,000 551,500 523,000 1,757,890 589,269 10,000 202,241 2,625,327 6,709,615 50,000 6,709,615 3,379,215 731,000 1,757,890 6,709,615 589,269 16 202,241 50,000 6,709,615

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS BY ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT OR PROGRAM * FTE Name of Organizational Unit or Program FTE for that unit or program 5,535,880 5,669,239 Fire & EMS Services FTE 14 17 FTE FTE Non-Departmental / Non-Program FTE FTE Total Requirements FTETotal FTE

0 0 5,535,880 14

6,709,615 16

0 0 5,669,239 17

0 0 6,709,615

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING * FTE A 5 year local option was approved again by the voters beginning in the 2018-19 fiscal year; allowing the District to make necessary updates to buildings, equipment and continue to add personnel as needed to provide adequate staffing for the District.

FTE PROPERTY TAX LEVIES Rate or Amount Imposed 0 1.7198 0 1.2533 5,535,8800 14

FTE Non-Departmental / Non-Program Permanent Rate Levy (rate limit 1.7198 per $1,000) FTEOption Levy Local (rate limit 1.2533 per $1,000) Total Levy ForRequirements General Obligation Bonds Total FTE

Rate or Amount Imposed 0 1.7198 0 1.2533 5,669,2390 17

Rate or Amount Approved 0 1.7198 0 1.2533 6,709,6150

STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS STATEMENT OF CHANGES INOutstanding ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING *Estimated Debt Authorized, But LONG TERM DEBT Estimated Debt A 5 year local option was approved again by the voters beginning in the 2018-19 fiscal year; allowing the District to make necessary Not updates to buildings, Incurred on July 1equipment and on July 1. continue Obligation to add personnel General Bonds as needed to provide adequate staffing for the District. $0 $0 Other Bonds $0 $0 PROPERTY TAX LEVIES Other Borrowings $0 $0 Rate or Amount Imposed $0 Rate or Amount Approved Total $0 Rate or Amount Imposed 1.7198You may delete unused lines.

1.7198 1.7198 Rate limit 1.7198 per $1,000) *Permanent If more space is Levy needed (rate to complete any section of this form, insert lines (rows) on this sheet or add sheets.

1.2533 1.2533 1.2533 Local Option Levy (rate limit 1.2533 per $1,000) 0 0 0 Levy For General Obligation Bonds STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS Estimated Debt Outstanding Estimated Debt Authorized, But Not Incurred on July 1 on July 1.

General Obligation Bonds $0 $0 Other Bonds $0 $0 Other Borrowings $0 $0 Total $0 $0 * If more space is needed to complete any section of this form, insert lines (rows) on this sheet or add sheets. You may delete unused lines.

CC22-1647

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING

A public meeting of the Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD) will be held as a virtual meeting in Zoom on June 14, 2022 at 6:00 pm, refer to the District's webstite for meeting login details. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 as approved by the NWRESD Budget Committee.

A summary of the budget is presented below. A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained at NWRESD Regional Office, 5825 NE Ray Circle, Hillsboro OR between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., or online at nwresd.org. This budget is for an annual budget period. This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is the same as the preceding year.

Contact: Lori Baker

Telephone: (503)614‐1253 TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS

Beginning Fund Balance Current Year Property Taxes, other than Local Option Taxes Current Year Local Option Property Taxes Other Revenue from Local Sources Revenue from Intermediate Sources Revenue from State Sources Revenue from Federal Sources Interfund Transfers All Other Budget Resources Total Resources

Email: lobaker@nwresd.k12.or.us

FINANCIAL SUMMARY ‐ RESOURCES Actual Amount Last Year 2020‐2021 $20,308,671 12,972,237

Adopted Budget This Year 2021‐2022 $18,776,226 12,800,000

Approved Budget Next Year 2022‐2023 $22,411,195 13,406,000

43,433,859 1,308,244 71,013,712 8,834,547 48,538,528 1,131,285 $207,541,083

40,407,147 842,869 76,331,254 15,053,433 49,263,963 1,100,000 $214,574,892

44,802,087 941,921 89,263,222 21,566,827 50,367,946 0 $242,759,198

$42,229,382 27,774,461 40,843,257 9,100,581 2,946,084 36,921,164 641,000 49,263,963 860,000 3,995,000 $214,574,892

$54,676,883 35,549,692 44,696,112 9,690,430 2,551,759 38,784,735 638,000 50,367,946 1,461,271 4,342,370 $242,759,198

FINANCIAL SUMMARY ‐ REQUIREMENTS BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION Salaries $35,873,052 Other Associated Payroll Costs 21,834,167 Purchased Services 36,186,648 Supplies & Materials 6,165,374 Capital Outlay 559,798 Other Objects (except debt service & interfund transfers) 25,154,452 Debt Service* 779,379 Interfund Transfers* 48,538,528 Operating Contingency 1,375,000 Unappropriated Ending Fund Balance & Reserves 31,074,685 $207,541,083 Total Requirements

FINANCIAL SUMMARY ‐ REQUIREMENTS AND FULL‐TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES (FTE) BY FUNCTION 1000 Instruction $55,670,982 $68,307,395 FTE 384.29 395.27 2000 Support Services 46,828,213 57,859,139 FTE 193.60 203.00 3000 Enterprise & Community Service 1,632,142 2,132,290 FTE 9.25 13.75 4000 Facility Acquisition & Construction 42,224 200,000 FTE 0 0 5000 Other Uses 21,599,930 31,316,105 5100 Debt Service* 779,379 641,000 5200 Interfund Transfers* 48,538,528 49,263,963 6000 Contingency 1,375,000 860,000 7000 Unappropriated Ending Fund Balance 31,074,685 3,995,000 Total Requirements $207,541,083 $214,574,892 Total FTE 587.14 612.02 * not included in total 5000 Other Uses. To be appropriated separately from other 5000 expenditures.

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING **

$80,502,850 482.85 69,608,490 254.51 2,633,047 13.75 958,729 0 32,246,495 638,000 50,367,946 1,461,271 4,342,370 $242,759,198 751.11

2021‐22 has continued to challenge educators beyond what we could have imagined only a few years ago. The global pandemic has continued, and with it there have been many difficulties including adapting to rapid and frequent changes to statewide and regional health and safety policies, national and local workforce shortages, the ongoing politicization of school governance, widening gaps in student learning and the social‐emotional wellbeing of historically and presently marginalized children, and all the resulting program and operational changes addressed by our teams almost daily. There has also been great joy as students returned to in‐person learning, educators reconnected with one another and with children and families, and ESDs have been re‐centered in the statewide response to many of the challenges faced in our communities. Our educators have often worked tirelessly, selflessly and with genuine care for the well‐being of the children and families they are committed to serving.

This Proposed Budget has been produced with a focus on aligning available resources to the 2020‐25 Board‐adopted strategic plan, which directs the administration to elevate the tenets of equity, partnership, innovation, and student success in program design and implementation. While the ESD is experiencing a tightening in general funding, as the state school fund is not keeping pace with costs, we have conversely experienced significant growth in many of our targeted, contract/grant funds. As such, this proposed budget ‐ while constrained in our general operations ‐ contains exciting opportunities for the ESD to deliver on our mission: “In partnership with the communities we serve, Northwest Regional Education Service District improves student learning by providing equitable access to high‐quality services and support.”

Permanent Rate Levy (Rate Limit $0.1538 per $1,000) Local Option Levy Levy For General Obligation Bonds LONG TERM DEBT General Obligation Bonds Other Bonds Other Borrowings Total

PROPERTY TAX LEVIES Rate or Amount Imposed 0.1538

Rate or Amount Imposed 0.1538

STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS Estimated Debt Outstanding on July 1

CC22-1651

NOTICE OF COUNCIL MEETING The Clatskanie City Council will meet on Wednesday, June 1st, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 75 South Nehalem St. (Clatskanie Cultural Center, 2nd floor).

Agenda items include, but are not limited to: approval of the minutes of the May 4th, 2021 regular meeting; a Public Hearing on resolu-

tions establishing new Sewer and Water rates; a Public Hearing on a resolution to loan money to the General Fund; a resolution extending workers compensation to volunteers; a resolution authorizing funds to be used in the financial management of the City; a Public Hearing on receiving State Shared Revenue; and a resolution

0.1538

Estimated Debt Authorized, But Not Incurred on July 1

$1,400,556 $1,400,556

adopting the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget, making appropriations and imposing the City Tax, a resolution authorize a supplemental budget to transfer appropriations within a fund, and the approval of a contract with Tetra Tech Engineering.

An updated agenda will be available at City Hall by May 27, 2022.

CC22-1643

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LANDOWNERS OF The Woodson Drainage Improve-ment District, Inc. Notice is hereby given that the annual meeting for the Landowners and Board Members of the Woodson Drainage Improvement Company, Columbia County, Oregon, will be held Thursday, June 2nd,

2022 at 10:30 a.m. at the Poplar Tree Nursery Office at 91151 Old Mill Town Rd in Westport, OR. Notice is further given that all proxies must be in writing and signed by the owner. The meeting is to elect a direc-

tor, adopt a budget, and any other business that comes before the landowners.

Dated this 17th day of May 2022. Andrew Warnock, President Woodson Drainage Improvement District, Inc.

CC22-1653 FORM LB-1

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING

A public meeting of the City of Rainier will be held on June 6, 2022 at 6:00 pm at 106 West "B" Street, Rainier Oregon. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 as approved by the Rainier Budget Committee. A summary of the budget is presented below. A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained at 106 West "B" Street, Rainier, OR, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or online at www.cityofrainier.com. This budget is for an annual budget period. This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is the same as the preceding year.

Telephone: 503-556-7301

Contact: Scott Jorgensen

TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS

Email: sjorgensen@cityofrainier.com

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - RESOURCES Actual Amount

Adopted Budget

2020-2021 5,381,136 2,401,365 140,197 1,305,640 1,599,252 783,951 1,106,311 12,717,852

Beginning Fund Balance/Net Working Capital Fees, Licenses, Permits, Fines, Assessments & Other Service Charges Federal, State and all Other Grants, Gifts, Allocations and Donations Revenue from Bonds and Other Debt Interfund Transfers / Internal Service Reimbursements All Other Resources Except Current Year Property Taxes Current Year Property Taxes Estimated to be Received Total Resources

LONG TERM DEBT

FORM ED‐1

Friday, May 27, 2022

Approved Budget

This Year 2021-2022 5,222,570 2,246,000 1,418,819 488,313 1,864,822 456,475 1,141,896 12,838,895

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION Personnel Services 1,773,160 Materials and Services 877,546 Capital Outlay 846,257 Debt Service 924,252 Interfund Transfers 1,599,252 Contingencies 0 Special Payments Unappropriated Ending Balance and Reserved for Future Expenditure 4,578,860 Total Requirements 10,599,327

Next Year 2022-2023 7,027,013 2,284,100 971,312 486,453 2,025,458 373,475 1,168,163 14,335,974

1,994,013 1,614,713 2,189,957 957,650 1,864,822 439,574

2,008,967 1,153,746 3,856,976 940,629 2,025,458 194,000 0 4,156,198 14,335,974

3,778,166 12,838,895

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS AND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES (FTE) BY ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT OR PROGRAM * Name of Organizational Unit or Program FTE for that unit or program General Fund- General Government 79,228 87,300 91,143 FTE General Fund- City Building Maintenance 10,589 13,500 17,500 FTE General Fund- Land Use & Development 21,056 27,425 30,058 FTE General Fund- Library 54,938 68,800 73,960 FTE General Fund- Attorney 7,470 7,500 9,600 FTE General Fund- Finance & Administration 44,609 56,117 49,731 FTE General Fund- Municipal Court 52,597 61,084 62,585 FTE General Fund- Public Properties 95,286 189,483 179,423 FTE General Fund- Police Department 807,486 965,743 926,361 FTE General Fund- Unallocated Requirements 79,803 301,338 442,553 FTE FTE 958,996 552,104 1,217,764 Sewer Capital Improvement Fund FTE General Fund- Reserved for Future Use 1,871,273 1,728,466 FTE Capital Improvement Fund 958,996 552,104 1,217,764 Sewer FTE 359,653 518,378 928,269 Water Capital Improvement Fund FTE Debt Service Fund 1,288,348 1,321,746 1,304,725 FTE Capital Improvement Fund 359,653 518,378 928,269 Water FTE 427,150 571,368 884,319 Transportation Capital Improvement Fund FTE 2,113,050 1,928,681 1,941,252 Sewer Fund FTE 427,150 571,368 884,319 Transportation Capital Improvement Fund FTE 102,285 95,043 85,668 Library FTETrust Fund Water Fund 1,642,970 1,426,598 1,366,616 FTE Trust Fund 102,285 95,043 85,668 Library FTE Not FTE Allocated to Organizational Unit or Program Timber Fund to Organizational Unit or Program 1,303,738 1,437,559 1,700,000 FTE Not Allocated FTE Requirements FTE 10,599,325 12,838,895 14,335,974 Total 677,148 377,041 517,882 Street Fund Total FTE 10,599,325 12,838,895 14,335,974 Total Requirements FTE Total FTE Special Projects Fund 472,925 960,814 778,099 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING * STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING * FTE 958,996 552,104 1,217,764 Sewer Capital Improvement Fund FTE 359,653 518,378 928,269 Water Capital Improvement Fund FTE 427,150 571,368 884,319 Transportation Capital Improvement Fund FTE 102,285 95,043 85,668 Library Trust Fund FTE Not Allocated to Organizational Unit or Program FTE 10,599,325 12,838,895 14,335,974 Total Requirements Total FTE PROPERTY TAX LEVIES Rate orTAX Amount Rate or Amount Imposed Rate or Amount Approved PROPERTY LEVIES STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and Imposed SOURCES OF FINANCING * Rate or2020-2021 Amount Imposed Rate Amount Imposed Rate Amount Approved Thisor Year 2021-2022 NextorYear 2022-2023 5.2045 5.2045 Permanent Rate Levy (rate limit 5.2045 per $1,000) 2020-2021 5.2045 This Year 2021-2022 Next Year 2022-2023 Local Option Levy Permanent Rate Levy (rate limit 5.2045 per $1,000) 5.2045 5.2045 5.2045 Levy General 504,825 503,333 501,047 LocalFor Option LevyObligation Bonds Levy For General Obligation Bonds 504,825 503,333 501,047 STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS LONG TERM DEBT Estimated Debt Outstanding Estimated Debt Authorized, But STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS onDebt JulyOutstanding 1.

Not Incurred on July 1 But LONG TERM DEBT Estimated Estimated Debt Authorized, General Obligation Bonds $3,155,733 on July 1.

Not Incurred on July 1 Other Bonds $3,155,733 General Obligation Bonds $2,969,431 Other OtherBorrowings Bonds $6,125,164 Total $2,969,431 Other Borrowings $6,125,164 Total 150-504-073-2 (Rev. 02-14) 150-504-073-2 (Rev. 02-14)

PROPERTY TAX LEVIES Rate or Amount Imposed 2020-2021

Rate or Amount Imposed This Year 2021-2022 5.2045

Rate or Amount Approved Next Year 2022-2023 5.2045

Dream emerges as reality for Riverfront Trail Permanent Rate Levy (rate limit 5.2045 per $1,000) Local Option Levy Levy For General Obligation Bonds

LONG TERM DEBT

General Obligation Bonds Other Bonds Other Borrowings Total

5.2045

504,825

STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS Estimated Debt Outstanding on July 1. $3,155,733

503,333

501,047

Estimated Debt Authorized, But Not Incurred on July 1

$2,969,431 $6,125,164

150-504-073-2 (Rev. 02-14)

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

This is the new bridge that spans a small creek along the Rainier Riverfront Trail. See more photos of the trail at thechiefnews.com.

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

The City of Rainier will hold a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the completion of the final phase of its Riverfront Trail project from 2 to 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 29 at the city’s main park.

Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole had said completing the city’s Riverfront Trail was his personal dream. In the following conversation,

Cole reflects on the success so far with the trail project.

to promote community is always a good thing.

The Chief: What does this dedication of the bridge and the final phase of the trail mean to you and the community?

The Chief: What is next for this project?

Jerry Cole: The bridge dedication is a great way to pause and recognize another piece of Rainier that improves the livability of Rainier. In addition, any activities we can have

Cole: In regards to the big picture with the trail, it has always been my dream to see it run from Rainier along the top of the Dike and all the way to Dibblee point. In regards to the trail and bridge around the park area, we plan on adding some educational signage

The new bridge is nestled in a natural cove along the Rainier Riverfront Trail.

about history and nature.

The Chief: How will this trail help enhance tourism and the livability in Rainier?

Cole: Tourism - The park is becoming a destination location for people in the region. A day doesn’t go by without several people getting out and enjoying the trails.

Livability - It provides another great asset for the

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

community as well as a safe area to get exercise and improve the health of the community.

I always had a vision of repurposing the bridge. Unlike the people who called it a bridge to nowhere, I always viewed it as a bridge to future opportunity. I never gave up hope to find a way to get it done.

Commissioner Margaret Magruder, Oregon State Representative Suzanne Weber and Oregon State Senator Rachel Armitage are scheduled guest speakers for the Sunday ceremony.

The event includes three fun runs for participants of all ages, a bike and trike parade and a coloring contest.

The dedication

Read a series of stories about the Rainier Riverfront Trail at thechiefnews.com.

Columbia County

• The police blotter relates to the public record of incidents as reported by law enforcement agencies.

appropriate law enforcement agency.

All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Information printed is preliminary and subject to change.

May 6 • A caller reported seeing someone with flashlights under the truck in his driveway. The suspects left the scene just prior to officer arrival.

They had removed the exhaust, catalytic converter and batteries from the vehicle.

• A woman reported that a man threatened to slap her after a

For specific details about cases listed, contact the

A7

www.thechiefnews.com

Friday, May 27, 2022

•B lotter • •

confrontation related to parking their vehicle at the post office.

• A man reported that he caught a male subject rummaging through his vehicle which was parked at the boat ramp. The subject took off running, dropping the handful of change he had taken from the truck.

• An officer responded to a residential alarm. The residence was found to be secure.

Rainier Police

May 8 • Officers responded to a report

of an accident involving a bicyclist. Officers arrived and talked to the rider who advised they were not hit, just tired and resting.

• A set of keys was taken as safekeeping as they were left in an unsecured parked vehicle.

• A resident reported they observed flashlights under a vehicle parked on East C Street. The persons under the vehicle fled the area. There was a jack under the vehicle and the exhaust was partially cut off.

• A concerned caller requested officers check on what they feared may be a dead body. Officers arrived to find a transient sleeping in an outbuilding. The subject was trespassed from the property.

May 9 • A caller advised of a suspicious person walking on the highway. The person was just walking.

• Officers were dispatched to an unwanted subject at a resi-

dence. Peace was restored.

• An officer responded to an alarm at a business. The alarm was accidentally set off.

May 10 • An officer responded to a disturbance between brothers.

Peace was restored.

May 11 • Officers were dispatched to find a missing toddler. The child was found hiding in a closet.

Country Media partners with Global Listings to power 11 newspaper sites Country Media, the parent operating company to a dozen local newspapers located in California and Oregon, including The Chief and The Chronicle, has partnered with Miami-based Global Listings, the world’s largest online real estate listings search engine to power their 11 newspaper websites with over 3+ million property listings from 107 different countries.

As part of the new property listings content syndication partnership, Global Listings will now provide all 11 newspaper sites with a “white-label” real estate listing search engine interface, over 3 million active property listings of searchable content, and a fully automated and e-commerce driven self-posting property listings advertising solution.

David Thornberry,

Country Media’s corporate director of revenue commented, “We are excited to be partnering with Global Listings to provide not only a great new service and options in real estate, but also interesting details about properties worldwide.”

Global Listings founder and CEO Michael Gerrity said, “We are honored to be working with Country Media to provide all their news-

papers with our online real estate listings search engine interface and worldwide property listings content. We also look forward to further helping Country Media’s 11 newspapers’ own online audiences connect with properties locally or worldwide that are best suited for their own needs, and providing them the simple and cost-effective option to post their own property listings direct to

each newspaper’s website.” market-leading property technology company for About Country Media the highly fragmented $270 trillion-dollar addressCountry Media, Inc. is able worldwide real estate a media and web design industry. company with local newspaWith offices in both per properties in Oregon and South Florida and Southern California.

California, Global Listings owns and operates property About Global Listings listings marketplaces, platforms and data services on a Global Listings, Inc. global scale.

(GlobalListings.com) is a

ELECTION

moment in time to select an independent leader.”

Johnson was born and grew up in Bend. After college, she started a helicopter company that she ran for 20 years. In 2000, she ventured into politics for the first time.

“The seat in the House was open in 2000,” she said. “I just finished serving on a board that didn’t allow you to run for office, so it was perfect timing.”

Johnson won the race for the House and eventually won three terms before she was unanimously chosen to fill an open seat in the Senate. She served in that role until last year, when she resigned to focus on her run for governor.

She said in the current field, she stands out.

“I’m pro-choice, pro jobs and very supportive of responsible law enforcement,” she said. “I think I could be characterized as a maverick, independent lawmaker who is willing to buck my own party to get the job done. The last few years, the D’s have moved more to the left and the R’s more to the right.”

She said in Oregon, there is no longer one state, with most lawmakers paying no attention to the rural areas.

“We have an urban/rural divide,” she said. “I know because I have represented rural Oregon for many years. I think most Oregonians are feeling disrespected, not heard and totally misunderstood. At least the governor knows there’s

Oregon south of Eugene and east of Bend.”

Johnson said she has paid close attention to the South Coast through the years and is the right choice to help the region recover from poor state leadership in recent years. She even managed a state airport at Cape Blanco and has spent a lot of time in Curry County.

Johnson has served with Kotek and Drazan for years in the legislature, but she said her decision to run was not personal against either woman.

“I think an independent governor drawing the best ideas from both parties is what our campaign is selling,” she said. “I want the best ideas.”

And if she’s elected, Johnson said she will be in Curry

County and will make sure the community knows the state is behind it.

“If I’m governor, you can damn sure count on me to come down and talk about opportunities,” she said. “There’s enough assets on the South Coast, and we need to develop it.”

While Johnson believes she can win, she does not expect anything to be easy.

“It is a challenge,” she said.

“I will not have the machine or the money the established parties have. I’m not relying on the established parties.”

Johnson said she has organizations in every county that will begin circulating petitions to get her name on the ballot in June. She said once she

From Page A1

the two major parties having chosen candidates, Johnson hopes it is now her turn to shine. Johnson said her run is serious, and one she only decided to do after both parties moved to the extreme.

“I think my candidacy meets the moment right now,” Johnson said. “People are angry and frustrated. There really are two choices. The far left, which would be Kate Brown 2.0, or the far right, where Christine’s views on abortion are out of touch with most Oregonians. I think it’s a unique

•

collects the signatures, she will work through November for every single vote.

“We’re in it to win it,” she said. “We’re aggressively out in the field. We’re about to start a tour to meet Oregonians where they live and work. In a three-way race, I offer an alternative, and I would represent my candidacy is the best way to lead.”

While there is a lot of work to do, Johnson said she hopes the state is prepared to live up to its motto. In English, Alis volat propriis means “She flies with her own wings.” As a former pilot, Johnson said it could be her motto, too.

“I hope Oregonians elect someone who lives up to the motto,” she said.

•C rossword P uzzle • • STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: STEPHEN KING ACROSS 1. Mauritania’s neighbor 5. Arrest 8. Daughter of Zeus and Hera 12. Like fist of some rulers 13. Containing limestone 14. *”Misery” Oscar winner 15. Gulf War missile 16. Throat-clearing sound 17. Earp of the Wild West 18. *’58 Plymouth Fury in a Stephen King novel 20. Hole punchers 21. G in SAG 22. Lennon’s wife 23. Napoleon’s hat 26. Old tree description 30. Ryder Cup team 31. Forecastle, for short 34. Ruptured 35. Harangues 37. Tiny guitar 38. East side of Jersey 39. Brussels’ org.

40. Genie, alt. sp.

42. Soak through 43. Autumnal zodiac sign 45. Stomach sores 47. Basketball hoop 48. Down Under marsupial

50. Ginger-flavored cookie 52. *”It” clown 56. Nary a soul 57. Larger-than-life 58. Like some rumors 59. Smart _____, pl.

60. Pilaf grain 61. Close in proximity 62. *”The Green ____” 63. Don’t waste 64. RisquÈ

DOWN 1. Catchall abbr.

2. St. Louis tourist attraction 3. Displeasure on one’s face 4. Rainbow color 5. Root of nihilism 6. Set right 7. *”Stand ____ ____,” film based on “The Body” 8. *”Rita ____ and the Shawshank Redemption” 9. Bibliographical abbr. (2 words) 10. Risky business, pl.

11. “Is” in Paris 13. Hispanic American 14. Boss, in Swahili 19. Rides the waves 22. Buck

23. “Auld Lang Syne” poet 24. *”Children of the Corn” cult leader Chroner 25. Subsection of a poem 26. “Rhinestone Cowboy” singer 27. Kind of change 28. Mistake 29. Oceanic trenches 32. *Rabid Saint Bernard in Stephen King book 33. Mogul rider 36. *Nicholson in “The Shining” 38. Foolish 40. Not bright 41. Subtlety 44. Plumber’s concern, pl.

46. Crying like crow 48. Type of cap, pl.

49. Chilled (2 words) 50. Same as solos 51. Yuletide 52. Paddington Bear’s homeland 53. Beginning of a story?

54. Grand ____ 55. *Like a Stephen King story 56. “Platoon” setting

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

Building Bridges to Self Sufficiency

LET YOUR HOME PICK UP THE BILL

Community Action Team

WHATEVER YOU’RE DREAMING, A HELOC CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. + get a

50

$

*

gift card *Upon loan approval, current and new members who open a new home equity line of credit will receive a $50 gift card to a home improvement store of their choice.

Retailers will vary by location and availability. These terms are subject to change without notice. Rates & financing are offered based on applicant’s credit worthiness and term of the loan. This promotional offer ends on June 30, 2022. Membership with Wauna CU required to be eligible for this special offer.

Federally insured by NCUA.

24/7 Lending NMLS #421867 waunafcu.org 800.773.3236

Are you a veteran?

You may be entitled to benefits for serving your country.

Contact your Veteran Service Officer • 503-366-6580 Call CAT at (503)397-3511 to find out if you qualify. Rental and energy assistance applications are available at 125 N. 17th St., St. Helens, OR. Also available on our website at www.CAT-TEAM.org

A8

www.thechiefnews.com

Friday, May 27, 2022

Carver Festival poetry winners announced

Courtesy photo

The Clatskanie Farmers Market operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday from June 4 through Sept.

24 at Copes Park in Clatskanie.

Farmers Market season begins June 4 SUBMITTED BY CLATSKANIE FARMERS MARKET

Courtesy photo from Leslie Craig

Pictured left to right, Merryn Craig, Chloe May, Abigail Garcia, Jasper Watson, Naomi Spellman, Ethan Alvarado (Not pictured: Joey Sizemore, Cetari White-Anderson) Not pictured is Joey Sizemore and Cetari White-Anderson.

Second place: Naomi Spellman – Piercing Arrow Private School

STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Winners in the Raymond Carver Writing Festival have been announced.

Eight Clatskanie students shared their prize-winning poetry verses with parents, community members and literary enthusiasts May 21 at the Raymond Carver Writing Festival.

In honor of April’s National Poetry Month, young people ages 8-18 were invited by the Clatskanie Public Library and the Clatskanie Arts Commission to submit poems around a line of a Raymond Carver poem “I will take all the time I please this afternoon before leaving my place alongside this river.”

First and second place winners were honored in the Birkenfeld Theatre during the Festival, Clatskanie Arts Commission’s Elsa Wooley told The Chief. After reading their poems in front of an audience, they received certificates and cash prizes.

Winners, selected from four different age brackets, were as follows:

Ages 11-12 First place: Ethan Alvarado – Piercing Arrow Private School Second place: Jasper Watson – Piercing Arrow Private School Ages 13-15 First place: Chloe May – Clatskanie Mid/High School Second place: Joey Sizemore – Clatskanie Mid/High School Ages 16-18 First place: Cetari WhiteAnderson – Frontier Charter Academy Second place: Abigail Garcia – Clatskanie Mid/ High School Winners of the Poetry Contest were selected from 43 submissions and informed by judges Friday, May 13, Clatskanie Library Director Maryanne Hirning told The Chief.

Ages 8-10

Background

First place: Merryn Craig – Home Schooled

On Friday, May 20, Mayor Bob Brajcich declared the

•

week of May 20-25 Raymond Carver Week in honor of the world-renowned poet and short story author who was born in Clatskanie on May 25, 1938.

This proclamation kicked off a weekend of activities, including the revival of the Raymond Carver Writing Festival, an event that began in 2007 and was held annually until its hiatus in 2012.

Festival activities began with a reception on Friday evening, May 20, with workshops, a walking tour of Clatskanie and a free screening of the Carver-inspired film “Birdman” on Saturday, May 21.

A mural depicting a largerthan-life Raymond Carver was also scheduled to be unveiled at the Writing Festival.

The idea for the mural was inspired by Seaside resident Dylan Eckland’s winning submission to an RFP issued

by Clatskanie artist Jeremy Furnish.

Work on the mural is currently being finished the old hospital building on North Nehalem St. in downtown Clatskanie, where Raymond Carver was born.

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

•O bituaries • • Carol Jean Hamlik

Dec. 31, 1935 ~ May 9, 2022 Carol passed away surrounded by her family on May 9, 2022. She was born in Bottineau, North Dakota on Dec. 31, 1935. Her family moved to Clatskanie, Oregon where she graduated from Clatskanie High School in 1953. That same year she met the love of her life Thomas Hamlik.

Together they raised two children, Connie and Lew. Carol loved being a housewife and loved to cook.

Baking homemade bread was one of her specialties. We still remember the delicious desserts that always followed her delicious dinners.

In 1962 she began working at JC Penny’s where she retired after 35 years as a

merchandise manager. After retirement, she and Tom became snowbirds, traveling to Arizona for the next 18 years.

She is survived by her daughter Connie (John) McGlone; son Lew (Allyson) Hamlik; grandchildren, Carrie, Tom, and Tony; along with two great grandchildren, John and Amanda. All of whom she dearly loved.

Her celebration of life will be held at 10 a.m. on June 11, 2022 at the Alston Corner Assembly of God with Pastor Steve Barry officiating. Private interment will be held at a later date.

Steven Roy “The Mole” or “Mo” Moilanen July 30, 1952 ~ May 22, 2020 Have you ever laid down on a dying man’s bed, thought about what’s going on in his head About all his dreams all his fears, all his conquests and all his years Now it’s coming to an end, all that he held and tried to defend all his triumphs are at an end Did he matter or do any good, was he wrong or misunderstood, Did he lift you up or let you down, did he ever laugh or did he only frown

This poem was written by Steven Roy Moilanen and submitted by Sandy Moilanen in memory of her brother.

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

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Clatskanie Farmers Market (CFM) is refreshed and ready to fill the community’s baskets and bellies.

Farmers and crafters, artists and food makers, musicians and storytellers are honing their offerings as spring begs to break away from winter.

Only the promise of sunshine fuels our drive to make the coolest little market in Oregon...a little bit cooler.

CFM’s open-air market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, from June 4 through Sept. 24, in Copes Park in downtown Clatskanie.

This year the market will host an array of fresh and exciting experiences including new vendors, new live music and guest performances, the steadfast annual festivals, catered movie nights, farmto-table dinners, increased emphasis on shopping with food assistance currencies, and a shiny new website with an online calendar to help you keep track of it all.

The market’s mission to bring fresh local produce to friends, family, and highway travelers will see the revival and showcasing of the beloved

“Community Booth,” a place where anyone with abundance can consign or donate fresh produce to be sold. If you have made all the apple cider you can drink, canned all the cinnamon apple sauce you can stash, and still have a heavy tree laden with harvest, bring the bounty down to the Community Booth for Saturday Market shoppers. Or simply grow a garden to share! Either way, the market welcomes and is ready to sell all the chemical-free fresh produce, from asparagus to potatoes, that you have to offer there is far more bounty in our collective backyards than any one person can realize, and it is also an opportunity to earn a little cash. More information about the Community Booth can be found on the market website.

Additionally, CFM has grown and streamlined the ability for individuals receiving food assistance to utilize their currencies at the market.

SNAP/EBT, Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), Farm Direct Nutritional Program (FDNP) checks, and the Power of Produce (PoP) tokens can all be used to purchase food that is fresh, healthy, and locally grown. Due to a generous statewide incentive grant, shoppers who purchase twenty dollars’ worth of SNAP tokens

will also receive $20 in Double Up Food Bucks to spend on fresh produce. The Power of Produce program provides all children ages 3-12 with a $2 token to spend on fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, or food plants while engaging with our local farmers. Visit the community booth to collect your tokens.

As if regular market days were not exciting enough, the Market will host a Pollination Celebration June 25th; a Garlic Festival August 20th; and an Apple Pressing Festival September 24th, packed full of interactive activities, guest vendors, big bands, and family fun. Each event will be followed by an after-hours outdoor movie screening with free organic food and drink. Do not miss these hip and happening festivals and keep an eye out for a five-course Farm to Table dinner and tour of Holistic Life Farm on July 30th. Tickets will be limited so stay tuned.

Community members near and far are invited to come on down every Saturday for live music, fresh produce, seedlings, baked goods, honey, houseplants, art, crafts, fiber, body care products, culinary delights, sweet treats and more. Visit our website for more information, along with the full season schedule: clatskaniefarmersmarket.com.