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$1 Vol. 125, No. 5 10 Pages
Serving the Lower Columbia Region Since 1891
Local teacher wraps up a 32-year career BY JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Cake, hugs, tears of joy and laughter marked a retirement reception for Clatskanie Elementary School teacher Theresa Trotter on Monday, June 13 at the school’s library. “I never thought I would retire, but my body is old and it’s the physical drain, otherwise I would do it until I was 100,” Trotter said as she talked about her 32 year teaching career that included schools in Gresham, Knappa and Clatskanie. Trotter began teaching at Clatskanie Elementary School in 1992. She has taught just about all grades over the years. “Theresa is the heart of our school,” Clatskanie Elementary School Principal Brad Thorud said. “She has this great way of engaging kids in learning. She has a passion for the kids and for learning and provides hands-on activities and experiences for her students.” Thorud said he, his wife, and many of the teaching staff at Clatskanie Elementary School are former students of Trotter. “I was a student of hers in middle school, so it has been a great honor to be able to come and teach with her as well as be at this point when she is finishing her career at Clatskanie,” he said. Thorud said he has a special memory from his time in class with Trotter. “She brought mythology to life for me in class,” he said. “She brought a pomegranate and explained the myth of the pome-
JEREMY C. RUARK/The Chief
Teacher Theresa Trotter looks over photos from her 32-year career as a teacher.
See TEACHER Page A7
Turning Point faces funding crisis BY JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
It is a social service agency that many in the community have depended on to put food on their tables since it opened in 1971, but now Turning Point, at 220 East Columbia River Highway in Clatskanie, is facing an uncertain future. “It has become a struggle to keep the center up and running,” Turning Point board member Celeste Pilgrim said. Turning Point serves from 3,100 to 4,600 people annually, including seniors, low income families with children, the homeless, disabled and veterans with a food bank and thrift store.
The agency’s $94,000 annual budget is supported through grants, community donations, local churches and the United Way. But over the last year, funding has decrease and demand has increased. The number of families needing assistance has doubled in the last two years, according to Pilgrim. “Dropping staff to two parttime employees, cutting service days from 5 to 3 and paring food orders to the bare bones does not begin to cover the lack of funds,” Pilgrim writes in a letter the editor. “Frequent smaller fund raising events help pay some expenses, but in our small community hosting large scale events is not feasible.”
“It would be nice if we could get some stable donations,” Turning Point Manager Tina Viuhkola said. “We would take whatever we can get.” Viruhkola said Turning Point has reached out to local businesses to keep services going. “We call the liquor store for our boxes [to pack food for clients] and ask Safeway for bags because if we have produce it has to be in clean, fresh bags, and its expensive to buy them” she said. Safeway also donates milk and other products that are removed from the shelves due to the pull dates. Viuhkola said there is a grace
See TURNING POINT Page A7
CODY MANN/The Chief
The marijuana grow would be located across the road from Hudson Parcher Park.
Pot farm near schools raises community concerns BY CODY MANN
cmann@countrymedia.net
JEREMY C. RUARK/The Chief
Turning Point Manager Tina Viuhkola stacks food on the shelves of the agency’s food bank.
Concern is being expressed by members of the community after learning that a marijuana grow operation may be installed near schools in Rainier. A former indoor sports facility just down the road from the schools is currently being transformed to become the next in a number of marijuana businesses to spring up in Columbia County. Raj Punjabi is president of RAD Nursery Products LLC and has 10 years of experience in the medical marijuana industry. He said the grow would benefit the community with tax revenue and job creation. If the potential $600,000 a month grow operation is approved, he said 25 jobs would be created. An approximately 25,000-square foot building located across from Hudson Parch-
er Park would house a state-ofthe art grow operation, according to Punjabi. He said he is going above what is required for the facility, including $30,000 worth of charcoal air filters that he said would eliminate odors from the grow. Security being a key component to the operation, Punjabi said cameras would be installed all over the grow to be monitored by state regulators, assuring the best practices are upheld. He said drug enforcement agents would likely be involved in the monitoring process, too. In a letter to the editor of this publication, Tara Sorensen of Rainer said as a parent of Rainier school children, she worried about the business being in such close proximity to the park, where children play soccer regularly among other activities.
See MARIJUANA Page A8