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FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2022

VOL. 131, NO. 9 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891

Briarcliff Pool sets reopening

Back in the Water

JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

For the first time in several years, the Briarcliff Pool in Rainier is set to offer summer swimming and to resume operations as a community resource.

Rainier pool A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. July 12 for the grand opening of the Briarcliff Pool on the Rainier Jr/Sr High School campus in Rainier.

According to Rainier School Board minutes, the Briarcliff Pool was closed on August 23, 2019 due to a decrease in state funding in addition to the cost to run the pool.

“The Briarcliff Pool has been a huge benefit to this community; especially in light of the fact that we live on the Columbia River,” Rainier School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Hattrick said. “The board, district, and community believe the pool is an essential service for our community specifically to continue to provide the opportunity to compete on our swim team, and to equip children and adults with skills that will keep them safe in water. As a river community, this is essential for this great community.”

Previously there had been a negative $250,000 fund balance for the pool which the board made a transfer from the general fund in January of 2021 to bring the pool to a zero balance, according to Hattrick, who said the transfer was based on an audit recommendation.

According to Hattrick, $75,000 was transferred from General Pool Fund to the Special Pool Fund. Additionally, various grants will help support the pool operations with a total budget of around $200,000.

Courtesy from Joseph Hattrick

The Rainier School District held swimming activities at the Briarcliff Pool in June.

“We will review budget revenues and expenses as we reopen to modify as needed,” he said.

“We have altered the fee schedule in hopes to better support regular operations and make pool membership more competitive with surrounding areas.”

The Rainier School District (RSD) is the sole operator of the pool. All employees are RSD employees and the pool staff, district staff, facilities, and custodians all

support the pool.

Funding solutions Hattrick said operating a pool is very expensive, but he credits the district staff conducting “a remarkable job with fiscal responsibility and decreasing expenses,” “so much so that this year we have been able to add positions when other districts have been forced to reduce staffing,” Hattrick said.

“Being fiscally conservative will help this program as well as others to continue to serve this community.”

The district has established a budget, staffing model, and fee schedule for the pool that Hattrick said will have a positive impact on continuing its operation.

“One thing we found was our prices were far too low in the past, so while some prices will be increased, they are now competi-

tive with the prices of other pools which will make the pool sustainable,” he said.

The pool fees, schedule, and programming were being finalized this week and were to be available on the district website after July 6.

“While we will offer free swimming during our Grand Reopening on July 12, all other times there

don’t have a hospital, (is) other things don’t count. Legacy doesn’t count, and OHSU doesn’t count.

“When it comes time for federal dollars and programs around the pandemic, somebody has to sign for those things. It has to be your hospital.”

He added, “(Say) our county wants x number of dollars for inoculations. Somebody has to sign on that says, we as a health care community in your town, are going to be able to carry on those things that these grant dollars can provide.”

At this stage, the commissioners are not advocating for a hospital; rather, they are looking at solutions to fill a long unmet county need, according to Heimuller.

“This is not Henry sitting on a mountaintop saying we need a hospital come hell or high water.

This us saying that we’ve recognized the fact that our community is underserved because we don’t have a hospital,” Heimuller said. “Will we ever get one? I don’t know.”

a Request for Proposals (RFP) to conduct a hospital feasibility study.

“The County believes there is a lack of access to acute care hospital services in Columbia County, which has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the document reads. “The proposed hospital project would involve the financing and development of a general acute care hospital with approximately 25 beds, located in south Columbia County in or near St. Helens.”

A general acute care hospital would offer an emergency department, a laboratory, radiology, a CT scanner and MRI, and other ancillary services.

The RFP specifies that funding sources for the proposed hospital project could include “American Recovery Act funds, tax revenues, issuance of long-term debt, fundraising, and funds from the operations of the hospital.”

PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center is the closest hospital to Clatskanie and is located 15 miles away in Longview, WA.

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See POOL Page A3

The hospital that was never built

Courtesy photo

An artist’s rendering of the Columbia River Community Hospital that was to be built on Millard Rd. in St. Helens.

Special Report ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners (BOC) has taken a significant step in determining whether to build a county hospital

Obituaries ................. A3 Opinions ................... A4 Community Events A4 Classified Ads ......... A5 Legals ....................... A5 Heritage Days .......... A6

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

that will serve Clatskanie, Rainier, and other communities across the county.

During their June 29 regular public meeting, the commissioners directed Columbia County Public Health (CCPH) Director Michael Paul to enter into negotiations for a hospital feasibility study with California-based Jensen Partners, a strategic, operations, and facilities healthcare planning and project and construction management firm.

The market analysis will provide insight into the viability, future capacity, utilization, correct distribution of services, and growth potential of a new hospital in Columbia County, according to the Jensen Partners CCPH Feasibility Study proposal.

Jensen Partners officials said they would analyze existing and projected changes to demographics and the population in the new hospital’s primary, secondary, and target service areas and create a blueprint for future capacity needs and long-term competitive positioning.

The feasibility study will take approximately 12 weeks to complete.

The cost of the study is estimated to be $119,700.

Columbia County Commissioner Henry Heimuller said the county has set aside federal pandemic relief funds to cover the cost of the feasibility study.

“The one thing that we’ve learned in COVID is every community of any size, certainly every county, needs to have a healthcare center,” he said in a one-on-one interview with The Chief. “What we’ve ended up with, because we

The proposal

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In March, the county submitted

See HOSPITAL Page A2

Back in full force! Rainier Days returns ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Rainier Days in the Park 2022 is coming back full force to the waterfront, with thrill rides, live music, carnival fare, a parade, and a firework display voted “Best on the Columbia River” for the last nine years of operation.

On opening night, spectators can watch Rainier City Mayor Jerry Cole duke it out with Rainier’s notorious bad-mouther and rabble-rouser, “Gentleman George.”

A new ride, sure to maximize thrills, is also set to unveil at the event’s debut.

“The carnival is a great carnival,” said Cole. “Our light packages are cutting edge.”

Fairgoers can expect the typical carnival fare of elephant ears, corn dogs, and classic barbecue. Boba tea and tacos will also be among the food and drink selections this year, according to Cole.

The popular county event runs the July 8 – July 10 weekend at Rainier

City Park, located on W A Street in Rainier.

Background Rainier Days began as a modest event set up in a downtown parking lot over 50 years ago and has since expanded to become the weekendlong celebration it is known as today.

“The first five or six years was a single-day event, and it’s just grown from there,” Cole said.

Rainier Days attendees can come, “pack a picnic lunch,” and enjoy the ambiance for free, said Cole “Of course, if you want to do rides and have a corndog, that costs money, but you could come down and experience the entertainment,” Cole said. “We pride ourselves on trying to be affordable.”

Events schedule July 8 Gentleman George will reenter the ring at 6 p.m. Friday, July 8, for

The Chief

VFW Post 1909 veterans march with their flags at a previous Rainier Days Parade.

the premiere event of Rainier Days in the Park - an epic wrestling showdown between himself and the mayor.

According to Cole, George “has a history of being just out of control (in) Rainier.”

“We actually had to have him arrested a couple of years ago,” he said.

A July 3 Rainier Days Facebook post reads, “Ever since Gentleman George was arrested at the Rainier Days wrestling match in 2019 for unprofessional conduct, he’s had it

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See RAINIER Page A2

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www.thechiefnews.com

Friday, July 8, 2022

State’s new release law raises concerns JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Senate Bill 48 (SB 48) became law July 1. The bill adjusts Oregon’s pretrial release system.

SB 48 eliminates certain mandatory minimum-security amounts currently in statute and requires individualized assessments based on objective criteria when making release determinations and setting security, according to information posted on the Columbia County Facebook site.

I am concerned about the potential negative implication to the safety of our communities, ~ Brian Pixley, Columbia County Sheriff

In addition, SB 48 directs judges to enter a standing pretrial release order specifying people and offenses subject to release on recognizance, conditional release, and people not eligible for

HOSPITAL From Page A1

Public response When the RFP was issued, it immediately raised red flags for multiple community members, who came forward at the commissioners monthly meeting to vocalize their concerns.

At the March 30 BOC meeting, Deer Island resident Tammy Maygra criticized the proposal, arguing that it does not sufficiently address the issues brought up by the county’s previous attempts to build a hospital.

She cited an inability to attract doctors, challenges in

release until an arraignment.

Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley said while SB 48 was designed to ensure people are held in custody based on the severity level of their crime and criminal history and not based on their ability to pay bail, he is concerned.

“While I understand this takes a more equitable approach to bail, I am concerned about the potential negative implication to the safety of our communities.

SB 48 essentially removes local control and requires the Sheriff’s Office to immediately release people who we would have previously housed in jail until trial,” Pixley said.

The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office released a statement in late June following Gov. Kate Brown’s signing of the bill into law.

The release states in part: “SB48 will have the effect of requiring the release of a significant number of criminal suspects from police custody, without bail, back into the community,” the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office release states. “Essentially, anyone arrested for committing a property crime such as theft, burglary, car theft, trespass, or a nonobtaining critical access designation, and a limited tax base as deficiencies that killed the previous hospital project.

“I think you need to be truthful with the people,” she said. “To make people in the community think this is going to be a grandiose plan, I think that is selling the taxpayer short. The taxpayers were milked out of about $8 million last time, and I don’t want to see it happen again.”

Is it time?

In a published report in October 2021 by The Chief, Paul stated that the county regularly hears from residents, business owners and employees about the availability of healthcare in

Metro Creative Connection

Oregon’s new release law became effective July 1.

domestic violence assault, arson, unlawful purchase of a firearm and many other crimes, will not be able to be kept in jail any longer than it takes to process them.”

In the release, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office states a negative effect of the law is people suffering mental health illnesses who are in custody for lower level offenses will be released and miss the opportunity for connecting with mental health services, which may prevent future criminal activity.

The Curry County Sheriff’s Office released a statement from its jail commander

concerning the new release law.

“Some of these releases have conditions as part of the release and others are released without conditions, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office release states. “It’s understandable that this new law would create confusion about who would remain in custody and who would be released.”

Under this new law most property crimes, most misdemeanor non-domestic person crimes and public nuisance (disorderly conduct/trespass) crimes do not qualify for lodging at the jail, according

its communities.

“Community health needs assessments identify access to healthcare as dominant concern in our communities,” Paul stated. “We need to delve further into these concerns.”

Following that published report, The Chronicle, The Chief’s partner publication in St. Helens, conducted a reader poll, asking readers whether they believed it was time to build a hospital in Columbia County. 68% of respondents said yes. 32% said no.

The Chronicle’s poll was not the first attempt to gauge community interest in a local hospital. Longtime residents of Columbia County may remember voting more than 15 years ago in favor of a prop-

erty levy to fund a hospital in St. Helens.

The taxpayers, hopeful that a conveniently located hospital would bring needed critical care to the community, voted to form a special district that would lead the effort.

The special district, known as the Columbia Health District (CHD), raised taxes for the purpose of building a hospital.

The hospital was never built, and the former CHD board members were voted out and replaced with new board members who filed two lawsuits against them: a federal suit outlining allegations of racketeering, mail and wire fraud, and Hobbs Act violations involving threats

to the Curry release.

“People can still be arrested and brought to the jail for processing,” the release states. “However, unless one of the listed ‘overrides’ from the courts exists, the person will be released when processing is completed. Also, since the new law abolishes the existing bail schedule; some people arrested on crimes that can be lodged, will not have an assigned bail amount until the person is arraigned by a judge.”

The Curry County Sheriff’s Office release said the new law mandates release on charges that used to be lodged in Curry County Jail.

These crimes include Assault on a Peace Officer and Aggravated Harassment.

“Here at the Curry County Jail, we are working closely with our local State Court partners to ensure the law is being followed and those that can be held, be lodged to the best of our ability,” the release reads.

Local DA reaction In accordance with Chief Justice Order 22-010, Presiding Judge Michael T. Clarke is issuing an order which sets the specific criteria for who will be released on recogni-

zance, who will be released with conditions, and who will be held in jail until they appear before a judge.

“I would like to personally thank Judge Clarke for prioritizing the safety and well-being of our community while crafting our local pretrial release orders,” Columbia County District Attorney Jeff Auxier said.

SB 48 significantly reforms Oregon’s pretrial detention system by reducing the importance of bail and establishing standards for victim notification, input, and safety considerations, according to a release from Columbia County.

“The goal of SB 48 is to create more consistent, fair, and equitable justice practices across Oregon while enhancing victim notice and input,” the county release states.

“This is really all about making sure that we have a pathway for people who are safe in the community to be released without putting family capacity or income levels in their way,” Oregon State Rep. Pam Marsh said.

Read the Oregon Legislative summary of SB 48 attached to this story at thechiefnews.com.

of harm, and a circuit court suit to stop the transfer of the district’s most valuable property asset. Both lawsuits were reportedly dismissed due to technicalities.

property purchased with taxpayer funding to construct a hospital?

• What happened to the rest of the taxpayers’ multi-million investment?

Editor’s Note

Our months-long investigation will show repeated red flags issued by auditors, private citizens, and public officials; emails that suggest premeditation; and multiple attempts at litigation.

The purpose of this special series is to accurately portray events that led to the failure of the multi-year hospital project, the district’s dissolution in 2011, and to ensure accountability as the county moves ahead to determine the feasibility of a hospital.

In a series of special investigative reports in the coming editions, The Chief will answer three essential questions that continue to be raised by the public about the past efforts to build a hospital in the county.

• Why did the Columbia Health District’s efforts to build a hospital in St. Helens fail?

• What happened to the

RAINIER From Page A1

out for the City of Rainier and Mayor Jerry Cole.”

While Cole did not confirm on the record that he would enter the ring on Friday, he told The Chief he was training “just in case.”

Covered in head-to-toe blue, with the British flag emblazoned on his chest, Gentleman George will be hard to miss as he visits the park grounds this Friday, his sights set on the championship belt.

At 5:30 p.m. that evening, two fair ladies will be honored with the titles Teen (age 14-19) and Miss (age 20-25) Rainier Days at the Miss Rainier Days Coronation event.

According to a March 3 Facebook post, the Rainier beauty pageant is a program that looks beyond just superficial beauty and “judges women on a broad range of qualities.”

More specifically, “women and young ladies in this pageant are intelligent, talented, and accomplished and are seeking ways that assist them in pursuing their life goals educationally and professionally,” according to the post.

Referring to 2022 as a “building year,” Cole said Rainier Days event organizers

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

Columbia County Fair and Rodeo Queen Jessica Lincoln waves and gives a smile as she participates in the Rainier Days Parade on Saturday, July 11, 2020.

are hopeful that participation in the beauty pageant will expand in the coming years.

“with an intense ending, (a) grand finale, is what we shoot for,” Cole said.

July 9

July 10

A parade, led by Grand Marshal Mike Avent, hits the streets 10 a.m. Saturday.

The procession marches from the top of the hill by the city water plant down 4th street to emerge at Rainier City Park.

Following live music performances throughout the afternoon, fairgoers can position themselves to watch the sky burst with colors in a grand fireworks display, lit from a barge on the Columbia River.

The fireworks are expected to last around 20 minutes,

Sunday, July 10, marks the final, culminating celebration of Rainier Days in the Park.

The three-day spectacle winds down with family and community-building events, starting with a worship service at 10 a.m.

Organizers will host games and give away more than $1,000 in prizes around 3:30 p.m. that afternoon.

For a full schedule of events, visit the Rainier Days in the Park webpage: www. rainierdaysinthepark.com/ events.

“Where columbia county has bought With confidence since 1959” 503-397-1329 WWW.richardsonsfurniture.com 2015 columbia blvd., st. helens North Columbia County’s trusted local news source

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Friday, July 8, 2022

•O bituaries • • Linda Jane Larson

July 1, 1940 ~ June 28, 2022

Linda Jane Larson passed away at the age of 81 in Longview, Washington, on June 28, 2022. She was born in Prairie City, Oregon, on July 1, 1940, to Carl LeForest Davis and Ada McGlone Davis.

She was a kind, loving and outgoing person who tried her best to make everyone laugh.

She is well remembered for telling many jokes and for hugging friends and family. Linda was a member of the Rainier Oregon Historical Museum, the Rainier Senior Center, and the Rainier Fraternal Order of Eagles #4022 Ladies Auxiliary.

She spent many years crocheting for the Eagles Ladies Auxiliary charity projects. She also spent a lot of years sewing for her children. She loved to do jigsaw and word puzzles.

Linda loved her kitty cats throughout her lifetime. Linda created many original drawings when she was young. In her youth, Linda was musical, having played the accordion, the clarinet and the piano.

Linda grew up mostly in Rainier and graduated from Rainier Union High School in 1958. She also lived in Eastern Oregon; Cokeville, Wyoming; and Malad, Idaho, until the

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family moved to Rainier in about 1945. When the local mill burned down in Rainier in 1955, the family moved to Sandlake, Oregon, for a year.

She also lived in Portland, Oregon, for two years when she was in her 20s. She loved the coast. She worked at the Neskowin Inn as a teenager and attended Nestucca High School in Cloverdale, Oregon, for about a year and then moved to Rainier where she graduated. She lived in Portland for a year or two and worked at the Albertina Kerr Homes for children. She was employed at Trojan Power Plant near Rainier and at the mini mart next door to her home for many years. Linda and Delbert were married 53 years ago and have lived in Rainier ever since.

Linda is survived by her husband, Delbert Larson, of Rainier, Oregon; brother Jerald (Jerry) Davis of Portland, Oregon; Martha Van Natta (Robert) of Apiary, Oregon; and Marilee Hayden (John) of Anchor Point, Alaska. Linda is also survived by her children, Monty Mason, Terry Jo Bohannon, Melina Mason, Misty Mason, and Ronald Larson (Lori). She is also survived by 11 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; one great-greatgrandchild; three nephews; one niece; dozens of cousins; and many friends, all of whom were very dear to her.

She was predeceased by her son Clint Mason.

A celebration of life will be held from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Sat., July 30, 2022 at the Rainier Eagles lodge at 109 W. A Street, Rainier, Oregon.

All friends and family are encouraged to come pay their respects.

•C rossword S olutions • •

Solution for the July 1, 2022 crossword puzzle

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

Large pieces of plywood cover the bridge damage.

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

The damage has closed a portion of the sidewalk along Highway 30.

Crash causes $50K in bridge damage Driver suffers broken leg

ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

The Clatskanie River Bridge awaits repairs after sustaining “major rail damage” caused by a car crash, according to Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley.

At 1:06 a.m. Thursday, June 16, a single-vehicle rollover crash was reported at the Clatskanie River

Bridge along Highway 30 in Clatskanie.

The driver reportedly suffered a broken leg and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

The specific cause of the crash remained unclear as of press time.

The crash caused major rail damage on the eastbound side of the bridge, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson

Don Hamilton reports.

The rail damages have since been plugged with plywood by a repair crew, but the eastbound sidewalk remains closed to pedestrians.

A contractor is expected to bring in a scaffold for a temporary work platform under the bridge necessary for sidewalk repairs in the next few weeks after ODOT assesses the structural dam-

Local resident escapes injury in fatal crash STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Oregon State Police (OSP) report a Clatskanie resident escaped injury following a multi-vehicle, serious injury crash in Douglas County that claimed one life.

According to OSP, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 5, OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded to the crash on Highway 38 near milepost 25.

Preliminary investigation revealed a tan Toyota Corolla, operated by Cedric

Lossing (24) of Myrtle Point, was traveling east overtaking a motorhome in the passing lanes when it crossed the centerline and crashed head on into a westbound Jeep Cherokee, operated by Cathy Fore (60) of North Bend.

A red Peterbilt dump truck, operated by David Buoy (60) of Clatskanie, was traveling westbound following the Jeep Cherokee and attempted to avoid the collision by steering into the eastbound lane where it crashed through an eastbound bumper-pulled Winnebago travel trailer pulled by a Grey Ford F150,

operated by Timothy Prulheire (70) of Grants Pass.

The grey Ford F150 traveled into the westbound lane where it collided with a blue Kenworth dump truck, operated by Dillan Bloomer (27) of Clark Fork, Idaho, pulling a flatbed utility trailer hauling a grader.

Cedric Lossing was transported to RiverBend Hospital in Eugene. Cathy Fore and a passenger in the Jeep, Patrick Culbertson (70) of Myrtle Point, were transported to RiverBend Hospital in Eugene. Patrick Culbertson sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at

POOL will be fees on per-use or seasonal basis.” Hattrick said.

The Briarcliff Pool director is Destinee Ryder and the assistant pool facilitator is recent Rainier High School graduate, Jeremiah Duplessis.

Hattrick said the district was finalizing the hiring of the pool’s lifeguard staff this week.

He credits the planning and training to get the pool opened again to the support of the Longview YMCA Executive Director Janine Manny.

“This year we entered into a formal partnership with the YMCA to provide YMCA Summer Camp to YMCA children and Rainier students on our campus,” Hattrick said. “Little did I know that this partnership would blossom into such a powerful partnership.”

Hattrick said the pool staff have all been certified in first aid, CPR, and lifeguarding, and students are offered the district’s 260acre campus during a variety

Lifeguards The pool will be operating with 17 lifeguards this summer.

“That is five more than we have had the last two years, so we are very pleased,” Warren said.

Warren said the Clatskanie Pool offers a specific benefit to the community.

“The benefit of our swimming pool is to teach kids how to swim and to be safe in the water,” she said.

History Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

A lifeguard keeps a close watch on swimmers at the Clatskanie Pool.

of summer camp and summer school opportunities.

Clatskanie Community Pool The Clatskanie Pool has launched its new 2022 summer season.

The facility at 346 NE 5th Street began its 2022 operations with a free swim June 25 as part of the community’s Heritage Days

celebration.

Clatskanie Parks and Recreation’s Cyndi Warren said the pool opened with a modified schedule June 27, offering morning exercise, lap swim, pool walking and open swim.

The Clatskanie Pool opened Tuesday, July 5, offering regular weekly swimming lessons scheduled Mondays through Fridays.

See the full operating sched-

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Visiting: 1:30 - 3p.m.

at Mayger-Downing Community Church 80071 Life Lane, Clatskanie

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RiverBend.

David Buoy and Dillon Bloomer were uninjured.

Timothy Prulheire and his passenger, Joan Prulhiere (81) of Grants Pass, reported minor injury but declined medical treatment at the scene.

Highway 38 traffic remained open while OSP Collision Reconstruction Unit members investigated the scene.

OSP was assisted by Scottsburg Fire Department, Reach Air Ambulance, North Douglas Fire and Ambulance, Kellogg Fire Department, Elkton Fire Department and ODOT. ule with fees at the pool’s website.

From Page A1

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Check your skin.

You could spot cancer.

ages and develops a plan for repairs.

The estimated cost of repairing the structural damages to the bridge is around $50,000, “but that likely will change,” Hamilton said.

“This work may require periodic single lane closures of U.S. 30, although the schedule has not yet been set,” Hamilton said. “We hope to get the work started soon.”

Learn about the history of Mayger area COME ENJOY - FOOD, FRIENDS, FUN! BRING A SALAD, FRUIT OR DESSERT, Questions? Please call 503-728-4542

The Clatskanie Pool is 90-feet long, 60-feet wide, and holds approximately 135,000 gallons of water.

The pool was built in 1958. Over the years it has aged, and significant repairs were needed.

Renovations completed in 2021 include resurfacing the deck, resurfacing and repainting the pool, replacing of the old tile gutter system with a stainless-steel gutter system. The wading pool has been replaced with a splash pad and multiple pool piping issues including failures, potential failures and existing leaks were addressed.

The pool is funded through property taxes.

“We do collect fees for services but those only cover about 15% of the total operating budget for the swimming pool each year,” Warren said. “The planned operating budget for the swimming pool is approximately $200,000.

This amount will cover one season, plus part of the next season since the District is on a fiscal year.”

Warren said it’s difficult to pin down an exact number of public visits to the pool, “as many of our patrons come more than once day, but I would say (the summer attendance) is in the high hundreds to low thousands.”

For more information about the Clatskanie Pool, call 503-2757 and visit the pool’s website for updated schedules and fees.

The Briarcliff Pool is located at 28168 Old Rainier Road in Rainier. For more information, call 503-5564217.

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Friday, July 8, 2022

•V iewpoints • •

We need every tool to fight today’s wildfires STEVE PYNE Chief Guest Column

We know now that the largest recorded fire in New Mexico history was started by an escaped “prescribed burn,” or rather by two. The Hermit’s Peak fire bolted away on April 6 when unexpectedly gusty winds blew sparks beyond control lines.

Then the Calf Canyon fire raced off on April 9 when similar winds fanned embers in burn piles first kindled in January. The two fires soon merged. Together, as of June 12, they have scorched 320,333 acres, with two-thirds of the fire perimeter regarded as contained.

Reconsidering policy New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s reaction was to insist that federal agencies reconsider their policy on spring burns.

The chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Randy Moore, responded by announcing a halt on prescribed burning for a 90-day review period.

Inevitably, the blowups invited comparison to the 2000 Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico that began as a prescribed burn, then blew out of Bandelier National Monument and into Los Alamos. It was the largest chronicled fire in the state’s history — until now.

Prescribed fire is not likely to be challenged in principle.

Recognition seems widespread that controlled burning is a legitimate source of good fire that can reduce the threat from areas likely to burn.

States from Florida to California have even reformed liability law to encourage burning on private lands.

The real threat to fire management is death by a thousand cuts, each breakdown leading to shutdowns,

each partisan group extracting a concession, that together so encumber the practice that it can’t be implemented. There is always something that can cause a prescribed burn to be shuttered. There is no equivalent mechanism to make up the loss.

Fire is inevitable It’s not news that the Western fire scene has become complicated. The early 20th century days, when one response — extinguish by 10 am the next morning — was adequate are long past. It was a marvelous administrative stroke: No confusion, no compromise, one size fits all.

But it made the fire scene worse by encouraging ecological rot and an incendiary buildup of fuels. The change in policy was clear and necessary: Fire is inevitable, and we need to manage it.

Today, all aspects of

landscape fire are plural. Fire control does not mean one thing; it embraces many strategies. It might refer to protecting towns or sage grouse habitat. It can resemble urban firefighting, or for reasons of safety, cost and environmental health, it could mean containing fires within broad borders.

It varies from extinguishing an abandoned campfire to herding mega-fires rolling over the Continental Divide.

It might involve bulldozing around municipal watersheds or working-with-nature firelines in wilderness. It might mean setting emergency backfires that can resemble a prescribed fire done under urgent conditions.

So, also, with prescribed burning. It might mean burning logging slash or piled cuttings from thinning operations. Or it might refer to broadcast burns that range freely over areas from an acre to a landscape. It can mean

burning to improve forage in tallgrass prairie, to prune pine savannas, or to promote habitat for Karner blue butterflies.

Wildfire acts as an allspectrum ecological catalyst.

Good prescribed burns will do the same thing.

The choice isn’t between one strategy or the other; it’s selecting from a variety of techniques that work in particular settings and seasons.

We need them all, not least because each strategy by itself can fail.

By the numbers Fires escape initial suppression at a rate of 2-3 percent. Prescribed fires escape at a rate of 1.5 percent for the National Park Service, or less than 1 percent according to Forest Service records.

Managing naturally caused fires has a similar rate of failure. When an escape occurs, however, its destructiveness

makes news.

Those figures are not likely to drop. We can’t control the setting of a wildland fire as we can a blowtorch. All we can do is juggle strategies so that each strategy’s strengths fill the others’ weaknesses.

The 2000 blowout in New Mexico made prescribed burning more difficult but led to a National Fire Plan.

Twenty years later, the fire scene has grown bigger, meaner, tougher. The Hermits Peak fire will likely end up an order of magnitude larger than Cerro Grande.

Inevitably, our future holds a lot of fire. The goal is always to find and employ the right mix of fire for the land.

Steve Pyne is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a fire historian, urban farmer and author of The Pyrocene.

Hospital Feasibility Study – $119,700 PAUL NYS Chief Guest Column

It’s your tax money!

The Columbia County Commissioners recently approved this $119,700 “study” to determine the need for a hospital in Columbia County when we were told no about ten years ago.

Earlier, four million dollars of tax money was spent on the initial preposterous and unnecessary initial planning phases which resulted in property (slightly improved) on Millard Road deeded to the City of St. Helens when the plan failed to materialize and failed to meet state standards for the location of the proposed hospital.

Tax payers could ulti-

mately be required to support the construction, operations, equipment, and staffing, forever, when relatively few would likely use the facility.

Twelve years earlier in 2010, the hospital was estimated to cost initially $24.5 million with $45 million tacked on for interest. A fully staffed critical 24-hour hospital is very unlikely at best but the costs will be covered by property owners.

Millions of tax dollars will be necessary to fund this project when few, if any, residents will utilize a minimal health care center when very specialized and professional care are available less than an hour away. In fact, it was admitted critical care patients would bypass the

Last Week’s Results

How important do you believe local pools are to our communities?

What is your favorite summertime activity?

Somewhat Important

July 9 Wabanang Chapter #127 Celebration Order of the Easter Star 105year celebration at 11 a.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 82 SE Second Street in Clatskanie. A potluck reception at Alston’s Pub and Grub at 25196 Alston Road in Rainier follows the celebration. Call 503-665-5257 for more information.

July 12 Reopening of Briarcliff Pool and Ribbon Cutting The Rainier School District, the Rainier School Board, and the Rainier Chamber of Commerce invite the public to celebrate the reopening of the Briarcliff Pool from 5 - 8 p.m. at 28168 Old Rainier Road in Rainier. At 5 p.m., please line up at the outside double doors. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. followed by a free swim from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult for this event. For more details, follow the district’s Facebook page or call Rainier School District #13 at 503-556-3777 Ext. 409.

July 13-16 Plant Sale The Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens, is hosting a benefit plant sale from noon until 7 p.m. on July 13, 14, and 15, and from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on July 16.

Free admission. For more information or to volunteer

contact the Columbia County Fairground’s office at 503397-4231.

July 16 Salmon Barbecue The Mayger Community Salmon Barbecue lunch will be held from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Visiting from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Mayger-Downing Community Church, 80071 Life Lane in Clatskanie. Enjoy food, friends, fun. Bring a salad, fruit or dessert. For more details, call 503-728-4542.

July 19 Rail Freight Movement Meeting The Port of Columbia County 6 p.m. meeting to discuss rail and freight movement with Columbia County. Guest is Toss Lane of Geness & Wyoming INC. The meeting will be held at the Port of Columbia County office, 100 E St. in Columbia City.

The Zoom link is available at www.portofcolumbiacounty. org. For more information, call 503-397-2888.

Ongoing Farmers Market Clatskanie Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday through September 24 at Cope’s Park in downtown Clatskanie.

Lower Columbia River Watershed Council Meets at 7 p.m. every other second Tuesday. Meetings are currently held elec-

tronically 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 (ROHM) is open from noon - 4 p.m.

Saturday (except major holidays weekends). ROHM is located inside Rainier City Hall at 106 W B Street. For more information, call 360751-7039.

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 at St. Helens at 503-366-8070.

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

North Columbia County’s trusted local news source

35.4% Relax at home

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Important

•C ommunity E vents • •

Paul Nys is a Rainier resident.

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local projected hospital and be transported directly to Portland or Longview.

If one believes this potential Hospital District will include only a few miles of local urban and rural property, guess again. The earlier hospital district extended 20 miles north of St. Helens when a comprehensive hospital in Longview is minutes away.

Let the Commissioners know there is better use for your money instead of dumping more of your hardearned money in a second “rat hole” which previously cost us millions of wasted tax dollars.

Not Important

17.6% Family cookout 17.6% Travel

Vote online at thechiefnews.com

The Chief

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

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Help Wanted

PORT OF COLUMBIA COUNTY The Port is hiring a Data Resource and Projects Specialist.

To learn more and apply, please see our website www. portofcolumbia c o u n t y. o r g / j o b s .

EOE

831

Office Space

Space for rent Professional office space for rent in Clatskanie/Hwy 30 frontage. $350/month.

503-396-0973.

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20 sizes, Inexpensive RV Storage, Carports, Hand trucks, Locks, Fully-lined, Insulated, Condensation free, all units lit. On-site Manager

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We are looking for a Media Consultant to join our team in the advertising department

Offering Quality Asphalt Paving Services to Columbia County and surrounding areas.

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This position is a full-time job and comes with a very competitive salary and commission package that also includes paid vacation, sick leave, health, dental and vision, mileage, cellphone reimbursement, and more.

Come work in a professional setting in a fastpaced job that is different everyday. Advertising skills desired. People skills and marketing experience desired. Our new consultant will work to grow an established territory.

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Public Notices

PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

CC22-1671

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CC22-1672

NOTICE OF MEETING NOTICE OF MEETING NOTICE OF CITY The Board of Direcfor directions to join the The City of St. Helens Strand Street, Plaza Entrance, tors for Clatskanie School zoom meeting. The agenda Budget Committee, which St. Helens, OR 97051. The COUNCIL ELECTIONS District 6J will hold a Board includes but is not limis comprised of the City facility is handicap accesCouncil and five appointed members at large, will hold a Special Meeting on July 13, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. The purpose of the Special Meeting is to give the Budget Committee an opportunity to discuss the utility rates, infrastructure improvements, and five-year utility management plan. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 265

sible. If you need special accommodation, please contact City Hall at (503)397-6272, at least 48 hours before the meeting. Time: Jul 13, 2022 @ 5:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/j/81684758769?pwd=Y3 VHZEpnNndtUEtESVN0V 2xLYjNodz09 Meeting ID: 816 8475 8769 Passcode: 8675309 Dial by your location: 1 253 215 8782

•

The Clatskanie City Council has three (3) councilor positions and one (1) Mayor Position that are up for re-election/election.

The City Council is comprised of a Mayor and six (6) Councilors, who serve as volunteers and are appointed or elected at-large.

To qualify, a candidate for this position must be a registered voter, a Clatskanie city resident for one year

prior to appointment, and be able to attend one (1) or two (2) evening council meetings per month. To apply for the volunteer position of Clatskanie City Mayor or Clatskanie City Councilor, please pick up an election packet at City Hall. The filing deadline is 5:00 pm August 24th, 2022. The qualified candidates will be on the November 8th, 2022 ballot.

meeting, Monday, July 11, 2022, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom and in per-son at the Old Middle School Gym, 660 SW Bryant St. Please see our website at www.csd. k12.or.us on the main page

ited to: Superintendent and Principal’s reports, financial report, and the consent agenda. Please see our website for an official agenda.

The public is encouraged to attend.

Chief Public Notice deadline Submit public notices by Wednesdays at Noon.

Late submissions may not make it into The Chief.

•C rossword P uzzle • • STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: CLASSIC CHILDREN’S BOOKS ACROSS

1. Kitchen boss 5. Churchill’s “so few” 8. Epochs 12. “Watch out!” on a golf course 13. East of Java 14. *Pinocchio’s state of being 15. Hard currency 16. Emanation 17. TV and radio 18. *Mr. Popper’s birds 20. Newspaper piece 21. *Like “Goosebumps Classic” 22. “What?”

23. *Richard Scarry’s Things That Go 26. Oxygenate, as in lawn 29. Skin cyst 30. Middle Eastern meat dish, pl.

33. Antonym of “yup” 35. Dispatch boat 37. Female sheep 38. Throat infection 39. Searching for E.T. org.

40. *”I think I can, I think I can...”, e.g.

42. *”____ Spot run!”

43. Accounting journal 45. *The Plaza Hotel resident

of kids’ book fame 47. Long, long time 48. Caffeine-containing nut trees 50. Off-color 52. *Ludwig Bemelmans’ Parisian boarding school resident 55. Middle Eastern porter 56. Movie “____ Brockovich” 57. Karl of politics 59. In a cold manner 60. Obscenity 61. Middle of March 62. Fringe benefit 63. *Side for Green Eggs 64. Put in the outbox

DOWN

1. Chlorofluorocarbon, abbr.

2. Obstacle to jump through 3. Great Lake 4. Tiny fox with large ears 5. Two halves of a diameter 6. Like one in isolation cell 7. Evergreen trees 8. *Babar, e.g.

9. Thumb-up catch 10. Full of enthusiasm 11. *”The Little Mermaid” domain 13. Stock exchange, in Paris

14. Affair, to Emmanuel Macron 19. Michael Douglas’ 1987 greedy role 22. “For ____ a jolly ...”

23. *Clement Clark Moore’s famous beginning 24. Live it up 25. Join forces 26. Aid in crime 27. Bodies 28. *Athos’, Porthos’ and Aramis’ swords 31. *Corduroy or Paddington 32. Stiff grass bristle 34. *D’Artagnan’s sword 36. *It ends, according to Shel Silverstein 38. North American purple berry 40. ____ at Work, band 41. Give in 44. Worshipful 46. Isis’ brother and husband 48. Cause and effect cycle?

49. Abhorrence 50. RBG’s collar, e.g.

51. Arabic for commander 52. Screen 53. Lymphatic swelling 54. Like certain Steven 55. Senior’s fragile body part 58. New York time

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

A6

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Friday, July 8, 2022

•H eritage D ays C ommunity P arade 2022• •

The sides of Clatskanie’s Nehalem Street filled with hundreds of spectators for the 2022 Heritage Days Independence Day Parade, July 4. Following the parade, people gathered at Clatskanie City Park for food, vendors and fun, including an ice cream eating contest and the landing and public tour of a Life Flight helicopter. A fireworks display was held at dusk. The annual event had been cancelled for the past two summers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photos by Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief

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Community Action Team

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

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