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Guard prepares for wildfire season

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

The Chief

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VOL. 129, NO. 11

Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891

Public help sought in poaching cases JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

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Oregon State Police (OSP) investigators are seeking public help in finding the person or persons who may be responsible for illegal killings and wasting of livestock and wild animals in Columbia County.

On June 28, OSP Fish and Wildlife troopers investigated the report of a spike elk that was discovered on Weyerhaeuser property located off of Clear Creek Road near Timber Road in Columbia County. The elk had been shot and some meat was removed but most was left to waste.

On July 5, OSP Fish and Wildlife troopers investigated another report from the same area regarding a buck deer left to waste. The deer was located approximately 50 yards from where the elk was located. The deer had been shot and no meat was removed.

There was a .308 caliber bullet casing found on the road near the area.

This case may be related to a wasted cow elk reported in this area on March 28.

“Poaching is stealing natural resources that belong to all Oregonians,” Oregon’s antipoaching campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw said.

Poaching is prevalent across the state, according to Shaw.

“Deer and elk, along with other big game animals, marine life, birds and other wildlife See POACHING Page A3

Community-wide yard sale still on CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net

A decades-old tradition is still on in Clatskanie: the community-wide yard sale, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at houses all over the city.

The event, which usually costs $10 to participate, will be free for all participants this year, according to event organizer Lori Sherman.

Those who wish to sell their wares in their Clatskanie yard need only post their address in the comments on the Facebook event page, entitled “Community-Wide Yard Sale,” and Sherman will add it to the map and list of addresses. The event page is only found through various Clatskanie Facebook community

Obituaries............A2 Opinions...............A4 Market Place........A5 Public Notices......A5

In previous years, the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce had spearheaded the event, and had used the $10 fee to cover the cost of advertising, printing maps, and to raise some money for the Chamber, according to Chamber President Monica Seidl. All of that changed about two years ago at a strategic planning session, when the Chamber decided to no longer lead the city-wide yard sale because of wanting to focus more on businesses

CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net

More testing

This map illustrates the areas of the illegal animal kills and wastes.

Change of leadership

in town rather than on individuals, Seidel said.

“The community-wide yard sale seemed to be something for individuals, and wasn’t something we felt as a chamber we wanted to spearhead anymore,” Seidl said.

Last year, the event was led by a small group of individuals in the community, Seidl said. This year, Sherman, who leads the Clatskanie City Festival each year, is taking the helm, and one of the first things she did was get rid of the fee.

“I try to make things for free, that way it doesn’t leave anybody out,” Sherman said.

Rather than advertise for the event in local newspapers and by printing out flyers to pass around town, which has been done in the past, Sherman rounded up Wendy

MacDougall from Mist-Birkenfeld and JoAnn Blodgett from Clatskanie to take care of the advertising this year, which is mostly done through social media.

MacDougall was able to post the event page to different community groups on Facebook where she is an administrator, meaning she has posting privileges. Blodgett is doing the same thing on a lot of her social media pages.

“She [MacDougall] has a large following. So does JoAnn,” Sherman said. “Between the two of them, they can reach hundreds of people.”

There are usually about 50 houses that participate in the

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See YARD SALE Page A4

Public health increasing COVID-19 testing Columbia County Public Health reported 66 total confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 cases and still no deaths associated with the virus, as of July 22.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported the COVID-19 death toll in Oregon has reached to 271.

There were 264 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 15,393, as of July 22.

Columbia County Public Health Administrator Michael Paul said the county recorded the highest number of new cases, six cases in one day, earlier this month.

Illustration courtesy of OSP

pages, such as Clatskanie Community Bulletin Board or Clatskanie City Festival 2020. Those who want a direct link can go to the following website: https://www.facebook.com/ events/987262915063641.

According to Paul, Columbia County Public Health has been able to increase testing for the virus.

“We’re currently able to trace and contact our cases within 24 hours,” Paul said during a presentation Wednesday, July 22, before the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. “However, we’ve seen increasing delays in receiving lab reports. People aren’t receiving their lab reports, so people are not quarantining, and the outbreak is spreading faster.”

Commissioner Henry Heimuller then interjected, “I think you just said we are increasing our capacity to test.

But then you said we are not able to get test results back in a timely man-

Courtesy photo

While testing is increasing in Columbia County and across Oregon, results are slow in returning.

ner. I guess I would argue if anyone at state is suggesting we are able to increase our ability to test, processing testing is part of testing. I’m a little aggravated when they suggest we’re doing more testing when all they’re doing is delaying results.”

Paul clarified, stating that the state has been able to increase testing from May and April, but turnaround time has not necessarily increased. When results don’t come in, that means that public health agencies cannot contact people who have been infected, Paul said.

“There’s an extended turnaround time from commercial labs, sometimes up to two weeks after specimen collection,” Paul said. “Persons are sometimes not even infectious after they get results.”

That means that people, not knowing they are infected, will not

be quarantining while they are still contagious, according to Paul, who said that is reflected in testing data, which shows that positive cases have increased to six percent, which is up from two percent in early May and June.

“That shows the outbreak is expanding,” Paul said.

Hospital impact Columbia County, located in region 1 of the state, has five hospitals in the “green status,” meaning they are not overwhelmed with patients, and eight hospitals reporting in the “yellow status,” which means they are approaching the point of being full, according to Paul.

Paul reported that as of July 22, there were 2.9 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United

States, and more than 140,000 deaths. However, he said data suggests the number of cases could be much higher and active cases could number at about 4 million.

Paul put the death numbers into perspective by listing the numbers of deaths of American citizens in recent wars. There were 211,00 deaths for the Vietnam War, 30,000 for the Iraq War, 22,000 for the war in Afghanistan, Paul said.

“If we reach projections that have been recently put out, it would put COVID-19 as the third leading cause of death if you look at all age groups,” Paul said.

However, Oregon is doing well in comparison to other states, Paul said.

COVID-19 cases geared towards older age groups at the beginning of the pandemic, and that has shifted recently, to most cases in the age group 20-29, with more than 20 percent of all new cases within that age group, Paul said.

Virus demographics Further breaking case demographics down, Paul said new cases are fairly equal by sex, with COVID-19 being slightly more frequent in females. Fourteen percent of cases are present in those working in a congregate setting, and 10 percent of cases are in health care workers.

Paul said he sometimes hears suggestions that letting everyone get infected would be a good solution.

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See COVID-19 Page A5

County taking part in COVID study JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Columbia County residents are being invited to join a statewide COVID-19 study.

Since it was announced in May, the Oregon Health and Science University-led Key to Oregon study has been measuring COVID-19 prevalence throughout the state. So far, nearly 9,000 Oregonians have enrolled statewide.

The study aims to enroll up to 100,000 randomly selected Oregonians, who will spend less than 10 minutes a day to report their temperature and other symptoms on a secure website. Up to 10,000 of

those enrolled will also be selected for asymptomatic testing, or testing those who do not have symptoms to better measure an ofteninvisible source of COVID-19’s spread.

Those who take part are helping protect their families and communities, according to researchers.

OHSU will share study findings with state and local decision makers, who can use the data to make decisions to meet the state’s economic and social needs – including reopening or closing local businesses and schools – while also protecting human health and lives.

“We are deeply grateful to those willing to volunteer their time to

this important work,” the study’s lead researcher, Jackie Shannon said. “Each person who spends less than 10 minutes a day on this study will help us better understand how the virus is affecting Oregonians.

If you were randomly selected, please consider taking part to help your community stay open.”

A total of 1,500 Columbia County households have been invited to participate in the study, and should have received mail notices in May. Those mailings included instructions about how to enroll online. If you lost your invite but are interested in enrolling, researchers ask that you send an email to KeyStudy@ohsu.edu.

As of Tuesday, July 22,Columbia County Public Health reported 66 total confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 cases and still no deaths associated with the virus.

The Oregon Health Authority reported the COVID-19 death toll in Oregon has reached to 271.

There were 264 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday July 23, bringing the state total to 15,393.

Follow the daily COVID-19 case count at thechiefnews.com with indepth reporting in the Friday print editions of The Chief. Follow the OSHU study’s progress at https:// www.ohsu.edu/key-to-oregon.

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Friday, July 24, 2020

Clatskanie Farmers Market successful Courtesy photo

The pandemic has caused a slow pace of coin circulation causing the Oregon Bankers Association to asking you to deposit the coins that might be in your piggy bank.

Your piggy bank Photo courtesy of Cedar Farm

Representatives from Cedar Farm pose for a picture at the Clatskanie Famers Market. Cedar Farm sells fresh produce, but also offers paleo meals, sides, sauces, baked goods and pantry items.

CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net

The Clatskanie Farmers Market is still on, and taking precautions surrounding COVID-19, according to market board member Steven Routon.

The market opened June 20, delayed by three weeks from its original start date due to deliberations on how to continue in light of coronavirus fears, as The Chief previously reported. Additionally, the market is still at Copes Park because the wide-open space is conducive to social distancing, in spite of original plans to move to a new home on Conyers Street this year.

The board was planning the move in an attempt to grow vendors and sales. Conyers Street, located right off of Highway 30, is something that research had shown would be conducive to attracting more vendors. However, the pandemic and social distancing orders threw a wrench into those plans. Conyers Street is linear in nature, and made six feet of distancing between vendors impossible, Routon said, which meant the market had to remain at Copes Park.

Even with these setbacks, the market has averaged about 150 people each Saturday, according to Routon. Last year, market-goers ranged from 225-250 people, Routon said.

The number of vendors has decreased from about 12 this time last year to five to eight vendors this year, according to Routon.

While Routon does not yet have official numbers on revenue for the market, he does know that each individual vendor seems to be doing better than last year. Routon’s own company, Tilthworks, which specializes in different varieties of garlic, but also grows vegetables like beets, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, as well as producing honey, has been doing much better than last year, according to Routon’s own data.

“Tilthworks is earning considerably more money week to week than we did last year, which is fascinating, there’s still no explanation for that,” Routon said.

It is possible that the reduced number of vendors

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Photo courtesy of Clatskanie Farmers Market

One vendor gets ready for a day at the Clatskanie Farmers Market, which opened June 20 this year.

this year could be the reason why each individual vendor is getting more customers and therefore more revenue. Also, speaking to his own methods, knowing this was going to be what Routon described as “a really unusual year,” the strategy Tilthworks employed was to double their production.

For example, each market Saturday, the booth presents with ten times as more potatoes, because it’s a staple product, Routon said. However, Routon said, the overall revenue for the market is down considerably.

Routon is in charge each Saturday of maximizing social distancing between vendors and also between customers.

“I do the layout for the market each Saturday. I do the number of vendors, and approximate number of visitors, and size the market accordingly,” Routon said.

Masks are required for both vendors and customers, and there is also a market manager who is tasked with keeping an eye on social distancing and pointing out anything she observes to specific vendors.

Something that has had to be forbidden this year is the tendency market vendors have to show pictures of vegetables on their phones to customers, because there is no way to do so and still obey the six feet of distancing, Routon said. One vendor who sells wool at the market couldn’t show up this year because a big portion of her marketing was to allow the customers to feel and touch the wool, according to Routon.

That vendor is not with the

market physically, but she is online, Routon said, something else that is new this year.

There’s a national company that provides the platform for the market Routon said.

The market vendors provide their week-to-week inventory, and the platform manages all the transactions, the various vendors fill the orders, and the market manager delivers the orders to a pickup point.

Customers then drive in one by one to pick up their orders.

“It’s the opposite of a farmers market, but at the same time for a lot of people who have depended on a farmers market, it’s a good way for them to continue that without putting themselves at risk,” Routon said.

Routon admits that the online platform has absorbed some of the vendors that would otherwise be physically present at the market, with at least three vendors now online.

There are also vendors that do both the in-person version and the online version.

Through it all, Routon said he is appreciative of both vendors and customers for keeping the market going.

“The main thing I would say is the vendors that are there are really working hard to present more and more veggies and the community has been very positive about our efforts to stay open,” Routon said. “I just think about how optimistic everyone seems to be while at the market. We’ve been thanked on numerous occasions just for being there, and giving the community some degree of normalcy.”

•O bituaries • • Tony Cole

Dec. 5, 1983 ~ July 15, 2020 Anthony Napier Cole, 36, passed away on July 15, 2020. He passed peacefully in his sleep of a severe brain aneurysm.

Tony was preceded in death by his father Curtis Napier Cole Jr. of St. Helens; grandparents, Curtis and Ethel Cole, Beverly and Stanley Duncan and Sharon and James Langan.

He is survived by his mother Cindy Langan; sister Sarah; brother-in-law Jeremy; nieces and nephew, Chloe, Marley and Soren of Independence, Oregon; his beloved cat Leo Tiger Cole and countless aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Tony spent a great deal of time in his hammock, helping in the shop or cruising with his car club, the Columbia County Euros.

As a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and with PRIDE, Tony shared his rainbows of love.

A celebration of life for Tony will be held at 1 p.m. on July 25, 2020 at 35010 Hankey Rd, St. Helens, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation at the InRoads Credit Union: Tony Cole Memorial Fund. All donations will support a need in the community for the residential group homes Tony spent so much time at.

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

The Oregon Bankers Association (OBA) is encouraging consumers to empty out their piggy banks to help small businesses facing coin shortages resulting from pandemicrelated shutdowns.

When retail establishments closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, the rate of coin recirculation slowed significantly, according to the OBA. Consumers migrated to online shopping and the use of debit and credit cards to avoid physical contact associated with

using cash.

Coins that would have been returned in change were no longer being circulated back into the system. Recirculated coin represents more than 80% of the total supply. The rest of the supply is met by new coin production. As businesses have reopened, demand for coin has increased, but a large portion of coins remain with consumers, OBA President and CEO Linda Navarro said.

“In a normal period of time, more than 4 billion coins are deposited — or recirculated — each month,” Navarro said.

“Beginning in April, less than

2 billion were being recirculated.”

According to Navarro, there is adequate coin in the economy.

“However, the slowed pace of circulation means that a sufficient amount of coin is not readily available where needed,” Navarro said. “We need to jumpstart recirculation of coins.”

Navarro said Oregonians can help by depositing their spare change at their local bank or a coin-cashing machine, and by using exact amounts when making purchases.

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As an added incentive,

we’ve improved our delivery system. We’re providing curbside delivery and we’ll deliver anywhere in the county, (sometimes with a small delivery fee, depending on the distance). Payments can be taken over the phone. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for our customers to do business with us. Stay safe out there.

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Friday, July 24, 2020

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Humane Society’s modified operations CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Even during COVID-19, the staff and volunteers at Columbia Humane Society are continuing their work, although operations have been modified.

So far this year, the animal shelter, located at 2084 Oregon St. in St. Helens, has adopted out 60 animals and 10 animals have adoption pending, waiting to get either spayed or neutered, according to Columbia Humane Society executive director Lisa Beggio.

The animal shelter has also launched a new program this year, called the Queen Program which helps with the overpopulation of stray cats in St. Helens, according to Beggio.

“With this program, in exchange for your kittens, we will get your momma cats fixed, vaccinated, treated for fleas and wormed and microchipped for free,” Beggio said. “All you need to be willing to do is to hand over your kittens.”

Participants are asked to keep the momma cat and her kittens for about eight weeks, and then relinquish the kitten to the shelter. According to Beggio, the shelter will assure that the kittens are altered and vaccinated and then placed in appropriate homes.

“In exchange for the kittens, we will pay to have the mom cats altered, vaccinated, treated for fleas and wormed,

POACHING From Page A1 all fall prey to unscrupulous thieves,” Shaw said. “Poachers often sell parts or whole animals through illegal channels. Many also poach for the thrill of killing, or in defiance of laws and regulations. Leaving meat to waste is a clear indicator of a thrill kill.”

OSP is requesting anyone with information regarding these wildlife offenses to contact the Oregon State

and microchipped for free,” Beggio said.

The overall goal of the shelter has not changed since the beginning of the pandemic, with the center still focusing on trying to find homeless animals with the right homes. However, some ways that the shelter carries out operations have changed.

The shelter is not currently allowing any volunteers to come into the shelter because the facility does not have any ability to social distance, according to Beggio.

When volunteers were allowed to work at the shelter, they would be allowed to schedule their own times to come in, and partake in different activities with the animals, like walking dogs, working in the cattery, or doing anything else the shelter needed, Beggio said.

But all that is over now, and the staff has been taking care of all needed tasks.

The shelter is also not open for the general public to walk in. All adoptions are by appointment.

“Families are asked to get an application in for the animal they are interested in and then we will schedule a time for them to come in and meet the pet they are interested in,” Beggio said.

All animals that are available for adoption are on the shelter’s website at www. columbiahumane.com.“With the cats, they can be viewed at the appointment time, however with the dogs, the

process is specific to each dog. We don’t allow the public to walk through our kennels, as it creates kennel stress which in turn leads to animals being stressed out in their own home environment,” Beggio said.

The shelter has been able to do a lot of fundraising through Facebook, and Beggio estimates the amount is approximately $10,000. This was something the shelter had to do in lieu of holding in-person fundraisers, which they had been planning this year, Beggio said.

24 animals reside at the shelter now. Three employees work at the shelter, which hasn’t changed due to the pandemic, according to Beggio.

In general, the goal of the shelter has not changed.

“We feel that the animals of Columbia County need to have a voice and we are trying to be the voice of those animals,” Beggio said. “We are trying to help and protect the people and animals of Columbia County.”

Police Northern Command Center at 1-800-442-0776 and refer to trooper Ben Turner.

Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may also contact OSP through the Turn in Poachers line at TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP(677) or TIP E-Mail: TIP@state.or.us (Monitored M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m.)

The Stop Poaching Campaign is designed to educate the public on how to recognize and report poaching.

The campaign is a collaboration among hunters, conser-

vationists, land owners and recreationists. Our goal is to increase reporting of wildlife crimes through the TIP Line, increase detection by increasing the number of OSP Fish and Wildlife troopers and increase prosecution.

Shaw said the campaign helps to protect and enhance Oregon’s fish and wildlife and their habitat for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

How to apply to adopt Applications available for adopting animals at www. columbiahumane.com.

For more information, call the Columbia Human Society at 503-397-4353. The facility is located at 2084 Oregon Street. Appointments are necessary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo courtesy of the Columbia Humane Society

Meet Hagrid. This is one of many kittens at the Columbia Humane Society awaiting adoption into a loving home.

For more information, contact Yvonne Shaw at, Yvonne.l.Shaw@state.or.us.

Clatskanie Swimming Pool (503) 728-2757 clatskaniepool@cni.net

Morning

July 27th through 31st

6:00 - 7:00 AM: Deep End (6) & Shallow End (4) Water Exercise 7:15 - 8:15 AM: Deep End (6) & Shallow End (4) Water Exercise 8:30 - 9:00 AM: Level 6 (4) 9:15 - 9:45 AM: Levels 2, 3, and 5 (4) 10:00 - 10:30 AM: Levels 2, 3, and 4 (4) Things to remember: 10:15-11:45 AM: Level 1 (3), 2 (4) 3 (3) • Register only by phone or email

Afternoon/Evening

3:30 - 4:00 PM: Levels 2, 3, 4 (4) 4:15 - 4:45 PM: Levels 2, 3, 5 (4) 5:00 - 5:30 PM: Levels 2, 3, 6 (4) 5:45-6:15 PM: Family Lesson 6:30-7:00 PM: Family Lesson

Prices

• Enter through lobby only • 1 person (family) in lobby at any time • Lockers are not in use • Take a cleansing shower • Take your belongings on pool deck • After program, exit through side gate, no showers.

Water Exercise: All this is very new for us. Please be Daily Fee: $3.00, Weekly: $10.00 patient and don’t hesitate to ask Family Lessons*: questions about our new protocols.

2 children: $35.00 Each additional child is $5.00 Lessons*: $20.00 per child *A family member is required to be in the pool with each child for Levels Tots through 2.

Registration for the above programs begins Monday, July 20th Call or email to register for your program!

Please note that the weekly/daily schedule is subject to change at any time.

Columbia Community Mental Health is now accepting applications for available Board positions!

Applications will be accepted through July 24th, 2020 Interested candidates must reside in Columbia County to be considered.

Board positions are voluntary; meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month with possibility of “special session” meetings added when necessary; Board retreat annually Anyone interested in completing an application may contact the Human Resources Department at humanresources@ccmh1.com or 503.438.2227

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

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Friday, July 24, 2020

Clatskanie Grows: Yellow Jackets and Hornets messages (chip.bubl@ oregonstate.edu), writing newspaper columns and newsletters, and working to develop programs that can reach you online.

We are really committed to helping our communities in any way we can, especially in our areas of subject matter expertise (farming, gardening, forestry, food, food safety, and nutrition, healthy decision-making, and youth education) and any other way we can enrich your life and/or make you safer in these challenging times. Please do not hesitate to contact us. And please, take all steps necessary to ensure that you and your loved ones are safe.

Pressure Gauge Testing: CHIP BUBL Chief Guest Column

Cold wet weather April through June curbed the enthusiasm of yellow jackets and hornets for life and love.

Colonies got started later this year. But now, they are bursting with joie de vivre. We are not happy. They intrude on these nice summer evenings, attack if we step too near a ground nest, and generally make life a bit more edgy (as if we needed that now) for pets, hummingbirds, and us.

But time has its revenge. The baldfaced hornet that makes very large paper nests only live for about 125 days. Then their clock is rung, Ms. Queen dies, newly pregnant queens depart, and the workers are on their own with no instructions. They wander off and die. The nest is permanently abandoned and is destroyed by winter weather. The pregnant queens survive winter under brush, firewood piles, etc., waiting for another warm spring.

This general cycle is true for all yellow jackets and hornets though not the 125-day timing. Lower latitude hornet nests are active longer.

But back to the present, I would not want to be a bow hunter this August. The yellow jackets and hornets will be there in force, waiting for your intrusion near their nests and the meat you might be working up. It won’t be fun.

Traps rarely work well enough to significantly deplete colonies and reduce your encounters from either above ground or ground nesting species. Ground nests (which are paper nests buried in a cavity in the ground) are hard to find, until you step on one.

If you do find a ground or paper nest that is causing a problem, the aerosol “hornet and wasp killer” products do a good job if you can spray into the hole. If there are some twists and turns in the tunnel that leads to the paper nest underground, the aerosol spray might not work. Skunks, raccoons, and bear like to dig up ground nests when they are in your neighborhood.

I would leave high aerial nests alone and let them die naturally in the fall. Your risk on a ladder with angry yellow jackets or hornets is high and rarely worth it. Some people have had luck putting up bird baths for yellow jack-

•

•V oices

Socialism in America Growing up on the southern Oregon coast my favorite comic book was “SGT Rock” and his exploits fighting Nazi National Socialism across Northern Africa, Italy and into the heart of Germany.

After graduating high school I chose to enlist in the military rather than go onto college or face the draft, and for my nineteenth birthday received orders for Vietnam where I fought against a Socialist Republic. At 26, not long after Christmas, I received orders for West Germany to once again face a

July 1, 2020 to July 29, 2020, Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., free, at the Extension office in St. Helens. Contact for questions and requests for accessibility-related accommodations: by phone and a message option 503 397-3462 or by email at Jenny.Rudolph@ oregonstate.edu Pressure canners with a dial gauge need to be tested every year before you use them for accuracy. Canning with a gauge that is off can result in under-processing of home canned foods, which is unsafe. For complete instructions Clatskanie on this opportunity go Grows to: https://extension. oregonstate.edu/columbia/ events/pressure-canner-dialgauge-testing-service COVID restrictions are still in Other garden topics place at our office, which is located at 505 N. Columbia Garlic should be ready to River Highway, St. Helens, harvest. Let it dry in shade Or 97051 on these hot days. Direct sun, late in the afternoon, can Free newsletter sunburn garlic bulbs, making the cloves translucent orange.

The Oregon State UniThey will decay quickly. versity Extension office in Save the best bulbs to get the Columbia County publishes cloves from for next year’s a monthly newsletter on crop. gardening and farming topIf your cabbage head is ics (called County Living) near done, you may be able writ-ten/edited by yours to keep it from splitting by truly. All you need to do giving it a quarter circle turn, is ask for it and it will be thus disrupting some of the mailed or emailed to you. roots and slowing the final Call 503 397-3462 to be put growth. on the list. Alternatively, you can find it on the web at Still time to start many http://extension.oregonstate. vegetables for fall eating edu/columbia and click on newsletters.

Cherry/pear “slugs” are feeding now, stripping off Many Extension the juicy bits of leaves and publications available leaving a skeleton. The slugs online are the larvae of the cherry sawfly. Most of the time, Are you putting up salsa, they aren’t worth spraysaving seeds, or thinking ing, especially on cherries about planting grapes? OSU because they feed after the has a large number of its fruit is gone. But if there is publications available for a heavy infestation on pear free download. Just go to trees or on any young tree, a https://catalog.extension. spray to control them might oregonstate.edu. Click be warranted. on publications and start exploring.

The OSU Extension office is The Extension Service closed to face-to-face public offers its programs and macontact but you can still terials equally to all people. reach us Contact information for We are developing plans the Extension office for re-opening that will have to be approved by the Oregon State University University and ultimately, Extension Service – Columthe Governor. Our target is bia County mid-June. In the meantime, 505 N. Columbia River all of us (faculty and staff) Highway St. Helens, OR will still be working (mostly 97051 out of the office), answer503 397-3462 ing phone calls left on our Email: chip.bubl@oranswering machines, email egonstate.edu ets and hornets to drink from to lure them away from your BBQ. One last comment: Yellow jackets and hornets eat lots of insects, especially caterpillars, so give them a little credit for that! Picture from Napa Vector Control

of

T he C ommunity • •

Socialistic Republic along the Fulda Gap. The majority of the population in the United States knows very little about Socialism and its ties with Communism. It was 1895 when a prominent Christian Socialist W.D.P. Bliss established an American Chapter of the Fabian Society in and around the Ivy League schools of Yale and Harvard and by the early 1900s its members had entered American politics including Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, even as recently as Barack Obama.

The Fabian Society has woven its form of Democratic Socialism into America’s politics and daily life through

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

education, first in colleges (1900s), high schools (1970s) and now into elementary schools (1990s). Unlike the Bolshevik revolution which used force, the Fabians” implement socialism through legal legislative transformation. As President Obama said in his inauguration address, fundamental transformation, even candidate Joe Biden is using the term transformation.

I suggest all Americans review Joe Biden’s 110 page policy recommendations.

Losing our Democratic Republic could be only one election away.

Joe Turner Columbia City

Weekly Online Poll

Last Week’s Results

Because of the sharp rise in pandemic cases, should Governor Brown shut down the state again?

Have you changed your daily routine due to COVID-19?

Yes

No

71% Yes

29% No

Vote online at thechiefnews.com

City Administrator The Rainier City Council has voted unanimously to approve a contract hiring W. Scott Jorgensen as its new City of Rainier administrator.

Jorgensen, 40, has served as the city recorder for the City of Aurora since March 2018. Prior to then, he served as chief of staff to Oregon Senators Alan DeBoer and Doug Whitsett. He earned an Executive Master’s in Public Administration from Portland State University’s Mark O. Hatfield School of Government in 2017 and a Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism from Southern Oregon University in 2003.

“I look forward to the opportunity to work with Mayor Jerry Cole, Rainier’s city council, its staff and its citizens,” Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen began his career as an award-winning journalist for various publications throughout Oregon, most recently with the Pamplin Media Group in 2012-13. His career also included a stint as a news director and talk

YARD SALE From Page A1 Community-wide yard sale, according to Sherman. On the day it happens this year, there will be a physical and digital copy of a map of all participating houses, Sherman said, and it will likely be posted on the Facebook event page.

Other changes One part of the yard sale that will not be happening this year is renting out tables at the American Legion Hall, Sherman said. In previous years, people could rent tables to display items to be sold, either in addition to or instead of selling items at their house.

Tables were rented out for

W. Scott Jorgensen

show host for the Grants Pass Broadcasting Corporation.

Over the years, he’s reported on city government and covered council meetings in several small towns, including Jacksonville, Rogue River, Cave Junction and Estacada.

“That experience gave me a really good understanding of the inner workings of lo$10 each, and proceeds from table-renting went toward the American Legion, which in turn funded Veterans’ activities, or went toward adding additional names to the Clatskanie Veterans Memorial, according to Sherman. Sales raised each year ranged from $100 to $150, Sherman said.

This year, the only profits made from yard sales are for the individuals participating in their homes.

But table-renting might not be totally off the table, according to Sherman. Something Sherman said she was still considering was setting up tables to rent at a city lot behind FINS Custom Tackle and Café. The lot will already be rented out for some activities for the Clatskanie City Festival, which will be going on at the same time. Sherman

cal government,” Jorgensen said. “It inspired me to go back to school to start a career in city management, and I’ve found it very rewarding.”

Jorgensen has also written and published three books, including Conversations with Atiyeh, which featured a series of interviews he did with late former Governor Vic Atiyeh. Jorgensen is currently finishing a book about late former Secretary of State Dennis Richardson and served as his legislative aide during the 2005 session.

Jorgensen is married and has a 12-year-old son, James, and a one-year-old daughter, Laurie. He and his wife Kelsey live in Portland but plan to relocate to Columbia County.

Jorgensen is scheduled to start with the City of Rainier on Tuesday, September 8.

“After a lengthy search for a city administrator, I’m pleased that we were able to hire Scott to fill the position,” Cole said said she hasn’t gotten the OK from the city yet to do that, but if it is approved, tables will be free, and people will only have to sign a waiver.

Coronavirus fears Sherman noted that similar events, like in Longview, have been canceled due to the pandemic. Sherman said she felt like that wasn’t necessary.

“I just want people to have just as much normalcy as we can during this pandemic,” Sherman said. “People have had a lot of time to clean and want to sell things and all of that.”

Sherman added the yard sale would involve homes outside in the fresh air, meaning that transmission of COVID-19 is less likely.

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Public Notices

CC20-1282

CC20-1272

NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF BALLOT TITLE Filed Scappoose Bay Marine Park Advisory Committee Vacancy in the Office of County Clerk 7/20/2020 TITLE The Port of Columbia County Tuesday of the month, at the NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a ballot title for a measure to be referred

by Rainier Cemetery District has been filed with the Columbia County Clerk July 20th, 2020. A measure election will be held within the boundaries of Columbia County on November 3rd, 2020. The election will be conducted by mail. The ballot title caption is: Five-Year Local Option Tax for Cemetery Operations. Caption FiveYear Local Option Tax for Cemetery Operations Question Shall the Rainier

Cemetery District impose $0.05 per $1,000 of assessed value for five years for operations beginning in 2021-2022? This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three (3) percent. Summary The Rainier Cemetery District will use the tax revenue from this measure to operate the district at an increased level of service. Without the additional revenue the district will be unable to replace equipment and hire additional part-time staff needed for the daily operation of the district’s

twelve cemeteries. The proposed rate will raise approximately $75,166 in 2021-2022, $81,180 in 2022-2023, $87,674 in 2023-2024, $94,688 in 2024- 2025 and $102,264 in 2025-2026 for a total of $440,972. The estimated tax cost for this measure is an ESTIMATE ONLY based on the best information available from the county assessor at the time of the estimate and may not reflect the impact of early payment discounts, compression and the collection rate. Any elector of the district may

file a petition for review of this ballot title in the Columbia County Circuit Court no later than 5:00 p.m. Thursday, July 30th, 2020 (which is the 7th business day after receipt).

The challenger must notify the Columbia County Clerk’s Office in writing not later than 5:00 p.m. on the next business day following the day the petition for review is filed (ORS 255.155). This notice is published pursuant to ORS 255.145(5) by Elizabeth E. Huser, Columbia County Clerk.

is seeking to fill a recent vacancy on the Scappoose Bay Marine Park Advisory Committee. The committee undertakes projects and advises the Port’s staff and the Board of Commissioners on a variety of matters relating to the marina. The meetings take place every other month at 5:30 p.m., on the first

Port Office. Interested persons can obtain an application by visiting the Port’s website at www.portofcolumbiacounty. org or by contacting Miriam House at 503-928-3259 or by e-mail house@ portofcolumbiacounty.org.

The deadline to submit an application is July 27, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.

The Public Notice deadline is Wednesdays by noon.

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

Columbia County seeking volunteers Columbia County is seeking volunteer board, commission and committee members.

In the wake of COVID-19 and the protests that followed across the country, many people are looking for ways to get involved with their community to ensure it continues to work efficiently for all those it serves, according to a release from Columbia County.

You can share your skills and help shape our community by joining a county board or commission invested in giving their attention to key areas that keep the county running.

These boards and commit-

tees work together to provide advice and feedback to the Columbia County Commissioners and staff so that they can make the best decisions available to them to improve community programs such as transportation, local parks, fair grounds activities and management, solid waste, the Columbia County Jail, and more.

Committee terms run from two to four years, depending on the committee and circumstances, and are generally filled at the end of the calendar year.

There are currently two

advisory committees with immediate openings: • Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee • Columbia County Fair Board The Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee (JOCAC) advises the Board of Commissioners and the County Sheriff on the best ways to spend jail funds raised by levies for operating the Columbia County Jail. The committee reports periodically to one of the regularly scheduled Columbia County Board of Commissioners meetings to explain both to the board and

to county residents how jail funds are being distributed.

JOCAC was formed in 2014 to ensure accountability and transparency to taxpayers following the passage of a $7million bond in 2013 to operate and maintain the 255-bed facility. The levy was renewed by voters in 2016 and again in 2020. JOCAC is an optimal volunteer position for those inspired by recent discussions surrounding law enforcement reform to contribute to the local conversation.

The Columbia County Fair Board plans and organizes the county’s annual fair, which

draws up to 25,000 people every year. The seven-member committee seeks sponsors, organizes vendors, plans exhibits and displays, and schedules entertainers for the five-day event, which is held in July each year. Committee members serve four-year terms, and the Fair Board is an optimal volunteer position for those who enjoy event planning and bringing creative entertainment to their community while seeking to bolster the local economy.

By December, 11 more of the county committees will have openings in need of

volunteers.

For more information about the various committees seeking 2020 volunteers, or to find an application, visit: https:// www.columbiacountyor.gov/ departments/BoardofCommissionersOffice/committeevolunteer-interest-form.

COVID-19

contain masks, gowns, gloves and hand sanitizer for local businesses and health care services.

Paul said county representatives are still working to enforce pandemic prevention measures at local businesses, such as mask-wearing and six feet of social distancing.

When public health receives a complaint that a shop or restaurant isn’t enforcing the health safety policies, Paul said health representatives will send a letter to the business operator or call the business to inform them of the complaint and what they must do comply with state orders.

Paul said county representatives have yet to do a site visit at businesses alleged to be in violation of the health safety orders, because they haven’t had second complaints about alleged violations, which would trigger such an inspection.

Governor Kate Brown announced new statewide health and safety measures, including new requirements for face coverings and businesses, effective Friday, July 24.

Unless the spread of COVID-19 begins to slow, Governor Brown made clear that additional restrictions would be necessary.

“Oregon, we ventured out onto the ice together and that ice has begun to crack.

Before we fall through the ice, we need to take steps to protect ourselves and our community,” Brown said. “So it’s time for further actions to slow the spread of this disease. Keep in mind, this is not an on or off switch. This disease is something that, for the time being, we must live with. However, when we see numbers rise, we must respond in turn. We must dim the lights. We must scale back, limit our interactions, take more precautions.”

Beginning Friday, July 24, the following new requirements will apply:

Face Coverings

July 24, for all children 5 and up, in all indoor public spaces and outdoors when physical distancing isn’t possible.

To help Oregonians understand the requirement, the Oregon Health Authority has created a website resource that aims to be a clearinghouse of the latest information about face coverings and masks, from requirements to FAQs to tips about how to effectively wear them.

Controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon requires all of us to do our part. Emerging evidence shows that wearing a mask can help protect you and the people you love from spreading and catching COVID-19. It’s an empowering way for each of us to protect our communities, our families and ourselves.

COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets when people cough, sneeze, talk, laugh or sing. Face coverings help contain those droplets. The virus can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and likely don’t know they are

infected.

Properly worn, a face covering should cover a person’s nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of the face.

Many types of face coverings can be used, including handmade cloth face coverings, scarves, bandanas, and more. They should be washed frequently after using.

COVID-19 is widespread in our state. All Oregonians can work together to flatten the curve and lower our risk of getting it or giving it to others by: • Covering our faces when six feet of physical distancing is not possible • Avoiding large crowds and limit our social gatherings • Washing our hands • Staying home if we’re sick

From Page A1

“That’s not a good solution at all,” Paul said. “Most people have not been infected.

If that were to happen, health systems would be overwhelmed.”

When it comes to maskwearing, Paul said there is evidence showing men are less likely to wear masks than women.

“Just wear a mask, it’s a pretty decent thing to do at this point,” Paul said.

“Women can help encourage men and peer pressure them.

Women have been shown to be good encouragers of this behavior.”

Paul said Columbia County Public Health continues to take protective measures to help slow the spread of the virus, which includes receiving a new Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) shipment from the state in the next few days. The PPE shipment will

New state mandates On Wednesday, July 22,

• Face coverings will be required for all Oregonians ages five and up in indoor public spaces and outdoors when six feet of distance cannot be maintained.

• Face coverings will be required even in cases of physical exertion indoors, and outdoors when six feet of distance cannot be maintained.

Businesses • The maximum indoor capacity limit is capped at 100 for all venues in Phase II counties and for restaurants and bars in Phase I or II counties.

• Restaurants and bars will be required to stop serving customers at 10 p.m. statewide.

Following Governor Brown’s announcement, The Oregon Health Authority released the following information Face coverings, or masks, are now required statewide for all adults and starting Friday,

If you are interested in serving on any of our boards or committees, complete the application provided at the website above. You may also email Jacyn Normine at jacyn. normine@columbiacountyor. gov, or call her at 503-3974322, for more information.

To learn more about face coverings and face masks visit healthoregon.org/masks. Follow the daily COVID-19 updates at thechiefnews.com with in-depth reports in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

A6

www.thechiefnews.com

Friday, July 24, 2020

Guard prepares for wildfire season

Courtesy photo

Crews form an attack line using a hose shooting water to an advancing fire during the training.

STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net

Firefighters across Columbia County are bracing for the summer and fall wildfire season just ahead.

The local crews will likely have assistance from the Oregon National Guard if the season heats up dramatically.

More than 400 citizensoldiers and citizen-airmen from the Oregon National Guard are now trained as wildland firefighters in preparation for the 2020 Oregon wildfire season.

The training is part of the state’s coordinated and comprehensive wildfire suppression efforts and funded through allocations by the federal government.

More than 175 members of the Guard completed their wildland firefighter refresher course on July 11, and 12 and 250 Guard members, who have not been previously trained for wildland firefighting, attended the class from July 13 and will complete the week-long program on July 17.

The fire training, held at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem, is known as “red card” training and consists of both classroom and hands-on sessions. The training will allow the citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen to be safe and effective in their work in case they are required this year to help support the efforts of wildland firefighters around the state, according to a release.

Federal funds were allocated, at the request of state officials, to help prepare members of the Guard in case their assistance will be needed to support wildland firefighting efforts around the state. Officials said the proactive work will enable

the Guard to assist on the fire lines much faster.

The Oregon National Guard has a proven track record of supporting wildfire suppression efforts, from the air and on the ground, around the state in recent years, according to the release.

In 2015, members of the Guard assisted with wildfire suppression efforts in John Day and Enterprise.

In 2017, more than 400 citizen-soldiers and citizenairmen supported Oregon’s firefighting efforts (air and ground) at High Cascades Complex (near Crater Lake), Chetco Bar, Blanket Creek, Horse Prairie, and Milli fires.

The Guard has a longstanding agreement with the Oregon Department of Forestry known as Operation Plan Smokey, which stipulates the details of how Guard members will be utilized to assist in annual firefighting efforts if needed. This agreement is reviewed on an annual basis by both agencies and the Governor’s Office.

The training was provided by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) and is the same training required of all public and private wildland firefighters. Because of the size of the group, DPSST supplemented its training cadre and utilized additional instructors from the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Military Department Wildland Firefighting Section, United States Forest Service, and the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

Follow the wildfire season daily updates at thechiefnews.com with extended coverage in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

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The Guard members work a fire line during the training.

Courtesy photo