A look at active shooter readiness and gun laws in Oregon with Chief Greenway and Sheriff Pixley Page A5
Perry Technical Institute
in talks for potential siting in Columbia County
Page A8
Community Calendar-A3 • Opinions-A4 • Market Place-A6 • Public Notices-A6-7 • Obituaries-A7 • Out & About-A8
Friday, October 4, 2019
Special election guide
The Chief
$1 Vol. 128, No. 21 8 Pages
Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Another election is coming up for Columbia County residents. Nov. 5, 2019 is the date for the Special Election, which will be an all-measure ballot. Four measures will be available to Columbia County voters. Three of the measures are city-specific, and one is geared toward the entire county. The City of Scappoose will have measure 5-275 on their ballot, a three-cent fuel tax for street repairs and safety projects. If passed, the measure will tax residents three cents per gallon of fuel for fuel purchased in the city in order to fund street repairs and pedestrian safety projects, including sidewalks, according to the ballot summary. “Many of the city’s streets were built more than 40 years ago and are deteriorating,” the measure summary states. “The tax revenue may only be used for construction, reconstruction, improvement, repair and maintenance of streets and sidewalks within the city.” The measure also states the tax will sunset, or end, after 10 years. In Rainier, residents will vote on measure 5-276, which concerns a five-year local option tax for cemetery operations at the Rainier Cemetery District. According to the measure, the Rainier Cemetery District five-year local option tax would impose a $0.07 per $1,000 of assessed property value for five years to fund cemetery operations. The measure also sates the tax might cause property taxes to increase by more than three percent. “Without this additional revenue the district will be unable to replace equipment and hire additional staff required for the operation of the district’s twelve cemeteries,” the measure summary states. The five-year tax will raise a total of $540,735, according to the measure summary. Measure 26-206 renews a fiveyear local option levy for general operating purposes of the Sauvie Island Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD). This measure asks residents to approve a continuation of a $0.35 per $1,000 of assessed property value for five years of operation of the district. The measure would begin 2020-2021 and renews current local option taxes. “Anticipated uses of funds include state required medical testing for all firefighters, required Federal and OSHA testing of equipment and of firefighters use of equipment, physical testing of firefighters and their abilities, annual servicing and safety inspections of vehicles and
See ELECTION Page A8
Christine Menges/The Chief
Community groups had booths at the fair.
Community turns out for Health and Safety Fair CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
This past weekend, Clatskanie residents and other locals saw a helicopter rescue landing, a car extrication drill and learned how to escape a burning home. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Clatskanie Middle/ High School (CMHS), the Clatskanie Health and Safety Fair taught many local about safety topics like gun safety and locks, electrical safety, fire safety and earthquake safety. The fair, which has been going on for many years, is held in Clatskanie every other year, and was open to everyone in Columbia County and surrounding areas. This year, the fair was hosted by the Clatskanie People’s Utility District (PUD), the Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD), the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce,
United Way of Columbia County and Keep it Local Columbia County. Participants who entered the fair were first treated to a free hot dog lunch, which included a hot dog, chips, an apple, and a water bottle. They could also get free ice cream from the Wauna Credit Union booth. They were then able to choose from a few different activities. One of those activities was the EDITH Smoke House, or “Exit Drills In The Home,” which taught children and families lessons about fire safety. In a trailer bearing a resemblance to a small house, children and parents watched a short 10-minute video about fire safety, which gave them basic instructions regarding what to do in a fire. After the video, they walked upstairs to a small room. As they stood there, a smoke machine downstairs started pouring in smoke. The children would then touch the door they had entered
through, found that it was hot, and would exit down the fire escape. According to CRFPD officials, the point of the exercise is to teach children not to panic when there is a fire, and to have a fire safety plan. Another activity was a training by LifeFlight and Columbia County Emergency Management, who staged a demonstration of airlifting a “patient” to a hospital in conjunction with the fair. At 11 a.m., children and parents watched on a TV screen at CMHS as LifeFlight landed on the baseball field outside. They then went outside to witness the transfer of the “patient” via ambulance to a hospital. A final demonstration happened at 1 p.m., where participants could witness a car extrication drill, also performed by Columbia County Emergency Management. In addition to the rescue demonstrations, children and families participated in numerous other
activities, such as a physical fitness challenge, where kids had to do a certain number of sit-ups, pushups and squats depending on their age group. Kids and families also cheered on mascots at a mascot race, featuring the likes of Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog and Doernbecher Dolly. Building blocks were available for families to build structures with, and in the same area of the gym they could see an earthquake safety presentation at different times throughout the day. Free helmets and gun locks were available to fair-goers, as well as flu shot vouchers, and places for participants to safely drop off their expired medications. Along with activities and giveaways, many businesses, emergency services and groups from Columbia County set up booths within the
See FAIR Page A2
Nehalem Street Meeting Place celebrates one-year anniversary CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
The Nehalem Street Meeting Place (NSMP) is celebrating its one-year anniversary of being open since undergoing extensive renovation last year. The building, first constructed in 1894, was once the property of the United Methodist Church. Before 2018, it had been sitting vacant for one year when Scott and Kristen Kirkland from Clatskanie purchased the building. While there will be no formal celebration recognizing the oneyear anniversary since the reopening, Kristin Ramsey, Manager of NSMP, said the staff is looking forward to continuing with the work the facility has done since the building re-opened. “We’re excited for the busy holiday season ahead, and seeing the building available for making memories,” Ramsey said. There are two main sections that are available for rentals. One is the upper section, which is still used as a church, and serves for religious services. The other is the lower level, which can be rented out for other functions. Since having its open house in October of 2018, the NSMP has been the rental place for many different groups, including several weddings for local couples, bridal showers, baby showers, anniversaries and memorial services, according to Ramsey. In addition to ceremonies, the meeting place has served as a site for different community functions. It was used for a little bit by a church that had weekly services
Photo: Kristin Ramsey
The people behind the renovation and purchase of the building. Left to right: Derek Ramsey and Kristin Ramsey, Kristen Kirkland and Scott Kirkland.
upstairs. The facility also was used as the site for a dinner fundraiser for a local Clatskanie resident who needed help paying for funeral expenses after her husband had died. The fundraiser ended up raising a few thousand dollars, Ramsey said. Another event the NSMP held was a “Friendsgiving” dinner on Thanksgiving Day last year for local residents who did not have any place to go for the holiday. Reflecting on the last year of being open for the community, Ramsey described the meeting place as being like a “well-oiled machine.” “It’s all set up and ready to go for rentals, I don’t see it improving
in another way. We’ll just keep on doing what we’re doing,” Ramsey said. While other churches and event venues exist in Clatskanie for interested parties to rent out, the purpose of establishing the NSMP, Ramsey said, was to give residents one more option. “Clatskanie needed another option. There are other places, but they had a different feel to them,” Ramsey said. “We felt like Clatskanie needed a beautiful place for families but also an affordable place, so we’ve tried really hard to make that work.” Prices for renting out the large room downstairs start at $80 for a
four-hour minimum stay. Beyond that, prices get more specific for different uses, and interested parties can contact Ramsey for further information. “When most people hear about [the NSMP], they’re surprised at the low prices, and for the quality of the building,” Ramsey said. The exterior of the building still looks very similar to how it did in 1894. The interior has changed a lot, according to Ramsey. Changes include a brand-new kitchen, a new HVAC system, new painting on the walls, brand new tables and chairs
See NEHALEM Page A3