Senior Living
Rainier PD raising funds for local breast cancer patient Page A2
Pages A10-12
Obituaries-A3 • In The County-A3 • Opinions-A4-5 • Police Blotters-A5 • Market Place-A6 • Public Notices-A6
The Chief
Friday, October 25, 2019
$1 Vol. 128, No. 24 12 Pages
Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Alternative Program thriving at CMHS
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Pictured is the fishing boat offered in the auction for a fishing trip on the Columbia.
Friends of Rainier Pool host benefit to keep Briarcliff Pool doors open Plan to expand competitive swim team access to Clatskanie students JULIE THOMPSON chronicle1@countrymedia.net
The Friends of Rainier Pool (FORP) advocacy group is gearing up to host a benefit fundraiser in support of keeping the Briarcliff Pool open and to make certain the Rainier Columbians swim team has a home where they can practice. The event will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.26 in the Rainier Jr/Sr High School (RJSHS) commons, located at 28168 Old Rainier Road, in Rainier. “The success of the fundraiser will determine that our Rainier swim team will indeed be able to start practices on November 18,” FORP president Kari Olsen said. The FORP formed in response to a challenge issued to the community to find funding for the pool by Rainier School Board member Sean Clark in June, when the board moved to adopt the district’s $14.3 million operating
budget without funds to continue pool operations. “The pool is a great asset to this community. I love the pool. I know it is important. We would love this community to rise up and make it happen,” Clark told the school board audience at a June 17 meeting. At the time, pool supervisor Larry Cook told The Chief the annual cost to the district to operate the pool was $150,000-plus, which school board member Kari Hollander said amounted to about $205 per student per year to maintain the pool. Olsen said the FORP is currently in negotiations with the school district to take over management of the pool in the future. During an October school board meeting, they presented a letter of intent requesting first that the pool be reopened for the swim team, and that they begin developing
See POOL Page A7
Christine Menges/The Chief
Senior Mia Gregory and Junior Garrett Viera work alongside Betty Davis, assistant teacher while doing math. CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Clatskanie Middle/High School (CMHS) has a new program this year. The Alternative Program, which serves 17 students in grades 7 through 12, helps kids who are not doing well in a traditional classroom setting. It rolled out last academic year in a pilot program, after CMHS Principal Jim Helmen and his leadership team, composed of some regular education teachers, had designed a program that would work for students who needed additional small group support. “This is a program designed
to support those students that are extremely capable, but just need a smaller, more supportive environment to work in,” Helmen said. When the program first debuted after winter break last academic year, two retired teachers, Kathi Jackson and Sherry McCoy, whom Helmen had asked to help start the program, taught a small group of ten students in a classroom on the second floor of CMHS. Those teachers were temporarily there to see if the bare bones of the system would work to support students, Helmen said. This summer, Helmen and his leadership team started talking about expanding the program and looking for teachers to be perma-
nently stationed within what is now called the Alternative Program Academy. Helmen wanted teachers who were not only adept at helping kids excel academically, but also at providing social and emotional support for students. The team had conversations with several teachers who were interested in the job. Eventually, the team hired Dawn Warren, who was made lead teacher for the Alternative Program, as well as Betty Davis, who is now the assistant teacher. The Alternative Program is now housed in a small building on the
See CMHS Page A8
Three new Hometown Heroes announced, donations accepted through Oct. 31
Zacory Clegg.
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Leland Piccolo.
JULIE THOMPSON chronicle1@countrymedia.net
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) has announced their three newest nominees for Hometown Heroes, and now have a list of requested items the community can help gather to support these heroes serving overseas. They also plan to support the 99 soldiers from the local St. Helens National Guard unit who just shipped out. Donation boxes are now set up in Ichabod’s Restaurant, Dairy Queen, and the Roadrunner Gas & Grocery in Scappoose. For those wishing to donate in other areas of the county, there is a drop-off location in Clatskanie at the American Legion Post 68, and in Vernonia at the R&S Mar-
ket. Those in St. Helens can take their items directly to the CCSO office. The CCSO received their wish list of items directly from soldiers, who shared what they would love to receive while deployed. Donations will be accepted through Oct. 31. Three new nominees These three individuals join Cassandra Gardner and Lucas Young, who were announced in previous weeks. • The first new Hometown Hero nominee is Zacory Clegg, an E-5 in the United States Army and is currently stationed at the K-16 Air Base in South Korea. Clegg was born in the Kelso/ Longview, Washington area and moved to St. Helens prior to attend-
Darci Snyder with husband Corey and daughter Kinley.
ing high school. He graduated from St. Helens High School in 2013 and joined the army right after. Clegg and his wife Cyrsta, along with their two sons, three-yearold Luca and 10-month-old River, currently live in St. Helens where Clegg’s father and stepmother, Matt and Dee Dee, also reside. He enjoys playing guitar and video games, and in his spare time he likes to work on his jeep and dirt bike. • Our next Hometown Hero is Major Leland Piccolo of the United States Army National Guard, and is currently deployed to Doha, Qatar. Piccolo graduated from Churchill High School in Eugene, Oregon and attended college at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Piccolo now lives in Scappoose with his wife Anne and their two daughters. When not serving our country,
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Piccolo works as a Physician’s Assistant. His favorite activities include running, RV’ing in his 5th wheel, and grilling on his Traeger. He is also a big fan of the Oregon Ducks. • Our third new Hometown Hero is Master Sergeant Darci Snyder of the United States Air Force, and is currently stationed in Ramstein, Germany. Snyder moved to Columbia County with her family in 1993. She graduated from Scappoose High School in 2002 and then immediately enlisted with the Air Force, beginning her career in September of that same year. Snyder married her husband Corey in 2008, and they had a beautiful daughter together, Kinley, in 2013. She enjoys traveling, playing soccer and spending as much time as possible with her family and friends.
Hometown Heroes wish list Food: • Sunflower seeds • Jerky • Kool Aid powder packets • Mio drink flavors • Protein bars • Dried fruit • Goldfish crackers • Little bags of mixed snacks • Chips
Entertainment: • Books • Footballs, volleyballs, etc • Playing cards • DVD’s • Magazines • Local newspapers • Comic books
Necessities: • Toilet paper • Socks • Foot powder • Mouthwash • Toothpaste / toothbrushes and floss • Lotion • Sunscreen (this was underlined several times) • Baby wipes
• Razors, aftershave and shaving cream Misc: • Sunglasses • Letters • Models • “Army Guy Toys” • Santa hats • Puzzles and board games