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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021
VOL. 130, NO. 25 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
WHO WE ARE
Local teacher inspires community ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Sociologist and author Margaret Mead famously said that a small group of committed people can change the world. One teacher at Clatskanie Middle/High School reinforces that idea, with her, staff, and fellow students’ work in transforming the school community. Clatskanie Middle/High School Educational Assistant Donna Thompson runs the Share Shed, a donation hub where Clatskanie students can pick up clothes and school supplies in one centralized room, for free. Clatskanie Middle/High School Special Education Director Jim Helmen said that the idea for Share Shed started out as a small, collaborative effort between his wife, Key Club members, and Donna. “So, the intent was, how do they find activities that they can do to be able to support community members, students, or staff?” Helmen said. “And one of the ideas they actually came up with was, there was a noticeable need for a number of kids that needed school supplies and clothing, families that needed food.” According to Thompson, the room was a more modest accommodation before it skyrocketed in popularity.
Donna Thompson
A lot of these kids that really are perceived as quiet or isolated, or not very social, how grateful and thankful they are, and how often they tell her. That is incredible. ~ Jim Helmen, Clatskanie School District “They just had people donate clothing to put in this little room. And I was trying to think of how long we had it, maybe four years,” she said. “Time goes so fast, but it has just blossomed into a big room, and (now) we’re just so packed. I came in to volunteer when they had
started, and I eventually got put in charge of it.” Community members and local and regional businesses, such as Fultano’s, Flowers and Fluff, Wanua Mill, PGE, Kiwanis and the Baptist Church have been key in the donation efforts, according to Helmen. Share Shed’s scope is far reaching. When shed volunteers have overflow, they routinely take donations out to schools in neighboring cities such as Rainier. “The program itself has supported, I want to say probably over a couple hundred kids in the last three to four years,” Helmen said. Thompson said school staff endeavor to preserve the privacy of students who visit the Share Shed. “It makes it nicer because the kids know they can come in and (it) won’t be broadcast that they got clothes from us. We want to keep their dignity,” she said. This past homecoming Share Shed experienced a high volume of donations, and Thompson was there to manage it all, as she does nearly every weekend. “We had a number of (girls) that couldn’t afford dresses, young men that couldn’t afford the dress clothes,” Helmen said. “I believe in a span of a couple weeks, she had upwards of 40 or 50 kids in there. With the sheer number of dresses that were donated, I think, kids were actually able to wear a lot of these, so they could go to homecoming and they really feel good about themselves.”
Courtesy photo
A view of the donations in the Share Shed at Clatskanie Middle/High School.
According to Helmen, Thompson singlehandedly purchased 50 to 70 shoes for kids, allowing them to reenter sports and regain their confidence. “A lot of these kids that really are perceived as quiet or isolated, or not very social, how grateful and thankful they are, and how often
they tell her. That is incredible,” Helmen said. Thompson launders clothes over the weekend to make sure her students are clean-clothed and ready to attend school, according to Helmen. See SHED Page A4
Is it time for a hospital in Columbia County? JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
New discussions concerning hospital care in Columbia County are likely to be held in the coming months as Oregon moves into the rescue and recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. To gain insight into why there is currently no main hospital in Columbia County, The Chief spoke with Columbia County Public Health Director Michael Paul. The Chief: Currently, for folks in Columbia County needing hospitalization, where must they go? Michael Paul: Hospital level of care is not available in the county. Depending on zip code and specific need, residents may receive care at hospitals in Clatsop, Washington, Multnomah or Cowlitz counties.
Metro Creative Connection
In 2009, the Oregon Health Authority denied an application submitted by Columbia Health District to build a 12-bed hospital in St. Helens.
Obituaries ................. A3 Clatskanie Grows..... A4 Community Events A4 Classified Ads ......... A5 Legals ....................... A5 Sports.........................A6 Senior Living ........ A7-8
Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd. St. Helens, OR 97051
The Chief: Why is there no hospital in Columbia County? Paul: Like many states, several decades ago the Oregon State Leg-
islature established a health planning program within the Oregon Heath Authority, and it directed the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to adopt rules specifying criteria and procedures for making decisions as to the need for new health care facilities, including hospitals. The primary goal of the program is to assure that health services are adequately distributed around the state, without unnecessary duplication of services or excessive costs to patients. In 2009, the OHA denied an application submitted by Columbia Health District to build a 12-bed hospital in St. Helens. The Chief: Specifically, what is the need in Columbia County for a hospital and who would be best served with such a facility? Paul: The state rules require the applicant to demonstrate the need for a hospital. The state will only issue a certificate of need if the application addresses the criteria in the rules, so it’s premature to say there is a need until the analysis is completed.
That said, the county regularly hears from residents, business owners and employees about the availability of health care in our communities. Community health needs assessments identify access to health care as a dominant concern in our communities. We need to delve further into these concerns. For instance, when residents identify access to care as inadequate, are they thinking about the availability of a vaccination, a surgical procedure, an ambulance ride, or are they thinking about acute care at an emergency department? More importantly, though, we have to look at the most recent hospital utilization data by community, as well as outcomes for our residents versus Oregonians who live closer to a hospital. It’s possible that the analysis shows the service area can’t financially support an additional hospital, or maybe it shows health outcomes can be improved by investments to our emergency medical services. See HOSPITAL Page A5
Rainier to demolish burnt home ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
The city council is acting on its ordinance to tear down an old, dilapidated building in a Rainier neighborhood. Rainier City Administrator Scott Jorgensen said that the city contractor is awaiting a demolition permit for the house at 516 East E St., a required next step before the official removal process. “We gave the (current) owner until September 30. As of October 1, I started working on my end, trying to make sure our contractors were lined up and that they visited the site and did everything they needed to do,” Jorgensen said. “So, the demolition permit was the last step and we’re doing what we can to expedite that.” The city also is working on obtaining a lean for the property, shifting the financial burden of demolition to the future property owner.
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief
The Rainier City Council is moving ahead to have the remains of this burnt house on E St. removed and the property cleared.
History At a public hearing in July, former city councilor and neighbor Judith Taylor urged the council to declare the house of Nidia Coy a
public nuisance after it was badly damaged by an electrical fire. Debris blows onto nearby properties when the wind blows and the house smells bad, according to Taylor’s testimony.
The Rainier City Council approved an ordinance to remove the home, and to clear out the surrounding area. The council also laid out a resolution to start demolition by the start of the next rain season in September. “It’s going to be completely torn down, which is tragic because it was a beautiful old home. You can tell even just walking by looking at the wreckage it was a classic historic home in our town,” Jorgensen said. Coy has since settled her claim with the insurance company for the house fire and returned to her native Costa Rica. Following her departure, Gabriel Coy, son of Nidia Coy, requested that counsel grant them more time to try to get the conservatorship of some sort lined up and the council gave them until September 30. Due to inclement weather, they could not extend the deadline any further, according to Jorgensen. See DEMOLISH Page A3