Honoring Veterans
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2023
VOL. 132, NO. 27 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
American Legion hosts annual Veterans Day dinner WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc. To honor veterans, the American Legion Post #68 in Clatskanie will host its annual Veterans Day dinner this Saturday. The dinner will be hosted at the Legion Hall, and American Legion Commander for Clatskanie Jerry Simmons spoke with the Chief about the event and what he expects it will look like this year.
Sometimes we were at war, sometimes we weren’t, but we were all serving this nation. And it is important to recognize all veterans, those from the past who have passed away ever since this nation was formed ~ Jerry Simmons, Clatskanie American Legion Commander
“We have a Veterans Day dinner, and we do it on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. We start at six o’clock. The Auxiliary is fixing the dinner, as they typically have done in the past,” Simmons said. “We have it for the veterans and their families.” Attendance at the event has seen between 60 and 120 people show up for the dinner. The 60-person figure was a low number due to COVID-19, but Simmons said that about 75-85 people typically attend. The dinner will include a guest
speaker appearance from former Department Commander for the State of Oregon, Don Weber. Honoring veterans Simmons said that events like these are essential because it’s necessary to recognize the service that veterans have provided the United States. “Less than ten percent of this nation are veterans. It’s important, I think, and I think all veterans feel the same way, to recognize the service that we went through,” Simmons said. “Sometimes we were at war, sometimes we weren’t, but we were all serving this nation. And it is important to recognize all veterans, those from the past who have passed away ever since this nation was formed.” While less than ten percent of the nation may not be veterans, Simmons said that both Columbia County and Clatskanie have a high percentage of veterans. “How many [veterans] we have here in Clatskanie, I don’t know, but there’s an awful lot of us,” Simmons said. The dinner at the Legion Hall offers a valuable opportunity for the veterans to come together and “communicate with one another.” Simmons said that he can see what events like this mean based on the turnout he sees at the veterans’ breakfasts on the first Thursday of each month. About 30-40 people show up for that breakfast each month. The value of coming together partly stems from the comfort of being around those with a shared experience. The relationship
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The Clatskanie Veterans Memorial.
between veterans is something Simmons described as a “bond.” “If you’re not a veteran, you don’t understand it. It’s something that we all went through. Some of us were in war; some were not. But we all served, and we all have that in common,” Simmons said. “We can talk about our experiences to one another; we can understand that. Whereas, if we talk about some of the things that we went through with a civilian, somebody who was never in the service, it doesn’t resonate.” Simmons said he doesn’t have another way to describe the bond other than that veterans feel “comfortable” around others with similar experiences. The dinner this Veterans Day will offer a chance to come together and honor the service of veterans past and present.
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Clatskanie American Legion Hall will host their annual Veterans Day dinner this week. At the front of the hall there will be a small table, set as a reminder of military personnel who are Missing in Action or Prisoners of War.
Clatskanie City Council welcomes new member WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
Following a 4-3 Clatskanie City Council vote, Russell Finney-Leggroan was selected as the council’s newest member. Finney-Leggroan was welcomed to the council during their most recent meeting on Nov. 1 and will fill the vacancy after Jim Helmen resigned in September. “We received two letters of interest. One is from local citizen Bob Emminger, and the second is from Russell. Both gentlemen appeared before the City Council last night and gave a brief pitch as to why they wanted to serve,” City Manager Greg Hinkelman on Nov. 2. “The sitting councilors were allowed to ask questions, of which a couple did. A vote then took place with a 3-3 tie. Legal counsel then instructed the mayor
to make the decision, which he chose Russell.” Hinkelman said that all the councilors “were appreciative of both candidates and also expressed that it was a tough decision.” Finney-Leggroan will see out the remainder of Helmen’s term, which is slated to end Dec. 31, 2026. About Finney-Leggroan The Chief reached out to Finney-Leggroan about his appointment to the council. FinneyLeggroan said he was interested in the position because he has regularly attended council meetings and believes he can make a difference on the council. “I care about the community. The thing is, I didn’t realize how much I cared about the community until I started going to those
Courtesy photo from Finney-Leggroan
New Clatskanie City Council member Russell Finney-Leggroan.
city council meetings, and realized how many of the things about the community there were to re-
ally talk about,” Finney-Leggroan said. “You know, how money’s spent, what improvements were made around town, things that are on other residents’ minds.” Finney-Leggroan said he is a “good listener,” and his extensive banking career has helped him work with people and numbers, and he is also a detail-oriented person. With those qualifications in mind, Finney-Leggroan said that being on the council would be a good way to focus more on the community. A non-native to Clatskanie, Finney-Leggroan bought a house and moved to Clatskanie from Portland in 2021. While he said he hadn’t considered living in Clatskanie due to his work, when he found the house that he settled in, he fell in love with the house and area. Finney-Leggroan said that part
of what made him feel at home in the area was the welcome he received from his new neighbors. The warm reception gave FinneyLeggroan a renewed appreciation for the close-knit environment of a small town. “I lived in Estacada when I was growing up. So I was used to a small town. So I knew what small town love was like, but I had no idea that Clatskanie would be so warm and welcoming as Estacada was when I was growing up,” Finney-Leggroan said. “Clatskanie felt like a big neighborhood. It felt like a suburb without a city.” Another aspect that made Finney-Leggroan feel at home was the connections he built
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Rainier calls for repeal of Measure 110 WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
At its meeting Nov. 6, the Rainier City Council voted unanimously to approve Resolution 11-23-01.
Crossword ................ A2 Police Blotter .......... A3 Obituaries ................. A3 News and Views ...... A4 Community CalendarA4 Classified Ads ......... A5 Legals ....................... A5 Veterans Day .......... A6-8
Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
The resolution proclaims the city’s call for the repeal of the provisions enacted pursuant to Measure 110. The resolution states that while Measure 110 was enacted to reduce crime, improve public safety, and save lives, it has had the “opposite effect.” The resolution states that Measure 110 has contributed to an increase in overdose deaths, criminal activity, public nuisance, and diminished quality of life for Oregon residents. The Chief spoke with Mayor Jerry Cole about what led to the council approving the resolution. “It’s not a specific pinpoint incident. It’s more of an incidents over time since Measure 110 went into effect. It’s a build-up,” Cole said. Dubbed the “Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative,” Measure 110 was passed by Oregon voters in the November 2020 general election. Cole said that the resolution isn’t indicative of Rainier being unwilling to support those struggling with addiction. “It doesn’t mean that we don’t have compassion for people who are addicted to drugs. We want them to get help,” Cole said. “We want the funding there for them to get help, but allowing drug use in the public, making drug use a $100 fine with really no penalties to go get help, frankly, isn’t working. “Everybody seems to have some issues with houseless people
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The Council passed the resolution at their meeting on Nov. 6.
and people who are using drugs; people have issues with that,” Cole continued. “They also have issues with the lack of mental health help, and all Measure 110 is doing by allowing drug usage is pouring gasoline on a fire, and we want that fixed.” Many local governments around Oregon have passed resolutions calling for the Oregon Legislature to repeal or amend the measure due to its impacts on public health, safety, and welfare, according to a
City of Rainier statement. Those municipalities include Clackamas, Polk, Marion, and Douglas counties and the City of Medford. Other cities and counties are expected to pass similar resolutions before the Oregon Legislature convenes early next year for its short session, the statement said. The Chief reached out to Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman to see if the council in Clatskanie had considered taking similar action.
“I have had no discussions with the Mayor on this issue,” Hinkelman said. “I know none of us are fans. I need to discuss whether to have this on the December council agenda or not.” Cole explained why the Rainier City Council decided to put the resolution into effect ahead of the short session. “The short session is coming up in Salem. So we’re trying to get our message out there that our representatives in Salem need to do something about this,” Cole said. “Basically, what I was hoping for is, sometimes you gotta pave the way, and hopefully, some other entities and municipalities and organizations will join us in this fight to either repeal Measure 110 or amend it and make it better.” Rainier’s resolution was inspired by a discussion that took place Oct. 10 during the quarterly city and county dinner, at which multiple Columbia County leaders expressed concerns about the measure and its consequences. Cole emphasized that Rainier wants to find solutions to the issues presented by Measure 110 rather than just voicing dissent. “We’re open to helping fix this problem. We’re more than open to be on any committees or whatever may be appointed to help fix it,” Cole said. “We’re looking for solutions, not just complaining about stuff.”