Legislators to look at eviction protections
Mystery solved Page A2
Page A3
$1.50
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021
VOL. 130, NO. 30 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
NEXT moving forward
Final Brushstrokes
Holiday fraud warnings
JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
The public process continues for the development of the $2 billion NEXT renewable diesel production facility at Port Westward. Port of Columbia County representatives have told The Chief that the facility will have capacity to produce approximately 50,000 barrels of renewable diesel fuel daily and boost jobs and the local economy. In the following conversation, NEXT Renewable Fuels President Chris Efird responds to The Chief’s inquiries.
The holiday season is the time for giving, but it is also a time that federal, state and local officials see an upswing in consumer fraud. Statewide scam concerns
The Chief: What is the current status of the state and local permitting process and what must be done to move forward? What are key dates?
“This year, we have the added stress of shipping delays and backordered items, which gives scammers additional ways to take advantage of you - especially by tricking you into thinking they can get that package here sooner or get you that ‘out-ofstock’ or ‘sold out’ gift item,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said. Rosenblum issued the following recommendations about how consumers can safely navigate holiday shopping. First, she urges consumers to be especially careful about online ordering. “There are all sorts of sophisticated ways to make you think you’re buying the perfect gift,” Rosenblum said. “Scammers can figure out how to interrupt your searches with bogus offerings and seemingly good prices. You go to the site, put the item in your cart, and click the buy button. However, you don’t get a tracking number; the package never arrives; and the seller disappears with your money.” When this happens, Rosenblum said you’ve fallen victim to a “non-delivery scam.” To avoid being victimized this way, Rosenblum said stick to reputable retailers. “Try to avoid merchants with whom you’re unfamiliar,” she said. “If you’re shopping with a new merchant, check to confirm that the merchant has a physical address, a customer service phone number, and a professional-looking site.” The Oregon Justice Department (DOJ) said warning signs of scammers include poor spelling, odd design, and slow loading. Only buy from secure sites with (a) SSL encryption and (b) a lock symbol at the beginning of the site’s URL. Secure sites will have https in their URL — rather than http. Paying attention to this difference can save you a lot of trouble, according to Rosenblum. Rosenblum’s recommendations also include watching out for messages about an item you never ordered. “In this scam, you get an email or other message telling you there’s an issue with an item you ordered, but you don’t recognize the item and know you never ordered it,” she said. “The message may be a phishing email meant to trick you into clicking a suspect link, providing your bank login credentials, or turning over other private information.” Rosenblum said if you are unsure if a message is legitimate, contact the business directly — through their website, chat, or customer service phone number. Do not respond to the message unless and until you’ve ascertained it’s legitimate.
Chris Efird: NEXT continues to move through the permitting process at the local, state and federal level and demonstrate that we meet Oregon’s high environmental standards. The Oregon Department of State Lands recently completed their public comment period and we are currently within the open public comment period for our Army Corps of Engineers permit. Additionally, we are advancing through the permitting process for our air permit, which is issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and through the permitting process for a local land use permit issued by Columbia County. We hope to receive approvals for all key permits in the first quarter 2022. We remain on track to begin construction in the coming year.
Clatskanie’s new mural
Zoe Gottlieb / The Chief
The city’s latest mural on North Nehalem St. is nearly complete as of Wednesday, Dec. 1. In April, Columbia County artist Jeremy Furnish announced plans for the mural, inspired by the literary works of renowned American author Raymond Carter, who was born in Clatskanie in 1938. Furnish issued a “Call to Artists / Request for Design Proposals,” asking student, emerging, and professional artists living in the Lower Columbia Region for the mural. Seaside resident Dylan Eckland’s submission was selected as first place by a panel of judges for his depiction of the renowned author alongside Beaver Falls and a quote from his poem ‘Where Water Comes Together With Other Water.’ The quote reads, “I’ll take all the time I please this afternoon before leaving my place alongside this river.” The Chief will follow up with Furnish upon the mural’s completion date.
Rainier to expand parks
The Chief: Environmental concerns have been raised over the development of the NEXT plant. How is NEXT working to ensure that the project will not adversely impact the surrounding property during and after construction? Efird: Environmental review is the primary focus of our required permits, and NEXT will be held to Oregon’s high environmental standards. Our facility will operate in an industrial zone and identified impacts will be mitigated. For instance, we will be restoring more than 450 acres of commercial tree property back into vibrant wetlands that benefit the local environment and the community. Wetlands have proven to provide flood control, improve water quality and enhance air quality. They bring enhanced biodiversity to the region and opportunities for local students to get hands-on experiences with natural resources and environmental science, as well as provide opportunities for cross-curricular activities. We have been working with Beaver Drainage Improvement Company representatives to address concerns and we’ve been able to change our design to benefit See NEXT Page A6
About Town .............. A4 Opinions ................... A4 Obituaries ................. A4 Classified Ads ......... A5 Legals ....................... A5
Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
Zoe Gottlieb / The Chief
A portion of this property along Rainier’s C Street could become a dog park. ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
The Rainier parks system may receive an upgrade in the coming months, following the results of a communitywide survey. Rainier Parks, Recreation and Education Committee members met Tuesday evening, Nov. 30, to discuss feasibility studies for three projects that topped the list. Community consensus Back in September, Rainier city officials mailed out a community survey to residents, asking for their input on how the city could improve Rainier public parks. The survey supplied participants with a range of choices for future park additions, including a dog park, splash pad, exercise stations, hiking and biking trails, a youth bike park, and adult athletic fields. Participants were instructed to submit their responses through a google form or drop off their completed surveys at City Hall by the Oct. 15 deadline. Three proposals were favored
by respondents, including the development of a Fox Creek Park, a dog park at C Street, and a mini-golf putting green at various locations. According to Rainier City Administrator Scott Jorgensen, when it comes to the city developing public parks projects, community feedback is paramount. “What I didn’t want was for the parks committee to go too far in one direction or another with recommendations just to have the citizens say, ‘Why are you doing that?’ You want to make sure that what you’re doing actually meets the demand,” Jorgensen said. Fox Creek Park The suggestion of building Fox Creek Park may come as a surprise to those familiar with the region’s periodic flooding, but according to Jorgensen, the Fox Creek area has plenty of recreational value. “I think the primary draw there is the fact that there’s some trails that are already established and maintained by Friends of Fox Creek,” he said.
Jorgensen also acknowledged the difficulties in building on unstable land. “When you have areas like that where there’s flooding, you can’t really do much in the way of permanent structures,” he said. Despite the challenges, Jorgensen sees the potential for the park and how it fits in with what the parks committee is trying to accomplish. “(Fox Creek Park) fits with kind of the overall vision of where we’re going. A series of trails connecting all throughout town that will enhance recreational opportunities, something that multiple people within multiple demographics can enjoy,” Jorgensen said. “A nice picnic table there, maybe a little bit of playground equipment to kind of act as a gateway to the trail system, that came up as something (the community) wants to see more of.”
FBI issues advisory
C Street dog park
During the 2020 holiday shopping season, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) received more than 17,000 complaints regarding the non-delivery of goods, resulting in losses of more than $53 million. The FBI anticipates this number could increase during the 2021 holiday season due to rumors of merchandise shortages and the ongoing pandemic. “Oftentimes when we talk about
Jorgensen said establishing a
See PARKS Page A4
ColumbiaCountyOR.Gov/Vaccine | 503-397-7247
See FRAUD Page A5