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Obituaries-A3 • Opinions-A4 • Community Calendar-A5 • Offbeat Oregon-A5 • Market Place-A6 • Public Notices-A6-7 • Blotters-A8
The Chief
Friday, November 22, 2019
$1 Vol. 128, No. 31 8 Pages
Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
State owes $1 billion to rural counties for timber lawsuit
CODY MANN headlightnews@countrymedia.net
The state of Oregon was in breach of contract with more than a dozen counties including Tillamook and 151 tax districts for not maximizing timber harvests and related payments in the past two decades, according to a Linn County jury. A trial regarding the matter lasted nearly a month and was concluded on Wednesday, Nov. 20. A jury found the state must pay $1 billion in damages for lost revenue after the state failed to cut down enough trees since 2001. The payout includes future damages under the assumption that state forest management will continue status quo. The state reportedly plans to appeal the verdict. If the appeal fails, Tillamook, Washington and Linn Counties would reap large portions of the judgment. Despite being a major timber producer, Clatsop County opted out of the lawsuit. No funding mechanism for paying the judgement has been put in place at this time and state budgets are nearly universally challenged by gaps. The Oregon Department of Forestry issued a statement saying the agency believes balanced, sciencebased public forest management produces the best long-term out-
Presenting the Kiwanis
20th annual Gala Jeremy Ruark/The Chief
Tables set up at the 2016 Clatskanie Kiwanis Gala and Auction. Photo courtesy: Metro Creative Graphics
comes for all Oregonians, including the counties and taxing districts that receive revenue from state forests. The forestry department said it was disappointed by the jury decision and would be reviewing options with attorneys from the Oregon Department of Justice. The Oregonian reported that expert witnesses testified the state could have cut an additional 3.6-billion board feet of timber from the state forests since 2004. Including future lost revenue assuming the state continues to manage the forests in the same fashion, the counties asked the jury for some $1.1 billion in damages, according to the Oregonian’s report. State attorneys defended the lawsuit from the standpoint that the Department of Forestry managed the forests with goal of earning the greatest amount possible statewide rather than for a portion of the counties. The defense also said it was focused on more than revenue, aiming for environmental and wildlife protection as well as recreational opportunities. At the root of the lawsuit is the argument over the definition of the greatest permanent value. The counties say that in 1941, greatest permanent value meant the state
See TIMBER Page A4
CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
This Saturday, the 20th annual Kiwanis Gala will take place, the service group’s largest fundraiser of the year, which gives funds to approximately 32 different children’s projects, according to Taylor Kissinger, Kiwanis president. “We’re rather fortunate in Clatskanie, because there is no other service club,” Kissinger said. “A lot of times with groups needing funding, if you have a problem, we’re the guys to go to.” As well as children’s projects, funds raised will go toward scholarships; two traditional scholarships Kiwanis offers and the Chance to Become scholarship for underperforming students, according to Kissinger. The gala raises $28,000 on average each year, Kissinger said. The event begins at 5 p.m. and this year, for the first time it will be at a location different from the Clatskanie Middle/High School (CMHS) commons. It will be held at the American Legion Hall, located at NE 5th Street in Clatskanie. “Royal Enchanted Gala” is the theme, and attendees can either dress up or dress down for the event, according to Monica Hastings, Kiwanis Club member. Tickets are $30 per person, and people can purchase
them at Umpqua Bank, or call up Kissinger to buy them. They can also be purchased at the door if there are any left come time of the event. However, as of press time only 10 tickets remain. Starting at 5 p.m., there will be an hour of “mix and mingle,” and a choir group from CMHS will be available for live music entertainment. During this time, there will also be a silent auction and a card table where attendees can play to win prizes. “There’s thousands of dollars of prizes to be won,” Hastings said. Baskets available for the silent auction include prizes such as hand-blown glass ornaments, gift certificates for businesses like Subway and Fultano’s and three “judgeships,” or the opportunity to be a judge at the Pie in the Park, a pie a contest that takes a week before the Fourth of July every year in Clatskanie. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. and will be catered by the former owners of Hump’s restaurant, Rob and Brenda Cameron. There will be both vegetarian and meat options, a lasagna for vegetarians and prime rib “with all the fixings” for meat eaters. The live auction begins at 7 p.m. and includes bigger-ticket items like a .22 rifle donated by Clatskanie Builders Supply, a
two-night hotel accommodation in Florence, Oregon on the coast, passes for the Portland Winterhawks ice hockey team and a Traeger Barbecue. The gala is open to anyone and people can purchase tickets in advance. This year, there are only 160 seats available, Hastings said. In addition to individuals purchasing tickets, businesses could purchase tables of 8 for $300. Hastings said this year 10 tables have been reserved for businesses. In addition to the gala supporting projects and scholarships for children, the gala might also be able to bring in more volunteers for Kiwanis, Hastings said. “Each year, we have been dwindling in our members, some have passed away, some have moved on,” Hastings said. “This year, we even had to eliminate the Christmas tree sales that we usually do, we didn’t have enough volunteers.” Kissinger said he is excited as well by the prospect of community members coming together to support children. “There’s so much need, and sometimes it’s a little overwhelming,” Kissinger said about the general work Kiwanis does in the community. “In these trying times, we can come together as a community and help the kids. It’s really good.”
Hometown Heroes packs up Round 2 JULIE THOMPSON chronicle1@countrymedia.net
When Hometown Heroes first launched in spring, it began with five local nominees and five care packages shipped overseas. This weekend, those involved packed
106 boxes filled with 721 lbs. of supplies - not only for the six newly identified local active service members, but for the 100 members of the St. Helens based Bravo Company 741 Brigade Engineer Battalion of Oregon Army National Guard who recently deployed to the Middle East. On packing day, which took place on Sunday at the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), while wading through supplies and a room full of volunteers who’d turned out to help, Sheriff Brian Pixley said he had no idea how large the endeavor would become. “I can’t tell you how many people donated money and time and resources to really making this possible,” Pixley said. “It’s a lot of boxes.” As of Sunday, Pixley said the effort had managed to raise $1,700 in cash and were expecting more in the coming days. That worked out well, given it will cost about $2,000 to get all of the boxes shipped to their various locations. “The American Heritage girls have been the whip-crackers in this whole thing. They really helped me take this to the next level, as well as the employees of the sheriff’s office,” Pixley said, adding the girls scoured every community event raising donations and getting the word out. Vivian Rupe, service project coordinator for the American Heritage Girls, had already been taking her girls to an organization in Portland to participate in similar projects to support our
Kelli Nicholson/The Chief
Vivian Rupe, service project coordinator for the American Heritage Girls, said she has used the Hometown Heroes experience to teach her troop about empathy for service members and their families.
troops. She said she was inspired by seeing what Hometown Heroes had been able to accomplish. “I contacted them, and I said, ‘Oh my goodness, you answered a huge calling for me. I’ve been taking my girls out there.’ So, I had a meeting with Sheriff Pixley and Captain Weaver,” Rupe said. “I’d done this before and it’s something that I want our girls to
participate in and I want the community together because that’s really what my passion is. Anything that needs to be done in the community, regardless of what it’s for, that we all work together and accomplish it together.” Rupe set up a Facebook page called Hometown Heroes of Columbia County and began helping with coordination of the project.
She said it fulfilled a big section for her troop of girls to participate. They’re learning about their heritage, she said, the sacrifices that the service members make in order for us to be able to enjoy the freedoms that we have.
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