INSIDE
INSIDE
R eal E state G uide November 2019
Real Estate Guide Special Section
Manzanita officials discuss next steps in city hall project Page A6
Citizen North Coast
A Special Publication of
Headlight Herald Headlight Herald
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2019
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
VOL. 132, NO. 50 • $1
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 dollars 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 would reap large portions of the judgment out of 15 forest trust counties. Despite being a major timber producer, Clatsop County opted out of the lawsuit. Klamath County was removed from the case by the judge because its forests operate under a pre-2001 forest management plan. No funding mechanism for paying the judgement has been put in place at this time and state budgets are nearly universally challenged by gaps. Noting the jury’s short deliberation time of just a few hours, Tillamook County Commissioner David Yamamoto issued a statement following the decision that a nearly 80-year-old contract was breached by the State of Oregon. The trial, which was held in the Circuit Court of Linn County and
presided over by Judge Thomas said in the statement. “After attorstate forest harvests. McHill, began with jury selection on ney’s costs, Tillamook County’s Yamamoto said Tillamook Oct. 24, 2019. The lawsuit was origi- share of the verdict could be roughly County’s taxing districts receiving nally filed in March timber receipts include 2016. Yamamoto said three school districts, during the trial the jury Tillamook Transportahe rapidity of the verdict after a heard more than huntion, Tillamook Bay dreds of hours of tesCommunity College, month-long trial and awarding of full timony and reviewed NW Regional Education damages by the jury shows the strength of hundreds of exhibits, Service District, three the trust counties case.” some going back to the Port districts, North early 1900s. County Recreation - Tillamook County Commissioner David Yamamoto “It is expected that District, 4-H Extension the State will likely and many others. appeal the verdict, but “Since 1998, when while this continues the State Legislature to drag through the appeal process, $332 million. However, we have 20 changed the rules of the 1941 Forest 9-percent interest will accrue which taxing districts that receive almost 75 Acquisition Act, rural forest trust is over $90M per year,” Yamamoto percent of our timber receipts from counties were expected to shoulder
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Safeway donates 30 turkeys for The Schooner’s Thanksgiving Hilary Dorsey headlightreporter@countrymedia.net The Schooner Restaurant & Lounge posted on social media Wednesday, Nov. 20, that 600 pounds
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of turkeys were donated by Safeway for The Schooner’s Thanksgiving Benefit, which donates 100 percent of their proceeds to the Oregon Food Bank – Tillamook County Services. This is the largest fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank Tillamook Services and was created by Tommy Flood Jr., who passed away this past January. “Tommy Flood Jr., who passed away suddenly at the beginning of this year, started this fundraiser over 10 years ago. The event started by raising a couple of hundred dollars and has grown to over $26,000 last year. Tommy greatly attributed this level of growth to the commitment that Patrick Criteser, Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) president and CEO, made several years ago, for the Creamery to provide funds to inspire others to give,” Melissa Carlson-Swanson, branch services manager, Oregon Food Bank Tillamook County Services. “The Schooner team is determined to continue this event to honor Tommy’s memory, as fighting hunger in Tillamook County was a very personal and important cause for him.
the financial burden of these changes,” Yamamoto said. “The rapidity of the verdict after a month-long trial and awarding of full damages by the jury shows the strength of the trust counties case.” Responding to news of the judgement, Tillamook School District Superintendent Curt Shelley said in past years the district has made some difficult decisions which resulted in cutting positions. Shelley said additional funds would be well received and would be a great investment for students. Neah-Kah-Nie School District Superintendent Paul Erlebach presented a letter to the Oregon State Board of Forestry in March of this year and has been following the timber lawsuit closely since the beginning. He has testified to the forest board twice to stress the importance of sustainable forest harvest and to support maximizing timber harvest on Trust Lands. Erlebach firmly believes that excess volume is added to the growing standing inventory at the expense of counties, communities, special districts and school districts that are reliant on an equitable harvest rate and corresponding timber sales to fund critical services. Erlebach also thinks state and county officials in 1941 interpreted greatest permanent value to mean the state would manage forest lands to maximize timber production and to transfer these revenues to the counties, taxing districts, and school districts. He said this is not the first time
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Court of Appeals extends stay on flavored vaping products Hilary Dorsey headlightreporter@ countrymedia.net
These funds allow our [Oregon Food Bank] team to be responsive and nimble in improving our programs to better meet the needs of our community. For every $1 raised, 10 meals are provided for the community,” Calrson-Swanson said. Tillamook County Creamery Association will continue its support of the Thanksgiving Fundraiser Dinner with a donation of $5,000 to encourage community support. They have sponsored the fundraising dinner for several years. They are once again donating turkeys and hams to the Oregon Food Bank Tillamook County Services for their Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes. This year, TCCA will donate 300 turkeys and 100 hams. “Last year we received all of our turkey from Zweifel Farms, however, due to the circumstances of the beginning of our year with Tommy’s passing, I missed the deadline to or-
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Gov. Kate Brown’s six month ban on flavored nicotine and cannabis vaping products is on hold with new rulings Nov. 14 by the Oregon Court of Appeals. Last month, the Court temporarily halted the ban on only flavored nicotine vaping products. It has now extended the stay and granted a stay covering the ban on flavored cannabis vaping products as well. While a judicial review is conducted, enforcement of this rule will be discontinued. Until the judicial review is complete, licensees are not prohibited from processing, transferring and selling products previously banned. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) had filed temporary rules Oct. 11, that put into effect Brown’s Oct. 4 executive order banning all flavored vaping product sales in the state. “The court’s decision to enter stays last week is unfortunate in light of the ongoing public health
threat posed by vaping-related illness and the alarming growth in the use of vaping products by Oregon youth,” said Charles Boyle, govenor’s office press secretary. “What is clear is that it is far past time for the Trump Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to follow through on their promises to ban flavored vaping products so that we can protect children across the country from vaping-related illness and lifetime of nicotine addiction.” Boyle said in the meantime, Brown will continue to work with stakeholders and the Legislature to find long-term solutions to protect the public health from vaping-related illness. Brown continues to urge Oregonians to heed the public health warning of the OHA and to stop vaping immediately. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), released on Nov. 18 a statement regarding reports that
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Habitat selects families for Eighth Street townhouses Chelsea Yarnell Guest Contributor
What does ‘home’ mean to you? Rest. Peace. Memories. Safety. And the ability to nail something into the wall. The question circulated around the table as three Tillamook Habitat for Humanity families met at the Tillamook Restore for a time of fellowship. LeeAnne and Julius Mitchell moved into their Habitat house on Miller Avenue in Tillamook a little less than a year ago and will get to enjoy their first Christmas as homeowners. “I’m feeling like this is the best part of my life right now,” LeeAnne said. “It’s the first time in my entire life having a consistent, safe, house.” Her husband Julius agreed, adding
that it’s a place that their two kids will create happy memories in. “It’s the first time in my life I have a feeling of security,” Julius said. “There’s not another person like a landlord that causes anxiety.” This year, Tillamook Habitat for Humanity has broken ground on their newest build: two attached townhouses on Eighth Street in central Tillamook. And the Mitchell’s are ready to mentor the newest Habitat families on their journey to home ownership. “Who better than someone who’s been through the process,” Executive Director Cami Aufdermauer said. “Families that are connecting and supporting each other.” Josh Gingerich, Habitat’s Construction Manager, is overseeing the project
and expects to be completed sometime this summer. Amanda Swift and her daughters Kimber and Kali are one of the selected families. As a single parent, Amanda struggled to find safe, affordable housing, even while being employed with the State of Oregon. “I applied to Habitat two years ago,” Amanda said. “I needed to do more work on my finances. They reached out to me this year and I asked if I wanted to reapply. I had worked on my finances…and we were selected.” Amanda is looking forward to building memories with her girls, and expanding their family. “We get to have a dog,” she said. “It seems small, but it’s another member of a family, and a way to teach my girls responsibility and indepen-
dence….I am grateful to the community. It’s not just funded by Habitat, but the community.” Their neighbors will be Misty and David Wickersham along with their three kids. David admits that he thought he’d never own a home. Gainfully employed with Precision Timber the Wickersham have also struggled to find housing for their growing family and have lived in the same apartment for the past 10 years. “We get to raise our kids in a good environment: in their home, not an apartment,” Misty said. Both families have taken financial education courses, and will need to complete 500 hours of sweat equity on
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