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If I Were Mayor winners announced

presentation category, Montan Reading (12th grade) won first place and Cinobia Arceneaux (12th grade) won second place.

The St. Helens City Council has announced the winners of the 2023 If I Were Mayor Student Contest.

The If I Were Mayor Student Contest is an annual contest held in partnership with the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA).

The city was pleased to receive a record number of entries this year. There were 12 poster submittals for grades 4-5, two essay submittals for grades 6-8, and 23 digital presentations for grades 9-12, representing a total of 42 student participants.

In the 4th to 5th grade poster category, Japhy McMartin (5th grade) won first place and Kali Ann Dovel (4th grade) took second place. In the 6th to 8th grade essay category, Brooke Van Arsdall (7th grade) won first place and Luke De Roia (7th grade) took second place. In the 9th to 12th grade digital

First place winners received $150 cash and second place winners received $50 cash. All participants are invited to a lunch with Mayor Rick Scholl and other city staff to talk about their ideas and to learn more about how local government works. First place winning entries from the St. Helens contest will be sent to the state competition for a chance to win a prize worth $500.

Students addressed a number of issues in their submissions, including creating safe bicycle lanes and a pedestrian bridge over the highway, cleaning the Columbia River, promoting recycling, supporting houseless individuals, combating the rising cost of living through job creation, and increasing substance abuse and addiction services.

The If I Were Mayor student contest is an annual contest held in partnership with the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) as a way to encourage engagement by local youth with the city.

Gov. Kotek visits Columbia County

Originally published in The Chief Vol. 131 March 24, 2023

It is called, One Oregon Listening Tour, and Governor Tina Kotek brought the third stop of her tour to Columbia County Wednesday, March 22.

Kotek participated in three community conversations on the topics of education, mental health and recovery, and housing and homelessness.

“I heard from some of our youngest Oregonians who care about each other and their future,” Kotek said. “It puts a fine point on the need to invest in our children’s education so they have the chance to thrive. I was also impressed by the community service providers working hard to help their neighbors despite resource challenges and a large service area. They make up for those challenges through strong relationships across the community and their incredible ingenuity.”

The day started at Vernonia Elementary School where Governor Kotek met with first graders, read the picture book “Be Kind,” and discussed the importance of

reading and kindness with the students. She also met with and took questions from a fourth-grade class about the work the governor does, ways she can help, and more.

Kotek then led a roundtable discussion with school administrators and teachers. The discussion centered on efforts she is making to fund summer education and enrichment programs, with a focus on improving childhood literacy, and the increased mental health challenges facing students.

In St. Helens, Kotek toured Columbia Community Mental Health (CCMH), including a crisis stabilization center being developed on the organization’s campus. CCMH offers holistic wrap-around services from crisis intervention to residential and community services. In a subsequent behavioral health discussion, area providers noted the positive impact of the Measure 110 funding they received to expand service capacity, the successful work their outreach teams are doing, and the workforce challenges in a rural community.

Following the visit to CCMH, the Governor had lunch in St. Helens with Mayor Rick Scholl and discussed local economic de-

velopment opportunities and the ongoing efforts the city is leading to update its historic downtown.

Kotek ended the day with the Community Action Team (CAT), a community organization that works to provide supportive services for veterans, help people pay rent, find permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness, and more. CAT has 16 housing units on site to support Oregonians transitioning out of unsheltered homelessness and has successfully supported 45 individuals to reach permanent housing.

The Governor heard about how CAT delivers services, followed by a roundtable discussion with regional service providers about the intersection between behavioral health and homelessness, social determinants of health, and the need to support veterans.

Kotek has said she will visit every county in Oregon within her first year in office through the “One Oregon Listening Tour” to foster trust and build strong partnerships across the state to get results for Oregonians, with a focus on housing and homelessness, mental health and recovery, and early learning and education.

Courtesy photo

right, Kali Ann Dovel, Japhy McMartin, St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl,

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

Courtesy photo

The Governor visited Vernonia Elementary School. See more photos with this story at thechiefnews.com.

Position: Dental Hygienist

Position Summary:

In our practice, our hygienists are often the first place our patients receive compassionate and necessary healthcare. Our hygienists do not simply clean teeth; they are instrumental in achieving optimal health.

About Us and Who We Want to Join Our Team:

Healthy Smiles of Scappoose is a fixture of the local community. We have been serving patients for over 50 years throughout the area. Our patients know us, and we know them. We are recognized as the go-to family dental practice because of our loyal team and our commitment to health.

Due to growth and expansion we are looking for a hygienist to join our cohesive team. This is a full-time position (4 days/week, ~32 hours/week) working Monday through Thursday but we are willing to split the days into 2 part time positions.

We have long-term employees at our practice. Some of our employees have worked for us for decades. This demonstrates our commitment to our employees. This is not just “a job” but rather a livelihood. We are committed to employee appreciation, kindness, understanding, and a positive mindset.

Our overriding goal is to first find a person who will enjoy being a member of our team, both as part of the organization as a whole and specifically with our incredible team of dental professionals.

Characteristics that we are looking for include:

• Team collaborative outlook,

• Patient-centric and solutions/problem solving approach,

• Fun-natured and a sense of humor,

• Good communication skills (written and verbal),

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We are committed to each employee’s success. As such, we invest time, energy, and money in onboarding and training to ensure competency and confidence with the type and kind of patients we serve. This, combined with your qualifications, represents a winning formula for long-term professional success.

Additional Information:

Our practice offers a relaxed work environment, places a high value on work/life balance, and located in Scappoose.

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If you believe this opportunity represents a fit for you, please send a cover letter and an up-to-date resume to: jessica@healthysmilesofscappoose.com